Well folks, the 2010 Values Voters summit just concluded and I've got to be honest: It makes me sad. Mostly, I think it arises from the knowledge that, in a vast percentage of cases, people are not binary in terms of being "good" or "bad". The same mindset that pervaded the Values Voters Summit seems to me as if it would have resulted, several generations ago, in opposing the Civil Rights Act, before that equal rights and suffrage for women, and before that, the emancipation of slaves. … [Read more...]
You Will Make Mistakes. Forgive Yourself. Move On. Start Rebuilding.
September 2, 2010 By Leave a Comment
"His son died, his marriage ended, he lost a lot of money," said Charles, Jr. "He just walks away from that (emotionally). Dad says to himself, that doesn't work. Don't revisit it. There are some things my dad could deal with better if he faced them more. My dad, if he had a bad experience in a town, in a restaurant, he would not go back. I'd try again." - Page 45, Damn Right! Behind the Scenes with Berkshire Hathaway Billionaire Charlie Munger by Janet Lowe You will have failure … [Read more...]
Which Supreme Court Justice Are You? (I’m Anthony Kennedy)
August 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment
I just took the test rated highest for accuracy answering the question "Which Supreme Court Justice Are You?". Turns out, like the famous world's-smallest-political-test I took the other day, I really am a centrist. I match Justice Kennedy 72% of the time, and he is the swing vote on the court that makes most of the decisions. Justice Thomas, Justice Alito and Chief Justice Roberts were close runners-up based upon my answers. The criticisms from the far right of Kennedy are that he … [Read more...]
Pew Research Center Completes Massive Study of Millennial Generation
August 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment
The highly revered Pew Research Center has completed one of the most extensive studies it has ever undertaken. It focuses on the so-called Millennial Generation, which consists of those who are currently 18-28 years old, and contrasts them with their parents, grandparents, and great grandparents on a wide range of economic, spiritual, social and cultural factors. This study includes data on everything from the total percentage points that believe the Bible is the literal word of God to the … [Read more...]
My Analysis of Judge Walker’s Proposition 8 Ruling, Perry v. Schwarzenegger, Legalizing Gay Marriage in California (and Possibly the Entire United States)
August 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment
I finally got through the ruling from Judge Vaughn Walker in Perry v. Schwarzenegger which overturned Proposition 8 as unconstitutional and it is scathing. I have never read anything worded this strongly other than Scalia's dissent in Lawrence v. Texas where you could virtually hear the man shrieking with fists flying (and I say that having tremendous, enormous respect for Justice Scalia's intellect, which at times, soars to the level of an apostle preaching legal gospel). Perry v. … [Read more...]
Is the Phrase “Unelected Activist Judge” an Insult or a Compliment?
August 5, 2010 By Leave a Comment
I've been too busy to post my reaction and thoughts on the Perry v. Schwarzenegger ruling from the district court that struck down Proposition 8 as unconstitutional and made gay marriage legal. I'll try to get to that in the next few days but the businesses must come first. (You know my rule: Unless I've read something completely, I try not to discuss it or give an opinion. I wanted to get through the entire 136 pages of Judge Walker's opinion before commenting.) UPDATE: My analysis of the … [Read more...]
Pornography Study Failed After Researchers Couldn’t Find a Single Man Who Hadn’t Viewed X-Rated Material
August 1, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Human behavior fascinates me to no end. Today, I was reading through yet another batch of research papers and studies and one of them made me do a double-take. Scientists in the United Kingdom wanted to research whether or not pornography degraded women by changing how men viewed them or treated them. The first task was to create a control group of men who had never looked at porn - and the scientists could not find a single man in his 20s that qualified. As Professor Simon Louis … [Read more...]
My Reflections on Christian Legal Society Chapter of University of California Hastings College of Law v. Martinez Supreme Court Ruling
June 28, 2010 By 1 Comment
Back in college, when I was the student body treasurer and chairman of the finance board, a Christian group known as Campus Crusade for Christ threatened to sue the university because they wanted to be officially recognized. The problem was they required that their elected leaders leaders sign a personal "Statement of Beliefs" pledge that included a provision affirming that homosexuality was a sin and the leader did not engage in immoral sexual conduct. This went against the university's … [Read more...]
Does Religion Have a Responsibility to Look to Science?
March 15, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Here's an interesting question: Does religion have just as much responsibility to examine scientific evidence as it does religious tradition and scriptural text? Put another way: Throughout history, religion taken as a whole has lagged behind scientific discovery and development, only to redefine itself decades, or even centuries, later. In the case of Christianity, the Bible, specific passages in it, as well as long religious tradition were used to justify: Slavery (not only of … [Read more...]
John Templeton and Value Investing
January 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment
John Templeton was a billionaire mutual fund pioneer that specialized in using a value investing strategy to buy stocks around the world. By practicing a disciplined version of Benjamin Graham's teaching on a global scale, Templeton amassed an astounding record that made shareholders of his fund wealthy and earned him hundreds of millions of dollars in well-deserved fees. Toward the end of his life, John Templeton ran his international investments from his mansion on Lyford Clay in the … [Read more...]
I'm a private investor, author, and business philosopher who started with nothing and was essentially retired by my early twenties thanks to my first Internet startup. I went to school on a music scholarship and spend my days doing what I want and growing Kennon Green Enterprises, LLC, the family holding company. 
