tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53973694558210504832024-03-19T06:55:44.489-06:00Basic Virtuevirtue [ˈvɜːtjuː -tʃuː]Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14080789916623877396noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397369455821050483.post-62100112361613525752013-09-26T06:43:00.000-06:002013-09-26T11:42:58.629-06:00Empathy/Kindness Robbed by Self-centeredness through TechnologyDeath, disaster, violence, famine, poverty, disease, crime and oppression. Every day, we are bombarded with stories of despair from all over the world. It is so pervasive that it has mostly become white noise. Sure, situations like the Boston Marathon or Super Storm Sandy get the general population's attention and we send donations and pray for the victims, but almost immediately, we are all back to our normal lives.<br />
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Empathy is short lived, if we feel it at all. We have been desensitized to others' pain and suffering because information regarding all of the disasters is constantly at our fingertips. The news is all around us, in coffee shops, at airports, at home. The constant accounts of worry and despair are pushed to each of our pockets or purses a hundred times a day.</div>
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This desensitizing warps our grasp of reality. We seldom hear about the good things that go on from one community to the next. This is a big difference from several decades ago, when people's information came from their neighbors and the evening news. Most folks' life experience was largely family, work and community involvement; going to PTA meetings, bake sales, poker nights, church and neighborhood barbecues was how we accumulated info on current events. Crime was relatively low and generally took place in particular, finite areas. Personal interactions were personal. Now, they are filtered through technology. Today, most of our interaction is in the form of texts, emails, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn... the list is endless.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC8PHH55ugc-IajYSgi_POVBB320CDrVk6U52CkZQkSAJJUBHiYO9Yy1v-INdQsM-nTkdh7GqpPJUy-hnRFHds98PpnXUFXLXhSeDELdykdVnd-seTxwlVpm978ekznByvMVRnvYijksCG/s1600/IMAG0073.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC8PHH55ugc-IajYSgi_POVBB320CDrVk6U52CkZQkSAJJUBHiYO9Yy1v-INdQsM-nTkdh7GqpPJUy-hnRFHds98PpnXUFXLXhSeDELdykdVnd-seTxwlVpm978ekznByvMVRnvYijksCG/s320/IMAG0073.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All the info in the world...at our finger tips.<br />
Quantity over quality, perhaps?</td></tr>
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There are several explanations for why this is happening. There are also several consequences to what is going on. By being desensitized, we become callous to the pain and anguish others are experiencing. We see trouble for pretends on our favorite TV shows and movies, in video games, and we read about anguish in our favorite novels. We hear about trouble for real on the radio, via internet news outlets and through news programs. Unless it affects us directly, we hear it, feel sad, then move on.<br />
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This all happens because of the convenience and appeal of modern technology. Our hunger for the latest gadgets to enhance our connectivity drives engineers to incorporate new features and create new tasks for our devices to accomplish. The consequence is that it increases our susceptibility to self-centeredness. We become somewhat isolated by a wall of technology. The knowledge of disasters, calamities and pestilence we acquire comes via the same device on which we watch things on Netflix, like "The Office" or "Derek". The same device on which we play Angry Birds and Words with Friends, details the circumstances in starving Africa or war-torn Syria.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqNw5vvCz77risJOJT5fq0BbfNxcXiCY2C-HwaIeyjs4JTtlV23JWTH19sRzt4X67K7WJze6j6N2P7eguLjmKMApO4Nb1Rx0XcrKvLxPY6rTqAmBe8w_LB5Y3ast_-FrSjYWK4pMkclH8z/s1600/IMAG0075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqNw5vvCz77risJOJT5fq0BbfNxcXiCY2C-HwaIeyjs4JTtlV23JWTH19sRzt4X67K7WJze6j6N2P7eguLjmKMApO4Nb1Rx0XcrKvLxPY6rTqAmBe8w_LB5Y3ast_-FrSjYWK4pMkclH8z/s320/IMAG0075.jpg" title="Magyar Nemzet Online--BasicVirtue" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">World powers are at odds, wars are being <br />
waged, countries are starving.</td></tr>
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We are left with a scant bit of knowledge that characters in a distant setting are in distress. Is it real? Is it fake? To our minds and in our spirits, the difference shrinks and becomes indistinguishable. We imagine life must be tough for these people, but we have no personal connection to their plight. We donate to the Red Cross, but the empathy barely remains two minutes after we click 'submit' on our donation. There is so much going on in each of our lives and we hear and see so many different micro-pieces of news each day that it isn't surprising. We can't all care with all our hearts about every single bit of suffering. So what do we do?<br />
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Even the most kind-hearted people out there struggle with this dichotomy. They are kind, giving people, but each of us has his or her own life, don't we. We know what we know and we only can do what we can do. So, how can I say that--as a whole--we have become a self-centered species? It certainly is a generalization and I don't pretend that it is anything else but that. But there has to be a balance. There has to be something we can do to still reach out with more of ourselves than our $25 donation to <i>XYZ Storm Relief</i>.<br />
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There is a wonderful family who lives in my neighborhood and the wife, Ginger, is one of the greatest people probably ever to be born into this world. She is very sweet, very genuine and she is without guile. To me, Ginger (and people like her) set the example of how we can live in society, being part of the modern world, while still maintaining sincerity in our humanity. What Ginger does is very simple. She cares. She takes the time to thank people when she feels they've enriched her life and she gives of herself constantly. Ginger taught a few of my children at our church. Each week, whatever the topic, she had a little trinket or picture for each of the children to remind them of the principles she taught that day. She did it because she cared.<br />
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Each of us can be like Ginger by making an effort to be friendlier or by setting aside the time to be a little more grateful. Because of the optimism with which she approaches life, even when difficulty comes her way, Ginger has always been able to glean valuable lessons from otherwise trying circumstances. It is because of her selflessness and sincerity that she is able to stay grounded. Her focus is not on the latest smartphone, but on the people around her.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlR9lXqpMQti-cM9YYuT_Mdv8K1Mg_Suq_b_zissL_4nwG-feo8c_HTGIm3n9Fu_fhnVfjQ2EHEngwlDLsJ2PxnDOC85xwQ-egNRUcnf0Y3397xy1G9698PjTc4QMMgqh_VXsBHNlcbxDX/s1600/No+Cell+Phone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlR9lXqpMQti-cM9YYuT_Mdv8K1Mg_Suq_b_zissL_4nwG-feo8c_HTGIm3n9Fu_fhnVfjQ2EHEngwlDLsJ2PxnDOC85xwQ-egNRUcnf0Y3397xy1G9698PjTc4QMMgqh_VXsBHNlcbxDX/s200/No+Cell+Phone.jpg" title="No cell phone sign (Source: Buzzle)" width="200" /></a>Closing recommendation: Balance. It is okay to put the tablet down or to turn off your phone. There are a lot of people right around you whose lives can be enriched by your presence within them. Learn all you can from the people around you and teach them all the good things you know. By doing so, you can be just as upstanding a person as people were from your grandparents' generation and all good generations prior. Your empathy will increase and you will become a more well rounded individual. This life is bigger than you and me--it is bigger than all of us. Let's do our part to make it better, right here where we can make a difference.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14080789916623877396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397369455821050483.post-6934453954523678942013-09-24T01:02:00.000-06:002013-09-25T14:32:28.459-06:00Effort Equals Results<div class="PadderBetweenControlandBody">
Nineteen
ninety-four, in a typical American suburban community, a few of my buddies and
I were sitting around a kitchen table in a home down the street from where I
lived. As we sat, joking and laughing, my best friend’s dad tried schooling us
in the ins and outs of how the world works. He was our scout leader, and we
were less than attentive. Thinking back to that experience (and countless others,
similar in nature), I have developed a profound appreciation for any patience
that our scout leaders demonstrated as they selflessly imparted of their wisdom
to the rising generation.<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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As Jon (my buddy’s dad) delivered his instructions to us,
often having to raise his voice over our senseless and disrespectful running commentary,
he produced for each of us an object. He handed each of us a part of a treasure.
He gave us each a special coin. It wasn’t an American Gold Eagle and it wasn’t
recovered from any maritime shipwrecks–it wasn’t even something a numismatist would
look at. Rather than calling it a coin, I should more accurately describe it as
a token. On one side of the token was the Penske logo (<i>Penske </i>the transportation company, not <i>Penske </i>the file George Costanza worked on), while the reverse
displayed the simple phrase:<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Effort equals Results”<o:p></o:p></div>
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The statement is basic. But the statement is one of the most
valuable three-word declarations that exists in the human experience. <i>Effort equals Results</i>. It is a universal
truth. We get out what we put in. It doesn’t matter if it is school, a project
at work or playing a particular sport, there is a direct correlation linking
our diligence to our outcome. Anywhere in society, the best people we know are
diligent. They are constantly striving to be one of the best people. Successful
business owners would never achieve success if they refused to work hard. Great
athletes would never excel without constant training. The kindest among us
would not be very pleasant if they effortlessly submitted to the negativity
that is so pervasive in modern society.<o:p></o:p></div>
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All people are valuable. We each have traits and talents
that set us apart from one another. Not one individual is the same as another, relating
to potential. If we desire to develop our talents and fulfil our various
potentials, we are required to reason and to put forth a conscientious effort toward
attaining our goals. If we just don’t care, the results will match our efforts.
Aristotle declared that the ability to reason is what distinguishes mankind
from the rest of the animal kingdom. If he is right, and I believe that he is,
when we demonstrate a lack of effort or fail to reason, we act illogically and
irrationally. We are then just another variety of animal. We become the sad vessels
of wasted opportunity. You are better than that and so am I.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Ladies and gentlemen, strive for excellence in all you do.
Set your goals and then achieve them!<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14080789916623877396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397369455821050483.post-42717269094167898552013-05-01T23:19:00.000-06:002013-05-01T23:19:01.223-06:00"Mediocrity is of the Adversary"<w:sdt docpart="AA19F53940844117B0648536CCAAE1B6" id="89512082" storeitemid="X_5F329CAD-B019-4FA6-9FEF-74898909AD20" text="t" title="Post Title" xpath="/ns0:BlogPostInfo/ns0:PostTitle">
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Mediocrity is of the Adversary<o:p></o:p><w:sdtpr></w:sdtpr></div>
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Ladies and gentlemen, this week’s post will be on something we
have discussed previously. The topic is mediocrity. To maintain clarity in this
discussion, let’s define terms. <i>Mediocrity</i>
will be defined as any state that results from one’s own decision to avoid
self-improvement. <i>Adversary </i>will be
defined as anything or anyone with the aim of inhibiting the individual from improving
his or herself.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This discussion will primarily go over goals, objectives and
outcomes. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Religious people view Satan or some other kind of devil as
their adversary. He and his minions are out there to cause havoc and to create
stumbling blocks along one’s path throughout life. Temptations to sin, if one
submits, can lead to one’s derailment from attaining his/her spiritual and
temporal aspirations. If the individual’s objective is to overcome the worldly
things and strengthen his or her spirituality, he or she must also defeat their
spiritual adversary. As the battle rages on, if the individual decides to stop
trying to beat the aforementioned spiritual adversary, the battle is over. The
adversary no longer needs to exert any effort on that person. He or she chose
to stop at a certain point and to just stagnate… mediocrity is the state in
which this person now dwells.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_PLAGDMsZpx9ZvyYzjY8EPgrQwOJeqrKKBxyxP02pyyIPbzCkVgqJh5imtDzd519RlfrmokZMTwkUcSStfxv31YpMHdLthoy8CnZsnN_exV1mNPsxoybfBPgwXXv6AaHccMfgT-zw4L_/s1600/IMAG1971.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_PLAGDMsZpx9ZvyYzjY8EPgrQwOJeqrKKBxyxP02pyyIPbzCkVgqJh5imtDzd519RlfrmokZMTwkUcSStfxv31YpMHdLthoy8CnZsnN_exV1mNPsxoybfBPgwXXv6AaHccMfgT-zw4L_/s200/IMAG1971.jpg" title="Bookcase of textbooks" width="111" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Study hard.</td></tr>
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In school, if a student is very gifted and desires to be at
the top of the class, there will always be someone else there to pounce at the
slightest hint of slacking. This same student may also have a personality that
clashes with a particular teacher or administrator. Despite all the effort this
student puts into studying a particular subject, his or her work may be
critiqued more harshly by this teacher than perhaps some other student may be
graded. If he or she gets frustrated by the unfair treatment and throws his or
her hands up, the quest is over. Mediocrity settles in and the SOB of a teacher
wins.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioQyGMybz2MYEHxImsZMLi1WNZ8VucjJlXmVwcUWoZfyA-KC65lPL9rKHlORQTdTx0npknGrcxmu7B74gXkxRfXZGAER7ZROfvp4KjidPIgEapY5ud8UgVv0ug8d1dPCSERronWVG29NJD/s1600/IMAG1969.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioQyGMybz2MYEHxImsZMLi1WNZ8VucjJlXmVwcUWoZfyA-KC65lPL9rKHlORQTdTx0npknGrcxmu7B74gXkxRfXZGAER7ZROfvp4KjidPIgEapY5ud8UgVv0ug8d1dPCSERronWVG29NJD/s320/IMAG1969.jpg" title="Corner office" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Work hard.</td></tr>
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The same thing can happen in the work place. But instead of
a teacher and a student, it would be a boss and an employee. Having one’s
contributions belittled day after day can really begin to wear on that
individual’s nerves. By giving in to the negativity created by the boss’s
attitude, the employee can stop being productive… and by extension, he or she
stops developing the skills that will lead to promotions and raises. The SOB of
a boss is the victor, because the employee settles into a state of mediocrity.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdyJnqgWsfVhdtYy-U1W1lstqxeEQwbETjni-_FlMngmXt7IZw3NDb0TUIxrKHOcmWf5fQ4dKB0cGXKzI97Bu0ncYo87aj6avIAX_PSrKXB48_4QrgjeJvYIOJQmOgSmCjktXXWg3HbB7K/s1600/IMAG1966.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdyJnqgWsfVhdtYy-U1W1lstqxeEQwbETjni-_FlMngmXt7IZw3NDb0TUIxrKHOcmWf5fQ4dKB0cGXKzI97Bu0ncYo87aj6avIAX_PSrKXB48_4QrgjeJvYIOJQmOgSmCjktXXWg3HbB7K/s320/IMAG1966.jpg" title="Subway...eat fresh! Loyalty card" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Subway loyalty card.</td></tr>
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At the age of 17, Fred DeLuca opened a sandwich shop with a
$1,000 loan from a family friend. One year later, he opened a second. Now, 48
years after opening that first little sandwich shop, Subway has over 3,600
stores in 99 countries. Little Fred DeLuca, who only started his
sandwich-creating endeavor to earn some extra money for college, is worth over
1.5 Billion USD. During his first year in business, he realized marketing and
visibility were the two most important ingredients to expanding his success.
The biggest problem he encountered was the crappiness of his first location.
Had Fred let the mediocre location of his first store be the face of his brand
to his potential customer base, it is possible that no one outside of
Bridgeport, CT would have ever heard of a sandwich shop called Subway. But he
overcame the downside of his maiden store’s location by having a good product
and getting positive marketing out to the people who would become his business’s
patrons. He then opened additional stores in more reputable locations, while
continuing to build the brand. Fred blew past mediocrity and destroyed his
adversary in the process.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There are thousands of examples of people overcoming their
adversaries in industry, sports, entertainment, literature, academics, diplomacy,
military, etc. You name the field, there have been people exactly like you and
me who have been inspirations and leaders to their peers. The only thing that
sets them apart from the rest of their contemporaries is that they put that
little bit extra into not being mediocre. Mediocrity is of the adversary,
because if you stop trying to improve, he/she/it stops having to stop you.
Mediocrity is synonymous with self-defeat, throwing in the towel, or simply
giving up.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX6rM2BDv_Eu9ZSRsBIU5P0w6ZXMMVuZydi-dCGbyAMsRSEemV-GOOKzATIb6p3sv1WvTlUTBlMAOVYlMR9FhJ9K1ahN1tZz0uxyhjbNqY_I7HK7qo-gb8-6Gg40CK6HQXK6N9X8lhAGsV/s1600/IMAG1967.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX6rM2BDv_Eu9ZSRsBIU5P0w6ZXMMVuZydi-dCGbyAMsRSEemV-GOOKzATIb6p3sv1WvTlUTBlMAOVYlMR9FhJ9K1ahN1tZz0uxyhjbNqY_I7HK7qo-gb8-6Gg40CK6HQXK6N9X8lhAGsV/s320/IMAG1967.jpg" title="Globe" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What the world needs now, is success... sweet success!</td></tr>
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Ladies and gentlemen, find your passion. If you don’t have
one right now, seek one out. Something that makes you want to excel. Develop
skills, expand your knowledge, try a new approach and beat the odds. The
universe is only against you if you let it be. Don’t give in, don’t get down
and don’t give up! The world needs more excelling and less mediocrity. The
world needs <i>you</i>!<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14080789916623877396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397369455821050483.post-80167598594280500602013-04-04T22:23:00.000-06:002013-04-04T22:59:08.557-06:00Time lost...<div dir="ltr">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEsILShe8h7tVFUQ3eUaBLYx82wlr7u3T9mTPixbsRCN8F9zXY9sbcP583B6qQbp0WYV8yh13hBeXEUJOjMy5pZ58-P5RoHxE6jSbVEgNcfOaSbyWFV2n57Zz_eNzw0d7Sx5Hxzc4ZdTVY/s1600/IMAG1909.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEsILShe8h7tVFUQ3eUaBLYx82wlr7u3T9mTPixbsRCN8F9zXY9sbcP583B6qQbp0WYV8yh13hBeXEUJOjMy5pZ58-P5RoHxE6jSbVEgNcfOaSbyWFV2n57Zz_eNzw0d7Sx5Hxzc4ZdTVY/s400/IMAG1909.jpg" title="Marty and Doc from Back to the Future" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back to the Future</td></tr>
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Since I was a little kid, I've been enthralled by the idea of time travel. I used to watch <i>Back to the Future</i> most Saturday mornings before or after running off to my soccer game each week. My obsession with the movie may have been due to the phenomenal acting or the captivating cinematography for which <i>Back to the Future </i>is so well known (<i>end sarcasm</i>). More realistically, my habit of watching that movie stemmed from my strong desire to go back in time. Back to a time before my dad had died.</div>
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In the movie, it was particularly fascinating to me that Marty McFly went back to 1955 and met his dad. This was the same year my own father was born. In my 4 year old mind (and throughout most of my growing up years), I was sure that if I could have gone back to 1955 and spent time getting to know my dad as a baby, then as a kid and eventually as a teenager, we would have been great friends. We could have squeezed a whole childhood of playing catch, fishing in nearby streams or talking about hot babes into a modified timeline.</div>
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<div dir="ltr">
Maybe I could have warned him that his genetics frowned upon the diet he would develop and it would lead to clogged arteries. Perhaps I could have warned him that if he didn't do things differently, he would have his first heart attack at 29, then his second (and final) heart attack only 3 years later. But then again, it is possible that his demise at such a young age was his fate. Even with my imagined warnings, perhaps he still would have had to leave our little family as a 32 year old victim of dangerously high cholesterol.</div>
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<div dir="ltr">
But, now that I am a grown up, and have dabbled a bit in relativity and theoretical physics, I am certain that my childhood dream of hanging out with a youthful version of my dad will not happen. Time, for now, is linear. We can only travel that line in one direction. Once time is in the past, it is there for good. </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghUoU6xyXVPLoAUAegDT9MbLj7VO2phNZYfi4FCToKtrhHU1Wv0pMEFjU_VWkxZv79xJT35vw5yKvyzfCLwwN84uNEYjBVPrX43XDHomUjsA0AHeO_ZTHEugRR5W7_z-Leo-XOFHZcm5B3/s1600/Dad+and+his+two+kids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghUoU6xyXVPLoAUAegDT9MbLj7VO2phNZYfi4FCToKtrhHU1Wv0pMEFjU_VWkxZv79xJT35vw5yKvyzfCLwwN84uNEYjBVPrX43XDHomUjsA0AHeO_ZTHEugRR5W7_z-Leo-XOFHZcm5B3/s400/Dad+and+his+two+kids.jpg" title="Our little family sans mom, circa 1985" width="283" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our family sans Mom, ca. 1985</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
Now, let's break time down a little bit. Within a single day, we have 1,440 minutes to spend, invest, bear or waste. There are 86,400 seconds in each day. Each second that passes in which we haven't learned something, developed something, served someone or created something is just a lost period of time. Every lost fragment of time represents one in which we were not productive.</div>
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<div dir="ltr">
Of course, one could assume that making the most of every second would mean no time for rest or quiet contemplation. How effective would one's work be if he or she never took the time to plan or think things through? What if someone was anxiously engaged in projects non-stop? There is a good chance the end result would be a bit shoddy. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
None of us are the kind of vampire made popular in the Twilight series... we have to sleep. We have to eat. Our minds, bodies and spirits require a variety of activity to stay sharp and performing at a high level. Sometimes it is wise to invest a period of time into rejuvenating one's mind and soul, so that when it is time to work again, that work will be fortified by our A-game. Taking the time to enjoy a bounteous meal can also yield great results. It can give us the strength and energy to get back to the grindstone.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgczcGXdY3BeHik_C06EPZqJi_quo4v4rpkc5NvZfRwd8YxreqLeCEXQTcu4VpwaeWcvcTyCnpSK_uZLEFaFn-numUX8LFBjpSKFFq8aB3i-xbhC1oc4Q_V_KvGAQoy2P50IrZkNyXgd6gD/s1600/IMAG1908.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgczcGXdY3BeHik_C06EPZqJi_quo4v4rpkc5NvZfRwd8YxreqLeCEXQTcu4VpwaeWcvcTyCnpSK_uZLEFaFn-numUX8LFBjpSKFFq8aB3i-xbhC1oc4Q_V_KvGAQoy2P50IrZkNyXgd6gD/s400/IMAG1908.jpg" title="Time's ticking..." width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not to be squandered</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
Society, in the modern era, is so fast paced. Everyone is driving faster, communicating less and with fewer characters, eating fast food, getting news, studying and being entertained via high-speed broadband. But faster isn't always better. As we rush through headlines and articles on the internet, we are only skimming bits of information. We do not easily see the whole picture or gain much contextual or factual understanding. Very little is absorbed while going at the speed of light. On our freeways, we blaze through towns and cities...cutting through the intersecting lives of hundreds and thousands of people without picking up a single anecdote from that place and from those people.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
We need a deliberate balance of hard work, relaxation, re-energizing and social interaction to be the best people we can be. But in order to not find ourselves 38 and living with our parents, we need to understand that it all relates to time and how we manage it. There is no age requirement in order to make an impact in this world. It isn't like trying to rent a car before you turn 25. Don't wait for the world to open a door for you, take the time you have now and make your dreams a reality (as long as your dream doesn't require a rift in the space-time continuum to be realized).<br />
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14080789916623877396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397369455821050483.post-60312175351815897872013-03-26T00:24:00.001-06:002013-03-27T23:06:01.209-06:00Modern Society's Bass Ackward View of Government and Religion<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkfs1bPMoYXwD0h51q3bKOHRd_nexVOEenqSuABGLCANc8mXiY1Vvz9xiHOS5jtoUMYqlFVDlOXKJghOns0nfD9OGQTMheYf1dOr8ybAM4QlTBnSIBbieWRSRQ6B-vr9gFicFYFSF9EM_t/s1600/pope_francis_environment_green.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkfs1bPMoYXwD0h51q3bKOHRd_nexVOEenqSuABGLCANc8mXiY1Vvz9xiHOS5jtoUMYqlFVDlOXKJghOns0nfD9OGQTMheYf1dOr8ybAM4QlTBnSIBbieWRSRQ6B-vr9gFicFYFSF9EM_t/s320/pope_francis_environment_green.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White smoke rising from chimney in Rome,<br />
signifying the election of a new pope.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div dir="ltr">
<br />
<div dir="ltr">
With the recent selection of a new pope, many commentators from without and members from within discussed what type of pope the Papal Conclave would select. Would he be a progressive pope? Many of them had hoped so. Projections of eventual female priests began to take over the airwaves of public radio. A lot of those same commentators and a bunch of others pondered whether or not the new Bishop of Rome would embrace homosexuality and birth control.</div>
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<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXU4bPzLfKeSlUF485AhaJDYdY1jFE2Am-U_azKLG00LCipMzJvOzTRWD0wDg3nckKFCVxVo0mZRT5_IVZ_quH19fSJaqMhy1oDlbwbTf1B8lZD3HxI37KHZuXmJdOex3B2jaJNS33H_l3/s1600/Salt+Lake+Temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXU4bPzLfKeSlUF485AhaJDYdY1jFE2Am-U_azKLG00LCipMzJvOzTRWD0wDg3nckKFCVxVo0mZRT5_IVZ_quH19fSJaqMhy1oDlbwbTf1B8lZD3HxI37KHZuXmJdOex3B2jaJNS33H_l3/s200/Salt+Lake+Temple.jpg" title="Salt Lake Temple for LDS Church" width="119" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px; text-align: center;">Salt Lake Temple for the<br />
Church of Jesus Christ<br />
of Latter Day Saints.<br />
Salt Lake City, UT</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div dir="ltr">
On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, and several years prior, advocates of California's Proposition 8 - a measure relating to same sex marriage - chastised churches for standing in the way of its passage and demanded that the IRS rescind the offending churches' tax exemption status. The majority of the complainants cited the 'wall of separation between church and state' as their grounds for opposing religion's opposition to the proposition. Unfortunately, those who take this approach fail to realize this wall of theirs protects the rights of the church and the rights of the citizens from having a state-imposed religion forced upon them. Nothing else. Any other interpretation is outside the construct of the United States Constitution. When the government involves itself in the moral sphere, it is stepping on the toes of religion.</div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhklZ1Npy75dll3Z_huU0EfbDXGOjzYYvY1L0i73EvQojB6-ZTDA6FARxa2_WfeQhrjomEyZByyGow5t3dOuMRF3QKCnOJR6uZQQSY1STlSG4aVJSgHqMr2QhMH50mqrPg269NxpG_tgfwg/s1600/Defense.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhklZ1Npy75dll3Z_huU0EfbDXGOjzYYvY1L0i73EvQojB6-ZTDA6FARxa2_WfeQhrjomEyZByyGow5t3dOuMRF3QKCnOJR6uZQQSY1STlSG4aVJSgHqMr2QhMH50mqrPg269NxpG_tgfwg/s200/Defense.jpg" title="Ad to join the 7th Indiana Cavalry" width="119" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px; text-align: center;">Recruitment poster for<br />
the 7th Indiana Cavalry.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div dir="ltr">
Church and government are two real and powerful entities within human society. But in order for the two institutions to benefit the individual within society, he or she must understand the role of the state and the role of the church. Within that understanding, one must also understand how and why the one occasionally operates inside the other's realm. In addition to grasping the purposes of each universe, the individual needs to grasp the concept of his or her responsibility within both the state and the church and his or her relationship with each.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
Religion is a realm of faith and government is a realm of reason and deliberation. Reason and deliberation require an exchange of ideas and opinions, which also requires compromise. Faith, on the other hand is something that is accepted. In government, if something seems out of place, one can effect change within government through the apparatus that exists in that sphere--namely voting or participating in committee hearings or speaking at council meetings. If something is off in a faith-based sphere, it is supposed to be the individual who changes himself or herself to bring spiritual harmony into his or her life.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
Let's explore it a bit more.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLy_2a9JHVGLIjfwljPN5nACSElHtdMPItq6ShkyzUrB6oCirEdbLGdTWyxwyrWOGhazZpjCgpwptByH2i3WqZK_B-QeD_1DMN85cKcRmY7cQkVwSyBiJjovE_Bn_xVbdVAiVbGFFqbLRU/s1600/Dallas+City+Hall+by+night.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="119" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLy_2a9JHVGLIjfwljPN5nACSElHtdMPItq6ShkyzUrB6oCirEdbLGdTWyxwyrWOGhazZpjCgpwptByH2i3WqZK_B-QeD_1DMN85cKcRmY7cQkVwSyBiJjovE_Bn_xVbdVAiVbGFFqbLRU/s200/Dallas+City+Hall+by+night.jpg" title="Dallas City Hall, Dallas, Texas" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px; text-align: center;">Dallas City Hall by night. Dallas, TX</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div dir="ltr">
What is government? It is a body that directs and oversees the business of a state. In the United States, it is a democratic republic at the top, with some variation of the same concept down through state and municipal bodies. It is made up of citizens who represent themselves and other citizens. Citizens deliberate and debate to decide which laws and regulations will govern their conduct and the conduct of their fellow citizens. In principle, the laws of a state deal with private property rights, commerce and transactions, defense and how to address grievances between citizens.</div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbyJ3gJaoeZVO5l8fm_ep5hJknVOzyAY_igV6rYN_hhqhWX7G39nZ66b-pzjrrGoBt0ASgZvhvhj7DIujI4prUxUr1VLss62HTk7tdA8H6ZG_vsIQ-Vz4sVvktNY09RWouQWkFHsLwD8U8/s1600/Washington+Monument.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbyJ3gJaoeZVO5l8fm_ep5hJknVOzyAY_igV6rYN_hhqhWX7G39nZ66b-pzjrrGoBt0ASgZvhvhj7DIujI4prUxUr1VLss62HTk7tdA8H6ZG_vsIQ-Vz4sVvktNY09RWouQWkFHsLwD8U8/s200/Washington+Monument.jpg" title="Washington Monument, Washington, DC" width="111" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px; text-align: center;">Washington Monument.<br />
Washington, DC</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div dir="ltr">
Active citizens in a state use reason and/or emotion to try to persuade others to support the same legislation or policies that they themselves support. Sometimes the movement is successful, other times it is not. This is the way it is supposed to work. It is individuals putting their ideas on how to better society out there, hoping to gain the support of others.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhps00ZoPuuKlaVMQNfS9hsqVMXw3CX3Zqtl1QNSXFgQ7LVWbTBf-sEcyKqX6QssWGBHapu7wxD8iWWvCUXtDF2Ou5ah7bw_hMRDttCcA_E8gwIEdJh2KFdmyP5tJgL1LRvV4Y9rFceYd_C/s1600/National+City+Christian+Church.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhps00ZoPuuKlaVMQNfS9hsqVMXw3CX3Zqtl1QNSXFgQ7LVWbTBf-sEcyKqX6QssWGBHapu7wxD8iWWvCUXtDF2Ou5ah7bw_hMRDttCcA_E8gwIEdJh2KFdmyP5tJgL1LRvV4Y9rFceYd_C/s200/National+City+Christian+Church.jpg" title="National City Christian Church" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px; text-align: center;">National City Christian Church<br />
Washington, DC</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div dir="ltr">
Now, lets contrast that with religion. What is religion in general? A belief system. More specifically, a religion is a specific set of beliefs to which one adheres, usually in union with a number of other people. It is based wholly on faith. Through the exercise of this faith, the adherent gains strength to better himself or herself internally by accepting guidelines that suppress some natural desires and behaviors. But regardless of the specifics from one denomination to the next, religion operates in the realm of faith.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
What is happening more and more in the modern era is that people are doing exactly the opposite of what they ought to be doing. Citizens are faithfully trusting government for their sustenance and to make up for their own shortcomings, while members of churches are trying to tinker with their churches' doctrines and traditions.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaDivjBW9AoI3d1X6Y92vFd63DA9mFpS9VBr3Xzx1u9YUuf31w4yZoh-fnZ-PoYhyjiEeTHSJJuQ2Ska0Rhyphenhyphen2EVCAv-XfRCOkUTDT90UXXUqA6uiq4Kvsy_0Nq4XSDNgWRadxa-3l_aBaZ/s1600/Catholic+church+in+Victoria%252C+KS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaDivjBW9AoI3d1X6Y92vFd63DA9mFpS9VBr3Xzx1u9YUuf31w4yZoh-fnZ-PoYhyjiEeTHSJJuQ2Ska0Rhyphenhyphen2EVCAv-XfRCOkUTDT90UXXUqA6uiq4Kvsy_0Nq4XSDNgWRadxa-3l_aBaZ/s200/Catholic+church+in+Victoria%252C+KS.jpg" width="119" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px; text-align: center;">Catholic Church<br />
in Victoria, KS</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div dir="ltr">
If a church disagrees with contraception, but an individual member supports the use of contraceptives, he or she must accept the difference, change his/her opinion or find another church that better suits his/her set of beliefs. Of course, if that doesn't work, one could organize a new church or give up religion all together.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
Regardless of your politics or religion, being able to understand the purpose of each entity will bring a better understanding to your mind, on a small scale, and a better balance with more respect in society, on a large scale.You don't put faith in government, faith belongs to the spiritual and religious realms. You don't try to use reason and debate to alter a religion. Reason and consensus-building belong in the realm of government.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUNblf5KyZ4PixOyTAMEWisJgMUPn7E4cPfyjpfZGCdjxjLOqM9oledwDWs5FQd7rvVZrqwU4UDKjbS43GrAv6Yji-cXOigal0i33unLiSn_buZqo9O2a6JSZLXqGTb1Yo4X30RRKjPcW7/s1600/MLK+Jr+Monument.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUNblf5KyZ4PixOyTAMEWisJgMUPn7E4cPfyjpfZGCdjxjLOqM9oledwDWs5FQd7rvVZrqwU4UDKjbS43GrAv6Yji-cXOigal0i33unLiSn_buZqo9O2a6JSZLXqGTb1Yo4X30RRKjPcW7/s200/MLK+Jr+Monument.jpg" title="MLK, Jr Memorial" width="166" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px; text-align: center;">Martin Luther King, Jr Memorial.<br />
Washington, DC</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div dir="ltr">
If you want to effect change somewhere, do it in the proper place--do it in government. If you have a disagreement with your church's theology or its exercise of tradition, then change your mind or leave your church. Trying to change the structure of a church is not your role, because through your attempt to change the faith, you infringe upon the rights of other members of the congregation. If you have a problem, and it relates to a church, change your personal stance or go somewhere else. If your problem is governmentally based, get yourself out into the public sphere. Grab your friends, family, neighbors and colleagues to help you. Effect the change that is appropriate to effect.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
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</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14080789916623877396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397369455821050483.post-64956939791992947872013-03-18T00:00:00.003-06:002013-03-18T00:00:55.822-06:00Crisis Jockeying: Sensationalizing situations to manipulate feeble thinkers<div dir="ltr">
Ladies and gentlemen, lets look at and come up with a solution to a dilemma that has been occurring throughout human history and continues strongly today... I will call it<i> </i><i>crisis</i><i> jockeying</i>.<br />
<br />
<br />
This is just like it sounds.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbvT4g8rAmqI-nnwgMcvK0tB8F7LNAsahjORaOTaYlknLUl6AXG1lzycBgFp98UsPHdwODHT81QAUuQzo3FeXhBZpErMLpP7QsnJ2Ma1c7GZNWHN3vZrV3Pzo1lZhZAbuOVnTcGf3pn6RH/s1600/horse-racing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbvT4g8rAmqI-nnwgMcvK0tB8F7LNAsahjORaOTaYlknLUl6AXG1lzycBgFp98UsPHdwODHT81QAUuQzo3FeXhBZpErMLpP7QsnJ2Ma1c7GZNWHN3vZrV3Pzo1lZhZAbuOVnTcGf3pn6RH/s200/horse-racing.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The horse and its jockey are <br />
representative of a public crisis and a<br />
<i>Crisis Jockey</i>, who rides the crisis and <br />
tries to guide public opinion of the <br />
crisis to maximize his or her cause's power</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It is when people and institutions ride a crisis as if it were a sport, hoping for a big payout at the end. In crisis jockeying, as in horse racing, the jockey is only a small part of the team (pun intended). There are breeders who get a large share of the spoils of victory, as well. In the game of <i>crisis</i>, the breeders help instigate and proliferate a specific event or condition with the sole purpose of having their jockey ride it out to win the pot.<br />
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Crisis jockeys and their groups rely on hysteria to grant them power and/or money. They are the benefactors of windfall profits. Unlike big oil companies who had been getting a bad PR rap several years ago for 'windfall profits' the <i>big crisis companies</i> actually take windfalls. The oil companies had invested capital in their infrastructures and personnel for years. Then when market conditions shot the price of their goods upward, they were able to see an increase in profit. Rather than windfall, their profit was normal, market-based profit. The kind of profit that comes to all companies that invest money, time and manpower into an industry and are still functioning well when the market graces their industry with a boom.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB1A0aVt1w3sTAHJdqC3WsvMInYRo5lYIcID4CDm-qvtoZRdaXKUmXSlmCSOOQhtPqV2rYxvjxsfJ7KnRKtE15EsNYvQSRnrLyifSy_80H3bVHBqyuSnrcqcArrDXtYmZ-VufIPcyMHW-z/s1600/exxonmobil-expenses-and-earnings-chart-420x291.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB1A0aVt1w3sTAHJdqC3WsvMInYRo5lYIcID4CDm-qvtoZRdaXKUmXSlmCSOOQhtPqV2rYxvjxsfJ7KnRKtE15EsNYvQSRnrLyifSy_80H3bVHBqyuSnrcqcArrDXtYmZ-VufIPcyMHW-z/s320/exxonmobil-expenses-and-earnings-chart-420x291.png" title="Exxon Mobile Revenue Chart Q1 2011 from tarpon.wordpress.com" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Profit: 9.38% of Revenue. <br />
Governments' cut: 22.98% of Revenue.<br />
Percentage of revenue put back into the economy: 67.63%.</td></tr>
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Big crisis companies (cause-specific activists, political candidates and parties, etc.) become windfall profiteers when a storm hits or an earthquake rumbles. Their profit comes from blaming a natural disaster on an opponent or one of their adversaries. After they give blame, they begin to take donations. These donations are not necessarily just monetary contributions. It can also include face time on news programs or any other platform that enables that entity or individual to evangelize for their cause. Most of them are unrelated to the actual issue about which they are talking, but they find some obscure point or undertone to link the event or condition to their cause.<br />
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Sometimes the crisis jockeying involves jockeying for political position. Since it is so fresh, think of the sequester. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNBhue9OMTY" target="_blank">The sequester was a proposal offered by President Obama</a> a year and a half ago. It was designed to push Congress into coming up with a budget (something that hasn't really happened in years). Officials in the Obama Administration claim that at the time the sequester was proposed, they never expected it to go into effect. Taking their claim at face value, we will say that their intention was to scare Congress into action. <a href="http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20121025/OPINION01/310250038/Obradovich-Obama-confident-grand-bargain-" target="_blank">Speaking glowingly of his sequester to the Des Moines Register, President Obama</a> referenced the program and lauded the fixing power it would grant him. However, advisers must have determined that they would be taking a different stance publicly on the sequester and asked the Register to not print certain parts of the interview. They wanted to use it as a tool against Republicans from that point onward.<br />
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Fast forward to February/March of 2013. The period of sequestration was upon us. Members of Congress and even the president went out claiming that if the sequester goes through, lines at airport security will grow dramatically, unemployment will tick up significantly (Rep. Maxine Waters claimed the sequester would cost the US economy 170 million jobs, an economy that currently only has 140 million jobs), among other dramatic and drastic things.</div>
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We were told teachers would be laid off, policemen, firemen and all sorts of other kinds of public sector employees would be let go. To the casual listener, they would hear that and immediately think of their kids' teachers or their police force. Then they would think, heaven forbid, that if their house were to catch fire, without firemen, what would be their chances? The casual listener would willingly pay more of the income they earn to save these public servants. But you aren't the casual listener, are you?<br />
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You realize that the money to pay police officers and fire fighters come from local taxes. Teachers salaries come from state level boards of education, primarily funded by local taxes (some are subsidized by the federal Board of Education, but that largely goes toward operational and curriculum-related costs). You also realize that the sequester doesn't eliminate budgets from last year's levels, rather it cuts money from this year's <i>projected</i> budgets. We are still spending more money under the sequester than we did last year. Yet the world is still in the process of ending.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Madam Secretary Janet Napolitano</td></tr>
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Janet Napolitano, Secretary of the Department of Home Land Security, was asked which airports were reporting longer wait times at TSA checkpoints. She started her list off by saying:<a href="http://youtu.be/CuaY89yXKxg" target="_blank"> "I want to say..."</a>. However, after calls were put in to the airports she mentioned, it was clear that she was lying. Rather than reporting longer lines, each of the airports cited by Secretary Napolitano as being delayed confirmed that there were no additional delays.<br />
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The Department of Homeland Security's ICE began releasing illegal immigrants from prison (note, these were not just illegal immigrants going through the process of exportation, they were criminals serving time in prison, not jail, for prison-worthy crimes) <b><i>before</i></b> the sequester even became law. The releases were done in anticipation of possible budget cuts. <a href="http://www.gopusa.com/news/2013/02/28/ice-releases-300-illegal-aliens-in-arizona/" target="_blank">The Arizona Daily Star reported that all 300-500 released the first day were in Arizona.</a> Department officials have since suggested they would have to release up to 32,000 criminals back into the streets.<br />
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Also ahead of the sequester, <a href="http://cnsnews.com/news/article/tsa-sealed-50-million-sequester-eve-deal-buy-new-uniforms" target="_blank">Secretary Napolitano's department approved $50M for new uniforms for TSA agents.</a> The math amounts to about $1,000 per uniform. As a cub scout, I had more patches than TSA agents wear and they, too, were sewn onto a blue shirt. The whole thing probably ran about $45-50. That included a hat and bandanna. Can the lighter shade of blue possibly push the cost up to $1,000?<br />
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At the White House, tours of "the people's house" have been cancelled. President Obama blamed it on the Secret Service and said he did not know about it in advance and would work tirelessly to get them back on. However, his press secretary Jay Carney didn't get the message and asserted that the White House had made the decision to cancel the tours, in association with the Secret Service. The staff that ran the tours office consisted of seven employees. Seven employees and the tours they had offered to students and tax payers had to go because of sequestration. <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/world/worldnow/la-fg-wn-kerry-aide-to-syrian-opposition-forces-20130228,0,2455385.story" target="_blank">This announcement came the same day that Secretary of State John Kerry announced an additional $60M in aid to the Syrian rebels (in addition to the $55M already pledged to the group).</a> So, tax paying Americans visiting the nation's capital can no longer go see the inside of the White House because of budgetary shortfalls (private donations have been offered to fund the resuming of the tours, but the White House has refused), but the tax dollars the tax payers are paying gets sent off to fund opposition to Syria's brutal regime? Even if we assume the seven staffers that ran the tours are overpaid, why is that one of the first things to go?<br />
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The last piece that we will touch on is the issue of immunizations to kids in Maryland. Because of sequestration, the CDC had to cut the number of available vaccines in Maryland by about 2,050 doses. That is 2,050 fewer children getting vaccinations than would have otherwise received them. <a href="http://harris.house.gov/press-release/congressman-harris-confronts-cdc-director-over-misleading-white-house-sequester-claims" target="_blank">The director of the CDC, Thomas Frieden, found himself in an uncomfortable position while testifying at a congressional subcommittee hearing on the cuts.</a> Because of some direct questioning from Maryland Rep. Harris, Frieden was forced to admit that the sequester, which cut $30M from their projected budget, forced them to cut the immunizations, <u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">BUT</u> with the president's proposed budget's cut of $58M, the immunizations would have been saved. Do the math folks. With $28M less to spend in the budget, the CDC would have saved the vaccinations? How does that work?<br />
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The bottom line is this: people in power love being in power. The second to bottom line is this: manipulation (mass or otherwise) is the favorite tool of the powerful to stay in power. Today, the manipulation is executed with soundbites through news reports. A few centuries ago, as Niccolo Machiavelli wrote in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1613823940/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1613823940&linkCode=as2&tag=ele059-20">The Prince</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=ele059-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1613823940" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />, it was executed through raw force. Random killings in the town square would scare people into submission. Think of the Spanish Inquisition, the expansion of Ottoman Empire, Nazi and Soviet rule. The success of each of these movements was based on the exercise of power to instill fear. It has always happened and will, no doubt, continue to plague human society. Today the practitioners of this technique send experts, advisers and even celebrities into newsrooms to tell everyone how bad life will be if <i>xyz </i>doesn't happen. Then they say that if, by some off chance, the bad thing does happen, everyone needs to blame <i>Company X</i>, or <i>the X party</i>, or <i>John/Jane Doe </i>for the unavoidable misery that will follow.<br />
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To avoid being manipulated, all we need to do is think things through a bit. Who is making this claim? Why is he/she making the claim? Do all of the claim's premises add up? Is the conclusion made within the claim sound? If there is a red flag that comes up as a result of the answers to any of these questions, chances are someone is trying to dupe you. The second thing to do is be vocal about the facts surrounding the attempted duping. Speak to friends and family, colleagues and neighbors. Be the voice of reason. Without being overbearing, discuss whatever the situation may be and review the actual facts together. Then soon, you/we won't be so easily played by these crisis jockeys.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14080789916623877396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397369455821050483.post-8118614582616397842013-02-26T21:39:00.002-07:002013-02-27T10:38:19.767-07:00Collective Soul's 'Run', Comfort in the Modern Era and Mediocrity<span style="font-family: inherit;">The second verse of Collective Soul's 1999 hit <i>Run</i> goes like this:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Is there a cure among us<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>From this processed sanity <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>I weaken with each voice that sings <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>In this world of purchase <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>I'm going to buy back memories <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>To awaken some old qualities <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As I listened to this song the other day, I actually listened to the words for the first time. It got me thinking:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Processed sanity</i>. Most things these days that are processed are either unnatural, modified or wholly manufactured. I liked what was being sung. It was a message that has often crossed my mind. As a whole, humanity of today is very different than it was for our ancestors a thousand years ago. Mankind is not living up to its potential. We have changed fairly dramatically over the last 2-3 generations, even.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLVuJYKBQAA8WQnW41osOnX7RbA6SK1u2ZSrQ2utrNAo9_SCEmvCHrAT94siMeMUIcwUbkJ_7DfJK3BMekG1LQdyaGeduhddmg6JrRbrVbuNI5n-s4t2dpKBPH8XNLAE52xbVJl8xeCfWt/s1600/Stanford.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLVuJYKBQAA8WQnW41osOnX7RbA6SK1u2ZSrQ2utrNAo9_SCEmvCHrAT94siMeMUIcwUbkJ_7DfJK3BMekG1LQdyaGeduhddmg6JrRbrVbuNI5n-s4t2dpKBPH8XNLAE52xbVJl8xeCfWt/s320/Stanford.jpg" title="Stanford pennant" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A geneticist from Stanford University, Dr. Gerald Crabtree, has argued in the journal <i><a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168952512001588" target="_blank">Trends in Genetics</a></i> that we are dumber than previous generations. He even stated that an Athenian from a thousand years ago could come to our time and be smarter than all of us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">But we make cars and planes... computers and smartphones. What did the Athenians and their contemporaries make? Little carts pulled by animals? Catapults? Come on, now. But wait...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Think about that. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Someone</i> designed a car or a plane. <i>Someone</i> designed and produced the electronics that we use daily. Specific individuals today combine other people's creations to make better tools for us all to use. But can <i>you</i> manufacture a car? Can <i>I</i>? Unlikely. But what about the Athenians? Sure they had markets and engaged in commerce and trade, but most any able bodied Athenian knew how to make and use the tools of his trade.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Similarly, two generations ago, my grandfather would see a problem, then with his natural ingenuity, he would engineer a solution based on what he had around him. He had the ability to do so because it was his nature... but it was also a talent that he exercised and sharpened. Sadly, what was a fairly common trait 40 years ago has now become a skill that most lack.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzFTTu-Tyfpv8elqb4hQuseJG7FRsy5touvs-1xE-A_Hjt3qByaj3PXBavg_ZLp8gxrzN_G0zDhU-T-t6AnVKC-i4hdVnQHG4qlK4z52Nlf1PKFE6Lw1IZCsRmf5gZ0MOZ5C-UG4EdUZyK/s1600/athenians.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="BasicVirute" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzFTTu-Tyfpv8elqb4hQuseJG7FRsy5touvs-1xE-A_Hjt3qByaj3PXBavg_ZLp8gxrzN_G0zDhU-T-t6AnVKC-i4hdVnQHG4qlK4z52Nlf1PKFE6Lw1IZCsRmf5gZ0MOZ5C-UG4EdUZyK/s1600/athenians.jpg" title="Athenians" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">These Athenians are smarter than us and more resourceful... </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">even without all their limbs.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Dr. Crabtree pointed out that the average Athenian (and I suggest we include generations up through my grandparents' generation) had to rely on his or her own memory, problem solving and critical thinking skills. The current generation is devolving in these aspects because of inactivity. Our natural brilliance is suffering from atrophy. There is no life-saving necessity to store useful information in one's brain, because at one's fingertips is something called 'Google'. For example, where a previous generation had to know the basic workings of their personal vehicles, we have Jiffy Lubes everywhere and WikiHow articles accessible on a whim 24 hours a day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Back in the Collective Soul song, the writer states that he wants "<i>to buy back memories, to awaken some old qualities</i>". This is exactly what Dr. Crabtree is suggesting we are missing. Memory and old qualities.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg210R-n2fuQsK6GHfrm0JRYRPYpNOOs3PCOqvQ3n7Gt5ZDERlemNvwfteoQ97Y5Zh6poJMTDWGKAjLLvg4qgEAzkhIs5YXn5IT5DQz2vrP3b9ibiHu0xEMeQY1vgEIhhEbZR7svdq25h1G/s1600/Macgyver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg210R-n2fuQsK6GHfrm0JRYRPYpNOOs3PCOqvQ3n7Gt5ZDERlemNvwfteoQ97Y5Zh6poJMTDWGKAjLLvg4qgEAzkhIs5YXn5IT5DQz2vrP3b9ibiHu0xEMeQY1vgEIhhEbZR7svdq25h1G/s320/Macgyver.jpg" title="MacGyver" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Richard Dean Anderson as the '80s real-life superhero, MacGyver</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We are too comfortable. We don't need to constantly be aware of our surroundings in case we find ourselves in a MacGyver situation, because they just don't happen for the average person anymore. We have roadside assistance, so we don't need to worry about changing a flat tire. We have 24 hour plumbing services, so we don't need to understand the pipal organization within the walls of our homes. It is almost as if our self-sufficiency skills are stuck in a self-destructive round of the Kevin Bacon game. Rather than actually knowing how to do anything, we rely on being just a step or two away from someone who can help us.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjypXpcos6yeOTS33uyW7D9YMLO-xex18iMfBj5ntfkuinA9BJq98L1B4dKCUTODUcPNtoAxYt_XPRoSH_pxwgpTlx7sM2VMBqJa4HB7AM9ds-ZKzJyu5F2f8zg2Dedd1Qq_JZ9rhCCDn5A/s1600/sigma+chi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjypXpcos6yeOTS33uyW7D9YMLO-xex18iMfBj5ntfkuinA9BJq98L1B4dKCUTODUcPNtoAxYt_XPRoSH_pxwgpTlx7sM2VMBqJa4HB7AM9ds-ZKzJyu5F2f8zg2Dedd1Qq_JZ9rhCCDn5A/s1600/sigma+chi.jpg" title="Sigma Chi Cross" /></span></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In my fraternity, we had a chapter motto (to be perfectly honest, we actually had several, but one was better than the rest): "<b>Mediocrity is of the adversary</b>." Regardless of what or who your present adversary may be, your apathy or your choice to settle in and get comfortable is your biggest weakness and your opponent's most potent tool. By being mediocre, or getting too comfortable, your adversary does not need to do anything. You are limiting your own growth and your own progress.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">If we are not finding ways each day to gain some level of useful knowledge, if we aren't finding ways to be better today than we were yesterday, we will continue to lose our natural abilities. To that degree, we will be responsible for the dumbification of the human race. Collective Soul asks, <i>Is there a cure among us?</i> I say to you there is. But it can only be self-administered. Be better today than you were yesterday. Get even better tomorrow. Decide to be observant and to think critically. Next time you realize that Danny DeVito's wife's real name isn't Carla, but you can't remember it is Rhea Perlman, think through it internally before immediately turning to Google. It wor</span>ks.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14080789916623877396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397369455821050483.post-70059687803889249392013-02-14T00:52:00.000-07:002013-02-27T10:50:01.298-07:00Whose idea was that?<div dir="ltr">Ideas are the genesis of all deeds and all movements throughout history. Some ideas (like mixing hazelnuts and chocolate) are great, some (like <a href="http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-head-cheese.htm" target="_blank">head cheese</a>...warning: only click on the link if you have a strong stomach) are terrible. What I want to explore is what it takes for a bad idea to gain support and general acceptance.</div><div dir="ltr"><br />
</div><div dir="ltr"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGEiCDhEFY2Bt5KfAmFLJufIUiHYriA3VXu9hOxl4YDTdARTQuDj4oiJvYDjkj3ny8Pjenua6kC6ftoHZrTtLr_7qc5g6Fn26ROYIxlRE7CJnKbQZq5Y5IGbFqieuYflRn_anGeVvEZMi9/s1600/MIB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGEiCDhEFY2Bt5KfAmFLJufIUiHYriA3VXu9hOxl4YDTdARTQuDj4oiJvYDjkj3ny8Pjenua6kC6ftoHZrTtLr_7qc5g6Fn26ROYIxlRE7CJnKbQZq5Y5IGbFqieuYflRn_anGeVvEZMi9/s200/MIB.jpg" title="Men in Black" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'J' and 'K' flashy-thingying a <br />
guy (off screen).</td></tr>
</tbody></table><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkCwFkOZoOY" target="_blank">K</a>, from <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119654/?ref_=sr_2" target="_blank">Men in Black</a>, said (paraphrasing): <i>A</i><i> person</i><i> is</i><i> smart, </i><i>but</i><i> people</i><i> are</i><i> dumb</i>. Perhaps mob-mentality can explain humanity's general acceptance of bad ideas, but maybe there is something more. For example: How can an otherwise intelligent person consider, believe then accept that something as awful as the Holocaust is not only acceptable, but necessary? </div><div dir="ltr"><br />
</div><div dir="ltr"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTpziYPq1iARprrgPjWE-Y79LwkYbjWELPXEBpuO3Agx8EO7BUp8itXieAtbWHzkKFbWXajEwrG895NLJEedeCZQ0WdLHf38F6gOtPVhgcl1KVCiYJTglrvcC7SNMhniUiWCl6K_E-TNOP/s1600/star+of+david.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTpziYPq1iARprrgPjWE-Y79LwkYbjWELPXEBpuO3Agx8EO7BUp8itXieAtbWHzkKFbWXajEwrG895NLJEedeCZQ0WdLHf38F6gOtPVhgcl1KVCiYJTglrvcC7SNMhniUiWCl6K_E-TNOP/s200/star+of+david.jpg" title="Star of David" width="200" /></a>Having lived in the former USSR, I discussed the Holocaust with several older folks who had been there when it all took place. One older gentleman told me that, for him, it took consistent bombardment from the propaganda machine to comply. This <i>bácsi </i>(Hungarian for old guy) told me that every Jew he knew was a terrific person. So when all the antisemitic sentiments of the Nazi party began broadcasting over the airwaves, he dismissed it. Several weeks later, he started to assume that the only good Jews were the ones he knew, because the rest of them were vermin. Looking back, he was embarrassed that he did nothing to stop the persecution of the Hungarian Jews in his village. He realized that most everyone loved their neighbors and friends who were Jews, but like he had done, assumed that all the rest were scoundrels.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">* * * * *</div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZaqHBIN5i_5UJmJKklCwYG_h2AW_E9helD9Y8YMxVT1Q84jkaeq5swvhygN7aWlDhxhNEsjnXFU7BauiCTg3qX_EIw-U3tMGUh9DD_dvmDHwAVfSJSH38T0J5draiE8WTlbeEBg8ScVTx/s1600/y2k+book+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZaqHBIN5i_5UJmJKklCwYG_h2AW_E9helD9Y8YMxVT1Q84jkaeq5swvhygN7aWlDhxhNEsjnXFU7BauiCTg3qX_EIw-U3tMGUh9DD_dvmDHwAVfSJSH38T0J5draiE8WTlbeEBg8ScVTx/s200/y2k+book+2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Another one that I will never understand is the whole <b><i>Y2K</i></b> fiasco. Who was the first guy who suggested that computers (machines designed to process large numbers, equations and algorithms) might not be able to count from 1,999 to 2,000? Not only did the first guy think it was a big deal, but also a large enough percentage of subsequent computer geniuses that it became a worldwide scare. From a guy (or group of guys) thinking the calendar's switch from December 31, 1999 to January 1, 2000 would break computers, it snowballed. People thought their bank accounts would vanish, that planes would drop out of the sky... that mass chaos would lead to riots and economic devastation.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAKZNIvmpRRewnB-BWTspyDJ85LCwmmsadjCV7knwd4U2-n-5xKwzGJp14nh2NqejSpv4REf68fsEPlkB26pKBHSWvL-vPd4Ccsknq-9dlm85qBrVoYjRUZwxYfS5GwTpQ_RzvOU-gCuRP/s1600/y2k+book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAKZNIvmpRRewnB-BWTspyDJ85LCwmmsadjCV7knwd4U2-n-5xKwzGJp14nh2NqejSpv4REf68fsEPlkB26pKBHSWvL-vPd4Ccsknq-9dlm85qBrVoYjRUZwxYfS5GwTpQ_RzvOU-gCuRP/s200/y2k+book.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
Think about that for a minute.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh3Wujk81NrKqlxkWNbWXrtBepKZuFKlgEbCN5EwURHpshG8NYJDL1r6LviLYU0_w4qWxP99B8YwenWP2Ahcp1Lf7GSuZeoH2DVIqYFZMHXP36QWeov3xNPA0yxQ2cwp5KtXN0CTnd4hTL/s1600/Y2K+scared+computer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh3Wujk81NrKqlxkWNbWXrtBepKZuFKlgEbCN5EwURHpshG8NYJDL1r6LviLYU0_w4qWxP99B8YwenWP2Ahcp1Lf7GSuZeoH2DVIqYFZMHXP36QWeov3xNPA0yxQ2cwp5KtXN0CTnd4hTL/s200/Y2K+scared+computer.jpg" title="Scared computer Y2K" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look how frightened the computer <br />
is of the number 2000.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Even in 1999, people could chat with other human beings across the globe through computers. Cellular technology was fairly solid and mobile web browsing and SMS were becoming more and more common. Computer models were tracking weather systems and generating solutions to mathematical conundrums at universities and research labs all over the world. But for very obvious reasons (start this sentence over and read it sarcastically, if you didn't do so the first time.), people thought that a machine, called a <i>computer</i>, could not compute that 2,000 follows 1,999.<br />
<br />
Folks withdrew money, some closed accounts they had maintained throughout their adult lives. Others built bunkers and loaded up on survival gear. All of this, and for what? Why? Because they heard it was coming and that it would be bad. Hindsight is 20/20, but with a little critical thinking, foresight can also be near 20/20.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">* * * * *</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN-CcP894D1OlWxw2wNHozwBSZU5xqgXFZ3Fhes5YrJUjTBJJ9kTN8DA-P7Yi3OqFGMS-JE6Yq24HFDRz5dMZJ2jCqa2LYzXBJwmuZnRjOkHNPRuVwUnS554wuBG5hlhEQtcd4q9UAukEw/s1600/Wedding+Chapel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN-CcP894D1OlWxw2wNHozwBSZU5xqgXFZ3Fhes5YrJUjTBJJ9kTN8DA-P7Yi3OqFGMS-JE6Yq24HFDRz5dMZJ2jCqa2LYzXBJwmuZnRjOkHNPRuVwUnS554wuBG5hlhEQtcd4q9UAukEw/s320/Wedding+Chapel.jpg" title="Wedding Chapel" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Las Vegas Wedding Chapel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Then there is the infamous group of students from a private religious university several years ago who thought it would be a good idea to go to Las Vegas to get married. They didn't want to get married for real, but just to engage in coital activities before getting their marriages annulled the next day. There was one person who suggested the idea: we can experience something exciting and new, without breaking any commandments regarding pre-marital chastity, then just pretend it never happened. Another person, without thinking twice, agreed that it was a brilliant plan...the letter of the law would be followed and they could get a little closer to the hot babes from the adjacent apartment. Subsequently, others (including the hot babes from the adjacent apartment) hopped on board and executed the idea.<br />
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Although it is common for college students to engage in promiscuous activities, this situation was a particularly ridiculous idea because of all the ways in which they justified their actions. The students could just have done whatever they wanted to do, without the sham marriage and two days later, nothing would have been different. But they spent a lot of time and money trying to trick the system. The end result is they were dismissed from the school for violating the code of conduct they swore to uphold and all the justification they could devise was meaningless.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Good rule of thumb: if one has an idea that requires an abundance of maneuvering around laws or ethics, it probably isn't a good idea. A solid idea should stand on its own merit.</i></b><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD-awgbc0igfWUmmsBlz_lHsCGun_8BcPYNvci4OoYidi-Q2R5ZEAgjoDm62O82b6Y_wwAQLgLcjLes2Jdz1X5ysi5xNaKTFFjpDia0iPTHsKJghe6k7zO2ExdGTrz36p9p2Rww_o3UQ5U/s1600/planking.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD-awgbc0igfWUmmsBlz_lHsCGun_8BcPYNvci4OoYidi-Q2R5ZEAgjoDm62O82b6Y_wwAQLgLcjLes2Jdz1X5ysi5xNaKTFFjpDia0iPTHsKJghe6k7zO2ExdGTrz36p9p2Rww_o3UQ5U/s320/planking.gif" title="Idiocy of planking" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is planking... this is it.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>There are plenty of plain old bad ideas out there. People all over the world are devising and supporting them everyday. Groups large and small show support for dangerous, ridiculous, evil or just plain stupid ideas on a regular basis. Why? Think about planking. People have died from falling off of buildings and bridges because they wanted to show how brilliantly awesome they were... by laying face-down, as flat as a board on everyday objects. Idiots!<br />
<br />
Along those same lines... the whole YouTube craze where people try to do something ridiculous in order to get views. Some of the worst involve pogo sticks on treadmills or anything else that can result in broken bones and/or death. All for hits on a video sharing website.<br />
<br />
Without going into a discussion, it is also worth noting: reality TV, the Tickle Me Elmo insanity, Furbies and mannequins with nipples.<br />
<br />
What others are out there?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14080789916623877396noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397369455821050483.post-80303220323145008532013-02-08T23:30:00.000-07:002013-02-27T10:47:54.883-07:00Rants for thought...<div dir="ltr"><u><b>PART 1: Scrumptious misnomers</b></u>:</div><div dir="ltr"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEm769186ZR4qARec4HylBPGmVq9XYDOrYS90xtW54rPvyi0SVSOcR07Zr_8QsZAvNhaTvha1DV32e_xT-7g96cSNtKB2xMkz07lAz4cueR2McChfgwGesJNTVyv8Zl-lG6Sh42OpbAhMR/s1600/3musketeers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEm769186ZR4qARec4HylBPGmVq9XYDOrYS90xtW54rPvyi0SVSOcR07Zr_8QsZAvNhaTvha1DV32e_xT-7g96cSNtKB2xMkz07lAz4cueR2McChfgwGesJNTVyv8Zl-lG6Sh42OpbAhMR/s200/3musketeers.jpg" title="3Musketeers-MilkyWay" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<div dir="ltr">It has always bothered me that there is a candy bar called 3 Musketeers that doesn't have three of anything in it. It is just a whipped, chocolaty, <i>milky </i>substance dipped in a chocolate shell. There is absolutely nothing about the 3 Musketeers that has anything to do with the number 3, with musketeers or with the literary trio known as The Three Musketeers. There is no "One for all and all for one" mentality associated with the bar at all. Why on Earth would they name the bar <i>3 Musketeers?</i></div><div dir="ltr"><br />
</div><div dir="ltr"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3LebDzpDPGG4my9jMze738Xr4GSv9yEEGy3yVwbDgIbLOskfcweMc7_0fMZv23RAgzI_G2jhIG27YUJI84L01S2USOEt1hRbKfVjiIoml7PNQfaJvkmLaUP1rfCTHO4AwlKMLecR-MFNt/s1600/snickers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Basic Virtue" border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3LebDzpDPGG4my9jMze738Xr4GSv9yEEGy3yVwbDgIbLOskfcweMc7_0fMZv23RAgzI_G2jhIG27YUJI84L01S2USOEt1hRbKfVjiIoml7PNQfaJvkmLaUP1rfCTHO4AwlKMLecR-MFNt/s200/snickers.jpg" title="Snickers-3Musketeers" width="200" /></a>What makes me more uneasy is to realize there is an actual candy bar (made in the same factory, no less) that has three distinct elements working together in harmony: peanut, caramel and nougat. (Since the outer chocolate shell is common to both candy bars, I omit it as one of the elements.) This candy bar is not called 3 Musketeers, instead it is named Snickers. What about a Snickers bar can be associated with slightly reserved chuckles?</div><div dir="ltr"><br />
</div><div dir="ltr">I realize that candy doesn't have to make sense, I learned that from Willy Wonka. So by extension, names of candy bars certainly don't need to follow a logical nomenclature system. But something this obvious should have caught the attention of Naming Committee at Mars.</div><div dir="ltr"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqCLTXxvyTGv49vj8hgj-btBLh5RgoP95iWD7gaKgiv0bsFb3bhEu4bvqdYLElWoNt_Ezw98FJBV9aM8CR4WqrOPhEuY_VZylJUTJTXyH5pmlQsgZDvc66jOmvJ_cwT69rWxHPshzqLzbA/s1600/Milky-Way-Bar-Split.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="116" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqCLTXxvyTGv49vj8hgj-btBLh5RgoP95iWD7gaKgiv0bsFb3bhEu4bvqdYLElWoNt_Ezw98FJBV9aM8CR4WqrOPhEuY_VZylJUTJTXyH5pmlQsgZDvc66jOmvJ_cwT69rWxHPshzqLzbA/s200/Milky-Way-Bar-Split.jpg" title="MilkyWay-Snickers" width="200" /></a></div><div dir="ltr">To rectify the nonsense, here is my proposal: Call today's Snickers the 3 Musketeers bar going forward. The current 3 Musketeers bar should be changed to the Milky Way bar. Because it is nothing but a chocolate-covered, chocolaty milky way from end to end. This leaves the name 'Snickers' without a bar and today's Milky Way without a name. So match those two up and call it good.</div><div dir="ltr"><br />
</div><div dir="ltr"><br />
</div>-------Story continues below-------<br />
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<div dir="ltr"><b><u>PART 2: Authoritarian Travel Agents:</u></b></div><div dir="ltr"><b><u><br />
</u></b></div><div dir="ltr">Picture yourself saving money for a long time in order to go on vacation. You want to see a new part of the world, to experience new cultures. So you collect enough money for airfare and lodging, along with cash for activities and souvenirs. You are full of anticipation and excitement! Boarding the plane, you begin to day dream of all the wonderful things you'll do, sights you'll see and cuisine you will eat.</div><div dir="ltr"><br />
</div><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ0FVCAdDeMAGS1-LVCqCg8xMjV5J2s9uGylexwSQUKlBoyDTUvM4HQN4dFXi0AFvaSEJZR3ny6_u8fEZtmPqmgySXKtwE8pRv5SxAYDBYKkwoJ-gzzZk8skaR8NAHABMgsqrC4GB09IOq/s1600/holiday-inn-express-garden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ0FVCAdDeMAGS1-LVCqCg8xMjV5J2s9uGylexwSQUKlBoyDTUvM4HQN4dFXi0AFvaSEJZR3ny6_u8fEZtmPqmgySXKtwE8pRv5SxAYDBYKkwoJ-gzzZk8skaR8NAHABMgsqrC4GB09IOq/s320/holiday-inn-express-garden.jpg" title="Hostage Inn Express" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Instead of Holiday Inn Express, let's call it Hostage Inn Express.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div dir="ltr">You land, take a cab to your hotel and begin to check in. The host at the front desk hands you your key, your meal tickets and a list of activities offered by the hotel throughout the duration of your stay. He also hands you an itinerary. As you glance over the schedule, you realize that they are only letting you leave the hotel for a few hours each day, except on the third day. On the third day, you have to stay in the hotel all day long.</div><div dir="ltr"><br />
</div><div dir="ltr">The bell boy, almost instinctively, like he can read your thoughts, says: "Don't worry sir, shuffle board is very popular."</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0kFwVe2W7Z7Xn_Z1Wk1EGt3gNXyXIgr2PVI71rrhNX4Tkn2VQtEe6VAIpoYmHQJtd9jbxOSVM0FM9j139pCI4ObF-jnwGxSxgw1tEni9B0va1SAjRj1GLPqxOi0u1DCDvuDIfvmGnj_Xi/s1600/Shuffleboard.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="BasicVirute" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0kFwVe2W7Z7Xn_Z1Wk1EGt3gNXyXIgr2PVI71rrhNX4Tkn2VQtEe6VAIpoYmHQJtd9jbxOSVM0FM9j139pCI4ObF-jnwGxSxgw1tEni9B0va1SAjRj1GLPqxOi0u1DCDvuDIfvmGnj_Xi/s1600/Shuffleboard.JPG" title="Shuffleboard" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Every day their shufflin'.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div dir="ltr"><br />
</div><div dir="ltr"><i>Shuffle board, </i>you think to yourself. <i>How old do I look to this kid? </i>Just then, you see that all of your meals will be forced upon you by the hotel staff. The menus are pre-planned and not to your specific tastes. <i>At least there is a buffet</i>, you tell yourself.</div><div dir="ltr"><br />
</div><div dir="ltr">But as great as a buffet may be, you are trapped. You cannot go where you want to go or do what you want to do. You are given a few choices of activities, but they all involve staying put in the hotel... except for the daily guided tours.</div><div dir="ltr"><br />
</div><div dir="ltr">Is this what you saved three years to do? To be a hostage guest at a hotel?</div><div dir="ltr"><br />
</div><div dir="ltr">Now, for those of you who haven't made the connection, I am ranting against the cruise industry. With a cruise ship, there are four distinct differences between it and a regular, land-based hotel:</div><div dir="ltr"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgd4XLZgUzeVq8vaoJrNsFL6YUlG_jKtVOaSzdw1PYESWX_vlRmMnzqWTr6AueaNdq-bOjf3ugV2NprWeBK7zBwKRuuIMXaQtxKRc6gjo6ZpOygvVookRILxOle5ERCsFvU9R05i8JrXOK/s1600/italian+cruise+ship.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgd4XLZgUzeVq8vaoJrNsFL6YUlG_jKtVOaSzdw1PYESWX_vlRmMnzqWTr6AueaNdq-bOjf3ugV2NprWeBK7zBwKRuuIMXaQtxKRc6gjo6ZpOygvVookRILxOle5ERCsFvU9R05i8JrXOK/s320/italian+cruise+ship.jpg" title="Italian Cruise ship after crashing" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Costa Concordia partially sunk January 13, 2012 after <br />
striking a rock.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div dir="ltr">1. The hotel will not strike an iceberg or large rocks or coral reefs to ultimately sink in the ocean. The cruise ship might.</div><div dir="ltr">2. The food that is served at a hotel could be brought fresh everyday. On a cruise ship, it was only fresh on the first day.</div><div dir="ltr">3. The hotel will not make you seasick. The cruise ship can.</div><div dir="ltr"><br />
4. The view from your hotel room window will not change, but on a cruise ship, it likely will. As long as you don't have a cabin facing the shuffle board court or the ocean-only side of the ship.</div><div dir="ltr"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxEkLeFpe5tlC98OkUUu5m-OLFd7TLaP0Dikc_yZct2-AtUQi4tj-app3HvWg4yYK0jI5YzVUIE0C2DvrI0tbLrU9XFwzJor61haF8tQof438Gq4ZnR7Gb1Y_9jw4sQvlwz13cqHuLKJZt/s1600/The+Dictator.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxEkLeFpe5tlC98OkUUu5m-OLFd7TLaP0Dikc_yZct2-AtUQi4tj-app3HvWg4yYK0jI5YzVUIE0C2DvrI0tbLrU9XFwzJor61haF8tQof438Gq4ZnR7Gb1Y_9jw4sQvlwz13cqHuLKJZt/s320/The+Dictator.jpg" title="Sacha Baron Cohen as "The Dictator"" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sacha Baron Cohen as "The Dictator"</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div dir="ltr"><br />
</div><div dir="ltr">Think about it... the cruise industry had to have been invented by either a dictator who had a thing for planning/organizing travel or the other way around... a travel agent who had dreams of being a dictator.</div><div dir="ltr"><br />
</div><div dir="ltr"><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14080789916623877396noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397369455821050483.post-63629711627294690862013-01-26T22:43:00.000-07:002013-02-27T10:45:30.114-07:00Absolute Truth vs Relativism<div dir="ltr"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZSqGxfDqWCuRgb5N0XiaavzNY73EmzZOu-SoM8O2HzmUYIZx0WwLF3qW5Y2gSg0n0UcOshiyd5iE_hpPsID6l5WrfwpZhjV4KJAwghiYX6MEYKq1wm1cxWkga9V3Paoi1Vu4DGqXOri3F/s1600/Quark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZSqGxfDqWCuRgb5N0XiaavzNY73EmzZOu-SoM8O2HzmUYIZx0WwLF3qW5Y2gSg0n0UcOshiyd5iE_hpPsID6l5WrfwpZhjV4KJAwghiYX6MEYKq1wm1cxWkga9V3Paoi1Vu4DGqXOri3F/s1600/Quark.jpg" /></a>Several years ago, I was engaged in a conversation with a co-worker whose opinions differed from mine on most subjects. We were talking about galaxies, the universe and the idea of a pluraverse. As we talked about quarks at the bottom and the universe at the top, we could agree that there reasonably was matter smaller than quarks. Then by extension, it is also reasonable to assume that as multiple star systems make a galaxy and multiple galaxies make a universe, that multiple universes make a pluraverse.</div><div dir="ltr"><br />
</div><div dir="ltr"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXDjw8rkjJKr4G9myKASGZ_j3KclKnY4FVhIfIa6QFNghFyFc2TnnwV9-lr-sQ1qC31UfKWnO-2P5Rdcc2q4FyIStV3n2j1hRrUnZUVEbIsgDBS1boexS_GL2JDOTRjd5ZFo_cLVWtj0ys/s1600/images-5.bin" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXDjw8rkjJKr4G9myKASGZ_j3KclKnY4FVhIfIa6QFNghFyFc2TnnwV9-lr-sQ1qC31UfKWnO-2P5Rdcc2q4FyIStV3n2j1hRrUnZUVEbIsgDBS1boexS_GL2JDOTRjd5ZFo_cLVWtj0ys/s320/images-5.bin" title="Forming galaxy" width="320" /></a>The discussion then turned to our varying opinions of how everything got started. Although we agreed on certain events that lead to the existence of the universe (as we understand it), we disagreed on the catalyst(s) that set the progress in motion. After some back and forth, I made a statement that, at the time, seemed pretty basic and indisputable. I claimed that regardless of what we think may have happened, there is an absolute truth regarding how things came to be.</div><div dir="ltr"><br />
</div><div dir="ltr">My colleague disagreed... adamantly. She said that I was wrong. She believed that one's perception of an event actually affects it. Even if that event occurred billions of years prior to the perception's inception. I countered by saying that her perception or my perception can only affect how we or others we converse with on the subject perceive the event. Again, my co-worker posited that everything is determined by how one perceives it. I was shocked. I realize that one's perception of an event is real to that person, but simply seeing something does not change the nature of the object being seen.</div><div dir="ltr"><br />
</div><div dir="ltr"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWyBHaphJTso0jAo8KjPRDRhww9a31E_TE3iYjGrx4QCkd_AiyWe6n9jx5GdXeWDdft-dWzDfashLLnMihtTn48w8UaHyEdcB_ohsw8UgXlRuPsxuh2UqijFL7-Au64eEbz-b4yeBvAZ6E/s1600/exoplanet.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWyBHaphJTso0jAo8KjPRDRhww9a31E_TE3iYjGrx4QCkd_AiyWe6n9jx5GdXeWDdft-dWzDfashLLnMihtTn48w8UaHyEdcB_ohsw8UgXlRuPsxuh2UqijFL7-Au64eEbz-b4yeBvAZ6E/s320/exoplanet.png" title="An exoplanet, artist rendering" width="320" /></a></div>For example, exoplanets don't exist because humans on Earth built powerful telescopes to observe them. Similarly, the universe wasn't created by an omnipotent god or team of gods because subsequent living organisms on Earth believe that s/he/they did. Just the same: an explosion billions of years ago did not create the universe because other subsequent living organisms on Earth deem that event the start of everything. What happened happened. And it happened exactly how it happened. Here are the exact, absolute possibilities surrounding the origin of our universe, galaxy, solar system and planet:<br />
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</div><div dir="ltr"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVL7LDd1A_PRJSVXds9vIVgcztLQkQvFscKsk4bwcqpmfyc0Q5TLgv58iMZw-DgqJbuKgde6GN-Xy2tXkHvuVB_cfumjHw39UYDHzFi-wocg5BdOzroiUTD_5YTABs86-JwRYSEe357C2v/s1600/Big+Bang+Theory+Logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVL7LDd1A_PRJSVXds9vIVgcztLQkQvFscKsk4bwcqpmfyc0Q5TLgv58iMZw-DgqJbuKgde6GN-Xy2tXkHvuVB_cfumjHw39UYDHzFi-wocg5BdOzroiUTD_5YTABs86-JwRYSEe357C2v/s200/Big+Bang+Theory+Logo.png" title="Logo from CBS's 'The Big Bang Theory'" width="200" /></a></div><div dir="ltr">1- A god or gods created them.</div><div dir="ltr">2- An explosion, let's call it "The Big Bang", took place and energized matter, sending fragments hurling through space.</div><div dir="ltr">3- A god or gods created everything by igniting a large explosion, thus energizing matter and sending fragments of that matter hurling through space.</div><div dir="ltr">4- Something other than those mentioned above.</div><div dir="ltr"><br />
</div><div dir="ltr">Regardless of what any of us believes, none of us was there and none of our opinions change the past. This notion may seem basic and common sensical, but it is a philosophy that is pervasive today. Unfortunately, whether we are talking about creation or anything else, the philosophy of everything being relative is fine for writers of SyFy Channel programs, but dangerous to society at large.<br />
<br />
The philosophy of relativism (which is not the Theory of Relativity) is one that aims to make everything wishy-washy. To protect what is today's concept of one's self-esteem, if he or she thinks 2+2=5, a relativistic teacher may say that the answer is mostly right. In mathematics, as in many other facets of life, there is no such thing as 'almost right'. To say that 2+2=4.5 is no more accurate than saying 2+2=1,000,004. When dealing with numbers, anything other than 4 for this answer is incorrect. To argue this, one could draw a line and assign numeric values to various positions along that line. Then the relativist could rationally say that 4.5 is much closer to 4 than 1,000,004 is to 4. But again, speaking in terms of numbers, every number, fraction or decimal imaginable beside 4 is incorrect.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIzMvy9ARxkMOED2-vr8lDe62XhSkoEJhbDL15GlKOiCw0wtLFcnG7QzIQDJmrDKvp34-GQ5xm4urIXQ03Qv1DVd03rXqOquhLsZUqjAkhB1Wn5dp6uSF2afVxUIuVXXLm9Dv-wRZMXGLQ/s1600/despicable_me_2_minions-HD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIzMvy9ARxkMOED2-vr8lDe62XhSkoEJhbDL15GlKOiCw0wtLFcnG7QzIQDJmrDKvp34-GQ5xm4urIXQ03Qv1DVd03rXqOquhLsZUqjAkhB1Wn5dp6uSF2afVxUIuVXXLm9Dv-wRZMXGLQ/s320/despicable_me_2_minions-HD.jpg" title="Despicable Me Minions" width="320" /></a></div>The wishy-washy philosophy of relativism is like a disease. If one can be made to believe that their mere belief in something makes it so, then that same person can justify anything to himself or herself...<i>and is susceptible to all kinds of intellectual corruption</i>. The basis for the problem is when a person can hear or read something and, without questioning any of it, believe with absolute certainty that the event about which they read is exactly as it had been reported. They are so confident that they feel they can discuss the event as if they had been present themselves. The person writing the article or presenting the report may have had an agenda that affected the clarity of their reporting. What if someone else brings a different account of the same event? For these folks, it doesn't matter. A person who can be so sure of something, even when presented contradictory evidence, must be (by definition) living in a warped reality.<br />
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The reason this is such a big problem is that as people in a society start justifying or rationalizing their actions or inaction, accountability--in general, but more specifically to oneself--is sacrificed. Citizens shirk responsibility for the information they absorb, which leads to them denying responsibility for the decisions they make based on that information. Next thing you know, people blame their circumstances for their failures and others for their unhappiness. They live vicariously through television programs and newsstand tabloids. This leads to a host of other personal and societal problems. Consequences for one's actions are often minimized in entertainment and pop-culture, so consumers of such entertainment see all the excitement of a wild life, but seldom see the results.<br />
<br />
If you combine exposure to unrealistic adventures with the disease of relativism, you have an individual or individuals who cannot think critically enough to play a scenario out in their minds, <u>including the consequences</u>, then make a reasoned decision on how to proceed. When this occurs violence, drug abuse and depression ensues. In essence, we are living in a society that has a sizable percentage of its population living more like Caligula and less like Thomas Edison.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14080789916623877396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397369455821050483.post-78628866083123707542013-01-17T20:34:00.000-07:002013-02-25T12:56:40.063-07:00Power Through Honor<div dir="ltr">
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<div dir="ltr">
Earlier this week, I searched for a little story or poem I could use to help teach my young children an important life lesson. The topic I was looking to address dealt with honor and character. What I found is a brilliant little song from the Children's Songbook used by my church. Clearly, it was written for children, but the message is valuable to adults, as well.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I Believe in Being Honest</span></div>
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<i>I believe in being honest;<br />I believe in being true,<br />That honesty should start with me<br />In all I say, in all I do.<br />I’ll form good habits in my youth,<br />To keep my word, to tell the truth,<br />To speak up in defending right<br />And keep my name and honor bright.<br />I believe in being honest;<br />I believe in being true,<br />That honesty should start with me<br />In all I say, in all I do.</i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Lyrics by Ruth Muir Gardner, 1927-1999. (c) 1986 IRI</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Music by Lyall J. Gardner, 1926-2012. (c) 1986 IRI</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifoMZ5Nd-_9idOfSjuCY_UznczbPDHMIEPjqtJ-IwdCB7gVR0hozI3b5e8zegmbeKy-TvnalY_7-IKRUVGXz2fPjErYKGHaCETJp9jGw11j_wO1A1wUkI-TZ-00xapHyNRtF0mk0ZfMdJ9/s1600/Truth+Compass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifoMZ5Nd-_9idOfSjuCY_UznczbPDHMIEPjqtJ-IwdCB7gVR0hozI3b5e8zegmbeKy-TvnalY_7-IKRUVGXz2fPjErYKGHaCETJp9jGw11j_wO1A1wUkI-TZ-00xapHyNRtF0mk0ZfMdJ9/s200/Truth+Compass.jpg" title="Truth Compass" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Directional straightness</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Each line of it is golden. As a family, we went over the lyrics and discussed the definitions of the various words and themes. Then we sang it about seven times. After discussing that 'being honest' is telling the truth, and that 'being true' isn't redundant, we delved deeper into its meaning. The word 'true' has ties to honesty, but it is also synonymous with authenticity, nautical and navigational straightness and being factual, accurate and precise.</div>
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Being honest in word and deed results in one being reliable and consistent. Someone who bears this trait is trusted and respected by his or her associates. With trust comes many great opportunities. A truly trustworthy person is uniquely positioned to serve and help other people, to take on extra responsibilities (and by extension, creating even more possibilities) and to develop and nurture more meaningful and lasting relationships.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgERz5IE4CsiIUd9Di2B1BafW0faqggCDIF62z0Nx6jsldbsi6Fw016XXDj_6sDGdTC2a9OkBEezVopkwu4hvd0I2uMCWg2SvXcI26rxWtCU3d6owTzLCV-qDk4obZ_CllHEs2XlcASE9C-/s1600/Stalactites+and+stalagmites.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgERz5IE4CsiIUd9Di2B1BafW0faqggCDIF62z0Nx6jsldbsi6Fw016XXDj_6sDGdTC2a9OkBEezVopkwu4hvd0I2uMCWg2SvXcI26rxWtCU3d6owTzLCV-qDk4obZ_CllHEs2XlcASE9C-/s320/Stalactites+and+stalagmites.JPG" title="Stalactites and Stalagmites Cave" width="320" /></a>To 'form good habits' is a great notion. It suggests the need for work and action. Stalactites and stalagmites are <i>formed</i> by longstanding consistency on the part of water and mineral deposits. Sculptures are <i>formed</i> by the touch of a masterful artist who has both the vision and the developed skill to create art. Forming a habit generally means that the activity, action or characteristic associated with the habit is not instinctual. It is an act that one must do over and over again until it seemingly becomes second nature. If this is the case, then regardless of one's age, the habit of honesty can be developed by making a concerted effort.</div>
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The next part is somewhat redundant, but it is important enough to be restated. "To keep my word, to tell the truth." Simply put, do what you say you will do. And if you cannot do it, don't say you can or will. Being reliable and dependable may seem a bit boring to some, but throughout history, inventions have been created, ideas have become ubiquitous, wars have been won, freedom has been earned and endured by the hand of the persistent.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2S9ve6uEwzbPjjSAd8AdoFavxh1CVF_4A11ZigoQPSweO8pRQ_eRivNUwngI1QQhPgWlKYmx5iM7tX9QJL3kQ74FeKnwnO9JfeiTX1a_RiV-fz-jS4sXvW7lX74nk_uGHd0cVuCdjE3HI/s1600/martin-luther-king-02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2S9ve6uEwzbPjjSAd8AdoFavxh1CVF_4A11ZigoQPSweO8pRQ_eRivNUwngI1QQhPgWlKYmx5iM7tX9QJL3kQ74FeKnwnO9JfeiTX1a_RiV-fz-jS4sXvW7lX74nk_uGHd0cVuCdjE3HI/s200/martin-luther-king-02.JPG" title="Martin Luther King, Jr." width="184" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Martin Luther King, Jr.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
"To speak up in defending right." Following the advice of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Edmund Burke, to stand up against injustice, bullying, lying, gossip and any other sort of wrong builds individual and societal strength. The vast majority of people recognize right and wrong, but most lack the courage and leadership skills to fight for the right. When one voice speaks up, it encourages the next.</div>
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The final thought and line, "And keep my name and honor bright," alludes to reputation and integrity. Your name, when you're all alone, is just a word. All alone, you have no need to use a verbal device to distinguish yourself from another. So in this sense, your name (or 'your good name') is simply your reputation.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjthG8p8IQ0OqEFLo8G9v2GtMgOcNNZ1DyfYEsvSdCVBbV5cLRWyGSW_bmBEplHDDnrspJow51rgXYDkpPfm45TEa5qz2Omy88L-fs1jmx_xQ1OvD8nuDu8VmD-8edU_oRNrLhWZ145qxCX/s1600/mr-clean-logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjthG8p8IQ0OqEFLo8G9v2GtMgOcNNZ1DyfYEsvSdCVBbV5cLRWyGSW_bmBEplHDDnrspJow51rgXYDkpPfm45TEa5qz2Omy88L-fs1jmx_xQ1OvD8nuDu8VmD-8edU_oRNrLhWZ145qxCX/s200/mr-clean-logo.jpg" title="Mr Clean" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mr Clean: A Bright n Shiny Character</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Some say that it doesn't matter what other people think about you. This is true only as it relates to hearsay. However, people form opinions of other individuals through personal interactions and dealings. If you are a rotten person who behaves poorly toward others, what they thinks matters, indeed, because your character created their perception of you. Keeping your name bright means that you are always upstanding when interacting with others in society.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
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<div dir="ltr">
Honor here is similar the 'your good name' notion, but more like integrity. Your reputation deals with others' view of you, but honor is the goodness inside of you. Keeping it bright means your goodness is pure and radiates strength from within. Having honor means you are honest with yourself and others.</div>
</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14080789916623877396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397369455821050483.post-79747370930528683962013-01-04T23:48:00.000-07:002013-02-25T12:56:11.889-07:00Imagine a world...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB-2OQ3M1Gn80_df1F9APKDOVUoXRingnUeMs1MEMtKWLiwxQ78WfvRvbwrooytvaokYz9dB4fPHhhxgGOutp9KQaH5frW83veW6k6Ev5hHZn91Jm6gKVDpfWd2Db7hdA4qpbdpeTyWmHd/s1600/jogger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB-2OQ3M1Gn80_df1F9APKDOVUoXRingnUeMs1MEMtKWLiwxQ78WfvRvbwrooytvaokYz9dB4fPHhhxgGOutp9KQaH5frW83veW6k6Ev5hHZn91Jm6gKVDpfWd2Db7hdA4qpbdpeTyWmHd/s200/jogger.jpg" title="Jogger" width="200" /></a>You wake up early to go for a jog. After getting dressed and putting your sneakers on, you play your <i>Training</i> playlist for its fast-paced, upbeat rhythm and motivational lyrics. About seven blocks into your jog, it hits you that your favorite song has been skipped. Pausing to figure out why the song was passed over, you take your mp3 player out of your pocket.<br />
<br />
The track isn't there.<br />
<br />
You search the directory by song title, by album and by artist. You see other songs, but no sign of your favorite. Perplexed, you do an internet search. The song doesn't seem to exist.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjexFz1J8mjoVBIV2aryJtes3EsmC3BZsPZOfPKs64JRdb9XOeP4Wi74kNplzzQrbrcK5X7romOygGXL25IT05zeqpK1eeJt8V0mXY1zTaN_MXjus8ifnU0UT9W4hAYP4BZc0OPOGWwkGIH/s1600/smoothie+shop+generic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjexFz1J8mjoVBIV2aryJtes3EsmC3BZsPZOfPKs64JRdb9XOeP4Wi74kNplzzQrbrcK5X7romOygGXL25IT05zeqpK1eeJt8V0mXY1zTaN_MXjus8ifnU0UT9W4hAYP4BZc0OPOGWwkGIH/s200/smoothie+shop+generic.jpg" title="Smoothie Shop" width="200" /></a>You are now extremely confused, so you jog around the corner to your local smoothie shop. In its place, you stand before a dry cleaner. Certain that you are losing your mind, you walk home contemplating the possibility you are insane.<br />
<br />
Everything else in the world looks and sounds the same to you. But the song you've loved since your sophomore year of high school has never existed and the place you've always gone to get smoothies has never been anything other than a dry cleaner.<br />
<br />
Worried that you would be scoffed at by your family, friends or colleagues if you were to tell them, you keep the anxiety and bewilderment simmering at the back of your mind. As your day progresses, you look for clues as to why things are amiss and you direct more of your focus to observing your surroundings. You desperately hope nothing else is off.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlFEq-RnKX7ibpH3ODdh0lN9CirylE3ciOReReHnMasQIKhRPjUvVqFsGYXbPD3xQaXuiUHobOpTG86OjQGl769-XWaWfebJuJNfrLpzKq7h40ArSbTqRRxR03Q6KcSFGyynx2VWaFryh8/s1600/Cubicle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlFEq-RnKX7ibpH3ODdh0lN9CirylE3ciOReReHnMasQIKhRPjUvVqFsGYXbPD3xQaXuiUHobOpTG86OjQGl769-XWaWfebJuJNfrLpzKq7h40ArSbTqRRxR03Q6KcSFGyynx2VWaFryh8/s200/Cubicle.jpg" title="Cubicle outside your office" width="200" /></a>Later, sitting at your desk and looking out your office door, you see an unfamiliar face working in the cubicle that yesterday was home to your current project: an up-and-coming go-getter whom you had been mentoring for several months. What is going on? Could it be some sort of brain tumor conflating your memory bank and your imagination?<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
* * * * *</div>
<br />
The recording artist <i>had</i> written and recorded the song you had loved so much. However, before heading to the studio, one of the album's producers had just finished arguing with his girlfriend and decided the upbeat song was a bit too nauseating. It was cut and no one else ever heard it.<br />
<br />
The would-have-been proprietor of the smoothie shop, fifteen years prior, was faced with a life-changing decision. He could either stay at the job he had been working for several years (a job which he did not love, but with which he felt comfortable) or he could take a risk and start a business. One about which he was passionate. In the new reality, the smoothie maker is a sales manager at a fish tank filter manufacturing company.<br />
<br />
Your young protege had also made a divergent life choice several years prior. Rather than going to the school closest to home, to be close to his girlfriend, he went a few states away. Rather than settling on business administration, he pursued his dream of playing football at the collegiate level. In the modified reality, that young go-getter is the backup tight end for the Arizona Cardinals.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
* * * * *</div>
<br />
Look around. What niceties do you enjoy without giving a thought to the crucial choices it took to make them a reality? Every object, every idea that has contributed to the world in which we live exists solely because one individual devised its creation and (either alone or with a team of others) endeavored to bring it to light.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIDfcq9XxmovltFkx9LKA60yi0KZKUHDMUNaOQhpSz-CUbR_N3gEb875Vk7bWynOoCncYa66iYJsohyphenhyphenEcFywqb6l-nmf9F42oDSmYIOPmkT1fuH5htbpSTUUvR_moJbXHhXdA0gNQFFzXa/s1600/Steam+Engine.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIDfcq9XxmovltFkx9LKA60yi0KZKUHDMUNaOQhpSz-CUbR_N3gEb875Vk7bWynOoCncYa66iYJsohyphenhyphenEcFywqb6l-nmf9F42oDSmYIOPmkT1fuH5htbpSTUUvR_moJbXHhXdA0gNQFFzXa/s200/Steam+Engine.gif" title="Steam Engine" width="200" /></a>Architects, inventors, artists, musicians, philosophers, theorists and all sorts of normal folks have shaped society and civilization through a series of both simple and great choices. These decisions have been both of omission and commission. How many great things would have been missing from this planet if their creators and discoverers had chosen to go down to the pub instead of the lab?<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlRRq0eT2QvalaKyzCiROqxNVvdaNIuG9Ptrbz1T2xY8IykjGWBoKRANIaZ7SwWuep_2P2oMB2Gf2gNz7YJy0HX3L4rxe4yZQymLdgNXmdTKnhEH6Ukpq0XvHmxk0MmvsawAAwJ7SaPOCr/s1600/aristotle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlRRq0eT2QvalaKyzCiROqxNVvdaNIuG9Ptrbz1T2xY8IykjGWBoKRANIaZ7SwWuep_2P2oMB2Gf2gNz7YJy0HX3L4rxe4yZQymLdgNXmdTKnhEH6Ukpq0XvHmxk0MmvsawAAwJ7SaPOCr/s1600/aristotle.jpg" title="Aristotle" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aristotle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
How many advances are not benefitting humanity because someone capable of great things chose not to pursue their lofty aspirations? What if Einstein's parents had been fighting around the time of his conception and his life never was? What if Aristotle had inadvertently stumbled in front of a chariot and was rendered an invalid? The difference of one second or one step could be the difference between the world benefiting from one of the greatest philosophical minds in history or never knowing the name Aristotle.<br />
<br />
What choices are you making?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14080789916623877396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397369455821050483.post-43245067700330763222012-12-24T13:05:00.000-07:002013-01-03T08:52:36.997-07:00Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!Check back next week for a post on the importance of each decision you make and how it affects others.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14080789916623877396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397369455821050483.post-22094315962148513812012-12-22T00:49:00.000-07:002013-02-27T10:46:28.307-07:00Character is King!As a follow up to the section on the <i>isolated individual</i>, I wanted to delve into the <i>individual in a society</i>. It was my intention to investigate what the universal basics are. This post was going to address that all people have a sense of self. Every person bears an identity, has feelings, desires, tastes, preferences and aversions. We would have discussed that some are short, some are tall--some male, some female. Or that we all have different histories and heritage, convictions and opinions, but...<br />
<br />
<br />
Nothing needs to be said on this subject other than this:<br />
<br />
<i>At the core, we are all the same. The only difference is character, and if we can inspire stronger character, the other opinions and beliefs just add variety, not ammunition.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><i><br />
</i> <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFuOCfWD5zzVZGj9FHpFg20oIJb7jDzLRUa-wZHfkWeAGN0vuBwk8WaCi0hWJz8QK0r0p2O_mUo_g_pHiVelc1NZAODF25mo4fsPUS47lB37Gvlw3BwYRLBgx7V_QB6jKKQoiSpU8njs7b/s1600/martin-luther-king-02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFuOCfWD5zzVZGj9FHpFg20oIJb7jDzLRUa-wZHfkWeAGN0vuBwk8WaCi0hWJz8QK0r0p2O_mUo_g_pHiVelc1NZAODF25mo4fsPUS47lB37Gvlw3BwYRLBgx7V_QB6jKKQoiSpU8njs7b/s200/martin-luther-king-02.JPG" title="Martin Luther King, Jr. " width="183" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">King envisioned a place and time when all<br />
would be judged by the content of their character.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We cannot necessarily control what gifts, talents and abilities we have, but we can each determine the content of our individual characters. You and I cannot strengthen anyone else's character and no one else can strengthen ours. All any of us can do is work hard on our own and inspire or persuade others to do likewise.<br />
<br />
<br />
How will you start your journey?<br />
<br />
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</script>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14080789916623877396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397369455821050483.post-42903080306781386622012-12-11T00:57:00.000-07:002012-12-11T13:47:56.178-07:00You are Adam or Eve<span style="background-color: #441500; color: #ffeedd; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> DISCLAIMER: Although Biblical names are used in this piece, they do not represent the actual Adam and Eve, but the theoretical first woman and first man in an abstract parallel.</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
As the last couple posts are a basic, overly simplified parallel to the life of each individual who reads it, please overlay these points onto your current life situation and see if you are on track or if your course needs correcting.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU4Ckq2jsGXfL5o_EcspV4jpIVUKqsH4UONfFQJzbJx4RXktwUFmMY8Z34PCLxH5033HIbpHoiHdlYX8VPIZbYmS8aCEnqy-G3SJeF-1l6Wvw7Lp6Y7JgJwf6vtLDdN0hYiKZAFwSP2-8L/s1600/happy-couple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU4Ckq2jsGXfL5o_EcspV4jpIVUKqsH4UONfFQJzbJx4RXktwUFmMY8Z34PCLxH5033HIbpHoiHdlYX8VPIZbYmS8aCEnqy-G3SJeF-1l6Wvw7Lp6Y7JgJwf6vtLDdN0hYiKZAFwSP2-8L/s200/happy-couple.jpg" title=""Adam and Eve"" width="200" /></a></div>
IN GENERAL: Both Adam and Eve had to discover who they each were, as individuals, before they could be strong partners in a social compact. They developed skills and talents. They became well-rounded people. From there, they didn't lose any of themselves or give up character traits by being married... rather, they added to themselves by adding the other. Things that limited them as singles were less likely to inhibit them as a couple.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyXIN2M-ZnpLOuwxusaDQhncpwu0H7X6uwSZx6G13bokwVmpk8qegTLDKlYef061XsONeTVhpt9o7Je-I6tzcrGd6iCtT2Y8aNap6Akm-NMnY-zbdTcmFsfZAipPk9XX-6vFLJp847dh1_/s1600/mom_children.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyXIN2M-ZnpLOuwxusaDQhncpwu0H7X6uwSZx6G13bokwVmpk8qegTLDKlYef061XsONeTVhpt9o7Je-I6tzcrGd6iCtT2Y8aNap6Akm-NMnY-zbdTcmFsfZAipPk9XX-6vFLJp847dh1_/s200/mom_children.jpg" title="Loving mother nurturing her children" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.basicvirtue.com/2012/12/every-woman-eve-part-i.html" target="_blank">SPECIFICALLY EVE</a>: Eve had many abilities surface as she wandered about the land. She was a nurturer. She helped beautify her surroundings and nursed sick and wounded animals. She was a skilled gatherer. But to her, none of those things held nearly as much importance as did her role as mother.<br />
<br />
It brought her great joy knowing that she could impart, not just her genetics, but also her wisdom and experiences to a new generation. The education she would provide would make her beloved children better suited to get a head start on their lives. Creating life, incubating it, nursing it and giving it a solid foundation was so fulfilling to Eve that she believed mothering was her life's greatest objective. She felt it challenged her more than anything else she had faced and was far more rewarding.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwlES1_YcaFqH199_D38xO7TmEH51AWHg_sPgftVMSgFh7u1DCpFCvOD-j1gIEHfmQ9hmVxXYd3jsRLIQ2X8UTNk3DTU7cN4U8sb49IXcSVoGhu_d8rA7OR1Slxet4eCMv0s27cDOBfiLx/s1600/16CantelManWorkingField.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwlES1_YcaFqH199_D38xO7TmEH51AWHg_sPgftVMSgFh7u1DCpFCvOD-j1gIEHfmQ9hmVxXYd3jsRLIQ2X8UTNk3DTU7cN4U8sb49IXcSVoGhu_d8rA7OR1Slxet4eCMv0s27cDOBfiLx/s200/16CantelManWorkingField.jpg" title="Man working the land" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.basicvirtue.com/2012/11/every-man-adam.html" target="_blank">SPECIFICALLY ADAM</a>: Adam, in order to be desirable to Eve, had to be strong, resourceful, productive and pleasant to be around. Because he was a critical thinker and a dedicated laborer, Eve felt safe with him. Through his sense of humor and tenderness (when appropriate), she felt connected to him.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYacwk1QcuwkDCchEYXgsLnoERUy7DF3M88g56NsTy6-d7mzGmMqdd2m3JqqjfPvnaqnB-JjD6kLT0y3DuAbaXZ_4EEuPHwCeyeLkvaHBbm7cmLTBH8h706nyVzBSz__zINNu9Iuv2dnnQ/s1600/primitive+tools.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYacwk1QcuwkDCchEYXgsLnoERUy7DF3M88g56NsTy6-d7mzGmMqdd2m3JqqjfPvnaqnB-JjD6kLT0y3DuAbaXZ_4EEuPHwCeyeLkvaHBbm7cmLTBH8h706nyVzBSz__zINNu9Iuv2dnnQ/s1600/primitive+tools.jpg" title="Primitive tools" /></a>Adam, when doing things the right way, was responsible for providing food, clothing, shelter, a listening ear (required always) and wise counsel (required less often, but still required). He needed to show his wife that he would do anything to protect her and their children. Additionally, he had to teach his children the virtue of hard work and frugality, or being resourceful.<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
A FEW THINGS TO GLEAN: </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>1<b> </b></i></span>The first thing worth highlighting is that both Adam and Eve were strong and capable of many things. Today, with such a strong focus on self-esteem, society often makes the mistake of glorifying mediocrity. It is almost like awarding a gold medal before the race is run. Each individual has so much potential. <i>You</i> have so much potential. Don't fall into the trap of being satisfied with just going along. We need to act each day as if there were no one else upon whom we might rely. Too many of us are content to sit back and let someone else take the lead. To allow someone else to actualize that brilliant idea that has been at the back of our minds. We cannot let opportunities pass us by.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>2 </i></span>Another notable observation is that neither Adam nor Eve approached the other with any hostility. Each was confident in what they brought to the table and each respected the other as an individual. In today's world, there is an unnecessary battle being waged between the genders. It is psychological. It is a cause in which many take an interest, but at what cost? Imagine how productive Adam and Eve would (not) have been if they spent their entire existence belittling the other because of something as basic as gender. There would have been no happiness for either of them and there would have been no further generations.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>3 </i></span>Which takes us to the third and final point I wish to touch upon: Every new generation is unique. With every new life comes new possibilities and potential. Each newborn can be a potential curer of cancer or a great philanthropist who blesses the lives of the needy. Every child is a potentially gifted statesman or athlete, scientist or doctor.<br />
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Every great leader in every field is and has been endowed with special skills, but how more likely is their success when they are the beneficiaries of strong foundations given to them by loving parents? A mother and father are both important, but a mother is a special treasure. One good mother can save a nation. In the end, regardless of how beautifully Eve could weave a blanket, her most lasting legacy was embedded in her role as mother. Her decision to have and support children impacted thousands and thousands of subsequent lives.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEKB7UAVFHSiQPCZuu3afC-gjPgwOgo03662zItFrYkCpBhVQ8qZoRCbx_S2fdsAI2-3n3p2WaRQXNNJQgz_2XzoIWzmXmnKAmfN-uTWmuaoCPKsZcmdvtmf6wHZ9HfXbNJZrHWKXHUIWf/s1600/george-gershwin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Basic Virtue" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEKB7UAVFHSiQPCZuu3afC-gjPgwOgo03662zItFrYkCpBhVQ8qZoRCbx_S2fdsAI2-3n3p2WaRQXNNJQgz_2XzoIWzmXmnKAmfN-uTWmuaoCPKsZcmdvtmf6wHZ9HfXbNJZrHWKXHUIWf/s200/george-gershwin.jpg" title="George Gershwin" width="129" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga3JWjtcFOr3Fnq-mUbv0L-Tg2HfcKnoYZA9gPRjsahExqDv2O3cYwGP6un3KEulBOiBxZdJCqAe1K2DKOi3WUjRxZW3ECX_NiW67lIrnQ703mW_kQKKtUjsJ2EfBO5Kl2_ajmrefdrmSW/s1600/aristotle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuItkw4PzNIsG_QOx9F5BWpVcVGo7Er3_JA-zb55OVkokwC9qxz9VvFFZbp6LZaAmrlzn91Mp1Ul9Xko9MdY62fLooDxwIXDTwndA0jxWTA9Gfoa6ryoSeN1lwV-vpWcOeEQU7hMZv7uWw/s1600/margaret+thatcher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuItkw4PzNIsG_QOx9F5BWpVcVGo7Er3_JA-zb55OVkokwC9qxz9VvFFZbp6LZaAmrlzn91Mp1Ul9Xko9MdY62fLooDxwIXDTwndA0jxWTA9Gfoa6ryoSeN1lwV-vpWcOeEQU7hMZv7uWw/s200/margaret+thatcher.jpg" title="Margaret Thatcher" width="159" /></a><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga3JWjtcFOr3Fnq-mUbv0L-Tg2HfcKnoYZA9gPRjsahExqDv2O3cYwGP6un3KEulBOiBxZdJCqAe1K2DKOi3WUjRxZW3ECX_NiW67lIrnQ703mW_kQKKtUjsJ2EfBO5Kl2_ajmrefdrmSW/s200/aristotle.jpg" title="Aristotle" width="144" /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmv21aa9ICzx3xHn1lB4DZH57AmoUKxA68Qn5YXK6I3H2mDq04B3OaW_iejEdv4bzTWdTDAmcZb7XdbfvCoZPNIxq2E_qPDMYbJpxAeWwUFGLdy6Zp8iHZWz82Z5yHGFHjQXsD7eZWca-Y/s1600/Henry+Ford.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmv21aa9ICzx3xHn1lB4DZH57AmoUKxA68Qn5YXK6I3H2mDq04B3OaW_iejEdv4bzTWdTDAmcZb7XdbfvCoZPNIxq2E_qPDMYbJpxAeWwUFGLdy6Zp8iHZWz82Z5yHGFHjQXsD7eZWca-Y/s200/Henry+Ford.jpg" title="Henry Ford" width="159" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGBIoVlQ7C_UFIWBoyzYo1zeDPi3q6HjijoOx8Bo3vb5-WTOoIG_nWQg1uT3fwE4YKRkGTp8ePk6f2gaM6ez7PgSaeA4S1Rvyo3SZJ3dSIqHl43pB-tpiJmlbjWeWNpNJlWtsD_khnMlvr/s1600/einstein.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGBIoVlQ7C_UFIWBoyzYo1zeDPi3q6HjijoOx8Bo3vb5-WTOoIG_nWQg1uT3fwE4YKRkGTp8ePk6f2gaM6ez7PgSaeA4S1Rvyo3SZJ3dSIqHl43pB-tpiJmlbjWeWNpNJlWtsD_khnMlvr/s200/einstein.jpg" title="Albert Einstein" width="163" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTNsI4kUYZ9NXCX5UlmjWOEUgSJcrecAwgNekthWPtqEAHqFVCA9tDL4_X71xWjEC88MavgVsMfnhd-yAKv70XKU-Fj2U74m6ltCEwEPCIG7JGieDBL0e92bdxme4FqIV4_kJ4INZck1S7/s1600/Herman-Melville.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTNsI4kUYZ9NXCX5UlmjWOEUgSJcrecAwgNekthWPtqEAHqFVCA9tDL4_X71xWjEC88MavgVsMfnhd-yAKv70XKU-Fj2U74m6ltCEwEPCIG7JGieDBL0e92bdxme4FqIV4_kJ4INZck1S7/s200/Herman-Melville.jpg" title="Herman Melville" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14080789916623877396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397369455821050483.post-63225052690009729672012-12-08T23:00:00.000-07:002012-12-10T20:32:31.219-07:00Every Woman an Eve DISCLAIMER: Although Biblical names are used in this piece, they do not represent the actual Adam and Eve, but the theoretical first woman and first man in an abstract parallel.<br />
This is part two of a series. The previous post "Every Man an Adam" along with this post will be concluded and assessed very shortly.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikXTR9SXoszL-NDX6WSHsYyN76AUWK1wNFYd2Bl9mpmeOd-3QOCCFdDi5DXuHeEqVWPFLpN8AXvUcPj5o4mFiU38nmQGewbTQAmqR5IyypE2grm_ffcSvx2uJOQxkCHudiBlgPjFGRMyB3/s1600/berries_480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikXTR9SXoszL-NDX6WSHsYyN76AUWK1wNFYd2Bl9mpmeOd-3QOCCFdDi5DXuHeEqVWPFLpN8AXvUcPj5o4mFiU38nmQGewbTQAmqR5IyypE2grm_ffcSvx2uJOQxkCHudiBlgPjFGRMyB3/s320/berries_480.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
In a world void of humans, a young lady finds herself surrounded by treacherous terrain covered in noxious brush, trees and undergrowth. Howls, growls and roars can be heard all around her. <br />
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This young lady feels a chill in the air, and knowing nothing of her surroundings, a shiver of fear rattles her frame. Her primary inclination is to move and learn as much as she can about herself and the environment into which she has been placed. She wants to live and thrive. She finds berries, roots and plants to give her body strength and nutrition. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNTRtUHJJ477xUQVUdpLCrvkGRjHSrSrYh4-YGfqoq3DnU2ZoTKDlG6NJtsFby93mLiHIv8NOtB_e39mykwRqQamBRk3Vd51QukgrLJH0rc_MxVdNLm0DMV2VyogQ-I1UcOt7ZDDDC5Jsg/s1600/Russel_Cave_Entrance_RUCA9323.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNTRtUHJJ477xUQVUdpLCrvkGRjHSrSrYh4-YGfqoq3DnU2ZoTKDlG6NJtsFby93mLiHIv8NOtB_e39mykwRqQamBRk3Vd51QukgrLJH0rc_MxVdNLm0DMV2VyogQ-I1UcOt7ZDDDC5Jsg/s200/Russel_Cave_Entrance_RUCA9323.jpg" title="The cave hypothetically found by Eve as shelter" width="200" /></a>This young woman manages to locate a cave as her shelter. She gets comfortable in her cave and, inspired by the beauty she appreciates in nature, personalizes it by creatively organizing colors from fruits and flowers on the walls. She weaves plant fibers into coverings to keep her warm and add cushioning to the otherwise cold, rough rock floor.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVKTn2HtpkQ7EutsItJm-_G1721JLKZ31MTYh5DD6DpFUunj3dpUalG538FAf85izmZfTWO6IE_3FLy2bhJiwE7JONjB7UwsKhrLeS2wM8Gup5G5r-OXgATS7Hom8tkDagitGUEkdX571h/s1600/hemp-necklace-800x800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="BasicVirtue" border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVKTn2HtpkQ7EutsItJm-_G1721JLKZ31MTYh5DD6DpFUunj3dpUalG538FAf85izmZfTWO6IE_3FLy2bhJiwE7JONjB7UwsKhrLeS2wM8Gup5G5r-OXgATS7Hom8tkDagitGUEkdX571h/s200/hemp-necklace-800x800.jpg" title="Eve weaves fibers to make blankets and cushioning in her dwelling" width="200" /></a><br />
She is strong and capable of so much. As she begins interacting more intimately with the world around her, our lonely young lady discovers that she feels compassion for some of the helpless small animals she encounters. She even feeds and nurses several small critters back to their full health and strength. She is a nurturer and a healer.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1kRm8FCYtgEwS-MHfif35ruxFst2X0BnWzgjr1DHjzIDos5X9hvskSuEQw2poUXwMxz2CbZh4R9IcryedSMn3tJh4Izr1mT0eHiJSYtb5kiv4M8VhziSrpO8rPR0Oft40ByxQWRXWmnKF/s1600/fast_forward.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1kRm8FCYtgEwS-MHfif35ruxFst2X0BnWzgjr1DHjzIDos5X9hvskSuEQw2poUXwMxz2CbZh4R9IcryedSMn3tJh4Izr1mT0eHiJSYtb5kiv4M8VhziSrpO8rPR0Oft40ByxQWRXWmnKF/s1600/fast_forward.png" /></a>FAST FORWARD: Our young lady, lets call her Eve, meets another human. She is surprised to see that there is another person. The other person is clearly the same species as she is, but with subtle differences. The other one is hairy, taller, has a larger frame and seems (to her) a bit less refined, with a much deeper voice.<br />
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Eve feels drawn to this person, even before they start interacting and getting to know each other. Lets just call him Adam. Watching him come and go each day, Eve is impressed by his strength. Adam often does things differently than Eve would, but it works. They learn from each other and work hard together. They laugh. They have hard times. But regardless of what happens in their lives, they are strengthened by each other. Through their mutual growth and development as a couple, they realize the value and importance of being true to themselves, while putting focus on serving each other.<br />
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Eve knows absolutely that Adam adores her. She never questions his devotion to her or his commitment to protect her and provide for her. Adam knows she loves him and needs him. But not from a standpoint of dependence, rather they mutually agree that together, they are one. One in respect, one in purpose, but uniquely individual in how they operate. Adam compliments Eve and Eve compliments Adam.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-b3mEkGHP-C4ILiQrqtw5Hfoq7EkRpyrFHuDeZwIGwfDvKPZR87hmqLo7_wfGNYEfWFcqqImk28Dk1aAKme2StSAifAWo7CZFOhm_GTYcx9UtfrhYUq4_tBypI1F5HjJrF7vwvbo7DYm/s1600/manger-baby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-b3mEkGHP-C4ILiQrqtw5Hfoq7EkRpyrFHuDeZwIGwfDvKPZR87hmqLo7_wfGNYEfWFcqqImk28Dk1aAKme2StSAifAWo7CZFOhm_GTYcx9UtfrhYUq4_tBypI1F5HjJrF7vwvbo7DYm/s200/manger-baby.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
FAST FORWARD AGAIN: Eve is now pregnant. At first, she and Adam are frightened by the new experience they are having. Eventually, Eve feels another entity inside her. Upon making this discovery, she is overcome by emotion, anticipation and exhilaration. The time comes for her to deliver her child. The pain and agony that sneak up on her are all worth it to her when she hears the joyous sound of her child and sees the heart-melting sight of her rough and tough husband Adam lovingly rocking their infant in his arms.<br />
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If you, the reader, are a woman, please think about how this abstract can be representative of you. If you are a man, please do likewise. Part 2 will be here shortly to sum it all up.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14080789916623877396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397369455821050483.post-15341428285053371352012-11-29T00:13:00.000-07:002012-12-11T13:44:29.499-07:00Every Man an Adam<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJeCGlCnBjZQI7jgP49aUnM6I2BMHybGHH7xqLPlg-AeY_n5AckFeea0QHY-lYUE1euS1v5llkGK6QwR0i_TL6cV0C0QoBW5-HK41jP_8rNAspgEOIVRyKu8_GJYRdPRAmkmDWF5eb80Mu/s1600/mountain_forest_4-t2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJeCGlCnBjZQI7jgP49aUnM6I2BMHybGHH7xqLPlg-AeY_n5AckFeea0QHY-lYUE1euS1v5llkGK6QwR0i_TL6cV0C0QoBW5-HK41jP_8rNAspgEOIVRyKu8_GJYRdPRAmkmDWF5eb80Mu/s320/mountain_forest_4-t2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful, but filled with pitfalls and danger.</td></tr>
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Imagine yourself in a wilderness of solitude. High rocky mountain peaks jut up from the rolling valley surrounding you. High overhead--above the towering tree tops--you hear the eerie squawk of birds engaged in battle against each other. Below, somewhere nearby, you hear growls, gnashing, shrieks of pain. In the distance, a dark treacherous storm thunders directly toward you. You have nothing to protect yourself besides whatever you can find or fashion from nature. What do you, the person reading this post, do? Where will you make shelter? How do you plan to feed yourself? What is your plan for avoiding being devoured yourself?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_3l3qjWJK1xVrqL0xeFFGxt7lURZr6XGdTIBB9Dds_dDRhoEG_G4cOGd8DC21U46ZtUzORwpox4hUAvacn7XuejAoExkQBJIIIQvVM-sXO8S0UXgN6ofY_N2gObc1xuYFpX8vCrw9wnBX/s1600/John_Locke_by_Sir_Godfrey_Kneller.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_3l3qjWJK1xVrqL0xeFFGxt7lURZr6XGdTIBB9Dds_dDRhoEG_G4cOGd8DC21U46ZtUzORwpox4hUAvacn7XuejAoExkQBJIIIQvVM-sXO8S0UXgN6ofY_N2gObc1xuYFpX8vCrw9wnBX/s200/John_Locke_by_Sir_Godfrey_Kneller.JPG" width="155" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John Locke</td></tr>
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In true Lockean fashion, to get to heart of this scenario, lets boil it down to the basic elements. Rather than looking at mankind as a whole, we will narrow our focus to the individual... one man, alone in nature. If the man is to survive, he must be self-sufficient and a critical-thinker who sees a problem and is able to devise a solution. This man can rely on no one. No infrastructure has been created. No one else (at this point) is around with whom to interact. How does this solitary individual (you, if you are still picturing yourself in this scenario) keep from going insane? After all, no one wants to be like <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001245/" target="_blank">Rousseau</a> from <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0411008/" target="_blank">LOST</a>, right? <br />
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Day in, day out what does this first man do? Build, hunt and gather? Perhaps he also studies the wildlife around him. Does he develop any interest in music or visual representations of the world of his experiences?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8baSU6LU6gxfkpkrmGhoS4qGWj_0ieb_Igw-yLQXOosqbYLw1GgJ1pocoPQdvvZ-s67GXZvRC9LseW7iSDUZCzr0_lnM81a16iI-0_HRNrabgl3qX2FrSn3zWf0VVK53bue0pXIOjPIyi/s1600/fast%25252Bforward%25252Bbutton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8baSU6LU6gxfkpkrmGhoS4qGWj_0ieb_Igw-yLQXOosqbYLw1GgJ1pocoPQdvvZ-s67GXZvRC9LseW7iSDUZCzr0_lnM81a16iI-0_HRNrabgl3qX2FrSn3zWf0VVK53bue0pXIOjPIyi/s200/fast%25252Bforward%25252Bbutton.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
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FAST FORWARD: This Adam has encountered a woman (Don't worry... the post "Every Woman an Eve" is forthcoming). As the only two humans around, 'Adam' and 'Eve' are naturally drawn to each other. They are both curious of and attracted to each other.<br />
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Getting to know each other's personality and strengths, the two of them conclude they work well as a team. Adam, or you in this setting, is now responsible to protect himself and the woman he loves. Adam not only loves Eve, he cherishes her and respects her for her compassion, her tenderness, her beauty and countless other strengths and traits that make her who she is. <br />
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However, with a new social development, Adam now has to double most of the efforts he put into survival before they had met. He now hunts for two. The couple requires additional space in their shelter. The clothing they wear to protect against the elements must now come in two sizes. To put it simply, Adam now has real responsibilities.<br />
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Of course this is just the beginning. Eventually, Adam and Eve have offspring. With each new mouth comes the need for another ration of food. Behind every mouth is the heart and soul of a new, rational living creature. Adam and Eve become role models and teachers. Inherent in who they are as humans, Adam and Eve desire very much to nurture and mold their children into productive and healthy people...<br />
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Lets tie this thing all together now. Hopefully, there is an obvious application to each of our modern day lives. As men, husbands, fathers and citizens, are we capable of adequately providing for our own livelihood and the well being of our families? If we didn't have all the previous generations' work to build on, would we be able to survive? Do we have the curiosity that fuels ingenuity? If faced with a roadblock of some sort, can we, human men nearly in 2013, assess the problem and design a reliable and effective solution? Or will the obstacle inhibit our forward progress?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4FklM1m9YmMXGxFNxkIivKoIAc7My1cR78BBAVu2wcPm7ORBz8xB4YZOTbFCdbU0aM1lMVWz02YVK8S7t_xS08XWKVc1n7uaOcWVYjbVaF70n03oxcW7MKYdTjbLezhmgItWnedYagmus/s1600/oboe_barocco.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="75" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4FklM1m9YmMXGxFNxkIivKoIAc7My1cR78BBAVu2wcPm7ORBz8xB4YZOTbFCdbU0aM1lMVWz02YVK8S7t_xS08XWKVc1n7uaOcWVYjbVaF70n03oxcW7MKYdTjbLezhmgItWnedYagmus/s320/oboe_barocco.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baroque Oboe</td></tr>
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Hopefully it isn't too late for us as a whole or as </div>
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individuals. Perhaps we all need to make time to develop some basic engineering skills. Possibly, we can set aside time to develop auxiliary talents, like learning to play a musical instrument (I like the ukulele and the oboe). In our busy lives, I wonder if forcing time for periodic intellectual stimulation will make us stronger men and better people to be around. The best question may be: <i>If you are not the man you wish to be, what steps must you take to become that man</i>? </div>
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As you work to that end, you will be a better example to your children, your co-workers, your neighbors, but more importantly you will demonstrate to yourself and your loved ones that you can set goals and achieve them. And by so doing, you will have bettered your world to that degree. Men, be an Adam and exercise the basic virtues of self-sufficiency and curiosity/critical thinking. Don't leave yours or your family's welfare up to others. Be the bread-winner. Be, in tandem with your wife, the first and best source of education and training for your children. It will make them stronger and happier.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #441500; color: #ffeedd; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"> DISCLAIMER: Although Biblical names are used in this piece, they do not represent the actual Adam and Eve, but the theoretical first woman and first man in an abstract parallel.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14080789916623877396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397369455821050483.post-37592321300485380772012-11-19T00:31:00.000-07:002012-11-19T00:31:14.010-07:00The Best Way to Improve a SocietyA society is just like any other object or entity made up of smaller components. Electronics, automobiles, instruments, college courses and even cuisine are judged on the quality of their parts. Better ingredients lead to better finished goods. <div>
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In sports, the team with better players is typically the more successful team. However, the stronger team is not always the victor. As we move from machines to people, many other factors impact the outcome. Individuals can have an off day when their best performance is required, leading to disappointment on the field. </div>
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Similarly, a team can be victorious with seemingly less-skilled players. This is often attributed to spirit, home-field advantage or luck. A team can also have a unique style of play that gives them an advantage. Solid, effective teamwork will often overcome the individual combined performances of star players on an opposing team.</div>
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So it is with a society. A community can either be strengthened by improving its components, or by strengthening the bonds of its existing parts. To this end, the virtuous thing to do is for society's components, us as individuals, to find ways to improve ourselves. That means acquiring a new skill, developing an existing talent, or seeking more education. It is good for the individual citizen and his or her family to be a proficient contributor to society. As we improve ourselves, set the example of self-betterment in our neighborhoods, rec centers, offices and throughout our communities, the torch will successfully be passed to neighbors and colleagues. The result? A stronger culture, with stronger families, harder workers and an ever more virtuous citizenry.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14080789916623877396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397369455821050483.post-11499373837276456132012-11-14T23:56:00.002-07:002012-11-14T23:56:57.614-07:00Birth, observation, curiosity, critical thinking, learning, critical thinking, applying, critical thinkging, mastering...<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Early in the 21st Century, it is clear that critical thinking is a trait too few possess. A dramatic number of people are born, grow old going through the motions, and along the way, mindlessly gather information in 10 second soundbites, from 140-character shorthand or via quick blips on Facebook. Most of which is carelessly constructed by acquaintances with the sole purpose of getting 'likes' and gaining a perceived popularity among one's online social media circles. Some of the most poignant thoughts are posted in a digitally framed image consisting of a solid color background with a retro sketch, doodled beside a single sentence phrase describing some trending aspect of society.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcU6vafueQNwR_1HhJvp3YTYTPWRJ_3UynIfPNzcMVXOptq8A8KDVdRfYAbM2x5ajPJBUoO716jpbvgoH_hpoyFFVA3CGgQMaYrvCIFVz7u0BkJJ3N-_75OG62G78pt8p3b_wnK8jKKWSM/s1600/ecard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcU6vafueQNwR_1HhJvp3YTYTPWRJ_3UynIfPNzcMVXOptq8A8KDVdRfYAbM2x5ajPJBUoO716jpbvgoH_hpoyFFVA3CGgQMaYrvCIFVz7u0BkJJ3N-_75OG62G78pt8p3b_wnK8jKKWSM/s320/ecard.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Common type of image that gets re-posted countless times on social media networks.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The general acceptance of this type of information occurs throughout every facet of life. At work, at school, at church and in politics, without any deliberate effort, we as humans accept what we hear and what we read the same, whether it is true or false. The curiosity that has pushed our species to build science and civilization, send us to the surface of the moon and create amazing amounts of new technology is missing. Curiosity, and by extension, critical thinking is largely void in our world.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Take, for example, the recent political debates in America. A healthy portion of the population believed that if one party's candidate were to prevail in the election, the uteruses (uteri?) of all women in the country would be at risk. They would be removed or harmed in some way. Partisans at various events and conventions directly cited this belief as a reason to support said candidate's opponent. It was their firm belief that women's health and well-being would be sacrificed on the executive branch's altar. Think about that for a minute. Voting against a candidate because he would put the health of women today and in the future at risk. Sounds like a good reason to vote against someone, right?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Only problem with it is the premise is incorrect. The real debate was whether tax dollars should be used for contraception or if birth control and related products should be the responsibility of the individual desiring to use them. The individuals who believed one man's electoral success could stifle the advancement of women's rights never asked the '<i>hows</i>' or the '<i>whys</i>'. <i>How</i> would one individual's policies jeopardize women's health? <i>How</i> could he or she implement the harmful policies? <i>Why</i> would he or she want to bring about policies detrimental to the health of half the country? Now throw in a '<i>what</i>' question: <i>What</i> has he or she written, said or done that indicates he or she holds destructive points of view? Now try a '<i>who</i>' question: <i>Who</i> was my source for the information upon which I am basing my resolute belief?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Now back to the '<i>why</i>' questions: <i>Why</i> did the source not permit me to hear the statement in context? <i>Why</i> does the source want me to hear this message? <i>What</i> is the background and reliability of my source? (And perhaps: <i>Why</i> is the YouTube video so poorly spliced?)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Bottom line is that there was no evidence that any of the candidates in the 2012 elections tried to harm anyone's health. If there had been sincere, human nature-based curiosity, a different conclusion would have been reached. The thinking individuals would most certainly follow the curiosity with study and thought. Through critical thinking it would have been clear to a reasonable, honest thinker that the notion of one candidate's triumph leading to a 'turning back of the clock' some 40 years would have been ridiculous (and Constitutionally impossible). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We live in an age where tweets, Facebook posts, texts and emails are our source of information. As we glance from one headline or story to the next, we absorb it all, but we fail to discern the quality of the information and the qualifications of the source. Essentially, human beings in the early 21st Century have outsourced their critical thinking to ambitious propagandizers and social media circles.</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14080789916623877396noreply@blogger.com0