Better World Pitch

Do you think the world will be better next year and the year after that? The world is an awfully big place. I believe children are the future. In order to change the world, we must approach it one small step at a time. If you want to make the world a better place, you have to make yourself a better person. My organization is called "All For One, One For All" and our mission is to educate children on values of respect and empathy. We believe that in order to create a better world, we must be able to empathize with one another, with those from all backgrounds. Because the first 18 years of a person's life are the most important, we will work with kids starting from elementary school all the way up to high school.

Our organization is passionate about the work we do because we believe that if we can empathize with what someone is going through emotionally, that goes far beyond just understanding them. If everyone was more empathetic and respectful of each other, I believe many of the global issues today such as poverty and hunger, would be eradicated. Simply by changing one's mind set.

This organization is unique because we place more of an emphasis on EQ (emotional intelligence quotient) rather than IQ tests, although both are important in creating a better world for our kids. Not everything will be perfect there will be hardships along the way. This will be a long term project that will require patience and discipline with all those involved.

Anima Mundi Development Partners should support "All for One, One For All" because we will instill values such as respect and empathy among other things. If we can empathize more with others, we will be more likely to help others in need. Not all heroes wear capes.

Be the Change You Want To See In The World

Remember when we were little, we had such big dreams of changing the world! I know I did...and still do. Sometimes we go through life and especially for us college students we are more preoccupied with ourselves. We are so focused on finishing school and finding a job.

If we were a little more grateful for what we have than what we don't have, we would see the world in a  different light. No doubt everyone has hardships, but we have it pretty well compared to some people in developing countries, and even some in this country. Being grateful allows us to empathize with other people. The more we can empathize with someone, the more likely we are to help someone in need. That's why I am starting a movement for schools across the United States that requires students starting at a very young age to volunteer in helping the less fortunate whether it be food drives, donations, etc. The idea is after years and years of community service, they will feel a greater connection and obligation to making the world a better place. We have become too isolated. We live in our own world with technology that revolves around us. Our movement strongly believes kids are the way to a brighter future.

I believe this movement has a lot of potential in spreading a positive message and happiness in the world. I am taking a Psychology: Science of Happiness course at USC. From the lectures and personal experience, I feel happier in the short term and long term more so when I give, than I receive. It's great to make a lot of money but if you are in a position to give back, like Rockefeller and Carnegie, we have a moral obligation to do so.

Random Blog (Kobe Bryant)

I'm dedicating this blog to one of my favorite athletes that I had the pleasure to watch in Kobe Bryant.  As you may or may not know after 20 years in the league, he will be retiring at the end of the season.  He is one of the most competitive players that I have ever seen in any sport.  I think that's what makes him so great.   You can have all the talent in the world but if you don't have that drive and hunger to make yourself better, it can have a bigger impact on your success than talent alone.  He is one of the reasons I got into basketball.  I never got to see Michael Jordan play but people say he is the closest thing to Michael Jordan.  Those 81 points he dropped on the Toronto Raptors I don't think will ever be eclipsed, unless the league makes it more impossible to play defense.  But he was just so fun to watch.  I do think he is retirement ceremony has dragged on for too long because teams are not really trying when they compete against Kobe.  It's more like an exhibition.

My favorite team is the Los Angeles Lakers.  I feel bad for the organization though because I don't see them going anywhere soon with the management we have now.  It's so sad to see one of my favorite players go out like this.  The young talent we have now just isn't that good.  I don't think they will develop and mature to be all stars and members of a championship team.  If you look at Minnesota and Utah, those teams are a bit older but I don't think the personnel we have now will ever be enough to beat those guys.  I feel like the front office should go after players who are interested in playing defense.  I would love to see Kobe somewhere in upper management because I think he has a keen eye for talent.  But it doesn't appear it will be that way.

Coagula Curatorial

Coagula Curatorial

I visited Coagula Curatorial on Saturday.  The art gallery was a lot smaller that I thought and the venue seemed like it could be someone's house. It was a cold, dark night with a light drizzle.  I got a little lost because I had no idea how many museums were on this block.  I saw at least 4 in the span of 150 ft.  When I finally did I find the place, there was about 100 people with food and wine in their hand.  I walked around and nothing really interested me until I saw these really cool conspiracy hats.  Conspiracy theories fascinate me because you can't help but try to understand believes what they do when no one else does.  I guess it's the unknown that intrigues me the most! There were different conspiracies painted on the caps.  One conspiracy theory I don't know why is a conspiracy is America's mission to the moon.  Many believe it is a hoax.  But there are many others and here are some pictures.

 2Pac.  Many believe he is still alive.

I've heard of this conspiracy theory but the fact that someone believes a reptilian species rules the world is a bit hard for me to believe.

 New World Order.

 Lochness Monster.

 9/11.

 Big Foot.

One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.


This is the one facet of the art gallery that faceted me the most. There was also a portrait of Donald Trump that had the caption "vote for Bernie." I thought that was hilarious! But the artist is clearly very talented.  There were tons of other paintings.  Besides looking at the art, I was curious to see how much the art was going for.  So, for the hats, they cost upwards of $200.  Don't get me wrong the hats were awesome but not worth it, in my opinion.  And the other paintings that were probably 36x24 ran upwards of $2000.  Yeah... At the end of the day, I did enjoy the art gallery.  I hope they don't move it, I would like to go back some day.

G.O.M Betsy Taylor

Betsy Taylor is the co-founder of the Center for the New American Dream, president of 1Sky, author of What Kids Really Want that Money Can’t Buy and Sustainable Planet: Solutions for the 21st century.  Reading Betsy’s blog was like looking into a mirror.  We agree on so many issues of the world we live in today.  She talks about how Americans work very long hours with little vacation time and family time.  Our economy is structured around buy more!  We are very materialistic culture and one of the reasons we work long hours….we want a better car, bigger house, and more money.  Until we get used to the norm, we again search for a bigger house, better car and the cycle repeats.  She talks about the American dream that with hard work we can lead a good, happy life.  Today, that dream has modified a bit because we do work hard to lead a good life but not necessarily a happier one.  We are constantly comparing ourselves to one another and will always find fault in ourselves.  We are truly never happy.  Why can’t we just be content?  It’s hard to do this because advertising is all around us, 24/7.  You think it doesn't affect but studies show advertising does affect us.  To stop the constant social comparisons and just be content with what we have, we must turn off all technological devices and find peace in ourselves.  This can be challenging but even meditating for even 10 minutes a day can pay huge dividends.  Sometimes we just need to get away from the word.  

Betsy brought up a good point that I totally forgot.  After 9/11, the first thing President Bush told the American public was to shop in order to keep the wheels of the economy moving.  So much to the point people bought things with money they did not have.  Thus, the use of credit went berserk.  The paradox of the chapter highlights opposing interests in the planet and people.  In order to have a fruitful economy, people need to spend and that generates revenue and employment.  However, this use and purchase of goods hurts the planet because it leads to pollution, excess waste.  So what do we do?  

Ch. 5 Real Virtuality

Chapter 5 was a little bit difficult to understand.  The title of the chapter is an oxymoron: "real virtuality."  The author uses QQ coins as an example which are like bitcoins, which are an online virtual currency.  If you have played computer games or video games, they will give you options to purchase merchandise in order to help you beat the game.  This goes hand in hand with mercantilism but unlike in real life, the author describes it as "free market mercantilism at its best."  But if you think about the QQ situation is a bit complicated.  Essentially you are trading real money for fake online currency.  The value of currency in real life comes from the government setting a value for the currency and its trade value.  But with QQ coins, the user is essentially free from government control.  I thought it was a pretty interesting read because it reminded of bitcoins.  

John Bloom starts the chapter off by explaining to the reader that we normally associate things with what we are already familiar with. For example, in normal language we substitute the use of credit cards by saying we are using money which isn't true. The world doesn't really revolve the way we think it to revolve. Bloom then goes on to explain what QQ coins are, virtual coins for users in their messaging system. The QQ coin became relevant once other game sites began to accept the coins as well. The problem with the virtual currency was that it was difficult to regulate and people began to use it as regular money that couldn't be traced and could avoid being taxed. QQ coins served as a bridge between what is real and what is not. People used the coins in order to gain real money, but at the same time the coins were merely an "afterimage" of what real money is. Regardless of the fact that it is just a virtual currency, the coins needed to be taken care of by the Chinese government in order to protect their real currency. It is important to note that if virtual currencies are left unchecked it could lead to chaos and devaluation of real currencies.

The Genius of Money

Ch. 2 Coining A Myth

Chapter 2 uses the Greek myth of “Titian: Danae and the Shower of Gold” to tell us that ancient myths have an underlying meaning that transcends the truths of life through the use of symbolism and story-telling.  They describe human character and human action.  The powerful thing about these myths is that they are timeless.  The Greek myth tells the story of Danae who was a princess of Argos, the only child of King Acrisius and Eurydice.  Acrisius visits the Oracle and finds out he will be killed by his future grandson.  So, to prevent this from happening, he locks Danae and her servant in a chamber.  Then Zeus discovers of Danae’s confinement and falls in love with her and impregnates her in the guise of a golden shower.  Titian uses the analogy of golden “coins” as a symbol of power and money.  Money and power allow you to open doors that are closed to most and get almost anything you want.  Interestingly, Danae was seen in the Middle Ages as an example of how feminine beauty and moral virtue can be tainted by the corruption of wealth.  Today, that analogy still holds true as money and power go hand-in-hand.  

The part of the Greek myth that confused me was when Acrisius found out Zeus had impregnated his daughter, Danae.  She bore a son Perseus.  Acrisius then put Danae and Perseus in a wooden chest and leaves them to die in the middle of the sea.  After going through all that trouble of going to the Oracle and knowing that he would be killed by his grandson, why did he leave it to chance?  He could have undone the prophecy by taking the life of his daughter and grandson by his bare hands.  I like this story because it reminds me of Aesop's fables.  They both tell of human faults and yet mankind seems to repeat the same mistakes over and over again.  Will we ever learn?  

Ch. 14 The Touchstone and the Labyrinth 

This chapter was a little confusing.  I had to read it 3 times.  Im not sure I fully understand it but I will give it a shot.  Basically, the chapter is talking about money as a physical and spiritual entity.  John Bloom has deduced that “money is a medium of expression” and one that makes the “invisible visible.”   Money is abstract and it’s value comes from what we assign to it.  The analogy he uses to explain this duality of money is the labyrinth and the touchstone.  The labyrinth represents a horizontal plane (physical aspect of money like using it for buying material objects) and vertical plane (spiritual aspect of money like the value we assign to it).   Bloom relates money to language as a “medium of exchange (horizontal) and a measure of value (vertical).”  They each require the other to have a whole meaning.  The way I make sense of the labyrinth is by comparing it to human nature.  Humans need water, food, shelter, etc in order to go on living.  We can live a very fulfilling life.  Then religion would be like the spiritual aspect in that our lives have a deeper meaning or purpose than just making money and then dying.  I’m not advocating you need to be religious in any way, shape, or form.  That is just how I make sense of this complicated chapter.  

The other half of money Bloom talks about in this chapter is money as a touchstone.  In recorded human history, minerals and precious metals have been given relative value by comparing it to other metals and mineral i.e gold, silver, copper.  To determine their value or purity, they were tested with acid.  By the progression of increasingly concentrated acid, value was assigned to these various metals.  This in part is where gold gets its high value from.  Basically, it’s a litmus test (for those who have taken Chemistry).  Bloom talks about the touchstone as a path to which humans develop a relationship with money.  It requires we really think about what we are spending our money on.  However, this thoughtfulness has dissipated and we now spend money quickly, effortlessly.  We even spend money we don’t have (credit).  The term he uses is “flat money.”  Look at today, there is no real currency, no standard we can compare to.  This is due to having no gold standard since President Nixon.  Because of flat money, he says we lose our understanding about the material value of money.  After reading Bloom’s Ch. 14 thoughts on money, it’s hard to disagree with his point.  I can see what he means when says we have lost touch with the value of money.  We do not really spend money wisely just look at everyone who buys Hoverboards.  Personally, I think they are a waste of money.  Can you recall the last time you spent money on something you didn’t really need but did so anyways just because you had the money.  Anyway, those are my thoughts on this chapter.  I hope my blog makes some sense.