The Sabbath

We read in Holy Scripture “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2: 27)  This tells us that those that obey what they believe to be the letter of the law, as opposed to the spirit of the law, have got their priorities wrong, for God is our benefactor as compared to being our constant taskmaster, who insists that we obey God’s Commandments, without deviation, or thought.

 The reason why the Sabbath is so important is that during six days of the week, we typically have to devote ourselves to all that which will sustain us, by laboring, and through taking care of our day to day tasks, diligently, of which, if there was no Sabbath, thereby signifying that there was not even one day out of the week, in which, we were entitled to rest from our efforts, life would soon become one of drudgery, as compared to providing us with the fair opportunity to benefit from the goodness that God’s provisions as well as the society that we are an active member of, can provide for us.  This is why it is crucial, to walk away from our daily labors, on one designated day of the week, not so much to rest, but rather as the opportunity to contemplate and to study our purpose as gifted to us by God, as well as to let our body take a backseat to such contemplation, for we have been provided with a mind, that should take in far more than what we typically have to deal with on a daily basis.

 In this hi-energy world there is a tendency to believe that there are all sorts of tasks and duties that we simply must always attend to, or else dire consequences we will face, but those that take their foot off of the proverbial pedal, to actually consider that life may consist of something far more comprehensive, than our common everyday activities, are the very same, that are utilizing their mind to search for the abiding meaning in life, which will allow them thereby to get a better perspective on what life on this earthly plane is actually all about.

 Each of us should take the time to reset ourselves and to understand better that we need the Sabbath as our ever-present aid in trouble or in good times, to give us the opportunity to devote ourselves to that which is the actuator of our very being, which will thereby permit us to evaluate as to whether we are on the correct path with the correct destination, or perhaps have wandered away, even far way, from where we ought to be.  The Sabbath should be seen as our North Star, enlightening us as to who and what we really are, and thereby leading us to where we need to be, for in the hurly-burly of modern life, it is easy to get distracted on those lesser things, which really don’t mean all that much in totality, as opposed to pressing on to those necessary things, and thereby finding that which will provide us with eternal satisfaction and peace.

Strive to be ambidextrous

There doesn’t appear to be a calling in society to be ambidextrous, but the fact that there isn’t is no credit for those who don’t believe in the value of being ambidextrous.  The fact of the matter is that when it comes to certain tasks, sports, music, and other activities, there is a distinct advantage for those that are not stuck with having just one dominant hand, because these people can use both hands equally well, which reduces fatigue and allows them to be more effective, coordinated, and efficient, for having properly developed the muscle memory in both hands.  For example, when it comes to sports, we find that many players “throw like a girl” when they use their non-dominant hand, mainly because that hand has not been trained to throw for it has not practiced the tasks needed to develop the muscle memory to do so -- even though the person so trying to throw with their non-dominate hand, is quite familiar with the logistics of what makes for a good throw.

 So, too, those who are under a lot of pressure to get certain work accomplished or other tasks done can find that when that activity requires the constant repeated usage of just one hand, their hand can become tired and fatigued over a period of time; whereas, if they were ambidextrous, they could distribute the work more equally between their hands instead.

 Additionally, injuries are a way of life, and whenever our hand or fingers of our dominant hand have been injured, the quality of our life is impacted rather negatively because having failed to develop the skill set so needed to accomplish the same sorts of tasks with our non-dominant hand, we suffer for that lack of preparedness. 

 While it is true that most of us are not required to be ambidextrous to do what we need to do, it is amazing to find out, just how dependent we are upon our dominant hand, in which, common tasks such as opening a can, or spooning out food, or writing down notes, or operating our cellphone, become not just a lot more difficult, but seemingly impossible without our dominant hand, even when we know that our non-dominant hand has the same sort of capability, itself, to accomplish this.  The issue, therefore, is the fact that our non-dominant hand has not been trained, which basically is indicative that it could be trained, if only we would devote some time and energy in doing so.

 In consideration, that while we don’t need to be ambidextrous, it does seem worthwhile, to at least attempt to do some tasks, even as simple as brushing our teeth, eating, tying our shoes, or shaving with our non-denominate hand so as to develop some of those motor skills so necessary, that would not only make us to be more flexible in the way that we do common things, but would permit us to understand better that which we take for granted, because the reason that we are so good with our dominant hand is because of the practice and devotion that we have put into developing that, in the first place.

The new American Basketball Association

The American Basketball Association (ABA) was an upstart professional basketball league from 1967 to 1976, which succeeded in merging with the NBA, by having four of the ABA teams become part of the NBA.  The biggest change that the ABA brought to the NBA was the 3-point line.  Since that merger the NBA has gone on to become incredibly successful, but as in anything, the NBA currently is pretty much content to rest on its laurels and has little interest in making any comprehensive changes to the game as it is played, though it probably should, for there are plenty of changes that ought to be done, which is why those that love basketball need something akin to the ABA to return.

 The very first thing that needs to change is the basketball court size which is currently 94 feet long by 50 feet wide -- which needs to increase its width to at least 54 feet, and its length by at least an additional six feet, which would help to not only spread out the court better, but would now mean that the 3-point shot from the corners would be at 24 feet, and from the center of the arc, 25 feet, 9 inches or thereabouts.  This would thereby reduce the amount of 3-point shooting and make for a more engaging sport, instead.

 Other changes that need to be made consist of the following: that instead of players having to pass the ball in when the ball goes out of bounds or after a basket is made, they have the option to simply dribble the ball in.  Also, to cut down on annoying foul calls, there would be only one referee on the floor who would make those foul calls, and a laser would be utilized on the court boundaries to ascertain when a ball or stray foot has traveled out of bounds.  Additionally, all intentional fouls would be a violation of the rules of the sport, resulting in a Technical foul being assessed.  In addition, when it comes to any foul, the captain of the team would determine whether they desired to shoot free throws or would decline to do so, and thereby simply maintain possession of the basketball. Also, the traditional 3-point play, in which a player fouled who makes the basket, is awarded a free throw, would no longer exist, though a foul would still be assessed, but since the basket was made there would be no added free throw.  In addition, each coach would be provided with one timeout per quarter, and the quarter would consist of 15 minutes, because with fewer fouls and fewer free throws, there would be less stoppage in play.  Also, the amount of time to get the ball to the front court would be ten seconds, and the shot clock would be 25 seconds.  Finally, the basketball color would be a tri-color, such as red, white, and blue.

 Indeed, because there are so many players that play basketball and are good at such, it would certainly seem conceivable that another competitive pro league could be formed, especially since there are many arenas throughout America, that are underutilized, and in consideration, that a basketball team probably doesn’t need much more than 12 players on their roster, to play their games, this would lend itself to a reasonable payroll.  Additionally, in this era of social media of all types and a multitude of ways to stream content to fans, it would seem that a new basketball league could certainly have its place.

Listening but not listening

In today’s society, we have a lot of ways to communicate with one another that simply didn’t exist before, such as email, text messaging, and through social media.  While these alternative ways to communicate have their place, they can’t fully replace the human need to have communication on a more personal level, done on a face-to-face basis or via a phone.  There is, though a lot of difference between in-person communication and communication though phone, for the former basically requires some sort of eye-to-eye contact, at least, occasionally; whereas, the other can be done in a manner in which one or both persons on that call could be multi-tasking -- that is to say, sort of listening but doing other things on the side, such as cleaning, or cooking, or using an app, so that these two ways of communicating aren’t equivalent.

 So too, there are plenty of people, that like to talk, and talk, and talk, which for those that are on the receiving end of such people, pretty much necessitates that their communication is going to have to be on the phone, because the other, doesn’t typically have the time or the desire to pay full attention to what is being said, not only because they have seemingly heard it all before, but also because they don’t have the time to devote to that conversation, for they have their own obligations to attend to, which is why, we get the situation in which we can hear the words so being spoken, but we aren’t really listening to them, whatsoever.

 One might think that when we don’t really listen to the other, that they might surmise that they are essentially being ignored, but that depends on the nature of the conversation, for certain people just want to vent about this or that, and are really just looking for an echo chamber, as compared to an actual conversation, and as long as we confirm to acknowledge the validity of what they are saying, they are content with such.  Then some need us to really listen, but because they meander from one topic to another, or talk about things that we aren’t really in agreement with, yet we aren’t able to pushback on, because they won’t accept that, we have to respond to them in general affirmations so that whatever that they are saying still is validated.

 Additionally, when we have been in a familial relationship for a long time, there is a strong tendency to believe that whatever that person is saying, is the same sort of story that we have heard before, time and time again, which is why we often tune out what they are saying to contemplate our own issues or thoughts, instead.

 In all of these areas, we have the situation in which the recipient is listening in the sense that they hear the words, but they aren’t really listening in the sense that they are actively trying to engage in the conversation for a lot of reasons, which may well include the fact that they have their own thoughts they want to express but aren’t getting the chance to, they are preoccupied, they have work to do, or it could be that they have heard it all before, which is why when we really have something of import to say, the very first thing that we need to find out, is whether or not the other is ready and able to fairly hear us out.

Shiftless in America

The first thing to note about those who are shiftless in America, is that they wouldn’t be so prominent in numbers, if the nation was not itself, quite wealthy. That is to say, to live within a society in which there is a lot of overall poverty and little possibility to escape from such, necessities that even the laziness amongst us, must contribute some form of labor or help, or else they will be entirely shunned, because there is plenty that is needing to be done just to survive, and those that are able, must thereby do their fair part, or suffer the consequences, for failing to do so.

 On the other hand, Western nations, have plenty of money, and have situated themselves so that there is a social welfare system to help take care of the neediest amongst us, of which, to the degree that these programs and institutions do provide help to the disabled, the aged, the unemployed, and others of that general ilk, they have done so to the betterment of what that nation owes to its people.  On the other hand, there seems to be a significant subset of Americans that are actually quite able, but just don’t want to work for a living, perhaps because the monetary compensation for a job is considered to be too low, or the job itself is beneath their dignity, or for various other spurious reasons, including the seminal fact that they typically lack ambition or drive.

 So too, when there is seemingly plenty of money available to spend on welfare in a given nation along with valuable institutions specifically being structured to help provide for those that are disadvantaged, there are going to be plenty of shiftless people that are going to do what they feel that they have to do to “game” the system, so that they get food stamps, a subsidized apartment, and pretty much whatever that they can obtain, one way or another, without having to put forth any labor to get it.

 For a fact, the shiftless lack motivation, and when unable to find a charity or government institution that will provide for their needs, thereby decide that they can mooch off of someone that they know, such as a family member or a friend, in which, they are quite willing to sleep on the couch, and perhaps in return do a chore or two from time to time, or take on some basic responsibility such as cooking, and exist within this construct, seemingly forever, in which they are forever broke, but at least have shelter, food, and an existence that appears to be acceptable to them.

 The foregoing are the laziest and most shiftless, of which, they don’t show up in governmental reports about unemployment, because they aren’t looking for employment, for they are content to do as little as possible, day after day, without any real desire to improve their mind, by studying anything of merit, or of volunteering to help the society that they are a member of, because they aren’t engaged to do so.  Indeed, the shiftless are parasitic in nature, and as long as they can find a host to accommodate them, they are essentially satisfied.

Settler colonialism

While it has been said that the victors write the history, it can also be said, that such history is subject to revision, and through that revision, a more nuanced and a fairer perspective can be generated, for those so inclined to take in a more comprehensive perspective.  First though, what is settler colonialism?  The answer is that those who are not indigenous to a particular land, but have traveled to such, having done so essentially to take over or seize the land for their own or their motherland’s benefit, which is accomplished through actions taken, typically violent, at the direct expense of the indigenous peoples, until those indigenous peoples have been conquered or forcefully removed or become an irrelevancy. 

 So then, the United States of America, could be considered to be a prime example of settler colonialism, for America was already populated by what we call “American Indians,” who though they still exist here in America are at this point completely decimated in their population, and are presently not untypically ill-educated and impoverished, along with being situated onto often remote reservations, that, in theory, they are sovereign of.  At the time of America’s founding, American Indians were plentiful, self-sufficient, but were also considered to pose a real threat to what became known as the American way of life and its manifest destiny, of which, American Indians through one form or another, were subsequently defeated or forcefully relocated to such an extent that they are almost an irrelevancy in this nation, presently.

 Perhaps this is the way that it should be, that the strong and determined take what they so desire by whatever means so necessary, fair or foul, for the supposed greater purpose of this settler nation and its non-native people.  Indeed, it could be said that what occurred was overall a benefit to the world, at large, for America has gone on to accomplish some incredible things,  as well as to be at the forefront of inventions and innovations that have helped to make this world and the society that we are a part of, so much better for these accomplishments.  So too, to believe, somehow, that America is the sole example of settler colonialism is to get history wrong, for there are plenty of other nations, that have the same sort of background history, as well, signifying that in many a case, those that are adventurous, determined, and have powerfully deadly weapons, have been able to successfully assert their selves against indigenous people, the world over, for better or for worse.

 In sum, whether people are comfortable with admitting this truth or not, settler colonialism has been the means of choice, of nation-states on the move for generations upon generations to overcome indigenous societies and to claim their resources, as their own.  It is also is the epitome of the belief that might makes right, for indigenous societies, typically have not recognized the moral superiority of the colonial mindset, nor should they, but have instead, been conquered through the sword, which demonstrates the historic value of organized military might to impress itself upon the other, understanding well that in these battles the spoils will go to the victor, at the expense of the vanquished.

"You don't know what you've got till it's gone"

The above quotation comes from Joni Mitchell’s song “Big Yellow Taxi” and has stood true throughout the annals of time, for many of us have the rather poor habit of not appreciating what we really have, until it is gone, or no longer available for us to use, and by the time we realize that we have taken something for granted, that we should have been more appreciative of, it is truly too late.  This is why we must take an inventory of that which is valued from time to time of the things, events, and friends that we have, so as to properly show our appreciation, for even that which has always been ours, such as good health, or an especially valued family member, can be subject to disappearance in a blink of an eye, through for instance, a disastrous unexpected event.  This signifies that the time to tell someone that you love and that you care for them is in the present; and the time to appreciate a good education, a good neighborhood, and good friends, is in the present, as well, because we know not what the future will hold.

 So often, we regret the things we lose, because we know that we have never really properly appreciated them, for we have taken such for granted, and by doing so, just assume that what we have, will always be ours. In actuality, those things that matter to us most of all, are subject not only to traumatic change but invariably are subject to our not paying enough mind to such, of which, slowly through the eons of time, they begin to fade away, and when we subsequently reach out for them, we find to our dismay, that not only are they gone, but they are no longer available for us to retrieve.

 So too, we are prone to not evaluating things that we have in our possession, appropriately, thereby making decisions that are going to be in error, because we haven’t taken into account fully, what we should have calculated correctly in the making of those decisions, which leads to our loss, of which, the decisions that we make define not only who and what we really are, but the results of those decisions are reflected in the life that we have, along with the future trajectory of such.

 Indeed, the best time to appreciate what we have is always going to be the present time, and those then that make it their point, to not take for granted the blessings that they have in life, are going to be in a far better place, to handle the vicissitudes of life because their foundation is built upon a substance that is better able to handle adversity, for they are better connected to that which is of more importance to them, and those bonds are the very bonds that will help them to endure, as well as to appreciate life all the better, which places them in a much better position as opposed to those who have failed to properly prioritize or to appreciate that which is no longer in their grasp, and seriously doubt that it will ever come back.

America and its love for false labeling

In America, it seems like the government doesn’t want to get in the way of those who sell food items and the potential profit from those items, even when this is being sold under apparent false pretenses, by pretending to be one thing, when in reality it really is another thing.  There are, for instance, plenty of foods that contain lots of sugar or additives to that food but are labeled as being wholesome or advertised explicitly as being good for the body, when in reality, this is not fundamentally true.  Then there are also those items being sold that allege that they are one thing when they clearly are another.  For instance, there is bacon, which comes from the belly or sides of a pig, and therefore is correctly labeled as being pork bacon because that is what it really is; whereas, on the same shelves often near pork bacon, is something known as turkey bacon.  In reality, turkey bacon does not come from the belly or sides of a turkey, but is in actuality, made up of ground-up or chopped turkey poultry, that is processed into looking like bacon, sold as if it is bacon, and labeled as bacon, but it is not bacon.

 So too, many restaurants sell extensively and are well known for their boneless wings, which to a certain degree, might make sense, because working your way around the bones of a wing, can be cumbersome or annoying for some people, so processing a chicken wing in a way, in which the bone is removed, and thereby it becomes boneless, seems genius.  However, that isn’t what boneless wings are, for boneless wings are made out of chicken breast poultry that has been cut into small pieces, and then advertised as being “boneless wings” when they aren’t wing poultry, at all.

 Additionally, there are many people who enjoy a glass of champagne, believing that what they are imbibing really is champagne, and when that champagne comes from the Champagne region of France, they are correct in their assertion that they are drinking real champagne.  However, the truth of the matter is that there are plenty of bottles in America that are labeled as champagne, that are not produced in the Champagne region of France, whatsoever, but are actually created and manufactured in the United States of America, but somehow are able to label their sparkling wine as champagne, though in reality, since it is not from the Champagne region of France this is actually not champagne, but is instead, sparkling wine.

 All of the above are examples of false labeling permitted in America, which seems to stipulate to the American people, that it is okay by the governance of this nation to have false labeling, because apparently it is good for the business of America, and one thing that you can say about America, is apparently what is good for American business, must be good for Americans, though, in truth, it really is mainly good for those businesses that profit from such.

Never build a case against yourself

In truth, life is going to present us with all sorts of challenges and problems, of which, the objective of the exercise is to do our level best to overcome these obstacles so that we can have a successful and satisfying life.  One of the seminal things to keep in mind is that just as the Fifth Amendment protects us from self-incrimination, we need to remind ourselves, that there aren’t many situations in which it is in our best interests to build a case against ourselves and thereby broadcast to everyone our foibles, when there isn’t any sensible reason to do so.  That is to say, confession has its place, but it has to be recognized that when we confess appropriately, we are doing so with the understanding that our confession is not disclosed to just anybody or any institution, for it remains secret between the penitent and the priest. 

 While being forthright and honest should be the mode of conduct that we display with those that we congregate with, that doesn’t mean that includes confessing all that we have done wrong to the general public, for not only do we not have an obligation to do so, but it isn’t discreet or of good purpose on our part to commit this indiscretion, for there are plenty of institutions and people that will take a heartfelt acknowledgment of personal error and thus hold it against us, or hold it over our head, in order to control or compromise us, all because we have built a case against ourselves, when we shouldn’t have done that very thing.

 Look, it has to be acknowledged, that not everybody is on the up and up, and not everybody has our best interests in mind, so that by disclosing that which should remain private to those who desire to take advantage of our weaknesses isn’t going to be prudent on our part, for while we are being open about our personal failures and errors, they, on the other hand, typically aren’t confessing or admitting to any errors on their part, because they deeply desire to maintain their moral superiority over us, by selling the illusion that they are of better character;  whereas if they too were confessing, it would be quite apparent that they were no better than us.

 We are provided with a tongue that speaks the words that we speak, as well as fingers that write the words that we write, but it is up to our discretion as to what we do or do not say or write, and not every thought that comes to us, is a thought that needs to be disclosed, for we are sovereign of our mind, and those that relinquish that sovereignty, good intentions or not, to admit to character faults that need not be revealed to that particular company, have made the error of believing that making a case against one’s self, is good for the soul, when in reality it tends to open a door that will lead to the emphasis of our bad character traits as being our true self, when it is not, which will subsequently reflect poorly on who we are in totality.

Spend now, pay later

 There are plenty of people who believe that credit cards have always been around and further to the point, that having a credit card is pretty much mandatory, signifying that those who don’t have credit cards are those who are either not creditworthy, or have destroyed their credit through mismanagement, or are just clueless.  Nevertheless, there are those people who understand correctly that credit cards while having their advantages such as being available to pay a huge unexpected expense, or the need to have such for other emergencies, basically entice people to spend more for goods, services, and entertainment than they would if they were paying just in cash, for the truth of the matter is that cash expenditures feel very real; whereas, credit card expenditures don’t, because not only do credit cards not have to be paid off immediately, but oftentimes the payment to credit card debt can be extended for months upon months, and even years, though those not paying in full their credit card bill each month, will be charged interest, and if late in that payment, appropriate penalties.

 All of the above indicates that those who know that they are on a tight budget should consider that rather than looking to a credit card to resolve their difficulties, they should more appropriately understand that the use of credit will actually add to their burden, especially when that usage involves an increase in expenditures because they lack the discipline to walk away from purchases that they don’t really need to make.  This indicates that those who make it their point to pay cash or to use a debit card for all that they purchase are going to spend less than those who have the same amount of income, but utilize credit cards, because cash, necessitates the spending of less, for a deficit, is not permitted, which is why more people need to comprehend that while having credit has its place, using that credit, is the type of temptation that can create all sorts of havoc and may ultimately lead to lasting regret.

 On the other hand, all those who sell goods or services to the general public are grateful for credit cards, because they know that despite the fees that the vendor must pay for the utilization of those credit cards, they will sell more goods or services than they would if credit didn’t exist.   Indeed, it just seems like human nature that people want what they want and utilize credit cards because they don’t care so much about the bill that they will have to pay, for that won’t happen today, but will be postponed till tomorrow.

 So then, it would be one thing if everything that we spent money on really was necessary, but the truth of the matter is, that it is not, which is why those who have credit cards are subject to being irresponsible with such, and thereby end up buying more than they would, if they didn’t have credit, or if they exercised the discipline not to use credit so much, which is why those that pay only with the money which they have in hand, spend less, while also not having to suffer from paying interest on that debt, because they keep everything on a cash basis.

Greatness and a nation’s poverty, incarceration, and educational status

It would seem a truism that every single nation wants to espouse itself as being great, and no nation wants to consider itself as falling far short of such.  So then, when it comes to greatness in a nation, all sorts of nations play the same sort of game, in which, they are able to cite certain statistics that support their contention that they are great, or simply profess that they are great, without providing any real proof that such is demonstratively true.  Certainly, it is true that there is a wealth of criteria that could be used to demonstrate how great a nation is, such as home ownership, assets, general satisfaction with one’s lot, charitable acts, and the like, though it has to be admitted, that looking at poverty, incarceration, and educational rates provides a very good measure of how a nation is actually performing.

 To live in a nation that has a high incarceration rate, that is significantly greater than other similar subject nations, does not reflect well upon that nation, because incarceration, by definition, means the taking away of freedom from someone through their committing of some sort of criminal act thus warranting that imprisonment, along with the corresponding expense of thereby keeping not only that person incarcerated, but also the recognition, that those that have been convicted, are the very same, who are in all probability, going to also be impoverished and will continue as such.  Indeed, when we look at the type of person most likely to be locked up, those people often suffer from being penurious as well as being ill-educated, which thereby indicates that high poverty rates in conjunction with poor educational achievements, are the mark of people that are not trending to becoming upstanding citizens of society.

 All of the above would seem to stipulate that any nation that has a significant degree of poverty, imprisonment, and educational shortfalls is a country that within its structure has not done those necessary things to ameliorate that which would be the hallmarks of a nation’s greatness.  Indeed, it is fair and appropriate, to measure a nation, by how it treats its most vulnerable and exposed citizens, and when it cannot seem to come up with policies that will eliminate or ameliorate poverty, it will thereby suffer the ill effects of having failed their citizenry, which is not the mark of greatness, whatsoever.

 Those then who have nothing and do not have the educational foundation to become something, are going to be prone to behaving in a way and manner, in which, they do what they feel they need to do, to survive and to thereby build some sort of self-respect, which is why great nations, make it their point, to see that as few as possible are left behind, and further to the point, that each citizen of the state, are provided with the proper accouterments to get them a good education and to have the fair opportunity for good employment, of which, those educational achievements serve to provide them with the requirements to be productive members of society, which is subsequently reflected in low poverty and incarceration rates.  So then, for a nation to be great, it must do what needs to be done, to provide the foundational structure for its citizens’ success.

“It is amazing how complete is the delusion that beauty is goodness”

The above quotation comes to us from the gifted mind of Leo Tolstoy. If we were thereby to take this sentiment to heart so as to really understand it, we would do a much better job of not judging a book by its cover, but rather judging what needs to be judged by the facts of the case, as presented to us.  Indeed, when it comes to a court of law, those who are the accused, typically like to present themselves with the most positive outward appearance in court, by dressing for the occasion in conservative clothes and being well-groomed along with projecting a pleasant demeanor, thus permitting them to present themselves as exemplars of outstanding citizens of society, even when they clearly are not.

 Look, it has to be said, that many people are prone to snap judgments, and those who present themselves that are considered to be outside the norm, when it comes to the standards of beauty and behavior of the day, are considered by many to be less deserving of being looked upon as good people; whereas, those that present themselves most beautifully, are seen much more positively, as if their beauty somehow equates to goodness, which while we may desire that this be true, isn’t necessarily true.

 Indeed, the greatest hustlers and con artists, are never going to be those people who look like they are the forsaken and the lost, but rather are going to be those who look the part and behave as if they are upstanding citizens, which because the image looks so enticing, makes it far easier for them to gain the trust and access to what they need to have in order to ply their nefarious trade, which is why we need to save our judgment of the other, until we take the time to know them, in a way in which the façade of their beauty is an irrelevancy, and instead, we are face to face with the content of their character.

 There are many of us, who want to reduce the complexities of life into the simplest of components, which for them, makes it easier to deal with society, so that, they want to believe that surface characteristics always define the person, but it does not.  So too, the reason that prejudices of all types are so persistent is because we have an inclination to group people into categories, based on nothing much more than their religious faith, their heritage, their income, and so on, without taking the time to actually getting to know the person, as they really are.

 While it is true that there are many beautiful things in nature, and therefore we can accept nature as such, the same is not true when it comes to people, for there are many that wear a mask, of which, there are those times when the mask does not equate to who and what that person really is, of which, it is fair to state, those that look the most enticing to us, are the very ones that we should be most careful to give the benefit of the doubt to, because beauty has a way of distorting our perception of what is true, making us believe in what is false as if is true.

True compassion

We are told that “compassion means to journey with the other” which signifies that true compassion isn’t just feeling sorry for the other, or just being concerned about the other, or just validating the emotional state of the other, but goes far beyond that.  To be compassionate means to connect ourselves to the suffering of the other, so that we can thereby provide that person with love, and emotional support, as well as to engage them in the sure understanding, that they will not suffer alone, but rather they will have our attentive care to lean upon.

 To be compassionate is one of the greatest gifts that we can bestow upon one another, because in being compassionate, we are seeking to do our good part to help those who are hurting and are vulnerable, to thus aid them in their recovery, or if this is not possible, to travel in sympathy with them, upon the path that they are on until it reaches its final or chosen destination.

 Those who are compassionate are the same who recognize that to truly care about someone necessitates our devotion to that person, in a way and manner, that will help that person to deal with the difficult or troubling situation that they are in.  Indeed, to be compassionate does not necessarily mean that we can resolve what ails the other, but does mean that we can be that ever-present help in times of trouble, and therefore that we will be there for them, come what way, because we will minister to them, so as to share therefore their struggle with them, and to provide for them all that we can reasonably do to let them know that they are valued and we care for them.

 It is a truism that not every path that we take is going to be a path without its troubles, and all those that thereby commit to the other, so as to be with them, are the very same, that must acknowledge that when troubling times come, those that are true friends are the ones that stand with those that need such help, because to do anything else, violates what good friendship is all about.

 Each of us is meant to find our purpose in life, and one of those seminal purposes is not only to care about one another, but to be compassionate with one another, because every journey that humankind has upon this good earth, results at some point, with some serious challenges, and those then that are facing difficult times need thereby the support of those that will do their best to let them know by their actions and by their words that they are never alone, that they are valued, and that they will not be abandoned.  Each of us lives in a society in which the very purpose of that society is to join together for the betterment and wholesomeness of that society, and a compassionate society can only be a society made up of individuals who demonstrate their compassion by being there on the journey with those that are most needful of such.

The rich and connected control governmental power

There is this general belief in America that because Americans of all classes, races, and faiths, have the ballot box, that therefore the government that we have is truly a reflection of what the people want, for this is a government, of, for, and by the people.  As good as this might be or sound, it isn’t the actual truth -- because the bottom line is that this isn’t a government of, for, and by the people, at all and never has been – for rather America is a nation run by the rich and connected, for the benefit of the rich and connected, and those that believe that this is not true, have bought into a false construct, and are essentially deceiving themselves.

 The very first thing to recognize is that America is the richest nation in the world, and the one thing that we can say about people who have their hands on money, power, or both, is that they are typically quite reluctant to loosen their grip, because they appreciate all the privileges that having money and power represents, which is why, democratic nation or not, republic virtues or not, those that are the rich and connected, will not deign to risk their power and money through the ballot and will do everything within their domain to see that they can maintain their luxuriant status, come what may.

 So then, those who profess the loudest that we need censorship in order to drown out hate, misinformation, disinformation, and the like, don’t seem to recognize that the powers that be support this wholeheartedly because they desire to control the narrative and thereby want to see disseminated only that which supports them.  So too, when it comes to political elections and ballot initiatives, the powers that be, are all for Political Action Committees (PACs) and anything that permits them to utilize their money, without restriction or transparency, so that they can basically buy the results that they desire.  Additionally, in this two-party system in which no third party has any influence upon governmental power, the powers that be make it their point, to sell the illusion of choice, when, in fact, the two major parties, don’t really disagree on all that much that would be detrimental to those that are the richest and most powerful amongst us, because, to a large extent, they have been subsumed by such, or are themselves members of that class, or aspire to be so.

 Indeed, those who are rich and connected do everything within their power and influence to make sure that those of different races, different faiths, and different employment, are constantly at loggerheads with one another because they know that a nation with a multitude of people that really don’t have all that much that they truly own, would, if so united, present a clear and present danger to their power, which is why, we see and hear so much emphasis upon civil unrest, of which, those that are the silent majority, oftentimes just want it all to go away, which is where those that are rich and connected come into play, by promising that by giving up or relinquishing some of the people’s liberty and privacy, all will be secure, and those that are the rich and connected, can thereby continue to enjoy all that they have, without any undue or inconvenient interference, ever.

The lowdown about gossip

Look, it has to be said, even good people are going to engage in gossip, at least some of the time, because of the pleasure it brings to them, to tell a titillating or scandalous tale or two.  The thing about gossip is that many people have something that they want to say behind someone’s back, not so much because they hate the other person, though, they might, but rather as a way to make themselves feel better, by bringing out the foibles of the other, which helps them to picture their own self, as somehow being a person of better character, even when they are not.

 While it has to be said, that there are plenty of people who have lots of nice things to say about us and others, and actually verbalize those very things, it can, for many a person, get tiresome to talk about how smart our neighbor is, or how nice their cars are, or how good their children behave and perform at school, and this and that, because as much as we might admire the other, it seems that the more that we praise them, the greater the distance is between who and what we really are, as apparently against who and what they seem to be, and that can grate on a person’s nerves because nobody wants to constantly compare themselves to the other, and find that they are always second best, which is part of the reason why we have gossip, which thereby helps us to even out the score.

 While it is true that some gossip is rather mean-spirited and vengeful, a lot of gossip, has more to do, with making fun of the other, because by doing this, though not in their face, makes us feel better about our own situation, in the sure knowledge that nobody is perfect, and the reason that we know that this is so, is because of the gossip that we communicate about the other.  So too, it seems to help our ego, when we knock down a notch or two, somebody that is held in high respect, mainly because we don’t want to feel that we are so lacking and that we can’t ever rise to the level that these other people seem to be at.

 Additionally, people typically need something to talk about, and to relate to, of which, that which people relate to has an awful lot to do with the stories that we express about the other that we are familiar with, made more interesting when we dish out gossip about them, that not only appears to be true but makes us feel better by entertaining our friends with our gossiping stories, that they seem to enjoy hearing, as much as we enjoy telling.

 Indeed, while there are probably better and more constructive things that we could do when we interact with others, sometimes, in order to pull ourselves up, we need to knock the other down, rightly or wrongly, to improve thereby our social standing, or the interest that others find by engaging with us, because just about everyone loves a story, and if there is a little dirt to spread, so much the better.

Increasing the Defense budget increases warfare

For those who can’t get enough of war for whatever reasons, the surest way to keep utilizing American soldiers, support, advisors, intelligence, and armaments is to continually increase the monies so devoted to the “defense” of the United States.  The elephant in the room, though, is the seminal fact that the United States is not currently under attack, hasn’t been under attack, and would appear to be quite secure that its borders will not in the foreseeable future, be attacked.  So when it comes to the Defense budget of this nation, it would be more appropriate to admit that the massive amounts of billions of dollars devoted to defending this nation are mainly not being used for defense but rather are utilized so that America can continue to assert its dominance over the world, to get those recalcitrant nations to march to the beat of American drums, which, in theory, is beneficial to Americans, though it would appear that in actuality this isn’t true, because not only are global empires expensive to maintain, but it has to be admitted, that those that demand obeisance primarily through the use of the sword and sanctions, are the very same, that have placed themselves in the position of blowback, in one form or another.

 So too, the more that America involves itself in wars, through its surrogates or directly, the more that it removes the good will that other nations might have towards it, and replaces such with the very opposite.  This signifies that for all those who would like to see America be far less bellicose, the quickest and surest way to achieve this, is to reduce its gargantuan Defense budget, because when it comes to budgets, those who receive the monies,  have an inherent obligation to justify those expenditures, so that, when monies are devoted to defense, those that are the recipients of such, make it their point to use that money by engaging “enemies” the world over, as sure proof that these defense monies have not been spent in vain.

 Indeed, it has to be admitted, that generals aren’t interested in looking at shiny new military toys, and doing nothing with them.  Additionally, they aren’t interested in having soldiers who essentially have little to do, but rather they want to prove that these tools need to be used and utilized in a way that makes a big scene, or else they fear that the allocation of money to their respective departments will dry up.  This signifies that wherever the Military-Industrial-Technology complex can get its noses involved, it surely will not hesitate in doing so, putting not only our soldiers at risk, but also putting the principles of our nation to the test, as to whether or not, this is really the epitome of freedom and liberty, or in contrast, is something far more sinister.  As it stands, every dollar devoted to the Defense budget is essentially a dollar taken away from the welfare of the people, and to believe that all those billions of dollars are necessary for the appropriate defense of this nation is to believe the mythology of what America professes to be, but not its reality.

“Be prepared” is the motto of the Boy Scouts of America

To “be prepared” essentially means to be ready to perform what needs to be performed during an emergency to ameliorate the situation at hand, as well as to have the necessary tools to enact what needs to be enacted in response to that emergency.  This would indicate that in order to be prepared, one needs to be cognizant of dangers that could or might occur, and while not every contingency can be accounted for, the infrastructure and response for an untoward event can be prepared for, in which, it is inexcusable for the richest nation that the world has ever known, not to be prepared because adverse events are a part of life. Indeed, those then that are the best prepared are the same who deal with these events courageously and effectively; whereas, those who are not prepared, suffer dearly for their lack of preparedness.

 We find thereby that there are events in American history that expose, how unprepared America has been, such as the “Day of Infamy,” at Pearl Harbor, in 1941.  Yet, no matter how dastardly that attack was, America was not prepared for it, even though Japan was intent to be the dominant power in the Western Pacific, and because America had cut off Japan’s access to necessary materials, such as steel and oil, this helped to force the hand of Japan who thereby felt that strategically it made sense to try to cripple the American fleet, to thus place itself into a superior position in the Pacific.

 Another example of inexcusable preparedness is that airlines were subject to being hijacked, and experienced a fair amount of hijackings from the 1960s through the early 1970s, of which, the powers that be, were slow to comprehend exactly how dangerous it was for an enemy agent to take control of an aircraft, and didn’t correctly anticipate that with all of the fuel that an airliner needs to have in order to travel, that at an airplane under the control of suicidal persons could be utilized as a destructive flammable device, which was accomplished to great effect, by the 9/11 hijackings.

 So too, when it comes to COVID, we find that despite America’s massive healthcare apparatus, and the knowledge that pandemics could occur, as seen by smaller pandemics in the 21st century, such as SARS, Ebola, and the swine flu – this thus indicated that despite such prewarning,  America was still not prepared for a global pandemic, which dutifully occurred; and thereby ended up killing hundreds of thousands of Americans. Additionally, America also wasn’t well prepared for what steps would be necessary to take concerning businesses, schools, and human interactions, whatsoever.  This was especially disappointing and exhibited an extreme lack of preparedness by American governance, which in conjunction with America’s inability to formulate a coherent response, exacerbated the situation, to debilitating effect.

 To be prepared means not only having the tools of the trade to deal with adverse events but also having the wherewithal and vision to create the infrastructure that would permit the governance to respond robustly and effectively to those adverse events, while also having perpetually the personnel so necessary to be on that watchtower, for the very purpose of responding to such in a determined and vigorous way.

People working two jobs should not have Medicare taxes taken out from both

As they say, “Nothing is certain in life except death and taxes.”  That said, when it comes to taxes, especially for those who are doing their best to make ends meet and thereby are working hard, is that these people typically don’t want to pay more in taxes than they are legally required to do.  Additionally, because the minimum wage in America does not equate to a living wage, there is a multitude of people who work more than one job, of which, some of these people work, even three jobs, mainly because they need the income to keep their head above water.

 We find that while payments from employees into the Social Security system will thereby make a material difference as to how much they will subsequently get when they opt to receive their Social Security benefits, the same though is not true of the Medicare system.  Indeed, when it comes to Medicare, there is the basic requirement that in order to receive Medicare Part A for free, that the employee is mandated to have worked a total of ten years, or at least forty quarters of work, and then they are thereby qualified to received Medicare Part A for free, and how much a given individual has paid into Medicare through the years, is not relevant to any other discount or consideration, for to get anything else of value from Medicare, for Plans B, C, and D are optional to people, and require the person so opting for any of these coverages to pay the going rate for such, without any consideration of how much they have previously paid into the Medicare system.

 So then, the fact that a significant portion of Americans need to have more than one job to survive should be taken into fair consideration, when it comes to the Medicare mandatory tax, of which, in fairness to these hard workers, their second job, should not be compelled to require the payment of Medicare taxes by that worker, but rather they should get a free ride to avoid such, if desired or opted in.  That is to say, those who are working full-time at one job should be permitted to opt out of the 1.45% Medicare for any additional jobs that they have.  One would think therefore that the crosscheck so done by governmental agencies to verify additional employment would be relatively straightforward to accomplish, as employees are required to have not only identification but a Social Security card to legally work.

 Look, it has to be emphasized that those who have a second job, or even a third, are clearly the type of people that this country should admire, and the least that this nation owes to them is a fair deal, of which, having these employees to be able to opt out of paying additional Medicare tax for a separate employment job, is something that a reasonable government should be absolutely happy to accommodate for these dedicated hard workers, as fair appreciation for their devoted work commitment.

Stocks fall faster than they go up

When it comes to investing in stock equities, risk will always be involved, of which, these risks typically exceed other investment risks so made in areas such as bonds and real estate.  The primary reason why stocks are subject to greater risk and volatility has a lot to do with the fact that the buying or selling of a particular stock or stock fund investment is basically as easy as pushing a button on one’s computer or cellphone, as well as the fact that with the exception of major holidays, the stock market is open Monday through Friday and that the amount of trading volume done each of those days, signifies that the liquidity of equity investments permits investors to buy or sell whatever that they own or desire, quite easily, virtually all of the time.

 So then, because of the ample liquidity of stocks and the market that it trades in, this indicates that there is going to be more volatility in the equity market, than just about any investment that a person could think of because the market has a multitude of buyers and sellers that are available to make trades on either side of the equation, Monday through Friday.  When it comes though, to why it is that stocks fall faster than they go up, the primary reason why this is so, though not the only one, is the psychology of people, of which, the fear of losing money exceeds the greed that they may express in the making of money on their stock investments.  In other words, there are plenty of investors who cannot stomach losing any appreciable amount of money on their investments, and when they feel that their investments appear to be in danger of dropping like a stone, they sell, to not only stop the loss, but also to stop the psychological pain.

 Indeed, we read at atlantafed.org, that “stock prices fell roughly 50 percent from peak to trough from October 2007 to March 2009.”  This type of drop over such a short period of time, creates absolute havoc in those that have investments, because losing one-half of one’s investment in 18 months, is going to impact not only an investor’s perception of how they are doing, but also will hit them in their pocketbook, and especially in their belief that they will or will not have enough monies saved up for their retirement years.  So, basically, when the market drops and it appears that there is no end in sight, more and more investors, are going to throw in the towel, and await safer waters, rather than risking losing it all.  This is why when the confidence that investors have in the stock market is seriously hampered, they will get out first, and ask questions later; whereas, when it comes to stocks going up, investors making decisions to buy a particular investment aren’t typically in a hurry or of a necessity to do so, because a given investment, is available for them, to invest in, without any real pressure that it has to be done, at that particular moment or time.  In summary, stocks go down faster than they go up, because the fear of losing it all, is something that many investors respect, and because of that, the better part of valor, necessitates that they get out when they cannot handle the pressure and cannot afford the loss.

The oppressed shall have their day

We read in the Holy Scripture that "The meek shall inherit the earth"  (Matthew 5: 5).  But as much as it is explained that meek does not equal weak, but rather should be seen as representing “controlled strength,” it still doesn’t seem to mesh well with how things actually play out on earth.  That is to say, those that are meek, controlled strength or not, who keep doing the right thing, with the expectation that by doing just this, that it all will eventually work out in their favor, just appears that this will not only seemingly take forever, but, tellingly, in addition, there is the general belief that those that don’t exert their righteousness through some decisive action in one form or another, are going to basically never going to inherit much of anything.  Still, perhaps they will, for the Bible seems to tell us so.

 On the other hand, a proverb that seems to be more appropriate for what we see in today’s world, which so often we find filled with injustice, oppression, disrespect, unfairness, and greed would be that there will come that time when “the oppressed shall have their day.”  Not only, does this sound right, but it also sends a message to all those who are bossing people around at the present time, that things that they expect will always be the same, and will always be in their favor, are subject to change, and when that change comes, those that have enjoyed lording it over others, will indeed face the consequences of having had more than their fair share of the day.

 This type of belief that the oppressed will have their time, is the very thing that keeps those who are oppressed secure in their belief that their time will come when they will find fulfillment and that the shoe will indeed be on the other foot, providing those previously oppressed with the power and responsibility that they had been wrongly denied, thus allowing them to do something constructive with their newfound position.  This is the heart of the matter when it comes to injustices of all types, for our God, does not slumber and will not be mocked, which is why those who do wrong and misuse their position, must understand and comprehend, that no run of unjustified good fortune will extend forever, and when it so ends, it will end badly for them.

 To believe that the oppressed will have their day gives life to those who are hurting, and provides hope to them, as well, for they thus will therefore be provided the fair opportunity to teach those that they mentor, the value of knowing not only the difference between right and wrong, but why it is important, no matter the circumstances, to do the right thing, for in that righteousness, comes strength, and with the strength, comes change, and in that change, the tables will turn, for those that have faith that they will have their day, are the very same, that will achieve that very thing, for the benefit of the society that they have enlightened and done right by.