A view on whole life on bogleheads.org

to an comment on "...throwing money away right now on term life insurance......

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.....Since when is money on insurance "thrown away?" It is in the very nature of insurance that you hope it will never pay off.

I estimate we've spent close to $100,000 on car insurance, and, let me see, we've probably gotten back between $5,000 and $10,000. (Four or five fender-benders). I think that's a terrific deal and I wouldn't want it any other way.

I don't believe we're going to get a single penny back of the thousands and thousands of dollars we've spent on home insurance. I sure hope not.

And the fact that I'm posting this tells you we never got a penny out of my term life insurance.

People understand this for every other kind of insurance, what is it about life insurance that turns brains to mush? Insurance is not an investment, it's insurance.

There's no benefit at all in mixing up the two. Whole life insurance is not greater than the sum of its parts. There's nothing about its being a package deal that enables the insurance company to do anything special.

Our local supermarket runs "Pick Four" promotions--"Pick any four of the items with stickers and pay just $20"--which sounds way better than the simple "10% off" it amounts to. (12% if you annoy everyone by rummaging through all the packages of chicken to find the heaviest one). An insurance company can cook up such a complex brew of insurance and investment components that it would take three MBAs, two Ph.Ds and an actuary in a pear tree to evaluate it, but the bottom line is they do not have access to any special, magic, safe, high-yielding investments that you or I can't easily get for ourselves...."


http://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=52895

Is Islam inherently violent?

I was reading Mike Rubin’s commentary in the Tower issue of Feb 20, 2008 (“Violence inherent in Islam?”). He describes a few cases of “muslim violence” including the Danish cartoon controversy, death threats to the Pope for his statements suggesting that Islam is a violent religion and in particular the beheading of a woman living in New York by her “moderate” muslim husband who, ironically, was involved in “dispelling stereotypes of muslims as terrorists.” While I too condemn and share his outrage at such incidents I would disagree with his two fundamental arguments. First that “muslims let their violence veer on the ludicrous” because the West “allows them to.” I understand that the “moderate muslim” who had beheaded his wife was arrested and would face the full force of justice through the criminal justice system. Beheading sounds to be a particularly gruesome way to murder but not less violent in any way compared to, say stabbing, drowning or for that matter shooting. I am sure the author has heard of many such cases of apparently “moderate” and law abiding, model citizens belonging to all racial, religious and ethnic communities resorting to such extremes. Anger is irrational and does not pick and choose. And in this particular case there is nothing to suggest that this was an “honor killing.” So while I agree with the author that such an act by this particular individual undermines his and his communities’ efforts to show Islam in a more positive light I would refrain from using this incident to color my opinion of all “moderate” and for that matter all muslims. As regards to the West’s response to Danish cartoon controversy and Pope’s comments and the violence associated with it; most of it occurred outside the United States and there’s hardly anything the West can do to stop them other than condemning them which most news organizations and institutions have. The violent protests occurred mostly in poorer countries or countries which lack democratic institutions like in the Middle East where law and order is not what you would expect in the United States or other Western nations. So in many cases, even if the local authorities would like to clamp down on such violent protests they, in most cases are unable to, because of many reasons and not always because they condone it. Demanding apologies from clerics who issued death threats to the Pope or to the Danish cartoonist might be the “right” thing to do but I do not think that is going to be a part of the solution. A more in-depth understanding of local, cultural and religious sensibilities and addressing them would be more appropriate.

My second disagreement with the author is his suggestion with a “quote” from the Quran suggesting that probably violence is inherent in Islam. The author also notes that “such brutal” violence is not associated with Christians and Jews. I guess we do not have to look very far back in time and far away in space to appreciate that violence has always been associated with religion- be it Christianity, Judaism, Islam or for that matter any other religion. One can ague that either all these religions are inherently violent or preach violence or that many times in their long histories people who follow their tenets have resorted to violence either to show their disagreement or to suppress other points of view or in many cases used the garb of religion to further their own “moral” causes. I believe that as societies “mature” through secular education, technological advances and better living conditions (like in the West) they create and nurture democratic institutions to deal with disagreements in a less violent and more productive manner. They also learn to disregard the various tenets in their religion that preach violence and intolerance while appreciating and encouraging the message of love, peace and universal brotherhood that is also a part of these all religions including Islam. I hope the readers appreciate the complexity of the issues involved and refrain from over-simplifying and drawing narrow conclusions from them.

Is there religious persecution in India?

Today a colleague and good friend of mine- A Midwestern American- asked me- is there persecution of Christians in India?

Is there?

How do you define religious persecution? Is it the same as religious violence?

Are Hindus justified in their philosophical arguments against some of the activities of christian missionaries in India?

Can the various methods the missionaries employ be considered ethical and even religious? Are they taking undue "advantage" of India's poverty? Is the help- monetary and otherwise they offer in exchange for listening to the "word of god" really what Jesus would have asked of them?And what about the regular dose of Hindu-god and -religion baiting that is always a part of the "word of god." Why does love for your god be based on hatred for others'? And why should a desire to help others less fortunate than you, based on your religious convictions, be also associated with a desire to convert to your beliefs? Why shouldn't your deeds speak louder than your words(of god)?

Are the groups opposing all kinds of missionary activities right? Have they wondered why are the most desolate of India's people attracted to the message( and money) that missionaries bring? Do they realize that Christianity, like Islam elsewhere, shows them some real hope when their own religion has written them off as untouchables and scums? Have they ever wondered what they are doing to provide these people with tangible help and hope.And in any case, are they justified in using violence to express their grievances and concerns. Shouldn't they use more democratic means and raise public opinion about what really happens in many missionary programs. In the same vein shouldn't they also acknowledge the work and effort of the genuine missionary work?


And for those sitting on the fences- shouldn't they get into the ring and involve themselves in the debate? and possibly help find a solution?

a secretive god

ever wondered why God created us? Why did he feel the need? So that someone could sing his praises all the time ? If he speaks through the prophets, avatars, and even his own son why hasn't he revealed his original intent as yet? Will we ever know? Is it revealed when we join him in heaven. Do we join him in heaven? If heaven is the place we go after we die, did God die once too? was he the first to do so? Who created God? If he was not created how did he make himself appear out of no where?

Does anyone have the answers?

Is consciousness a myth? Is it a form of matter coming together to behave differently from its individual components? Is intelligence another form of chemical combination of matter?

Is matter the only truth?

Freedom of expression but not after expression

Hear on NPR by an Iranian American journalist.

Life and lemons

Though for the day:

If life hands you a lemon, make lemonade out of it and pickle the skin !!

Ian Dunbar on Puppy and child training

Punishment does not have to be painful and so it shouldn't be! It should be a " Stimulus that reduces the immediately preceding behavior such that it is less likely to occur in the future."

Here's an expert dog trainer's view on training puppies and people:


http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/ian_dunbar_on_dog_friendly_dog_training.html