[TheForge] Wealth is wasted on the rich

[gblacksmith]

I have  to agree with you, Ries.  It seems that there are many people with 
plenty of money who don't seem to want to think for themselves, except when 
it comes to their money.  So they employ the likes of Martha Stewart, et al, 
to be the arbiters of their tastes.

Also absent in the homes (and haunts) of such folks are books.  Reading 
about an idea or thought provoking concept makes many folks uncomfortable. 
Many of these folks are busy, but doing what?

Well, the majority of the work of the world is not done by the creative, but 
by those who are obedient, or at least conformist.  As J.S. Mill said: 
"When the hand is turned to the spade, the mind seldom entertains the 
sublime notions of the schools."

                                                                             
                        Grant


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ries Niemi" <rniemi at fidalgo.net>
To: "Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Thursday, August 11, 2005 1:08 PM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] Wealth is wasted on the rich


>
> On Aug 11, 2005, at 12:56 PM, Kevin Donahoe wrote:
>
>> Justin wrote "Ah well. Wouldn't it be nice to be filthy rich? THink of 
>> all
>> the silly
>> things you could have...."
>>
>> But then, how would we know what's important :)?
>>
>> KD
>>
>>
>
> Its always dissapointing to me what lousy toys the super rich spend their 
> money on.
> I went to high school with 5 guys who are now billionaires, and a while 
> ago we had our 25th reunion at the playhouse of one of them- and it was 
> very expensive- this was just the weekend house- it had its own 18 hole 
> golf course, helicopter pad, go cart racing track with 4 or 5 cars, 
> minature train that you could ride on with a 2 mile track, big house with 
> pool, game room, tennis courts,etc.
> But the whole thing was the most impersonal place you have ever seen- it 
> was as if it was ordered from a catalog- please send one rich guy's 
> fantasy retreat.
> Nothing personal anywhere in the place. Nothing that showed love, even 
> mild interest in anything in the world.
> I have worked on the homes of a lot of rich people over the years, and 
> this is often the case- they feel obligated to buy status symbols to show 
> the world how rich they are, but they seldom have any feeling for the 
> stuff. They hire people to tell them what to buy.
>
> I much prefer the obsession of good old poor collectors of junk.
> Jay Leno is an exception- he obviously loves and cares about the cars and 
> motorcycles he collects, and spends a lot of time in his auto shop, with 
> the guys he employs to work on them.
> But tool collecting seems to be off the radar of most rich people.
> The best tool collectors are just barely able to support their habits.
>
> And there is nothing like a collection to show you the slightly twisted, 
> but ultimately great ways in which the human mind can run to excess...
>
> ries
>
> _______________________________________________
> Manage membership or unsubscribe at:
> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/theforge
> theforge mail list group photo site is
> http://www.photoaccess.com
> Login:  blacksmithblacksmith at hotmail.com
> password:  anvil
> ___________
>
>