Monopoly March 26, 2008
Posted by Stewart in All posts.Tags: empire, monopoly, wealth
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Last night, after watching 1408 and playing several rounds of Guitar Hero (a game that I’m incredibly bad at) at Richards, we started playing a game that, at the beginning, I was incredibly good at. Monopoly. A celebration of capitalism. Since I hadn’t played the game in years, my strategy was, at first, all over the place. Then I began to invest, and boy did I invest. I had three streets and during my streak, each street had least six apartments, with the maximum rent on any apartment being $900 I think. Using this strategy, I drove Aaron to the rim of bankruptcy. For every dollar I earned from my returns, I invested into more apartments to maximize my returns and quite slyly minimize my opponents buying power.
However, this massive streak in monopoly, during which I dominated the market, ended all too quickly when Richard pointed out that we weren’t playing by the correct rules and that from hence forth we were to play by the rules. The rule, seemingly simple, which we did not abide by, was that after making investments (building apartments, hotels. Etc), the player is still obliged to make a roll of the dice and a move. By not doing this and remaining in the same spot, I was literally able to sit and accumulate wealth.
When we started to play by the rules, slowly but exponentially, my real estate empire began to crumble, and I owed more money than I had available; hence I had to sell apartments to cover my debt. As my real estate empire became weakened, Richard’s grew exponentially. (Ironic- since Richard pointed out that we weren’t playing by the rules. 
)
In the end, the last fatal blow did not come from Richard or from Aaron, but rather from a card that said I had to pay $40 for repairs for each property. Having 23 properties and little savings to pay $40 for each, I was forced to sell my many apartments to cover the huge debt of repairing them; driving me to the far edge of bankruptcy, with little to no chance to rising to challenge Richard’s newly formed real estate empire.
There was however a clear lesson in playing this game. A message of sorts. That no earthly empire can last forever. In the sands of time, earthly empires too will crumble. I guess that’s what Jesus meant when he advised not to accumulate earthly wealth which is temporal and prone to rust and deterioration. But rather to accumulate heavenly wealth which does not deteriorate but echoes in eternity.
March 25, 2008
Posted by Stewart in All posts.Tags: East Timor, homework, school
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I really should be doing more homework, I think. It’s the holidays, but for the most part, I won’t actually be at home. Next week, on the Tuesday I think, I’m going to East Timor with a group from school. That means I’ll be missing out on a week of school already. I am looking forward to the trip though. It will be my first major international voyage.
With regards to homework, I’m still trying to understanding the complex biochemical processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration. In Year 12 Biology, we tend to look at both these series of chemical interactions with great detail… and since I was completing my SAC while the class first discussed the Kreb’s cycle, I have missed out on a lot of details. So I’m slowing sorting through many notes (tsfx notes, Richard’s notes, the textbook and Talking Molecules) in a attempt to gain some understanding. My hope is to complete all my summary keynotes in Week 1 of this two-week break, and to take a printed copy of the notes to East Timor, so that while I have some spare time during the evening, I can review.
Only a few days left and I’m off to East Timor. Ashleigh is very worried about me, especially after she read the travel warnings. I hope that my phone has some range in Dili so that I can at least stay in contact with her.
I’m off to Richard’s now. Picking up Aaron first though.
March 24, 2008
Posted by Stewart in All posts.Tags: beach, Easter Monday, Melbourne
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Wonderful day today. Went with Brooke and Ash for dinner and then we drove through the city to St. Kilda beach. The intention was to not get wet; just dip our feet in the water. But with one single splash that all ended and we found ourselves saturated in sea water within minutes.
The weather forecast predicted storms, and while it was becoming darker on the horizon as the sun set beyond the clouds, we sat on the shore and watched the storm and lighting flashing in the silent distance. It was an amazing sight. Of course, Brooke’s car is now sandy and slightly wet and smells of the beach, as a result of our little adventure.
As I write this, I can now hear the thunder and the rain drops falling on the carport roof. It is nice to finally hear the sound of rain after such a long wave of heat.
Saved by Love, Liberated by Truth March 23, 2008
Posted by Stewart in All posts.Tags: Easter, grace, love, Resurrection, truth
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Contemplating the Easter message one can perceive that it is all about giving- love. It is by the love of Christ that humanity is saved, for it is Christ’s love that conquers the darkness of death and the grave, and it is the truth of the depths of God’s love that liberates us from our slavery to sin.
Can we truly comprehend the depths of God’s love? How deep it goes into our very own souls, delightfully piercing the heart of our very being. The love of God runs incomprehensibly deep, into the very fiber of our innermost being, ever transforming and renewing life.
Truth liberates, freeing us from slavery to sin so that we may each become free children of God. Without such creative love there would be no creation. Through his act of supreme love, total self-giving, God unites all creation in himself in an intimate communion of love- that is what we celebrate this Easter- a communion of love with God who unites all creation through his own self-giving love. A love so powerful and infinitely deep that not even death itself can restrain it. A love so incomprehensibly deep that God willfully chooses to humble himself and enter the cosmos to be with us and to give us his message- pure truth itself- which he shows to us, through word and action, to be a giving love.
God gives us a choice, a choice between fear and love. And in the Resurrection, we can see that God’s love is so deep that it defeats even death, offering the opportunity for New Life.
In the heart of the Risen Christ we find refuge, shielded by his love, protected by his grace and liberated by his truth.
March 17, 2008
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I believe it was Governor Adlai Stevenson who remarked, “It is easier to fight for one’s principles than to live up to them.” He was, of course, correct, as I have learned tonight from my interpersonal experiences. A principle I believe in is friendship. However, tonight, I have failed to live up to that principle, even after promising a friend that I would be there for them, whenever they needed me- yet I was not. This contradiction… this hypocrisy, saddens me, and I’m regretful.
Though my words conveyed genuine concern, my contradictory actions only sent the message to my friends that they are second to my priorities. Second to my wishes… and this, causes me great cognitive dissonance, as I do believe that friendship should have come first… yet I failed to act. Words only go so far… the rest of the message has to be carried by the actions that accompany them. Tonight, I gave only words of assurance, but no action to manifest them. I’m sorry.
I believe it was Saint Paul who said, “Faith without works is dead.” How true does words seem now. Not only in my interpersonal relationships, but in my role in the community, which, though it does have action, is lacking enough action… it needs more. Even in my interpersonal relationships… more action, to live up those principles that I claim to hold in a personal ethos. Tonight, I’ve only proven myself a hypocrite. In the Gospels, Jesus condemned the Pharisees for their hypocrisy. Am I to be like they?
I’m sorry for my lack of action… my hypocrisy that ran deeper than my words. I feel that I have cheated not only my friends, but myself… I have betrayed the principle of friendship… a principle set in my own ethos. Thus, I have betrayed my friends and myself.
Perhaps if I begin to consider the context of the day, I can begin to understand how this came about. Recently, especially in the last few days, I have become so super-focused on my work… that, now that I think about it, I have placed my friendships second… which I shouldn’t have. Work comes and goes, remember… but friends… they’re people, with real emotional needs. I say this now, but I wonder if I will live up to those words.
I felt the need to blog this; to reflect on my hypocrisy and ponder what to do about it tomorrow. Perhaps I need to find a way to make it up. To reverse the message of “You’re second to my interests” and make it, “I do care about you- I’m here for you.” I can say it in words… but the challenge is devoting the energy to make those words, and their meaning, manifest.
To whoever reads this, value your friendships and remember that “Faith without works is dead,” so make manifest your ethos in your actions. As Ghandi would say, “Be the change you wish to see in the world” – do more than speak your vision… live it!
Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness March 14, 2008
Posted by Stewart in All posts.Tags: happiness, liberty, life
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If we truly believe that all persons are entitled to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” then that principle must apply to all persons, at all stages of their development, from conception to death.
In the below text, US Congressman Ron Paul, outlines a libertarian perspective on the issue, offering a valuable insight, linking life and liberty and calling for the prevention of tyranny:
“Libertarians believe, along with the Founding Fathers, that every individual has inalienable rights, among which are the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Neither the State, nor any other person, can violate those rights without committing an injustice. But, just as important as the power claimed by the State to decide what rights we have, is the power to decide which of us has rights.
Today, we are seeing a piecemeal destruction of individual freedom. And in abortion, the statists have found a most effective method of obliterating freedom: obliterating the individual. Abortion on demand is the ultimate State tyranny; the State simply declares that certain classes of human beings are not persons, and therefore not entitled to the protection of the law. The State protects the “right” of some people to kill others, just as the courts protected the “property rights” of slave masters in their slaves. Moreover, by this method the State achieves a goal common to all totalitarian regimes: it sets us against each other, so that our energies are spent in the struggle between State-created classes, rather than in freeing all individuals from the State. Unlike Nazi Germany, which forcibly sent millions to the gas chambers (as well as forcing abortion and sterilization upon many more), the new regime has enlisted the assistance of millions of people to act as its agents in carrying out a program of mass murder.
. . .We must promote a consistent vision of liberty because freedom is whole and cannot be alienated, although it can be abridged by the unjust action of the State or those who are powerful enough to obtain their own demands. Our lives, also, are a whole from the beginning at fertilization until death. To deny any part of liberty, or to deny liberty to any particular class of individuals, diminishes the freedom of all. For libertarians to support such an abridgement of the right to live free is unconscionable.” – Ron Paul
