Not knowing Gates' history my gut would guess he sacrificed in the early years by working for no salary to build a company. That is all I could guess though.

Given that his family was already well-to-do before Microsoft was started, probably not a lot of sacrificing was necessary on his part.

At this point, something's going to snap before we make it to the election. I just don't know if it's going to be my brain, my heart, my sanity, my spirit...

All of the above?

I don't think work means the same thing as sacrifice. I do not think the two should (generally) be equated.

Work is its own thing and is a good (means and ends dependent) but work itself is not a sacrifice. When we don't have something with which to occupy ourselves, it is not good for us.

To go biblical for a moment, even in the pre-fall Garden of Eden (i.e. paradise) Adam and Eve had work to do. The difference (pre and post-fall) was the intensity and the pleasure derived from the tasks we needed to accomplish (i.e. "By the sweat of your brow...").

Sacrifice means giving up or losing something. I don't think wealthy people, even those who give millions (or meeeeellions, if that's your speed) to charity are sacrificing. They're being charitable (i.e. loving -- a whole 'nother word, and also good, but not the same as sacrifice).

I feel the same way about the (comparatively scant) charitable donations my family makes. Sure they cost us something, but not to the level of sacrifice. I mean, I'm not telling the kids we won't help them with college tuition, because there are starving children in the world (which, arguably I should, and I'm going to leave this point behind now, because it makes me uncomfortable).

You know, not that anyone asked.

SO yeah, hi B.org. How you doin'?

You know, not that anyone asked.

I totally asked.

You don't have to really hurt yourself to help others.

But when three people tell you the same thing, you should seriously consider if it is something to work on.

Basically that same "if you meet assholes all day long" advice. Which is good advice but not really on the internet. Depending on where you go.

Happy anniversary, Sheryl!

I don't know, you can't ever do one thing without giving up a bunch of other possibilities. And you don't necessarily know you are sacrificing something important to you until it's all done. Not to say Gates or Buffet or Trump or anyone necessarily has, but I wouldn't be able to judge whether they had. OK, no, given Trump's example of his sacrifices, I can judge that those are pretty weak sauce.

LOL Dana, thank you.

erikaj, it's true that you don't always have to, but regardless, "sacrifice" means giving up something you really need (or, I suppose, want).

I think about the parable (I think it was a parable) Jesus tells in the Christian New Testament about the widow who gives her last two coins. That is a sacrifice. If I give two coins, it is (pretty weak) charity.

I think about Jesus dying once and Buffy dying twice. That's sacrifice. Not to go all Godfather II, but I renounce Trump and all his works. That said, I'm not going to (on its face) denounce the fact that he has accomplished things and that he has worked and even created/provided jobs. While those things are accomplishments and involve work, they don't (to me) seem in the neighborhood of sacrifice. YMMV.

Post cereal

Here is the latest from We Rate Dogs: [link]

Here is the latest from We Rate Dogs: [link]

Ha! The Bill Clinton comments!