"There's no such thing as a free lunch."
February 18, 2009
Most of us have heard this before, or at the least, the same message dressed up a little differently. A high school teacher of mine used to challenge the students in his economics class every semester to come up with one thing that is truly free. He said that he would award an automatic A letter grade to any student who could come up with something. Many failed attempts included the obvious things like air and love. The teacher's responses were that your body must give up energy for you to use your lungs, and the price of love is the opportunity cost of not being with someone else, or missing out on time spent other ways. There was never a right answer to the question, and there was never an automatic A to be had.
You're most likely wondering where I'm going with this. What kind of first blog is this? Well I can promise you one thing, I have a point that I will eventually get to. Anyone who knows me, knows that I can take a near-eternity to get to a point. I can also promise you that the point is all about the essence and concept of The One Love.
Ok, back to economics!
We are living through an extraordinary and historic era. Our economy is in uncharted territory as we approach Great Depression-like times. The problems we face are complex. Many deeply rooted and serious issues need complex and serious solutions.
All of the governments best efforts to craft solutions to the economic crisis at hand are centered around debate. Parties bicker and argue over how best to solve a problem. The primary concern holding both sides up is always, "what is the cost to us if we do it their way?" or simply stated, "What is the cost of compromise?"
Alas, the point is here! The high cost of compromise hampers some of our best efforts to help people who need it most. This is when it struck me just how special a site like The One Love is, and how great it would be to be a part of it. I write a blog, people read it, and just like that money is donated to charities.
Here is a concept that addresses serious problems with real solutions, all the while nobody involved is too concerned with the incidental costs that it takes to make it all happen.
Well done to everyone involved here at The One Love, and to all of the bloggers making it happen. I'm glad to be a part of it.
Winnie Loo said:
Welcome to TOL! :D 
Cui Ying said:
hey Phil,welcome :) 
Adele Connolly said:
yayy Phil Smith!!! now my worlds have officially collided :) 
Eileen said:
i'm glad you're on here now! welcome to TOL phil. 
George said:
Quality post good sir.
I just registered. what happens next? does one have to earn the right to blog?
If i am doing this all wrong, i massively apologise. But if not, may i humbly offer my thoughts on One Love for the wonderful comminity of The One Love...
On Hip Hop?And its significance to One Love
Expression 1:
One does not necessarily have to be a fan of Hip Hop to be stirred by it. Hip Hop is an energy, a voice, whose spoken truth can be a force for positive change in the world.
??
Hip Hop is emphatic.
Its necessity is its simple mantra, ?One Love.?
Two brief words. They express with joy that every person is an incredible and unique, yet utterly connected part of the stunning totality of existence. ?One Love? is ? be competitive, be respectful. Be true to yourself, be truer to others.?
Expression 2:
The staggering uniqueness of talent.
Hip Hop as self-expression, self-expression as life.
We are told so often about the ways we should live our lives. Yet for me there is but one law by which we need abide, for we are all one.
We may speak a different tongue, eat different food and be clothed in different coloured skin, but here is the simple truth.
We all bleed red.
Therefore, every human has the right to decide his/her life's own meaning.
The defining aspect of human existence is that we each, individually, possess a unique blend of talents.
The purpose of our life then is to do our utmost to identify and fully realise the unique talents that belong to us alone. For in so doing, we define the meaning of our lives as individuals
An understanding these facts allows us to comprehend how we are to live our lives in the community or society of which we are a member.
Since we cannot realise our talents without the help of others, we have an undeniable duty to help our fellow humans realise their talents. The word duty can be misleading, often having negative associations. The word blessing is far more appropriate. If a person seeks our help, we should consider ourselves honoured that they have approached us, and be of assistance to the best of our abilities. Only by helping others achieve their dreams can we hope to see ours become a reality.
Accompanying this blessed duty to help oneanother, we all share a further common goal. We are all sustained by the planet. We therefore have a duty to sustain the planet - this is something we as a race are woefully failing to do. All other species live in symbiotic harmony with the planet. We are currently repellent parasites.
The above facts are what fuels 2Quick?s desire to be a force for positive change in the world. We cannot be alone in this. All we wish to do is to learn from and inspire other creative people. If enough of us work together and stay positive, there are no limits to what we can achieve.
Remember. The greatest negativity in life is to believe you are powerless to make a difference. This is simply not true. Governments need our votes. Corporations need our money. They need us. The time has come for us to decide whether we truly need them.
At the very essence, there is in life just one universal force that guides, nourishes and inspires us all. It is known by many names, some call it god, others allah, the tao, Jehovah, jah, or the dharma. Some know it as Zero Point Energy, the Law of Attraction, Chi or Zen,
Yet no matter what label one chooses, the essence of this benevolent power remains the same.
It is this graceful truth that pure hip hop expresses.
?One Love? is Hip Hop?s brilliant truth.
One mind, one body, one soul.
All is one, and the one is Love 
