Fivebag Freddie, Spreadsheet Sam and Generative Gheddy: Increase, multi-purpose AI and Eric Clapton.

There was a family about to face starvation.  The prophet came, and knowing they were at the end of their supplies, the prophet asked the family to feed him.  They agreed, knowing that cooking him a meal meant the last of their supply.

But then.

The miracle.

There was the Bossman who gave three men each a sheckle.  He told them to leave and come back with their sheckle in so many days.  The first man multiplied his sheckle in that time, 10x.  The next many doubled or tripled his.  But the last man, he had buried his sheckle and left it for the so many days, and coming to meet the bossman, he dug it up and brought it back.

The Bossman took the one sheckle from the last man, and gave it to the first man, who had the ten sheckles--he was prosperous and grew his fortune, while the other man simply held on to his.  It was some awkward lesson of heavenly increase--can't you see this is the kingdom of heaven?--that fortunes increase.

It was not usury codified or predatory lending takes, but the rule of the ministries growing and reaching more and more people; that was the mandate from Christ after all, to spread the message across the face of the earth.  One could rejigger the message and take it away from salvation, forgiveness and love--one could put the onus of the message on the financial portfolio--that when the subjects were making mere pennies a day.

And they do.

Stephen Furtick gives an interesting notion of increase, be it ministry or finance or whatever.  Everyday, the amount is double the amount from the day prior.  A+A=B.  The sequence begins with one cent, and ends after 30 days with an astonishing five million dollars!

"One-Bag-Billy" and "Five-Bag-Freddy", illustrated below(Columns A and B).  This was Stephen Furtick's retelling of the Bossman and three workmen, who were given each one sheckle.



Five-Bag-Freddie's metrics in columns A and B, above.  

Fibonacci Sequence in Columns D and E.  A+B=C

*Doing the five-day metrics on Eric Clapton's "fundraiser" live album, To Save A Child, released April 26, 2024.  It's beginning to look like some of the tracks will eclipse the Taylor Swift numbers I previously wrote here about.  Mind, there may be some political considerations....

*Previous weekend, there was Farley Granger, Chuck Connors, Gary Merrill and Agnes Moorehead on my shew; this weekend there was Dan Duryea, Keenan Wynn, and Lee Van Cleef.  Most of it was called boring or run-of-the-mill by the standards of today, but I enjoyed it pretty much--the heroics, the life lessons come by hard, and the good guys risking it all for the sake of doing what's right.

*Got some comparative re-writes from several free-to-use AI products.  These were general use products, and not the specifically "generative" versions, like Google's Bard.

Original Copy:

Or do we profit from the example of the natural world?  Its adaptations and resilience can prove informative....

Can we benefit from any particular circumstance?

Mind that I don't necessarily mean money, or the pure "getting of things", but there are numerous ways in which one might benefit, like personal growth, inner peace and tranquility.  Basically, whatever you find is your chief goal is the thing--the reason--the cause; money might be your chief motivation.  If so, happiness is more easily sacrificed than if inner peace was the goal, right?  Or physical fitness?

What do we value?

"This is practice; that is all." -Ryan Holiday

First Product:

Our values and priorities play a significant role in determining what we consider "beneficial." If our chief goal is wealth or material possessions, we may sacrifice our happiness and well-being in the process.

But if we prioritize inner peace, physical fitness, or personal growth, we'll find that the journey itself becomes the reward.

As Ryan Holiday reminds us, "This is practice; that is all" - a gentle reminder to approach life with mindfulness, curiosity, and an open heart.

Second Product:

...do we draw wisdom from nature's example? Its adaptations and resilience offer invaluable lessons.

Can we glean benefits from each circumstance, not merely in financial gain but in personal growth, inner peace, and fulfillment? Our chief goals define our pursuits—be it the pursuit of wealth, inner serenity, or physical well-being. The sacrifices we make reflect the values we hold dear.

What do we truly treasure?

"This is practice; that is all." - Ryan Holiday