( 45 sec read / 4 min video)

Joe lost his wife to cancer; a year and a half later Joe is biking for palliative care in Debora’s memory. Below is a snap of Joe training with Jake for the the trip from London to Venice.

Joe Goodall and Jake

Friedrich Nietzsche said that “any worthwhile achievements in life come from the experience of overcoming hardship.” In this case, the pain that comes from losing a loved one has been turned into energy to help a much needed cause. Watching Debora suffer with pain made Joe appreciate palliative care and the relief it brought when she was diagnosed terminally ill. In overcoming the questioning as to why his wife was taken from him, Joe has set out on a worthwhile journey to help progress palliative care.

A raw truth of life is that eventually we all face hardships and lose loved ones. But we can rise above the situations and live a valuable life if we chose to improve the world in ways that we can.  Below is a picture of Debora with Jake.

Debora and Jake

Follow Joe and the crew on their adventure at http://ridingfordebora.org – Much thanks goes to Ophir Energy, Field Development Services, Nexen Inc, Waitrose, Dove’s butchers on Northcote Road in Battersea – for supporting and raising funds to improve palliative care.

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(1 min read / 5 min video)

Freud's London Couch

Artist and great grand-daughter of Sigmund Freud, Jane McAdam Freud mixes Epicureanism and her own philosophy, waking up each morning asking herself “what shall I do today?” To have that choice is absolutely imperative for a creative life. Her mantra is not to die of a thousand paper cuts. “To die of paperwork, to become lost in the details. Look after the bigger picture, don’t micromanage the small stuff. Ask yourself what the main thing is that you want to achieve and see that bigger picture, the vision.. keep the vision clearly in mind”

Epicureanism: 3 ingredients for a happy life:

1. Friends – Greatest possession in the world

2. Freedom – Being one’s own boss / working for yourself

3. Self understanding – Leading an analyzed life

As for what Jane wants to be remebered for: “I haven’t got any grand philosophy about changing the world, no.. I suppose it’s for my art, I want it to be valued and looked after like it was a child. I want it to go to a good home. So I want museums to aquire it, (quickly adding) which they do and always have done, luckily.. and not for it to be bought and sold like some commercial product.

When asked if Jane resented her name and family history, “I didn’t resent it, I was in denial of it. It was a tonne of embarrisment because when you are a child you want to be normal like everyone else.”

This week you can catch Jane McAdam Freud’s exhibition at London’s Freud Museum until the 17th. Sundaram Tagore Gallery in Beverly Hills, LA will be exhibiting Jane’s art from 16 -30 September 2010.

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Philosophy of values & ethics w/ Nigel Warburton: How to choose the right ethics

July 4, 2010
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(APPROX. 1 MIN READ / 7 MIN VIDEO) Nigel Warburton is a consquentialist (ends justify the means) who has dedicated much of his life to exploring philosophy, lecturing at The Open University, sharing his findings through books and his popular website, Philosophy Bites. Regarding ethics, I asked Nigel if he believed in universal good. In [...]

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27 million slaves: facts you need to know w/ Justin Dillion

June 22, 2010
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(Approx. 2 min read / 9 min video) Today more slaves are in bondage than were bartered in four centuries of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Of course our worlds highest ever population is correlative to this sum, still, the estimated 27 million humans that can be bought and sold at a median of 300 USD [...]

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Neuroscientist David Eagleman On Uncertainty

June 8, 2010
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“What you learn from a life in science is the vastness of our ignorance; you learn all the stuff that we don’t know” – David Eagleman Two weeks ago David stopped by the School of Life to discuss the value of allowing uncertainty into life. During our interview he supported his opinion by quoting Voltaire, [...]

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Video Find: Will Smith’s Philosophy and Wisdom

May 24, 2010
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“It’s very simple: This is what I believe and I’m willing to die for it.” – Will’s advice on how to achieve greatness. Will Smith always struck me as the modern day Paul Newman. A man who made sure his family, morals and purpose never became derailed by fame. Remarkable feat with all the other [...]

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Women’s rights – fighting rape, corruption and voodoo in Nigeria

April 30, 2010
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When I say HANDBAG what do you think of? In Nigeria, a handbag is any woman in politics. The only women that make it that far use their body to get there, a pretty thing to give sexual favors, take notes and make the men look good. Alice Ukokowon’t stand for the way women are treated [...]

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Video Find: Hunger for life – Al Pacino philosophy

March 23, 2010
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So I’m still working on editing the next video but I thought I’d like to share with you my all time favorite speech found in a movie. Taste the passion in this nugget of a clip (heads up, a curse or two.) I’ve watched this clip many times in the last two years. I’ve watched [...]

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Robin Dunbar: Why you cannot have more than 150 real friends

March 3, 2010
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Kinship vs. friendship, the cognitive demands of monogamy, or why 400 Facebook friends may be a health hazard. In 1992, anthropologist and evolutionary biologist Robin Dunbar proposed Dunbar’s Number — a theoretical cognitive limit on the number of people with whom we can maintain viable social relationships. He pinned that number at 148, or roughly 150. [...]

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Alain de Botton – 3 Q’s on life’s purpose, legacy and source of happiness

February 8, 2010
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“As a writer I want to explore thoughts with a view to elevating pain… because pain comes through confusion and loneliness.” – Alain de Botton During my senior year at uni I stumbled on a short TV series hosted by Alain de Botton called Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness. Around this time I was taking Intro [...]

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