Improving in all areas of our society (#1704)

Today I want to harp on the idea of infrastructure repair. Work is necessary for all humans who live in a civilized society. It is what keeps us busy and away from the idle thoughts that do ourselves and others harm, for the most part. We all need some type of occupation so that we not only can sustain ourselves and others but an occupying concept that makes us feel good about who we are and what we are trying to accomplish. Regardless of who creates the opportunities for work, work is needed to keep our society as far away from anarchy as we can get. So again, infrastructure repair aimed at creating a new environment for us to be proud of and to make our lives easier to manage is required. Revitalization of our towns, cities, bridges, roadways, utilities etc... is always the premise to begin from. When we allow ourselves the great privilege of modernity with a touch of common sense we find that our imaginations coupled with innovation are our greatest source for inspiration. Today many of us are still living off the imaginations of our post world war 2 generation's imagination. We are nearly 70 years into that future and lagging behind in innovation and architecture as it comports to what we can accomplish today. Our infrastructure rightly is outdated and failing so the time is ripe for a push to energize our motivation to create a smarter more efficient way of living. It will not happen while The conservative Republican party remains in power in our political system so the very next thing we must do as a society is purge our government of those who only wish for the days of the past with no imagination for our much needed future.

As an application, science is all we have (#1703)

When certain groups devoted to myth and belief systems try to quell and abolish science as a necessary tool for understanding our Universe and our existence within in it, we are challenged to debunk their efforts. This post will attempt to do so. A rational person will look out into the vastness of existence and question it's reality. Many irrational people will not attempt to look out into the vastness of our existence at all since they have an alternate theory for our being. Centered mostly on what has been passed down for generations from our ancestors, they prefer to rely on understandings formed before enlightenment provided through science, and instead choose to believe an enclosed system that has no need for new discovery. Yet as we continue as a species that is all about sensory perception and data collection, their view of things has little to do with reality and more to do with emotional security. Fear is their primary function when confronted with logic and innovation as they would rather deny rationality out of fear than to deny their own comforting understanding. What is missed here by them is their incomplete analysis of what science offers outside their ability to continue to have a spirit filled faith in something else. Yes, both may be simultaneously held without there being a conflict. Understanding of course that belief in something requiring faith is not based upon absolutes. Science tells us that and if a rational person accepts the logic of facts then that person will undoubtedly be able to form a more comprehensive understanding of all things in their life, including their spiritual understandings. 

Curiosity leads to enlightenment (#1702)

There is no doubt in my mind that I have become knowledgeable about the Universe I live in based upon the foundation of my curiosity. I have an internal motor that is non-stop in it's motivation to know and understand those things I am capable of knowing. Our existence is a very complicated one and understanding everything is impossible given the short time our lives are physically capable of lasting. However, that does not factor in the equation of my curiosity. I am curious about life and since I am here in life I find that is a perfect fit for me. I don't know how our species came to be formed or where we are going, if anywhere, after we leave this existence but while I am here in this existence I can try to discover what is discoverable. I try to make the point as often as possible about how our physical entities are structured like sensory perception probes. We smell, hear, taste, see and touch in order to inform ourselves. As we sensory perceive, we then reason, analyze and conclude in order to make sense of our perceptions. This is all in line with being curious. It is our human nature to learn and understand, there is no other rational reason to conclude otherwise. So for me it is just an extension of the species I belong to and also an extension of my understanding of that. As to curiosity leading to enlightenment it is obvious that as we learn and understand more, we realize that we are bounded by limits. As a member of a species that has these sensory qualities and eventual concluding skills, I also understand that we are all the same in that respect and therefore I rationalize civilized behavior in order to continue my quest to be enlightened in order to continue to satisfy my need to know.

Resignation and acceptance (#1701)

I know this feeling I get when I see I can do nothing to change something that is not right. It is a hollow deflating experience when we all see that something is wrong but know that the effort to change it has been stolen from us because of the obstruction placed in our lives. We know we will pay dearly for trying with little hope of succeeding. Yet some of us do stick our necks out and take the hit anyway because in our hearts we cannot bear letting another injustice crush our soul without taking a stand. Every time I end up resigning and accepting policies or paradigms that need to change I am also enabling those same policies and paradigms to remain. So it goes, I pick my fights where I can and I spend the rest of my time plotting out how to be more effective the next time dishonor thrusts itself into my life. I titled this post resignation and acceptance because that is what most of us do when we see we will pay a cost we are unwilling to accept. Our principles be damned when we are forced to pay a price. Yet that isn't always the case but more so than not. Resignation and acceptance has been for many of us, our answer for most of our lives because we have beaten down from the beginning of our lives when we did initially step out into the line of fire. We all want a better world but others have always been there to make us pay for our wanting. The cycle must end some time soon since we are all getting smarter and wiser and the old dogmas of the past carry less and less weight with our ever growing idealism for enlightenment. 

Never stop fighting the good intellectual fight (#1700)

It seems that once one good outcome of advocacy is achieved another is waiting to be represented. The never ending illogical attacks on intellectualism is here to stay for now. That is why the battle to continue fighting is so important. If within our very fiber we know that what is right and good is under attack then it is our right and our duty to battle on it's behalf. Equality, justice and ethical process should be our rallying cry regardless of the policy we are defending. The simple equation here is easy, if anything works to deny rights to some or most that others continue to have then we must work to oppose that which does not come to the threshold of equality. Enlightened civilization is founded upon the idea that all among a group who are members of the civilized society have the same opportunities that anyone else would have. We don't have that here in America, in part, because of economic distinctions, so some effort to alleviate that obstruction to equality must be devised. Those who have economic success surely deserve the credit for their ability but even wealth should not separate any of us from the rights and privileges our society produces. I am talking about opportunities here, which allow for all of us to start from the same point as any other. Often those who have had privileged beginnings, lose sight of what it is really like for those who have not and then begin to condescend as an acceptable behavior. The trap of this is that we are not all inclusive and so many barriers some face are not even known by others. So fighting the good intellectual fight to restore and increase options for equality, justice and ethical processes will be the hard work we must all never relent our efforts toward.

Misplaced passion and how it harms (#1699)

Policies come and go within any large civil society and that is just how we must function in order to get at solutions to pressing problems. That we as humans are passionate about our policies is admirable and the correct emotion to express when advocating for what may be hard to get implemented. However, there are limits to our passion being appreciated and one of those limits is when the logic of our policy falls short of our morality, ethics and overall equality and justice. There are many who are intentionally honest about their advocacy for policies but regardless fall short of the logical conclusions they espouse to happen. It isn't that we can't, through sequence, explain their inaccuracies, since mostly they will not allow for objectivity when they have taken a stand that they cannot go back from, it is that they won't receive the logic. So the passion we here from some must always be met with the test of logical accuracy and end result. Logic will get us as close as we can absent the time to use hindsight so logic must be one of the main components in determining whether a policy has the fulfillment of the passion being given it. I see some who would talk around the problem like it doesn't exist so that their solution is not weighed in the same light with the problem. Like they know something is off in their analysis but they are committed and cannot turn back. I suppose the old saw about "if I don't acknowledge it then it doesn't really exist" is a premise to the conclusion in replacing the unknown they wish not to identify. Anyway, for whatever reason, nefarious or misplaced, a policy being advocated with passion must have the logic of it's solution in balance with the logic of it's end result.

Aspirations to inspire (#1698)

What is it that we want to do in our limited time here in existence? Is it to get everything we want regardless of what it does to everyone else? Is it to do nothing and just ride along through time without ever having to take a risk? Or is it to take a stand where stands need to be taken and try to make our world better not only for right now but also for our future generations? I fall into the latter camp after stubbing my toes in the first two. I tried to be selfish and let the world bring all it's gifts to my door out of some small minded sense of privilege and deserve. Reality kicked me squarely between the eyes and I realized that I was no more special in wanting better for me than anyone else who wanted better for themselves. Then I tried to just sit back and live off the fruit of others who labored tirelessly to make the world better and even that got old since I do have a conscious and it told me that being a lazy bum who still felt like he deserved more than others was clinically egoistic and false. So now for the better part of my life I have been making my voice and my actions count for something more than just for me. I have been taking part in life to make it better as a purpose for my life instead of making it a purpose in life for life to make my life better. I am the one in control and I choose to be a better human being by expressing that better through thought and action. Being more selfless is the key and finding the humility within being selfless has been my process. It works for me in that my heart is happy and my mind is clear. I don't doubt who I am or what I want out life. I still am learning better ways to express my actions and thoughts but that is more like improving on what is already something to be proud of.

My imagination serves me well (#1697)

It is always difficult to know what others are thinking especially when considering that I have a vivid imagination that always surprises me. Do others have such wild imaginings at any given time? I am not complaining one bit since my imagination has been a good companion to me. I wonder sometimes if all those books I read when I was a youth helped to fill my head with wild and crazy ideas and have since been the foundation for some if not all of my creative realizations. However I got to where I am it is a pleasure knowing that my artistic side has such a wide panoramic scope. When I hear the phrase "think outside the box" I am reminded of my own personal experiences of thinking outside the Universe. Yes, I picture in my mind the Universe as a contained space that is then within another larger space that is as of yet, I have not imagined it's make-up. Surely though it is lighter in color than the outer edges of our Universe. At least in my imagination it is. See, having fun with no limits to thought and purpose has given me the framework to build concepts that I cannot ever prove but can surely can think, what if? It is why when I hear people talk about absolutes like they have discovered some key to all that exists and are unwilling to acknowledge that it is only possibilities and not facts that I begin to wrench within my soul away from them toward others who are less certain about life but not afraid to imagine and explore that which is also possible, even if highly improbable. Life is about what we do in it and not about what we don't allow ourselves to do and if your imagination is anything like mine you will have quite a ride in life that should leave you, at least in your mind, well satisfied.

False fronts are a false illusion (#1696)

Now you may be thinking that some people put up a false front so that others can be spared the pain of emotional turmoil and harm, that which is done to actually protect the innocent or weak is honorable and commendable and not the type of false front I am talking about. I am talking about those false fronts that are exploitative of others for one's own sake. The type of behavior we all have experienced in our lives. Not only having false fronts perpetrated on ourselves but we as well perpetrating false fronts on others. It is time for the game of one-upmanship to end. We are not created to lie to each other. We are what we are and most of the time that is a disappointment from our own point of view. However, our point of view on ourselves lacks the perspective of the same feelings everyone else is having. In other words, we are all disappointing to ourselves and that is because we all think and know we are better than what we have expressed so far in our lives. Knowing that we are not much different about too many things should allow us to relax a bit and not be so concerned about projecting an otherwise false impression. We do want to put the best face on who we are and what we do but not to the point of falsity. We are human and by that very fact we are incomplete as to why we exist other than conjecture. We start out in a position of disadvantage given the logical sequencing of our minds. We have no blueprint for life that is well established beyond what we may think or believe exists. So just being ourselves is closer to the truth of who we are and as such should help to build the humility in us that actually leads to a confident, positive purpose driven life.

Compassion (#1695)

This post is for those who don't know compassion anymore. Somewhere within their dark cavernous soul is a spark of compassion they had at some point in their life and it is still there if they choose to look for it. Being human requires us to have some regard for each other beyond our own wants and needs. Our humanity requires us to express our compassion in ways that countenance what is best about us for others to see and be reminded of that they also are human. This idea that we are indispensably free from care for another human being is illogical. We are a communal species. We thrive in the company of others and without the company of others our minds tend to depress our hopes and dreams for life. That is why there is no valid argument for any mechanical or automaton existence. First and foremost it takes two opposite sex humans to create a new human so right away each of us is created from the co-joining of two humans in some fashion. We are raised from infancy to adulthood with other humans as a support for our ability to survive. There is no conceivable premise one could start from that would in any other way define us as purely individual. We are part and parcel of those who surround us and those who otherwise influence us. For any of us not to have compassion for those who exist in this dimension is a choice and made from someplace other than our full compliment of abilities. If you cannot find a spark for life within your cold dead soul then I am pretty sure you quit being an actual human the moment you lost the purpose for your compassion. 

We are defined by our actions (#1694)

A lot of our actions are not seen by anyone but ourselves. But those that are seen by others are the benchmark of where we begin to hope we are being who we want to be. Now the real test comes when no one else is looking at us and we act with that knowledge. Are our actions at the same level as seen actions? I know mine aren't and that is what I battle most of the time in my life, staying consistent when it doesn't matter. Now I am no duplicitous person but I do expect a lot of myself and unfortunately I don't work as hard as I should when the focus of others is not on me. Again though I am cognizant of it and what I try to tell myself is that although no one can see me at all times the Universe of my existence can. I am a record of my life and in that I want the record to reflect that I wasn't just for show and of little substance. I act in a way that I recognize a omnipresent sovereign that keeps an eye on me even when it is impossible for humans to do so. It works for me as a gatekeeper to my slacker self that often wants to just sit back and enjoy the ride of life without carrying any of the load that keeps life interesting. My conscious is also a guide to my behavior as I battle against the tug of war between my enlightened reason and the baser instincts of my nature. None of us will ever be perfect but none of us needs to be without hope to be the best of who we are. When I am the best person I can be at all times I am the happiest and most grateful soul I can be. The trade off between being a selfish do as I please individual and being an insightful ever perfecting human is well worth the paradigm. As I continue to fight my way toward being a better me I know that my life is better and I can take some satisfaction in that.  

The domination ego of man (#1693)

Not just humans but male humans. Surely we live under laws and try to obey them but deep down we still rationalize that we are above the civilized laws because of an animal trait of survival. We arrogantly assume that physical strength along with our reasoning ability gives us an unspoken right to dominate in most all situations in society. Our past history describes us as bread winners and warriors who fed and sheltered the weaker sex and children of our species. Ingrained in us is the fallacy that if society fails we will again gain that power we have been acquiescing over time to enlightenment. The reason so many cling to the past is for the very reason of ego enhancement. Instead of finding the peace that humility offers all of us, we instead chase the old paradigm of domination. Let me be clear, our imaginings of us somehow being the lord and master of our sphere of things is an absolute illusion. The only reality that will exist if society is shredded of enlightenment and equality is a very few crushing the very many. We have been seeing some of that over the last few decades in the form of powerful corporations attempting to lobby for rights inherently given only to actual humans. A sense of urgency is now upon our civilized society to reign in powers that emulate the domination of ego and get back to being an ego-less driven society. The impact of acceding power from equality and justice to a more limited structure framed on profiting from our miseries is at the threshold of our understanding. Enlightenment is the understanding of new paradigms and shirking off the old illogical ones. Will we be continuing that progress or will we be returning to the days where equality and justice is only privileged to a small few? 

Our resilience (#1692)

Human nature is amazing. We are gifted with the ability to rise above problems with the simple will of determination. It may take us longer than what is generally considered necessary however we eventually do rise above our problems. It may seem like we are continually stuck in thinking and behaviors of the past but the slow and methodical progress forward is a constant. It is due to our resilient natures. Regardless of the obstruction and the disingenuous arguments some parlay into temporary victories, the ever persistence of our will to have better is overall dominant. Today I can see that despite some setbacks in how our culture perceives what is right, the fact that these setbacks have infuriated so many is the test of our resilience. Time will tell if we can overcome the foolishness of some but our history so far has proven us quite able. Speaking of time, which is how we often measure success, it is taking less and less all the time for solutions to problems to actually become effective. We have greater abilities to communicate with each other and that simple fact allows for our populations to band together in common to force otherwise unwilling political power players. I often think of the song "American Pie" and how it related it's message to the paradigm of the power of music to connect us, the same can be said for the Internet and it's ability to allow us to band together to fight for our future better while also keeping us looking back to attacks on our current better policies. As long as we continue to remain interconnected our resilience will guide us to a better world.

Wisdom is humble not obnoxious (#1691)

Some days it is my turn to be the bird and not always the statue. Which reminds me that even on rarer occasions I get to be the observer of both the bird and the statue. It is when I get to observe cause and effect when it happens to others I get to see how both sides grace the equation. Yes, for the most part, along with emotion, every occasion is an equation to me, logically speaking that is. Anyway, back to my point, when two or more people engage in a discussion about a subject and then the discussion explodes into a warped discussion absent the subject, I get the real sense of who is doing what as to the listening and responding process. When "one" makes a comparative point and the "other" misses the point and focuses only on the comparison I can justly see that the "other" is less concerned with the validity of the point and more concerned about making the "one" an example of an example of similar comparison. The "other" is the person who has shown the tendency to be bellicose to the point of name calling and character assassination. I just watched this scenario unfold and the "one" who began the discussion with a comparison to make a point was left defending his honor against a barrage of insults and accusations. If I had been the "other" I would have just recognized that what the "one" said was true on a micro level of the subject being discussed and not gone off on the "one" for either misunderstanding the subject of the comment or for reasons that have to do with the "other's" vanity. Anyway, it was a sad reflection on the "others" ability to focus on the point and for that I do believe we have a failure of grammatical proportions, which not only confuses the point of discussion but shows an immense lack of understanding about what the subject was to begin with.

Speaking freely (#1690)

It is everyone's right to speak what is on their mind. I like to keep my opinions clearly as opinions and not fact so that when I do speak it is well understood that this is my world view and not everyone's world view. That at times most would agree is based on the emotional facts of things and not just the emotion. I find that when I try my best to humble myself in all things that I am right on subjects more often than not. It is not easy to be humble as we all know but finding a way to be humble despite ourselves is truly a great gift. I am writing about this subject this morning because one or more people think that I am being an arrogant ass or a poseur. I can't help but think that maybe I am one or both because I don't ever want to offend anyone. Yet when I look at what they use as an example I don't see where they get it. I am just expressing my viewpoint with as much passion as I would for anything else that matters. So instead of changing my approach to understanding logic I am changing my understanding that I can't please everyone all the time no matter how hard I intentionally try. I am not one who can see every point of view and so therefore I don't have the perfect clarity of objectivity, yet unless I am pointed in another direction that I have not been aware of it is difficult for me take their criticism seriously. It is like someone telling me not to do something that makes perfect sense and them not telling me why or how to do it better. I know I will always fall short of what is the best out in this world but striving to get there is never going to be a failing with me.

Never change your foundational principles (#1689)

The nature of this existence and all that is within it is in complete subjugation to change, except that which we reason to be the most value in our own human species. For me it is to always allow for my curiosity and compassion to have the highest priority during my life. I do not always succeed in my vision but I never fail to strive. Like all of us humans I am subject to the change that happens all around us. I have to be understanding to the fact that change will happen regardless of my stubbornness to adapt. So for me the best option is to change with the change so that I can stay in step with it. I don't have to like it or hate it, I just have to adapt to it. But within me is a code of mindset that governs my conduct. First and absolutely foremost is the perfect concept of "do no harm". John Stuart Mill is generally recognized in western philosophy as being the most publicized advocate of this principle. I cannot for the life of me think of a more comprehensive three word statement that sums up the most of who I am. As a side note, it would behoove all to read up on the classical philosophers of recorded history and find the little nuggets they have left for us to find. Anyway, keeping our own personal ethics/morals/values that we have defined as the starting point for all our thoughts and actions is correct and useful. I have, over time, had to simplify my foundation so that equality, justice and humility have a greater role but changing the premise of my principles has never been an option. That virtue is the honorable and noble equation for my thinking is all I can ask for and nothing less will suffice or change it.  

Costs too high to be a political candidate (#1688)

Ever thought about being a political representative? That urge within us to lead our country, either a small part of it or all of it? The cost just to become a candidate pretty much leaves more than half our population unable to participate. What is up with that? Unless you have expendable money and/or wealthy friends willing to influence you for their money, you have little chance of even officially registering to be a candidate for most any office. The best of our natures notwithstanding, most are simply not in enough wealth to even consider political public service. Now if you are wealthy you surely can participate since the barrier to afford a political run is not there. That is simply wrong since those of us who are not wealthy have a point of view about society but we are not able to present it in a way that is responsible to individual voters. How is it that our elections can only have those who are willing puppets of big money interests or willing wealthy folks? We need to reform how our elections process operates. I have always been a big advocate for public financing of elections since it would take away the cost barrier to even applying to become a candidate and replace it with a threshold of voter signatures as the threshold of who can run. To get voter signatures it follows that we would have to have policies that voters want or hope to install. That is how democracy works, not like today where only those of a wealthy perspective or willingness to advance the wealthy agenda can get a foot into our political races.

Another perfect day (#1687)

I woke up this morning and I realize once again that I get to think and move and actually do some things. The fact that I opened my eyes and took in the thought that another day is upon me is why it is perfect. I have had a lot of time over the past few days to reflect on those who are no longer with us here in existence. How would they describe the idea that they had one more day to be here? I am sure the word perfect would be one of many. I do take for granted each day I live when I don't start out my morning with a grateful heart that this body of mine still desires and has the wherewithal to live. I take for granted that our Earth supplies us with the essentials of life and I need to do more to protect her. I take too many things for granted when I don't remember those who came before me and after me who are no longer here to enjoy that first dawning of consciousness upon waking. Today is another perfect day regardless of what happens in the rest of it. Surely I will fight hard to make sure that no harm comes to we species who inhabit our planet to the best of my meager ability and I will not stop trying to change things that are understandably wrong through logic and actionable behavior. I will also keep my mind open to the special circumstances our community of people and other species gifts us with and most of all I will try to be the example of how we should live, everyone of us.

Live from your heart (#1686)

Everything that begins with me begins from my heart. My head gets it's orders from my heart. Real simple with me. I learned this from my earliest memories as a child. Happiness is more important than proving some point of general concern. We need rules and regulations in our lives to help keep ourselves organized in ways that we all can partake of. This is good and when good is done then all have a chance for happiness. When rules and regulations are formed and made into law that do not account for all who partake or eliminate some from partaking then we have rules and regulations that are not inclusive, otherwise, not from the heart. When the mind tries to formulate effects to all without starting from the heart then we get what we have today in our American society, segregation through law and through fear based ideology. We are mostly on track for providing rules and regulations that aim at equality of opportunity and justice, but we are still far short of where we could be if power and greed were to be tamed. Our own instincts are to be inventoried. We have been a species in the past that has been brutish and violent out of perceived need. Today, we have enlightenment and intelligence to guide our civilized behavior. So letting go of the past of who we were to our less than honor and embracing who we are today is the key to us finding our happiness within everyone else finding their's as well. Our world gave us birth as far as we can tell and our maturity on our Earth has evolved so must our vision for living from our hearts first and then using our minds to bring our hearts demands to fruition.

Remembering those who have passed (#1685)

Today is an appropriate day to stop for a moment and think about those who have left our lives either naturally or prematurely. There are so many memories for me since I was raised in a large family that spent a lot of time together. With the advent of our more modern society, I spend less time with family than before but those memories of us together still bring a smile to my face and a painful remembrance of those no longer with us. Especially from my childhood do I have fond and hilarious moments to reflect on. Some of the foolish ideas and actions we exhibited that were far more silly than ridiculous. That is what most rekindles my soul is the idea that we could and did have such fun together when we had the chance. Not a lot of wasted time being apart but a lot of time together finding common ground and the most fun we could. I also remember my elders who were less fun but more introspective about life and how our society operates. What I had learned back then was more revealing to me now than then but that is the nature of my youth anyway. I had less time to be a deep thinker about how life operated and more time to go out and explore our society and see for myself how it operated. yet what I learned from my elders is that trusting my internal compass about right and wrong would always be my salvation from the difficult temptations life can serve up to us. I have also lost cousins and siblings which have effected me deeply in that mortality is an ever clear reality like nothing ever before. I could not have imagined how I would feel not having those who grew up with me no longer around but when I do remember them I am smiling from my heart.

The purpose of virtue (#1684)

Moral excellence if you will. Not always perfect but when striven toward it is quite redeeming. That has been my experience anyway. When I set out on a path through making a decision it had better be backed with the best of what virtue has taught me or otherwise I am not being who I want to be. I recognize that anything less than trying to reflect out what is best about our species is muddled and not worthy of the time it takes from my desired destiny. So from when I was young and knew not much about my purpose in life to now, I had a spotty record of trial and error that reflected my inability to grasp the importance of virtue as quickly as I should have. Those days are behind me and now that I know being anything less than trying to be of moral excellence, is not to be attempted on my part. I also know that I have chosen a path of life that within my soul has found peace. I am not assuaged by the temptations of Earthly pleasure as my guide, instead I am forthright in my knowledge that as a human being I have the duty to embrace all that is good and correct in thought and behavior which first does no harm and second offers some joy. I have found that being a positive influence in all my thoughts and acts is the purpose for my life. Whether large or small it doesn't matter for every thought and act is just another step into who I am regardless of the stride taken. When we all find a place in our souls where the idea of doing what is right has substance in our view of life is when we all begin to move forward with each other and our species is something quite especially enlightened to behold.

A fulfilled life (#1683)

It surely is much simpler to talk about a life unfulfilled but that isn't as much helpful as talking about a life that is fulfilled. I have no doubt we are all trying to better our world the best way we know how to do that. What most all of us don't share however is the same logic. My motto is real simple on this, if continued good leads to better than that is the right course. If however doing harm is one's idea toward improvement then that is where we diverge and regress. The intent and motivation may well still be the best of equality of opportunity with fairness and respect as the end result, nonetheless if the starting point is not equal then the idea falls on it's illusory foundation. It is perhaps instinctual to a degree to protect one's own advantages as some sort of deserve or privilege however that is contrary to virtue when the goal is to equate all with the same starting point. So for me it is all about creating the starting point so that when we begin we begin together. I know this is hard for many to humble themselves toward but necessarily it is still true. So until we can all have the leg up some already have we will continue to struggle within the boundaries of self-made strife. I am not sure what it is going to take other than learning about what we want for our world and what we are willing to work toward that want. The paradigm of some with most and most with some must find a balance that is achieved not through advantage and oppression, but through fairness and justice. The life that is fulfilled is the one we all share together with the same beginning for all to start from.

Fear is no rescue (#1682)

Being afraid and allowing that fear to be the basis for your decisions is no rescue from the problem you face. Standing up to the problem is the solution however that comes out. Being afraid and allowing the fear to dictate your response is not only cowardly it is a less than an honorable human trait. Life has to be worth more than being afraid of what could happen instead of living life with the courage to accept it as it is and applying the right and correct response to it. I suppose many folks don't know they are living in fear since they have built walls around themselves that mostly make them "feel" right without understanding they are shrouding themselves in a wrapping that limits their life experiences. Like the "Allegory of the Cave" in Plato's Republic, folks don't know what they are missing because they lack the courage and/or curiosity to see what else exists. We are humans born on a celestial rock with all the space around us to consider. What we do with the limited time we have here is our choice but to neglect the choice out of fear of losing time here is nonsense. Just existing to exist is not an option for anyone who is capable of enlightened thinking, which almost everyone is capable of. If the choice is to accept reality for what it is then the courage we humans have should be forthright in our life journey's however if we choose to live under some restrictions that deny our curiosity and instead make us afraid of what could be then we are living not as the bold species we represent but as the limited species we cower to reflect.

"Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing."-Edmund Burke. (#1681)

At what point are the scales of justice tipped where good men will raise up and put a stop to the destruction bad men perpetrate on others? The history of humankind has shown that we have a high tolerance for inaction when the action could be minimal but instead we wait right up until the critical point before we come into action. In the meantime the scars to our conscious continue to grow and all the distractions in life cannot fully obliterate them from our memories. The reality that peace comes about through the strength to defend it has been lost on the ones who see it as a contradiction. Surely force to keep peace is not a new concept. The world wars in the previous century exhibit themselves for all to learn, yet the continued idea that somehow if we all just ignore atrocity it will eventually go away. The "Ostrich" effect. I abhor the use of violence in general but in specific areas of holocaust and annihilation being perpetrated there can be no other course than the will and the strength to stop it. There are those humans who are psychologically bent toward complete lack of empathy. When these individuals or groups get power and unleash their egoism on the general public is when their psychopathy must be defended against. There is no other solution to the madness of destruction other than to subdue those who are responsible. Violence as a means to protect peace is reasonable when the value of doing nothing is worse. None of us civilized persons would ever wish harm to anyone but to stand back and do nothing in the face of harm is not to be allowed!

The defense of virtue (#1680)

When virtue is under attack how is it justified to defend virtue with less than virtuous means? When the only hope for right is to employ a wrong is what I and others often struggle with. Does that mean that the struggle is wrong? No. It does mean however that choices must be made and often those choices contradict the very virtues we are trying to protect. It is a conundrum that often freezes us to inaction. Yet inaction is a condoning of the status quo which we have already understood to be an attack on virtue. In a perfect world the solution to every wrong would be perfectly right and be 100% effective. However we do not live in a perfect world yet so our choices are often if not most always less than desirable. What to do? Well the answer is to stop the greater harm with a lesser harm if necessary. Our conscious must allow for those times when the only immediate solution to deplorable harm is to employ another lesser form of harm to stop it. This is our dilemma. What is a lesser form of harm to stop a greater form of harm? Remember we have some understandings of how harms work in some areas of life and geography, yet as we all know time continues and factors once then are not the same now. The human experience will continue if we continue to face the tough choices in life that assail the best of who we are. If we don't defend against that which steals from us our expectation and hope for virtue to dominate our existence then we are allowing for the eventual destruction of all of us. Virtue is the worthy paradigm that should and will prevail as long as we understand that it's defense is what we do best.

Remembering to stop and smell the roses (#1679)

There is so much work to be done on so many fronts and not doing something all the time seems like a waste of time, however that is not true. I have a duty to our species as well as a little duty to myself to try to enjoy what we accomplish in order to appreciate what others have done before me and what others are still doing today. Knowing the benefits of hard work is why we fight so hard to protect what is good and to make new betters for tomorrow. A few moments of rest and appreciation are more like recharges to my motivational batteries so to speak and not doing so at times can make for an unappreciative Carl. I understand this and although I am not above having fun with rest and relaxation, there is still so much to do. The complexity of human life is just awesome that we can be so motivated to work ourselves hard for a better world but we can also stop and appreciate that hard work and enjoy the benefits it produces. I am older now and less likely to linger in the benefits of the goodness we create in life but that is why it is so important for me to remember why we fight for a world that has more to do with the best of virtue than what others see as a survival of the fittest. Others believe in a world where less is about reason and analyzing and more is about power and influence. Those are my combatants and they seem to have no time for the enjoyment of shared improvement, to their detriment. While they claim that no one needs anything outside their own success, they don't get to "feel good" about their accomplishments. Instead they feel a false sense of privilege that accounts for them being more human or more entitled to humanity than others who have not achieved their status. I will for one just thank my conscious, first because I have one, and second because it gives me a wonderful feeling of working toward shared enjoyment by all who wish a better world for all of us.

Consistently persistent (#1678)

Manifest destiny if you like. The ability to continue on when continuing on is hard. That is the nature of the human species at the most primitive level. We have a need to survive in the face of any odds. It is in our DNA to do everything within rational, and at times, even irrational behavior to stay within this existence as who we are. It would also follow that the ideas and values we cling to would also have the same instinctual motivation as our own lives do. Now there are more than enough examples of people who compromise their principles in order to stay alive but nonetheless we do hold our principles up to a greater value than most temptations. Yet it would seem naive if I didn't admit that in today's era the trade off of our principles for some financial gain isn't the norm over not doing so. "My word is my bond" is less a factor in reality as our species should represent but there are still those who hold to it's merit. I look at life this way, come what may, with sleeves rolled up, is for sure an ideal worthy of advocating for but in too many cases, come what may has so many other implications that sacrificing one's principles in order to keep chaos outside of our lives is more in tune with how we view our existences. Sadly, we learn to compromise in areas that need no more ground lost instead of needing more ground gained. This is where our consistency of purpose will benefit us. As long as we recognize the battles we can fight and endure, we can make back ground previously lost. We don't need to sacrifice our present existence to be forthright in our knowledge of troubled areas. We just need to never lose focus of our perpetual persistent need to make our world better wherever and whenever we can.

The nuance of subtlety (#1677)

Making fine distinctions is necessary in life in order for us to move past the brutish behavior of our past. We will certainly not lose the impact of our decisions because we choose to interpret our words with more insight than brute force. Understanding a complexity, that leaves many who choose not to learn logic, is not a negative trait,  it is contrarily a positive in that what one knows that others don't is more an advantage than a detriment. We all choose to be either informed or not informed. That is our right to choose, however it is not our right to expect anything more than we deserve for our calculated strategy. If we choose to ignore the present and what the past has taught us about the present then our say in the future will be dimly received. However if we do choose to understand the dynamics of our existence with some complexity then our opinions about our present course and our future become of much more value. That is the subtlety I am referring. Knowing the undercurrent of actions as opposed to not knowing puts us in different perspectives. Knowledge will most always win out over luck so don't allow yourself the indignity of being proven wrong by defaulting on your own option to learn. That is all the difference is between those who are mostly right about actions and those who mostly are not. As a reminder, you cannot go wrong if you found your principles in virtue. Allowing for equality, honor and justice etcetera to guide your path is rarely a wrong choice to make. Knowing the differences between virtue and belief will also serve you well in that virtue is founded in the best of who we are as a species opposed to belief which is founded in some ancient concept with restriction and limited choice.

We are so close (#1676)

There is only one major political party in America that stands up for the working/middle/poor, that being the Democratic Party. In the coming US House and Senate elections of 2014 a decent chance is available for the Democrats to regain control of the House and keep their majority in the Senate. If this happens, along with a Democratic President we can see the restoration of voting rights, infrastructure repair, tweaks to our new health care law that makes it even more appealing, a bill to eliminate the disastrous effects of the Citizens United law in order to bring about public financing of elections, a minimum wage increase, expansion on the earnings cap for social security and many more progressive ideals. Even business would benefit in that laws could be passed to eliminate tax breaks for off shoring and instead give tax breaks for keeping jobs here in America. We could finally restructure our outdated tax laws that reflect the best incentives for all who need a fair opportunity to succeed and pass an immigration reform law that reflects our values as not only principled in our vision but fair in it's application. There is so much that can be done and if I left out anything progressive we can get to that as well. Our time is coming for our country to heal itself of divisive policies that pit the wealthy against ordinary earners. We are a stronger country when all of our citizens have a say in how our democracy works and with enough Democratic votes this November 2014 we will begin to shine like our forefathers foresaw when they established our new country and as President Abraham Lincoln said; "Government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the Earth."

We must do more than just exist (#1675)

We are not some utility that has some simply defined purpose. We are an entity capable of so much beyond what we are currently expressing. Most of us are comfortable with others leading the policies that define what we can or will do. That is not how it should be. We all need representation as it currently exists but not as an end all but as a beginning. We individual humans need to push ourselves to understand our world and the interconnectedness we all share. Our values and our possibilities must go hand in hand. The objective and correct foundation is for us to treat each other the way we wish to be treated. Now I am not talking about any selfish extravagance but about a respect and dignity we all owe to each other. From that initial starting point we can then build upon our natures of curiosity and compassion and begin to see our existence as more than a continuum of night and day on a planet we will live and die on. All of our efforts must be focused on moving on from our earthly home out into the unknown that encapsulates us. We need to keep a society that works as a means to progress but that work should not be just about making a profit, it should be about building a purpose of shared destiny. Our work should be about elevating us in ways that help our curiosity answer questions we have long ago given up finding solutions for. If we are all advancing toward our shared curiosities about this existence then we find we can share our compassion more freely with each other. The determined effort of our species to work together toward goals that are instinctual in our souls is how we move past the petty denigration inherent within our current societal norms of just existing to exist.