America leads in per capita firearms ownership

We read at Wikipedia.org that America is estimated to have 120.5 firearms per 100 residents, of which that per capita number is based upon the entire population of the country, which includes children.  This is an absolutely stunning amount of firearms held by civilians, in which, if we presuppose that the primary reason why people own firearms is for their protection, it would logically follow that America must therefore be the safest country in the world, with therefore the least amount of firearms violence.  In actuality, America is a very violent country, with a murder per capita rate that far exceeds every other comparable Western nation, which is indicative that the more firearms that a nation has, the more that these firearms will actually be used.  Indeed, the bottom line is as long as America insists upon having the sheer number of firearms that it currently has or even more, there will not be any permanent relief from violent crime utilizing such firearms, which will continue to be consistently higher than other Western nations, unless those nations, for some reason or another, permit civilian ownership of firearms at a level approaching the United States of America.

 While it certainly makes sense that people should have the right to protect and to defend themselves, it has to be admitted that the type of typical firearm violence in America, is often not use in defense of a person or property, but rather is used far more often in the offense of perpetuating some sort of crime against another person or property.  So too, it has to be acknowledged that firearms are exceedingly good at what they are designed to do, which is to physically harm the other, typically to the point of death or to death, which means that those owning firearms have, in theory, at least psychologically determined that they are willing to kill the other, in order to protect their own.

 One would think, that it would behoove this nation to come up with conceivable alternatives to firearms that would still be good enough to protect a person and their property, but would be designed in a way and manner that the lethality of that instrument would not be its design objective, but instead, the object of the exercise in the use of that device, would be to neutralize the other.  While there are devices such as a Taser, which have been designed to do something like that, there still is a need to design a weapon beyond the Taser that will impact the other with concentrated energy that would incapacitate them, without killing them or making them to suffer intense pain, such as we saw in the TV program, Star Trek, with the usage of the phaser.

 As it is, to believe somehow that all these people with all these firearms, aren’t ever going to use them, even though they are right there next to them or on them, is a mirage, because people typically buy firearms for the expressed reason to use them, if so necessary or desired, which signifies that American firearms violence will not ever go away, until the per capita ownership of such is reduced to a very considerable extent

“You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free”

In John 8:32, we read that “You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”  It is important to recognize when reading this Biblical passage that there is “the truth,” and this scripture does not state that you are made free by “my truth” or “your truth,” but instead the truth, as represented in this saying, is the definitive truth.  Regrettably, we live in a day and age, in which truth has been bastardized into a belief that your truth or my truth or anybody’s truth, is the truth, when it would be more appropriate to state that there is, in actuality, only one Truth, and all that which is not under that Truth, is not therefore the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, but rather is something less than, or might not even be true, at all.

 The whole point of knowing the truth, is that in that knowing, we become One with that which actuated our existence in the first place, which should be the abiding objective of all that have a conscience, for until that time that we recognize our eternal place and thereby live to that ideal, then we are not free but rather we are stuck within a construct in which our delusion or stubbornness precludes us from knowing that which will provide us with everything that we need in order to become whole.

 This signifies that there is no greater quest than the quest to know who that we really are, and in that knowing, to find the sanctuary that will provide us with eternal peace, if only, we would release our bondage to that which appears so real to us, to thereby break through to what we are supposed to be, which is thereby fully attuned to our true essence.

 We live within a world in which so many people believe in the reality of what they see and feel, and are unable, or unwilling, or uninterested in pursuing that which will provide them with the key to true happiness and contentment.  Indeed, this world is a proving ground, meant to successfully provide us the release from the dross that precludes us from envisioning correctly who we are, and those that cannot or will not lift up their eyes to see the light that is ever present have exchanged liberation for imprisonment.

 Our Creator has gifted us with free will, which permits us to do whatever that we so desire to do, or at least attempt to do, which thus presents us with the duality of good and evil, of which, the choice of what we do at any given time, lays within our dominion.  Those then that turn their back on good are the same who have turned their back upon truth, which does not make them free, though their ego in that moment might make them to believe they are free. In reality, their ego entraps them into the belief that their free choice is somehow the same as being free, when, in actuality, only those who know the Truth are free, because these are the very same that have risen above the errors of human consciousness to embrace liberating enlightenment.

Understanding Heaven

There are so many people so caught up in the physicality and the believed reality of this world, and the problems, so of, that they aren’t able to properly fathom what Heaven actually is.  That leads them to believe that in some way or form, we still have the appearance of our physical self, though Heaven is in actuality a completely spiritual domain.  So too, many people are so attuned to what they see in front of them and the beliefs that they have held so closely for so long, that they cannot picture themselves in Heaven, as lacking their gender, their religion, or their race.  In fact, in Heaven there is no gender, nor religion, nor race, whatsoever, because these are constructs of the earthly plane, and not part of the realm of Heaven, at all.

 This signifies that for many a person, their concept of Heaven and what goes on in Heaven, or even the very purpose of Heaven, is truly a mystery to them, because they have difficulty getting their head around an existence without a material component to it.  So then, one way to understand Heaven better is to get a better comprehension of what this world truly represents, which is that earth, and the things that we do right or don’t do right here, are a proving ground, made to give us the opportunity to prove that we have learnt our lessons well, and if not, to keep doing what we need to do, until we are able to get done what we ought and have to get done.  So then, the trials and tribulations of earth are meant to awaken us and to reveal to us our true nature of immortality, and to thereby rise above the physical senses and emotional reactions that we wrongly believe define who we are.  Remember, we are immortal beings, temporarily housed in a physical form, of which it is our duty to break free from the delusion that we are permanently physical, when, in fact, we are permanently spiritual.

 For a certainty, so much of the troubles of this earth, are represented by a large extent, our belief, that we are a certain race, or a certain faith, or a certain heritage, without seeming to comprehend that each of us has been equally created by the very hand of God, which signifies that all the sectarian disputes and violence displayed here, are clearly completely out of order with who and what we really are, which is why in Heaven, sectarian disputes have no place there, whatsoever. 

 The mistake that so many people make is to self-identify that they are what appears to them in the mirror, without seeming to recognize that beyond their self, is a dimension in which we are at liberty to take in to our being, all the goodness that God so represents, to thereby, reach that place in which there is soothing peace, serenity, justice, and an eternal sanctuary, of which, our calling in Heaven is to continue to do what needs to be done to minister to the lost, so that they too can return to that which first created them.

Constitutional law and no-knock raids

The 4rh Amendment to the Constitution clearly states that “the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses…shall not be violated.”  Yet, routinely these very rights are violated, through the extensive usage via law enforcement of the no-knock rule, supposedly done under only the most exigent circumstances, which necessitates such.  While there are probably exigent circumstances from time to time that would necessitate a no-knock raid, the fact of the matter is that this should be something that is seldom, if ever, called upon, but instead we find that exceptions to the 4th Amendment are made all the time, of which, the true necessity of this action being taken is highly questionable, thus making far too many Americans vulnerable to the adverse effects of no-knock raids, which include their very lives being taken away, by such an action.

 Look, in a truly free country, that embraces liberty, no-knock rules would simply not exist, because if a man’s house is not truly a sanctuary, and a man’s possessions are subject to be taken away from them, without any fair recourse, than those that live under such governance aren’t really free, but actually live under a construct that at any given time, their home, their person, and their possessions could be subject to the violent taking away by governmental agents, which is the mark of a totalitarian state and not of a republic or a democracy.

 The very reason why there is a 4th Amendment is because human beings should be able to utilize their place of residence as a safe sanctuary, to be entered upon only by government agents with an appropriate warrant, stating the specific place to be searched, and things to be seized, supported by probable cause, of which, even that probable cause should be called into question, when whatever what was supposed to be seized or found, is not actually even there, at all.  In other words, probable cause should be held to a very high standard, of which statistics should be kept as to how often the probable cause results in consistently finding what is alleged to have been there, or not.

 While there are plenty of people who are absolutely fine with no-knock rules, it has to be noted that many of those people are the very same who need not worry about such personally affecting them, which basically represents that the policing arm of the state, as exercised, favors some at the expense of the many.  Indeed, whenever there is supposed criminal activity that has occurred at a certain house, or possessions are alleged to be within a given house that are illegal in their substance, it would seem that the person(s) so residing in that house, are pretty much trapped, because eventually they will have to leave to go take care of this or that, of which, this would thereby permit the police to stop them and to question them, and/or an appropriate search warrant will have been issued to do such.  Instead, with the no-knock rule, there seems to be the belief that the no-knock rule is necessary because of exigent circumstances, loosely defined, of which the reality is that this is just a pretext to invade citizens’ homes and to impress upon the general public that inconvenient Constitutional rights and Amendments, be damned.

Cursing and the middle finger

There are those symbols of disrespect as well as respect that people are quite familiar with, of which, the preeminent symbol of disrespect and of non-verbal cursing the other, is the display of our middle finger, which serves well that purpose of our utter contempt of the other --  often done so, when words either can’t be spoken, because it’s car to car, or in those other situations in which one’s opprobrium of the other suits the symbolic cursing as contrasted to verbalizing such.  Whichever it is, verbal or symbolic, cursing the other is something that is seldom misinterpreted by the other, and can therefore lead to all sorts of hostile events, welcomed or unwelcomed.

 The thing about the middle finger or cursing out the other, is the salient fact as to whether or not the person doing such, has bothered to take the time to ascertain as to whether what they are doing serves any higher or good purpose and when in those cases it truly does not, which is often the case, then a reasonable person has to wonder as to why this disrespect is being displayed or verbalized, when it really isn’t necessary to do so.  In other words, before we curse out someone, we ought to think about whether what we are doing is actually constructive or, more probably, destructive, and whenever it is destructive and negative, perhaps there is a more appropriate way to deal with whatever problem or issue that has occurred, that precipitated this.

 Indeed, whenever we display the middle finger to the other, there are going to be those times when we initially feel really good and satisfied about doing such, but unfortunately as in the case of eating too much dessert at one time, we may well regret it later on, as perhaps being inappropriate for the supposed offense that we have suffered that cause us to act out in that way.  This signifies that those who react far too quickly to an alleged insult or infraction by responding through curse words or through a symbolic nature which represents the same thing, ought to consider that there may be more mature ways to respond, or whether or not such deserves a response, in the first place.

 It has to be said that there would be far less cursing if we would consider well our alternative responses, and therefore, by doing so, would serve to reduce conflict and argumentation between one another, especially when, in perspective, we realize that such a response really wasn’t necessary to begin with.  After all, just because we feel like responding, in kind, to an insult or disrespect does not mean that we necessarily should or ought to.  At a minimum, we should take the time to consider our options, and by doing so, we will end up cursing less, and just being about our business more, which makes for a better construct, and leads typically to far less regret and far less bad feelings.

You can’t stay mad as a hornet, forever

There are those people who, when important things clearly don’t go their way or are extremely frustrated about some vital interaction or notable event that has gone horribly wrong, makes them thereby to get very, very angry, of which, that anger is expressed so vociferously, that it frightens and disturbs other people.  So then, whenever we see someone who is very angry, it is important not to directly confront that anger so being expressed, because it could end up being redirected at us, because they are so upset, they don’t really care who they take their anger out on.

 The thing, though, about anger, is that no matter how angry a person is, the amount of energy being utilized to express that anger, has a way of taking a toll upon a person’s body and their mind, so that, sooner or later, they will simply run out of fuel and while this eventual calmness or resignation is almost always not going to resolve what brought on this anger, it will at least remove the madness for a while, and perhaps give a chance for some necessary perspective to come into play.

 The reason why some people get so very angry, is that their anger typically represents their frustration about something of importance that didn’t go right, at all, but in fact, went terribly wrong, and in their frustration they are prone to taking it out on just about anybody that gets in their way, which is why the most appropriate way to deal with someone who is having a temper tantrum, is not so much to try to calm the person down, though that could help, but importantly, not to ever add “fuel to the fire,” which will only serve to keep that anger being expressed for an even longer period of time. 

 That is to say, to a very large extent, angry people need an audience to express that anger to, and when that audience does not exist, or no longer exists, then their anger begins to dissipate rather quickly, because there isn’t anything happening to make it last longer.  Indeed, people publicly express their anger because they want a reaction from the public, and in the absence of that reaction, they will only have themselves to kick around, which isn’t what the purpose of their anger represents.

 So too, the thing about anger is that it exposes the very worst of a person, of which, when things calm down, most people will be rather embarrassed about their behavior, but in that moment, they felt their need to express that rage, which is why they did it.  We can also take solace in knowing that no matter how angry a person is in the moment, the energy to sustain that anger is not going to last, because that rage takes a lot out of a person, of which, a lot of those people expressing that madness, begin to realize that further expressions of anger aren’t going to resolve anything, so they simply just basically let it go.

Government-subsidized postsecondary education

American postsecondary education is far too often far too expensive, and our school systems through high school have far fewer pupils who are properly prepared for higher education than there should be.  The bottom line is that in an age in which a high school education is not nearly good enough to make those with such an achievement, securely employable at a good-paying job, that this would seem to indicate that American postsecondary education has never been more relevant, but as currently structured is in need of some fundamental and serious changes, to accommodate not only those that are less prepared than they should be, but especially re-structured for those that need the opportunity to improve their skill set but don’t have the best resources to do so.

 This would imply that the first order of business is remedial classes done online to properly prepare students who were ill-educated through high school classes, to get to the stage in which they become proficient enough to be successful at a particular postsecondary education facility, and then to make sure that these prepared students thereby have the opportunity to continue their education at a very low cost. 

 In truth, this government subsidizes all sorts of things, but in recent years, we find that Federal, State and local governments are not doing all that they can, to provide a postsecondary education at either a low cost or essentially free to those who have achieved the fundamental knowledge to be participants in that postsecondary education.  It would thereby behoove this nation to do more to see that rather than placing a huge amount of debt upon students of higher education, that there would be more alternative paths available, for those that have neither an infinite amount of time to get educated or don’t want to find themselves in debt to the tune of thousands upon thousands of dollars.  To wit, those students who want to continue along the present course of education need not change a thing. However, those who would prefer a different path should have the opportunity to do so. Indeed, so much information is available to us through the internet, it would seem that the educating of students through the means of videos, online lecture halls, online tutors, and online student groups would be an efficient and effective way to get more people educated, of which, this should be done so as a public good for the benefit of having more of one’s population engaged and educated to be not only more job capable but also to do better at their jobs when subsequently employed.

 Look, it has to be said, that when politicians and influencers in this nation make it their point to impress upon the general public how important education is, but somehow don’t seem to understand that postsecondary education should not necessitate the expending of thousands upon thousands of dollars, thereby indebting students for years upon years, without any real guarantee of suitable income to make good on that student debt is not a sustainable or fair program.  Rather, a better plan would be to take advantage of everything that can be done and is being done through the internet, to provide postsecondary education to those so inclined, on specific subject areas that they can master to provide these students with the necessary skill set to get themselves a good paying job, and to make them of more utilitarian value to the nation that desires this very thing.

Do McDonald’s and Coca-Cola still need to advertise?

McDonald’s and Coca-Cola are two of the most recognized brands in the entire world, and one would think that each of these exceedingly well-known brands wouldn’t have to bother with much advertising because pretty much everyone already seemingly knows about them.  Yet, we find, as noted by statistic.com, that Coca-Cola spent over $4 billion globally on the marketing of their products in 2024, which would be indicative that Coca-Cola, along with other major big-brand products, still believes that advertising and marketing of their products are necessary, even though their brand awareness is quite high among the general public.

 Indeed, if we were to presuppose that all of a sudden, McDonald’s or Coca-Cola’s advertising budget went down to zero, we would find that relatively quickly, rumors would be spread, that there must be something seriously wrong with these products, because the vacuum so created, by the absence of that advertising, would make the general public to believe, that not all is right, which would indicate that even if these well-known corporations wanted to spend considerably less on advertising, they actually couldn’t afford to, because once a product loses its particular cachet, some other product, from a worthwhile competitor, will take market-share from them.

 So too, people need to be assured that whatever they are loyal to, still has meaningful relevance. For a certainty, what society members purchase still needs to be held in high respect by others that they associate with because people want to stay current, and that which has seen better days or no longer is considered to be the “in” product, isn’t considered thereby to be a product deserving of one’s loyalty, anymore. It is that lust for consumer loyalty that is the key component when it comes to advertising and marketing because big brand companies depend upon building relationships with consumers, that will last years upon years, if not generations, and believe that it is their marketing and advertising that will help them to achieve that very thing, by remaining a product that is not only desirable, but considered to be “cool” to be loyal to.

 This would indicate that no matter how popular a given brand is currently, or how long it has been around, or how well well-known it is, the sellers of that product are going to make sure to spend the money and do all the necessary things to keep their product front and center in the minds of those that are their loyal constituents, not only because there is typically going to be competing products that are gunning for that market share, or even alternatives yet to be created, but because in order to have loyalty, there needs to be something of value to be loyal to, of which, it is that advertising that helps to sell the never-ending story, that the product being bought, is not only worthy of such but will continue to be worthy, because it is well positioned to continue to be so, thereby reflecting that the right choice has been made by the right people.

“Time heals all wounds”

It’s been said that “time heals all wounds” which though it may not be literally true in every case, there is something to be said about it being basically true that time does assist us in healing from devastating wounds, though, probably not all of them, completely.  In life, we are going to suffer hurts, of which, it would seem that which hurts us the most comes forth from those that we are closest to, which shouldn’t come as any real surprise, for with our enemies we make it our point to keep them far away, and do our best not to expose our weaknesses to them; whereas, for those that we rely upon, they typically know us at a level in which we have exposed our vulnerabilities to them, and because they know us through and through, they have the distinct capability of using such information to hurt us, which creates wounds that are especially deep and painful.

 Yet, as mad as we might be at the moment, as disappointed as we might feel, or as hurt as we are, all of these things, will over time, given enough of it and if we permit it, we can begin to heal, because time enables us to get not only a better perspective on things, but also allows us to reflect on things without getting so emotionally distraught.  So, too, we find, through friends and family as well as social organizations, good coping mechanisms to lean upon to deal with what we have to deal with.  All of these, take time, and through that time permits us to progress to a better place, and though we might not reach the destination that we desperately want to get to, we do make progress in regaining our confidence and self-respect, which is vital to our good emotional health.

 Indeed, it hurts to be hurt, but life represents the good and the bad of human relationships and provides us too with the obstacles and tests that we are meant to overcome, so as to become a better and a more complete person.  This signifies that what does not kill us, can indeed make us stronger, because we will learn the lessons well that permit us to be a more rounded and dynamic person, than we were previously.

 So too, by being hurt, this gives us the fair opportunity to learn to be more empathetic to others, because having experienced our own wounds, we better understand what it means to the other when they experience something similar to our own.  Additionally, we need to get knocked down from time to time so that we can better appreciate all the good things that we have in life, as opposed to taking such for granted, for nothing in this world lasts forever, so the best time to show our appreciation for that which is good is in the here and now.  When it comes to being hurt, time can truly be our friend, because as time marches on, we are not going to be the same person as we were in the past, but hopefully through life experiences and our gained wisdom, we can mature our way into being the good person that represents the repairer of the breach, so to speak, as compared to that which tears such apart.

Troublesome tasks and the need to close our eyes

It might seem strange that when we are trying to open a particular troublesome jar, or are digging deep inside a bag to get something, or lifting a heavy weight, that we close our eyes, when we might be inclined to believe that having visual sight while trying to accomplish these tasks might be wiser. However, in actuality, by virtue of closing our eyes, it permits us to better focus on the immediate task at hand, to our betterment.  So too, when we are enjoying music, or a lecture, or the smelling of a flower or tasting wine, there is a purpose to us closing our eyes, which thus permits us to remove the distractions that a visual provides to us, to give us instead, the utilization of our other senses at a heightened level.

 The visuals that we come across day by day can if we don’t ever close our eyes, serve to distract us from what we would or could appreciate better if we would only close our eyes, from time-to-time, because without those visuals, we would be better able to utilize the more appropriate senses that would make for a better experience.  As much as we might believe that we need to see everything, we find that in reality, such as when we are trying to remember a name or a specific event, that by closing our eyes, we can better achieve that recall.

 So too, those that suffer from bad eyesight, and have taken off their glasses or misplaced them, will because of their lack of good vision, learn to utilize their other senses to get around and to still accomplish things, perhaps quite adeptly, because they are able to attune themselves with their other senses which will help them to accomplish what they have set out to do.

 Another thing that we need to consider is that it is pretty intuitive whenever we close our eyes, so that we can concentrate more carefully on a particular troublesome task, because we do so naturally, and without even really thinking about it, for we are focused upon getting that task done, and a lot of times, it just seems natural to close our eyes so as to accomplish this very thing.  So then, the lesson that we ought to learn from this is that as much as might believe that we are absolutely dependent upon our vision to do all things, that perhaps, to calm our overactive mind, we will discover that the closing of our eyes permits us to “see” that which we can’t see so well with our eyes open.

 All of the above is indicative that we should at least consider consciously closing our eyes more often, when we are thinking, or listening, or just desiring to tune out all the “noise” that modern life presents to us, to provide us thereby with the opportunity to feel the world in a different way, which would make us therefore to be a more complete person by the better usage of our collective senses.

"What's done cannot be undone"

We read in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, that "What's done cannot be undone", which is as true today as it was back in Shakespeare’s day, for that which we do, good or bad, has permanency, that no amount of wishing that it would be gone when we have done something that we deeply regret or that it would be different in its subsequent result, can conceivably change what has occurred, which signifies that the actions that we take cannot be undone once we have done them, and since this is always true we should recognize that if we desire to do something constructive about what has been done, it’s going to have to be something that makes good on what has been done, which may or may not even be possible, but it is up to us to explore and to try.

 To a certain degree, those who regret their bad actions are at least cognizant that they have done something wrong, which is the first step in correcting one’s bad actions, but in and of itself, this cannot change what has already occurred.  Still, in order to make amends, we first need to acknowledge our error and, from there, see what we can or can’t do to ameliorate such a mistake.  There are those cases, though, in which nothing that we can do can make up for a particularly regrettable event, which signifies that we not only need to own up to what we have done but that we are going to have to find a way to obtain something positive by our subsequent actions, by doing something constructive that will be of benefit to others, as a way to make recompense for a bad error in judgment, which may or may not be accepted by our contemporaries, though that is of less importance than the recognition that we have an inherent obligation to do right for having done wrong.

 Look, it has to be said, that mistakes are part and parcel of the human experience, and that some of those mistakes are going to be things that we deeply regret and wish did not happen, but what’s done cannot be undone, which means that we need to not only learn from our mistakes so as to make it our point to not repeat such, but quite importantly we need to make good on our mistakes to the best of our ability to thereby correct what needs to be corrected, not under the misimpression that this will undo what has been done, but rather as the ways and means to better ourself and to also be a person that is not a prisoner of the mistakes of their past, but live instead in the present, as well as projecting into the future as to what their overarching worthwhile goals and dreams represent, so that they can do the things necessary to get to the place that they aspire to get to.

 Those then who learn from their mistakes to thereby accomplish something worthwhile are the same that make progress; whereas, those who do not, are those who are stuck within a construct in which what has been done, has essentially undone them.

Appreciation now means no regrets later

Our lives are filled with opportunities to express our thankfulness and appreciation to others, of which, those that are on their game, do that very thing; whereas, those that are too caught up in their own selfishness or discount the value of good human interaction are the very same that will, in all likelihood, express regret later, for not having appreciated the goodness that they received earlier and throughout their life.  That is to say, the best time to appreciate the other is in that moment, for good thoughts unexpressed in one form or another, essentially represent us not taking advantage of the opportunity to let people know that we are thankful for their kindness and consideration.

 Indeed, a little thankfulness goes a very long way, because people do appreciate being acknowledged for the good deeds that they have done, which reinforces them to desire to do even more, because they know that they have been appreciated; whereas, whenever those that do us consistently right, don’t feel or hear appreciation for their good deeds, they can easily become resentful of such lack of gratefulness, especially when they perceive that they are being taken advantage of, or taken for granted.

 So too, sometimes our lack of appreciation comes from our lack of perspective, in which, as a child, we basically believe that our parents should do this and that for us, as a matter of course, of which, when we are helpless and just a toddler, this certainly makes eminent sense. Still, as we become more sovereign and more knowledgeable about who and what we really are, as well as recognizing our own capabilities and responsibilities, this presents us with the opportunity to show our thankfulness, especially since we should be thankful for all that has been done for us, which has helped us to better deal with the vicissitudes of what life presents to us.

 In truth, there are a whole lot of people that believe that life consists mainly of big and important actions done and accomplished, but in reality, it is the little things that we do right, day after day, that not only makes life better, but permits us to show our appreciation to those that we should appreciate, by expressing such to them.  After all, we typically tend to get occupied taking care of those necessary things in life, as well as being preoccupied thinking about what we need or should be doing, but in all of that, we need to make sure to reflect from time-to-time whether we have properly thanked those that the represent the good part of our life, for doing what they have not only done for us, but also for others.

 The best gifts in life come from the heart, in which we take the time to acknowledge the importance of those who have been there for us, day in and day out, that not only deserve our appreciation, but deserve so much more and the best way to express that appreciation is by letting them know their true value to us, in our own words and by our good deeds

Libido dominandi

Libido dominandi is Latin for “the lust to dominate,” which is a character fault that so many people fall sway to, for many a person, simply wants their way from the other, and to the degree that they can get their way without having to convince the other of why they should do so, or to work with the other about such, they basically want what they want from the other, through sheer force, literal or figurative.  After all, it has to be noted, that many a person just wants their way, and thus they don’t care too much about whether their way is right or wrong, but just want compliance from the other, so that they can get what they want, in the here and now.

 Indeed, because human beings are free will people with their own thoughts and their own desires, this presents the ever present problem of there being people that will not readily give into our demands, of which, reasonable people, recognize the sovereignty of the individual, and if there is something that needs to be done, thus works with them on a level that considers that the other has equal rights that are the equivalency of their own.  However, there are those selfish people that aren’t interested in having a discussion, but simply want obedience, whether such is warranted or not, for they have the lust to dominate and if necessary will impress themselves upon the other, with physical or other intimidating force to get the other to comply with their demands.

 Those then that exert themselves in a way and manner in which it has to be “their way” are the very same that are prone to creating trouble, because there are few people that desire to be consistently dominated, because they have their own desires and needs which they rightly feel should be given a higher priority than being told that they must comply with this or with that.  Further to the point, while those with power and authority are often able to control others, because of those attributes, they are though susceptible to losing not only the respect of the other, but their ultimate control of the other, because those in compliance with their demands are doing so mainly because they don’t see any other ready options available to them, though they are typically searching for alternatives.

 It has to be noted, that there is a fundamental difference between domination and cooperation, in which voluntary cooperation is far superior to other means, because it implies not only collaboration but also a willingness to get along; whereas, domination is neither of those things, which is why those that are prone to wanting to dominate others, would behoove themselves to understand the psychology better of humankind, in which, respect for the other, will over the long term present a better and healthier construct to work with.

 The lust to dominate is the type of bad characteristic that in most circumstances, we should want to disassociate ourselves from, because it belittles the value of the other, while also encouraging the increase of our ego and our selfishness to an overall ill and unhealthy effect.

Mandatory on-the-job drug tests should not typically be allowed

On January 28, 1972, President Nixon signed into law his emergency spending bill to fight drug addiction which subsequently became known as the "War on Drugs".  More than fifty years later, the war is still ongoing with both public and private companies joining in by fighting this battle with on-the-job drug testing.  The theory behind the employee drug testing is that the employer can alter the employee's behavior in such a way that they will forego illicit drugs, which will then bring the dual benefits of a safer workplace, and a healthier employee.  In some cases, the drug testing is mandatory as a condition of employment and/or continued employment.   

 Supporters of mandatory drug testing state that the tests are necessary to provide a safe working environment and maintain worker productivity, reliability, efficiency, effectiveness, security, and throughput.  Since the tests are non-discriminatory by virtue of the fact that theoretically all employees are subjected to them, this acts thereby as a strong deterrent for illicit drug usage which serves the greater good by diminishing crime, dependency, and other illegal activities which are drug induced.  Proponents of mandatory drug testing believe that their ever watchful eye makes therefore for a better workplace and a safer working environment.

 Additionally, strict defenders of mandatory drug testing do not believe that there is a Constitutional right to privacy and therefore that mandatory drug testing is always legal and should be supported by jurisprudence in all circumstances.  Recent Supreme Court decisions in regards to drug testing have shown that in reference to public safety (such as public transportation), medical professionals, and classified/secure information, that the court believes that the public safety outweighs any complaints or inconveniences of drug testing and therefore that this testing is legal.  While there have been some court rulings that have struck down mandatory drug testing in certain circumstances, in the whole, to date, random and mandatory drug testing have been upheld, much to the chagrin of those that oppose these invasive rules.

 While it is true that nowhere in the Constitution do we find the words "the right to privacy"--this does not necessarily mean that we don't have an implicit right to privacy.  To wit, privacy is protected by the following Constitutional Amendments: I (privacy of your beliefs), III (privacy of your home), IV (privacy of your person and your possessions), IX (retained privacy rights of your person), and XIV (right to your liberty and due process of the law).  Mandatory drug tests are normally done with a urine test, which in some cases is supervised by an attendant and therefore necessitates some exposure of one’s genitals in order for the attendant to verify the integrity of said test.  Furthermore, urinalysis is capable of revealing the presence of all measurable drugs within your system (whether legal or illegal); and also provides genetic predisposition to certain diseases and can be a de facto pregnancy test for females.  Tragically, these intrusive tests in aggregate are not 100% accurate and consequently "false positives" do occur with career changing consequences.

 Mandatory drug testing turns United States' jurisprudence on its head from a presumption of innocence to a presumption of guilt unless the test "clears" you.  Sadly, it also enables private companies and government agencies to intrusively profile you under the ostensible reasons of worker safety and worker productivity.   Quite frankly, this is "big brother" monitoring that dehumanizes us and makes us subservient to corporations and bureaucrats.  This represents the falsifying of the American dream and is fundamentally contrary to our expressed rights of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness".

The misconception of Heaven

The very first thing to recognize about eternity, is the fact that eternity is a very, very long time.  This would seem to indicate that for those that find that their final destination appears to be Heaven, that after they re-introduce themselves to loved ones and the joy, so of, that there may well be a tendency to eventually degenerate into having arguments and disagreements about this or that, because, there is only so much time one can devote to just being at peace and existing within harmony, before the troubles that we were not successful in overcoming in this world, would begin to reassert themselves.  This would seem to indicate that for all those who have unfinished business and are arriving in Heaven, they are going to eventually gravitate to desiring to take care of that unfinished business, which if permitted would make Heaven not to be a sanctuary, but rather, would make Heaven to be a realm of chaos, instead.

 In reality, the nuances of Heaven are myriad, of which, those that have developed well the very best characteristics of, for instance, justice, love, patience, endurance, perseverance, and consideration are going to be at a whole different level than those that weren’t able to conquer or control their emotions for they remain inclined to suffer from feelings to others of vengeance, hatred, intolerance, are themselves prone to lethargy, lack initiative, or are uncaring.   These types of characteristics are clearly quite different from one another which is why Heaven cannot be, and is not, some cacophony of different entities at one another’s throats, so to speak, because that which has not been successfully resolved in this world, are the very same, that have yet to be resolved in the Heavenly dimension.

 Indeed, to believe that simply adhering to some orthodox religious belief will somehow be good enough to remain in good company, when departing this earth, is neither conceivable nor possible.  Rather, the good deeds and good characteristics we take with us to the dimension beyond earth, as well as that which is classified as bad deeds and bad characteristics, are ours to own, also; of which, it is our responsibility to correct what needs to be corrected, because within the dimension of Heaven, there is a distinct hierarchy, of which, those that are more advanced have properly risen within that hierarchy, and those that have not, are placed at a designated lower level, with the fair opportunity to improve their status.

 The object of the exercise, therefore, in the realm of Heaven, is to eventually get to that designated place in which we become a pillar in the endless palace rooms of God, of which, in our determination to re-unite with our Creator, there becomes a state of Oneness obtained, of which, once that occurs, we become fully cognizant of the eternal blissfulness of God, no more to believe in the apparent dualities of our previous existence, but rather in the sure knowledge that we are forever in that eternal safe sanctuary of no beginning and of no end.

Not knowing God means never having searched diligently for such

There are plenty of things that people want or desire to accomplish in life, of which, to achieve these objectives, necessitates not only consistent effort, but also the proper background and learning to do this, and then mandates the relentless drive to accomplish that very thing.  That is to say, those things that come easy to us, are probably not the same things, that will provide us with the lasting satisfaction in the knowledge that we have actually reached the apex of what we were supposed to achieve.  Rather, we are meant to have to put forth effort and overcome challenges to get to where we need to be, which means that we need a worthwhile objective that will necessitate us putting forth blood, sweat, and tears, of which, we will thereby when achieving that objective, feel the lasting satisfaction that we have done well.

 Indeed, the construct of this modern world is such that we can become distracted and confused about what we ought to be about, which means that we may not spend much time or care to, when it comes to searching for what we should really be concentrating our time upon.  So too, those then that do not put forth the effort needed on a whole slew of worthwhile subjects and things, will often believe that they have not missed anything, at all, mainly because their lack of knowledge about those specific things signifies that they don’t really know what they might be missing, for they have not cared to investigate.

 When it comes to God, there are plenty of people who have closed the book on God, without ever bothering to open the same book, up.  For them, this is not only a conscious choice, but seems to be the correct one, for they believe the world as presented to them,  pretty much represents the be-all and end-all of existence, and are perhaps too distracted or uninterested in pursuing this thought line to its full comprehension, at all.  The loss, thereof, is their own, because those that don’t pursue God, don’t know what they are missing, because of that lack of knowledge, of which, if they knew God, their mindset would surely be quite different, for God is the be-all and end-all of our being, and those that fail to comprehend this, are the same, that have missed the forest for the trees.

 All those that believe that God is an irrelevancy, represent those that do not know God, and therefore are content to remain ignorant of such, to their own lasting regret, for knowing God, permits the full and unvarnished unveiling of Truth, justice, and love, which is transformative for everybody that have been successful in that search, and thus brings a spiritual awakening which is beneficial for redirecting our efforts to that which will bring lasting peace and happiness, of which, that road will in and of itself, make all the difference in bringing forth the enlightenment to those that are willing to see.

The continual need for good deeds

There are a fair amount of people who have not been able to find their purpose in life, or haven’t bothered to investigate such.  While it is true that we can do all sorts of things with our abilities, it is also true that we should have an abiding focus that we should concentrate our efforts on, of which, that focus should be about not only bettering ourselves to be a benefit to those that we congregate with, but also to perform good deeds, which will definitely be a benefit to the society that we are an active member of.

 In life, there are going to be many opportunities to express our dissatisfaction with all sorts of things, which while having its place, often doesn’t do much to ameliorate or to correct that which requires such amelioration or correction.  This signifies that to complain about this or that, often doesn’t get us any closer to resolving what needs to be resolved or worked upon, so that, it would behoove those that tend to complain, to complain less, and instead do more by contributing their labor to dealing with the problems that are ever present, and could use their blood, sweat, and tears to make progress upon.

 While words have their place, there are far too many people that have the knowledge so needed, or can see where things can be improved, but fail to ever put their words into action, and thereby do not help to accomplish that which would represent a step closer to making progress by taking action, so that, there comes a time, when enough words have been spoken or heard, and thereupon action is required, or else, nothing will be accomplished that could and ought to be accomplished by the participation of our needed good labor.

 So too, those that want to strengthen their character, can accomplish this with plenty of aplomb, by devoting themselves to the doing of good deeds, for by virtue of performing good acts, and seeing the results thereof, reenforces that what they do actually does matter, which thereby encourages them to do even more, for having seen that their efforts have resulted in contributing to the good of that community.  Additionally, we typically lead best by example, and those seeing that we do put action behind our wise words, are the very same that will respect us more, for that action, and may themselves be positively influenced to do some good deeds, as well.

 So then, the problems that we have in any society, need not only to be identified, but also need to be worked upon, step by step, in the sure understanding, that intractable problems are going to take not only concentrated effort to resolve, but will necessitate unrelenting effort and resources to do so, best done by those that perform their good actions, big and small, in a way and manner, in which the overarching desire is to help make society a better place for our good participation in it.

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.