Is a “dream job” just “capitalistic conditioning”?
- This tweet raises a few questions: Is working for the rest of one’s life a worthy goal? Is work depressing? Should we strive for a life of work or something else? Do “dream jobs” exist, and should we try to pursue them? Is the idea of a “dream job” a form of “capitalistic conditioning”? First, let’s ...more
High traffic WordPress architecture using AWS Lightsail
- Here is how I built a high-performance WordPress website in AWS Lightsail for aier.org. While low-traffic blogs can be hosted on a shared hosting service or a cheap VPC, if your site hosts millions of visitors each month, you will need a more ambitious service-oriented architecture. The key to high-performance WordPress is a service-oriented architecture that splits ...more
Search Engine Optimization: Proven Strategies for Nonprofits in 2019
- According to a recent survey by Zogby Interactive, the Internet is by far the most popular source of information and the preferred choice for news ahead of television, newspapers, and radio. The majority of Americans now prefer the Internet as their primary and most reliable source of news. Specifically, online publications are preferred over social ...more
Don't blame markets for obesity
- For nearly the entirety of human history, the chief concern of most people has been getting enough to eat. The invention of capitalism finally enabled the majority of people in market-based societies to focus on higher pursuits. Yet capitalism is now widely blamed for causing obesity - because of the availability of fast food, "food ...more
Why I try to ignore the news cycle and focus on my own success first
- The idea that the public should be well-informed about local, regional, national, and global events is misguided and harmful. It stems from the fact that in a democracy, every citizen can theoretically influence events on a global scale through the vote. The implication of this is that every citizen is ethically obligated to stay informed on ...more
Don't dismiss Bitcoin just because of its wild price swings
- There are valid reasons to criticize Bitcoin, but price volatility is not one of them. Why does the price of Bitcoin change so much from day to day? The answer is simple: the value of Bitcoin derives almost entirely from speculation on future adoption of Bitcoin rather than practical use. Bitcoin speculators are betting on the likelihood that ...more
How to safely store Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies
- I've seen people lose their Bitcoin in every way imaginable, and I want to help you avoid the most common mistakes. Are you thinking long-term? Will your storage medium last 10 years? Will your family be able to access it in the event of your death? Have you considered that the same events that will ...more
Why you should embrace the abundance mentality
- Why are some people successful -- financially, socially, and romantically, while others stagnate and never amount to anything? The Abundance Mindset Successful people share many traits, but I think one key attribute is the abundance mindset. The abundance mindset sees the universe as full of opportunity -- for friendship, love, and financial success. By contrast, the scarcity mindset ...more
The myth of the goldfish-sized attention span
- The idea that attention span is shortening, particularly among younger generations is a myth, and the claims are not backed by any evidence. The idea of an "average attention span" is a myth, as there is no such thing. Attention span is very much context-dependent. Even within particular contexts, such as driving or listening to a lecture, ...more
Facebook Libra's cold reception from Congress validates the need for Bitcoin
- The hostile reception that Facebook's Libra coin received from Congress should be viewed as a validation of the need for Bitcoin. As a fiat currency pegged stablecoin, Libra offers little threat to the U.S. dollar's monopoly. To Libra users, it would be little different from PayPal, Alipay, Apple Pay, Google Pay, WeChat, Zelle, or the dozens of other ...more
A brief case for evidence-based medicine
- Few people would openly admit that they prefer irrational treatments and doctors. But most people do in fact advocate irrational health practices – using pseudonyms for “irrational” as “holistic,” “alternative,” “homeopathic” and the deadly “natural.” Medicine requires reason The human body operates according to certain causal principles. If we wish to make a change in our health, ...more
The one minute case for jury nullification
- Image via Wikipedia The role of a jury is to apply the law to the facts A trial ought to be, a fact-finding process, conducted in order to determine whether pre-existing legal principles are applicable to a specific case. It should not be a religious, philosophical, or political discourse – that is, the rules by which guilt ...more
The One Minute Case For Usury
- There is no objective criteria for what rate of interests is "usury" Usury originally meant the practice of charging interest on loans. Sometime during Medieval times, the charging interest as such became politically acceptable and the term change to mean charging excessive interest rates. However, there is no objective definition of what a “fair” interest rate ...more
The one minute case against "special interests" as the cause of corruption in politics
- It is often said that “special interests” are to blame for economic problems and corruption. But “special interests” are only a symptom, not the cause of the disease. Pressure groups are inherent in a mixed economy In a populist democracy with a mixed economy, every group that participates in the political system is a “special interest”, with ...more
The One Minute Case For Philosophy
- What is philosophy? Philosophy is the field that looks at the most basic, universal questions about existence. While other sciences study certain aspects of things, or certain types of things, philosophy is concerned with the most abstract questions about existence and man's role in it. Philosophy asks questions such as: How can we know what is ...more
The One Minute Case for Rational Self-Interest
- Ayn Rand's philosophy of Objectivism proposes a radical new theory of ethics: an objective, scientific theory of rational self-interest. How does Ayn Rand justify her theory? What is a moral code? Morality is a code of rules or principles to guide one's actions. Before deciding which principles man should live by, any moral theory must first explain why it is ...more
A One Minute Guide to Political Identification
- Political perspectives can roughly be grouped into three historical camps: Conservatism, (classical) Liberalism, and Marxism. The essential difference between these schools is in their solution to the problem of human values. Liberals see individuals as rational, self-interested, and autonomous beings who can best resolve their conflicting material and spiritual values through voluntary cooperation. This ...more
The One Minute Case Against Healthcare Reform
- What does the government mean by healthcare reform? When the Obama administration talks about healthcare reform what they are really talking about is using the coercive power of the government 1) to force healthcare providers to provide services at lower costs 2) to force individuals to choose the least expensive healthcare and 3) to force people ...more
The One Minute Case against the Existence of God
- A religion is an organized system of belief, most often assuming the existence of a higher power such as a supernatural almighty deity or an ultimate truth, first designed to enlighten humanity on the act of creation and produce specific prophecies that will come true if certain requirements are met. This case argues that supernatural ...more
The One Minute Case for Designer Babies
- The term "designer baby" is a derogative term for the use of reproductive and genetic technologies to accomplish an optimal recombination of the parents’ genes. This case argues that the voluntary use of genetic technologies, as well as prenatal screening and abortion is both moral and desirable. It does not address the morality of abortion (defended ...more