The atmosphere at the Country Club Plaza feels like a celebration tonight because the best baseball players in the country are staying at The Intercontinental for the 2012 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. The fountains have been dyed blue, in honor (we presume) of the hometown Kansas City Royals, it looks like there is going to be a parade, the shop merchants have extended their hours, the display cases are filled with some amazing bling ($650,000 flawless pear-shaped yellow diamonds, $450,000 rubies, and $150,000 watches), teenagers in drum corps are out on the sidewalks playing, and there is just a vibrancy in the air that is hard to explain. Had I been paying attention, I would have acquired tickets.
Blue Fountains in Kansas City for 2012 Major League Baseball All Star Game
I picked up some cakes, cookies, and Macarons from a French bakery called Natasha’s out of curiosity, bringing them back to the family to sample.
There were only two flavors left in the Macarons! I was hoping for almond, but the choices were lemon and strawberry.
There was a David Yurman white diamond watch at Tivol Jewelers that I fell in love with instantly. I hinted in no uncertain terms to the spouse that this is makes the short list for Christmas ideas. It could be all the Civilization V playing lately. When I see gems, I know it brings joy to my people so I want gems, just like the time I accidentally went to pick up a pickaxe at Lowe’s because I had been playing Skyrim so much. On a side note, Tivol really is one of my favorite jewelers in the world. I highly, HIGHLY, recommend them.
I picked up some gifts and other items at Tiffany & Company.
We did finally get a basic Civilization V setup on the main television, though I need a custom designed PC system because a notebook just doesn’t cut it. I want the highest resolution graphics with no lag at all so that is now on my task list. It would be best to have a desktop permanently installed as one of the input channels, effectively turning the living room into an additional computer system with wireless keyboard and mouse. There would be all sorts of applications, including monitoring the video feeds from some of our locations and having the investment portfolios or server stats displayed in real time.
We played a two-team dual game of Civilization V over the Internet.
[mainbodyad]
Reader Comments (3)
Comments are presented chronologically, with replies indented beneath the comments to which they respond.
FratMan
August 6, 2012
Joshua, do you believe that when we die we'll retain any form of consciousness? Do you think there will ultimately be a judgment day?
One thing I've been thinking about lately is whether going through life collecting cash-generating assets is compatible with Christianity and the pathway to heaven. On one hand, the thought of living in a million dollar home and dropping $300 on dinners doesn't exactly strike me as Christ-like and something that I would be judged favorably for. I remember Munger once said, "If you look around you and the scene calls to mind Sodom & Gomorrah, get the hell out of there." But then, on the other hand, achieving financial independence could allow me to do things to maximize charity and spread love: instead of working at the office, I could be retired early and raising my kids and being a better husband, father, friend, etc. I could use that time to volunteer at a soup kitchen. With money, I could become a Santa Claus figure in my community and do things like tip the drive-thru guy at McDonald's $500, and I could use financial resources to transform the lives of others for the better. To consolidate my question for you: Does your conception of what happens after death shape your actions and life goals, and how do you reconcile the desire to enjoy earned financial luxuries with the demands of a Christian imperative? Sorry, I guess this is kind of a big question for a Monday afternoon.
PS I know you mentioned you were going to private message me your response to my question on the Chick Fil-A post--I included my real e-mail address with this comment.
Joshua Kennon
August 6, 2012
Replying to FratMan
I saw your correct email address message, I haven't finished writing my response. I'll include the theological questions you asked in that message, too.
As for the financial portion: Your conflict on the issue is understandable. Since you are asking from the perspective of the Christian Bible if our past conversations are any indication, this is especially true because the Bible itself is schizophrenic on the issue of wealth. If you read it cover to cover, excess financial resources are most often linked with wisdom and righteousness (e.g., Proverbs 15:6, "The house of the righteous contains great treasure," and Proverbs 21:20, "In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has." You also have the requirement to leave a large enough estate that your children's children receive an inheritance, saying this is the action of a "good man" (Proverbs 13:22). Again, "Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; and by knowledge the rooms shall be filled with precious and pleasant riches." (Proverbs 24:3-4). There are also very clear indications that, to the ancient Israelites, God's blessing was directly translated into financial benefits (e.g., Deuteronomy 15:6, "For the Lord your God will bless you as He has promised you, and you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow;").
The biggest warnings are not against money itself, but the "love of money", when you seek it for its own sake. To me, the love of money, or avarice, is just another branch of the same root, addiction, which can manifest in some people as a drug addiction, a pornography addiction, an alcohol addition, a gambling addiction, etc. They can never be satiated and the thing itself consumes their life and identity.
Me? I'm giving almost all of it away in the end, anyway. I love the game. The money is nice, but it is the game that has my heart. I spend some of the proceeds along the way, but they should be tiny in comparison to whatever I have when, God willing, I reach 70, 80, 90 or older.
Philosophically speaking, there isn't a huge difference between spending money, giving to charity, or making an investment.
If I give to a poor person, they have funds to use in their life.
If I buy a suit from a tailor, I give him money in exchange for something he earned due to his honest, hard work. He now has funds to use in his life.
If I invest in the IPO or start-up a business, say a commercial farm, that money doesn't disappear, it goes into the bank account of the company, then is used to buy farm equipment, which then goes to the machinists who build the machines, who then spend a portion at their local grocer, ad infinitum.
Giving, spending, or investing, money leaves your hands and goes to work in the lives of other people. The only question is 1.) what are the reasons, and 2.) where does it flow?
My family grew up in the you-give-away-at-least-10-percent-of-your-income tradition, even if we were little kids and made $7 mowing a lawn or something. Personally, my figure fluctuates from year to year, but it is much higher as a percentage of income than the typical American gives away. It always has been. It's just part of my family's culture.
Joshua Kennon
August 6, 2012
Replying to FratMan
P.S. Munger is right. There is a 100% probability if I were doing business with someone and suddenly hookers and cocaine showed up, the deal would be off and I'd never work with them again. For me, it's about judgment and temperament. I've never done a deal or been involved in a business activity that I would hide from my grandmother. As a child, I witnessed (through my extended family) how some of those excess activities can destroy lives and I have no desire to take part in them or be around people who do. It's a personal thing that, I think, happens to have served my net worth very well.