Tax the churches (#2692)

     I have had it! Enough! If the churches are going to espouse their views on politics then they need to contribute to society like all other entities that espouse their political views. In my early days churches were for uplifting souls to God for redemption, not judging souls for death and damnation. I am not a believer in any religion, so church, God and all that is meaningless to me. However, many others do believe and if political attacks and hatred are coming to them from the pulpit then churches should be required to pay taxes like all other political entities. Because God was taught to be a salvation, a entity that brought peace and harmony to all. What we have today is what I like to call the republican Jesus syndrome.
     A hard punishing God who whips his congregants into submission to whatever definition the leader of the church may desire. It seems that interpreting the Bible is a many stop shop. It all depends on what the leaders' political position is that defines how they read the Bible. It is sickening to me that these leaders pull selective passages from the old testament to hate on different groups of people while ignoring the other passages that do point right back at them. It is a selective worshiping process that has evolved. If you hate you can find a church that will hate right along with you. Just forget that passage in the Bible where it says all the other laws are contained in love thy neighbor. Republican Jesus doesn't hang with that anymore.
     I find that organized religion has seen it's end coming and is fighting hard to keep what relevance it has left by morphing into what placates our baser instincts. Turning humans against humans is now a somewhat popular protocol for keeping a church thriving. Well, everything has a price and if a church has the inclination to politicize it's doctrine then it has to pay the piper!

Humanity is at stake in our next election (#2691)

     Are you paying attention? Do you see what is going on right in front of you? There are two choices coming up this November. Either vote for humanity or vote for cruelty. You get to decide who you are and what kind of country you want to live in. The republicans are offering cruelty. They have defined many as despicable and unworthy of a democratic quality of life. Democrats are offering everyone a democratic quality of life. So if you are prone to prejudice and hatred then you are better served by republicans. If you are prone to tolerance and diversity then you are better served by democrats. Now this is just the democracy for all or democracy for some question.
     There are other factors to consider as well. Like the republicans wanting to end governmental programs like Social Security and Medicare. While democrats want to expand those programs. Republicans want to end the Postal Service and turn it over to private profiteers who will deliver your mail for a significant cost. While democrats want to preserve our Postal Service and increase it's efficiency and further lower it's already miniscule costs. Republicans want to end healthcare for our veterans of military service while democrats want to improve it. Republicans want to keep women earning less than men so that women know there place in a republican male dominated vision. Democrats want men and women who do the same work to be paid the same regardless of gender. Republicans want to lower or even eliminate the minimum wage so that we have less opportunities for the working/middle/poor class. Democrats want to increase the minimum wage so that the working/middle/poor class has greater opportunities for a successful life.
     These are but a few of the differences between republicans and democrats when deciding what kind of person you are and how you see our future. make up your own mind and then vote accordingly. If you respect yourself enough to make a stand about who you are and what you see as our future then defend and be accountable for your vote against any and all who would question you on it.

Prejudice before people is sick (#2690)

     We have words in our lexicon to describe actions and thoughts. Hatred is a word we use to define ill will toward another or a thing. So when we say someone hates someone else we are talking about a nefarious entity. When our own prejudice, a damaging and harmful opinion, has a higher priority than the health and welfare of another person, we can justifiably be called a hater. It is what it is and regardless if we don't like the term hater, it fits. Now, both prejudice and hatred are not mentally healthy nor are they logically acquired. There is a ulterior motive to their being. They both stem from fear.
     Being afraid of what one has been inculcated to despise or being afraid to admit that if not for some unseen circumstance there go I, need further objective investigation. None of us is much different from another yet many of us fight our whole lives to deny it. Even to creating illusions and false conclusions as fact in order to steer clear of admitting that we have much more in common than not. What is even worse beyond our own self denial is the actual harm we may cause to others over our own opinions. We will simply ignore devastation if it fits our narrative. Somehow finding justification, much like the holocaust was for so many who put their prejudices before people.
     Now we don't have anything on that massive scale happening now but instead we have smaller atrocities happening in which too many of us find satisfaction. It is a sickness and an illness folks, to find comfort in the misery and death of others. You do get that right? No matter how other people choose to define their right to the pursuit of their happiness, we cannot be their haters if we disagree with their choice. We are not the bosses of them. We are the boss of ourselves and our wards and children. We have no right to become less human in order to justify our prejudiced and hateful opinion about what life should be like and how it should be lived for others.

Why are people so afraid? (#2689)

     They won't admit of course but they are afraid. They fear the unknown, they fear a lot of the known and they fear their own death. In fact many of them fear their life. Somehow they have gotten lost on the path of life and now are afraid of most everything. Me, I don't care much about anything in particular but instead I care about everything in general. I want a better world for myself and those who are here with me and are going to be here after I am gone. A world where there is little stress to live. A world where the future has no poverty, no hunger and no avoidable sickness. This isn't much to ask when considering all that our planet has to offer. All it takes is a conscience and a will.
     I am one of those people who is highly uncomfortable with having something excessive when so many have very little. I am a proud man in the best sense of the word. I like to share if I have too much. I like to fight for those who cannot fight for their own rights. My purpose in life is to make life better for all around me. It is a simple purpose but there is no higher one to me. I don't need forgiveness from some belief system. I don't need to question my ethics when my ethics are noble. I don't spend time wrestling with excuses or reasons for me to have more than I need or want. I am happy with the truth of things. An easy carefree life dedicated to making life better. I have never felt so peaceful yet strong.
     Fear is the result of doing something or thinking something that isn't right or is a result of a subconscious attempt to not care. I say my nature is to care about things and to wonder about everything else. I have compassion and I have curiosity. The two main motivations that drive my life. There is no room for fear with them. That which I don't know I eagerly wait to find out. I am not restricted with belief systems that spend more time telling us what not to do and put fear of punishment in the mix. None of that makes sense to me. What does make sense to me are my principles for living succinctly described by John Stuart Mill, "do no harm", the rest is doing good.

The political awakening (#2688)

     It has not been like the rules we have been using under our democracy have all of a sudden shown themselves to be less than democratic. They have been like this for centuries. So now that some have been enlightened to them during this current political presidential campaign highlights to me one thing different than the actual unequal rules being applied. What it highlights to me is that so few had taken the time to understand how our past political process' had worked. The idea that knowledge is power seems to have been lost when it comes to politics for so many who now are clamoring against the current rules. My question to them is where the hell have you been when many others of us have tried to bring this to your attention?
     Apparently too busy with your lives to be bothered by something that didn't directly affect you. A rule of thumb for the enlightened, wherever injustice or inequality lives is where we need to be changing it, regardless of it's affect on us. Maybe now those who go to high school will actually pay attention in civics class or demand that civics be taught. To many of us are looking to skate by by the skin of our teeth but unfortunately end up being successful at the skating by. We end up with an uninformed society that demands much but places little responsibility on itself to understand how to actually achieve those demands.
     What the Bernie phenomena has produced is an awareness that the political process of nominating is a hodgepodge of irrational processes that favor one candidate over another. The process shouldn't be what decides the outcome of our elections, especially the voter restrictions republicans love to apply, no, the policies of the candidates should be the final arbiter of how we elect our public officials. Maybe now we can get back to learning like we should and not only protecting what equalities we have but changing the inequalities over to equalities. Our society is a nonsensical mess at times and all of us need to be part of cleaning up the mess with an informed mind.

Nose to the stone (#2687)

     A personalized posting today. I have been chasing an electrical outing in my house, which is an old house with the old type screw in fuses and old wiring with old style plugs and switches. Not all of the house has lost power from the main fuse box but enough of the house to black out at least three rooms. I have been trying different solutions from what little electrical knowledge I have but so far no success. So I bought new fuses and changed out all the other fuses that might be the problem but still no success.
     So a little while ago I called on a friend who works as an electrician and he said he will be over after work this late afternoon. Nice to have friends who actually help when a problem arises. This old house has been telling me it is is need of care at almost every turn and I have been successful at solving most all the problems it brings to me but not so far today. At least I have a back up plan to have my friend the electrician come by and put his knowledge and tools to work to figure out what can be done. In the meantime I have extension cords going to the rooms, which are non vital rooms except one of the two bathrooms.
     I almost forgot to get my daily blog post written because I have been so preoccupied with chasing the electrical ghost all day. A positive out of all of this is that I got to change out a couple of dicey receptacles. Small consolation but nonetheless consolation. I knew when I took on this house that I would have to change many things with the fundamentals but I had hoped I wouldn't be surprised with unexpected problems. Oh well. waiting for the electrician has given me time to do some writing about my day. Which is odd because I usually always write when I first get up in the morning or thereabouts. Well anyway, an odd posting but a glimpse into my day today. Oh, and I did get out long enough to smog my truck. lol.

Our courage is greater than our fear (#2686)

     There are always examples of how we shrink from doing great things. The list is long and tumultuous. However, despite the metaphorical anchor fear restricts us in our necessary forward movement, occasionally our courage conquers our fear and we jump ahead in a magnificent way. The latest was electing our first African/American president. The moon landing and the Mars rovers also come to mind. We are not a species who are always denied our true nature. I speak often in this blog about how we are biological data processors with the ability to reason, analyze and conclude with memory, comprehensively. Having these attributes should make it obvious that we are a species destined to expand our livable environments and explore new ways to make it so.
     Yet we are also afflicted with a fear that dangerously moves beyond caution. Doing nothing or even wanting to go back to less enlightened days is the evidence of such fear. As a community of people it is difficult to allay everyone's fears at the same time. Which is why we need to allay our own fears. We cannot be led to live as a human being instead of living like an inanimate object. We have to lead ourselves to know what we are capable of and then work to make it come true. Life is about trial and error and success and failure. Living as a neutral being just happy to be alive is a negation of our natural instincts. Why be less than human? Why indeed! Fear is why and fear will win if we don't conquer our own version of it.
     I am not saying go out and be reckless, I am saying don't hold back in reserve that which you can reasonably express in thought and behavior right now. Our courage, when employed, is an empowering and satisfying emotional experience. Our courage allows us to grow in ways that we need to expand and mature in wisdom. We cannot let circumstances and situations dictate to us how we must live. We have to do the choosing and there is only one way that can be done. We each have to decide to stand for ourselves. We have to let ourselves be our own biological data processor. We have to live as who we really are and quit wasting time just living to exist.

My life needs to be a little bit messy (#2685)

     Messy? Yeah, messy. I have a pretty good handle on the day to day operations of how my life is lived and that is good to a point. I need to get out and live a little bit outside anything I plan or designate for myself. Life needs to be unexpected at times. Outside the box so to speak. Now I don't violate my principles per se... but I do bend them a little bit so that I am not inflexible to others who have a different viewpoint than my own. I tolerate thoughts and actions that I don't normally associate with as long as they are not specifically harmful to others or myself. I need to be able to have fun and have spontaneity in my life otherwise I lose a part of me in the regular order of things.
     If I am a little messy in my life it leaves open a door for someone to come in and help me clean it up from time to time. Or even to form a relationship over frailties. The permutations are endless when I loosen the binds and fetters I place on myself in order to actually live life instead of just being in it. You may well know that I place great emphasis on being logical and full of common sense for the most part of my life yet even a little bit of nonsense or illogic can bring joy and laughter to me if I remember to compartmentalize it as such. My happiness needs an outlet and the discipline of logic and common sense are not the best vessels for expressing my happiness.
     I am wise enough to know my limitations and/or restrictions but I am also confident enough to know that my failures or successes do not translate over to everyone else. I need to loosen up a bit at times in order to allow for someone else to show their ability to live life. I cannot be the control for all things and I know that. I know as well that I need to be a human being who not only utilizes his abilities for a greater good but for my own sense of humanity. By not keeping every single thing in my life in order, I become more human and less automaton. I need to have fun, it is part of who I am and for that I am lucky to know.

The truth is humbling (#2684)

     A friend of mine told me that I was a humble man. In a good way, without sarcasm. I thought about it for a few seconds and it dawned on me that the truth is humbling. If I stay in the truth I should be in constant humility. Regardless of whether I have success or failure, humility should always be my behavior. I know that I am just one human being in a long line of many many human beings who have lived and are living their lives. There is no special power or trait on my part that distinguishes me from anyone else so for me to allow my ego to run wild with ego driven thoughts of my own grandeur are laughable.
     The best part about who I am is me just being me. I like who I am. I do good things with the intention of accomplishing good things. I like helping people help themselves. Nothing gives me greater self satisfaction than to be part of someone else's success. I have found my own inner peace and for that I am humbled. Peace is in my heart and soul despite all the angst in the world. I often feel unworthy of such calmness and although I get into my own harangues from time to time I can still step back into my own insight and know that I am a safe harbor for myself and hopefully as many others as may need.
     The only quest I am on at this time in my life is for more enlightenment and hopefully to be part of some greater exploration of the unknown. I cannot have any of that unless I live in the truth. The truth at least gives me a conclusion for me to add to the rest of our comprehensive reality. If I keep building up truths I know I am on solid footing for getting closer to understanding our existence and for charting out what we may seek to accomplish in our futures. I am optimistic to the point of being hopeful about our species and our better natures as we expand out beyond our current limitations. This is just the beginning of our human era and what is in store for us is excitingly unimaginable as long as we do our best with who we are and stay humble in our truths.

Survival, what we need to know about our 3rd natural instinct (#2683)

     We humans are not much different from the many other species on this planet. We all have a need to exist. I talk a lot about my philosophy that there are two major natural instincts we humans have, "care" and "wonder". But there is a third natural instinct we have that I cannot subscribe neatly into the other two. So I give it lesser significance to our care and wonder but it still rates as our third natural instinct. Let me try to give my comprehensive understanding of "survival". It exists on a timeline between fear and courage. Everything in between those two paradigms contain our desire to survive. Fear keeps us alive by ignoring or protecting ourselves from harm as well as shrinking away from harm as an avoidance. I occasionally use fear as a tool to protect myself when it is ridiculous or impossible to succeed in staying alive for the most part.
     Fear is also utilized when our common sense or logic dictates that a continuance of something may well turn deadly. So in some sense fear is a good alarm for safety. But many times fear is just being afraid and that is not as healthy when combined with our other natural instincts of care and wonder. Being afraid to expand or learn is always difficult to defend. We are better off learning and growing than to be afraid of the consequences of that learning and growing. Ignoring harms or threats to our existence is also not good. Ignorance is not something our human species should ever settle for. We are capable of much much more than choosing not to know. It is beneath our dignity really.
     As to courage, we must balance our need to know and act with our need to be safe. It really is a critical balance that must be weighed carefully. I can be cavalier at times with my hero ego and try to do difficult acts to save someone or myself with little thought. I have a difficult time with the hero ego since I suffer from the delusion that I can be invincible at times. lol. However, my courage is strong and it is a direct result of my wanting to know, or my curiosity. We humans must live up to our great potential and apply our courage where needed. Courage to face our demons or our fears often leads us to conquering them and then moving on to the next great challenge. It is who we are as a species and we had all better begin to comprehend that.

We democrats (#2682)

     The thing about we democrats is that republicans have made us skittish when it comes to elections. We try to be peacemakers within all quarters of life but republicans are not of the same ilk. So when the republicans manipulated their stranglehold on our congressional districts through outlandish gerrymandering and were buttressed by a sympathetic majority conservative Supreme Court, we democrats were and are nervous when it comes to upcoming elections. We know we have the majority opinion on our side but there are obstacles that republicans have managed to put into place to thwart that majority. Voter suppression tactics being foremost and media manipulation being another.
     So when the election season comes into being we tend to get defensive and let our guard slip as to protecting our democratic principles. We often want to get down into the mud with republicans and fight there with them instead of staying up on the high road and leading by example. I know I am guilty of lashing out at republicans as a means to satisfy my own anger at them. But I cannot lose the vision of what the democratic party stands for. We are the true big tent party where we accept all who have liberal/progressive ideals. If you are an unaffiliated party person we accept you if you follow liberal ideology. If you are a registered Independent we accept you if you follow liberal ideology. We do not turn away anyone who believes that helping the working/middle/poor class is critical to improving our economic and social structures.
     In a more perfect world we would settle on our candidates based upon their policy positions. That is the true test of democracy and the ultimate intent of uniting our base. However we do not have a more perfect world today and in the mix for choosing our candidates are overcoming inherent prejudices and biases that have sustained themselves for far too long. Also is our nervousness over any republican claiming a victory to the presidency. As we make these calculations to guide our voting choices, we must remember that despite our choices all we democrats want is a better future for the working/middle/poor class and none of us is an enemy to each other. We are here to help each other win public offices and defeat republicans where they hold power.
     

Real leaders make life better for all not just for those who don't need it (#2681)

     The republican candidate for president in 2016 wants to give tax cuts to the wealthy so that in his mind the economy would take off. Okay, let's begin with the tax cuts for the wealthy shall we? Since 2001 and the George W. Bush administration tax cuts for the wealthy since then have created an influx of capital for the wealthy while diminishing returns for the ever growing poor class. https://ourfuture.org/fact_sheet/ten-years-bush-tax-cuts-benefiting-rich. Overall, those tax cuts for the wealthy accomplished the greatest income inequality in America since just before the Great Depression back in the 1920's. So for Donald Trump to be following the same economic path as his republican predecessor George W. Bush shows just how ridiculously malicious his candidacy really is.
     That the republican plan to keep cutting taxes for the already filthy rich is indicative of the tunnel vision policies republicans have adopted. Republicans can only see what benefits the wealthy as their purpose in life. Nothing changes with them. Even to the point of cutting or eliminating Social Security and Medicare if need be to balance the budget. http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2016/05/12/trump_advisor_says_he_might_social_security_and_medicare.html. Now let me be clear here. Republicans are the party of the wealthy over the middle/poor class. You do get that don't you when it comes to economic issues? If there is one thing that gets my attention it is my wallet. If there is no money in there I am more than worried. If there is money in there I am much happier. I don't really care who uses what bathroom or who marries who, that is between other folks. I do care about my wallet though and trickle down economics does not work and leaves my wallet empty.
     Keynesian economics has proven to be effective as a model for economic growth and sustainability. It focuses on the middle/poor class and jump starting government support for private enterprises to mobilize a ready and waiting work force. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-10-30/why-john-maynard-keyness-theories-can-fix-the-world-economy. That the republican candidate for president has gone back to the failed policies of trickle down economics is revealing in that republicans are not about helping the working/middle/poor class. Whereas the candidates for president from the democratic side are both supportive of Keynesian economic policies. Real leaders lead all the people; not just those who pay them off.
     

The ignorance of a republican voter I know (#2680)

     It is disheartening to hear a recent acquaintance of mine tell me he is voting for Trump because he wants all the Mexicans gone from America. I told him that no one would work the farms to pick the fruits, nuts and vegetables. Since generations of Mexican undocumented immigrants have been coming to America during the harvesting seasons. This is nothing new, for over a century Mexicans have trekked across our western lands working the fields and groves. My acquaintance, I won't call him my friend, thinks that we can get younger folks to do the harvesting so the migrants need not come back to America.
    If that had been the case, that our American youth would suddenly turn into harvesters, it would have happened long ago. Harvesting is an underpaid and back breaking job. I know no one who could last a day at the pace the migrant harvesters perform at. Let alone survive off the meager wages they are paid. But for my acquaintance, this was his big issue, kick the Mexicans out of America. I thought about our exchange for awhile after we disconnected our call. It is surprising to me that as he is getting older and more in need of social security and medicare, that protecting these services wouldn't be more important to him.
     Then I thought about where he was raised and who influences him. He has some built in biases and prejudices that have been fostered by those around him. Surely he could well have been a different person if his lifelong enculturation had more enlightenment to it. Stereotypes and superstition seem to have ruled the day with him and now he cannot find reality and what is best for him and most of the rest of us because his filter won't let him raise his own ability to see comprehensively. I suppose over some time of him interacting with me I can be persuasive but then again he still has to want to learn. Living in a vacuum where everything is comfortable enough seems to be an attraction too many who don't appreciate knowledge find safe and empowering.

The purpose of human life is to expand our horizons and explore our environment (#2679)

     We, everyone of us humans has a noble purpose to join. We need to take what knowledge we can get and invest it into our ability to move beyond the dirt beneath our feet. We are not here in existence just to make commerce and strive for profit. That is the machinery of our society, not it's purpose. We are biological data processors with memory and inquisitiveness. Our best utility is to open up new ways of thinking and doing. the Universe is our environment and it is waiting for us to understand it. Our minds are much the same way. We start out as a blank slate taking in all we can as we begin to grow into physical maturity. We take what we learn and apply it comprehensively with reason, analysis and conclusions. A logical progression so that we can become masters of our time.
     Technology and innovation will occur regardless if we entertain to be part of it. So why would we not? Are we satisfied with just existing as a life? For us to have the mental and physical abilities we have to be satisfied with being sedentary is against the nature of humanity. We need to find the will within us to move out beyond a little bit of comfort and push our society to advance out beyond our current capabilities. We are not all scientists or explorers but we have the vision to understand the importance of helping those who do have these qualities to not only fulfill their destinies but ours through them.
     We are a society species. We don't do well all by ourselves. So let us carry each other out beyond what we have now to a new paradigm that expands the existence of humanity to further reaches of space and time. Our future is out into the great void all around us and the sooner we recognize the immense opportunity we have the better for all of us born now and later. Remember, our human nature is unique, we care about each other and we wonder about all that exists. Let us take our biological data processing selves out for a spin and let's see how much better life can be when we are all on board with the new discoveries.

Finding that peaceful place without an ego (#2678)

     I hear this way too much. I can't do this because it violates my principles. I use that same line at times but the difference with me is that there are other options that are better. In politics, where we come down to two candidates, there are only two options who will be elected and no matter how stiff an upper lip I keep in keeping my principles, one of the two candidates will win. Now do I think either is perfect? No, but one is better than the other and if it still is bothersome to me to have to vote for the candidate that is less egregious to me then that is the compromise that I must make.
     For one thing there is no perfect candidate so who I am kidding when I say I won't vote for some candidate based upon my principles? Nothing in life is perfect. Let me say that again, nothing in life is perfect so we are in a constant state of compromise. This is where we can begin to see that our own ego is as much fault with our world view as anything. Thus finding a place to feel grounded and safe is far better than to be at constant odds with ourselves. Our egos tell us that we can always have or do better, which is fine when taken in context. Reality also tells us that we get better and improve our lives through large or small steps forward, more small that large steps by the way.
     So realizing that we can get to a more modern paradigm with our society while still being able to uphold our principles is possible. Our principles just need to be realistic with what we have and not solely idealistic. For one thing those who have no principles worthy of our best natures will vote for their candidate regardless of any perceived noble stance we take. In fact they are counting on us being immovable so that their candidate, who is the worst of the lot can get elected. I and everyone I know want a more perfect candidate if possible but if not we are not immune to knowing that if we don't rally behind the less imperfect candidate, pain and suffering will continue and our reality will change and it won't be for the better.

What choices will I make today? (#2677)

     Every day I start out by making choices. I get to make choices for me and my own little furry friends at every turn. So my choices must be valid and good as a rule for me. I am not one of those cynical types who makes his decisions based upon selfish factors. Instead, I am one who makes decisions about my choices based upon a greater good. So sometimes I get left out of a good thing so that more may have a good thing. I am not Gandhi, but I do try to live up to his vision of caring for all of our existence not just my little place in it. But let's get back to me having choices. There is no architecture in place that has already laid out our choices for us. Our present and future have not already been decided. We are the ones who have that final say.
     So whatever comes to us within our control is ours to be responsible for. The concept of "free will" is valid and we who choose to be the masters of our own fate have it all around us. I am not under any immediate restrictions except those which I choose to place on myself. I have not made choices that have restricted me by others outside my own self except to live in a society governed by laws and ordinances. Otherwise, how I think and act are my choice. Within that thinking and acting I get to change my mind and behavior based upon new revelations or new information. My choice again.
     I know this, that when I have respect and civility toward others who do the same for me, there is little I can be in conflict with. It is those who do not return respect or civility to me that create the angst that so much of our society currently experiences. But that is their choice and my choice is to remove all of myself as best I am able from their presence. I have learned something very valuable in life. I don't have to be around anyone who cannot accept reality with a care and curiosity. Whether family or acquaintance it makes no difference, I will remove myself since it is the one thing I can control in a group setting, that being whether I am there or not. I value who I am and if it costs others my presence then they need to make better choices if they want me present. Choices, life is all about choices.

The absolute necessity for health care for everyone (#2676)

     I was sitting here trying to count up all the breaks, tears, strains and the aches and pains that go with them that I have had or continue to have in my own body. It is a fact of time and space that our bodies grow older and although when we were first starting out in life and we grew and got strong, the opposite occurs when we get older. No carnival barker or salesman will ever be able to turn back eventuality. So it is with everyone of us. None of us is immune to growing older and having our bodies break down from the wear and tear of life. So it isn't a stretch at all, unless it is a ligament, that we all are going to need medical attention in our older age.
     Now I am not even taking into account all the physical battles we many have even before we grow old. Or the physical ailments we are born with. Which is a great many of us as it is. No, I am just referencing those of us past a certain age when the body begins to break down. We are "all" susceptible to aging and the effects of aging on our bodies. I am trying to be very clear here, none of us is immune to aging and it's detrimental physical effects. So why can't we all agree that we all need to have health care? Is it that some think other things are more important? Is it that others think that some of us are not worthy of maintaining health? Regardless of what the reason is that some do not want us all to have health care, the intent behind it is wrong and brutishly held.
     I find this with most all in the republican party and some in the democratic party as well. My point here is that health care is a logical solution to a certain and unassailable fact, we "all" need health care. For anyone to say otherwise is a failing on their part to either not understand the fundamental nature of aging and it's health complications or that they are hard folks who count their pennies and others' pennies as a higher priority than life itself. This is a moral and logical failing to do so and highlights what most all in the republican party and yes, even some in the democratic party have chosen to do.

Every moment we are doing good is one less moment of bad (#2675)

     Whenever you ask yourself why you are wasting your time doing good things just remember that it is one less bad thing being done. Our lives may seem meaningless but they are not. We influence everything around us through our thoughts and behaviors. If we are blazing a trail of wreckage then that is just that much more bad in our lives and the lives of those around us. If we are cleaning up messes and creating new good paradigms then our lives are better as are the lives of those around us. That is the dynamic, if we stay in the positive and do what we can, we are making the world better around us. That is more than living a life of meaninglessness.
     It is a purpose of sorts. Everything is connected in some way that makes the whole of us who we are. If I am part of a good thing about everything then my role in this one giant ball of existence is a worthy purpose. I am not just some number in a long line of numbers known by some name. I am more than that. I am manifesting a destiny of my choosing that doesn't just have my own well being as a stake holder. As a metaphor, I am fashioning an existence where what is left behind me is not rough road with obstacles at every turn. Instead I am trying to pave a road that is smooth, filled with sunshine and shade where needed. I am more than what others may want me to be or tell me to keep me in a pessimistic frame of mind. I refuse that and instead summon my inner strengths to create my own vision of life and what it can be.
     An intelligent thing to do is read the old philosophers and find little nuggets of wisdom. Take all those nuggets of wisdom and apply them to our own modern times and see if you cannot make sense out of all the current nonsense being peddled. Some bark at us to tell us what they want us to react to. I look into my own life and become the best of what is best about me. Using wisdom and the goodness within me I can see a future that is magnificent and worthy of the exceptional human species we truly are. We are the masters of the universe, each one of us so let us take that mantle and reign like we were meant reign.

Religious fanaticism is killing American enlightenment (#2674)

     Our national constitution was written in such a way as to avoid the conflict of belief systems and logical progression. The purpose was to free up individuality so that strict structures, based upon myths, mores and superstitions, were not the only parameters by which individuality could be understood and expressed. Belief systems were not banned, but simply put outside our political endeavors. Logic and common sense must be our guide to defining our society as a whole and the idea of secularism must be the root of our beginnings, in between and endings. Our laws as defined by our constitution are the final arbiter to how we operate in society and no other rules or dogma, written or otherwise conveyed, outside our constitution are acceptable.
     Yet this is where we seem to have a disconnect. Religious fanaticism has become a distorted movement by which inequality and unfairness thrive. I call it religious fanaticism but it is much more. there is an underlying hatred and intolerance that feeds this movement. What is worse about our natures seems to thrive in this brutish paradigm. Currently there is a lack of modern intelligence that has created a void and rushing in to fill this void are the less than intellectually honest. By clinging to the idea that a magical sovereign is the answer to all our problems we have effectively shirked our responsibility to be good stewards ourselves. We have acquiesced our rights to be intellectually honest and instead have fallen back on the comfort and shortcut of pretending there is a higher sovereign.
     There is no proof whatsoever of a deity, yet people will swear there is based upon their desperate hope that there is one. A denial that trumps all other forms of logic and common sense. It is a character flaw and behavioral weakness to quit on curiosity and wonder as one of our true human natures to accept that we are just a lump of "clay" formed by some greater authority. I for one am embarrassed at our nations slow decline from modernity and enlightenment yet I know that there is still time to turn our minds from fear and laziness to a more productive life of vigorous investigation and comprehensive intellectual gathering.

Chasing the ghost in the computer (#2673)

     I know! Strange post today. But it is all I can think about so it must be my subject for today. I was inexplicably reverted to a different browser page on my computer yesterday. I have been to the forums on this and the tale I have is similar to those who wrote in. I have been trying a varying amount of suggestions to get myself back to where I was before a forced switch was made but so far I have been unsuccessful. I was used to the simple opening of my computer every morning and now for this strange byzantine system thrust upon me leaving me perplexed to be making me use it is unacceptable.
     I was in Windows 10 and doing just fine until Microsoft edge took over from my Google Chrome. I have tried to set Google Chrome back as my default program but Windows 10 won't let me. So I dumped Windows 10 and went back to Windows 8.1 and was able to make Google Chrome my default program. But I am not yet at the point where the opening of my computer is where it was even back when I had Windows 8.1. So that is where I am right now and although I have commitments this morning I have to get this figured out soon. I know how I am and I won't stop until I am back at Windows 10 with the same protocol I had until I was unceremoniously switched.
     Again, I know this is a strange post for this morning but there is a lesson here. I don't like being herded and this is exactly what this "feels" like. We need to make choices based upon what works for us and not be told that we can only do things one way. It is an age old problem with we humans and what we do to each other. Had I been asked I would have said leave me alone. But someone decided that asking me what I wanted wasn't necessary and that will rile me up more than most things. Once I have this figured out I will come back and describe it but until then I hope I can accomplish getting back to where I was sooner rather than later.

If the devil were the republican nominee, republicans would vote for him (#2672)

     If you haven't figured this one out yet then truly you are living under a rock. No matter how bad or dehumanizing the republican nominee is, it will not matter to republican voters. Republicans are so inculcated into their knee jerk reactions that they will never vote for anyone who isn't associated with the republican party. It is disturbing to see but not unexpected. Like I said above, if Satan were running as their leader, they would at first be appalled but then they would line up behind him as the lesser of two evils in their minds. Somehow the worst candidates are transformed into the best candidates as long as they say they are republicans.
     I sat back with amusement as the republican establishment, what is left of it, bellowed that they would never support Donald Trump as their nominee. Yet just a few weeks later here we are with most all of the establishment republicans aligning behind the man who would be their champion. I have learned from the past that although republicans say one thing, they will always fall back in line behind whoever or whatever gives them the best chance to win. Because winning is what politics is all about for republicans, not solving problems that plaque our society or protecting our democratic form of governance. Instead it is about winning in order to keep power so that they can have the greatest path to wealth for their already wealthy donors.
     This is obvious, there is no argument that republicans are the party of the wealthy. If you do not know this then truly you have been living under a rock. Every piece of legislation is aimed at cutting taxes for the wealthy or denying the working/middle/poor class of any opportunity to improve their lot in life. So for anyone who is wealthy and/or believes that the wealthy should have all the power and none of the strife then surely keep voting for republican candidates. That is how our constitution is written, to give us a voice in selecting our representatives. But if you are not wealthy and believe that the people of our nation should decide the future of out society then stop voting for republicans and vote for democrats. We democrats are far from perfect but we are working on perfecting our party, just like we are creating policies that help the working/middle/poor class.

Understanding economic change (#2671)

     The differences between democrats and republicans on the economy are in where the profits go. Republicans want a more heavily top oriented profit accumulation. Whereas democrats want a more spread out profit sharing paradigm. What we have now is more heavily weighed toward the republican ideal as income inequality between the wealthy and the poor is the largest gap in almost a century. What we democrats want to do is stop that ongoing growing trend in it's tracks and start reversing that trend back to a more fair profit sharing system. The overall actions of our economy would little change so there would be no great break in how our economic system is run, but what would happen is that wages would increase for the working/middle/poor class while the wealthy would be responsible for paying a fairer share of taxes from their profit.
     So there is no worry that reorganizing our tax system and raising wages will have much of any effect on the current stability of our economy. In fact, having more of the profit coming into the hands of the working/middle/poor class will actually enhance our economy and make it more robust. Which would then create more opportunities for work for those who have no work, or work that pays very little. Growing our economy can only come about by increasing demand for products and services. The only way that demand can come about is if the working/middle/poor class have more fluidity in their spending. We need to have customers for products and services and this can only come about through higher wages and more tax revenue from the wealthy.
     That is indisputable. So the sooner we get on with it the sooner we will find a more happy society. Republicans have been fighting this inevitability with all their might as their vision of a winner take all society is being overrun by those of us who see all of us being part of some success, rather big or small. We democrats and independents can accomplish this by voting. When we vote, republicans are the small minority and so will their elected officials become. We need liberals and progressives to join together to make our nation a more economically and socially equitable one and it begins with your vote.

Keeping my perspective (#2670)

     I am not some machine that just rolls along without a care to what is going on around me. I am a human being who has urges and desires but must temper those urges and desires in order to live within a civilized society. Now my physical nature is not all who I am. I am also a thinking, rationalizing, logic using being as well. In other words I am more than the just skin enveloping my taken space. So when I make a choice or decision I have to weigh a lot of factors. Nothing is just known in my mind so I have to pause long enough to make sense of what I am about to say or do. I have to have a perspective of the balance between just doing what I want and doing what is best.
     Some don't make that distinction as they somehow see themselves as above the common sense of socially acceptable behavior. Apparently they think that giving up any portion of their illogically defined right to do whatever they want is an abomination not to be borne in the light of day. So they do their dirty deeds in the darkness where they can hide with the other nefarious shadows. There is a compromise we all need to make to exist in this current social structure. We have to put our good personal wants and desires on the back burner in order to fulfill a greater good. We need to establish our society in all it's paradigms to align with the democratic principles of equality, fairness and justice.
     Now we can also bring about our own good wants and desires when they are available but just knowing that the greater good is a higher priority is a start. We are forcing a turn about of our own behavior by changing from being selfish and controlling to being more selfless and sharing. We are not what others tell us we are, we are always more than we think we are. The human species is the most amazing compilation of complexity. We are by far the most advanced entity to have ever graced this Universe in our meagerly known, but advancing enlightenment. I keep my perspective about me as a reminder that I am flawed and need reinforcing measures to continue my path through this struggle to evolve into an even greater example of the human spirit.

The desperation problem with income inequality (#2669)

     What the greedy wealthy fail to realize is that the poverty of the poor creates tremendous desperation. The basic necessities of food, clothing, shelter, cleanliness etc... are difficult to obtain. Other critically important necessities like being able to have a mobile phone or transportation, although critical, seem like luxuries compared to living hand to mouth. The wealthy think that bare minimums for workers are part of what makes them successful at business and in theory it does make them successful in business. However it also makes them unsuccessful as human beings who live in a democracy where equality of opportunity fairness, justice are discarded in order to fulfill the desires of capitalism.
     Desperation makes us do things we ordinarily would not do and that is where this mindset of punishing those who have little is turned itself into a money making private prison venture. When crossing a gray line with the law to serve a noble and/or necessary deed is used as a retribution to serve another profit making opportunity is when we have sunk to the depths of our well hidden depravity. Instead of fixing our broken democratic system that has been turned subservient to an advantaged and privileged laden capitalistic one, we only help the wealthy. The underlying problem of income inequality is not addressed but instead is maintained while the poor continue to suffer.
     Reducing poverty, increasing wages to meet needs and treating all of those involved in money making ventures with respect is the solution. Improving our system of democracy to include all while diminishing the force of unfettered capitalism to a more reasonable society fulfilling paradigm is the path we need to take. The days of winners take all and everyone else is just tool to be used and discarded without a second thought to those consequences are over. We are an enlightened species who have the mechanics and knowledge to force ourselves to solve problems that currently have so many in a state of desperation.

Starting over is never easy (#2668)

     The true value of a thing is not it's familiarity but it's utility. This is true in every aspect of life. I have had relationships where I didn't value them with the worth they deserved so I ended them despite the pain and discomfort I and she was left with. The same with property and sentimentality. Sometimes we have to let go of one thing so that we can receive another thing. But being afraid of change is not the answer. I had a friend who recently passed who used to say that he could walk down the street in nothing but his underwear and he would end up just fine. In other words he could lose it all and start over and make a new life for himself that made him happy.
     I feel the same way and have actually lived that way a few times in my past. Such is the nature of not knowing full well what I needed in life. There is no handbook for us to follow in order to define who we are as humans. We can chose to be honorable people and for that there are examples, but as to defining who we are we will never be able to do that until the time comes at our end when we can look back and see who we were. Words won't suffice, our actions in total will. I don't need to know who I am, I need to do what I think and know is right based upon facts and truths. As I move through life I will live who I am because of what I think and act upon.
     It isn't always pretty and often it is a bit messy but the intent of my life doesn't change. I will make mistakes and do less than I should but I won't allow myself to be stuck where I know I don't belong. I won't lie to myself in order to make something wrong, right. If I have to start over at the very end of my life I will without doubt. Because I know it is right and there are no guarantees or deserves in life if life is being lived in an honest way. Life should be fun and full of love, not a burden of incomplete and incorrect choices for us to carry.

Republicans holding us back from a modern enlightened society (#2667)

     The dumbing down of America is in full swing. Republicans everywhere want to keep our citizenry from realizing that we have the potential to improve and create a more enlightened and equal society. You can easily tell this is happening by the laws these republicans keep trying to get past our national constitution. From restricting voting rights to cutting education funding to denying women the right to define their own destiny to name a few. Everywhere you turn you see the ill effects of republican legislation. We cannot even get republicans to pass an equal pay for equal work for women bill. The audacity of their strategy to treat our citizens as class based children in need of their paternalistic guidance is appalling.
     We are no longer a nation that relies on the myths, superstitions or mores of the past. We now know that logic, science and common sense are our true equations for interpreting our future, yet republicans are not on board with this. They prefer to keep us captive to dogma that is antiquated and anti-democratic. If that was all it would still be horrible but it isn't. Our planet's climate is at risk of changing for the worse due in large part to our acquiescence to powerful forces that find profit in dirty energy. We are turning a corner on this but much damage has been done and is still being done through republican obstruction to transition to cleaner more healthy forms of energy production.
     I cannot begin to emphasize just how bad republican policies are for our society. The mantra of republicans is to build greater armies for more wars and expand police forces and build more jails. It is imperative that we stop the republican agenda as soon as possible, beginning with this coming election and further into our next ones. The devastation they have caused already can be remedied but the time is short and unless done soon will become irreparably irreversible.

Republicans are destroying modernity (#2666)

     There is no other way to grasp the effects of what republicans are trying to do. They are against the working middle/poor class at almost every turn. The middle class had been America's great achievement prior to this current cabal of republicans taking power. But that great American achievement has been undermined by policies specific to republicans. Such as attacking unions and making laws that disband unions wherever possible. Republicans also are working hard to eliminate or reduce the minimum wage throughout America. So not only are they attacking the middle class by shuttering unions and giving corporations tax incentives to move middle class jobs overseas, they are going after the least protected economic class, the poor, by lowering the poor's ability for economic progress.
     We also see republicans going after our national investments. We workers have paid into medicare and social security over the span of our working careers and now republicans want to lower our benefits while trying to privatize the best public run retirement and health programs in our nations history. By privatizing these insurance investments, republicans hope to dismantle them through private sector profit capitalism. I say republicans are destroying modernity because instead of bolstering our nations ability to give opportunity to all of our citizens, republicans are taking away as many opportunities as they are able. They find that a massive low paid workforce helps the wealthy remain wealthy and continues to add to the already outrageous income inequality gap.
     I may seem to be very cynical on my expression about republicans but I have been around long enough to see the pattern. There is no hope for them as long as they continue to hold things more dear than helping their fellow citizens find the opportunities for success. Republicans don't want our citizenry to have success, they want us barely able to survive as to keep costs down and profits high for their almighty vision, maximum profit for the wealthy and work indenture for the rest of us. The rot that is the republican party must be treated and that treatment is to vote everyone of them out of office in every election going forward.

Compromise should always err on the betterment of things, not the worst of things (#2665)

     Common sense dictates that if a perfect answer is not available then a nearly perfect answer should be offered as a compromise. In the meantime, our society will take what best we humans can offer, until a time comes in the future to make that previous compromise obsolete with a perfect solution. Never should a compromise from the perfect actually make a problem worse. yet that is what we have with republican politicians. They don't see the problems the same way we democrats do. We see poverty and want to make it obsolete, while republicans see poverty and blame those in it for them being in it, with no plan to make it go away.
     Democrats see our nation's infrastructure crumbling and want to fix it while republicans see our nations infrastructure crumbling and instead ignore it. Republicans want to reduce taxes for the wealthy so instead of spending on infrastructure repair and replacement, they will just let it fall apart on it's own while increasing the income inequality here in America. Republicans want more personal freedom for themselves and less government intervention in their capitalistic enterprises While at the same time wanting greater government intervention in the personal decisions of women. A bit hypocritical but who cares when those with all most of the money, republicans, control the narrative.
     Republicans have managed to make compromise a dirty word in our politics, economics and social lives. They see not that we need to improve on the policies of equality and fairness, but instead see a future where only the strong survive. A dog eat dog world where the wild west meets Mad Max. As long as they can control what democracy looks like and how it is defined, we, the rest of us citizens are expected to accept it. Our voting is being restricted while our ability to find good paying jobs is going away. Our wages are stagnant while the wealthy enjoy the greatest income inequality gap in a century, while still wanting more. I would rather compromise with the Green Party to get things done before I compromise with republicans. They have worn out their welcome.
     

The core of love (#2664)

     I have been in love over the span of my lifetime and what was rooted deep within that love was our connection to each other and the expectation that that connection would always be our most valuable prize. In the concept of marriage is that idea that the two do become one when it is perfectly right. It is true that as we got to know each other we began to think like one. Of course for me that didn't last long because outside forces beyond either of our control tore us apart. Yet when we were together it was magical. We shared the same principles in life. Our values were compatible in that we cared for not only each other but we cared for others as well.
    We never stopped learning of new ideas and new concepts to apply to our lives. We actually lived our lives together in a much more honorable way than when we were apart. There is something about having an ally to keep one on the right path. Having the good fortune to share a mutual love with someone is a gift and in more ways than one. We heard each other when we talked. When we looked at each other we saw the majesty of both time and space in each of our eyes. We treated each other the way we wanted to be treated ourselves. We touched each other in public and private ways that signaled to each that there was no other. The core of love places the value of the other in a higher order than the value of oneself. A never ending sacrifice to maintain the immersion it takes to stay together.
     What I didn't do right with my love was fight hard enough to keep her. I was younger and not quite sure of my footing in life and that destroyed my chance to keep the most wonderful thing I was ever part of. I am older and wiser now and know what it would take to keep a love if it ever revisited me. I had no one to tell me that love lost is the greatest living regret there is. Some of us have to find out the hard way and others can learn from those of us who wish no hard way on any other.

Republicans and their caveman mentality (#2663)

     I just cannot get enough of exposing republicans to their own despicable thoughts and behaviors. When I see such backward and creepy behavior I am enraged. Republicans would have us treat women as property, and all the rest of the animal kingdom as our trophies. Republicans also would take our planet to the very edge of extinction in order to make a buck and then pray to some belief system to make everything okay again. They live for today in a survival of the fittest mentality as long as they have a socialized police force or army to protect them. A bubble existence justified by their arrogance, devoid of logic and common sense.
     The landscape republicans offer us politically is to treat all who are not financially successful as if our only value is as cannon fodder. Ready to be slaughtered in the name of advantage and privilege seeking planet domination. What is unnerving is that too many of us are letting them establish this paradigm even though the very nature of our democracy is being dismantled in the name of unfettered capitalism. Our Revolutionary War was not fought in order to make capitalism the genesis of who we are. On the contrary, the war was fought to establish a democratic nation. Are we now to let that tremendous achievement be undercut by those few greedy wealthy who only see a bottom line profit as honorable?
     Treating women as property and our planet as a playground without care to it's maintenance. Such is the mentality of the republican party. I am an American who cherishes the ideal that democracy is the greatest form of society ever established and never will I relinquish that gift and promise. The wealthy may have bought their safety and security from most all threats to their power but one they have not fully consolidated yet is our vote. They are in the process of controlling that as well but not yet. So the window to the majority having a say in how our nation will continue with democratic principles is closing. But as long as there is an opportunity to do right by our fore/parents then we must take it now.

A difference between democrats and republicans (#2662)

     This one is probably the most egregious difference I can tell about the difference between the two parties. It is in philosophy, as it relates to work. My unfortunate past with work has been under the survival of the fittest, austerity driven republican philosophy. Where what little work I could get was always at a very low price for my labor. Not only was the wage benefit low but the work was extraordinarily physical. I am a big strong man not only physically but mentally and that helped me along in performing my endless tasks. Yet a heavy toll was taken on me. Later in life I am a man who has been used up in many ways and can no longer enjoy life with a healthy vigor.
     I had to take what advantages I had, my strength and skill and use them hard over many years just to survive at a poverty level. Such is the nature of harsh capitalism run by the greedy and brutish. Greedy and brutish is how I describe republicans. They don't care about quality as much as they care about quantity. Their goal is the bottom line, not an honorable life, where they dismiss principled thoughts and behaviors as weakness and whip up the frenzy of chaotic utility for profit. I am all for being successful at a venture that is worthy but not to the point of exacting pounds of flesh from my labor partners. This is where democrats have their difference, philosophically with republicans.
     We democrats want successful ventures but not at the cost of a quality product or service nor at the cost of a quality of life for the workers who make the success of a venture. We democrats want a society where labor isn't the destruction of the human being but instead the celebrated value of the human being. My labor at a job shouldn't cripple me physically and economically. I shouldn't have to sacrifice my physical health for any job, nor should I have to remain in poverty as a result of it. We democrats want workers to have value and to be treated with respect and honor by receiving the true benefit of their labor to the venture. It isn't that hard to treat associates with dignity, it just takes a philosophically honorable person to do it.

The nature of the human heart (#2661)

     There is nothing else in the Universe that is as unique and moving as the human heart. By human heart I mean the love we feel toward each other. Now I know we feel other things toward others as well but the emotion of love is special. It has comprehensive properties that are still mysterious to us since the beginning of the human era. Of course the heart is a pump and keeps our life necessary blood flowing but it is more than that. I have felt tremendous love and that feeling is located right in the area of my chest where my heart is. So by saying that the nature of our heart is more than just pumping blood is correct.
     I argue that there are two natures to the human being species. One, our compassion, which is our emotion, and two, our curiosity, which is to know that which we don't. So when I talk about our heart and it's mysteries as they apply to emotion I am talking about the genesis of who we are. We can dismiss our emotion as trivial or irrelevant but when taken in context with the totality of our lives, it is much more than trivial or irrelevant. Our heart allows us to feel life, instead of just exist within it. Our sense of attachment and purpose derives from our need to be touched and acknowledged. We cannot exist in a vacuum by ourselves, we know this. We need each other as finitely as we need to breathe.
     Yet within that there are even more incredible bonds to be experienced. A love for another that rises above any other love that can be understood. A true love as we describe it. A love so intensely overwhelming that our own sense of time and space become secondary to it's experiencing. Some would say that a romanced view of love is for fairy tales and not nearly as factual as fictional stories we read about. Yet I have known love so intense that it bore through the very layer of our skin down to our souls. I know others have known this as well so despite any cynicism and skepticism, our ability to transcend into a love that is greater that any other is real and does exist.

The sniveling cowardice of the selfish (#2660)

     Unfortunately I get to see this all too often. There are enough right wingers around me to witness this on a daily basis. They purport to care about those who are less fortunate but behind their backs they connive and condescend in a most piggish way. It is as if they find pleasure in secretly being jerks. I don't have to be around these folks but I cannot stop having contact as a matter of geography. Yet I despise their selfishness and simple minded solutions of eliminating the problem without so much as finding out the root cause. Not everything is cured by a bullet. In fact very few things are yet not in their minds.
     So living in a cognitive dissonant state is normal for them. They want to appear to be generous of spirit but in their hearts they are as brutish and cruel as any of their own imagined demons. It is unfortunate that we, our society in general, continue to home grow these intellectual midgets, Our society is becoming one where the fate of those who are desperate is held in contempt without knowing why. It is sufficient for many to just shoot first and don't even ask questions later. An expectation that certain privileges and rights are theirs and who cares so much about yours. It has been my fate to have been born into an era where logic and common sense are less attractive a process than ignorance and hatred.
     Yet here I am and as a witness to it I can say that I am determined to stomp ignorance and hatred out. I don't admire cowardice nor fear as paradigms worthy of my time. They are weak and less than human actions as a foundation. I was born onto this planet with nothing beyond my skin and when I die I will take nothing, not even my skin with me. So all that is in between is the accumulation of who I am, not the comfort and finery I surround myself with, which in my case is stretching things a bit. I had a friend who has since passed who used to say that he could be walking down the street with nothing but his shirt on his back and he would be just fine. To him, everything tangible was just pig iron. In other words, irrelevant. So it is with me and that is what I fight to express.

Being comfortable in who we are (#2659)

     Lessening that nervous agitation that seems to hit us when we are in the company of others. As a teenager this used to be my state. I was unsure of who I was becoming as I continued to grow into the man I eventually became. The thing is, is this. I haven't changed from who I was back then to who I am now. My physical nature has changed but not my soul nor the goodness that was inside me. If anything, that who I was at the beginning of my life, in some ways what I chose to be through calculation, has only gotten more enhanced. I say chose because I do remember as a young child deciding to be a hero type. Someone who would help others rather than ignore them or hurt them. It was a conscious choice about who I knew I was, I just defined it to myself at that time.
     That very early age was the fork in the road for me. As time has gone by surely through my own circumstances and others influence, as well as my living environment, I got off track from time to time. I forgot who I was and eventually couldn't find my way back to my core. I got caught up in over indulging in the artificial pleasures of life, like too much alcohol and recreational drugs as a false equivalency with me being my true self. I abused those artificial remedies to the point of becoming addicted, especially to alcohol as my only way of interacting in a confident and easy going way. Instead of grounding myself in my own confidence about who I am, I cheated and grounded myself in an illusion.
     And when it came time to prove the illusion I didn't have the footing and embarrassed myself instead. Luckily, I was able to withdraw from artificial enhancements and then found myself again. I know this much, I will never lose who I am again. Of course I am older and wiser and that is helpful but what is more helpful is the knowledge that I am genuine. I tried the shortcuts in life and found them incomplete. That is the wisdom part. I am happy in my own skin now and despite my many flaws and inabilities I have never felt more confident and alive.

Never stop trying (#2658)

     This has served me well. Even when I couldn't formulate my own argument about something I felt passionate about I didn't give up. I let my old friend time pass and then eventually I could speak from a position of authority. I allowed myself the time needed to become wiser and more mature in my understandings before finally working on achieving my goal. Just because it was impossible when I was a bit younger to voice my thoughts in an articulate way, I never gave up. Like all things in life, if they are worth achieving they must never be given up on. I am still working on some things that I care about and when the time comes for them to come into fruition I will look back and again realize that what I never gave up on may still come true.
      Not everything always works out as we all know in different ways, but if it is a worthy endeavor then it has a decent chance to succeed. The power of the word, trying, is incredible. It is almost a purpose for life all by itself. So many have given up on their hopes and dreams to settle for less than what their minds and souls dreamed. A mindset of cynicism that settles for less as a cop out for not trying to the end. It is that kind of compromise that destroys our inner being to the point of us losing sight of our best virtues. By not trying for the length of our lives we become a shell of the person that we were. What is best about us humans is that we can imagine amazing things but not if we let go of our own hopes and dreams.
      Taking what we know is right and good from the beginning of our lives all the way through our lives unless we achieve it before we die, is how we should live. We should never settle for less, even when we cannot express perfectly what it is we want. That will come with time and wisdom, you cannot rush that. But what you can do is never let anything, even compromise dissuade you from achieving what you know is right and good. A rule of thumb for that is that there is no harm caused and although all may not benefit, most will. On a personal note, it is what your heart may feel in conjunction with the bigger picture. Always a tricky equation. Good fortune to all.

I have no belief system, just a reality system (#2657)

     I don't "believe" in magic, myth nor superstition. But that is just me. There are many who have at least some belief in a magical being of a greater order, yet I am not one of them. Why? I suppose it is because I am a logical human being who likes to practice common sense. Now that isn't all but it is at the heart of who I am. Not always who I was in the past but who I am now. Another thing I am not afraid of is death. I would image that many have belief systems because they are afraid of what happens after we die, to our spirits or souls. Again, not me. I think of it this way. I came into this existence with no knowledge of how I got here, surely through the birth process we humans practice, but as a soulful or spiritual being I have no clue.
     Logically for me I was a soul only after I got here. How do I know that? Well first I have no memory of anything prior to being born. Nothing, not even a hint of anything. Everything I am has been formed here in existence. I have seen death here with others of us and in no fashion have I seen any existence of those souls after their bodies expired. Again, the logic in me has to admit that in context with all evidence, there is nothing as evidence to being a spirit or soul after death. This is where I have to admit that reality is my true living environment, so I cannot "believe" in an afterlife. Which kind of makes having a belief system for me rather moot.
     Others say that I need a belief system so that I can understand and be regulated to be a moral person. For that I can honestly say that I don't need a concept of belief in order to be a kind and decent human being. It is natural within me to want to enjoy life with everyone else. I feel privileged to having been born at all so everything after that is wonderful. I find that my morality and ethics stem from within me as well as my curious nature. Anyone who has ever read my blog has undoubtedly been exposed to my acceptance that we all have compassion and curiosity as base natures so what we do with that as to moral and ethical thoughts and behaviors are truly up to us, without the need for an artificial construct to keep me "in line".

The real price of labor (#2656)

     As it currently stands now our labor that we spend doing the work of making real and necessary things is under priced. If republicans would have their way, it would be even more under priced on whole. Republicans want to do away with unions and create right to work for less at the state level and are working to make it so on a national scale. We workers, who are the vast majority of our populace are not considering our economics with as much value as we should. It seems that we are more concerned with social, political and theological issues to the detriment of our economic status. I don't have anything against entrepreneurs and their risk taking. I get that they are sacrificing much in order to gain much. But I do have a problem when they base their gaining much on the backs of workers.
     If the product or service they provide cannot sustain a more balanced share for workers then their product or service is a detriment to society. What is the overall value to society when workers are paid for their labor at rates that enslave them? Are workers to be treated as less than human for the entrepreneur to be successful? Is this how our society is to be viewed? The wealth at the top of our capitalistic system is egregious. When so few are making more profit than they could ever spend in many lifetimes while the workers who are responsible for the bulk of that profit making are living in poverty and need government assistance to barely raise their families, a change must be made. It can be a radical change that is forced upon the reluctant wealthy or it can be a negotiated change much like what unions provide for workers and owners.
     I prefer the reinvigorated union paradigm. Where negotiation and common sense provide a path forward instead of outright revolt where anger and frustration will be the arbiters toward fairness. The day of reckoning is coming regardless so for us to ignore the obvious any longer is only exacerbating an existing greed filled system bent toward paying workers less than a fair share. The democratic party offers workers the best option for addressing pay equity concerns and voting for democrats everywhere at every level is the only logical way to improve the lives of all in the working/middle/poor class.

Artificial intelligence has nothing on us (#2655)

     The fears that exist out there are from those who are not informed as to how artificial intelligence exists. It is not it's own life, we are. It is not it's own imagining, we are. It, AI cannot exist without us. Those are the facts and all the rest of the hysteria around machines controlling us is fiction. Like all tangible things that have been created by humans, they are just tools for us to learn more from our environment. It isn't just Earth anymore as our environment, it is the whole of the known Universe. We are a species that builds tools and models in order to help us understand our surroundings.
    Artificial intelligence is no different than any other tool we would devise. Just like the onset of the computer age, tools help us get to solutions to problems in seconds, not years. Having set parameters for artificial intelligence to provide solutions under, we then take those solutions and allow ourselves to know complexities in a more comprehensive manner. Think of it like this, a set of problems allowed to be evaluated by a thinking machine in order to arrive at a best known possible solution. Artificial intelligence will not tell us anything that we, as a collective, don't already know through human input. Although we think we are dealing with a form of mechanical life, what we are truly dealing with is a mechanical device that is programmed to solve questions through the vision of a human.
     Artificial intelligence is only a simulation of human behavior in logical and common sense paradigms. It is a tool that we should master, not fear. We as humans since the dawn of mastering fire have been on a steady path forward toward modernization based upon our species and our environment. Creating artificial intelligence to help us along in a comprehensive way is more genius than problematic. Just another tool we have devised to make our lives much more bearable and purposeful. We are biological data processors ourselves so making a machine companion to ourselves is like what the Leonard Nimoy created character Spock would say, "It is only logical".

Our worst natures versus our best natures (#2654)

     This is what is shaping up to be what our upcoming national election will be all about. We have the republicans with their policies of separation and struggle for the working/middle/poor class and the democrats who are trying hard to uplift and prosper the working/middle/poor class. The distinction between the two parties is absolutely clear. Republicans offer no excuses for their strategy to hammer a wedge between the haves and the have nots, They are blatant in their approach to making us all suffer through austerity driven policies while they privatize our previously efficient public programs. Their agenda is based upon pitting one segment of society against another in order to stir social passions while stripping the working/middle/poor class of economic power.
     Democrats, on the other hand, are working to strengthen public programs so that there is a floor from which no American citizen could ever fall below without choosing to do so. A more Keynesian approach to stimulating the economy and raising minimum wages to a point where they are above the poverty level. Democrats as well are working to make our politics more accessible to all who have ideas about how our society should be governed by working to overturn supreme court rulings that equate money with speech and corporations with people. Democrats want to work on making our democracy more perfect and giving our citizens more say in how that is accomplished. Unlike republicans, who want to restrict voting for various fallacious reasons, democrats want to ensure that all Americans can vote without onerous restrictions.
     Democracy is a system of government for all of it's citizens and that is what is being defined or not by this coming election. Democrats want to reinforce and expand democratic ideals while republicans want to restrict democratic ideals and then lessen them. We are going to have a choice soon and whomever can define their intent the best despite the lying and misinformation that will be offered, will have the upper hand when the voting time comes. It is incumbent upon all of us who are defenders of democracy to step forward and articulate the need to stop republicans from instituting their agenda to disorganize and privatize our essential needs to the hands of the profiteers and power brokers.

Staying plugged into the vibes (#2653)

     It doesn't matter what the vibe is just allow it in. It will either inspire you or not. I know I am partial to certain vibrations that have tremendously influenced me and still do today. Everything has a vibration to it. Just find the ones that rock your soul with peace or emotion. I am always talking about how logical we need to be and how much our common sense should be influencing how we think and act, however there are times when logic and common sense must take a backseat to the vibes coming in. We are human and that includes us having an attachment to our universe. A lot times that attachment is more perfectly understood through sound and sight and the waves that they carry.
     Yes, I am talking generally about music but equally as well as music is what visuals we see all around us. The vibrations of nature as it circulates through it's evolution. Our planet and it's habitat are all giving off vibes that we must experience. The whole purpose of being alive here is to allow our senses to activate. We are a sensory species and as we feel and absorb the vibrations around us we begin to assimilate into our environment properly. We are not separate from what is around us, on the contrary we are a vital part of it. What we don't understand through observation or language we can get a "feel" for through vibrations, which may also explain intuition.
     The day we stop allowing vibrations to filter through us is the day we begin to die to growth. Vibrations are magnificent and comforting especially if discovered in a way that truly rocks our soul. To find the right vibrations we need to be open to them. Music is a fantastic way to experience vibes but that is but one way. Visual vibrations can be had by utilizing our thought along with our imagination in conjunction with what we see. The vibes that we know of and the ones we don't know of are everywhere just waiting for us to experience them.

Reality is my home (#2652)

     Give me what is real and I am happy. I have no time for things that have to be believed in order to make some sense of things. I would rather be in a state of unknowing because that unknowing for me is real, not something that makes me "feel" better. I don't need a salve in order to live a good and purposeful life. I am more logical and common sense oriented. It is enough to keep me busy trying to understand my universe without me needing anything else outside those parameters. I understand that life is short and then it is over. What I do in between my birth and death is what matters to me and the only absolute I know is that I live in a real place with many unknowns.
     I accept that and base my thoughts and actions solely on  that. I have mentioned numerous times the nature of this blog. It is my understanding that we have two distinct natures to us humans, one being compassion and the other being curiosity. I do include a lesser nature of survival but it is like a moon compared with the other two planets. I bring this up because my ethics and morality are ingrained in me through my care and my wonder. I don't need an artificial construct to allow me to feel comfortable in my own skin. I let my inner courage guide me through life and with that courage is an eye toward being honorable. What happens after my life is over is not my concern. I won't be here any longer and nothing after I am gone will change that.
     But while I am here I know I will continue to learn that which is available that I don't know and seek out and discover even more. I will use the tools that have been forged over the millenniums to help me understand new concepts and add to my memory's comprehensive accumulation. I will trust that logic and common sense about our human nature are the best we have for deciding how to advance our species into the future. I live in reality, not some illusion of one that placates my fears. I wish all would join me in this journey and together we all can face whatever comes with courage, dignity and intelligence.

The world is changing all around me and yet I do nothing (#2651)

     Don't let this be you. Be a human being and get involved in the decisions that effect you and yours. Decide what kind of person you are and then defend that with all your might. The time for hiding in the illusions of escapism are over. No more accepting cowardice over courage. No more embracing ignorance over enlightenment. No more not caring for those things that you know you care about. Just no more time left to be irrelevant. The first part of my life I spent way too much time being afraid of those things that scared me. I would rather deny it then face it. But the best part of my life has been facing what scares me and exposing my fear for what it is, a failure to defend who I am.
     Well I know who I am and I like me. So much so that defending me is a challenge I am eager to accept. It is natural to be afraid, especially when you are young and worry that you won't be able to live a full life. But then what kind of life is that? A fear shell shocked existence with no honor? You have to figure out that living a short honor filled life is exponentially greater than backing down from defending yourself and living a longer more cowardly one. Nathan Hale will always be my inspiration. he regretted as a young man having only one life to give for his country before he was hanged for fighting for his new country. How appropriate that an American hero from the founding of our nation would be the example we all need to look to in order to find ourselves.
     As the Germans found out when they did little to nothing to stop the madman Hitler from dragging them into atrocities that will never be forgotten in the annals of human history. Our time is now for stopping any similar threat to our way of life. Never before in our American history has a time been so vital to protecting who we are as individuals but even more importantly, who we are as a society. Hiding from our courage will only keep us wallowing in cowardice. We all have courage within us we just need to have a strong reason to activate it. How about standing up for who you are and what you care about?

Reclaiming our humanity on the US Supreme Court (#2650)

     The death of an ultra conservative justice on the US Supreme Court has given us an opportunity to replace him with a moderate to liberal justice. This would serve our nation well since the court is currently divided 4 conservative to 4 liberals. A fifth moderate or liberal justice would sway the court back to the liberal side. What this will do is start to show a less austere and a more humanitarian bend to interpreting our laws. This is what we need. After a few decades of conservative austere rulings, our nation is ripping apart between factions that are brutish and cruel and factions that want a civilized modern society based upon equality and fairness.
     The relevance here is that although our current President has nominated a decent fellow with a moderate/liberal bent to his judicial philosophy, the current Senate is controlled by a majority of republicans who are denying any vote on a Supreme Court nominee. What these conservative republican Senators are doing is unprecedented and hopefully the US electorate will make them pay at the voting booth for their exposed unwillingness to discharge their constitutional duty. So President Obama's final year in office will not likely include his nomination to the US Supreme Court becoming a reality.
     So more than likely this task will fall to the next President and Senate to be elected this November. That such an important election is at our forefront is now more obvious than ever. Just as our neighbors to the north did up in Canada, a new beginning is within our grasp. As Canada has shown us that throwing out the policies of austerity can be done in a wholesale and definitive way, so can we do the same here in America. A perfect timing for a Canadian example to set for us as we are at the same brink they were and they did magnificently well in showing the world that humanity in politics is much more welcoming and productive to a modern society than the policies of austerity that squeeze and punish those who are most vulnerable within the working/middle/poor class.

Immigration reform is needed (#2649)

     There are far too many necessary undocumented workers here in America who have no rights to protect them from predators and experiencing an American dream of their own. Their children are in limbo as to legal status which leaves them subject to harassment and embarrassment. It is tough enough to fit into a society that promotes equality when you are seen as more invisible that real. These folks work at jobs that many of us cannot nor will not attempt because of the nature of the labor. So it falls to these undocumented to provide the labor that these services demand.
     Our nation is full of immigrants and nothing about this should be that difficult to understand. It is a win/win situation bringing in the undocumented as they could start to build their lives from out of the shadows and bring their work ethic to the forefront of our society instead of being hidden in silence. Our melting pot society should embrace those who bring different aspects of culture and commitment to our own. We are a better species when all of us have a voice in expressing our uniqueness. We do have citizens now who wish only to remain a less multi cultured society but those are the ones who like to segregate instead of integrate.
     Putting aside the social, political and economic tug of rope that always follows policy change, we need to express to the world our commitment to democracy and democratic ideals. Where the spirit of hope and acceptance are higher values than those of fear and bigotry. We need our undocumented to be included and become documented so that our society is not hiding our inability to structure an inclusive necessary group of individuals whose intent is to find a better life for themselves and their loved ones. We need immigration reform now and the sooner we get there the more responsible we become as individual citizens who respect humanity more than our fear based worst natures.

We accept things they way they are because we don't know any better. (#2648)

     It isn't apathy that is stalling modern progress, it is ambivalence about that which we deserve. How much of a price must we pay in order to have better is the calculation. Since most don't know that we could have a much better life they just accept the little they have as a greater priority over fighting for better. There was a time in my childhood when the sky was the limit as far as opportunity to succeed and a modicum of wealth accumulation for the middle class could be had. Those days are long gone due to policies by the wealthy and their political party, the republicans. Now we have little with not much opportunity to succeed and building a nest egg is a pipe dream.
     The last two generations born into our society don't know what it was like to have a good paying job with many benefits for those with only a high school education. Now a college education is no guarantee of a minimum wage job. Our economic structure has been turned on it's head and instead of a burgeoning middle class we have a burgeoning poor class. The wealth has been taken from middle class workers and been pocketed by the wealthy. So now very few remember that our industries and manufacturing used to elevate our middle class toward a productive and comfortable life. Listening to republicans now they are even attacking low wage workers as being entitled. Republicans would even do away with or lowering the national minimum wage. http://www.cnbc.com/2015/10/26/time-to-ditch-725-minimum-wage-republicans-weigh-in.html.
      We are told that capitalism is the only measure we need to make an economy work, yet we are not told that capitalism only works for a few and those few must make deals with the worst parts of our nature to be successful. We are told that wars are our only way of combating opposition to our policies even though our policies often contradict with the essence of democratic principles. We are told that we must prove we are Americans in order to vote by the republican party that has power and doesn't want to lose it to popular common sense or ideals of justice and fairness.We don't fight for better because many don't even have a clue what that is.