Showing all posts tagged #essay:
Posted on April 4th, 2020
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This Essay is broken down into two parts.
Part I is my thoughts on wrestling as a metaphor for life. Part II is my recent letter to the Director of Athletics for the University of Maryland Terrapins.
Part I: Wrestling as a Metaphor for Life.One of my most favorite art pieces is "Jacob Wrestling with the Angel" by Gustave Dore. It’s both simple in its appearance and complex in its meaning — a compression algorithm, of sorts.
To l...
Posted on March 8th, 2020
I am not an expert in infectious diseases, but I did sleep in a Holiday Inn Express last night...
Seriously, though, I do have a certificate from the Real World Risk Institute [1] which I believe makes me a kind-of "anti-expert" [2] in infectious diseases and other things related to complex domains (economics, sociology, synthetic biology, psychology, medicine, diet, exercise, etc.).
As an"anti-expert" — or more colloquially refere...
Posted on March 7th, 2020
The Heiligenstadt Testament is an early will (and letter) written by Beethoven to his brothers Carl and Johann on 6 October 1802 concerning his increasing deafness. An addendum is dated 10 October 1802. It was discovered among his papers after his death and published (in German) in October 1827.
Almost thirty years old, Beethoven discovered he was losing his hearing. After failed attempts find a cure, his hope was shattered. Hearin...
Posted on December 15th, 2019
It is commonplace for scholars and academicians to allude to the Greek quest for political solidarity (homonoia) and to the hostility to commerce by saying that the ancient economy was embedded in society. Those who speak of the economy being embedded in society take for granted the distinction between government or state and society; and this distinction, prepared if not explicitly introduced by John Locke, belongs to the world of t...
Posted on October 26th, 2019
In a caption "Prado" from Francisco Goya’s Los Capricos, he wrote "Fantasy abandoned by reason produces impossible monsters : united with her, she is the mother of the arts and the origin of their marvels."
In this etch resides a duality: There is a need for reason to remain in partnership with faith, because unrestrained fantasy leads to disaster; there is a need for fantasy to remain in partnership with reason, because unrestrain...
Posted on January 15th, 2019
Aristotle observed that eudaimonia is the highest good for human beings; that which distinguishes humans from animals is our "human essence". That is, we are a rational and social animal, so living a good human life means seeking to know and acting rightly — virtuously — with others.
So, how does one become virtuous?
Meden Agan (μηδὲν ἄγαν) - 'Nothing in excess’ — Inscription at the temple of Apollo at Delphi
Aristotle believed ...
Posted on January 9th, 2019
(Originally published on November 27, 2017)
My friend wrote an article on why you should only take money from investors you can trust. It is a thoughtful post and it got me to reflect on my own experience.
I continue to be surprised how nasty some investors get when startups begin struggling, get acquired on unfavorable terms, or fail. I am also surprised when I encounter bad actors: Investors and former employees who kill deals, a...
Posted on January 9th, 2019
(Originally published on October 25, 2017)
WePay was recently acquired by JPMorgan Chase. This acquisition immediately impacts Chase’s Merchant Services division but I believe the bigger opportunity is in "Bank as a Platform". Bank as a Platform is a massive opportunity to open revenue channels and catalyze business.WePay’s technology would drive deposits, partner adoption and expansion, and revenues across JPMorgan Chase’s product ...
Posted on March 16th, 2015
What high school kids don’t understand is that they are playing the wrong game.
The edumacation game is entirely the wrong game to play. The end goal in the education game is to get the best grades. Why? Because you got to get into the best college. But what happens when you get into the best college? You end up with a ton of debt (perhaps) but worse you end up competing to get the best grades again. Then what happens when you end ...