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Hello Blog. Maslow's theory suggests that the most basic level of needs must be met before the individual can address higher level needs. Our ability to give attention to creative outlets such as this blog ( Self-Actualization ) was trumped by the task of addressing logistics of a move to a new home ( Safety ). In a nutshell, that is the hurdle to many budget dilemmas - energy to control, especially if your foundation is shifting. When life gets hectic, it is more difficult to tend to the detail of budget on a daily basis ( Bob’s preference ) vs. blast a flash plan when new needs present and attempt an ‘auto play’ strategy, hoping it is executing well until you can tend to it again( Kristy’s preference ). When your foundation shifts (a move, your health, a new job, a relationship change), there can be so many unknowns that your historic estimates are thrown to the wind and you are overcome with a great sense of uneasiness over the lack of control. Decisions sometimes have to come f...

I watched The Purge today. It is a fine film if you like bloody, violent suspense thrillers. Its main premise, however, is dreadfully flawed. According to the characters and background commentators, the 12-hour purge, during which most criminal laws are suspended*, dramatically improved U.S. economic performance through a combination of aggregate demand stimulus (increased sales of security systems and firearms) and the elimination of the poor who "leach" off society. The stimulus angle is flawed because it commits the broken window fallacy as explained in Bastiat's essay " What is seen and what is not seen ." What is seen in this case are the rising prices of shares in firearms and security system manufacturers as mentioned by a commentator during the credits. What is unseen are all the other goods that went unpurchased due to the essentially forced consumption of the sundry products of mayhem. Elimination of the poor, while economically beneficial at first bl...

Warning: OA account I am a sissy. And there's something about the sea and huge waves that make me think of morbid thoughts. But I survived my first helmet dive! Hooray! When I first heard of helmet diving, I thought people were brought down into a huge controlled aquarium (think ocean park or ocean adventure) to get up close with various sea creatures. I didn't realize that it actually entailed going down 15 feet below the open sea until our speedboat was almost to the floating barge where the helmet and oxygen tanks were stationed together with the divers. Understandably, I had cold feet. All my bravado and yes-to-adventure attitude were gone with the sea breeze. We had to go through a brief orientation before the actual experience. We were taught a few sign language to communicate with the divers while under the sea. I tried to memorize only the important ones - 'Up' and 'Not okay!'. The guide also informed us that the helmet is very heavy but it becomes light...