Some old records, and a big list

I'm feeling somewhat less depressed by my money situation after I looked at some old notes. In Jan. of 2010 the positions I held, if I still held them, would have me at 15k less money than I have now.

In the fall of '10 the positions I had at that point - much better positions - would only have me 40k up from where I am right now.

I mentioned that it's difficult to know what you've lost because you factor in taxes, and taking money out to live on, and then fluctuations of the market itself. When I said I lost a 100k I think that is factored as if I had been perfect, sold exactly when I should have, etc. (Having said that I squandered a good amount. Enough to be labelled a fool. Enough to be seriously humbled on the subject.)

On another subject...

I realize that I've neglected not only classical music but athletics, or simple work outs. What I call full-body workouts. I've only been walking, which isn't enough.

I noticed an old list I'd jotted down in the back of an edition of Homer. I'd titled it 'Royal Influence 10.' It was basically my seven book list plus classical music, athletics, and doing the Work (as opposed to just reading the Fourth Way, which is listed as one of the seven books). I might add Berkhof's simple Manual of Christian Doctrine, because it contains all of biblical doctrine, pretty much, and then Boston's Human Nature in its Fourfold State, to add up to 12. 'Royal Influence 12.'

If I want to get complete and crazy with that list I'd add a 13th (for a baker's dozen) combining four big things we need understanding of that are not explicitly included in the list:

human nature
ways of the world
sex
liberty and tyranny

(These four are from a recent list I made titled Big Ideas. Ideas you need to have understanding of. Actually categories of experience and knowledge. The seven are: 1. human nature, 2. ways of the world, 3. sex, 4. war, 5. wealth, 6. liberty and tyranny, 7. Bible and biblical doctrine.)

Liberty and tyranny is such a big subject because with understanding of it we get freed from so much storm and strife. I was surprised at how little I knew of the mechanics of liberty. The things tyranny attacks. I won't go into it, but of the two recent books I've read 10 Books Every Conservative Must Read (Benjamin Wiker) and Comrades! A History of World Communism (Robert Service) sum it up fairly completely. The first book hits on the basics themes in the course of talking about the 10 books of its title. The latter book shows how tyranny gets power and maintains power (and Service even makes lists at different points of the book summing up the mechanics of tyranny).

For understanding of sex -- PORN!! Actually, it's more than that. But many don't get an understanding of sex. You read of the 70 year old man who retires from his work and then is arrested naked outside some motel masturbating while wearing high heels (I don't know, just making it up). He obviously didn't get the sex thing known and under control. He didn't get the measure of it. He was married, fully in the flow of normal life. I guess by sex (and I know this is an old subject) I mean self-awareness of all things sexual; control of all things sexual; not being in bondage to the illusion/delusion of all things sexual, etc. Not having hang ups. Etc. General understanding. Light shined on dark places.

For human nature and the ways of the world -- classic novels, and history, or classical historians. Somewhat philosophy too.

So, another list. Not a bad one. Here it is:

Bible
Homer
Fourth Way
On War
Wealth of Nations
Thucydides
Plutarch
Classical Music
Athletics
Doing the Work
Manual of Christian Doctrine
Human Nature in its Fourfold State
Human nature/ways of the world/sex/liberty and tyranny