Mao the Uebermensch

I am reading Mao: The Unknown Story, and I think it's great. Because of its 600+ page length, however, you might want to take a pass, but I'll summarize. I think the following quotation from a 24 year-old Mao gives explanation to the entirety of his career:

I do not agree with the view that to be moral, the motive of one's action has to be benefiting others. Morality does not have to be defined in relation to others...People like me want to .... satisfy our hearts to the full, and in doing so we automatically have the most valuable moral codes. Of course there are people and objects in teh world, but they are all there only for me.

Kila!!!

Finally, something to keep living for. Something to validate my pointless existence. Something to bring me fulfilment and new friends and hair regrowth. A cool new cell phone! Not to mention one running google technology. And it might be...hold on...keep your seat...stop trembling...available in white! Or tan, it's hard to tell.

A couple of notes to self:

* Countdown calendar? Definitely!
* Start greeting everyone by pumping fist in air and shouting Kila!!!
* Start planning for the unboxing! Youtube, here I come!
* Think about conspicuous public places where I can use the phone.
* Budget 4 figures for therapy and pharmaceuticals if these rumors don't pan out.

Lifestyle Absolution

In Paul Tournier's Guilt and Grace, the Christian psychiatrist relates how he agonized over an expensive vacation he proposed to take with his family. He finally went to the trouble of consulting with a working-class acquaintance regarding his plans. Tournier specifically wanted someone who could not afford such a vacation to tell him this extravagance was ok. The psychiatrist received the man's blessing and the family went on vacation.

I have been reminded of this anecdote as I listen to and read Dave Ramsey, the Christian financial drill sergeant whose anti-debt mantra is heard on the radio, internet, in churches, and on television. I have heard him tell of people coming to him, asking for his approval for some financial transaction or puchase. I get the idea that these people are not just asking whether they can afford the item in question.

It seems like people are hungry for assurance that their financial decisions are sound, not just from a purely practical perspective, but from a moral one as well. There are many examples in the wider culture as well (carbon credits, fair trade fill-in-the-blank, virtuous hybrids, wicked SUV's - the list is long).

I think there is a business opportunity here, for a service that could perform some kind of lifestyle audit, and then, after a few obligatory fees and adjustments, confer some kind of formal approbation on a person's economic arrangements. It could be quite lucrative, because one would have to pay a hefty upfront fee for the initial consulation, and then a subscription to maintain their good-standing and approve the odd ad hoc purchase. Maybe there could be a per-incident fee, with consultants standing by.

The trick for such a business would be conveying the necessary moral authority. Maybe a connection with a non-profit. Something to keep thinking about.

Best Restaurant Name Ever

I am such a sucker for stories like this.