Why the whacky name - Imaginary Conversations? Well, simply, I have a vivid imagination. Topics that tickle my fancy turn over and over in my mind. An audience (of one) forms. He/she takes on a life of their own, offering counter points. Rabbit trails materialize, are followed, and come back around. This eventually morphs into a discussion of the pros and cons with my make believe foe. It's pretty sad when I lose.
Right now, I can see you sitting there, a quizzical look on your face, thinking that this guy is plain nuts. Well, yes, just a little. We just had a conversation. See - it's pretty simple.
Topics cover all kinds of diverse, unrelated fields: finances, programming, leadership, freedom, etc. You may notice some common threads underneath. Let me know what they are.
Browse, enjoy, and join the conversation...
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
WE'RE DEBT FREE
Baby Step 2 took our family 3 years to pay off $34,000 in debt. $75,000 if you count the house that sold when we moved. My wife, Renee, counts it.
The hardest part - when I lost my job. It delayed Baby Step 2 around 9 months. We were pretty impatient by that point.
The best part - I describe it as "our snowball hit a tree". My youngest daughter, Vania was born with digestive problems. She threw up everything she ate. 4 ounces in became 4 ounces out. Vania did not grow for her first six months.
The specialist prescribed a baby formula that absorbs faster than Vania threw up. This formula cost $580 a month. Ouch!
I did the budget with some trepidation. We had just paid off our second largest debt the month before. With that extra bit, the debt snowball reached $580 a month! Our debt snowball disappeared in one fell swoop - and it was worth every penny.
Proverbs 15:4 says the tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit. When we unwrapped the chains we had put around God's money, we found a tree of life - literally. That was the moment I realized we were winning with money.
Today, Vania is a healthy toddler running around the house, getting into everything. I smile when I remember that lesson in God's faithfulness, and how special Vania really is.
The hardest part - when I lost my job. It delayed Baby Step 2 around 9 months. We were pretty impatient by that point.
The best part - I describe it as "our snowball hit a tree". My youngest daughter, Vania was born with digestive problems. She threw up everything she ate. 4 ounces in became 4 ounces out. Vania did not grow for her first six months.
The specialist prescribed a baby formula that absorbs faster than Vania threw up. This formula cost $580 a month. Ouch!
I did the budget with some trepidation. We had just paid off our second largest debt the month before. With that extra bit, the debt snowball reached $580 a month! Our debt snowball disappeared in one fell swoop - and it was worth every penny.
Proverbs 15:4 says the tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit. When we unwrapped the chains we had put around God's money, we found a tree of life - literally. That was the moment I realized we were winning with money.
Today, Vania is a healthy toddler running around the house, getting into everything. I smile when I remember that lesson in God's faithfulness, and how special Vania really is.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
The Value of Grace
I recently read Atlas Shrugged by Ayne Rand. A very good book. I highly recommend it. Without giving any of the story away, the book discusses the nature of wealth. It very much favors a free market and excoriates the redistribution of wealth. That rang true.
The Bible explicitly talks about redistribution of wealth...
I first thought that maybe our obedience is payment. God expects obedience, and forgives our failures as part of His grace. A friend rightly pointed out that this would lead to the heresy of works based salvation. We definitely do NOT want to go down that road. Salvation is wholly God's work (solo gratia).
Maybe I approached the question incorrectly? I assumed that receiving something for nothing is harmful. What if the harm isn't the act? My friend explained that our obedience stems from gratitude. We obey because God gave us something of great value. The love and justice we mirror (created in His image) beget a response of gratitude. And God has made clear in His word that He wants our obedience as an expression of that gratitude.
What if someone were to remain ungrateful for God's gift? Is that even possible? Well, no. The act of salvation renews our spirit. The process of sanctification - which begins then - makes our heart more like Christ's. Jesus and the Father are one - the same. We respond with justice and love because those are attributes of God. You must respond in gratitude because of who you are - a living reflection of God's image.
Proverbs 12:10 says that "a righteous man cares for the needs of his animal, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel." An act is a physical thing. You do something, and everyone can see what you do. The nature of the giver and recipient are spiritual - you can't see or measure it. Their nature determines the effectiveness of a gift. A person with a wicked nature can perform kind acts that still result in harm. The spiritual result comes from the spiritual source - the nature of the giver.
So are the senators and congressmen calling for more government benefits righteous or wicked? Wise or foolish? Because their nature determines the results. Even the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel. It doesn't matter if your representative agrees with your political stance. Their nature - their character - weighs far more heavily.
Back on topic... God changes our nature. We were dead in sin. He makes us alive. He begins the process of turning our hearts more like Christ. His nature and our nature make the gift effective. God does not willy nilly throw His gift into the sea of humanity. He picks and chooses. And in so doing, makes us valuable. Let me be clear - our value comes entirely from God. He makes us valuable, and then gives us a gift because of our value to Him. Wow.
The Bible explicitly talks about redistribution of wealth...
You shall not steal - Exodus 20:15
You shall not covet your neighbor's house. - Exodus 20:17a
"Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious!" But little do they know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of the grave. - Proverbs 9:17-18
The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the speech of the upright rescues them. - Proverbs 12:6Okay, so the world works correctly when we trade value for value. How does salvation (grace) fit into that? Isn't the point of grace that we can't ever repay it - that we are not worthy - we have no value to trade? If giving something for nothing hurts the recipient, and God's grace does not hurt us, how can we receive it for nothing?
I first thought that maybe our obedience is payment. God expects obedience, and forgives our failures as part of His grace. A friend rightly pointed out that this would lead to the heresy of works based salvation. We definitely do NOT want to go down that road. Salvation is wholly God's work (solo gratia).
Maybe I approached the question incorrectly? I assumed that receiving something for nothing is harmful. What if the harm isn't the act? My friend explained that our obedience stems from gratitude. We obey because God gave us something of great value. The love and justice we mirror (created in His image) beget a response of gratitude. And God has made clear in His word that He wants our obedience as an expression of that gratitude.
What if someone were to remain ungrateful for God's gift? Is that even possible? Well, no. The act of salvation renews our spirit. The process of sanctification - which begins then - makes our heart more like Christ's. Jesus and the Father are one - the same. We respond with justice and love because those are attributes of God. You must respond in gratitude because of who you are - a living reflection of God's image.
Proverbs 12:10 says that "a righteous man cares for the needs of his animal, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel." An act is a physical thing. You do something, and everyone can see what you do. The nature of the giver and recipient are spiritual - you can't see or measure it. Their nature determines the effectiveness of a gift. A person with a wicked nature can perform kind acts that still result in harm. The spiritual result comes from the spiritual source - the nature of the giver.
So are the senators and congressmen calling for more government benefits righteous or wicked? Wise or foolish? Because their nature determines the results. Even the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel. It doesn't matter if your representative agrees with your political stance. Their nature - their character - weighs far more heavily.
Back on topic... God changes our nature. We were dead in sin. He makes us alive. He begins the process of turning our hearts more like Christ. His nature and our nature make the gift effective. God does not willy nilly throw His gift into the sea of humanity. He picks and chooses. And in so doing, makes us valuable. Let me be clear - our value comes entirely from God. He makes us valuable, and then gives us a gift because of our value to Him. Wow.
Monday, July 19, 2010
The Value of Copyright
In Atlas Shrugged, the fictional composer Richard Halley talks about not giving away his music to people who feel entitled to his efforts. Halley's comment sounded like most pro-copyright arguments. Atlas Shrugged champions personal freedom and responsibility. Yet the current copyright laws create slaves. Contradictions cannot exist. So what was I missing?
Effectively, you "borrow" the content from the creator. And their rights last longer than you'll live. Proverbs 99:99 says "the borrower is slave to the lender". The DMCA, lifetime copyrights, and licensing agreements all work towards one end - making you the "borrower" (aka "slave"). These "content producers" know this. It is intentional. After all, they are entitled to your money.
That is what bothers me so much. It's no longer about a fair trade of equal value. These people feel entitled to my dollars. And the current law/license model feeds that feeling.
Until quite recently, copying creative works cost a lot. Recording equipment, printing presses that can run 1,000's of pages, and even getting the finished product into a buyer's hands require capital and expertise. This naturally limited copying to a very small percentage of the population. And the ability to make copies in itself held value. The limited supply increased the value of each copy.
Digital copies change the rules. Once you digitize music, the supply nears infinity. Making copies costs almost nothing. The Internet brings distribution cost to almost nothing. From a purely cost point of view, I can make millions of copies without any additional cash outlay. Multiply this by the thousands who can do the same thing. The supply explodes almost instantly after release.
The digital supply far outstrips the demand. That makes each individual copy worth less. Actually, the copies approach your cost for distribution - zero. The value of your asset depreciates. Even cars don't lose value this fast.
Enter copyright law. The law limits supply by threatening punishment for copies. Copyright law stands against the asset's natural depreciation. It is an attempt to legislate value. Now the question becomes, can it be done successfully?
The original copyright laws in the United States mimiced the patronage system. The patrons - citizens of the United State - gave the creator something of value in return for this creative work. The creator received an exclusive ability to control distribution of their work for a limited time.
In the 1970's, Congress greatly extended the time period for copyrights. Businessmen trade. You give something of value and receive an equal value in return. The patrons - we the citizens of the United State - gave an increased value to the creators with the longer time. So what did we receive in return?
Slavery
Okay, I guess we first need to explore that slavery bit. Software, music, and movie producers "license" their "content". Read one of those licenses. Tell me, do I have any of the rights of an owner? Nope.Effectively, you "borrow" the content from the creator. And their rights last longer than you'll live. Proverbs 99:99 says "the borrower is slave to the lender". The DMCA, lifetime copyrights, and licensing agreements all work towards one end - making you the "borrower" (aka "slave"). These "content producers" know this. It is intentional. After all, they are entitled to your money.
That is what bothers me so much. It's no longer about a fair trade of equal value. These people feel entitled to my dollars. And the current law/license model feeds that feeling.
Depreciating Assets
So what is the true value of digital content?Until quite recently, copying creative works cost a lot. Recording equipment, printing presses that can run 1,000's of pages, and even getting the finished product into a buyer's hands require capital and expertise. This naturally limited copying to a very small percentage of the population. And the ability to make copies in itself held value. The limited supply increased the value of each copy.
Digital copies change the rules. Once you digitize music, the supply nears infinity. Making copies costs almost nothing. The Internet brings distribution cost to almost nothing. From a purely cost point of view, I can make millions of copies without any additional cash outlay. Multiply this by the thousands who can do the same thing. The supply explodes almost instantly after release.
The digital supply far outstrips the demand. That makes each individual copy worth less. Actually, the copies approach your cost for distribution - zero. The value of your asset depreciates. Even cars don't lose value this fast.
Enter copyright law. The law limits supply by threatening punishment for copies. Copyright law stands against the asset's natural depreciation. It is an attempt to legislate value. Now the question becomes, can it be done successfully?
The Other Side of the Coin
Honestly, there is value in the process of creation. So what happened before copyright law? Artists - content producers - found people who valued their work and could afford it. We called these buyers "patrons".The original copyright laws in the United States mimiced the patronage system. The patrons - citizens of the United State - gave the creator something of value in return for this creative work. The creator received an exclusive ability to control distribution of their work for a limited time.
In the 1970's, Congress greatly extended the time period for copyrights. Businessmen trade. You give something of value and receive an equal value in return. The patrons - we the citizens of the United State - gave an increased value to the creators with the longer time. So what did we receive in return?
The Solution?
I don't have one. I am not arguing for or against copyright. I am trying to learn how value works in an environment of near infinite supply. What do you think?Friday, June 25, 2010
Taking Apart an EEE PC
My wife's EEE PC 1000HD died last night. The battery drained and would not recharge. Turns out power never reached the battery. Something went wrong with the power supply.
It didn't take long to find the problem. Unfortunately, Google turned up no hits for dis-assembling the machine. So here's some help!
It didn't take long to find the problem. Unfortunately, Google turned up no hits for dis-assembling the machine. So here's some help!
How To Take Apart an EEE PC 1000HD
- Unplug the computer. Don't get lazy - you'll regret it.
- Remove the battery. See your manual for instructions.
- Remove the 6 screws from bottom.
- Remove the 3 short screws that were under the battery.
- Remove the cover on the bottom of the machine.
- Unscrew the hard drive.
- Pull out the hard drive using the tab.
- Turn the EEE PC right side up.
- Along the top of the keyboard are 4 tabs. Push them back using a small flat head screw driver.
- Gently pry up the keyboard. It's taped down, so pry it a little.
- Slide the keyboard up towards the screen slightly. It has tabs on the bottom too.
- Disconnect keyboard ribbon. I used a pair of needle nose pliers.
- Remove the keyboard and set it aside.
- Remove the 6 screws from under the keyboard.
- Disconnect the two ribbons with tabs. I don't what they do.
- The top of the EEE PC comes off with a little effort.
- Remove the screws from the motherboard. Leave in the four screws that hold the fan.
- Remove The screws that connect the LCD to the motherboard.
- Pry the edge out slightly where it's over the VGA port.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Watch the Road
My Dad showed me how to drive. He took me out on our back, country road and said go. I was all over the road. Eye hand coordination is not my strength. Then he taught me the single most valuable driving lesson: keep the front corner on the middle line, because the car goes where you're looking.
Sometimes, and I know this is hard to believe, I get really annoyed with my wife. She does things that she thinks will keep me from getting mad. It drives me crazy. So she tries harder - doing the same thing that started the cycle. Why? Because she's looking at anger. We go where we look.
Poor and rich represent states of mind not measures of wealth. Where you look is where you go. Rich people look at other people. They help, give, and genuinely look outward. Poor people look inward. They expect gratification, appeasement, and their own little world.
Where do you look? What do you see in your budget? Car payments for the rest of your life? The little guy can't get ahead? Everyone has a credit card? Student loans are inevitable?
Guess what - all of that will come true. You go where you look. Do you look for new ideas that help you help others? Or do you see 100 reasons why it won't work? Do you see money going where you tell it? Or do you see stuff that you need? Where are you looking? That's where you're going.
Sometimes, and I know this is hard to believe, I get really annoyed with my wife. She does things that she thinks will keep me from getting mad. It drives me crazy. So she tries harder - doing the same thing that started the cycle. Why? Because she's looking at anger. We go where we look.
Poor and rich represent states of mind not measures of wealth. Where you look is where you go. Rich people look at other people. They help, give, and genuinely look outward. Poor people look inward. They expect gratification, appeasement, and their own little world.
Where do you look? What do you see in your budget? Car payments for the rest of your life? The little guy can't get ahead? Everyone has a credit card? Student loans are inevitable?
Guess what - all of that will come true. You go where you look. Do you look for new ideas that help you help others? Or do you see 100 reasons why it won't work? Do you see money going where you tell it? Or do you see stuff that you need? Where are you looking? That's where you're going.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
A Word of Encouragement
Today started on a down note. We are so close to finishing our debt snowball. A period of unemployment pushed this from last December into June of this year. My wife calculated how we could squeeze the last few hundred dollars out of what we have. And the car stalled last night.
It's the fourth time the car stalled in the last month. The first three times, it started right back up after a few minutes. Last night, the car stayed dead. It will run us a couple of hundred dollars. Thankfully, the emergency fund can cover it no problem. No worries there.
We'll just need to replenish the emergency fund. Another delay to financial freedom. It bummed me out.
God times these things so perfectly. I read a chapter of Proverbs every day. The car broke on June 1. And today brings up Proverbs 2.
God never promised victory on my terms. He did promise victory. He asks me to remain faithful, follow in His steps, and believe. Delay or not, we will continue living like no one else, so that soon enough, we can live like no one else.
It's the fourth time the car stalled in the last month. The first three times, it started right back up after a few minutes. Last night, the car stayed dead. It will run us a couple of hundred dollars. Thankfully, the emergency fund can cover it no problem. No worries there.
We'll just need to replenish the emergency fund. Another delay to financial freedom. It bummed me out.
God times these things so perfectly. I read a chapter of Proverbs every day. The car broke on June 1. And today brings up Proverbs 2.
For the LORD gives wisdom,
and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
He holds victory in store for the upright,
he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
for he guards the course of the just
and protects the way of his faithful ones.
-- Proverbs 2:6-8
God never promised victory on my terms. He did promise victory. He asks me to remain faithful, follow in His steps, and believe. Delay or not, we will continue living like no one else, so that soon enough, we can live like no one else.
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