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All advertisement/marketing is basically corrupt, low ethical, but it does influence buying decisions. These people are devoid of integrity. Anyone making a living that way should be in the same Buddhist group and arms merchants and poison merchants. Not suitable for a Buddhist, more suitable for criminals. It does have a use of letting customers know about potential new products, but it has become too much. If a company cannot operate without advertising, perhaps, it is not retaining customers, and the product should remain in stores.

We can inoculate the young against advertising, and then where would the economy be. Stoic, Cynic, Epicurian, Buddhist, Hippy, The Moneyless Society, what ever.

We, the people, need to stand up to big business and vote with our feet, but how? I need a new little truck gofer. What choice do I have? Fix the old one, but that will cost more than it is worth, and what will be next to let go? Oh well, that is a prepaid expense, not an investment. But there is no alternative to big business. Years ago, I could have bought North American, but now what is the choice for small pickups...Korea, China, Japan, ... or full size. But I have heavy trucks to run, so it is not a urgent decision.    

Seneca letter 47

Dipping into the old Romans, I came across a statement that made me think for a while. 

Seneca claims "Each man has a character of his own choosing; it is chance or fate that decides his choice of job."

I will suggest that the truth of this statement is not in question, but rather the current population thoughts on this matter. I suggest that the current population think that character is fixed or fated, and is generally more fixed than flexible, and that job is more choice. Backwards to Seneca's view.

Now which is right. Job choice is first, among the available options, somewhat flexible, but the options are not so flexible. It may be that we have some choice, but many hold on to a ideal, and then desperation sets in, and end working as a cabbie, while holding a Ph.D. or as a dirt tech with a Masters in Library Science. Oh well, shit happens. 

Now on to the first half. Is character fixed or flexible? How much have I changed over the years. A great deal, and not always for the better. Much of the change was forced as a way to deal with the situation that existed. I suppose there were other choices... but I did what I did... It seemed the best choice, not the wisest choice, but a choice none the less. So personality is a result of choice, but those choices are dictated... or forced decisions... by environment... situation... for the most part, not choice as the result of any plan.

There are many fraudsters, sociopaths and psychopaths walking our streets, driving in traffic today. And they became that way by choice, for they will prosper financially in this environment of today. They have a choice, so Seneca is largely right, and the common thoughts of modern society is wrong again.    

 

Next Stage of Retirement

I have reached the next stage of retirement, that is failure to renew the company engineering permit. As of July 1, 2013, TGL is no longer an engineering company, but rather a government identity without a purpose or source of income, and will remain so until it drys up and blows away soon. 

I will retain my personal permit, and may conduct engineering through ENC for the next 9 months or so, mainly in a training capacity, when I shall relinquish my personal engineering permit. 

Thank you all for the support over the years. It has been an experience.

Now perhaps I can get on with the fun part, telling stories, lies, exaggeration, streches, and a few facts, just to keep some truth in the writing.