Socrates Teaches about Gossip

In ancient Greece, Socrates was widely lauded for his wisdom.


One day an acquaintance ran up to him excitedly and said, "Socrates, do you know what I just heard about Diogenes?"

"Wait a moment," Socrates replied, "Before you tell me I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called the Triple Filter Test."

'Triple filter?" asked the acquaintance.

"That's right," Socrates continued, "Before you talk to me about Diogenes let's take a moment to filter what you're going to say. The first filter is Truth. Are you absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?"

"No," the man said, "Actually I just heard about it."

"All right," said Socrates, "So you don't really know if it's true or not. Now let's try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about Diogenes something good?"

"No, on the contrary..."

"So," Socrates continued, "You want to tell me something about Diogenes that may be bad, even though you're not certain it's true?"

The man shrugged, a little embarrassed. Socrates continued, "You may still pass the test though, because there is a third filter, the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about Diogenes going to be useful to me?"

"No, not really."

"Well," concluded Socrates, "If what you want to tell me is neither True nor Good nor even Useful, why tell it to me or anyone at all?"

The man was bewildered and ashamed. This is an example of why Socrates was a great philosopher and held in such high esteem.




It also explains why Socrates never found out that Diogenes was banging his wife.

Dec 25

Be Safe during the Holidays

Very graphic but very powerful Aussie Ad campaign. Please be safe this holiday season.



http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=Z2mf8DtWWd8






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For Beth

Bennett

Not appropriate in the slightest, but hilarious:

http://textsfrombennett.tumblr.com/




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Flash Mobs

I love Flash Mobs... I've never been part of one and I've never seen one in real life... but i LOVE the idea of Flash Mobs... assuming, of course, that they are not disruptive...

So I had to share this one for the Christmas season :)

http://www.carlsonschool.umn.edu/holiday11/






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Sewer backup

This is an interesting outlook...




This rather brilliantly cuts thru all the political doublespeak we get...........


. U.S. Tax revenue: $2,170,000,000,000


. Fed budget: $3,820,000,000,000

. New debt: $ 1,650,000,000,000


. National debt: $14,271,000,000,000


. Recent budget cuts: $ 38,500,000,000


*Let's now remove 8 zeros and pretend it's a household budget:

. Annual family income: $21,700

. Money the family spent: $38,200

. New debt on the credit card: $16,500

. Outstanding balance on the credit card: $142,710

. Total budget cuts: $385



Got It ?????****






*OK now Lesson # 2:


Here's another way to look at the Debt Ceiling:


Let's say, You come home from work and find there has been a sewer backup in your neighborhood....your home has sewage all the way up to your ceilings.


What do you think you should do?

Raise the ceilings, or pump out the muck?

Your choice is coming Nov. 2012