New Graduate level course

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There is a new course in the College of Human Interaction. This course is inspired by Nassim Taleb, author of Fooled By randomnesss, and it deals with his philosophical roots. Dr. Taleb has provided us with a special preview draft PDF for this class. The PDF alone is a wonderful and pleasurable learning experience. The class has classic books, and many surprising insights involved. Drop in and check it out, registration is free.

For those of you that hadn't noticed, I'm more into science, math and business than spelling. There are errors here and at the BFU campus, please let me know when you spot one. I am far more concerned with communicating an idea than getting punctuation correct. The problem arises when it is hard for some to get past my errors and grasp an idea. Any help will be appreciated.

Along those lines we may as well hit on pronunciation of Bastiat. Bastiat Free University is hard to say if you are afraid of hurting someone's ears. The easiest correct source is found by listening to this free oral presentation of The Law, or at least the introduction. If you are French, and I have just hurt your head, send me a properly labeled pronunciation key, in French and English notation, and I will post it here. My apologies, take two aspirin and write us in the morning.

Bastiat Free University is up and running, it will get better. Start now and let us know your opinions on performance. This school is built for you, keep it yours.

Allan

Ross Rayburn Interview

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Ross has created a Graduate level business course for those of you interested in starting your own businesss.

Go read the interview we recently enjoyed.

Then go look the class over.

You may find something there you can use today.

Allan

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Bastiat fans, welcome home!

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About time.

There are now 21 courses available for you. Enroll in several classes and check it out. One of the several items that are not yet ready is a way to charge you. No problem, most of the students will be here for free.

If you want a degree, and can't wait for the billing structure to be complete, get your downloads and books now.

The Financial stuff was always less important than learning anyway. We should have a "shopping cart" set up by the Grand Opening.

BB day, Bastiat's Birthday, 29 June 2005 is still on for the Grand Opening.

As a prior to opening request, help me find some errors on the site. It would be nice to be fresh, clean, and sparkling on the 29th.

Thanks for sticking with us.

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Grand opening Press release

Ok,

I know BFU will work or not work based on "word of mouse." But hey, this is the way it used to be done. If the blog software corrupts it, check the post at the BFUniv home site:

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PRESS RELEASE

Education/Business/E-Commerce

GRAND OPENING OF THE EXPERIMENTAL, NO COST, BASTIAT FREE UNIVERSITY.

Students can now access a Cost Appropriate Education Tailored

to the Individual.

• All classes available free

• If a degree is desired, $75.00 one time fee, $25 per unit

• BFU is Internet based, no physical campus

• using Docebo open source learning software,
  

        “Spaghetti Learning” http://www.docebolms.org/

• Grand opening June 29, 2005

• Claude Frédéric Bastiat's 204th birthday 

• Bastiat was a nineteenth century French statesman

• Campus at http://bfuniv.org

• School blog at http://bfuniv.blogspot.com/

• 
  

Bastiat Free University is a reaction to the expensive education
offered by traditional universities.  BFU is a group of
experimental colleges offering a renaissance style education
created for citizens of the information society. BFUniv is a
university focused on learning above credentials.  

BFU fulfills the desire of those who want to learn, but don't
know where to turn. A quality education can be acquired for free,
as long as there is no desire for a degree. If they desire a degree
from this non-accredited university, it will be available at a cost
appropriate level.  

Many employers and schools will not accept our degrees. If the students have
their own business, or want the affirmation that they have completed a course
of study, our degree will be sufficient. We are here to offer students quality
learning at no or little cost. The university's virtual doors will open 29 June 2005
with initial classes offered in Business, Human Interaction, Liberty, and Theology.
People do like to keep score; take away scoring from sports and
most sports would vanish. If students find it important to have a
goal, we offer Associate, Bachelors, and Masters degrees. Do it
yourself types will do it for free.

Why is Claude Frédéric Bastiat the patron philosopher of BFU?
Bastiat was a French statesman speaking out against his nineteenth
century French government. Bastiat understood liberty, and he knew
how to speak and write to communicate his views. And what wonderful
views! Bastiat was Pro consumer, small business, and private
education; while being Anti monopoly and big government. His logic
is presented with entertaining, well stated reasoning; and he did
like going "over the top."

About Bastiat Free University

BFU is being created by Silent Partner Consulting,
http://www.silentpc.org/ , a group of small business consultants.
The original concept was to assist those that have a small
business, but have never had the time to pursue a degree.
The idea was expanded after discussions lamenting the availability
of affordable education focused on learning. For a sample of BFU
philosophy visit the College of Human Interaction,
http://silentpc.org/university/human.php .

BFU is for the students, they can become a renaissance person and pursue knowledge for it's own sake. Free is a good thing. To enroll visit http://bfuniv.org ###

Hey!
It didn't transfer real well to the blog. You can see a copy of the real release at the BFUniv site.

Allan

Getting Ready

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Hey Bastiat fans.

With Bastiat's June 29 birthday celebration, and the final preparations for the Grand opening on that same date, we will be working on the site. If you wish to take a look at it as it is, and maybe discover some reading material, do it now. In the next day or two the classes will go "inactive" until the 29th.

There are sure to be some kinks in the system after we re-open, but hopefully all will at least work in a minimalist fashion.

Take a look now. Tell us of any problems encountered. Come on back on the 29th to celebrate!

Allan

Cart before the horse

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Have you ever put off something that needs to be done, to do something that is easy or more pleasurable?

This post is one of those simple tasks, when I should be cleaning up the BFUniv.org site. Maybe reading this post is your way of avoiding researching BFU to see if it can help you.

"When the student is ready the teacher will appear," does not allow for lazy rectors.

Once we are done with the post, let's do lunch, hmmm.

Here it is:

The BFU student store is open!

The most prominate slogan on t-shirts and mugs:

Bastiat Free University

Because I'm
too smart for State
and
too good looking
for the Ivy League

Drop on in, we will be adding more goodies to the store soon.

After I get done creating that class you wanted; and needed.

Someone once said: "A key to success is each day to make the first things you accomplish be talking to the person you least want to encounter, and doing the task you least want to approach."

Now that I've talked to you and done this post, I can go do those first things second.

Allan

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Union Membership at BFUniv

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Huh?

Bastiat Free University is not part of the "Union." That is one reason we are so inexpensive (cheap). If you want to be recognized as a "legitimate" player in the college/ University game you have to ante up big bucks for membership. Lots of folks with doctorates that are supposed to teach; but write expensive text books instead. Ivy covered massive buildings with names of past grads that did something (gave money for the building). Tenure so the professors can goof off after a few years of work. Lots of required classes that waste time and cost money. Big sports complexes so the alums will contribute to "their" team's school. Big administrations to create lots of new rules each year. Lots of other stuff that has nothing to do with learning. Oh yeah, and jumping through hoops to meet all the demands of the accreditation committee.

Years ago I opened and directed a school for real estate. We taught sales, management, and license preparation. One of the questions on the California license exam was "What does cul-de sac mean?" Now this is a great question to show the value of accreditation for a school. Cul-de sac is French for bottom of the bag. Does knowing that make you a better real estate sales person? No, it limits and controls entry into the real estate profession.

Accreditation limits and controls education; and keeps it expensive. It creates positions for people that have doctorates but have never held a real job. It mandates expensive libraries, libraries that could be inexpensively replicated online. It requires all sorts of silly classes that help no one, but fulfill a basic curriculum. Etc. Etc. Etc.

A University should be about teaching you what you need to live a full life. A life you choose, not some committee. If you latter decide to study Keats, you can do so. If you need a basic math or english class with a teacher, choose a local, cheap, community college; we will accept the transfer credits.

BFUniv will provide classes so that you can learn. You have free access to great libraries of PDF and HTML documents at sources such as the wonderful libraries of OLL and FEE. Used book stores have cheap books written by successful people; not expensive books written by professional students that now teach. Our administration expenses are low, and many of our classes were created for free by successful people that want to encourage others to pursue their passion.

We are not accredited, and will not be. You come to BFU to learn, not to spend time and money to buy status. You come to Bastiat Free University for yourself.

This University will not be for everyone. It is just for those who value their future enough to invest in themselves, not a high status degree.

Look us over, then if you want to, Join us.

All we offer is:

cost appropriate learning

tailored to the individual

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This Month

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Are You Ready?

I'm not sure I am, But BFU will open its doors and start teaching On June 29, 2005.

The classes are still a bit free form, the site a bit chaotic. But there is lots of information available if you want to start investigating now.

It seems appropriate at BFU to let some of that "wisdom of the ages" speak out.

This is from a book written in 1521. Europe was once again torn apart by war, and as always, the loss to all was far greater than the gain to any combatant. Here Peace herself laments:

"Now, if I, whose name is Peace, am a personage glorified by the united praise of God and man, as the fountain, the parent, the nurse, the patroness, the guardian of every blessing which either heaven or earth can bestow; if without me nothing is flourishing, nothing safe, nothing pure or holy, nothing pleasant to mortals, or grateful to the Supreme Being; if, on the contrary, war is one vast ocean, rushing on mankind, of all the united plagues and pestilences in nature; if, at its deadly approach, every blossom of happiness is instantly blasted, every thing that was improving gradually degenerates and dwindles away to nothing, every thing that was firmly supported totters on its foundation, every thing that was formed for long duration comes to a speedy end, and every thing that was sweet by nature is turned into bitterness; if war is so unhallowed that it becomes the deadliest bane of piety and religion; if there is nothing more calamitous to mortals, and more detestable to heaven, I ask, how in the name of God, can I believe those beings to be rational creatures; how can I believe them to be otherwise than stark mad; who, with such a waste of treasure, with so ardent a zeal, with so great an effort, with so many arts, so much anxiety, and so much danger, endeavourer to drive me away from them, and purchase endless misery and mischief at a price so high. "


Bastia wrote a fable that shows the error of thinking loss can somehow create gain. His story of the broken window counters the falsehood that somehow destruction is good for the economy or the world. This complete essay is one of my favorite works by Bastiat.

Bastiat Free University is being built on the realization that society is changing. For the first time in history the potential is developing to select the degree of freedom you wish to enjoy. If you want the government to be your nanny, your conscience, and your senior partner; stay where you are; or move to Sweden. If you wish to decide where and how you will live your life, start learning and planning now.

Life can be a pleasure, experience it.

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