udderiffic indulgence.

He is wearing a singlet (a singlet) and khaki pants, and holding what I can only describe as an ancient Hello Kitty notebook, in which to take down any precious information he might be able to glean from our very first meeting. Judging by its size and appearance, he may have acquired this notebook about 10 years ago during a holiday in Lilliput.

He is a movie producer. He is in the process of producing a movie with a budget just shy of US$100 million. We asked him, is that not a little bit on the high side.

No, he replied. Because this movie is a blockbuster.

– HairyDonut, This one hit all the high notes.

Hurhurhur. I love the way she writes.

This is a stunning moment in economic history: At one time we worked hard so that someday we (or our children) wouldn’t have to. Today, the more we earn, the more we work, since the opportunity cost of not working is all the greater (and since the higher we go, the more relatively deprived we feel).

In other words, when we get a raise, instead of using that hard-won money to buy “the good life,” we feel even more pressure to work since the shadow costs of not working are all the greater.

– Dalton Conley, Rich Man’s Burden.

Compare with:

Christine Chong posed a good question - “Why must life be a competition?”. The problem with competitions is that they have rules, and the rules were made by someone else, not you.

It’s okay to compete for a while, and it might even be fun. But you should pick and choose your races. You should also bear in mind that it’s all just mind games and you always have the right to refuse to play.

– Mr Wang Says So, Life As A Competition.

That’s our Chris Chong BTW!

…I always feel a very comforting sense of calm after a good conversation.