Expensive Tablet ($650 tablet/$33 monthly)
Break-even for Most People ($100 phone/$52 monthly): 2.4 yrs
Break-even for Expensive Phone People ($200/$52): 2 yrs
Break-even for Individual Plan people ($200/$70): 1 yr (Savings $444 + $37/mo after 2 yrs)

Cheap Tablet ($450/$33 monthly) – cheaper tablet with 2 yr contract
Break-even for Most People ($100 phone/$52 monthly): 1.5 yrs ($114 Savings + $19/mo after 2 yrs)
Break-even for Expensive Phone People ($200/$52): 1.1 yrs ($209 Savings + $19/mo after 2 yrs)
Break-even for Individual Plan people ($200/$70): 0.6 yr ($629 Savings + $37/mo after 2 yrs)

I calculated tablet costs including activation fees and the following accessories:
Bluetooth handset/headset for using the Tablet as a Phone
Tablet Carrying Case (for people who don’t want to be carrying a big bag everywhere, and want easy access to their tablet)

Recommended Plan/Tablets For Replacing Phone with Tablet: I recommend Verizon for the good service (at least for me due to availability in DC subway). AT&T is also a good one for service. The other carriers’ prices seem to much higher monthly. There are currently 10 inch and 7 inch tablets. The 7 inch might be more easy to carry by hand or pocket (Galaxy Tab however it’s old and slow, G-slate and Evo View are on the bad carriers). For a bigger tablet, get the Samsung Galaxy 10.1 or 8.9 (when it comes out soon), HTC Jetstream (high quality but expensive) or Acer Iconia (iPad OS is not as good at multitasking as android OS). 10 inch is nice because it is also more of a laptop replacement, however it is a slightly more inconvenient carry (I recommend a leather shoulder bag although one hasn’t come out for anything besides the iPad).

Future tablets: A Google Nexus tablet coming, and as the Google Nexus smartphones are the only models that get prompt Android software updates (every other droid phone has 1+ yr old versions), it may be the best choice from the Android tablets. I would recommend android as opposed to iPad due to androids being better multitasker.
Also, if you think tablets are not fast enough currently, wait until 2012 for Tegra 3 tablets that are at least 2x faster than current gen Tegra 2.

Conclusion: Replacing a cell phone with a tablet seems economically viable ONLY if you are replacing a plan that is $60+ (individual plan) OR if you plan to keep using the tablet for more than 2 years. The inconvenience of the tablet is not worth saving $20/mo IMO and the tablets are 2x more expensive than phones so it takes awhile to breakeven, and currently phones are almost as fast as tablets. And there are currently no good cases like the iPad case for the other tablets out there, nor bluetooth handsets (I can only find headsets). However, if you must have a tablet, this definitely helps rationalize getting a tablet for people who think it’s too expensive. More importantly, you’ll be sticking it to the man (wireless companies), and have hipster bragging rights.
My current plan: Get a $250 top-of-the-line phone at Verizon (Google Nexus Prime or Motorola Dinara), ~$48/mo on my parents’ plan
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Carrier Tablet Options
For my zip code (20854), for better pricing purchase I include 2 year contract only
Verizon: $20/mo for 1gig (3G no-contract tabs only), $30 for 2gig, $50 for 5gig, $80 for 10gig (free activation on weekends) Verizon has the best service for me.
Available Tablets: Galaxy Tab 10.1 4G $530, Galaxy Tab $200 ($130 refurb), Xoom 4G $500 ($400 non-4G refurb), iPad 2 $630
AT&T (no contract pricing on tablets) : $15/mo for 250mb, $25 for 2gig, $35 for 3gig (required for 4G tablets)
Available Tablets: HTC Jetstream 4G $700, Acer Iconia 4G $330, Galaxy Tab $400 ($200 refurb) ($35/mo required even though not 4G), iPad 2 $630, iPad $480
T-Mobile (super expensive monthly): $40 for 2gig, $50 for 5gig, $80 for 10gig
Available Tablets: G-Slate 4G $300 (if you use T-mobile for cell service), Dell Streak 7 4G refurb $90, Galaxy Tab 10.1 4G (coming soon), T-Mobile Springboard (coming soon)
Sprint: $20/mo for 1gig (3G only), $30/mo for 2gig (3G only), $45 for 3gig, $60 for 5gig, $90 for 10gig
Available Tablets: Evo View 4G $400, Galaxy Tab $200

Source for VOIP review: http://www.thegalaxytabforum.com/index.php?/topic/2409-voipphone-options-usa-galaxy-tab/

Living Life By Risks

New CPR method without certification

Why Most Medical Studies are Wrong

Sedentary Lifestyles
An article about how sedentary (inactive) lifestyles create abnormal gene expression, allowing for genetic diseases to pop up that in the past would never have occurred. It refers to our Late Paleolithic Ancestors (50k-100k BC), the hunters and gatherers, and how our genes were greatly selected during that time. However, our phenotypes are very different today compared to
then, because of our sedentary lifestyles, which means our genes are maladapted for today’s lifestyle, which leads to clinically overt
diseases. These genes may actually be designed to cause premature death from chronic diseases produced by physical activity.
“We also contend that the current scientific evidence supports the
notion that disruptions in cellular homeostasis are diminished in magnitude in physically active individuals compared with sedentary
individuals due to the natural selection of gene expression that
supports the physically active lifestyle displayed by our ancestors.”
Source 1
Source 2

Happiness
Link 1
Link 2

Med Student Stories

Residential Solar Panels

Dark matter
“Heuer said researchers hope by the end of this year to make discoveries into the dark matter that scientists believe comprises 26 percent of the universe. The better understood visible matter makes up only 4 percent of the universe.
Dark matter has been theorized by scientists to account for missing mass and bent light in faraway galaxies. Scientists believe it makes galaxies spin faster.
A separate entity called “dark energy,” making up the remaining 70 percent of the universe, is believed linked to the vacuum that is evenly distributed in space and time. It is believed to accelerate the expansion of the universe.”
Source

Morality Gives Strength
Immediately following good/evil deeds, people have more physical strength/willpower:
“Gray’s findings run counter to the notion that only those blessed with heightened willpower or self-control are capable of heroism, suggesting instead that simply attempting heroic deeds can confer personal power.”
“Moral transformation has many implications, he said. For example, it suggests a new technique for enhancing self-control when dieting: Help others before being faced with temptation. “Perhaps the best way to resist the donuts at work is to donate your change in the morning to a worthy cause,” Gray said.”
Gray’s findings are based on two studies. In the first, participants were given $1, and were told either to keep it or to donate it to charity. They were then asked to hold up a 5-lb. weight for as long as they could. Those who donated to charity could hold the weight up for almost 10 seconds longer, on average.
In a second study, participants held a weight while writing fictional stories of themselves either helping another, harming another, or doing something that had no impact on others. As before, those who thought about doing good were significantly stronger than those whose actions didn’t benefit other people.
But surprisingly, the would-be malefactors were even stronger than those who envisioned doing good deeds.
Also, a study showed that people who get zapped feel a fresh sting every time if they think someone is intentionally doing it, otherwise if they think its unintentional they can get used to it.
Source

Supplements backed by Scientific Evidence

Why Whole Milk is Healthiest choice Is this real?

Antibiotics
Norway has the least amount of infections in the world because:
• Norwegian doctors prescribe fewer antibiotics than any other country, so people do not have a chance to develop resistance to them.
• Patients with MRSA are isolated and medical staff who test positive stay home.
• Doctors track each case of MRSA by its individual strain, interviewing patients about where they’ve been and who they’ve been with, testing anyone who has been in contact with them.
Source

Brain Represents Tools as Temporary Body Parts

Money
Thirty percent of workers with salaries of $100,000 or more are living paycheck to paycheck

The story of the fishermen and the banker:
The American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.
The fisherman replied, only a little while.
The American then asked why didn’t he stay out longer and catch more fish?
The Mexican said he had enough to support his family’s immediate needs.
The American then asked, “but what do you do with the rest of your time?”
The Mexican fisherman said, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos, I have a full and busy life.”
The American scoffed, “I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat with the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise.”
The Mexican fisherman asked, “But, how long will this all take?”
To which the American replied, “15-20 years.” “But what then?”
The American laughed and said that’s the best part. “When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions.”
“Millions.. Then what?”
The American said, “Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos.”
Of course, this story is drastic. One needs money for necessities (food/shelter aren’t the only necessities anymore for societies). save your money for the necessities: to buy your kids best education, best medical care, a decent car, ability to do a good amount of travelling, and save the rest of your money as best as you can for a rainy day. don’t complain about not being able to pay for things if you spend your money on too many luxuries.

Happiness and Money

World’s Happiest countries

Sci-Fi Articles
AI Singularity

vapor rub helps children with colds, meditation helps longevity (telomerase)

Loyalty
Even a person who is good for nothing and exceedingly clumsy will be a reliable retainer if only he has the determination to think earnestly of his master [and make his master first in importance], entrusting matters of good and evil to him, and renouncing self-interest. Having only wisdom and talent is the lowest tier of usefulness.

A devotee of the Nembutsu recites the Buddha’s name with every incoming and outgoing breath in order never to forget the Buddha. A retainer, too, should be just like this in thinking of his master. Not to forget one’s master is the most fundamental thing for a retainer.
(I would replace master with purpose for our current world)

One should understand that a woman is faithful to only one husband. Our feelings go to one person for one lifetime. If this is not so, it is the same as sodomy or prostitution. This is shame for a warrior.
If they can assist and devote their lives to each other, then their nature can be ascertained. But if one partner is crooked, the other should say that there are hindrances to the relationship and sever it with firmness. If the first should ask what those hindrances are, then one should respond that he will never in his life say. If he should continue to push the matter, one should get angry; if he continues to push even further, cut him down.
Above all, one should not divide one’s way into two. One should strive in the Way of the Samurai.
_______
Procrastination
There are both people who have quick intelligence, and those who must withdraw and take time to think things over. Looking into this thoroughly, if one thinks selflessly and adheres to the four vows of the Nabeshima samurai, surprising wisdom will occur regardless of the high or low points of one’s nature. People think that they can clear up profound matters if they consider them deeply, but they exercise perverse thoughts and come to no good because they do their reflecting with only self-interest at the center.
________
Learning from people and others/Consulting
We learn about the sayings and deeds of the men of old in order to entrust ourselves to their wisdom and prevent selfishness. When we throw off our own bias, follow the sayings of the ancients, and confer with other people, matters should go well and without mishap.

Being superior to others is nothing other than having people talk about your affairs and listening to their opinions. The general run of people settle for their own opinions and thus never excel. Having a discussion with a person is one step in excelling him. A certain person discussed with me the written materials at the clan office. He is better than someone like me in writing and researching. In seeking correction from others, you excel them.

When you are listening to the stories of accomplished men and the like, you should listen with deep sincerity, even if it’s something about which you already know. If in listening to the same thing ten or twenty times it happens that you come to an unexpected understanding, that moment will be very special. Within the tedious talk of old folks are their meritorious deeds.

Because we do most things relying only on our own sagacity we become self-interested, turn our backs on reason, and things do not turn out well. As seen by other people this is sordid, weak, narrow and inefficient. When one is not capable of true intelligence, it is good to consult with someone of good sense. An advisor will fulfill the Way when he makes a decision by selfless and frank intelligence because he is not personally involved.
_______
Giving one’s opinion
To give a person one’s opinion and correct his faults is an important thing. It is compassionate and comes first in matters of service. But the way of doing this is extremely difficult. To discover the good and bad points of a person is an easy thing, and to give an opinion concerning them is easy, too. For the most part, people think they are being kind by saying the things that others find distasteful or difficult to say. This is not only completely worthless if it is not received well, but akin to slandering the person. To give a person an opinion one must first judge well whether that person is of the disposition to receive it or not. One must become close with him and make sure that he continually trusts one’s word. Approaching subjects that are dear to him, seek the best way to speak and to be well understood. Judge the occasion, and determine whether it is better by letter or at the time of leave-taking. Praise his good points and use every device to encourage him, perhaps by talking about one’s own faults without touching on his, but so that they will occur to him. Have him receive this in the way that a man would drink water when his throat is dry, and it will be an opinion that will correct faults. This is extremely difficult.

Spirit/Enthusiasm
Once when Lord Mitsushige was a little boy and was supposed to recite from a copybook for the priest Kaion, he called the other children and acolytes and said, “Please come here and listen. It’s difficult to read if there are hardly any people listening.” The priest was impressed and said to the acolytes, “That’s the spirit in which to do everything.”

Having a pure mind
‘No mind’ is a mind that is pure and lacks complication. Lord Sanenori said, “In the midst of a single breath, where perversity cannot be held, is the Way.” If so, then the Way is one. But there is no one who can understand this clarity at first. Purity is something that cannot be attained except by piling effort upon effort.
When one has a pure and uncomplicated mind, his expression will be lively. When one is attending to matters, there is one thing that comes forth from his heart. That is, in terms of one’s lord, loyalty; in terms of one’s parents, filial piety; in martial affairs, bravery; and apart from that, something that can be used by all the world.
This is very difficult to discover. Once discovered, it is again difficult to keep in constant effect. There is nothing outside the thought of the immediate moment.

The World
The word gen means “illusion” or “apparition.” Everything in this world is but a marionette show. Thus we use the word gen.

When something out of the ordinary happens, it is ridiculous to say that it is a mystery or a portent of something to come. The mystery is created in the mind, and by waiting for the disaster, it is from the mind that it occurs. The occurrence of mysteries is always by word of mouth.

In carefully scrutinized the affairs of the past, we find that there are many different opinions about them, and that there are some things that are quite unclear. It is better to regard such things as unknowable. Lord Sanenori once said, “As for the things that we don’t understand, there are ways of understanding them. Furthermore, there are some things we understand just naturally, and again some that we can’t understand no matter how hard we try. This is interesting.”
This is very profound. It is natural that one cannot understand deep and hidden things. Those things that are easily understood are rather shallow.
_____
One day at a time
Ikumo Oribe said, “If a retainer will just think about what he is to do for the day at hand, he will be able to do anything. If it is a single day’s work, one should be able to put up with it. Tomorrow, too, is but a single day.”
______
Righteousness?
To hate injustice and stand on righteousness is a difficult thing. Furthermore, to think that righteousness is the best one can do and to do one’s utmost to be righteous will, on the contrary, bring many mistakes. The Way is in a higher place than righteousness. This is very difficult to discover, but it is the highest wisdom. When seen from this standpoint, things like righteousness are rather shallow. If one does not understand this on his own, it cannot be known. There is a method of getting to this Way, however, even if one cannot discover it by himself. This is found in consultation with others. Even a person who has not attained this Way sees others front the side. Listening to the old stories and reading books are for the purpose of sloughing off one’s own discrimination and attaching oneself to that of the ancients.
(why Way > righteousness? Might be selfish?)

Handling matters
Among the maxims on Lord Naoshige’s wall there was this one: “Matters of great concern should be treated lightly.” Master Ittei commented, “Matters of small concern should be treated seriously.” Among one’s affairs there should not be more than two or three matters of what one could call great concern. If these are deliberated upon during ordinary times, they can be understood. Thinking about things previously and then handling them lightly when the time comes is what this is all about. To face an event anew solve it lightly is difficult if you are not resolved beforehand, and there will always be uncertainty in hitting your mark. However, if the foundation is laid previously, you can think of the saying, “Matters of great concern should be treated lightly,” as your own basis for action.”

About diff places
When in a more sophisticated area it is natural that one’s disposition be affected by different styles. But it is vulgar and foolish to look down upon the ways of one’s own district as being boorish, or to be even a bit open to the persuasion of the other place’s ways and to think about giving up one’s own. That one’s own district is unsophisticated and unpolished is a great treasure. Imitating another style is simply a sham.

Timing
A certain person was brought to shame because he did not take revenge. The way of revenge lies in simply forcing one’s way into a place and being cut down. There is no shame in this. By thinking that you must complete the job you will run out of time. By considering things like how many men the enemy has, time piles up; in the end you will give up. No matter if the enemy has thousands of men, there is fulfillment in simply standing them off and being determined to cut them all down, starting from one end. You will finish the greater part of it.
When the time comes, there is no moment for reasoning. And if you have not done your inquiring beforehand, there is most often shame. Reading books and listening to people’s talk are for the purpose of prior resolution. Above all, the Way of the Samurai should be in being aware that you do not know what is going to happen next, and in querying every item day and night. Victory and defeat are matters of the temporary force of circumstances. The way of avoiding shame is different. It is simply in death.
Even if it seems certain that you will lose, retaliate. Neither wisdom nor technique has a place in this. A real man does not think of victory or defeat. He plunges recklessly towards an irrational death. By doing this, you will awaken from your dreams.

It is written that the priest Shungaku said, “In just refusing to retreat from something one gains the strength of two men.” This is interesting. Something that is not done at that time and at that place will remain unfinished for a lifetime. At a time when it is difficult to complete matters with the strength of one man, one will bring it to a conclusion with the strength of two. If one thinks about it later, he will be negligent all his life.
“Stamp quickly and pass through a wall of iron” is another interesting phrase. To quickly break in and stamp through directly is the first step of celerity. In connection with this, Hideyoshi can be thought of as the only man who has grasped solidly the chance of a lifetime since the creation of Japan.

In the words of the ancients, one should make his decisions within the space of seven breaths. Lord Takanobu said, “If discrimination is long, it will spoil.” Lord Naoshige said, “When matters are done leisurely, seven out of ten will turn out badly. A warrior is a person who does things quickly.”
When your mind is going hither and thither, discrimination will never be brought to a conclusion. With an intense, fresh, and undelaying spirit, one will make his judgments within the space of seven breaths. It is a matter of being determined and having the spirit to break right through to the other side.

Intellectual pursuits
It is not good to settle into a set of opinions. It is a mistake to put forth effort and obtain some understanding and then stop at that. At first putting forth great effort to be sure that you have grasped the bastes, then practicing so that they may come to fruition is something that will never stop for your whole lifetime. do not rely on following the degree of understand that you have discovered, but simply think, “This is not enough.”
One should search throughout his whole life how best to follow the Way. And he should study, setting his mind to work without putting things off. Within this is the Way. (put in philosophy blog?)

It is unfitting that one be ignorant of the history and origins of his clan and its retainers. But there are times when extensive knowledge becomes a hindrance. One should use discretion. Knowing the circumstances can be an obstruction in everyday affairs, too. One should use discretion.

Discretion
Lord Aki declared that he would not have his descendants learn military tactics. He said, “On the battlefield, once discretion starts it cannot be stopped. One will not break through to the enemy with discretion. Indiscretion is most important when in front of the tiger’s den. Therefore, if one were informed of military tactics, he would have many doubts, and there will be no end to the matter. My descendants will not practice military tactics.”

When Yamamoto Gorozaemon went to the priest Tetsugyu in Edo wanting to hear something about Buddhism, Tetsugyo said, “Buddhism gets rid of the discriminating mind. It is nothing more than this. I can give you an illustration in terms of the warrior. The Chinese character for ”cowardice” is made by adding the character for “meaning” to the character radical for “mind”. Now “meaning” is “discrimination, ” and when a man attaches discrimination to his true mind, he becomes a coward . In the Way of the Samurai can a man be courageous when discrimination arises? I suppose you can get the idea from this.”

According to Lord Naoshige’s words: There is something to which every young samurai should pay attention. During times of peace when listening to stories of battle, one should never say, “In facing such a situation, what would a person do?” Such words are out of the question. How will a man who has doubts even in his own room achieve anything on the battlefield? There is a saying that goes, “No matter what the circumstances might be, one should be of the mind to win. One should be holding the first spear to strike.” Even though you have put your life on the line, there is nothing to be done when the situation doesn’t go as planned.
________________
?
These are from the recorded sayings of Yamamoto Jin’-emon:
If you can understand one affair, you will understand eight.
An affected laugh shows lack of self-respect in a man and lewdness in a woman.
Whether speaking formally or informally, one should look his listener in the eye. A polite greeting is done at the beginning and finished. Speaking with downcast eyes is carelessness.
It is carelessness to go about with one’s hands inside the slits in the sides of his hakama.
After reading books and the like, it is best to burn them or throw them away. It is said that reading books is the work of the Imperial Court, but the work of the House of Nakano is found in military valor, grasping the staff of oak.
A samurai with no group and no horse is not a samurai at all.
It is said that one should rise at four in the morning, bathe and arrange his hair daily, eat when the sun comes up, and retire when it becomes dark.
A samurai will use a toothpick even though he has not eaten. Inside the skin of a dog, outside the hide of a tiger.

Modelling w/o models
Today, there are no models of good retainers. In light of this, it would be good to make a model and to learn from that. To do this, one should look at many people and choose from each his best point only. For example, one person for politeness, one for bravery, one for the proper way of speaking, one for correct conduct and one for steadiness of mind. Thus will the model be made. An apprentice may receive and imitate only his master’s bad points. This is worthless. If one perceives a person’s good points, he will have a model teacher for anything.

Purity of Mind
A retainer is a man who remains consistently undistracted twenty-four hours a day, whether he is in the presence of his master or in public. If one is careless during his rest period, the public will see him as being only careless.

On masters of nothing
In general, a person who is versatile in many things is considered to be vulgar and to have only a broad knowledge of matters of importance.
__________________________
There is something to be learned from a rainstorm. When meeting with a sudden shower, you try not to get wet and run quickly along the road. But doing such things as passing under the eaves of houses, you still get wet. When you are resolved from the beginning you will not be perplexed, though you still get the same soaking. This understanding extends to everything.

Willpower
In the stories of the elder warriors it is said that on the battlefield if one wills himself to outstrip warriors of accomplishment, and day and night hopes to strike down a powerful enemy, he will grow indefatigable and fierce of heart and will manifest courage. One should use this principle in everyday affairs too.

A person who does not want to be struck by the enemy’s arrows will have no divine protection. For a man who does not wish to be hit by the arrows of a common soldier, but rather by those of a warrior of fame, there will be the protection for which he has asked.

Being Resolved/resolving beforehand, thinking too much, preparation
You will be tripped up by people when your resolution is lax. Moreover, if at a meeting you are distracted while another person is speaking, by your carelessness you may think that he is of your opinion and you will follow along saying, “Of course, of course,” even though he is saying something that is contrary to your own feelings, and others will think that you are in agreement with him. Because of this, you should never be distracted even for an instant when meeting with others.
When you are listening to a story or being spoken to, you should be mindful not to be tripped up; and if there is something that you do not agree with, to speak your mind, to show your opponent his error, and to grapple with the situation. Even in unimportant affairs mistakes come from little things. One should be mindful of this. Moreover, it is better not to become acquainted with men about whom you have formerly had some doubts. No matter what you do, they will be people by whom you will be tripped up or taken in, To be certain of this fact you must have much experience.

When one has made a decision to kill a person, even if it will be very difficult to succeed by advancing straight ahead, it will not do to think about going at it in a long roundabout way. One’s heart may slacken, he may miss his chance, and by and large there will be no success. The Way of the Samurai is one of immediacy, and it is best to dash in headlong.

In the “Notes on Martial Laws” it is written that:
The phrase, ”Win first, fight later, ” can be summed up in the two words, “Win beforehand.” The resourcefulness of times of peace is the military preparation for times of war. With five hundred allies one can defeat an enemy force of ten thousand.
It is a matter of course that a warrior’s attitude should be to be in the vanguard during an attack and in the rear during a retreat. In approaching for the attack he does not forget to wait for the right moment. In waiting for the right moment he never forgets the attack.

A helmet is usually thought to be very heavy, but when one is attacking a castle or something similar, and arrows, bullets, large rocks, great pieces of wood and the like are corning down, it will not seem the least bit so.
_______________
Mistakes
It is said that one should not hesitate to correct himself when he has made a mistake. If he corrects himself without the least bit of delay, his mistakes will quickly disappear. But when he tries to cover up a mistake, it will become all the more unbecoming and painful. When words that one should not use slip out, if one will speak his mind quickly and clearly, those words will have no effect and he will not be obstructed by worry. If there is, however, someone who blames a person for such a thing, one should be prepared to say something like, “I have explained the reason for my careless speech. There is nothing else to be done if you will not listen to reason. Since I said it unwittingly, it should be the same as if you didn’t hear it. No one can evade blame.” And one should never talk about people or secret matters. Furthermore, one should only speak according to how he judges his listener’s feelings.

The proper manner of calligraphy is nothing other than not being careless, but in this way one’s writing will simply be sluggish and stiff. When one is writing a letter, he should think that the recipient will make it into a hanging scroll. One should go beyond and depart from the norm. This principle applies to all things.
___________
To see if someone is loyal
It is said, “When you would see into a person’s heart, become ill.” When you are sick or in difficulties, many of those who were friendly or close to you in daily life will become cowards. Whenever anyone is in unhappy circumstances, you should above all inquire after them by visiting or sending some gift. And you should never in your whole life be negligent toward someone from whom you have received a favor.
By such things the consideration of others can be seen. In this world the people who will rely on others when they are in difficulties and afterwards not give them a thought are many.
__________
Types of people
Calculating people are contemptible. The reason for this is that calculation deals with loss and gain, and the loss and gain mind never stops. Death is considered loss and life is considered gain. Thus, death is something that such person does not care for, and he is contemptible.
Furthermore, scholars and their like are men who with wit and speech hide their own true cowardice and greed. People often misjudge this.

Lord Katsushige always used to say that there are four kinds of retainers. They are the “quick, then lagging,” the “lagging, then quick,” the “continually quick,” and the “continually lagging.” The “continually quick” are men who when given orders will undertake their execution quickly and settle the matter well. Fukuchi Kichizaemon and the like resemble this type.
The “lagging, then quick” are men who, though lacking in understanding when given orders, prepare quickly and bring the matter to a conclusion. I suppose that Nakano Kazuma and men similar are like this. The “quick, then lagging” are men who when given orders seem to be going to settle things but in their preparation take time and procrastinate. There are many people like this. Other than these, one could say that the rest are “continually lagging.”

A certain person said the following:
There are two kinds of dispositions, inward and outward, and a person who is lacking in one or the other is worthless. It is, for example, like the blade of a sword, which one should sharpen well and then put in its scabbard again. If a person has his sword out all the time, he is habitually swinging and naked blade; people will not approach him and he will not have allies.
If a sword is always sheathed, it will become rusty, the blade will dull, and people will think as much of its owner.

People who talk on and on about matters of little importance probably have some complaint in the back of their mind. But in order to be ambiguous and to hide this they repeat what they are saving over and over. To hear something like this causes doubt to arise in one’s breast.
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Way of the Samurai
Lord Naoshige said, “The Way of the Samurai is in desperateness. Ten men or more cannot kill such a man. Common sense will not accomplish great things. Simply become insane and desperate.
In the Way of the Samurai, if one uses discrimination, he will fall behind. One needs neither loyalty nor devotion, but simply to become desperate in the Way. Loyalty and devotion are of themselves within desperation.”
When meeting calamities or difficult situations, it is not enough to simply say that one is not at all flustered. When meeting difficult situations, one should dash forward bravely and with joy, with a resolution devoid of doubt.

If one were to say in a word what the condition of being a samurai is, its basis lies first in seriously devoting one’s body and soul to his mastery. And if one is asked what to do beyond this, it would be to fit oneself inwardly with intelligence, humanity, and courage. The combining of these three virtues may seem unobtainable to the ordinary person, but it is easy. Intelligence is nothing more than discussing things with others. Humanity is something done for the sake of others, simply comparing oneself with them and putting them in the fore. Courage is gritting one’s teeth; it is simply doing that and pushing ahead, paying no attention to circumstances. Anything that seems above these three is not necessary to be known.
As for outward aspects, there are personal appearance, one’s way of speaking and calligraphy. And as all of these are daily matters, they improve by constant practice. Basically, one should perceive their nature to be one of quiet strength. if one has accomplished all these things, then he should have a knowledge of our area’s history and customs. After that he may study the various arts as recreation. If you think it over, being a retainer is simple. And these days, if you observe people who are even a bit useful, you will see that they have accomplished these three aspects.
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Mastery
A certain swordsman in his declining years said the following:
In one’s life, there are levels in the pursuit of study. In the lowest level, a person studies but nothing comes of it, and he feels that both he and others are unskillful. At this point he is worthless. In the middle level he is still useless but is aware of his own insufficiencies and can also see the insufficiencies of others. In a higher level he has pride concerning his own ability, rejoices in praise from others, and laments the lack of ability in his fellows. This man has worth. In the highest level a man has the look of knowing nothing.
These are the levels in general. But there is one transcending level, and this is the most excellent of all. This person is aware of the endlessness of entering deeply into a certain Way arid never thinks of himself as having finished. He truly knows his own insufficiencies and never in his whole life thinks that he has succeeded. He has no thoughts of pride but with self-abasement knows the Way to the end. Superiority is not just a matter of secret techniques.
It is said that Master Yagyu once remarked, “I do not know the way to defeat others, but the way to defeat myself.”
Throughout your life advance daily, becoming more skillful than yesterday, more skillful than today. This is never-ending.

Also, in the instructions of a renga teacher, it was said that the day before the poetry meeting one should calm his mind and look at a collection of poems. This is a concentration on one affair. All professions should be done with concentration.

It is spiritless to think that you cannot attain to that which you have seen and heard the masters attain. The masters are men. You are also a man. If you think that you will be inferior in doing something, you will be on that road very soon. Master Ittei said, “Confucius was a sage because he had the will to become a scholar when he was fifteen years old. He was not a sage because he studied later on.” This is the same as the Buddhist maxim, “First intention, then enlightenment.”

In the pursuit of one’s development, if he does not make great effort and is not supported by others in his advancement in the world, he will be of no use.
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Speech/discussion/dealing with people/meeting/socializing/manners
After I took up the attitude of a retainer, I never sat sloppily whether at home or in some other place. Neither did I speak, but if there was something that could not be done properly without words, I made an effort to settle things by putting ten words into one. Yamazaki Kurando was like this.

When reading something aloud, it is best to read from the belly. Reading from one’s mouth, one’s voice will not endure. This is Nakano Shikibu’s teaching.

When discussing things with someone, it is best to speak appropriately about whatever subject may be. No matter how good what you are saying might be, it will dampen the conversation if it is irrelevant.

It is bad to carry even a good thing too far. Even concerning things such as Buddhism, Buddhist sermons, and moral lessons, talk too much will bring harm.

A person with a bit of wisdom is one who will criticize the times. This is the basis of disaster. A person who is discreet in speaking will be useful during the good times and will avoid punishment during the bad.

Meeting with people should be a matter of quickly grasping their temperament and reacting appropriately to this person and that. Especially with an extremely argumentative person, after yielding considerably one should argue him down with superior logic, but without sounding harsh, and in a fashion that will allow no resentment to be left afterwards. This is a function of both the heart and words. This was an opinion given by a priest concerning personal encounters.

One should be careful and not say things that are likely to cause trouble at the time. When some difficulty arises in this world, people get excited, and before one knows it the matter is on everyone’s lips. This is useless. If worse comes to worse, you may become the subject of gossip, or at least you will have made enemies by saying something unnecessary and will have created ill will. It is said that at such a time it is better to stay at home and think of poetry.

To talk about other people’s affairs is a great mistake. To praise them, too, is unfitting. In any event, it is best to know your own ability well, to put forth effort in your endeavors, and to be discreet in speech.

When an official place is extremely busy and someone comes in thoughtlessly with some business or other, often there are people who will treat him coldly and become angry. This is not good at all. At such times, the etiquette of a samurai is to calm himself and deal with the person in a good manner. To treat a person harshly is the way of middle class lackeys.

When someone is giving you his opinion, you should receive it with deep gratitude even though it is worthless. If you don’t, he will not tell you the things that he has seen and heard about you again. It is best to both give and receive opinions in a friendly way.

The priest Ryoi said : The samurai of old were mortified by the idea of dying in bed ; they hoped only to die on the battlefield. A priest, too, will be unable to fulfill the Way unless he is of this disposition. The man who shuts himself away and avoids the company of men is a coward. Only evil thoughts allow one to imagine that something good can be done by shutting oneself away. For even if one does some good thing by shutting himself away, he will be unable to keep the way open for future generations by promulgating the clan traditions.

When something is said to you by the master, whether it is for your good or bad fortune, to withdraw in silence shows perplexity. You should have some appropriate response. It is important to have resolution beforehand.
Moreover, if at the time that you are asked to perform some function you have deep happiness or great pride, it will show exactly as that on your face. This has been seen in many people and is rather unbecoming. But another type of person knows his own defects and thinks, “I’m a clumsy person but I’ve been asked to do this thing anyway. Now how am I going to go about it? I can see that this is going to be much trouble and cause for concern.” Though these words are never said, they will appear on the surface. This shows modesty.
By inconsistency and frivolity we stray from the Way and show ourselves to be beginners. In this we do much harm.
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Making plans
When going someplace for a talk or something similar, it is best to let the person know ahead of time, and then go. To go without knowing whether the other party is busy, or when he has some particular anxiety, is awkward. There is nothing that surpasses not going where you have not been invited. Good friends are rare. Even if someone is invited somewhere, he should use understanding. It is difficult to feel deeply the sensitivities of people other than those who go out only rarely. Fiascos at pleasure gatherings are numerous.
However, you should not be brusque towards a person who has come to visit, even if you are busy.
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How to detect selfishness/relationships
Bad relations between retired and present rulers, father and son, and elder and younger brothers develop from selfish motives. The proof of this is that there are no such bad relations between master and retainer.
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On concentration and accomplishing the impossible/staying calm/tranquility
No matter what it is, there is nothing that cannot be done. If one manifests the determination, he can move heaven and earth as he pleases. But because man is pluckless, he cannot set his mind to it. Moving heaven and earth without putting forth effort is simply a matter of concentration.

When Oishi Kosuke was an uchitonin [a guard of a certain area of the house], a mysterious person sneaked into the area of the maids’ chambers late at night. There was a great commotion from upstairs to down and men and women of all ranks were running about; only Kosuke was not to be seen. While the senior ladies-in-waiting were searching about, Kosuke yanked his sword from its scabbard and waited quietly in the room next to the master’s bedchamber. As all was in confusion, he had felt apprehension for the master and was there to protect him. Because of this it was said that his viewpoint was quite different.
The man who had sneaked in was Narutomi Kichibei. He and his accomplice Hamada Ichizaemon were condemned to death for adultery.

In the Kiyogunkan one person said, “When facing the enemy, I feel as if I have just entered darkness. Because of this I get heavily wounded. Although you have fought with many famous men, you have never been wounded. Why is that?”
The other man answered, “When I have faced the enemy, of course it is like being in the dark. But if at that time I tranquilize my mind, it becomes like a night lit by a pale moon. If I begin my attack from that point, I feel as though I will not be wounded. ” This is the situation at the moment of truth.
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On the Arts
The saying, “The arts aid the body,” is for samurai of other regions. For samurai of the Nabeshima clan the arts bring ruin to the body. In all cases, the person who practices an art is an artist, not a samurai, and one should have the intention of being called a samurai.
When one has the conviction that even the slightest artful ability is harmful to the samurai, all the arts become useful to him. One should understand this sort of thing.

A person who is said to be proficient at the arts is like a fool. Because of his foolishness in concerning himself with just one thing, he thinks of nothing else and thus becomes proficient. He is a worthless person.
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Honesty
It would be worthless to die while being thought ill of by people. Lies and insincerity are unbecoming. This is because they are for self-profit.
Though it is not profitable to have others lead the way, or not to be quarrelsome, or not to be lacking in manners, or to be humble, if one will do things for the benefit of others and meet even those whom he has met often before in a first-time manner, he will have no bad relationships. Manners between husband and wife are not different from this. If one is as discreet in the end as he is in the beginning, there should be no discord.
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Age
Senility is when one goes about doing only that towards which he is most inclined. One is able to suppress and hide this while his vigor is still strong, but when he weakens, the essential strong points of his nature appear and are a shame to him. This manifests itself in several forms, but there is not a man who does not get senile by the time he reaches sixty. And when one thinks that he will not be senile, he is already so.

Until one reaches the age of forty it is better to put off wisdom and discrimination and excel in vitality. According to the person and the rank, though a person has passed the age of forty, if he has no vitality, he will get no response from others. For this reason men of advanced years hid their age.
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Raising Children
There is a way of bringing up the child of a samurai. From the time of infancy one should encourage bravery and avoid trivially frightening or teasing the child. If a person is affected by cowardice as a child, it remains a lifetime scar. It is a mistake for parents to thoughtlessly make their children dread lightning, or to have them not go into dark places, or to tell them frightening things in order to stop them from crying. Furthermore, a child will become timid if he is scolded severely. One should not allow bad habits to form, for he will not improve even if you admonish him. As for such things as proper speaking and good manners, gradually make the child aware of them. Let him not know avarice. Other than that, if he is of normal nature, he should develop well by the way he is brought up. Moreover, the child of parents who have a bad relationship will be unfilial. Also, the relationship between father and child may deteriorate because of a mother’s foolishness. A mother loves her child above all things, and will be partial to the child that is corrected by his father. If she becomes the child’s ally, there will be discord between father and son. Because of the shallowness of her mind, a woman sees the child as her support in old age.

In bringing up a boy, one should first encourage a sense of valor. From the time he is young the child should liken his parents to the master, and learn everyday politeness and etiquette, the serving of other people, the ways of speech, forbearance and even the correct way of walking down the street. The elders were taught in the same fashion. When he does not put effort into things, he should be scolded and made to go the entire day without eating. This is also one of the disciplines of a retainer.
As for a girl, it is most important to teach her chastity from the time she is a child. She should not be in the comany of a man at a distance of less than six feet, nor should she meet them eye to eye, nor should she receive things from them directly from hand to hand. Neither should she go sight-seeing or take trips to temples. A woman who has been brought up strictly and has endured suffering at her own borne will suffer no ennui after she is married.
In dealing with younger children one should use rewards and punishments. If one is lax in being sure that they do as they are told, young children will become self-interested and will later be involved in wrongdoings. It is something about which one should be very careful.

To put forth great effort in correcting a person’s bad habits is the way it should be done. One should be like the digger wasp. It is said that even with an adopted child, if you teach him continually so that he will resemble you, he surely will.
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Importance of details
If one is but secure at the foundation, he will not be pained by departure from minor details or affairs that are contrary to expectation. But in the end, the details of a matter are important. The right and wrong of one’s way of doing things are found in trivial matters.

Cyclicality
During happy times, pride and extravagance are dangerous. If one is not prudent in ordinary times, he will not be able to catch up. A person who advances during good times will falter during the bad.

Compassion/Morality
What is called generosity is really compassion. In the Shin’ei it is written, “Seen from the eye of compassion, there is no one to be disliked. One who has sinned is to be pitied all the more.” There is no limit to the breadth and depth of one’s heart. There is room enough for all. That we will worship the sages of the three ancient kingdoms is because their compassion reaches us yet today.
Whatever you do should be done for the sake of your master and parents, the people in general, and for posterity. This is great compassion. The wisdom and courage that come from compassion are real wisdom and courage. When one punishes or strives with the heart of compassion, what he does will be limitless in strength and correctness. Doing something for one’s own sake is shallow and mean and turns into evil. I understood the matters of wisdom and courage some time ago. I am just now beginning to understand the matter of compassion.
Lord Ieyasu said, “The foundation for ruling the country in peace is compassion, for when one thinks of the people as being his children, the people will think of him as their parent.” Moreover, can’t it be thought that the names “group parent” and “group child” [i.e., group leader and member] are so called because they are attached to each other by the harmonious hearts of a parent-child relationship?
One can understand that Lord Naoshige’s phrase, “A faultfinder will come to be punished by others,” came from his compassion. His saying, “Principle is beyond reason,” should also be considered compassion. He enthusiastically stated that we should taste the inexhaustible.

Master Ittei said, “If one were to say what it is to do good, in a single word it would be to endure suffering. Not enduring is bad without exception.”
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Fanaticism regarding purpose
For serious affairs that bear directly on oneself, if one does not take care of things by making his own judgment his foundation and breaking through headlong, matters will not be brought to a close. In conferring with people about matters of importance, there may be cases when your affair is thought lightly of, or when people will not speak of the real circumstances. At such times one must use his own judgment. At any rate, it is sufficient to become a fanatic and choose to throw away one’s life. At such a time, if one thinks about doing things well, confusion will soon arise and he will blunder. In many cases one’s downfall may be brought about by an ally who is trying to do something for one’s benefit, or one may be killed by his friend’s kindness. It is the same as when one requests permission to become a monk.

In the judgement of the elders, a samurai’s obstinacy should be excessive. A thing done with moderation may later be judged to be insufficient. I have heard that when one thinks he has gone too far, he will not have erred. This sort of rule should not be forgotten.

Self-pride and Luxury and Greed and Materiality
It is said that much sake, self-pride and luxury are to be avoided by a samurai. There is no cause for anxiety when you are unhappy, but when you become a little elated, these three things become dangerous. Look at the human condition. It is unseemly for a person to become prideful and extravagant when things are going well. Therefore, it is better to have some unhappiness while one is still young, for if a person does not experience bitterness, his disposition will not settle down. A person who becomes fatigued when unhappy is useless.

It is a wretched things that one’s family lineage be thrown into confusion with an adoption based on money alone. Such a thing is immoral from the beginning, but it is extreme wickedness to be thus immoral with the excuse that without doing so one will be unable to afford even today’s rice.

According to what the Buddhist priest Kaion said, a person becomes more and more prideful if he gains a little understanding because he thinks he knows his own limits and weak points. However, it is a difficult thing to truly know one’s own limits and weak points.

There will be two things that will blemish a retainer, and these are riches and honor. If one but remains in strained circumstances, he will not be marred.
Once there was a certain man who was very clever, but it was his character to always see the negative points of his jobs. In such a way, one will be useless. If one does not get it into his head from the very beginning that the world is full of unseemly situations, for the most part his demeanor will be poor and he will not be believed by others. And if one is not believed by others, no matter how good a person he may be, he will not have the essence of a good person. This can be considered a blemish.

During the last thirty years customs have changed; now when young samurai jeer together, if there is not just talk about money matters, loss and gain, secrets, clothing styles or matters of sex, there is no reason to gather together at all. Customs are going to pieces. … What things a person should be able to accomplish if he had no haughtiness concerning his place in society!
It is a wretched thing that the young men of today are so contriving and so proud of their material possessions. Men with contriving hearts are lacking in duty. When the time comes, a person will be shamed if he passes his days in self-interest or self-indulgence.

When Shimomura Shoun was on service at the castle, Lord Naoshige said, “How wonderful it is that Katsushige is so vigorous and powerful for his age. In wrestling with his peers he even beat those who are older than he is.”
Shoun replied, “Even though I’m an old man, I’ll bet I’m best at seated wrestling.” So saying, he jerked up Katsushige and threw him so forcefully that it hurt. He then said, “To be prideful about your strength while your mettle is not yet established is likely to bring you shame in the midst of people. You are weaker than you look.” Then he withdrew.
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Corruption
At the time when Lord Nabeshima Tsunashige had still not taken over as heir, he was converted by the Zen priest Kurotakiyama Choon and learning Buddhism from him. Since he had had an enlightenment, the priest was going to confer the seal upon him, and this became known throughout the mansion. At that time Yamamoto Gorozaemon had been ordered to be both Tsunashige’s attendant and overseer. While he heard of this, he knew that it absolutely would not do and planned to make a request to Choon, and if he did not assent, kill him. He went to the priest’s house in Edo and entered; the priest, thinking that he was someone on a pilgrimage met him in a dignified manner.
Gorozaemon drew near him and said, “I have some secret thing to tell you directly. Please send out your attendant priests.”
“It is said that you will soon award Tsunashige the seal because of his cleverness in Buddhism. Now as you are from Hizen, you should know in large part the customs of the Ryuzoji and Nabeshima clans. Our country is ruled with harmony between high and low because, unlike others, it has had continuous heirs for successive generations. There has never been the taking of a Buddhist seal by the daimyo for ages past. If you present the seal now, Tsunashige will probably think of himself as enlightened and regard what his retainers say as so much dirt. A great man will become vain. Absolutely do not give this award. If you do not agree with this, I too am resolved.” This he said with determination.
The priest’s color changed, but he said, “Well, well. You have trustworthy intentions, and I see that you understand the affairs of your clan well. You are a loyal retainer…”
But Gorozaemon said, “No! I understand that ploy. I didn’t come here to be praised. Without adding anything else, let me hear clearly whether you plan to cancel the seal or not.”
Choon said, “What you say is reasonable. I will definitely not award the seal.”
Gorozaemon made sure of this and returned. Tsunetomo heard this story directly from Gorozaemon.

When Lord Nabeshima Tsunashige was a child, Iwamura Kuranosuke was ordered to the position of elder. On one occasion Kuranosuke saw that there were gold coins before the young Tsunashige and asked the attending retainer, “For what reason have you brought these out before the young master?” The attendant replied, “The master just now heard that a gift had been brought for him. He said that he had not yet seen it, so I brought it out for him .” Kuranosuke scolded the man severely, saying, “To place such base things before a person of importance is the extremity of careless ness. You may also consider them something not to be put before the lord’s son. Attending retainers should henceforth be very mindful of this.”
Another time, when Lord Tsunashige was about twenty years old, he once went to the mansion at Naekiyama for some diversion. As the party neared the mansion, he asked for a walking stick. His sandal carrier, Miura Jibuzaemon, fashioned a stick and was about to give it to the young lord. Kuranosake saw this, quickly took the stick from Jibuzaemon, and scolded him severely, saying, ‘ ‘Will you make our important young lord a sluggard ? Even if he should ask for a stick , it should not be given to him. This is carelessness on the part of the attending retainer.”
Jibuzaernon was later promoted to the rank of teakiyari, and Tsunetomo heard this story directly from him.
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The Present Moment
There is surely nothing other than the single purpose of the present moment. A man’s whole life is a succession of moment after moment. If one fully understands the present moment, there will be nothing else to do, and nothing else to pursue. Live being true to the single purpose of the moment.
Everyone lets the present moment slip by, then looks for it as though he thought it were somewhere else. No one seems to have noticed this fact. But grasping this firmly, one must pile experience upon experience. And once one has come to this understand he will be a different person from that point on, though he may not always bear it in mind. When one understands this settling into single-mindedness well, his affairs will thin out. Loyalty is also contained within this single-mindedness.

Be true to the thought of the moment and avoid distraction. Other than continuing to exert yourself, enter into nothing else, but go to the extent of living single thought by single thought.

It was once said to one of the young lords that “right now” is “at that time,” and “at that time” is “right now.” One will miss the occasion if he thinks that these two are different. For example, if one were called before the master to explain something right away, he would most likely be perplexed. This is proof that he understands the two to be different. If, however, a person makes “right now” and “at that time” one, though he will never be an advisor to the master, still he is a retainer, and in order to be able to say something clearly, whether it be in front of the master, the elders or even the shogun at Edo Castle, it should be practiced beforehand in the corner of one’s bedroom.
All things are like this. Accordingly, one should inquire into things carefully. It is the same for martial training as for official business. When one attempts to concentrate things in this matter, won’t daily negligence and today’s lack of resolve be understood?
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The Past
When looking at the men of today, those who could be thought to have a woman’s pulse are many indeed, and those who seem like real men few. Because of this, if one were to make a little effort, he would be able to take the upper hand quite easily. That there are few men who are able to cut well into beheadings is further proof that men’s courage has waned. And when one comes to speak of kaishaku, it has become an age of men who are prudent and clever at making excuses. Forty or fifty years ago, when such things as matanuki were considered manly, a man wouldn’t show an unscarred thigh to his fellows, so he would pierce it himself.
All of man’s work is a bloody business. That fact, today, is considered foolish, affairs are finished cleverly with words alone, and jobs that require effort are avoided. I would like young men to have some understanding of this.

Although one would like to change today’s world back to the spirit of one hundred years or more ago, it cannot be done. Thus it is important to make the best out of every generation. This is the mistake of people who are attached to past generations. They have no understanding of this point.
On the other hand, people who only know the disposition of the present day and dislike the ways of the past are too lax.
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Importance
As Yasuda Ukyo said about offering up the last wine cup, only the end of things is important. One’s whole life should be like this. When guests are leaving, the mood of being reluctant to say farewell is essential. If this mood is lacking, one will appear bored and the day and evening’s conversation will disappear. In all dealings with people it is essential to have a fresh approach. One should constantly give the impression that he is doing something exceptional. It is said that this is possible with but a little understanding.

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Our bodies are given life from the midst of nothingness. Existing where there is nothing is the meaning of the phrase, “Form is emptiness.” That all things are provided for by nothingness is the meaning of the phrase, “Emptiness is form.” One should not think that these are two separate things.

Be Wary of/Talking
One should be wary of talking on end about such subjects as learning, morality or folklore in front of elders or people of rank. It is disagreeable to listen to.

There are times when a person gets carried away and talks on without thinking much. But this can be seen by observers when one’s mind is flippant and lacking truth. After such an occasion it is best to come fact to face with the truth and express it. The truth will then be arrived at in one’s own heart too. Even when greeting someone lightly, one should consider the circumstances and after deliberation speak in a way that will not injure the man’s feelings. Furthermore, if there is a person who is criticized the Way of the Samurai or one’s own province, one should speak with him severely, without a least bit of ceremony. One must be resolved in advance.

Death
Whether people be of high or low birth, rich or poor, old or young, enlightened or confused, they are all alike in that they will one day die. It is not that we don’t know that we are going to die, but we grasp at straws. While knowing that we will die someday, we think that all others will die before us and that we will be the last to go. Death seems a long way oft. Is this not shallow thinking? It is worthless and is only a joke within a dream. It will not do to think in such a way and be negligent. Insofar as death is always at one’s door, one should make sufficient effort and act quickly.

Meditation on inevitable death should be performed daily. Every day when one’s body and mind are at peace, one should meditate upon being ripped apart by arrows, rifles, spears and swords, being carried away by surging waves, being thrown into the midst of a great fire, being struck by lightning, being shaken to death by a great earthquake, falling from thousand-foot cliffs, dying of disease or committing seppuku at the death of one’s master. And every day without fail one should consider himself as dead.
There is a saying of the elders’ that goes, “Step from under the eaves and you’re a dead man. Leave the gate and the enemy is waiting.” This is not a matter of being careful. It is to consider oneself as dead beforehand.

Being aware
If one makes a distinction between public places and one’s sleeping quarters, or between being on the battlefield and on the tatami [at home], when the moment comes there will not be time for making amends. There is only the matter of constant awareness. If it were not for men who demonstrate valor on the tatami, one could not find them on the battlefield either.

Brevity
At times of great trouble or disaster, one word will suffice. At times of happiness, too, one word will be enough. And when meeting or talking with others, one word will do. One should think well and then speak. This is clear and firm, and one should learn it with no doubts. It is a matter of putting forth one’s whole effort and having the correct attitude previously. This is very difficult to explain but is something that everyone should work on in his heart. If a person has not learned this in his heart, it is not likely that he will understand it.

Human life is truly a short affair. It is better to live doing the things that you like. It is foolish to live within this dream of a world seeing unpleasantness and doing only things that you do not like. But it is important never to tell this to young people as it is something that would be harmful if incorrectly understood.
Personally, I like to sleep. And I intend to appropriately confine myself more and more to my living quarters and pass my life away sleeping.

The essentials of speaking are in not speaking at all. If you think that you can finish something without speaking, finish it without saying a single word. If there is something that cannot be accomplished without speaking, one should speak with few words, in a way that will accord well with reason.
To open one’s mouth indiscriminately brings shame, and there are many times when people will turn their backs on such a person.

Apologizing
Shame and repentance are like upsetting a pot of water. When a certain friend of mine listened to the way that a man who had stolen his sword ornament confessed, he felt compassion. If one will rectify his mistakes, their traces will soon disappear.

Dignity
At a glance, every individual’s own measure of dignity is manifested just as it is. There is dignity in personal appearance. There is dignity in a calm aspect. There is a dignity in a paucity of words. There is a dignity in flawlessness of matters. There is a dignity in solemn behavior. And there is a dignity in deep insight and a clear perspective.
These are all reflected on the surface. But in the end, their foundation is simplicity of thought and tautness of spirit.

As for a person who has risen from the humble, his value should be prized and equally respected, even more than that of a person who was born into his class.

Good vs Evil
Covetousness, anger and foolishness are things to sort out well. When bad things happen in the world, if you look at them comparatively, they are not unrelated to these three things. Looking comparatively at the good things, you will see that they are not excluded from wisdom, humanity and bravery.

The heart of a virtuous person has settled down and he does not rush about at things. A person of little merit is not at peace but walks about making trouble and is in conflict with all.

Cleverness/Insincerity/Intelligence used immorally
There is a certain priest who is said to be able to get everything accomplished by means of his cleverness. There is not a monk in Japan today who can oppose him. This is not the least bit strange. There is simply no one who sees through to the foundation of things.

Recently, people who are called “clever” adorn themselves with superficial wisdom and only deceive others. For this reason they are inferior to dull-wilted folk. A dull-wilted person is direct.

People with intelligence will use it to fashion things both true and false and will try to push through whatever they want with their clever reasoning. This is injury from intelligence. Nothing you do will have effect if you do not use truth.

A person who knows but a little will put on an air of knowledge. This is a matter of inexperience. When someone knows something well, it will not be seen in his manner. This person is genteel.
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Losing gracefully
In affairs like law suits or even in arguments, by losing quickly one will lose in fine fashion. It is like sumo. If one thinks only of winning, a sordid victory will be worse than defeat. For the most part, it becomes a squalid defeat.

Feeling deeply the difference between oneself and others, bearing ill will and falling out with people–these things come from a heart that lacks compassion. If one wraps up everything with a heart of compassion, there will be no coming into conflict with people.

Discretion
When intimate friends, allies, or people who are indebted to you have done some wrong, you should secretly reprimand them and intervene between them and society in a good manner. You should erase a person’s bad reputation and praise him as a matchless ally and one many in a thousand. If you wilt thus reprimand a person in private and with good understanding, his blemish will heal and he will become good. If you praise a person, people’s hearts will change and an ill reputation will go away of itself. It is important to have the single purpose of handling all things with compassion and doing things well.

One cannot accomplish things simply with cleverness. One must take a broad view. It will not do to make rash judgments concerning good and evil. However, one should not be sluggish. It is said that one is not truly a samurai if he does not make his decisions quickly and break right through to completion.

By being impatient, matters are damaged and great works cannot be done. If one considers something not to be a matter of time, it will be done surprisingly quickly. Times change. Think about the world fifteen years from now. It should be rather different. In the passing fifteen years, not one of the useful men of today will be left. And even if men who are young now come forth, probably less than half will make it. Worth gradually wanes. For example, if there were a shortage of gold, silver would become a treasure, and if there was a shortage of silver, copper would be valued. With changing times and the waning of men’s capacities, one would be of suitable worth even if he put forth only slight effort. Something like fifteen years is the space of a dream. If a man but takes care of his health, in the end he will have accomplished his purpose and will be a valuable person. Certainly in a period when masters are many, one must put forth considerable effort. But at the time when the world is sliding into a decline, to excel is easy.

If your strength is only that which comes from vitality, your words and personal conduct will appear to be in accord with the Way, and you will be praised by others. But when you question yourself about this, there will be nothing to be said. The last line of the poem that goes, “When your own heart asks,” is the secret principle of all the arts. It is said that it is a good censor.

Family Line
When Lord Naoshige was speaking to his grandson, Lord Motoshige, he said, “No matter whether one be of high or low rank, a family line is something that will decline when its time has come. If one tries to keep it from going to ruin at that time, it will have an unsightly finish. If one thinks that the time has come, it is best to let it go down with good grace. Doing so, he may even cause it to be maintained.”

Punishment
When the crime itself is unclear, the punishment should be light.

Importance of having only one purpose
It is a great mistake for a young samurai to learn about Buddhism. The reason is that he will see things in two ways. A person who does not set himself in just one direction will be of no value at all. It is fine for retired old men to learn about Buddhism as a diversion, but if a warrior makes loyalty and filial piety one load, and courage and compassion another, and carries these twenty-four hours a day until his shoulders wear out, he will be a samurai.
In one’s morning and evening worship, and as one goes about his day, he had best recite the name of his master. It is not a bit different from the Buddha’s names and holy words. Compassion is like a mother who nurtures one’s fate. Examples of the ruin of merciless warriors who were brave alone are conspicuous in both past and present.

Winning
Narutomi Hyogo said, “What is called winning is defeating one’s allies. Defeating one’s allies is defeating oneself, and defeating oneself is vigorously overcoming one’s own body.
“It is as though a man were in the midst of ten thousand allies but not a one were following him. If one hasn’t previously mastered his mind and body, he will not defeat the enemy.”

Uesugi Kenshin said, “I never knew about winning from beginning to end, but only about not being behind in a situation.” This is interesting. A retainer will be dumbfounded if he is behind in a situation. In each and every instance one’s function or responsiveness will not be shallow if he is not behind.

Showing off is bad
At the time of the attack on the castle at Shimabara, Tazaki Geki was wearing very resplendent armor. Lord Katsushige was not pleased by this, and after that every time he saw something showy he would say, “That’s just like Geki’s armor.”
In the light of this story, military armor and equipment that are showy can be seen as being weak and having no strength. By them one can see through the wearer’s heart.

Life
Shida Kichinosuke said, “At first it is an oppressive thing to run until one is breathless. But it is an extraordinarily good feeling when one is standing around after the running. More than that, it is even better to sit down. More than that, it is even better to lie down. And more than that, to put down a pillow and sleep soundly is even better. A man’s whole life should be like this. To exert oneself to a great extent when one is young and then to sleep when he is old or at the point of death is the way it should be. But to first sleep and then exert oneself… To exert oneself to the end, and to end one’s whole life in toil is regrettable.” Shimomura Rokurouemon told this story.
A saying of Kichinosuke’s that is similar to this is, “A man’s life should be as toilsome as possible.”

Respect for the past and its traditions and insights
Lord Katsushige said, “Whether a man of Hizen holds death in regret or not is not a matter of concern. What I worry about is that people will not take to heart the command to keep the rules of manners and etiquette correctly. I am afraid that the entire clan, our relatives and elders, out of too much earnestness, will feel that the command to keep correct etiquette is an exaggeration. Up to now there have existed men who were used to these things, and even if etiquette was slightly wrong, they could remember the correct way, and the matter was settled. I have given this command because people are negligent in affairs of this sort.”

Showing no weakness
When Yamamoto Jin’emon was eighty years old, he became ill. At one point, he seemed to be on the verge of groaning, and someone said to him, “You’ll feel better if you groan. Go ahead.” But he replied, “Such is not the case. The name of Yamamoto Jin’emon is known by everyone, and I have shown up well throughout a whole lifetime. To let people hear my groaning voice in my last moments would never do.” It is said that he did not let out a groan to the very end.

Tzu Ch’an was on the point of death when someone asked him how to govern the country. He replied:
There is nothing that surpasses ruling with benevolence. However, to put into practice enough benevolent governing to rule the country is difficult. To do this lukewarmly will result in neglect. If governing with benevolence is difficult, then it is best to govern strictly. To govern strictly means to be strict before things have arisen, and to do things in such a way that evil will not arise. To be strict after the evil has arisen is like laying a snare. There are few people who will make mistakes with fire after having once been burned. Of people who regard water lightly, many have been drowned.

The basic meaning of etiquette is to be quick at both the beginning and end and tranquil in the middle. Mitani Chizaemon heard this and said, “That’s just like being a kaishaku.”

Praising is bad
Fukae Angen accompanied an acquaintance of his to the priest Tesshu of Osaka, and at first said privately to the priest, “This man aspires to study Buddhism and hopes to receive your teaching. He is a man of rather high determination.”
Soon after the interview the priest said, “Angen is a man who does harm to others. He said that this man is a good man, but wherein is his goodness? There was no goodness visible to Tesshu’s eyes. It is not a good idea to praise people carelessly. When praised, both wise and foolish become prideful. To praise is to do harm.”

The Buddhist priest Ryozan wrote down some generalities concerning Takanobu’s battles. A certain priest saw this and criticized him, saying, “It is inappropriate for a priest to write about a military commander. No matter how successful his writing style may be, since he is not acquainted with military things, he is liable to be mistaken in understanding a famous general’s mind. It is irreverent to pass on misconceptions concerning a famous general to later generations.”

A certain person said,
“In the Saint’s mausoleum there is a poem that goes :
If in one’s heart
He follows the path of sincerity,
Though he does not pray
Will not the gods protect him?
What is this path of sincerity?”
A man answered him by saying,
“You seem to like poetry. I will answer you with a poem.
As everything in this world is but a shame,
Death is the only sincerity.
It is said that becoming as a dead man in one’s daily living is the following of the path of sincerity.”

According to a certain person’s story, “In the tradition of the I Ching, it is a mistake to think that it is something for divination. Its essence is non-divination. This can be seen by the tact that the Chinese character ‘I’ is read as ‘change.’ Although one divines good fortune, if he does evil it will become bad fortune. And although he divines bad fortune, if he does good it will become good fortune.
“Confucius’ saying, ‘By setting myself to the task for many years and in the end learning change [I], I should make no big mistakes,’ is not a matter of learning the I Ching. It means by studying the essence of change and conducting oneself for many years in the Way of Good, one should make no mistakes.”

When there is something to be said, it is better if it is said right away. If it is said later, it will sound like an excuse. Moreover, it is occasionally good to really overwhelm your opponent. Also, in addition to having spoken sufficiently it is the highest sort of victory to teach your opponent something that will be to his benefit. This is in accordance with the Way.
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Regret
There is nothing so painful as regret. We would all like to be without it. However, when we are very happy and become elated, or when we habitually jump into something thoughtlessly, later we are distraught, and it is for the most part because we did not think ahead and are now regretful. Certainly we should try not to become dejected, and when very happy should calm our minds.

These are teachings of Yamamoto Jin’emon:
* Singlemindedness is all-powerful.
* Tether even a roasted chicken.
* Continue to spur a running horse.
* A man who will criticize you openly carries no connivance.
* A man exists for a generation, but his name lasts to the end of time.
* Money is a thing that will be there when asked for. A good man is not so easily found.
* Walk with a real man one hundred yards and he’ll tell you at least seven lies.
* To ask when you already know is politeness. To ask when you don’t know is the rule.
* Wrap your intentions in needles of pine.
* One should not open his mouth wide or yawn in front of another. Do this behind your fan or sleeve.
* A straw hat or helmet should be worn tilled toward the front.
* It is a principle of the art of war that one should simply lay down his life and strike. If one’s opponent also does the same, it is an even match. Defeating one’s opponent is then a matter of faith and destiny.
* One should not show his sleeping quarters to other people. The times of deep sleep and dawning are very important. One should be mindful of this. This is from a story by Nagahama lnosuke.
* When meeting with the enemy, there is a way to determine his strength. If he has his head cast down, he will appear black and is strong. If he is looking upward, he will appear white and is weak. This is from a story by Natsume Toneri .
* If a warrior is not unattached to life and death, he will be of no use whatsoever. The saying that “All abilities come from one mind” sounds as though it has to do with sentient matters, but it is in fact a matter of being unattached to life and death. With such non-attachment one can accomplish any feat. Martial arts and the like are related to this insofar as they can lead to the Way.
* To calm one’s mind, one swallows his saliva. This is a secret matter. When one becomes angry, it is the same. Putting spittle on one’s forehead is also good. In the Yoshida school of archery, swallowing one’s spittle is the secret principle of the art.

People who have an intelligent appearance will not be outstanding even if they do something good, and if they do something normal, people will think them lacking. But if a person who is thought of as having a gentle disposition does even a slightly good thing, he will be praised by people.

People will become your enemies if you become eminent too quickly in life, and you will be ineffectual. Rising slowly in the world, people will be your allies and your happiness will he assured.
In the long run, whether you are fast or slow, as long as you have people’s understanding there will be no danger. It is said that fortune that is urged upon you from others is the most effective.

Late night talks

As a retainer of the Nabeshima clan, one should have the intention of studying our province’s history and traditions, but provincial studies are made light of nowadays. The basic reason for this study is to understand the foundation of our clan, and to know that the clan’s forefathers established its perpetuity by means of their suffering and compassion. I am at a complete loss when it comes to understanding why people of this generation have forgotten these things and respect the Buddhas of other places. Neither the Shakyamuni Buddha, nor Confucius, nor Kusunoki, nor Shingen were ever retainers of the Ryuzojis or the Nabeshimas; hence it cannot be said that they are in harmony with our clan’s customs. In times of war or in times of peace it would be sufficient if both the upper and lower classes would worship our ancestors and study their teachings. One worships the head of whatever clan or discipline to which he belongs. Outside learning for retainers of our clan is worthless. One may think that it is fine to study other disciplines as a diversion after his provincial studies are replete. Yet if a person has a good understanding of provincial studies, he will see that there is nothing lacking in them.

For a retainer there should be nothing other than doing his own job. For the most part people dislike their own jobs, find those of others more interesting, cause misunderstanding, and bring on utter disasters. Good models of men who performed their duty in their work are Lord Naoshige and Lord Katsushige. The retainers of those times all performed their duties. Being made a ronin or being ordered to commit seppuku are also forms of service. From the upper classes, men who would be of good use were searched out, while from the lower classes men desired to be useful. The minds of the two classes were of mutual accord , and the strength of the clan was secure. They served more and more selflessly when treated kindly by the master and aimed to be mindful of the clan forever, whether one is banished deep in the mountains or buried under the earth.

How can one human being be inferior to another? In all matters of discipline, one will be useless unless he has great pride. Unless one is determined to move the clan by himself, all his discipline will come to naught. Although, like a tea kettle, it is easy for one’s enthusiasm to cool, there is a way to keep this from happening. My own vows are the following:

* Never to be outdone in the Way of the Samurai.
* To be of good use to the master.
* To be filial to my parents.
* To manifest great compassion, and to act for the sake of Man.

If one dedicates these four vows to the gods and Buddhas every morning, he will have the strength of two men and will never slip backward. One must edge forward like the inchworrn, bit by bit. The gods and Buddhas, too, first started with a vow.

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The Book of Five Rings is a book on the art of the sword and martial arts, a classic treatise on military strategy, like Sun Tzu’s The Art of War.

“Immature strategy is the cause of grief.”
The way to learn Miyamoto Musashi’s strategy:
Do not think dishonestly.
The Way is in training.
Become acquainted with every art.
Know the Ways of professions.
Distinguish between gain and loss in worldly matters.
Develop intuitive judgement and understanding for everything.
Perceive those things which cannot be seen.
Pay attention even to trifles.
Do nothing which is of no use.

Look at things on a large scale. Strategy is different from other things in that if you mistake the Way even a little you will become bewildered and fall into bad ways.
If you merely read/memorize/imitate this, you will not reach the Way of strategy. Absorb the things written within, so that you realize the principle from within your own heart.
Spiritual bearing – Both in fighting and everyday life, determined though calm. Meet the situation without tenseness yet not recklessly, your spirit settled yet unbiased. Even when your spirit is calm, do not let your body relax, and when your body is relaxed do not let your spirit slacken. Do not let your spirit be influenced by your body, or your body influenced by your spirit. Be neither insufficiently spirited nor over spirited. An elevated spirit is weak and low spirit is weak. Do not let the enemy see your spirit.
Do not be misled by the reactions of your own body. With your spirit open and unconstructed, look at things from a high point of view. You must cultivate your wisdom and spirit. Polish your wisdom: learn public justice, distinguish between good and evil, study the Ways of different arts one by one. When you cannot be deceived by men, you will have realized the wisdom of strategy.
The wisdom of strategy is different from other things. On the battlefield, even when you are hard-pressed, you should ceaselessly research the principles of strategy so that you can develop a steady spirit.
In strategy it is important to see distant things as if they were close and to take a distanced view of close things. It is important in strategy to know the enemy’s sword and not to be distracted by insignificant movements of his sword. You must study this. The gaze is the same for single combat and for large-scale strategies.
It is necessary in strategy to be able to look to both sides without moving the eyeballs. You cannot master this ability quickly. Learn what is written here; use this gaze in everyday life and do not vary it whatever happens.
Holding the sword: When you take up a sword, you must feel intent on cutting the enemy. As you cut an enemy you must not change your grip, and your hands must not “cower”. The grip for combat and for sword-testing is the same.
Footwork: Whether you move fast or slow, with large or small steps, your feet must always move as in normal walking. Both feet must be used and neither preferentially.
Whenever you parry, hit, spring, strike or touch the enemy’s cutting sword, you must cut the enemy in the same movement. It is essential to attain this. More than anything, you must be thinking of carrying your movement through to cutting him.
“In One Timing” means, when you have closed with the enemy, to hit him as quickly and directly as possible, without moving your body or settling your spirit, while you see that he is still undecided. This is the timing of hitting before the enemy decides to withdraw, break or hit. You must train to achieve this timing, to be able to hit in the timing of an instant.
“Abdomen Timing of Two” means, when you attack and the enemy quickly retreats, as you seem him tense you must feint a cut. Then, as he relaxes, follow up and hit him.
“Flowing Water Cut” is used when you are struggling blade to blade with the enemy. While he breaks and quickly withdraws trying to spring with his longsword, expand your body and spirit and cut him as slowly as possible with your long sword, following your body like stagnant water. You can cut with certainty like this. You must discern the enemy’s grade.
The “Body in place of the sword” or “long sword in place of the body.” Usually we move the body and sword at the same time to cut an enemy. However, according to the enemy’s cutting method, you can dash against him body-first, and afterwards cut with sword. If his body is immoveable, you can cut first with the long sword, but generally you hit first with the body then cut with the long sword.
The spirit of “Glue and Lacquer Emulsion Body” is to stick to the enemy and not separate from him. When you approach the enemy, stick firmly with your head, body and legs. People tend to advance their head and legs quickly, but there body lags behind. You should stick firmly so that there is not the slightest gap between the enemy’s body and your body.
Stickiness – when an enemy attacks, as calmly as possible go in with a sticky feeling (Stickiness is firm and entanglement is weak) and fix your long sword against the enemy’s as you receive his cut. Not hitting strongly but so that the long swords do not separate easily.
Bear in mind you can always clench your left hand and thrust at the enemy’s face with your fist.
“There are many enemies” applies when you are fighting one against many. Draw sword and companion sword and assume a wide-stretched left and right attitude. The spirit is to chase the enemies around from side to side, even though they come from all four directions. Observe their attacking order, and go to meet first those who attack first. Sweep your eyes around broadly, carefully examining the attacking order, and cut left and right alternatively with your swords. Waiting is bad. Always quickly re-assume your attitudes to both sides, cut the enemies down as they advance, crushing them in the direction from which they attack. Whatever you do, you must drive the enemy together, as if tying a line of fishes, and when they are seen to be piled up, cut them down strongly without giving them room to move.

You must understand spirit and timing, handle the long sword naturally, and move body and legs in harmony with your spirit.
Step by step walk the thousand-mile road.
Study strategy over the years and achieve the spirit of the warrior. Today is victory over yourself of yesterday; tomorrow is your victory over lesser men. Next, in order to beat more skillful men, train according to this book, not allowing your heart to be swayed along a side-track. Even if you kill an enemy, if it is not based on what you have learned it is not the true Way.
If you attain this Way of victory, then you will be able to beat several tens of men. What remains is sword-fighting ability, which you can attain in battles and duels.

Fire
People think narrowly about the benefit of strategy. They specialize in the small matter of dexterity, learning such trifles as hand and leg movements with the bamboo practice sword.
In my strategy, the training for killing enemies is by way of many contests, fighting for survival, discovering the meaning of life and death, learning the Way of the sword, judging the strength of attacks and understanding the Way of the “edge and ridge” of the sword.
You cannot profit from small techniques particularly when full armour is worn. My Way of strategy is the sure method to win when fighting for your life one man against five or ten. Any man who wants to master the essence of my strategy must research diligently, training morning and evening. Thus can he polish his skill, become free from self, and realize extraordinary ability. He will come to possess miraculous power.
This is the practical result of strategy.

Environment – Sun/campfire/building entrance behind you, if can’t, then keep it at your right side. Take higher ground. Endeavor to chase enemy around to your left side. Chase towards awkward places and try to keep him with his back to awkward places. When enemy gets into an inconvenient position, do not let him look around but chase him and pin him down. In buildings, chase him into thresholds, lintels, doors, verandas, pillars, and so no, not letting him see his situation.
Chase enemy into bad footholds, obstacles at the side, using virtues of place to establish predominant positions from which to fight.
You attack first – when you decide to attack, keep calm and dash in quickly, forestalling the enemy. Or you can advance seemingly strongly but with a reserved spirit, forestalling him with the reserve. Alternatively, advance with as strong a spirit as possible, and when you reach the enemy move with your feet a little quicker than normal, unsettling him and overwhelming him sharply. Or with your spirit calm, attack with a feeling of constantly crushing the enemy, from first to last. The spirit is to win in the depths of the enemy.
Enemy attacks first – When enemy attacks, remain undisturbed but feign weakness. As the enemy reaches you, suddenly move away indicating that you intend to jump aside, then dash in attacking strongly as soon as you see the enemy relax. Or, as the enemy attacks, attack still more strongly, taking advantage of the resulting disorder in his timing to win.
When the enemy makes a quick attack, you must attack strongly and calmly, aim for his weak point as he draws near, and strongly defeat him. Or, if the enemy attacks calmly, you must observe his movements and, with your body rather floating, join in with his movements as he draws near. Move quickly and cut him strongly.
“To Hold Down a Pillow” means not allowing the enemy’s head to rise. It is bad to be led about by the enemy. You must always be able to lead the enemy about. You must stop the enemy as he attempts to cut; push down his thrust and throw off his hold when he tries to grapple. Suppress the enemy’s useful actions but allow his useless actions.
“Knowing the times” To win large-scale strategy, attack the enemy’s weak point, and put yourself in an advantageous position. Timing is the key, the moment every type of tide is perfect to perform those two feats. Also, follow the spirit of the enemy’s men and get the best position. Move your men accordingly to the enemy’s disposition. When in a duel, forestall the enemy and attack when you recognize his school of strategy, perceived his quality and strong and weak points. Attack in an unsuspecting manner, knowing his metre and modulation and the appropriate timing.
“To tread down the sword” The spirit is to attack quickly while the enemy is shooting with bows or guns (not after they switch to swords). In single combat, we must defeat him at the start of his attack, in the spirit of treading him down with the feet, so that he cannot rise again to the attack. You must achieve this spirit of not allowing the enemy to attack a second time. This is forestalling. Once at an enemy, you should not aspire just to strike him, but to cling after the attack. If he collapses, you must follow through or he may recover.
If the enemy and you are attacking the same spirit, abandon this spirit and win through an alternative resource, a technique the enemy does not expect.
When you cannot see the enemy’s spirit/position, indicate that you are about to attack strongly, to discover his resources. It is easy to defeat him with a different method once you see his resources. In single combat, make a feint if you cannot see his intention and the enemy will show his long sword, thinking he sees your spirit. Do not miss the timing.
In large-scale strategy, if the enemy is agitated and shows an inclination to rush, do not mind in the least. Make a show of complete calmness, and the enemy will be taken by this and will become relaxed. When you see that this spirit has been passed on, you can bring about the enemy’s defeat by attacking strongly with a Void spirit. In single combat, you can win by relaxing your body and spirit and then, catching on to the moment the enemy relaxes, attack strongly and quickly, forestalling him.
Cause loss of balance. In large-scale strategy, attack without warning where enemy is not expected it, and while his spirit is undecided follow up your advantage and, having the lead, defeat him. In single combat, start by making a show of being slow, then suddenly attack strongly. Without allowing him space for breath to recover from the fluctuation of spirit, you must grasp the opportunity to win.
To frighten – In large-scale strategy, not only by visual presentation but by shouting, or by threatening them from the flank without warning. In single combat, frighten him with your body, long sword, or voice.
If fighting with less people than enemy, attack from strong point to strong point like a winding mountain. This hurts disposition.
Crushing – crush a weaker enemy straightway, with no concern for his presence and without allowing him space for breath. The primary thing is to not let him recover his position even a little.
The Mountain-sea spirit means it is bad to repeat the same thing several times. Twice is possibly necessary but do not do it a 3rd time. The same attack will fail again. If the enemy thinks of the mountains, attack like the sea, and if he thinks of the sea, attack like the mountains.
Do not be superficial, he may be beaten superficially yet undefeated in spirit deep inside. We must defeat the spirit inside also.
If there is no resolution in an entangled spirit with the enemy, think of the situation in a fresh spirit then win in a new rhythm, a different technique. Whenever we have become preoccupied with small detail, we must suddenly change into a large spirit, interchanging large with small.

Disrespect long weapons, they are weak. A short sword is also bad when there are many enemies, entanglements are more likely due to need to parry.
Do not think of cutting strongly or weakly, just think of cutting and killing the enemy. Do not think of strength. Win through the wisdom of strategy, paying no attention to trifles. The sure Way to win thus is to chase the enemy around in a confusing manner, causing him to jump aside, with your body held strongly and straight. By others’ study of strategy, people of the world get used to countering, evading and retreating as the normal thing. They become set in this habit, so can easily be paraded around by the enemy. The Way of strategy is straight and true. You must chase the enemy around and make him obey your spirit.
Do not be limited to the use of your eyes (follow the enemy’s hands/sword/etc). See naturally. In large-scale strategy, use perception (concentrating strongly on enemy’s spirit, observing battlefield condition, fixing the gaze strongly) and seeing the progress of the fight and changes of advantages. In single combat you must not fix the eyes on the details. As I said before, if you fix your eyes on details and neglect important things, your spirit will become bewildered, and victory will escape you.
Importance of footwork: In large–scale strategy, if you attack quickly and thoughtlessly without knowing the enemy’s spirit, your rhythm will become deranged and you will not be able to win. Or, if you advance too slowly, you will not be able to take advantage of the enemy’s disorder, the opportunity to win will escape, and you will not be able to finish the fight. You must win by seizing upon the enemy’s disorder and derangement, and by not according him even a little hope of recovery.
Speed – do not be influenced by the opponent’s speed

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If I had 5minutes or less to inpart my knowledge to a human being, I would say this:

Remove oneself from the control of one’s (probably initial) desires. To be passionate about a higher purpose is preferred to the lower level ‘desire.’ Materialism is an example of ‘desire,’ as the ensuing happiness from materialism will always be short-lived. Addiction to where one “must” have a material object, especially to be happy, is a disease.

Beliefs, habits, and actions will make up who you are. To question and improve these three things is to embrace the higher-order thinking of the human race. Open-mindedness is one’s most important tool for this because initially most of one’s beliefs are created, not by logic, but by others, one’s environment or possibly even one’s random or natural tendencies, and these beliefs may be positive or negative. This is the reason one must not take at face value any one man, organization, or consensus, no matter who they are or how infallible their logic seems; their motives may be negative. Question everything, within reason. Consciously creating and solidifying one’s beliefs can best be done through acquiring knowledge (reading about the diverse calculations and beliefs of others and trying to emphatically understand new and different people). Creating belief through experience can be misleading at times, as individuals may put too much emphasis on certain experiences.
Constantly revise your beliefs. With beliefs grounded with historical, logical, and/or scientific evidence, possible higher purposes will come to your thoughts. You may find your passionate one among these. In turn, you may act, create habits, and develop skills around your beliefs and higher purpose, ones created with evidence and without emotion, and you will gain courage and strength, not being afraid to support what you believe even if you are certain you will fail. Of course, battles must be chosen in some cases.

Troubleshooting: Apathy
The polar opposite of addiction is apathy. Many people have found apathy in life. Life’s trials and successes seem to have less and less meaning, turning those people idle or immoral (only you can decide which is worse). Apathy should be taken as a blessing, a tool one may acquire that allows one to follow one’s way (be it moral or immoral), and be able to follow their rules without emotional hindrance. It allows one to do amazing things. Become undistracted in everything you do, and you will be able to propel your life in such a way that may change the world.
Troubleshooting: Nihilism
While apathy may possibly be used as a tool. Nihilism cannot be. To be without belief propels people to do whatever they desire or what their environment pressures them to do. These actions may be irrational because the person acts without much deliberation of who he/she is or the action itself. Nihilists, in a sense, are animals in that nothing matters to them besides the factors in the present. They tend to not be deep thinkers, or if they are, they usually are irrational.
Troubleshooting: Pessimism/Negativity
It will not do to think negatively of everything; this also creates idleness. Yes, there is a time for weighing the pros and cons of certain choices, judging people from their words and actions, and pondering of possible consequences. However, it is unfit to make this part of everyday life. There must be acceptance and, most especially, hope. Being devoid of doubt and full of hope will drastically raise your chances. It will allow you to focus everyday on the task at hand.

General things one should try to do
Talk to people, try to understand their ways of thinking, and always be skeptical
Don’t waste too much time on things that lose their luster and don’t strive to “perfect” leisure activities
Constantly explore your morality and beliefs to create Your Way (of life)

I agree with this. Many people create games out of life and addictions, or just allow themselves to be emotionless, in order to shield themselves from this ever-unsatisfied hole within themselves. I am unsure if meditation is the end-all for everyone. Meditation can allow people to enjoy life for what it is. However, I believe that a higher purpose for the self must be created, and a combination of knowledge and introspection (doesn’t have to be in meditation form) is the way to attaining this. Knowledge should be attained first to have an ability to understand logic and science and converse with others about it. Knowledge will take you there faster than solely trial-and-error method, because it may be forever before you find the way, and your way could even be glossed over or imperfected if not in the right frame of mind. Make sure there is no end to knowledge.

Note: “Meditation is an experiental activity. Using breath as his primary focus of attention, the meditator applies participatory observation to the entirety of his own perceptual universe. He learns to watch changes occurring in all physical experiences, in feelings and in perceptions. He learns to study his own mental activities and the fluctuations in the character of consciousness itself. All of these changes are occurring perpetually and are present in every moment of our experience.”
I am unsure if meditation is needed for awareness of one’s consciousness/behavior/etc. I feel like it possible by making it habit to TRY to be AWARE of oneself and understanding everything.

Text quoted above is from Mindfulness in Plain English

Existentialism offers reasons for man’s insatiability. Such as Nietzsche’s idea of “will to power”: the main driving force in man; achievement, ambition, the striving to reach the highest possible position in life, these are all manifestations of the will to power (Wikipedia). Kierkegaard suggested the simple reason was the evilness and inevitability of boredom and that it can be cured by “crop rotation” (try new things) to keep life “interesting”, to avoid both boredom and the need to face the responsibilities of an ethical life (Wikipedia). Sartre plainly makes the difference that a tool is a “being-in-itself” because it has its own purpose, yet a human is a “being-for-itself” because humans have emotions and we choose these emotions, thus we are innately lacking purpose (Wikipedia). By assigning meaning to life, we are also assigning meaning to objects, morality, and the universe.

Finding One’s Own Philosophy
There are tools to do this. If one does not have these tools, one must try to attain them first. Too young people may have trouble, as these tools come easier with age and wisdom (up to a point). If one is not experienced enough to make such judgments and choices, live life freely (almost always say yes unless truly against your wants) except try to be reasonably emphathetic (possibly even moral if you can imagine morality). On one hand, if one finds it too easily, it might have come for selfish reasons.
Open-mindedness is the one of tools needed to finding (or creating) one’s one philosophy. Open-mindedness can be achieved by introspection (meditation, self-talk, etc.) or it could possibly be natural/experiential (skeptical about everything). A good example is experientally living many different peoples’ lives and trying to understand them.
The second tool is intellectualism and knowledge, to learn logic and how the world works from media and peers with superior logic.
One cannot be sure that one’s beliefs are the way until they have these two tools. Introspection is needed to find assumed beliefs that one has. Open-mindedness is needed to be skeptical of these beliefs. Intellectualism is needed to understand the strengths and faults of each belief. All three are needed to imagine other beliefs that others might have, and to judge these also.
Everyone must be humbled in order for the world to become a better place!

There is a lot of information on the internet. A good start is the Wikipedia entry for the ‘meaning of life.’

Addiction, Procrastination and Materialism Explained
Constant procrastination and time-wasting tires out the brain. For example, when working on the computer, people have desire to procrastinate by surfing the Internet. With any subsequent attempt to go back to doing work after surfing, the longer one surfs, the more unfocused or tired the brain will be. And subsequently, the more unpleasant work will be, causing one to go back to surfing the web, continuing the positive feedback loop. Somehow being totally brain burnt out doesn’t seem to affect the ability to surf the web more than a little bit. After a long enough time, the brain will be totally burnt out and won’t generally recover unless it is rebooted by making a change of pace like taking a walk or shower.
The opposite effect is true as well. If one is working completely focused, the desire to procrastinate fades and disappears.
Both are positive feedback loops. Unfortunately, most of the time the procrastination loop seems to be stronger than the work loop, possibly because it’s easier to slip into.
Dopamine is released when you do something and continue it. Fear chemicals could even be released when one receives challenges to change oneself.

The ultimate reality of distraction is that its pull is generated by internal and external environmental factors. In other words: Limiting your options will always improve your internal focus, but external availability of simpler and more enjoyable affairs can shake even the sturdiest resolve.
The Taoist road states that if you feel you are lost in a sea of random activity leading to eventual apathy, you must learn to limit your exposure to the waters.
In this ethos, having less often means having more. Taoists seek to have less and less, until there is nothing that is undone, and nothing that is not able to be done. In doing so, it would seem to the viewer to be ostensibly a minimalism most plain. But there is a major teaching in Taoism, that is often not given enough weight: Not all men are meant to be sages.
You do the best you can, to limit the wants, cravings, desires, and needs around you. The more you have, the more you want. It’s not just Taoist observation, it’s a quirk of human cognition. We think in relative terms, and so our daily wants and needs are ultimately betwixt with doubt. This doubt stems from comparison to what we have. We compare and compare, and when we do, we often seek better and newer avenues and things. An analogy, if you’ll allow me:
I own a television, and thinking about that item, and whether I like it, would it make sense that I would entertain the notion of buying a similar unit?
For most of us, it would not. We want something better, even slightly so, because:
To buy a cheaper television, is to go backwards. To buy a similar one, is to not change at all. To buy a better one, is to comparatively increase.
However, given two other known facts, those being:
-Our television works. -We bought it and liked it when we did so.
We can beg the question: Do we really need a new television?
Like the innumerable amount of distractions in modern life, we don’t normally “need” or “require” anything new. But the irrationality of our brains focuses us toward the feeling of perhaps needing that next thing, that next fix.
And so another way of looking at procrastination is that we’re constantly looking for comparatively “better” things and actions, and disregarding what we already have and have to do.
So, limit these things by hiding these things, blocking yourself with different methods, and/or using pure discipline. And after you do that, decide to do something, and do it.
And, always keep in mind that you are losing nothing. You lose nothing by improving your focus and limiting want and need. You gain further mastery of your studies, further beauty in your arts, further success in your life.

Nutrition and the Paleolithic Diet
Fat does not make us fat, not even our sedentary lifestyles too much. Fructose is the culprit to why we’re fat. Fat is broken down to useful particles within the body, however, most of Fructose is broken down to a fat that cannot be broken down further. Also, fructose sugars destroy the signal that regulates our appetite. Why have dietary health issues (heart problems, etc.) increased dramatically in the past 40 years? Because our intake of Fructose has gone up 5-fold in the past 50 years.
Source: Sugar: The Bitter Truth by Lustig

Everyone’s body, current diet, and dietary needs are different. There is a special program for people losing lots of weight. They send their blood-work to scientists every week, who give them a diet accordingly to what their blood is lacking. This works infallibly. Of course, most people don’t have the absolute need or time or money to do this. The fact is, everyone is slightly different. However, we all came from similar origins. So, even though we may handle new substances differently (some people eating lots of processed food might stay thin, while others not), the ideal diet should not differ very much.

If you wish to lose weight or be more healthy, switch to the Paleolithic Diet. A diet based off of the most vast time period of human development, the Paleolithic period (2.5/2.6 million years ago up until 12,000 years ago). This diet should be the best diet our bodies have adapted to over our biggest period of evolution, not only being healthier but giving us more energy in the process. It involves eating only things straight from the ground, completely unprocessed.

Consume only tiny amounts of dairy at a time after your teenage years. It is easy to see how our bodies are not designed for milk. Many of us are lactose-intolerant, especially Asians because they did not resort to milk during famines, thus did not evolve the ability to drink it as adults.
Carbohydrates (grains, rice, bread) should be only eaten in smallish portions, same with very fatty meats. Grains are a recent phenomenon (10,000 years ago) when they started being eaten by the masses due to the Neolithic (agricultural) Revolution.
The main diet consists of nuts, vegetables, fruit (berries especially), fish and meats with lower saturated fats. In addition to abstaining from grains (bread, rice), also abstain from sugar (besides found naturally such as in fruit), salt and legumes our ancestors did not used to eat (legumes inedible unless cooked, such as beans, potatoes, peanuts). Some paleo-dietitians even recommend intermittent starvation, ex: starving oneself for a dinner and going to sleep hungry every now and then (once every couple weeks).

General food: Fruits, Veggies, Oatmeal (w/o sugar, either steel cut or roll and sweet yourself with little honey and splash of low fat milk), eggs, cottage cheese (add olive oil, fresh oregano and little salt/pepper for a dip for bread), Yogurt (buy unsweetened or Make-It-Yourself, sweeten with little honey), Dry beans/Chickpeas/Kidney/Black, Kale (can roast these with little bit of olive oil), Ground Turkey (white meat), Mixed Nuts for on-the-go (unsalted), Brown Rice/Lentils/Quinoa/Cous-cous (Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning + Worcestershire sauce), Tuna/Sardines on crackers with sriracha, Get whole grain for bread, Chicken (buy whole to save money), Milk (get whole/homo if not 2%, the fat metabolizes vitamins a&d properly), Fiber is good, Hummus on Pita/Bread, Whey Protein, Stuff peppers with rice/roasted onions/nuts, Soup – butternut squash, potato and leak soup, butterbean and carrot soup
Tips: Don’t regularly skip means (not eating causes slower metabolism) only skip 1x per week. Get sleep and don’t stress out (which causes flab around midsection). Be aware of stress eating. Don’t take it seriously, habits take about 4 weeks to form.

This is just a taste, consult the experts on Dieting: Silver Hydra’s Cheat Mode

Juicing: Masticating Juicers are better than Centrifugal Juicers

Exercise
As humans, we have evolved as active creatures, and many of us do not embrace this or even recognize it.
Everyone should have at least one cardiovascular hobby they can do at least once every three days. And the best are ones that vary between extreme activity and low activity (ex: short distance sprinting), because it matched the activity of our ancestors.
Weight Loss vs Muscle Gain. Same thing?
Think you’re getting a great workout when you’re drenched in sweat at the end of your daily Elliptical go? You’re not. Sweating is created by increased heart rate, which is created by movement that is possibly not calorie/fat burning. The best measure of a great workout is not sweat, but soreness (destroying muscle). Not only does building muscle eat more calories/fat than heartrate, but the muscle sustains itself by perpetually burning calories/fat as long as it’s there (atrophies in two weeks if you don’t use it). Strangely, gaining muscle is the best way to lose weight. Ever notice how much better in shape sprinters look vs long distance runners? It makes sense. Sprinters burn more.

Exercise activity suggestions: P90 (one of the best tapes for getting in shape), running, biking, swimming (older or bigger people because of weak bones, good for starting)
Useful Martial Arts – Muay Thai, Wing Chun (Bruce Lee’s starting point that he built off of)

Extreme exercise suggestions: P90X (best tapes for getting in ultra-shape), Breakdancing, Bikram Yoga?

General Health
Exercise – Cardio is good, nobody knows if too much cardio is good or not (stress on body?) but definitely light cardio everyday of your life for at least 30mins is good (at least jogging, walking is not enough unless its up stairs). Are huge muscles worth it? There is a trade-off (immune system is lowered). Muscles are good if you can keep the lifting to moderation and not overdone.
2-3 Alcoholic drinks a day
Cold showers are healthier than hot ones (heard something about steam hurting your lungs).
Leave windows open — wake up 30mins earlier, your body will acclimate.
Sleep on floor?
Spices
Supplements by the way, vitamin c does not prevent common cold, barely lowers symptoms
Get sunlight
Wear gloves for the cold (can cause arthritis?)

Hygiene
Teeth: Do not rinse fluoride toothpaste with water, just spit. Wait to brush 1 hour after eating or drinking (if not could remove enamel). Brush your tongue and roof of the mouth. Brush after every main meal OR at least after breakfast and before sleeping. Flossing is very important: it does more than brushing for preventing tooth decay and gum disease (gum disease can cause heart problems). (buy this for flossing).
Shower: Assuming you shower every day, you don’t necessarily want to wash your hair every day. If you continue to strip the oil out of your hair daily, your body works overtime to make more oil to replace it, which can make your hair more oily than it needs to be. Try washing it every other day, or perhaps once every 3 days. It’s a good idea to rinse it every day, though, to make sure that you don’t have dirt and skin hanging out in there.
Allergies: USE A NETIPOT. It may look weird, uncomfortable, and disgusting, but it does wonders to clear out allergens and bacteria from your nasal cavity. Also, cough/sneeze in the crook of your elbow.
Bathroom (Men): Wash your hands BEFORE you use the bathroom. You know exactly where your package has been, but you can’t say the same thing about your hands.
Cleanliness: Wash your bedsheets quite often, you should feel comfortable that your bed is clean. Change your pillowcase even more often. (dirty pillowcase=acne)

Shoes to Exercise in:
I love these shoes. They are based on the idea that barefoot is the best, most natural way to exercise. We are designed to run (maybe walk too), on the balls of our feet. In the following image, we can see there is impact when wearing shoes, which puts unneeded force on the bones, and no impact without shoes (Image: Daniel E. Lieberman/Harvard University).

The shoes feel very natural, like being almost barefoot except with an added layer. I wish they were socially accepted so that I could even wear them into work. I hope they last long.
Spent about 150 on these (KSO Trek) plus couple pairs of black mini crew Injinji socks from Kayakshed.com

Credit Cards
Tips:
View your credit card like a debit card. (don’t use money you don’t currently have).
“Banking deals” – make easy money by opening credit cards/checking accounts

Investing
Bank Accounts/CDs
Links: Best Checking Account and CD Rates Haven’t used yet.

Warren Buffett-isms about Stock Market
-Speculation is evil (speculation=using the stock market as a casino) and difficult, see below for “Corruption of the Markets”
-Why Efficient Market Theory is Wrong: Black Monday, the Dow dropped 22% off no news, with economy and company outlooks unchanged. There are many intangibles that people will price differently, and especially with speculators/swing-traders.
-Valuation should be touted as more important than portfolio diversification. In actuality, Beta (measurement of diversification) has NO relation to a stock’s actual return
-Leverage is stupid

Corruption of the Markets:
How improbable it is for banks having profitable days for every day of a quarter: “Let’s say you manage a highly leveraged, diversified investment fund, and have become so skilled at playing the markets that you have a 70 percent probability of making money any given trading day.The odds that you would post a daily net gain 63 times in a row, though, would be about one in 5.7 billion.
Even if you had a 95 percent likelihood of a winning day, you would have only a 3.9 percent chance of doing it 63 trading sessions in a row. Now consider that four of the biggest U.S. banks just pulled off a quarter-long win streak — all in the same quarter.”
Source

Short-term and Long-Term Investment Tools
Your most valuable tools are resources for ideas, data, and most of all, if you’re short term, emotional support I would suggest not to use mutual funds or brokers because their commissions are too high. Do it yourself and use ETFs instead of mutual funds.

Following stock prices and news (delayed): Google Finance

News Calendars:
*Bloomberg

Podcasts
People following the movement of SNP all day long (Futures): DayTrader Rockstar
*Futures with no commentary (good for watching/judging prehours movement before 9:30am open) futures site
*Learning how to trade markets + decent short term forecasts: Live With Oscar

Communities for trading ideas/support:
*Fastopia Mercantile
Yahoo Message Boards (albeit too much spam/noise)

Charting:
Learning about the different chart patterns: CandleSticker
Economy Data Charts

Following the Economy
Independents Reports on the Money Supply (money supply up –> stock market up)
FFR Fed Funds Rate Up –> stock market down
Economics Article

* denotes resources I approve

Homeowners insurance with mold coverage?

Necessary: Have reliable career, at least 20-30% of costs saved up, if not rent or even better a cheaper rent with relatives/friends

As small a place as possible while being comfortable
Furniture/tools/other stuff – get best (not brand but balance price/quality and only what you need), except for heavily depreciating items like technology (tv’s, laptops)

I will be updating this once I look for places to rent/own.

Car
General rule: Cars are NOT solid investments because technology always depreciates, as opposed to a house that can also either hold or appreciate in value.
When making the big decision of your car, you should live within your means. Do not give into society’s labels of brands (high-status, etc.). Use your own judgment. Bigger engines are unnecessary unless for necessary utility that is used regularly, like trucking. There are always luxurious-feeling or sporty-handling cars choices at value price points. One can make sacrifices, because if everybody were to get their dream car, many of us would not have money for things that should be more important to us (welfare, vacations and leisure activities, other hobbies, quality food, a better location for our homes, worthwhile charities).
The most important traits for everyone, in my opinion, are cost to own, reliability, safety, and environmentally responsibility (mpg). People value other things, of course, like driving dynamics (“fun” factor), outside/inside looks, seat comfort and technology, however a car is a tool.
A great idea is to cross-reference AutoBlog Car Reviews (my favorite objective car review site) or other review sites (US News) with the True Cost to Own tool. Review sites show the pros/cons of the car and the true-cost-to-own tool shows how much a car costs over 5 years of ownership (given 15k miles/year). To check reliability, Edmunds has a consumer reviews section (also read forums and top ten lists for reliable cars).
Using the TCO tool is very eye-opening because you will see that different cars with similar prices could have very different overall costs due to differing insurance/repair/maintenance, Ex: a $22k honda accord costs $40k over 5 years, while a $22k corvette costs $44k over 5 years.

Still want to buy something expensive? Test drive your dream car and test drive a few low TCOs, and mathematically take the difference of the low TCOs from the dream car TCO and ask yourself if the expensive car is worth that much more than the cheaper one (remember how long that money takes you to accumulate – include tax and expenses with your analysis). Many people regret (not openly because they’re stubborn) spending the money on their dream car (speaking mostly for sports cars). For luxury cars, people are just smug and think the cheaper version is that much cheaper of a difference in quality. It isn’t.

TCO right now: Seems like right now the average for the bottom TCO is 30k so I wouldn’t stray too far from that unless I’m in love with a car (definitely would not go above 40k unless I was loaded with money). Remember, the first 1-2 years of a model usually are not as reliable as they could be.

The Bottom Line.
1) Base your decision with True Cost to Own, safety reviews, your understanding of reliability (by researching online thoroughly), and environmental responsibility (mpg/hybrid/electric). Currently the average bottom is around $30k/5 years, get around here if you’re not loaded with money.
2) Live within your means – I would say buying the cheaper car is more upstanding of you, but if you want to go more expensive, you should have at least 3x the TCO in the bank (for a $50k TCO, need $150k in bank) or need even MORE cash depending on your priorities (if you value extravagant vacations or buy/upgrade a house or want to own a business more than owning a luxury car)
2) Try to buy with cash, or borrow from a bank, NEVER finance with dealer
3) Never lease, just buy a dirt cheap or used car instead of that nice car you were going to lease

Buying a car at the right price: Buy through TrueCar.com, or even, better, follow this guide: Negotiating the price of a new car.

Career Tips
Top tip for college-goers: Get 1) good grades and 2) socialize with smart people (in class, clubs, and free time). In order to: 1) have good credentials and 2) interview well, for getting the best internships. Internships are #1 priority in college.

If you have options, go for a balance of position which you will learn/experience the most and well-known/most reputable company and good schedule for you, and good pay. If you are trying to make a career out of it, the pay should matter much less, and the balance of company vs position depends on the industry. Good scheduling is a good benefit to be able to have a balanced lifestyle.

People do not like their jobs –> lawyer b/c hard to be moral, finance/insurance b/c same thing, stealing money from the system, not creating any value

Best Place to Live
World’s Happiest Countries

Books
The World as I See It by Albert Einstein
The Meaning of It All by Richard P Feynman
Irrationality by Stuart Sutherland
Mistakes Were Made but not by Me by Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson
Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai. However, as a quicker alternative I would recommend [my Hagakure cut-and-rearranged post]
Being and Nothingness by Jean-Paul Sartre
Dune (series) by Frank Herbert

Movies
Blade Runner – Questions what makes us human.
Seven Samurai
Spy Game – Great dialogue and plot.
Ninth Gate – Questions morality.
Three Kings – Showcases greed, war, poverty, fear, human atrocities to one another.
There Will Be Blood – Showcases greed. Immoral wealth-building will always end in having a sad life with beautiful things around you.
House of Games – manipulation
Inception
Matrix
The Saint
Ghost Dog – The Way of the Samurai – Shows what a man living by rules can accomplish. However, shouldn’t individuals make their own rules with the idea in mind to make the world a better place? How relevant are these ancient rules of the Samurai relevant today? They seem silly.

Documentaries
Inside Job – The Financial Crisis of 2008

TV Shows
Firefly – The Complete Series, (first, and then) Serenity
Man Show (old one with Adam Carolla) – comedy
Dave Chappelle – comedy

Games
Mass Effect 2
Metal Gear Solid 3

Unnecessary luxuries: TVs but if you do have one use HDMI connection to computer instead of a dvd player, Video Game Consoles

In-Ear Headphones (IEMs), I feel, are the best audio choice for everyday needs because they are cheap, usable while exercising, and they have the perfect amount of outside noise reduction (with Comply foam tips). Comply Foam Tips are worth it; the comfort is not even comparable to the plastic tips IEMs usually come with.
I used this Review of 182 IEM because these audiophiles compared them all side-by-side. Chose these for best value: Head-Direct RE0 IEM ($80 @Amazon) and Comply Tx-400 Foam Tips 5-Pair Pack (each pair lasts ~2 months if you’re gentle) ($20 @ complyfoam.com). Update: My next upgrade (probably the most expensive I will pay for IEM) will be Hifiman RE262.

Mp3 player: For a great value mp3 player, I bought this: SanDisk Sansa Clip
$30 shipped for a 4gig tiny mp3 player

Buying computers:
Just like cars, reliability and value is key. Desktops are far more reliable than laptops. Laptop reliability can vary widely depending on brand (5-10 years). I suggest minimalism, get whichever you need that will last as long as possible. I would have either a desktop or a laptop, unless absolutely necessary to have both. Apple currently is not a good value because the components are weak for the price, too high a premium.
I recommend watching/reading Slickdeals for a few weeks to get a good idea of the laptop/desktop market deals and technologies, look for deals that are rated high and pick what you need out of a laptop/desktop. Wish I could give suggestions but it depends on what you’re after and the market hardware/prices change very quickly.
For the nerdier ones, use benchmarking websites like notebookcheck.com to check if the manufacturer is substituting cheap parts in. You can use the site to check motherboard processors, graphics processors, and possibly even RAM.

Computer Accessories:
Mouse: Wired so no replacing batteries. Two different type of mouses: palm and claw grip. It’s all preference. High-end mouses aren’t worth it. I got a $16 Logitech MX-513 but I wish I got a claw grip one instead (maybe Microsoft IntelliMouse Optical).
Mousepad: Optional.
Wrist rest: More comfortable on the wrists, love it (note: they have them for both desktops and laptops).
Keyboard protective film – $2 from Meritline. Awesome because you can remove it, clean it, and put it back on. (Mostly for laptops)
Laptop Cooling Stand (if your laptop overheats)

Operating Systems (ie alternative to Windows):
The current Windows (7) is actually very stable and fast, definitely having picked up in quality. Apple OSX is great, also, however, I believe Apple products are overpriced so I will not be focusing on it. Windows will still need proper anti-virus software (in the next section), but, good news: these are free. For additional security and customizability, one can install and dual boot Ubuntu to Windows 7 (if one is slightly technical-inclined) to choose when powering-on to boot-up in Ubuntu or Windows. Ubuntu is good for old pcs (conserves processor power). I love Ubuntu. I have the desktop set up like Apple (with the icons at the bottom). Currently, however, I cannot recommend the sole use Ubuntu (unless for an old computer only web browsing and video) because it is not compatible with Microsoft Office, games, Adobe Suite and other software.

Software
Anti-Virus: Windows Security Essentials, Malware Bytes, CCleaner
Video: VLC Player

I will be trying out the Colemak keyboard layout soon, and may or may not give a recommendation for it.

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Exercise Clothing (especially for Winter): Icebike.com. I haven’t bought anything yet so I am not sure what is good. Black Tokay for under work clothes or too expensive?
Pepperspray: Everyone should have this for self-defense. It seems that Fox Labs 5.3 stream or fog is the best (~$20 + shipping).
Water Bottle: Carry a water bottle with you and drink water all the time! I use a Voss bottle at work and refill it with the fridge’s filtered water.
A watch – I have been wearing a Skagen. Classy, minimal and cheap. People like to see a watch and think you’re smart because of it. Get a leather banded watch if you’re trying to show-off, as it is more formal. Please do not get obsessed and spend $200+. Although I haven’t got one, I want to try Vostok Amphibia (cheap but durable and great looking automatic Russian watches).
Rice cooker: The Japanese ones are the best such as: Zojirushi (but not paleo-diet friendly, eat rice sparingly)
Sunglasses: Randolph Engineering (RE) is one of the best value sunglass dealers, officially contracted by the Military (~$100 a pair). Get the Aviators if you like Apocalypse now, Concordes if you like Top Gun. I got the Raptors because they looked great on my face shape. By the way, the public thinks polarized are the best but they really do not block all glare, only glare at certain angles. Pilots don’t use polarized because it messes their distance judgment up a little bit, but Randolph still has polarized options. For cheaper (~$60), Ao sunglasses are also good (would get these over Raybans too).

Facts about sunglasses (why you should not buy from just any “well-known high-quality brand” sunglasses maker):

“Most sunglasses are made by the same company: Luxottica. They make Ray-Ban, Oakley, Bulgari, Dolce & Gabbana, Salvatore Ferragamo, Prada, Burberry, Chanel, Polo Ralph Lauren, Paul Smith, Stella McCartney, Tiffany, Versace, Vogue, Persol, Miu Miu, Tory Burch, Oliver Peoples, Revo and Donna Karan. Italian manufacturer Luxottica is one of the biggest consumer companies that consumers have never heard of. “We manufacture about 70% of those brands in our factories in Italy, and the balance in America and China,” says Luxottica spokesman Luca Biondolillo. “We do the design, the manufacturing, and the marketing,” he adds. The company makes most of those brands under license, working closely with designers at the relevant fashion houses. For about $40, says Dr. Duker, you can get a pair that offers 100% protection against ultra-violet rays. If you spend maybe $70 you should be able to get a pair with decent quality polarizing lenses that cut out glare. Beyond that, the medical benefits tail off pretty fast.”
Source

My shave gear: These make it a joy to shave. Although this setup costs ~$300, it saves shaving cream and uses cheaper razors, so saves money in the long run. I possibly will eventually upgrade to a straight razor + strop.
qedUSA –> Savile Row 3824 brush $115 (one of the best in value and quality) and $14 stand (brush needs to dry upside down), also meant to buy the Proraso shaving cream which is cheap and gets great reviews
Shavingessentials –> Penhaligon’s Blenheim Bouquet 48$ (highest class of shaving creams), $10.50 Cella soap (a cheap backup for shaving), Edwin Jagger 38L $28 (a double edged razor), $18 Feather razor blades
Dirty Bird Pottery –> $32 Brush Scuttle and $18 Lather Bowl (a place to put the brush between shaves to keep the brush warm and a bowl for creating the shaving cream lather)

Nancy boy? loofa, body wash, shampoo, face wash

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Misc. and Hobbyist Links
Glassdoor: Reviews of jobs by employees.
Autoblog – Car Reviews
Engadget – Cell phone and Tablets
Yelp: Restaurant and business reviews by consumers.
OpenSecrets: A straightforward website for following politics.
Quackwatch: A non-profit team of experts who check the scientific evidence backing of health claims. Examples: Vitamin C does not help prevention or curing of the common cold, at best slightly lowers symptoms but it’s a matter of dispute if that effect has practical value. There is also no evidence that subliminal tapes have any positive effect.

Music Links
StereoMood
SomaFM

Consumption and Money
You should not buy exactly what you want, but what you want companies to develop. More money flowing into a segment means more entrants meaning more competition and more development. Buy cars that are striving to be increasingly efficient. People say buying the expensive brands/models improves innovation, however, you may possibly be supporting overpriced brand naming/luxury materials which is not necessary for development.
I feel that as an American people, with our wealth, have a responsibility for sacrifice. When other countries only have money for food and shelter, we can see that our obsession and valuing of luxury is excess. We could be making more responsible choices to aid development and sustainability, using our money to develop technology to better the world. People may argue that luxury items aid innovation, but this is most often an excuse than a valid argument. There is a possibility that people can donate to research institutions for better technology, which would be more direct funding to innovation. However, perhaps competition is necessary for innovation. And, people are too selfish, and will not give money without receiving a product or service for their money.
In any case, we should be attempting to always shift our money more towards the markets that we believe in, that have evidence of innovation for the better of the world. Again, there must be evidence, otherwise we fall victim to marketing or our own self-deceptions.
I am not an expert, I believe we need modelers to constantly re-evaluate what sectors will develop humanity the fastest.

Education and Career
What you choose for your education and career is very important in shaping the world. The more engineers we have, the more innovation in products and technology we will have. If most people flock to financial, administrative, or service industries, our avenues of development will not be material in the long run. Be the change that you want in the world. Of course, there will always need support people to manage ideas, funding, and data. However, people tout America as the premier place of innovation, yet they do not wish to contribute to this innovation. Many people will go after status or money, making money off of niche desires/products/services that do not help the sustainable development of mankind.

Money and Happiness: Living within your means
This is a rule the smart money go by. Many millionaires are created by living within their means, or even BELOW their means. They buy the best value/reliability for the money and only buy select luxuries when they are a small portion of their wealth/income, while investing their free capital in worthwhile developments.

Luxury is not necessary for a happy life. Having the newest product does not matter. Actually, addiction to luxuries can prove very painful. Happiness and development (of oneself and what one cares about) is what matters. One might think he’ll be in perfect shape and perfectly happy with just another 2 grand or 5 grand or 10 grand or a certain # of millions or even just the newest cell phone. But he’ll still be the same person (given the necessary welfare). Just be sure to have a moral job, producing value to this world in return for survival and some comfort. Money does not change somebody for the better (we should stop looking up to all of the wealthy), it only brings out certain qualities of a person.
Experiences are priceless. 99% of the things one thinks he wants don’t matter. There was an article written that having something makes it less special, many get buyer’s remorse (i.e. “I should have got THIS one instead”), but having an experience is priceless and truly yours forever, unique to you.

If you must buy something, I recommend buying not just the best value price-wise but also need-wise (health, safety, and comfort-to an extent). Never let the salesman in. He will try to cater to your emotions and make you feel like a product will fill a void. Spending a little extra money on small purchases is okay (to get brand name for unnecessary items) from time to time (infrequently), if you make sure it is still not too over-priced, and that it gives you worthwhile satisfaction for the additional premium.
Big purchases are a complete different story. One big purchase can ruin your life.

Vacations: Spend money on this to make you happy, not expensive hotels or food, but go to fun places. Do things that you think are amazing. Of course, do not overdo this either, because this is still a luxury.
Live comfortably. DO what you want to DO, not BUY what you want to BUY (unless its something small relative to your disposable income and the world). Happiness can be had for free (or cheap if you need equipment for what you want to do).

My Development Beliefs
Prioritize – Development: Education/Sustainability should come first before wars, unless absolutely necessary. Technical education and open-minded thinking of morality will help our world far more than anything else will, as without skills, we are unproductive, and without morals, our development is stunted. Sustainability is important, as none of us will have a future without this planet. As of January 2001, the IPCC, an international organization of scientists, has held the position, “An increasing body of observations gives a collective picture of a warming world and other changes in the climate system… There is new and stronger evidence that most of the warming observed over the last 50 years is attributable to human activities.” Source

Fossil Fuels
Years of production left in the ground with the current proved reserves and flows above
Coal: 148 years
Oil: 43 years
Natural gas: 61 years

Years of production left in the ground with the most optimistic proved reserve estimates (Oil & Gas Journal, World Oil)[citation needed]
Coal: 417 years
Oil: 43 years
Natural gas: 167 years
Source