Corporations believe too often that “only the little people pay taxes”

Billionaire Leona Helmsley is alleged to have said, “We don’t pay taxes; only the little people pay taxes.”   Indeed, this appears to be the mindset grasped by so many mega-corporations in America, of which, when we look at the tax rates as estimated by americanprogress.org, we find that within the Fortune 100 of 2021, there were at least 19 corporations that paid a tax rate well below the federal corporate tax rate of 21%, in which, for instance, Amazon’s effective federal income tax rate was 6.1%, ExxonMobil’s effective federal income tax rate was 2.8%, Bank of America’s effective federal income tax rate was 3.5%, and Ford’s effective federal income tax rate was 1%, to list just a few.  This indicates clearly that a significant proportion of America’s biggest and most profitable corporations do not come close to paying the 21% federal corporate tax rate, of which, the less in taxes that these super profitable corporations pay, the more that the citizens of the United States, have to pick up the shortfall in the payment of.

 What many people fail to recognize is that our biggest corporations have annual sales in the billions upon billions of dollars, and corresponding profits, year in and year out, also in the billions upon billions of dollars, and these entities that have an abundance of money are the very same that can easily afford to hire the best tax attorneys, the best CPAs, the best lobbyists, of which when combined serve to do everything possible to reduce their tax footprint, at the direct expense of the American people.

 Far too many corporations, mouth the words, that they pay all the taxes that they legally owe, which may or may not be true. What is true, though, is that many of these same corporations are not good servants to the government that permits them to exist and to persist, in the first place, because these same corporations are not paying even close to the taxation rate that they truly owe to this nation, and because these superrich corporations don’t pay their fair share, the burden of picking up the slack on taxes not collected, falls upon the aching shoulders of the America public, instead.

 When it comes to taxation, it really isn’t all that complicated, as to what this governance should or should not do, because as much as we might decry or even admire the individual billionaires that this country has -- corporations, routinely make profits in the billions upon billions of dollars each year, signifying that for those in the taxation business, it is corporations, above all, that should be focused upon, because they are the ones with the wealth of money that needs to be more effectively taxed.  To believe, somehow, that corporations should be permitted to avail themselves of all sorts of pathways to circumvent paying their fair taxes, is fundamentally wrong, for these corporations are not only well positioned to pay their fair share but need to pay their fair share, especially for the privilege that has permitted them, as artificial creations of the state, to have vibrancy, in the first place.  This signifies that until such a time as the “big boys” pay their fair share in taxes, the “little people,” shouldn’t have to pay a dime.

How good is our government?

There are a lot of ways to measure the goodness of a given government, of which, one of the fairest ways is to see how that government treats those that are most disadvantaged and vulnerable.  Of course, another way to measure a government is by virtue of what that government does or does not do on behalf of a given individual and society, in whole.  So too, governments should be measured by how prudent they are, in the distribution and the usage of monies collected through taxes of all types.  The bottom line is that while most governments profess that they are agents of good, the reckoning about how good a government is or is not, should be best adjudged by the people who are the subjects of that government.

 Indeed, when we look upon our governance, it has to be determined as to whether or not what is occurring to the people is to their direct or indirect benefit in the sense of infrastructure, education, healthcare, safety, employment, shelter, and so on.  That is to say, there are fundamental things that people need in order to have the semblance of a good life, and to the degree that our governance helps to provide access to those necessary things, the better that government actually is. Additionally, we need to know as to whether or not our government plays favorites, which presupposes that by doing so, there are obviously those other people and entities that are unfavored.

 While governments are prone to stating that they as a government are only as good as the people that they govern, it is fairer to state, that what the people possess and the quality of their respective lives have an awful lot to do with the governance that they have to contend with, of which, the best governance isn’t necessarily that which governs least, but rather the best government is that which does its best to provide a level playing field, to be fair to all, and to lend a helping hand to those that need it most.

 When we take an honest look at our government, we want to believe that the laws as initiated and implemented are fair, necessary, applied correctly, and wise – for if the laws of the state are corrupted then the end result will be a corruption in which the connected few will have all the advantages and the many will not.  So too, a good government isn’t necessarily a representative government but rather is a government in which the people collectively have a true voice, as opposed to that governance selling the illusion that it answers to the people, when, in fact, it answers to a small cabal that have an undue influence upon it. 

 In sum, a good government is one that does its best to provide the people with the tools of the trade that will give those same people a fair opportunity to live a wholesome and valued life.  On the other hand, a bad government is that which seeks its own good for those that are its principal power brokers, at the expressed detriment of those that it governs, by cheating the people of opportunity, fairness, equality, and a pathway to a good life, by manipulating and controlling the population to its own preferred ends.

Tests, trials, and the overcoming by the Christ

People understand Christianity in different ways, of which, one of those ways is to recognize the great character of our Messiah, for this in the scheme of things, proves the mettle of the Man.  That is to say, as much as we want to believe that healing, proselytizing, and profound words of wisdom, are the marks of an astute and gifted man, that isn’t necessarily going to be enough to demonstrate that Jesus was the Messiah, for each of our lives are filled with important trials as well as temptations, in which, those that pass these specific tests are indeed great souls, deserving of our appreciation and admiration.

 In regards to Christ, He endured many trials, including the unjust trial that led to His crucifixion.  Yet, Christ would not bend to the laws of the land, or the injustice meted out to Him because this world is not the creator of souls and because it is not, it is not our master. Indeed, this world represents the opportunity for all that engage upon it, to prove themselves through the boiling cauldron of troubles and tests, of which, no greater test is there than the one that impinges upon the content of our character and has us risk what appears to be everything, represented by glorious life and of ignoble death.  Indeed, Christ faced that trial and did not bend, compromise, or diminish who and what He represented, because to do so, would give in to what was mistaken and wrong, which would be an abomination to His mission for all of us.

 So too, Christ was tempted with false flags and bad agents, subtly administered against Him by bad actors that desired to distract Christ from His mission, of which, these were real temptations, that would take down a lesser man, but did not take down Christ, because those of principle, who not only know the difference between right and wrong, but also have made it their solemn duty to always do right, will not relent from that which is superior to give in to that which is inferior, no matter how tempting such might be, on some level.

 In truth, Christ’s willingness to face trials and temptation without wavering, and without making a mistake, is the epitome of that which has surmounted those trials and temptations, demonstrating to all that have eyes to see, and ears to hear, that we are obligated to do our level best, when facing our own challenges in this life -- for those that subsequently fail their trials and temptations are the very same, that have done so to their own diminishment and shame.  Yet, Christ proves to us, that we need not hang our heads in shame because we have erred, but rather that we should be about our proper business, in the understanding, that we cannot and will not graduate to the level that we need to be on until we prove that we have the strength of character demonstrated by overcoming and thereby conquering our individual obstacles, so as to become a strong pillar in the temple of our Holy God.

Let there be Light

There are plenty of people who live lives of despair, desperation, hopelessness, and fear.  For these people, there appears to be no way out, but there is always a way out if we make it our point to search for the right way and thereupon to follow it, without ever meandering away from that pathway.  To live a life in the darkness of despair is not something we are ever compelled to do, for our free will provides us with the opportunity to replace that which is without light, with light, which should be our abiding desire to accomplish.

 So too, plenty of people somehow seem to wallow in their pain and misery, and thereupon express such to friends, acquaintances, and family, without having a real interest in seeing that this pain and misery should ever dissipate.  Those who will not turn to the light are the very same who prefer to live in the shadows, for they fear that leaving what they are familiar with, might perhaps be worse, or they are simply fearful of the unknown and thereupon take comfort in what they do know, even though it isn’t what they claim to desire or want.

 Those who continue doing the wrong things or doing nothing constructive about what has sadly occurred to them, which places them in a position of unhappiness and despair, are the very same, that will not ever generate the escape velocity to get to where they ought to be, because they don’t ever avail themselves of what they could lean upon to get to where they should be.  Those who prefer darkness are the same that seem to prefer isolation, for those who cannot see are the same who do not know that within the darkness that surrounds them, is always a light and the opportunity that comes with such that if turned on, will help free them from their misery.

 While it is good to share our pains and troubles with one another, it is better if, with that sharing, we decide that we will do something of meaningful substance with our lives, for those who will not put forth the effort to improve their condition, for whatever reason, are not doing their good part to become that which they could be, for without light, we stumble here and there, and thereby progress is made much more difficult to come by.

 Look, it has to be said, that berating oneself over one’s failures, perhaps has its place, but it’s not going to do much to improve a given situation without appropriate positive actions.  So then, rather, than beating ourselves with a figurative stick, or having someone else do that to us, we need to wake up and activate the light that will permit us to actually see and to change our perspective for when we do see the light, we become better able to not only take in our surroundings but also to understand what we need to do, because Light eliminates the darkness, and from there opportunity abounds.

We can’t all be rich

There are certain objectives that it is important for societies to try to achieve, of which, one of those objectives should be to provide for one another, the necessities of life, and further to the point, set the foundation for as many people as possible, to better achieve those necessities.  That which is necessary for life consists of liberty, freedom, employment, shelter, food, opportunity, education, healthcare, justice, and fairness.  This thus signifies that the governance of any society needs to prioritize the achievement of those very necessary things because without certain necessities of life, such as food and shelter, life, itself, becomes problematic and troubling.

 To live in a capitalist society is to live in a society where without proper government controls to ensure that there is a level playing field of fair and open competition, as well as appropriate taxation being imposed, lends itself to being a society that can easily tilt in which the very few have it all, at the overall expense of the many, thereby signifying that those very few will have an abundance of the wealth of everything that could ever be imagined and then some; yet, within, that very same society there would be plenty of people, that is, an underclass, that would be struggling to just have some fair portion of such.

 This would surely indicate that any sane society needs to get the proper perspective of what it is trying to accomplish for the greater good, of which, if it is believed, that the overarching objective is to see that all have fair access to a baseline of the necessities of life, than that governance needs to prioritize that, above all.  On the other hand, if such governance has been essentially co-opted by the richest and most powerful, then the end result in this modern age, is going to be something more akin to an aristocracy, because mega-corporations extract profits in the billions upon billions of dollars, and without proper taxation upon these corporations as well as proper taxation upon superrich individuals, then essentially as time goes on, more and more assets and monies will have been funneled and are going to continue to be funneled into those specific few entities, pretty much at the painful expense of those that don’t really have fair access to the necessities of life.

 Indeed, no matter how wealthy a given country is, not everyone can be rich; but, at the same time, everybody doesn’t need to be rich.  That is to say, at the end of the day, what makes for a good society is fair access to opportunity, as well as the comprehension that we must do our best to provide and to see that as many as possible have a seat at the table of opportunity, democracy, and a true voice to express their concerns, and when this is accomplished, society becomes a more caring and a more wholesome place, because where there is fairness and justice, there will not only be peace but also a lasting satisfaction that life is good.

American teeth and the selling of illusion

One of the things that people notice and thereby take for granted is how prominent American personalities, actors, and politicians invariably have great smiles.  Indeed, it is so commonplace to see these nice smiles, that we consider it routine that those who we watch on television will always have a very pleasing smile, which is why we are somewhat taken aback whenever we see a smile that does not measure up to being pearly white and straight.  This thus seems to be the American way, but what isn’t taken into consideration so much, is that not all those smiles represent teeth that are healthy, for Americans are prone to using veneers to cover over their real teeth, along with also utilizing chemicals to color their teeth to what appears to be an unnatural whiteness, that even the healthiest of teeth cannot accomplish on their own.  In other words, not all those with beautiful pearly whites, actually have healthy teeth, but apparently, that doesn’t matter so much, as it is the look that counts, above all.

 That said, there can be some obvious positives to seeing so many great smiles in the sense that it encourages people to take better care of their teeth by visiting and thereby utilizing a dentist or orthodontist, and developing therefore good oral care of one’s teeth.  Then again, there can be a serious problem for those people who desire to have the same sort of smile that starlets have, in which, the way that their teeth align or the mouth space that they have does not permit such – in addition to the fact that the usage of artificial chemicals to achieve unnatural whiteness could be damaging to the enamel of one’s teeth.  Also, there are plenty of people who don’t have the funds to do much about their teeth, not only because they can’t afford periodical dental visits, but further to the point they can’t afford orthodontics, as well, leading these people to feel that because they lack that perfect smile, they are somehow, lesser for it.  

 Therefore, when it comes to dental care, this country should on a very practical level do more to assure that those who are the most disadvantaged have the opportunity to at a minimum, get appropriate dental care, so that they, therefore, have a much better chance of being able to maintain their teeth, through the timely care of dentists to properly address dental cavities and periodontal disease, so that good dental health can be maintained, or at least, not made worse, through the inattention to these things.

 Indeed, not all that glitters is gold, and not every smile, no matter how good it might look, is a true reflection that the teeth are good and healthy, which is why America needs to concentrate far more on seeing that as many of its citizens have healthy teeth, and concentrate far less on artificial looks that people aspire to have, but aren’t either realistic to have, or aren’t actually good or healthy for one’s teeth.  This is why, good dental care, for all, should be an American priority, and leave the illusion of good teeth, to those that feel that they need such.

The need to return to the principles of our Declaration of Independence

The problem with any form of governance is that given enough time, those who should do right by the people that they are supposed to serve, instead concentrate on the favoring of the very few at the expense of the very many, which signifies that the very principles behind such a Declaration have essentially been both betrayed and bastardized which is indeed the case when it comes to the United States of America.

 One of the seminal issues that America suffers from is the fact that it has never truly lived up to its creed, that all humankind is created equal and has thereby inherent unalienable rights.  Indeed, as this country ages, it seems that the equality under the law that we should see in America, which ideally should not be any respecter of any person, but should be equally applied to all, clearly favors those that are the wealthiest, the best positioned, and the most powerful, which reflects that noble declaratory words or not, that this nation does quite poorly in living up to one of its foundational tenets.  So too, the very point of this governance, is not to prioritize above all else having the greatest military and policing force that the world has ever known, or to kowtow to artificial creations of the state, such as our behemoth mega profit-making corporations but rather this government’s primary purpose must be to defend and to protect our individual unalienable rights, above all.  Yet, those rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, amongst others of the same ilk, are consistently undercut by a government that insists on extracting from its people, that it is supposed to serve, for example, all actionable information about each of its citizens, mainly because that information is a form of invasive and intrusive power, which regrettably when utilized by that same governance is far too often done in a way and manner that infringes upon the people’s freedom and happiness.

 Additionally, governments have a habit of accruing onto themselves, more and more power, which signifies that the people, themselves, have less and less individual power.  While there might even be some valid reasons why a powerful government could be beneficial for the people, we find that the governance of this nation, far too often, uses that power clearly as an instrument to manipulate and to control the population to the satisfaction of those that are the true actuators of this government, thus circumventing the rights of the people, in service of often an unelected and all-consuming power.

 All of the above means that the dissatisfaction that so many citizens feel at present has everything to do with a government that is not in harmony with its own Declaration of Independence, as if today’s leaders, hidden or otherwise, know better, than those that risked it all back in the day, in the pursuit of that which they believed would be a beacon of liberating light not only for its own people but for the world, at large, demonstrating that the best government is that government which concentrates its energy and efforts upon defending the unalienable rights of its people, above all.

Prioritize your life

Not only do more of us need to comprehend the need to prioritize what we should or should not be doing with our lives, but more people need to actually spend time thinking about this very thing; for if we don’t understand how to use our time and serve our interests best, then we aren’t going to accomplish the important things that would make our lives more of value.

 To live in a material world in which so many of us get caught up in the various “rat races” that we feel that we need to be a part of makes it more difficult for us to step away from all that to understand better that perhaps that isn’t the race that we should be running or overly concerning ourselves about.  Indeed, to believe that the purpose of our life, is that we need to be forever competitive in the things that we do and try to accomplish, misunderstands that a better mindset is that which understands the value of collaboration, instead.

 So too, many of us consistently miss the forest for the trees, with our wrong devotion to material things and various achievements which serve to distract us from the understanding that what is most important in life is actually our relationships one to the other.  The mistake that so many of intelligence and talent make is to apply themselves diligently to what they feel that they must do, believing that more material assets or things of that ilk, will bring lasting happiness and joy, without properly comprehending that this pursuit is when looked at properly, a mirage, for in actuality, what we need to recognize is that life has far more meaning to it, other than the material things that we have accumulated, for in the end, that which we truly possess, is the goodness that we have passed on to one another, and no more.

 For all those who are fortunate to live a long and apparently fruitful life, who decide that in their late age that they wish to reflect upon their achievements and accomplishments, few truly believe that the money that they have stored up in the bank is somehow their greatest achievement.  Rather, what people innately appreciate more than anything, is their good relationships, and their fruitful interactions with one another, along also with taking the time for some solitude to relate to that which is their Creator, as opposed to regrets that they should have, for instance, spent more time away from family and friends in the pursuit of more money.

 Those then who prioritize their lives correctly are the very same, who understand well that we are all in this society, together, and that the objective of the exercise is to treat one another, as a good neighbor, which takes into account, that through our help one to another, we will collectively progress ever closer to the satisfaction that a life truly lived well, is a life that encompasses love, compassion, forgiveness, sacrifice, and fairness, of which, those that are true to those noble traits, are those that have prioritized their lives right.

Discover the pristine soul within

The illusion for those who believe in evolution is that there is this general belief that we evolve or progress our way into something better than we are at present.  While this seems to make sense, and perhaps creates some overriding purpose for those who people this earth, this isn’t the actual truth of the matter, at all.  Rather, the first order of business for everyone who is searching for meaning is to comprehend that we are not the body, but the body merely houses our soul.  So then, it follows as to whether or not the soul or our respective souls are evolving, which might seem logical, but is also a fallacy, for in actuality, those that advance themselves in the understanding of who and what they really are, and thereby apply their respective gifts for the betterment of those that they interact with, aren’t actually evolving, but rather to be fair, are unveiling and therefore revealing what they are in essence, by their valued willful and insightful actions.

 Indeed, when we recognize that God is the same today, yesterday, and forever tomorrow – this would presuppose that what God creates must follow suit to that which created its essence.  This thereby logically means that we are the same today, yesterday, and forever tomorrow, which while seeming to be a clear contradiction to all that is happening in this material plane is nevertheless true.  That is to say, the mistakes that we make, or the progress that we achieve, does not change the soul that is our actual essence, for basically every time that we accomplish good, we are essentially removing the fog from our mind, to comprehend that we were created good, and always have been good, but through the delusions and distortions of this world, have been unwittingly fooled as to our true being.

 All of the above signifies that our primary goal in life, should be to be true to who and what we are, which is the pristine soul within, completely in harmony with our Creator, of which, the purpose therefore of our experience here, is to express ourselves in a way and manner that is consistent with the good attributes of our Creator and those that do that very thing, are the same that are actualizing their true being, and therefore are not being false to any man or woman, for there is no higher good than to express truth, in all of its many aspects, because truth lives forever, whereas that which is in error, inevitably dies.

 We are, therefore, pristine souls, of which, so many of us, are deluded into believing that we are not complete, or that we are sinful, or that we are damaged, without seeming to recognize that behind the persona, behind what we perceive to be our identity, is our true identity, which is forever in keeping with all that is good and the sooner that we drop the façade that we are something that we are not, the sooner we will rediscover enlightenment, in which no darkness will remain within our being.

Sirah (Ecclesiasticus) 42: 21

We read in Sirah (Ecclesiasticus) 42: 21 the following: “He has set in order the splendors of his wisdom; He is from all eternity one and the same. Nothing can be added or taken away, and he needs no one to be his counselor.”  This thus signifies to all who have the eyes to read, and the ears to listen, that God is forever unchanging and thereby absolutely complete, along with God being the epitome of wisdom, that no entity can add to or subtract from.  That is to say, God is omniscient, and ever will be -- God is also our rock that has always existed and ever will exist, which all of us should take great comfort in knowing, for we live in a dimension that demonstrates to us, time and time again, injustice, falsehood, and discord, though some do their best to counteract such by their noble deeds and actions done for the betterment of humankind.

 For so many of us, it is hard to fathom what God truly represents, because we have a strong tendency to bring God down to our human understanding, and therefore to believe that God must have a temper, and must be vengeful from time to time, because of all the injustice and wrongs committed by people, over and over again.  So too, many people believe that God has a limit to what God will tolerate before God wreaks havoc upon those who do not listen and will not obey.  These wrongful beliefs persist because of our inability to see beyond our human emotions, and thereby our failure to understand that God is at that supreme level, that is difficult for humans to even come close to understanding, which is why, we as a people, need to spend more time listening to that still small voice within, to better comprehend, our true place in the scheme of things, and in the skeins of time.

 The fact that God is eternal, with therefore no beginning and no end, with wisdom that is perfect and always will be, should give us the greatest comfort that we could ever envision, because this signifies that as important as we might think that our society is, with all the things that are occurring in this dimension, this basically serves to demonstrate that our perspective is wildly out of proportion to what the reality of all that is, actually is.  This should provide us with real relief to know that all that we believe is so dire or that needs to be corrected in the here and now, or else terrible and tragic things will occur -- to understand better, that it will all ultimately be well.

 Indeed, humankind has a tendency to believe that they are the measure of all things, and seemingly the more advanced that we get, the more that we believe that this is right; whereas, what is lost through this egotistical and misdirected mindset is that the most important knowledge is that which comprehends that we are specially created incarnations of God, meant to not only do good one to another, through the appropriate usage of our free will but to seek and ultimately to re-find ourselves back in the loving bosom of God, for that is the sanctuary that ends all miseries and brings us everlasting peace, removing us therefore from all that would distract us from the eternal being of God.

God lacks nothing

Society needs to understand that God lacks nothing, and therefore, God has no desires at all. This must be true because if God had desires, or lacked this or lacked that, this would signify that God is not complete, and therefore, God is ever-changing, which is not the correct perspective of God. Indeed, God is the same today, yesterday, and forever, for God is ever complete, now and forevermore.

 When it comes to humans, this indicates that what we do or don’t do, is in the scheme of things, our responsibility and it is up to us, to do the right thing, or suffer the fair consequence of our bad acts.  That is to say, the point of our creation is to provide each of us with the opportunity to prove our mettle, and those who fail their tests, are provided the same opportunity, again and again, until we get it right, for that which cannot meet the standard of goodness, justice, consideration, kindness, and love precludes them from successfully re-uniting with that which is the be-all and end-all of all that is forever good.

 For instance, one of the characteristics that many humans seem to suffer from is a lack of humility, in which, when a given individual or team accomplishes good deeds or great acts, there is many a person that feels that they deserve an appropriate amount of accolades for what they have done on behalf of humanity.  A better perspective is to recognize that the more good deeds that we do for one another, the more that we have demonstrated our attunement with the good attributes of our God, for we are meant to be a reflection of that which created us, and the truer that we are to that which is eternally good, the better it will be for all that we interact with, day by day, which is therefore appreciation enough.

 This world is indeed a stage, or a proving ground, provided to each of us with the opportunity to do what we need to do for the glory of God by demonstrating in action our good acts one to another, through the exercise of our free will, properly applied.  There are indeed temptations presented to us, because the nature of the beast, is that we must be challenged, we must have obstacles, and we must have noble goals and objectives, that allow us to comprehend that what we think and do is a fair reflection of what we have done with the liberty so bestowed upon us.

 Whether or not we are successful in our life or not, depends upon many things, of which, not everything is in our control, but it is how we react to the vicissitudes of life that determines our success or failure to such.  Through it all, God is ever-watching the stage that all this is enacted upon, serene in the knowledge that however it comes out, it will, in the end, be well, for no matter how dark the day or night may appear now to be, there will always be Light.

Peace without God

There are all sorts of things that are possible or conceivable, but one of those things that isn’t ever going to be possible is lasting peace without God at the forefront of such.  Those that truly believe that humankind will be able to bring true peace on earth, without being in conformance with God’s Commandments are those that are hopelessly lost.  To believe that somehow humankind’s wisdom without enlightenment from God and adherence, so of, is ever going to be good enough to bring any lasting peace to humanity and society, is the very reason why this world is for so many people, a living hell and unjust.

 While it is true, that history is replete with wars fought on religious grounds, this does not indicate that religion is wrong, though how certain people and principalities express that religion can definitely be wrong, but is more akin to the sinfulness of believing that those that misunderstand and misconstrue God are somehow going to be on the right side of justice, love, and mercy, which signifies that they have gotten it fundamentally wrong.

 So too, those who are so enamored and caught up in this world, believing somehow, that humankind is the master of its own fate, and that it is those who are on the cutting edge of this and of that, are going to through their advancements and insight bring forth peace and prosperity for all, without bothering to acknowledge the importance that consideration and fair play one to another, is the basis of true friendship and understanding, are those that are on the wrong pathway, for the most important knowledge, is the knowledge of who and what we really are.

 Additionally, those who believe that lasting peace and justice do come through the barrel of a gun, are the same who can’t understand or comprehend the hypocrisy of such a belief, for those who live by the sword are the very same that will die from such.  Rather, lasting peace can only be birthed from lasting justice, and justice must consist of such being no respecter of humankind, for we are all in this world together, of which, none are above the law, but rather all are subject to the very same law, equally applied, without exception.

 To find peace without the understanding of God, is not possible, for God is the light of our conscience, and without that necessary light, we see dimly and what we see is distorted, making it difficult for us to find our way, of which, we need to be on that one specific pathway to get to the only destination that really matters, of which, when we arrive at where we are supposed to be, we will not only be in a dimension of everlasting peace, but we will also know for a certainty this is the way that it was always meant to be. 

 Indeed, those who resist, ignore, or forsake God, have made a very poor choice, of which, that very decision is the same that will not ever provide them with everlasting justice or peace.

Eve’s disobedience and Mary’s obedience

It would seem that just about everybody, believer or not, Christian or not, is familiar with the story of Eve and Mary.  The difference between the two women can be summed up in the difference between that which is disobedient and that which is obedient.  To be disobedient is a choice, freely provided to us by God, of which, while we are free-will individuals, there are obviously consequences for making decisions that we have been warned about, and then thereby choosing to ignore such a warning, which is exactly what happened when it came to Eve.  Eve was told not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil, but that is exactly what she ended up doing, of which, as a consequence of that action, humankind suffered.  On the other hand, Mary was told not to fear God, and that she was to be gifted with the honor of bringing forth our Savior, of which, Mary was chosen not only because of her impeccable behavior and mindset, but also because Mary consented to being chosen, thereby demonstrating the righteousness of obedience to God, and delivering those from their previous error onto the pathway of ultimate salvation.

 The lesson to be learned from the above is that though God does not control us, and has truly provided us with free will, it is though up to us, as to whether we will utilize the gifts so bestowed upon us, for the betterment of our fellow compatriots, or whether we will ignore such, to serve our own self-serving interests, along with making the mistake of deliberating forsaking God’s word, to surrender ourselves into wrongful temptation, and thereby to suffer the consequences for removing ourselves from the sanctuary of God’s goodness and grace.

 Indeed, everything that we think, do, and say, has consequences, for that is the way that this material world has been constructed.  Those then that insist that they must have their way, and know for a certainty, the difference between right and wrong, in addition to obedience and disobedience, but insist upon doing what they desire to do, nevertheless, are going to fairly pay the price for sinful disobedience, for God will never be mocked, because God is not only love, but God is also justice, and that which is wrong, must somehow be bent back to where it becomes right, again; which is why whenever there is a failure, there must in the skein of time, be a subsequent success, in order to thereby get back to not only the way that things were but the way that things must be.

 We are brought into this world, to learn our lessons, and to thereby apply successfully those lessons so learned, day after day, and thereby each of us will be tempted, and tempted again and again.  Those then that do the right thing, are those that are obedient, and those that do not, are disobedient, and the twain shall never meet, until that time that disobedience not only recognizes the error of its ways, but corrects such, until the end of time.

Evolutionary theory is fundamentally flawed

We find that evolution is taught in schools to promote the belief that humankind has evolved from apes, but this theory is not only fundamentally flawed but also it is incorrect. While it might well be convenient for the powers that be to proselytize that humankind is on a pathway to ever-increasing development, of which, at some point, it is presupposed, we will have evolved into something fantastic, that isn’t true, either, and never has been and never will be. 

 The reason why evolution is fundamentally flawed is the mistaken belief held by those in authority that human beings, as a people, are ever evolving into something bigger, better, and more efficient, which is not only belied by the history of humankind but is at loggerheads with the concept that our Creator, is somehow not the same, today, yesterday, and tomorrow.  In other words, the truth of the matter is that God is not evolving, which presupposes that whatever God creates, while perhaps subject to some physical change or evolution, is not in its essence, ever to evolve; thereby signifying that we as humans are already complete in our creation, and of which it is our solemn duty to come to the cognition of who and what we really are – signifying that those that see no more than the physical, have bought into the façade that we are only our visible manifestation, while negating or ignoring that we are incarnated beings, beyond birth and death, at our core.

 All those who spend an inordinate amount of time, believing that they, in conjunction with scientists and other innovators, can create in this world, some sort of superhuman race, are not only misguided but have demonstrated the misapplication of their intellect into an area in which there isn’t any good purpose, behind it.  Indeed, some people and institutions are absolutely hellbent on doing all they can to extend physical life and to push the evolutionary envelope in the direction that they believe it is destined to be, without understanding that their efforts will always be in vain.

 In actuality, humankind is complete in its creation, because within each human being, is the indestructible eternal soul that is the actual identity of that person.  Because we are eternal, this signifies that birth and death, as seen in this world, are constructs of this dimension, provided to us as a means to express ourselves in a way that is in conformance with the goodness of God.  This means that those who make it their point to concentrate upon the physical as the be-all and end-all of our existence, in a hopeless quest to extend or evolve life, have engaged themselves in an endless repetitive cycle that will not produce anything of merit or substance, whatsoever.

 There are indeed many challenges for humankind on this planet, but none of them have to do with evolution, as humankind understands such, but rather the challenges for humankind really come down to lifting their self-imposed veil which precludes them from understanding who and what they really are, to take in instead the liberating truth of their being, for there are none so blind as those that will not see.

Perspective on Who We Are

It is difficult to make progress in this material world if we don’t take the time or the consideration to ponder who and what we really are, at our core.  That is to say, those who will not devote the resources to discover that which is the actuator of their very being, haven’t made a wise decision.  Indeed, we find that different religions describe the essence of humankind in different ways, emphasizing, for example, that this life is a life of illusion with a misunderstanding oftentimes by those who have incarnated here as to what is real and what is unreal.  Then some describe humankind as often being in the throes of ignorance, of thereby not understanding who they actually are, and because of that misunderstanding, typically prioritizing the wrong things to their ultimate regret.  Further, some see humankind as in a state of fall, of having thereby turned their back upon God, and therefore are sinful creatures, never seeming to realize that all that God creates is good because God is the ultimate good.  Finally, some believe that humankind is in a state of rebellion, of purposely and therefore consciously fighting against God’s good laws, as if their way is somehow ever going to be the better way.  In all of these, humankind, has its own self to blame, for within each of us, and through the wisdom of the ages, is everything that we need to enlighten us, and thereby provide us with the pathway to return to where we are meant to be.

 It is disappointing that we find so many people, especially those who are doing quite well, that enjoy the creature comforts of this world to the exclusion of understanding their true purpose, and thereby appreciate their many benefits, seeing these things essentially as being superior and more real than the Creator of it all. Additionally, these people who are so enamored with this world, or caught up in it, don’t seem to recognize through their ignorance that the better perspective of this material experience, is that this is a testing ground, meant for us to take the good gifts of God and to exercise them faithfully for the betterment of those that we interact with, day by day, above all else

 So too, some spend an inordinate amount of time beating themselves up about how sinful they are without seeming to recognize that how sinful or good we are has everything to do with our freedom to do the right or wrong thing, of which, the more we dedicate ourselves to doing the right thing and focus exclusively on such, the sooner we will get to the only destination that matters. 

 Then there are those others who have rebelled against God and have continued with their rebellion, without seeming to understand that their way is not ever going to be the right way and that therefore they won’t ever make forward progress, for as long as they continue upon the path of rebellion, they are doing so to their own perdition  Yet, for all those who suffer from their lack of understanding of who and what they really are, there is for each of them, an avenue that will put things right, and the sooner they understand who they are, and live to that duty therewith, the better it will be for them.

The need for clothes

We live in inflationary times, but one of those items, that has consistently not been hurt by inflation is clothing, which remains quite affordable, and that is indeed a very good thing because society demands that we wear clothes, not only for the basic reason that clothes protect us from the elements but that they also provide us with necessary functionality by having, for instance, pockets, while serving to protect our privacy because we are wearing clothes, thereby not displaying certain body parts which are considered to be not only bad form to do so in public, but can if so exposed to others, be considered to be a crime.

 Another salient reason why people need to wear clothes has got to do with the fact that never has there been so many very old people in society, but also never have there been so many people that are quite overweight, of which, these people are typically not going to have the physical look that would appeal to many. They may be seen, in fact, as having bodies that necessitate that they wear clothing because their look does not measure up well to societal expectations and norms.

 So too, the thing about clothes is that clothing can do a stellar job in bringing out our best features as well as doing an excellent job in disguising well those features that we don’t favor.   Clothes play a very important role in allowing us to be ourselves, and to be about our business, without being unnecessarily noticed, by basically serving the good purpose of allowing us to blend in with society and the general clothing rules of that society, by following those rules, which permits us to adhere to society norms, better.

 Indeed, while we have been taught not to judge a book by its cover, the truth of the matter is that many people do exactly that, which is one of the reasons why certain people are especially diligent in the selection and the wearing of their clothing, because they are trying to put forth a certain image, and the right clothing can do that quite well for them.  We do so find then that there actually is a reasonable consistency in the character of the person as displayed through their clothing with the overall look that they present, thereby providing people with a fair window as to who and what they really are, even without knowing that person.

 Additionally, never have there been so many options for the clothing that we choose to wear, which is indicative that by having the freedom to wear the clothes that we do wear, we are, in a certain sense, expressing our freedom to do so, which is, believe it or not, something that has not historically been true, not only because society norms have previously limited the choice of the clothing so worn, but also because the availability of certain clothes wasn’t nearly as vast as is represented today.

 In sum, we need clothes, not only because clothes cover our body or expose such to our satisfaction, but also because they provide us with the utility that those clothes typically represent, thereby permitting us to present ourselves to the general public, in a way and form, that conforms with our identity.

The strange phenomena of unemployment

The main problem with unemployment is the fact that in good times or bad, there always seem to be those who are unemployed as well as those who have essentially given up on finding work, who aren’t even counted per governmental statistics regarding unemployment as unemployed but are seen instead as discouraged workers, which seems like a semantical way for the government to portray unemployment at a lower level than what it truly is. 

 It would be one thing if unemployment represented the fact that everything that this nation needs concerning such salient things such as infrastructure, teaching, healthcare, and so on, was essentially at the level in which no further work or employment was needed as all these activities were thus operating at full efficiency and had no room for improvement, along with being additionally staffed sufficiently for maintenance and other purposes.  Yet, when we take even the most cursory look at America’s decaying infrastructure, the state of its education, and of its healthcare, all of these areas of interest, are not even close to being at full efficiency, which begs the question as of why this nation isn’t setting up various Job Corps institutions to address these vital needs.

 It has to be acknowledged that every time and every day, in which, those who are unemployed are basically just sitting at home, or are up to no good or similar, thereby signifying that work that could be done for the betterment of society, is not being done, that this doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.  The thing about work is not only does it keep those that are employed busy, but it also provides those people working with income as well as the satisfaction that they are accomplishing tasks which are of merit; whereas, for those that are unemployed, the very fact that they are unemployed not only feels and seems to be debilitating for them, but it also makes them to typically feel that they are not of value.

 Indeed, this nation should take unemployment much more seriously, and do more to address such, by creating programs that will not only help in those areas in which labor is necessary to correct such, but will also give purpose to more people that essentially are living lives of no purpose.  Further to the point, the more people who are unemployed or have to rely on governmental handouts to survive, places therefore more weight upon those who are employed to carry these non-performers day after day after day.

 In sum, from a citizen's perspective, it is always disappointing to see that our roads and other infrastructure which definitely need to be repaired or upgraded, of which, the repairing or replacement of such, appears to be of a low priority,  doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, especially when there are plenty of people as well as the necessary materials to address these issues, available.  Indeed, to pay in one form or another a stipend or its equivalency to those who don’t work, when they are capable of working, appears to be misguided, and seems to be out of sorts with the fact that there are notable tasks to be addressed, which require the labor from those that are currently unemployed.

Airlines and their padded arrival time

Airlines are in the transportation business, the same as trucks, trains, busses, and the like, of which, travelers have a known time when they need to be at the airport gate, and are given a known time of when they will be scheduled to arrive at their destination.  The thing about airline travel is that airlines are permitted to “pad” their arrival time, so that they can add extra minutes onto their arrival time, to take in various contingencies, fairly or not, which thereupon allows these same airlines to brag about their on-time arrival performance, and/or to impress flight passengers that despite leaving late, for instance, that the plane arrived early at its destination.

 None of the above is truly fair to passengers, because, in short, arrival times have been “gamed” by the airlines. Quite frankly this should be better regulated, so that there is a firm and fixed rule that airlines must adhere to, when calculating their arrival time, as opposed to different airlines, padding their arrival time, by different amounts.  The bottom line is that people who travel, want to know the true scheduled time that they will most likely arrive at their destination, and because passengers are required to adhere to the airline’s rules for an on-time departure, of which, the failure of passengers to do so, results in them often missing their flight, it would seem only reasonable that airlines should have to honestly display their true arrival time, without an excessive amount of fudging or just plain deception.

 The most annoying thing about flights supposedly arriving early or on time, is the apparent pride displayed by the pilot, as if, that pilot through their particular skillset somehow was able to get the airline that departed late to get to its destination on time, after all.  In truth, though, the airline has padded the arrival time so much that departing from the gate at a time even reasonably close to its scheduled departure time does readily make for an on-time arrival.  Indeed, it would be one thing if pilots actually sped the plane up to a higher speed or took a faster route to arrive at the destination sooner, but that isn’t typically the case, though it seems to be what pilots are implying when they insinuate it was their piloting that permitted the plane to arrive on-time or to be early.

 In sum, this type of gamesmanship by the airline industry should be regulated out of existence, or, if not, there should be full disclosure to all passengers, that the arrival times for airlines have been padded, and it should be clearly displayed how much they have been padded, because as it stands right now, the arrival times are deceptively longer than they should be, basically because airlines want to improve their on-time arrivals to make it seem as if they really are on time, when in actuality, by any real measure of the tape, they aren’t nearly as good at arriving on time as they claim to be.

Standalone ATMs and opportunity theft

The Automated Teller Machine (ATM) has been around since the 1960s, in which, just the concept of having a cash machine, that functions without a human operator, and spits out cash to those with the appropriate ATM credentials, seems both genius and revolutionary because there are plenty of people that just want to get access to cash at all hours of the day, and they don’t want to go through the trouble of having to enter into the bank to do that, of which, ATMs have successfully resolved that problem for them.

 The salient issue though with ATMs, is that for decades upon decades, banking institutions have been a target for thieves, because as it has been said, ”that's where the money is.”   Indeed, when it comes to ATMs, those machines can be filled up with $100,000 in cash, so there is plenty of money to be got, by those that have the intention to do so.  Further to the point, the most vulnerable ATMs are never going to be those that are part and parcel of a bank building which typically is pretty secure as well as being quite visible, but rather it is going to be those ATMs that are standalone, in which, all four sides of that ATM are exposed to the outside, and of which, their location is typically more isolated than an actual bank.

 So too, physical banks are not only more secure but may also engage outside security to watch their bank; whereas, we find that standalone ATMs aren’t going to have that same sort of attention, because of the cost of monitoring standalone ATMs with physical security is just going to be prohibitive, which indicates that whatever security devices that there are on a given standalone ATM, will have to be sufficient to stop criminal activity – thus signifying that those that are intent with the tampering of a standalone ATM are provided with the opportunity to study their target and come up with a plan of attack, or multiple plans because the ATM is not only in plain sight but also because ATMs are designed in a way that people in the know, have the definite capability of compromising those machines.

 The one thing about America is that there are plenty of people who aren’t really interested in working for a living, but would rather figure out a way to get money or its equivalency by whatever means works for them. When it comes to ATMs, they recognize that ATMs will dispense cash, again and again, as long as the ATM card has the right credentials to convince the machine that all is right.  This signifies that opportunistic criminals have multiple ways to try to fool an ATM, of which, they know that there is no human presence to observe them, but only a camera embedded in the machine, which thus provides them with a fair amount of time to ply their trade.

 Indeed, the convenience of ATMs is a great benefit to the general public, who can thus withdraw cash at any time of the day or night, but the fact that these are machines, that contain a lot of cash, provides a constant temptation for those that wish to find a way to exploit such to their own benefit

The hyphenated last name

There was a time not so long ago, that when it came to marriage, the female of that marriage, would give up her last name and replace such with her husband’s last name.  Nowadays, while we see that this is still fairly commonly done, there are plenty of people that do marry, that instead either maintain their own last name or add their spouse’s last name to theirs, with or without a hyphen, though typically a hyphen is used.  So then, a fair amount of children have a hyphenated last name, which comes across as looking fairly normal and fits within the conventions of the day.  However, the problem with a hyphenated last name is when that child decides that they desire to get married and further to the point, to have children, we find that because a last name can only be so long before it gets rather cumbersome, and that virtually everyone agrees that a hyphenated last name should consist of just two names with only one hyphen, this becomes the crux of the problem because those with hyphenated last names are going to have to be creative when it comes to combining their name with their spouse, of which, decisions and compromises are going to have to be made.

 One could argue that the creativity in combining a hyphenated last name of what to keep and what to delete might even sound fun. Still, it has to be remembered, that many people desire to follow in the footsteps of their family tree and when there seems to be an abrupt change in the last name convention, it makes that family tree look out of sorts.  So too, there are those people who are pretty adamant that their last name must continue within family generations, and when two people believe in that same thing, it just makes the decision of what last names to keep and what to delete or modify, all the more difficult.  So too, when it comes to hyphenated last names, there are only so many syllables that other people will tolerate before they decide that they might address you in a way and manner in which part of your last name is truncated.

 All of the above indicates that naming conventions have their good and bad points, in which, as long as people are sensible, it can be worked out, but not everyone is sensible, and there are many a person who will argue and fight over things of far less importance than a last name, so when it comes to the naming convention of those that are getting married or of those that have a hyphenated last name already and are getting married, things can get out of control, especially in consideration that there isn’t really a fixed standard way that last names are combined, or hyphenated names are uncombined.  This thus signifies that to a certain degree, how people who are getting married go about deciding what to do or not do about their different last names, may foreshadow how that relationship will or will not work out, because compromise and consideration are always desired attributes for a healthy relationship.