Note one of the key points :

The Federal Government eventually gets back it’s money with interest, so has no incentive to moderate soaring tuition costs.

Updated Monday, December 12 2011- The excellent infographic is now so popular that it usually shows “bandwidth exceeded” instead of the image. We have removed the image of the infographic. If you wish to see the infographic you can visit the original article at : HealthcareAdministration.com – Exposing the Student Loan Racket (Infographic).

Diamonds are a popular medium of exchange because they do not set off metal detectors. They are impossible to forge. It is easy to disguise them in costume jewelry.

Some diamonds are quite colorful!

Only large diamonds are valuable. Industrial diamonds (for instance, for drill bits) can be produced in a machine. There have also been significant discoveries in Australia. In 2004, De Beers pleaded guilty to price fixing for industrial diamonds. Buyer be ultra-careful!

Jesse’s Café Américain

Ayn Rand: A Fitting Muse for the Tyranny of the Self

“At this point in my life, I did not think it was possible to significantly lower my estimate of Ayn Rand, or to regard her as even more of a psychological and moral mess than I had already taken her to be.

I stand corrected.”

and

“A wonderful, free, light consciousness” born of the utter absence of any understanding of “the necessity, meaning, or importance of other people.” Obviously, Ayn Rand was most favorably impressed with Mr. Hickman. He was, at least at that stage of Rand’s life, her kind of man.

So the question is, who exactly was he?

and

Their sin, evidently, is that they are “average,” a word that appears twice in three sentences. …Rand dismisses the possibility that the public’s anger might have been motivated by the crime per se. Apparently the horrendous slaying of a little girl is not enough, in Rand’s mind, to justify public outrage against the murderer.

Why does Open Source and Free software inspire so many people? Why do people make music in their free time? Why is the Fed so worried about “group think” and high paid buffoons making important policy ?

It’s by the RSA at www.theRSA.org. From their mission statement :

The RSA: an enlightenment organisation committed to finding innovative practical solutions to today’s social challenges. Through its ideas, research and 27,000-strong Fellowship it seeks to understand and enhance human capability so we can close the gap between today’s reality and people’s hopes for a better world.

The video uses a very innovative and effective video presentation technique! If you are interested in motivation or create videos then you might want to  

(ht i DoneThis at http://twitter.com/idonethis)

The European Association of Psychology and Law Student Society has published a handy Fact Sheet about a personality pattern called the Dark Triad. (Click the image to read the full Fact Sheet)

Click image to read the Fact Sheet

“The Dark Triad is a set of three personality constructs: Machiavellianism, subclinical narcissism, and subclinical psychopathy, which have been deemed to be socially aversive[1]. That is, individuals who possess characteristics of any of the personality disorders that make up the Dark Triad are likely to be selfish, possess a grandiose sense of importance, and feel an increased sense of entitlement. Further, these individuals are often pre-occupied with dominance and power and will use aggressive tactics such as manipulation and exploitation to get whatever it is that they feel that they deserve[2]. Because of this, individuals with dark triad characteristics are possibly over-represented in offender samples (e.g., prisons). The current fact sheet discusses each of these three personality constructs in more detail.”

Gee, why does that sound relevant to the Economic symposium of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City that will be held in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, USA on August 25th? Just saying…

Now, I’m not suggesting that policy at the Fed is necessarily being skewed by the possible influence of rather unhealthy psychological patterns. On the other hand, it is not impossible that current economic and financial policy in the world might attract and reward people suffering from these unfortunate patterns.

On thing is clear : there is a reason that we have our current global economic, financial and ecological mess. Every problem and disaster we see in the world started as an idea in somebody’s mind. Any brilliant solutions will also start the same way.

As the Dark Triad Fact Sheet states in the Conclusion :

Individuals who possess characteristics of the Dark Triad do not make for good friends. Not only are they not concerned with others, they are constantly focused on their own wants and needs and will do whatever they feel is necessary to achieve their goals, regardless of the consequences to others. This blatant disregard for others may lead individuals with these aversive personalities to behave anti-socially and to commit crimes.

The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli at Project Gutenberg in HTML and eBook formats

Contrast the Dark Triad with these thoughts from Buddhism about the importance of associating with (and I would add : hiring) good people.

…Ven. Ananda said to the Blessed One, “This is half of the holy life, lord: admirable friendship, admirable companionship, admirable camaraderie.”

“Don’t say that, Ananda. Don’t say that. Admirable friendship, admirable companionship, admirable camaraderie is actually the whole of the holy life.”

Read the whole text at : Upaddha Sutta

And a couple more interesting thoughts about associating with the wise :

From the Sigalovada Sutta: The Buddha’s Advice to Sigalaka

15. “Young man, be aware of these four enemies disguised as friends: the taker, the talker, the flatterer, and the reckless companion.

16. “The taker can be identified by four things: by only taking, asking for a lot while giving little, performing duty out of fear, and offering service in order to gain something.

17. “The talker can be identified by four things: by reminding of past generosity, promising future generosity, mouthing empty words of kindness, and protesting personal misfortune when called on to help.

18. “The flatterer can be identified by four things: by supporting both bad and good behavior indiscriminately, praising you to your face, and putting you down behind your back.

19. “The reckless companion can be identified by four things: by accompanying you in drinking, roaming around at night, partying, and gambling.”

That is what the Buddha said.

20. Summing up in verse, the sublime teacher said:

“The friend who is all take, The friend of empty words, The friend full of flattery, And the reckless friend; These four are not friends, but enemies; The wise understand this And keep them at a distance As they would a dangerous path.”

21. “Young man, be aware of these four good-hearted friends: the helper, the friend who endures in good times and bad, the mentor, and the compassionate friend.

22. “The helper can be identified by four things: by protecting you when you are vulnerable, and likewise your wealth, being a refuge when you are afraid, and in various tasks providing double what is requested.

23. “The enduring friend can be identified by four things: by telling you secrets, guarding your own secrets closely, not abandoning you in misfortune, and even dying for you.

24. “The mentor can be identified by four things: by restraining you from wrongdoing, guiding you towards good actions, telling you what you ought to know, and showing you the path to heaven.

25. “The compassionate friend can be identified by four things: by not rejoicing in your misfortune, delighting in your good fortune, preventing others from speaking ill of you, and encouraging others who praise your good qualities.”

That is what the Buddha said.

26. Summing up in verse, the sublime teacher said:

“The friend who is a helper, The friend through thick and thin, The friend who gives good counsel, And the compassionate friend; These four are friends indeed, The wise understand this And attend on them carefully, Like a mother her own child. The wise endowed with virtue Shine forth like a burning fire, Gathering wealth as bees do honey And heaping it up like an ant hill. Once wealth is accumulated, Family and household life may follow. By dividing wealth into four parts, True friendships are bound; One part should be enjoyed; Two parts invested in business; And the fourth set aside Against future misfortunes.”

May all your beneficial wishes come true in beneficial ways!

Click the image to see World Disaster Maps

GlobalIncidents has a great web site for checking reports about earthquakes, hazardous material accidents, forest fires, disease outbreaks and much more. Their maps are instantly updated as the accidents are reported. Easy to read and fascinating to see.

For instance, today (August 23, 2011) there were two major earthquakes in the USA that made it into the news (Virginia 5.8 and Colorado 3.9). There other earthquakes in the USA today were not really reported very much (about a dozen in : Washington State, Oklahoma, California, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Arizona).

A very useful map for people traveling (or planning on traveling).

The maps are very handy for checking facts reported in the news.

When you are on their web site maps, scroll down the web page for further details about the incidents. On their map you can simply hover your mouse over a dot to see the location of the earthquake and the magnitude of the earthquake.

The talk is remarkably practical. Ajahn Brahm presents useful information from three areas. First, of course, the daily experience of meditation. Spiritually minded people of all faiths will understand him due to their own personal experiences in meditation and prayer. Second, his experiences of being with people at the moment of their death. Third, he talks about the very common “Near Death Experience”. As you will see in the video below…

It is an inspiring talk. One quip is particularly nice : “Buddhists don’t have a Judgment Day. They have a Forgiveness Day”.

There is lots to be said about the current economic situation. Over the years, the policy decisions at Jackson Hole will affect the moment of death of both the participants and billions of other people. May this video help to inspire our policy makers to true heroic genius.

May all of your beneficial wishes come true in beneficial ways!

(I saw this first featured at : Some Assembly Required )

Lots more good talks on the Dhammaloka Buddhist Society YouTube Channel.

There is a practical checklist and a short video for dealing with difficult people at WikiHow.