Money

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by skcin

. . . But, I do agree that money can't buy happiness . . . .

Lord Child - it is as my mother always says:

Money cannot buy you happiness, but it sure can make you suffer in comfort

[DavidMn]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

Lord Child - it is as my mother always says:

Money cannot buy you happiness, but it sure can make you suffer in comfort

Yeah I can remember when I had more than I do now, I used to love indulging in those really nice steakhouse meals. One of my little indulgences.

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by DavidMn

Yeah I can remember when I had more than I do now, I used to love indulging in those really nice steakhouse meals. One of my little indulgences.

I think, for me, the thing about money is to use it to make you happy. I mean if you work for it, then you get to spend it how you want once you take care of all the necessities.

For example, a good friend just bought a four bedroom house in some gated community in the burbs. To me, that would be a living hell. So, I spent roughly the same amount of money awhile back and bought a small condo directly in the city. I love condo living. So, it is all about your reality and what it takes to make you happy.

[DavidMn]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

I think, for me, the thing about money is to use it to make you happy. I mean if you work for it, then you get to spend it how you want once you take care of all the necessities.

I'm sure it's a great feeling for someone who has worked hard to be able to enjoy the spoils of their work. I see no problem in that.

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by DavidMn

I'm sure it's a great feeling for someone who has worked hard to be able to enjoy the spoils of their work. I see no problem in that.

Oh Child, I do too - but, that is fightin talk for the crazies around here

I mean it seriously bothers me not one bit that some rich guy gives his daughter a $10 million birthday party. It is his money. Would I do it. Probably not. So, I say, take care of the necessities and spend your money how you like and do not give a fukc what someone thinks about it and don't judge others for how they spend their money. That concept is WAY to hard for most if not almost all people to get, esp. when it comes to the really rich Yet, when the camera is turned on the one judging and the fat in their spending, it is a different story

[DavidMn]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

Oh Child, I do too - but, that is fightin talk for the crazies around here

I mean it seriously bothers me not one bit that some rich guy gives his daughter a $10 million birthday party. It is his money. Would I do it. Probably not. So, I say, take care of the necessities and spend your money how you like and do not give a fukc what someone thinks about it and don't judge others for how they spend their money. That concept is WAY to hard for most if not almost all people to get, esp. when it comes to the really rich Yet, when the camera is turned on the one judging and the fat in their spending, it is a different story

Here's the way I look at it. This is just me mind you, but what good is it going to do me personally by being angry at someone that has more than I do? nothing. I just try to be happy with what I have and not worry so much about others.

[skcin]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

Oh Child, I do too - but, that is fightin talk for the crazies around here

I mean it seriously bothers me not one bit that some rich guy gives his daughter a $10 million birthday party. It is his money. Would I do it. Probably not. So, I say, take care of the necessities and spend your money how you like and do not give a fukc what someone thinks about it and don't judge others for how they spend their money. That concept is WAY to hard for most if not almost all people to get

I don't begrudge anyone anything they've earned. My problem with that guy (since you keep bringing it up, Mary ) is the excessive spoiling of his daughter. I mean, for all I know, she'll have to pay her own way through school & he makes her scrub all the toilets in their house. But I'd lean more toward the idea that she'll have no respect for money, or how to work hard & earn it, or for those who make less of it. I hope I'm wrong.

[DavidMn]

Originally Posted by skcin

I don't begrudge anyone anything they've earned. My problem with that guy (since you keep bringing it up, Mary ) is the excessive spoiling of his daughter. I mean, for all I know, she'll have to pay her own way through school & he makes her scrub all the toilets in their house. But I'd lean more toward the idea that she'll have no respect for money, or how to work hard & earn it, or for those who make less of it. I hope I'm wrong.

Absolutely. You make a very good point too Paula. It's all about balance I guess.

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by skcin

I don't begrudge anyone anything they've earned. My problem with that guy (since you keep bringing it up, Mary ) is the excessive spoiling of his daughter. I mean, for all I know, she'll have to pay her own way through school & he makes her scrub all the toilets in their house. But I'd lean more toward the idea that she'll have no respect for money, or how to work hard & earn it, or for those who make less of it. I hope I'm wrong.

I agree and were she some sort of celebrity, we maybe could find out a la the Olsens, who, according to the docs on them, were not totally spoined, at least by LA standards

I know billionaires who are nice to everyone. I know middle class people who treat the housekeeper they can barely afford like a slave. So, I think it is just some people are a$$holes and some are not and that is not really determined by how much money you make. I mean who here has never once ever thought bad things about a person in a lower incomne bracket - or at least joked amongst their peers about those people. I know of no one

[amber]

Originally Posted by skcin

But, I do agree that money can't buy happiness.

I disagree. Unless I had to work too hard for it.

I can't really think of money in the same terms right now, because of the encore presentation of Oprah I watched last night, and various other things, where kids are starving and dying and have no medical care in several parts of the world - say, because of the drought this year. I mean, cool if you want to give your daughter a 10 bazillion dollar birthday party, I just think you're an a-hole. I dig what bill gates and others are doing, trying to end world poverty in our lifetimes. And, apparently, it's possible. I just think we're at the point, globally, and resource wise, where we can't live our lives unconsciously anymore. Sadly, as I see here, most people don't think that, and more importantly, only a small percentage of people with huge amounts of excess resources think that way, and it's totally anethema to the way most americans have been raised to think.
I get all your guy's points, I just think there needs to be a paradigm shift in the way we think about resources asap.

[strandinthewind]

On the contrary - I think people ought to give as mnuch time and money as they can. I just think that all of my plane tickets and expenses around the US to see FM probably could have fed and clothed a small family in a poor nation. Am I a bad person for that. If I use the same standard as me judging the birthday party people, then yes, I am So, I say, do all you can and then live a little.

[DrummerDeanna]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

On the contrary - I think people ought to give as mnuch time and money as they can. I just think that all of my plane tickets and expenses around the US to see FM probably could have fed and clothed a small family in a poor nation. Am I a bad person for that. If I use the same standard as me judging the birthday party people, then yes, I am So, I say, do all you can and then live a little.

I don't think splurging while others are starving makes someone a bad person...if they're also making some sort of effort to do good with what they have.

People like Paris Hilton infuriate me - all this money and absolutely no good done with it. Hell take ten percent of your shoe budget and give it to starving kids or the homeless - but when people are completely self-absorbed I think it's sad and I do tend to find that jerkish.

[amber]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

On the contrary - I think people ought to give as mnuch time and money as they can. I just think that all of my plane tickets and expenses around the US to see FM probably could have fed and clothed a small family in a poor nation. Am I a bad person for that. If I use the same standard as me judging the birthday party people, then yes, I am So, I say, do all you can and then live a little.

I knew I'd hear from you. I agree logically, but in actuality, birthday party guy is being much more wasteful than you are. Live a little is awesome. But I think as a society we should be evolving towards thinking that 10 bazillion dollar parties are wasteful. No one really wins when there is such a huge disparity between rich and poor. And if we don't address these problems now, it will get worse, and we will all be the worse for it.
I mainly have issues with how americans are taught that it is important, and okay, and fulfilling, to consume as much as possible, things we don't need, at the expense of other countries, the environment, and even our own people. I'm not talking about your trips, I'm talking about the nature of the thinking of an entire country. And no, I don't mean we should never buy anything, and all live in huts. But you can be a conscious consumer, still have everything you need, and live a full and happy life - and even have fun. Again, not speaking of your trips.
We've had this convo before, and I don't think we'll ever have the same perspective on the nature of consumption. Which is fine. I'm just saying.

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by DrummerDeanna

I don't think splurging while others are starving makes someone a bad person...if they're also making some sort of effort to do good with what they have.

People like Paris Hilton infuriate me - all this money and absolutely no good done with it. Hell take ten percent of your shoe budget and give it to starving kids or the homeless - but when people are completely self-absorbed I think it's sad and I do tend to find that jerkish.

Just out of curiosity - how do you know how Paris Hilton spends her money other than what gets reported. For all we know, she could give to many charities. In fact, many stars create charities

That is why, in the end, I say take care of myself and not worry about some person and my unsupportable notions of how they spend all of their money.

On edit - here is a site stating what Hilton Hotels does http://hiltonworldwide.hilton.com/en...U2VCQKIYFC3UUC Granted, that is not Paris herself donating, but it is the soruce, I think, of her money. So, maybe she takes less by contract to support this corporate philanthropy - certainly that is the effect

[skcin]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

Just out of curiosity - how do you know how Paris Hilton spends her money other than what gets reported. For all we know, she could give to many charities. In fact, many stars create charities

That is why, in the end, I say take care of myself and not worry about some person and my unsupportable notions of how they spend all of their money.

I know what you mean, and for all we know she gives a gazillion dollars to the homeless. But why not tell people about it? She has no problem publicizing herself as a snotty rich bitch, but she doesn't want to "show off" being generous? It's the whole "I'm rich, everyone loves me, my dog has a $100,000 diamond collar" but no mention of any charity work or her feelings about cancer that bugs me.