MLK jr, oppression, racism, justice and equality

I finished MLKjr.'s autobio finally. Besides the many impressive things he's done, I want to discuss the chapter on the Chicago campaign. In most of the beginning of his life he battled blatant racism in the South. In this chapter, he talks about how racism is different in the NORTH. For example. he argues that first the people are exploited because they were not allowed to get a job. They weren't allowed to get a job because they weren't educated. They weren't educated because they didn't live in areas with good integrated schools. They couldn't live in those areas because they didn't have money. They didn't have money because nobody would hire them. So they lived in ghettos where they paid high rent prices relative to what they got. All the surrounding businesses ripped them off because frankly the shops and such had a monopoly on their business. They couldn't go elsewhere for their shopping because if they relied on any government assistance (which they all did to a small degree) they weren't allowed to own any property or assets. Without any property or assets they couldn't own a car as means of transportation. They couldn't invest in their own future. As I read this, I couldn't see how any person, white or black could get out of that vicious cycle.

(the funny thing is i could see why the gov't would not allow people relying on gov't assitance to own property and assets. They didn't want leechers or freeloaders. their reasoning might be, if you had any assets, you didn't need the help. i think thats a dubious assumption. But also, the fact that they didn't allow the people to own assets meant that they will never let the people who need assets and such ever to break out of their cycle.)

I think for most of my life I felt like if you didn't succeed, it was your own fault. But since coming to Berkeley, I realized that sometimes a system can be so wrong and/or oppressive that no one in that situation despite making the best decisions and having the most persevering heart can have any chance of success. For example, the other day I was talking with one of my friends where they read a nonfiction account of this scholar that moved to a Western country (forgot which). The whole story talks about his trials and tribulations and his eventual failure and inability to ever move up economically or socially in society. My friend said taht while in class discussing the book, some students said that this man was ultimately a failure because he couldn't succeed. My friend also said that it was a bit ironic since all the students were white, but also shocking to many of the rest of the students and the professor. The whole point of the book was taht he arrived with all the skills neccessary to succeed but because the system was so fucked up, he still ended up, unfortunately, a hopeless failure.

With this line of reasoning, I've been thinking about how it is in America now. It really does FEEL like racism and oppression isn't directly affecting us. But on some deeper level, I feel like it still does and we are all still part of the system that favors the white male. I look at our political leaders and that's all i see. old white men. I look at the richest ppl in america. old white men. And I wonder, have we already made the progress neccessary so that all people have the same opportunity to succeed. I figure, if you have the opportunity but you dont capitalize on it, that's your fault. But if you are given a equal chance, then its fair. if your given an unequal chance when someone is given even more, thats unfair. What do you think? Do you feel like you, and I can succeed in america? do you feel as asians in the communities we've grown up in, and the connections we have, we can succeed as much as the white man?

I feel like I'm losing my strain of thought. I shouldn't write stuff like this at like nearly 5am in the morning. im goin to stop here for now

University Education = Wasteful spending?

Its moments like this that really challenge the importance of school in my mind. Lately I've been far more convinced that a university education is really just a business that sells the idea that we need to go there to get educated. They want us there because they want our money. The reason i've started to feel this way is because I rarely need to attend my classes, but I jsut read my books and the exams are stupidly easy. I don't even bother to check my grades thats how i dont care for them anymore. Then you read about many obscure great artists, writers, great business people or whoever meets the societal definitions of success and you wonder: did they need school or just books? To drive home my point, Malcolm X never went to school but was just as educated. He didn't pay 3.8k of fees every semester but he got the education he needed in books. So i think, the key lies in books. Imagine the number of books you can buy w/ 3.8k in fees. Imagine the number of music records you could buy. What a waste hard earned money. I feel deceived, utterly fooled that I believe along with my parents and much of society that it is so important to get this certification of graduation. For example, you taking classes at a community college now for a fraction of the cost for your own learning (not that damn certificate) and that makes much more sense to me.

First thing i'm going to tell my kids is that if they chose to go to college... they are paying for every cent of it. Then they can spend the first five years working and feeling the regret as their hard earned resources leave their bank accounts. That brings me to my other point. These mysterious people had to convince everyone in the world that an university education was super important, but at the same time they had to figure out how to separate the ignorant from their money for as much as possible. So they invented loans. So convinced even the poorest of poor that finally managed to save enough pour that as an investment into their university education. Really, I bet if they were smart enough to get into a school like Berkeley then they were smart enough to find a way to make that ticket of opportunity sail them further in their lives. University education really is just a terrible opportunity cost. Then again, they can't be that smart since they chose to come here and be tricked anyway.

Business really is a brutal thing. The other day my dad was telling me that his competitors tell their customers that their Asian furniture are all authentic and over 200 years old. My dad said that he'd lay his everything he owned that not more than a half dozen items in their store is over 3 years old. I believe him. I asked him if it worked for them, and he said that it did because the typical white consumer didn't know any better. The business of education is the same thing.

Disclaimer: don't get me wrong. i think education is VERY important. I just don't think the University education at 3.8k per semester is important. 2nd disclaimer: i do think business does alot of good for the world, but i also think it lends itself to deception as well.

If a taught a NLH poker course...

What textbooks would I use (in order of importance)?

1. No Limit Hold'em: Theory and Practice by Sklansky and Miller
2. Doyle Brunson's Super System (only for deep stack play)
3. The Theory of Poker by Sklansky
4. The Mathematics of Poker by Chen
5. Pot-Limit and No-Limit Poker by Reuben and Ciaffone

Other Mentions:

improve your poker
Harrington's volumes
Ace on the River
Hold'em poker for advanced players
winning low-limit hold'em
mike caro's book of tells