Beyond finiteness

There are many people who believe that life is finite.  That is to say, we are born and we will invariably die, and thereupon our existence will permanently end.  This is only true in the sense that nothing finite, can ever become infinite, so that, because physicality is finite, and because this earth as presented is material, we cannot escape the prison of being finite, of which, therefore there is a known beginning and thereby there will be a known end, because that which is finite is subject to the laws of space and time.  On the other hand, to believe that we are finite beings is to be ignorant of the fact that we are not actually finite, because our true identity as soul is infinite, for God has begotten us, and God is not limited by anything and never will be, for God has no beginning and God has no end. 

 This signifies that for all those who are so caught up in this world, of which, they sincerely believe that this is the be-all and end-all of their existence, must surely recognize that since they cannot preclude physical death, nor can they bring forth infinite life to any other progeny or student, then they are stuck within the belief that could be stated, that life has no real significance, for it has no infinite continuum.  Indeed, this philosophy is foundationally wrong, and we intuitively know this, because out of nothing, no life, as we know it, could ever exist, or be imagined, or be birthed into existence.  That is to say, there must not only be a First Cause, but the First Cause could only exist outside of time and space.

 How a given individual desires to devote their time in this worldly existence, is up to them, for they have been gifted the unalienable right to free will, and therefore are privileged with thinking and thereby doing whatever that they wish, subject to humankind's laws, and the limits of that free will that meets up with those that are utilizing their own free will in their own way.  The object of the exercise when we incarnate into human beings on earth, is to not only to develop our skillset so as to become closer and more in harmony with the valued attributes of our Creator, but to challenge ourselves to take what we know to do, and to thereby do those very things, to therefore make society a better place for our good participation in it.

 Indeed, the sooner that we recognize and acknowledge what we truly are, the better we will be able to traverse that which is time, so represented as the changes that we see transpiring all around us, as well as to deal forthrightly with the divisions that seemingly divide us, which regrettably leads so many of us to war upon one another, verbally or physically.  We are meant to see the bigger picture and to recognize that this world is our proving ground, to take that which has been unproven by our character, and to thereby mold, through fire and ice, to become that which eventually becomes a great pillar in the palace of God, thereby presenting ourselves as a mature being that will not ever waver, come what may, in the vicissitudes of any other conscious existence.

Standing on the shoulders of giants

We are told that what we have learned in previous generations and through earlier great and visionary personages, permits us to take that knowledge and thereby to make continual progress in the understanding of our world and thus we can take the resources of this world, along with our insight, to make this world a better place than it so was in the past.  Indeed, humankind has made such great progress in recent generations, that the material things that we so often take for granted today, are oftentimes that which didn’t even exist at any previous time in human life, and of which, a lot of what we most appreciate in having, are those vital items that are of very recent vintage and are utilized daily.

 It might be fair to state then that all we know readily comes forth from our previous understandings, garnered through organizations and people, that have thereby opened the doors to knowledge that previously was unknown or even fathomed by us.  That said, when we look at mythology we find that gods and goddesses have been around societies and humankind for eons, of which, while this can just be dismissed as folklore or superstition, there is however a fairly reasonable theory, that perhaps what we now have designated as myth, has its origins in that which has far more to do with historical truth, then modern humankind seems willing to give any actual credence to, whatsoever.

 That is to say, the galaxy is large and vast, which presupposes that advanced civilizations, that desire discovery or to be of aid, may have previously come to this planet, and may even at this late day, still visit us from time to time.  In fact, when we look at history, and the storytelling that we read, we find that oftentimes past human civilizations, believe that some of the most fundamental things that were learned came forth, not from sudden insights from human beings, but rather that this is something that the gods above, brought down to us on earth.  While many of high intellectual status and high education dismiss this as something not becoming of their time or energy, it shouldn’t be, because in fairness to past civilizations, it has to be recognized that even people today have noted that both UFOs and extraterrestrials seem to actually exist; even though this seems to be suppressed by governmental agencies, for the supposed protection of the people, so as to not interfere perhaps in long-held beliefs that might upset religious creeds or scare unduly those that would believe that extraterrestrials mean us harm.

 Yet, when we fairly ponder upon this point, we find that those societies who consider themselves more “civilized” typically propagate to those who seem more primitive and thereby less advanced, what we know about medicine, health, food, transportation, and the like so as to help those that seem to be lacking those good things, to have therefore a better and more fulfilling life – for the enlightenment that we bring to their communities that have seemingly been left far behind to the accouterments of this modern age.  In other words, we are giants to those who lack the educational foundations that we have in abundance which we duly pass on to others so that they can advance their communities.  This then seems in harmony with what a god or goddess from above theoretically first provided to us, eons ago, to help therefore the human race and civilization to progress.

Life is a proving ground meant to transcend our errors

A lot of people either don’t know the purpose of life or have it basically wrong.  The very first thing we ought to want to do is to figure out the purpose of our life, and then live to that principle purpose.  That said, even knowing what we should do, is not ever the same thing as actually doing those things, for many a person, seems to have faults within their psyche, or with their discipline, or have various other issues, which seemingly precludes them from making good decisions consistently, and what we do day in and day out, defines who and what we are in this material experience.

 The object of the exercise is to take who we currently are and to thereby transcend our errors so that we grow into becoming what we were always meant to be.  This definitely means that we will be challenged time and time again for how else can it be fairly determined that we have taken our lessons to heart if we aren’t tested upon those lessons?   Indeed, when we are schooled, the way that a teacher ascertains that we have learned our lessons and have successfully applied them is to test us, upon such, and those who pass those tests with flying colors are those who grow and have proven their merit; whereas those that have fallen short, know that they have yet to fully develop their skillset.

 One of the most difficult things to overcome in this world, is bad habits, for bad habits are deleterious to our being because these have become seemingly ingrained within our thinking and our doing, which therefore means that we keep doing the same stupid or erroneous things again and again, that produces no benefit for us, yet we seem either not to care about such, or can’t seem to overcome or shake off these bad habits, but this is though the very thing that we need to overcome so as to transcend our errors and to thus develop into a better person.  That is why, those who point out our errors, are typically doing us a service, because the very first step in correcting that which is wrong, is the recognition of it, and the next step is to do something constructive about such so that we can be of better character.

 So then, life is a challenge, of which, each of us has our challenges to overcome and conquer.  That doesn’t mean, though, that we need to go about it alone, for those who work in collaboration, can strengthen themselves to collectively get to where we all ought to be, which is why a team that works together to overcome obstacles helps all those that participate in achieving that overriding objective.  How far we go in any given life, really comes down to our effort, our thinking, and the prudent usage of the tools that we have at our disposal, along with the grit to get it done.  Those who keep their nose to the grindstone and behave in a manner in which nothing is more important than resolving what needs to be successfully resolved are the same who transcend their previous errors so as to obtain the only prize truly worth winning

The decline of efficiency at the USPS

The United States Postal Service (USPS) has been in a steep decline in the efficiency of delivering individual first-class mail since 2020 and seems no closer to resolving its delivery inefficiencies today than it was yesterday.  Look, it has to be said, the average customer is not so concerned about premium services provided by USPS and how good or great that they might be, but definitely cares about the mail that they send out or receive from family, friends, and the like, of which, because so many families and friends end up living some distance away from one another it is thereby imperative that mail being sent is received by our valued friends and family in a timely manner.  Yet, disappointingly, this isn’t occurring even close to an acceptable level, of which, the USPS just offers excuses, that at the end of the day, don’t register with individuals because they know that the USPS has previously proven that it can deliver mail on time.

 It shouldn’t have to be this way and it shouldn’t be this way, because the one thing about America, is that companies, all over this great nation, are constantly innovating and getting better at performing what they need to perform, day after day.  Further, it isn’t like the USPS doesn’t have competition, because it does, from the likes of UPS and FedEx, so that it would behoove the USPS to rise up and to be competitive against these private enterprise companies that quite frankly are far more reliable and dependable than what USPS presently represents.

 It is to  USPS’s lasting shame that it offers nothing but excuses for why it can’t perform what it needs to perform, as compared to coming up with needed innovations and thinking outside the box to better perform its valued service.  Those who make excuses, and complain about this and that as the reason why USPS can’t do better, don’t seem to recognize that, unlike private enterprise companies that are consistently making profits and doing well by the shareholders, that USPS can’t even come close to breaking even, but rather in fiscal year 2023, lost an incredible $6.5 billion.  To believe, somehow, that USPS can’t right its ship because there isn’t any profit in the delivering of goods and mail, is belied by the fact that private enterprise companies are proficient at doing that very thing.  Further to the point, it’s aggravating to the taxpaying citizens of this nation, to recognize that there isn’t any real guarantee that what they send out via first-class mail will arrive on time, which is not only embarrassing when it comes to seminal events such as a wedding, a birthday, or an anniversary, but it seems that this happens far too often with nary a concern or care at USPS.

 There is definitely something that needs to be fundamentally fixed with USPS, and fixed soon, because what USPS represents at the present time to those that it is supposed to competently serve, is far short of acceptable, and it isn’t trending in the right direction, either.

The fixed 30-year mortgage at a competitive rate is the only way to go

It does seem sort of strange, that banks would willingly issue 30-year fixed mortgages in America, in consideration that this sort of commitment by a bank could be disadvantageous to banks when inflation is persistent and high. Still, a 30-year fixed mortgage is the norm in America and has been for quite some time.  We find though that there are other options available for home buyers, such as the 15-year fixed mortgage which might even be a better fit for certain individuals, as well as there being also Adjustable Rate Mortgages which many a person is enticed into taking.  There are, indeed, quite a few options that consumers can avail themselves of when it comes to getting a mortgage, but in short, a 30-year mortgage is often going to be the best bet for most consumers and there are some very valid reasons why.

 An important issue when it comes to a mortgage is the understanding that inflation is part and parcel of the American economy at this point and is not going to go away, anytime soon.  Additionally, governments, the world over, do not want deflation to ever be a norm within their economy, because deflation means that goods are getting cheaper over time, and when this is the case, consumers are going to be patient and purchase what they need to purchase, later as compared to sooner, which is why we don’t see deflation, and instead see inflation.  Additionally, America has for nearly a century seen its dollar depreciate in value because of that inflation. 

 So then, it is important to recognize that inflation is here to stay, of which, the Federal Reserve is comfortable with 2% inflation, though in recent times, inflation has been significantly hotter than that, in addition to the salient fact that the government has a massive deficit which needs to be serviced, which puts pressure on the dollar and its worth, and thereby plays its own influence upon the overall inflation rate.

 The very good thing about a 30-year mortgage is the fact that the payment coupon each month does not change, whatsoever, for 30 years.  It is the same amount of money, year in and year out, which signifies that for all those consumers who believe that their income will surely go up and at least match the inflation rate, or do even better than that, they will intuitively recognize that the paying of their 30-year mortgage as time goes on, will get progressively cheaper.  That is to say when a person’s income doubles over a period of time, but their mortgage payment coupon remains the same, the amount of one’s salary thus being dedicated to that mortgage payment has been slashed significantly.  This is why a 30-year fixed mortgage is so beneficial to the consumer, because that debt first incurred, is going to get progressively cheaper, because of inflation, and therefore their ability to pay that mortgage will get progressive easier; whereas, for those that have signed up for an Adjustable Mortgage rate, they are stuck within a construct in which higher inflation, necessitates a higher mortgage coupon payment, which is something that they should want to do their level best to avoid.

In defense of the rolling stop

In America, there seemingly is an endless procession of stop signs, of which, for virtually any trip that a driver makes, they will encounter one of those ubiquitous stop signs and the law states, that at a stop sign, the vehicle needs to come to a full and complete stop which is defined as being no forward momentum at the designated stop sign marker, and to proceed only when they have ascertained that there is no oncoming traffic or pedestrians that have the right of way over them.  One might think, since everyone has taken a driver’s test, that everyone would not only know what the law is regarding what is appropriate for a driver to do at a stop sign but that the general public would unquestionably obey it, pretty much every time.

 Not too surprisingly, to ascertain whether or not drivers are consistently coming to a full stop at just about any stop sign, that isn’t incredibly busy, we discover that a significant percentage of drivers, do not come to a full and complete stop.  Rather, they come to a rolling stop, of which, when they see that there are no pedestrians or cross traffic, they proceed along their way – and if they do see a pedestrian or cross traffic, they will almost always stop, but typically not behind the designated stop sign marker.

 Look, it has to be said, that when people are driving they don’t like having to come to a complete stop, mainly because that keeps them from making progress to their intended destination, and knowing that a full stop is equivalent to making no progress, they find it to be a bit irritating.  Indeed, in a lot of cases at a significant amount of stop signs, there isn’t any cross traffic and there aren’t any pedestrians, of which, when traveling at five miles per house or less, the field of vision for the driver is adequate to take in this information, which is why many a person, does not come to a full and complete stop, but rather makes a rolling stop, which is defined as slowing down when approaching the stop sign, but never completely stopping the vehicle’s forward motion.

 The fact of the matter is that violating the stop sign rule and thereby when ticketed by a police officer, for such, will mean that the driver has to pay a monetary fine and will also suffer the penalty of a point or more being added onto their driving record, which could mean a higher car insurance rate.  Yet, a rolling stop, in which, nobody was endangered, whatsoever, but the driver is ticketed, just seems unfair.  Not only that, but any police officer, strategically placed where the officer’s view of the stop sign is unobstructed, could issue ticket after ticket after ticket for rolling stop sign violations because it happens so frequently.  This would presuppose that there should be more flexibility in the law, about what constitutes a legal stop, especially in those intersections in which there hasn’t been an accident in years, which would better reflect that a rolling stop is not nearly as dangerous as the busybodies might so imagine or fear.

Driver’s license should include a side view profile picture

In consideration, that for many a person, our Driver’s License, is not only our main form of identification, but also is utilized all of the time to identify ourselves, it is somewhat surprising that the physical information that makes up a Driver’s License is typically provided by the individual so applying or renewing such, and further to the point, that the main photo is always a face shot and no more. 

 The main issue with providing height and weight is the seminal fact that people are prone to exaggerate or reduce these numbers, respectively, so what has been recorded is not an accurate depiction of their height or weight.  Additionally, the face shot while being consistent in the sense that the applicant is instructed to stand in a certain place when the photo is taken, it isn’t as consistent as it could be, for most States allow the applicant to smile, which thereby changes the structure of the face.  However, the biggest thing which is missing from Driver’s License photos is that there is not presently, another photo taken of the side view.

 It is somewhat surprising, that despite all the advances in the scheme of technology and the monitoring of the population, the Driver’s License protocol has not yet mandated that a side view profile, basically akin to what a perpetrator must endure in their mugshot, has not become part and parcel of a Driver’s License, for a side view is going to do a much better job of providing the perspective to better see the bone structure and jawline of a given individual, along with providing telling information in regards to those certain individuals, that have tattooed something on the side of their neck.

 It isn’t so much that a side view profile is absolutely mandatory when it comes to a Driver’s License, but rather has a lot to do with providing more information for identification purposes, and therefore for law enforcement, for many a person, claims that their Driver’s License photo does not truly convey what they look like in real life, leading to the fact that because weight and height are taken as being true, it is therefore not only conceivable but probable that some people are now carrying Driver Licenses that are not actually their own; whereas, a side view profile, would reduce this type of trickery of getting over on law enforcement and similar.

 Indeed, if the purpose of a Driver’s License is for identification, then an additional photo that provides telling facial information would make eminent sense.  Also, it isn’t like the general public would be up in arms in protest because, at the end of the day, they need their Driver’s License in order to drive and to provide fair identification of who they actually are.  It would seem, therefore, that in this day and age of ever more intrusive governmental monitoring that something as straightforward as adding a side view profile picture would be something that governments, the world over, would surely begin to embrace.

The Limits of Scientific Discovery

There is a field of thought that whatever science does not discover, reflects doubt upon the existence of things that have not been discovered or have yet to be discovered.  That is to say, there are far too many people, even those of high intelligence who believe that if there isn’t any scientific proof behind a contention or a theory, then whatever that it is, does not exist or is essentially irrelevant.  So then, for these people, it is discoveries so made through science, that prove things, and that which remains unproven or undiscovered is seen, at best, as a theorem, yet unproven, and therefore of suspect validity.

 Indeed, to limit ourselves to the belief that science determines what is real as compared to what is unreal or a myth, is far too limiting, because not only does science limit itself to what it can see, measure, and theorize about, but science does not do a good job, nor is it the best instrument to do such, when it comes to that which is spiritual in nature, and all that which is similar to that sort of domain.  So then, for those who believe in nothing other than what is tangible, or that can be measured or successfully theorized through scientific means, much of all else is considered to be almost irrelevancy.

 So too, scientific theories, even those of long-standing, as well as scientific discoveries, along with the meaning of such, are very much subject to change, when new and relevant information thereby comes into play, which heretofore was not given any credence, or simply wasn’t something that had been measured or noted.  This thus indicates that science and the discoveries that are made are in certain aspects, in a state of flux, because the certainty of what has been discovered or theorized, is subject to change, when discoveries or new theories that make more sense or are more comprehensive, are discovered.  This though doesn’t reflect that science is somehow flawed, but rather that our knowledge is subject to being incomplete, and therefore subject to being changed – in addition to the salient fact that there are unknowns that when they become known, or if they become known,  can change our perspective on many a previous discovery.

 Because science is ever investigating, and to its credit, willing to change when it receives information that is contrary to a previous belief, we live therefore in a day and age, in which we have not yet discovered everything that is there to be discovered, and therefore to understand everything that needs to be understood.  Humankind has a quest to comprehend their place and their meaning in life, and to the degree that science and its discoveries can help in that quest, all to the good.  The mistake, though, that can be made, is those that limit themselves to believing that if science cannot prove it, or has not discovered it, or even theorize about it, then this thing cannot or should not exist, which thereby seemingly closes the book -- on a book, that should not be closed, because to believe that science and science alone, answers all questions, is clearly to misunderstand and miscomprehend all that there really is.

Note-taking has its place

There are times when we are told that we need to take notes, such as in a classroom, at work, or during a lecture or sermon.  While, no doubt, those who impress upon us the value of good note-taking have the best of intentions, it has to be admitted, though, as well, that when we take notes, we are also taking our attention away from what is being spoken or written, to concentrate on that note-taking, which may or may not always be beneficial.  In truth, some people don’t take all that many notes but are just as sharp or sharper than those who have taken notes.  The difference is that those who are engaged but are not note-taking, are relying upon their memory to take in information and to thereby process it, and because of this, they don’t need to take in nearly as many notes as others.  Further to the point, the reason behind note-taking is essentially to jog our mind into remembering the salient points of what we have been taught, or, for example, the order that we need to do things to accomplish a given task, in which, at the end of the day, note-takers, end up absorbing into their memory, as well, the most important points that they needed to learn.  So then, it could be argued, that note-taking for at least some people, is akin to utilizing a crutch, for the object of the exercise is to learn what we need to learn, so that only infrequently, will we need to subsequently look something up, or refer back to our notes.

 In ancient times, only a small elite of people were literate, which means that the processing and the passing on of information and stories was done verbally, and because these people were not literate, they, therefore, had to develop their minds and their memory in order to absorb not only the salient points of what was being addressed but also to pass on such information in a way and manner, that the information or the story was true to what was first explained or told to them.  That is to say, those who were illiterate had little choice if they were to advance and to become valued members of society, but to use their memory as their own form of a library, from which they could thereby draw a wealth of information from.  This would more than imply, that as much as we might impress upon the other, the great value in note-taking, that society should not, therefore, neglect that the exercising of our memory and thereby our mind to remember and thereby store information has immense value, as well.

 Indeed, our mind and our memory are ours, and are ever with us, as compared to the internet or our notes, which may not always be there, especially when we need to draw upon them, in an exigent circumstance. That is why, we should have classes in which no notes are even permitted to be taken so that we can develop the memory of our mind, and perhaps learn the value of something that we are not therefore utilizing as much as we should or ought.

America is not so white

We read at Wikipedia.org, that the share of people in the United States who identify themselves as non-Hispanic white and no other race has declined from 83.1% which is what it was in 1980, to 61.6% in 2020, and in the decade of 2010-2020, this same white population actually declined in numbers.  This would surely indicate that not only do our eyes not deceive us, but that the direction that America is on, is one of more diversity and far less of whiteness, which seems to be a trend that won’t change anytime soon, if it even changes, because the immigration of white people to America is fairly minimal, along with the salient fact that the white birthrate has declined significantly over the decades.

 So then, the population mix of races in America has definitely changed in recent times, of which, America as a nation, still exists, and seems to be doing just fine, with its more inclusive racial mix.  Further to the point, those desiring that America return to the absolute supremacy of the white race within America, are slow to comprehend, that America is becoming more colorblind in its institutions, and has legislated into its laws that which does not permit discrimination based upon racial characteristics or of that of national origin.  This signifies that the powers that be, which at present are not purely white, and haven’t been for a while, have adjusted to the new America, with the sure recognition, that it is far better to judge a person upon their character and accomplishments, as opposed to judging someone based solely upon their racial makeup.

 So too, America seems to be set upon proving that it can exist and persist as a “melting pot” of racial classifications, and there may so come that time, when the race of a given person, isn’t given the primacy that so often has been the case, in the past.  Indeed, not only are the times they are a changing, but the times have already changed, for this is the way that it is going to be, which in the scheme of things, makes for not only a better society, because it is more inclusive, but makes for a better world because the world is filled already with plenty of people that do not identify as white.

 The fact that America is not so white, should give solace for all those of sound mind, because it proves the point, that surface characteristics are not so important as has been the case in history past, and is also indicative that seemingly set traditions and fixed mindsets are actually subject to change, which reflects that a nation that has an open mind is a nation that is able to adjust with the times and to thereby keep its golden door open, as opposed to a country that has set its course, that it thereby will not change, and has thus shackled its golden door.  This then is symptomatic of a nation that is making progress and staying true to the fact that all men are created equal with the same unalienable rights.

Leading by example

There are a multitude of people who know not only the right thing to do, but also express that belief in actually doing the right thing, but the problem that a significant amount of people have, is that their words so spoken correctly, are not consistent with their actual actions, which is quite disappointing, to all.  It is disappointing because anytime that a given person knows what the right thing to do is, but actually doesn’t do it, it is far worse than someone who is confused, stupid, or just plain lax in their moral code.  It is also disappointing because all those who listen to words being fitly spoken but then see that the actions are not in accordance per such, are going to lose respect for that person, as being, quite frankly, a hypocrite, or else, someone that doesn’t have the internal fortitude or discipline to do the right thing, when they certainly know what they ought to be doing.

 Indeed, we are primarily judged not upon what we say and write, but rather upon our actual actions, for those actions have more meaningful consequences than the words we speak or write.  In the end, it is the actions that we take that define who and what we really are, and when there is an inconsistency between what we say and what we do, the default judgment is going to weigh much more heavily on what we do because it is those actions, that represent our actual character.  So then, just knowing what is right and wrong isn’t ever going to be good enough -- for there are many a person who knows the importance of preaching righteousness and then doing right, but alas goes about and does wrong, anyway.

 So too, as much as we might want to believe that our actions don’t influence anybody, the bottom line is that children and young people are impressionable, and heck, even many adults are impressionable, too. So that, our actions can easily influence how another person consequently acts, in their own life.  This thus signifies that not only do we owe it to ourselves to do the right thing, but doing the right thing, can end up making a material difference in how others end up behaving, as well.  In truth, there are many a child who does look up to us, and when they discover that their mentor is not just flawed, but flawed in a way in which the words that they speak that are sensible and wise, aren’t followed up by corresponding actions, that this will impact them, negatively, for they may just think, that if this is fine for my mentor to do this, then it certainly must be fine for myself, too.

 In life, we will be challenged, to ascertain as to whether what we profess is something that we really believe in, or else whether we are fair-weather people, who say the right things, but when push comes to shove, take the lower road, instead.  Each of us, whether or not we want to acknowledge such, leads by example, which signifies that what we should be keeping cognizant of, is whether or not that example, is for the betterment of society, or not.

Planet of the Apes, or is it?

We live in a day and age in which it is postulated to those of reasonable intelligence and of learning, that humankind has evolved or descended from apes, first brought to the general public’s attention through Darwin’s seminal book “The Descent of Man” in 1871.  Plenty of people as well as esteemed scientists believe that this is true, and not only that, but it has to be true, for various reasons so explained through genetics, fossils, and other scientific means.  This thus signifies that it is only in the most recent of times, that humankind, at least in Western civilizations, is considered to be on par with the ape family, and that we are descendants of, or have in common, what apes so represent, no more and no less.

 Obviously, not everyone believes that we are descended from apes. Still, the scientific case seems to be all but closed, and that therefore those who do not follow the orthodox belief that we as human beings have evolved from apes, are thereby suitably placed in the category of those types of people who are pretty much ignored, stigmatized, and considered to be irrelevant.  Yet, it is still somewhat surprising that this most recent of beliefs of who and what we supposedly are is proselytized to students all over Western nations, when there are not only numerous other theories that could be considered, such as Intelligent Design, Creationism, and other things of this general sort -- so that, it comes to mind that there needs also to be a logical reason why this very governance is so enamored over us being considered to be apes.

 That reason though is actually quite obvious and has a lot to do with warfare and colonialism, and pretty much anything that supports that we are not divine in origin, and because we are considered not to be descended from the gods, then clearly anything goes in regards to how we treat our fellow neighbor because in the animal kingdom, it has been written that only the strong and clever survive, thereby signifying that all of the hate crimes, all of the genocide, and all of the warfare that humankind has put upon the other, makes logical sense. After all, as a species, it is best, that only the superior should survive and thereby, they alone should propagate themselves and all those that are weak, should be eliminated.  In other words, governments love the “fact” that we are descended from apes because this means that there are zero unalienable rights and that whatever rights that humankind has, are rights that are gifted to humankind from its government.

 Historically, however, we find that this belief that human beings are really akin to apes is a belief, that the history of every known civilization prior to around 1871, has never supported, whatsoever.  In fact, not only history, but mythology, again and again, proposes that we are descended not from apes, but from the gods, or the God.  This is consistent throughout every civilization and is consistent with our intuitive belief that we are more than our physical makeup and that if there is to be justice, there needs therefore to be an inerrant Lawmaker, and further to the point, that as human beings so created by God, that each of us is not only equally created, but that we all have unalienable rights.  This then is the belief of enlightened and reasonable people; whereas, those that believe that this is a planet of the apes, that deny the immortality of our soul, or even the existence of one, have done themselves and society, a terrible disservice.

Forever wars and the universal draft

America is an empire, that has its armaments and its military personnel engaged and ready for action, literally all over the world.  Not too surprisingly, because the world is a vast place, and because apparently, the world is also a very dangerous place, it takes not only a lot of logistics and armaments to maintain or to augment this empire, but it also takes a lot of personnel, as well.  At present, those that make up the military force of the United States, are volunteers.  Yet, we read at usafacts.org, that for the fiscal year 2023 “three branches reported falling short of their recruitment goals: the Navy was at 80% of its target number, the Army was at 77%, and the Air Force was at 89%”  Further to the point, the personnel that makes up our armed forces do not fairly reflect the demographics of this nation, along with the salient fact that since America seems hellbent on adding even more wars to its forever wars, that it is high time to bring back the draft and make it to apply equally to all.

 The way that the draft should be structured in a day and age in which so many called for equality and non-discrimination to be the prevailing law of the land, with little or no exceptions to this rule, is for a universal draft to be initiated, which would not be discriminatory, whatsoever.  In other words, both men and women would be eligible to be drafted, and previous exceptions made for those who were in poor health, or have bad eyesight, or are married, or are college bound, and all the other excuses previously made, would simply be eliminated.  That is to say, the proposed universal draft would apply to all that fell within the range of 18-25 years of age, with the expressed understanding that since for every soldier in the field, there is a multitude of military personnel that support such, this thus represents why previous excuses, in regards to why somebody could not serve, would no longer be relevant.

 Perhaps if there was a universal draft, nothing would actually change when it came to the typical bellicosity of America, and thereby with plenty of personnel to draw upon, the United States would thereby involve itself in even more foreign excursions, or do more to protect its sovereignty from invaders, thus making this nation more safe and more secure.  Then again, there is more than a fair chance, that a universal draft, which would not permit those with money or other status symbols to evade such a draft, might actually awaken the general lethargy of the people, to better comprehend that wars involve men and women risking their lives and their limbs in a fight, which may or may not even be necessary, or prudent, or a true requirement to protect this nation.  Indeed, one of the reasons why America fights so many battles, either through proxy or through its own personnel, is the salient fact that those that are not directly affected by it or are indirectly affected by it, at most, don’t seemingly care all that much about it, which is why we need those that support such forever wars, to step up, and see what war is really all about.

Freedom and tolerance are not the same thing

We find that for governments the world over, that freedom is a very strong power to cede to the people, and therefore when that freedom is in the hands of the people, a lot of governments get kind of worried, for governments have a strong tendency to desire to repress freedom and replace such with law and order, rules and regulations, along with having control over what the people are or are not permitted to do, with all of this under the thumb of the government.  Indeed, a government that only tolerates certain actions from the people is the same government that can decide that its toleration has reached its limit because, for example, of exigent circumstances; whereas, a government that has provided the free exercise of religion, freedom of speech, and freedom of the press for the people, is a government that is obligated to work with the people, with the legislative representatives of the people, for these people, in whole, are free, and not just tolerated.

 It is true that freedom is often inconvenient for governments, for, no doubt, it’s easier to govern when the people’s voices and desires are suppressed and thereby replaced by governmental desires, for these typically are not one and the same.  Indeed, in a true democracy, with powers dispersed throughout the judicial, executive, and legislative branches, this seems to produce a government that is less repressive and more accommodating to the very people, who have given their consent to be governed, through that representative government.

 In today’s governance, the reason that so many governments don’t desire for the people to truly be at liberty and thereby be free to speak their minds and to be about their business is that the powers that be, find it to be more conducive for their business for the people to cooperate and comply with what those powers desire, be that profit, foreign engagements, wars, exploitation, and so on and so forth.  In other words, many governmental working models desire compliance from the people and aren’t interested in getting any pushback from those same people, which is why the world over, we hear so much about the need for law and order, for public order, and safety, of which, all of these things, logically necessitate therefore that the people give up some of their freedoms so that they will be safe and secure, even though, in actuality, that is a smokescreen used by governments to more effectively manipulate the people.

 So then, despite the First Amendment, being absolutely clear, we find that in this present age, that those who are the true actuators of how this government is run and operated are doing all that they can do to chip away at our freedoms and liberties, to replace it with nebulous things such as tolerance or forbearance with the intent to take even that away, when it suits the government, of which, because freedom provides to the masses far more power in their hands and in their minds than those that desire to run this show find that they are comfortable with, is the reason why they want to flip the First Amendment script, to mere toleration, to provide them therefore with far more control.

The Indian four states of consciousness

Most of those in Western lands, recognize primarily our wakeful self to be our true consciousness, and may begrudgingly admit that our dream state involves some portion of our consciousness, as well, but then it pretty much stops there.  For those that are familiar with Indian consciousness, they recognize that there are actually four consciousness states.  First, we have the state of wakefulness, we then also have the dream state, followed by the dreamless state of deep sleep, and finally for those that calm their mind and concentrate within, there is that state of enlightenment, or attunement to that which is our Creator.  For those of Indian persuasion, the recognition and the belief in these four consciousness states makes for not only a more complete person, consistent with who and what we really are but also emphasizes the prime importance that other states have in regards to our consciousness, for to simply be concerned just about our wakefulness and nothing else, is to conform to a lesser being than what we actually are.

 A valid argument could be made that because Western nations do not typically spend the time and make it their point to create a structure to teach us about the vital importance of these other states of consciousness, the society that we live in, thereby, becomes more fixated upon the material, and thereby the physical form that our soul is embodied in, which is thereby indicative that we have reversed the priorities that we should have for our good development, by focusing upon the needs of our wakefulness, and thereby our material desires, that thus supersede that which is eternal, and therein lies the error of our ways.

 Indeed, considering how much of our time is spent in sleep, each and every day, and to recognize thereby not the importance of that sleep being something far beyond just physical rest, is to lose sight of our true consciousness and its importance to our self.  The dreams that we have, are for our benefit, and those who do not pay attention to those dream states, are those who lose out on learning what they could learn, even if it simply is, that within the dream state, the sense of time and space, seems to have disappeared.  That which is the dreamless state is not only necessary for bodily replenishment, but also a chance for our consciousness to simply exist, without seeming to exist at that moment.  Finally, in those societies, in which so many of us are intimately involved with day-to-day activities and responsibilities, there needs to be that time when we calm our minds to take in the fact, that as much as we might feel that we are part of an endless drama, of good and bad, of ups and downs, that within the great ocean of consciousness, there is a serene calmness, that thus takes away the storms of life, to replace such with a vision that is much larger than our self, letting us know that not only are we never alone, but we never will be alone, for we all are part of the greater whole, that impresses upon us the need to see beyond what we think is so real, to the ultimate reality of rediscovered enlightenment.

More of self, less of God

There are plenty of people who are concerned or troubled that their life isn’t working out the way that they would have hoped or wished for, of which, part of the blame, most likely lies in the fact that the more that they insist upon having things their way, and of concentrating on their own self, above all, the less room in their vessel there will be for contemplation, prayer, and for God.  That is to say, those that are all or mainly about their own self, are, by definition, not God-fearing souls, but rather have displaced God for the primacy of their own self.

 Look, it does sort of make sense, that we should want to assert our own personhood, but there is a paradox in so doing that, because the more that we count on our own self, to figure things out, and to prioritize what we endeavor to do per our own desires, the less that we are concerned about not only our fellow humankind and what we should rightly contribute to society but also the less significance that God represents in our life.  Is it any wonder, then, that so many people end up in situations in which they despair?  Those who turn their back on God and treat God irrelevantly have turned their back upon the very Entity that is only too willing to enlighten them and thereby to be an ever-present help to them in trouble.

 Each of us has been granted free will, and not too surprisingly, to have such great power, along with its incumbent responsibility, to be placed into our hands, can easily become intoxicating.  In fact, it can become so intoxicating that we lose track of who and what we really are, in essence, and because we have lost focus on the most important thing in life, we deviate from where we are supposed to go, because our life, is thereby not attuned to that North Star, whatsoever, but rather, we are attuned to our desires, be they fickle or not.

 It is a serious error, to believe that we are the measure of all things, that humankind, has no equal, never has had an equal, and never will have an equal.  This type of mindset, leads to all sorts of troubles, whether or not recognized intuitively or not, of which, because we think so highly of ourselves, we are thus handcuffed from getting the type of aid that is available to all who sincerely seek such, in order to thereby help us to overcome those obstacles that are in our way.  Indeed, all those who wonder why their unsatisfactory life is the way that their life is, have got to recognize that the type of satisfaction that they so deeply desire, but seems to be so far away, has a lot to do with the fact that, for instance, their pride, and their endless pursuit of pleasures or other misguided desires, are never going to bring lasting satisfaction, because those that put the temporal ahead of the eternal, have surely backed the wrong horse.  So then, what is needed, is less of self, and more of God, and it will be well.

Humility does not mean low self-esteem

There are those people, who get on their hands and knees, and with abject pity cry out to God, “I am nothing, nothing, nothing.”  Perhaps they believe by disavowing their importance that they somehow, will be held in great respect by God, but this isn’t true at all, for having this false sense of self, that we are nothing, betrays the vital fact that each of us is a part of the same whole, and therefore we are in collective, something very important, and thus to deny our value to God, is to take on the aura of low self-esteem which is in conflict to who and what we really are, in essence.

 So too, many people believe that humility and low self-esteem, go hand in glove, that we should therefore put our nose to the grindstone and just humbly go about our business and should not correspondingly have healthy self-esteem, because we really aren’t all that – mainly because we recognize that we suffer from character faults, such as sinfulness, vengefulness, jealousy and so on and so forth.  Look, none of us are error-free, but for all those who go about their life in a manner in which they try to be a good neighbor, and try to help make society a better place for their good participation in it, shouldn’t be people with low self-esteem, for everyone that is doing those proper things that make for a better society, should rightfully feel that they are doing valued work that is reflected in them thereby having healthy self-esteem.

 To be humble, or display acts of humility, has a lot more to do with the fact that we should be far less concerned about our status in life, or in the need to get affirmation from people that we do not really know, for rather we should go about our business of doing right, with the sure acknowledgment that those that are dutiful to the commands of God,  should therefore dismiss humankind’s opinions of who and what they appear to be, good or bad, because these societal members do not have a fair understanding of the character underneath, of which, none of this is really relevant, for those that are humble live with the expressed purpose that to stay on the straight and narrow, and not to deviate, will produce a bountiful harvest.

 The main issue that so many people have with their lack of humility or their false display of humility, is their belief that somehow in the first case, that they are worth more than the other, are more important than the other, and therefore should count more than the other.  As for the second case, this has to do with a belief that they are worth less than the other, are less important than the other, and therefore should count less than the other.  Both of these viewpoints are in error, for true humility understands who and what they are, in essence, and will not in good faith, deny those very qualities, and thereupon they conduct their lives in a way and manner that reflects that they are part of the same One as everyone else, no more and no less, which is thereby fairly reflected in their self-esteem.

Math and language

We utilize math and language each and every day, of which, the universality of such from one nation to another, is basically the same for math in every nation; whereas, language differs quite a lot from one nation to another, and even can vary quite a bit within a particular nation.  The fact that the laws of mathematics are unchanging, definitive, and universal, is the significant reason why those who are not all that proficient in English, are still able to score quite high when testing in mathematics because math is not only universal but also because math has specific rules and applications to those rules which thus indicates that the correct answer is always the same, no matter the background of the person so utilizing that math.  This means when we communicate with other people or entities in mathematical terms, there is virtually never any confusion; whereas, when we communicate through language, there is the distinct possibility of not only confusion, but also of significant misinterpretation, because language is subject to not only subjective interpretation, but also can be misunderstood.

 Indeed, if language was the same as math, our understanding one to another, would be considerably improved, because, for instance, two people can say the very same thing, but the correct interpretation of what has been said can vary considerably, of which, despite those same words, the correct interpretation differs, because of the context in which those words were spoken. This makes language the type of skill that does not always translate well when we attempt to communicate our ideas and thoughts to the other, and because language is an imperfect art, subject to error, and miscommunication, it can create situations that exacerbate our relationships, without any intention to do so, on either person’s side.  This is why it is important to understand the nuances of language, of which, even when the words so being spoken, appear to be clear and obvious, that may not be interpreted that way by the other, and therein lies the rub, for because each of us is an individual, with a different background, and a different mind, there is a lot that is spoken, that thus misses its intended interpretation.

 So then, the way that we communicate with language is an entirely different experience than mathematics, because mathematics has universal laws that are not subject to change and are not subject to a different interpretation, signifying therefore that when math is communicated from one person or entity to the other, it is received, correctly, and without need of interpretation.  On the other hand, language is a skill that utilizes symbols, of which, many people believe that the symbols so being utilized are consistent from one person to another, and while those word symbols, should ideally be consistent, they often aren’t nearly as consistent as is needed, which is part of the reason why, when we communicate with the other, that what we have so communicated, isn’t necessarily translated or absorbed exactly, which leads to all sorts of errors, misinterpretations, and miscommunication, which is why so often it appears that the other doesn’t really comprehend correctly what we have conveyed to them.

Federal interest debt and the sinking of the unsinkable

There are plenty of people who believe that the United States will exist, seemingly forever.  But what seems to have been lost in all the hoopla, of believing that the United States is the greatest nation that the world has ever known, is the fact that it does not presently keep its fiscal house in order.  We read at pgpf.org that in regards to the national debt “…interest costs in 2024 will total $892 billion.”  That amount of money is absolutely staggering as the paying of interest on what the government borrows to keep afloat is nearly $1 trillion and seemingly on an endless track to get ever larger.  Further to the point, all that money earmarked to pay that interest so due is money that is thereby spent paying the investors of that federal debt, and therefore is monies not spent on the general welfare of the people.  It is distressing, that the richest nation that the world has ever known, seems to be on an unavoidable course to self-destruct because it refuses to get its house in order.

 When it comes to federal deficits, there are legitimate reasons why a given government might well find it prudent to go into debt, so as to, for instance, spend money now on infrastructure or on education or on the general welfare of the people, or possibly to defend the nation from foreign aggressors intent upon war on us.  On the other hand, there are those monies that are ill-spent for our own endless war involvements, that aren’t even close to our shores, and for all practical purposes aren’t necessary for our participation, as well as monies spent for all sorts of items and things, that aren’t essential, aren’t prudent, aren’t productive, or are done as a favor to foreign nations, as if we have an unlimited amount of monies to just hand out, when clearly, in actuality, we do not.

 The easiest thing to do in the world is to spend, spend, and spend, with nary a care as to how it will be paid back, but rather to pass on this debt to generations yet unborn, or to burden the current generation, with the responsibility to pay the debt, by taking away from the people, benefits and needs that they have, so that they, through no fault of their own, must tighten their belts, ad nauseam.  Rather, the problem that the United States has, can be laid at the feet of all those politicians and those bad-acting lobbyists who believe that they need not be responsible to anyone or anything, and just have this government to spend monies that are being borrowed as if such never needs to be paid back with interest.

 In life, there will be a reckoning, and the enormous federal interest rate debt that the United States is accumulating year after year will have a reckoning, because what is currently happening, cannot continue to happen, indefinitely.  Indeed, this interest rate expense so being accumulated, yearly, is in its effect, transferring the wealth of the nation, into the hands of those that have their own agenda, which may or may not be democratic in nature, and might not care that this constitutional system of governance should continue to exist.

Insecurity and fundamentalism

Plenty of people have a general or even innate interest in religion thereby representing their belief in a Higher Being, in the sense that they believe there is something beyond our physical senses that is part and parcel of who and what we really are, in essence.   That signifies that many of those people will thereby search for the meaning and purpose of life, often in the institutions that are most prominently available in their community, of which, in America, that typically would be represented by churches.  As might be expected, in a nation in which the freedom of religion, is a right, there are all sorts of churches, that have all sorts of beliefs, of which, one of those types of churches are those that have a very strict and literal interpretation of the Bible, as Holy Scripture thus being inerrant, of which, those that are congregants of that type of church, are known thereof as fundamentalists.

 To believe in a literal reading of the Bible signifies that for those parishioners that there isn’t thereby a lot of room to maneuver as to the meaning of it all, because the preacher to that congregation, typically specifies what Holy Scripture does or does not mean, and seldom equivocates upon such.  There is, in a sense, a certain comfort, in the understanding that the Bible does not change with the times, and will therefore not change for the people that adhere to it, but is always the same, now and forevermore.  This thus signifies that certain things that are considered to be wrong or sinful, have therefore always been wrong and sinful, of which, fortunately, the pathway to God and God’s glory, is shown to be clear and unequivocal.  So then, in knowing this, those that believe wholeheartedly, know what they need to do in order to be a good Christian and thereby to reach Heaven.

 Not too surprisingly, those who are fundamentalists aren’t interested in change, because change will upset the construct that they believe in, and therefore they are fearful of change, because anything that would infringe upon their sincere belief, is something to be rightfully fearful of, for they do not desire to have what they believe to be in their control, to actually be something that they are susceptible to losing control of, which would thereby disrupt what is of very high importance to them.  Indeed, one of the prominent reasons why people attend church is the sense of security that the church will provide them, specifically when they know what the rules of the road are, and thereby make it their point to follow those rules to a tee. Therefore, those who believe fundamentally that the Bible is inerrant and believe that they have followed what needs to be followed to successfully reach the promised land, are not going to appreciate hearing something that disavows what they sincerely believe in, and thereby they will feel threatened by those that preach or teach something fundamentally different from their belief, which will make them feel insecure, vulnerable, and threatened, which is why those that are fundamentalists typically are very closed-minded, and thereby not readily open for change.