technology Archives - Zenconomics

The Moral Value of Money

submitted by jwithrow.
Click here to get the Journal of a Wayward Philosopher by Email

Journal of a Wayward Philosopher
The Moral Value of Money

June 7, 2019
Hot Springs, VA

“No action can be virtuous unless it is freely chosen.” – Murray Rothbard

The S&P closed today’s trading session at $2,873. Gold closed at $1,345 per ounce. Crude Oil closed at $54.10 per barrel. The 10-year Treasury rate closed at 2.08%. Bitcoin is trading around $8,034 per BTC today.

Dear Journal,

Spring is in full bloom here in the mountains of Virginia.

The forest is green and lush. The wildflowers sprawl out, claiming their territory. The cardinals sing overhead… While the blue jays scrounge for sunflower seeds below. And the forest critters emerge, in search of a quick meal…

Yes, nothing brings perspective quite like spring in the mountains.

As you observe nature, you realize it doesn’t care much for your thoughts or plans. In fact, your plans look rather silly to it.

For example, we thought our bird feeders were just for birds. Nature didn’t care.

That’s because nature operates in survival mode. The only thing that matters is the next meal.

If the history books are to be trusted, humans once operated that way too. We hunted and gathered what we needed to survive… Often competing violently with other humans in the process.

Implications of Information Age Technology

submitted by jwithrow.
Click here to get the Journal of a Wayward Philosopher by Email

Journal of a Wayward Philosopher
Implications of Information Age Technology

March 2, 2016
Hot Springs, VA

“You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.”
– R. Buckminster Fuller

The S&P closed out Tuesday at $1,978. Gold closed at $1,231 per ounce. Crude Oil closed at $34.40 per barrel, and the 10-year Treasury rate closed at 1.74%. Bitcoin is trading around $429 per BTC today.

Dear Journal,

Last week we examined the rise of the Information Age, and we suggested that the transition is still in its infancy. We also suggested that, like all inevitable changes, the Information Age comes to us bearing both positives and negatives.

Today I want to examine those positives and negatives. I do not have a list to present to you, however – that would be too generalized and boring. Instead, I am going to speak from my personal observations and experiences so this entry will inevitably miss as much as it conveys.

I had the good fortune of growing up during the 80’s and 90’s which, as it turns out, was the bridge between the Industrial Age and the Information Age. Continue reading “Implications of Information Age Technology”

Blending Timeless Simplicity with Modern Technology

submitted by jwithrow.
Click here to get the Journal of a Wayward Philosopher by Email

Journal of a Wayward Philosopher
Blending Timeless Simplicity with Modern Technology

January 22, 2016
Hot Springs, VA

The S&P closed out Thursday at $1,869. Gold closed at $1,100 per ounce. Crude Oil closed at $29.75 per barrel, and the 10-year Treasury rate closed at 2.02%. Bitcoin is trading around $395 per BTC today.

Dear Journal,

Two inches of snow covers the ground here in the mountains of Virginia this morning, and the falling flakes show no sign of stopping. At the Withrow Estate we have a fire in the hearth, coffee in the pot, and pancakes on the griddle. I pause and smile as I hear the sounds of a laughing toddler, a lovely wife, and a loyal dog emanating from the Great Room.

The weather forecast suggests another twelve to twenty-four inches of snow are on the way this weekend. There will be no salt trucks or snow plows venturing out to the gravel road that connects our property with the rest of the world which means we will not be going anywhere for a few days. Wife Rachel, a wedding coordinator at the nearby mountain resort, has already rescheduled the various events and tastings she had booked this weekend in anticipation of our snow days. She is not terribly enthused about being snowed in for the weekend, but I can think of nothing more serene. In fact, a number of years ago I had a fleeting vision of this exact occurrence. Continue reading “Blending Timeless Simplicity with Modern Technology”