HAPPINESS

WHAT IS HAPPINESS?

From positivepsychology.com -- happiness is the state of feeling or showing pleasure or contentment. ... Happiness is equated with feeling pleasure or contentment, meaning that happiness is not to be confused with joy, ecstasy, bliss, or other more intense feelings.     Apr 15, 2020

From Wikipedia  --  The term happiness is used in the context of mental or emotional states, including positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. It is also used in the context of life satisfaction, subjective well-being, eudaimonia, flourishing and well-being.

Overlook the fact that, in part, these two quotes contradict each other and focus on what it is that you think constitutes happiness...

• Some believe happiness is achieved with money
• Some believe that happiness is achieved with power
• Some believe that happiness is achieved with ownership of assets
• Some believe that happiness is achieved with a strong faith
• Some believe that happiness is achieved with peace of mind

Given all these differences, one can now easily see why our FOUNDING FATHERS said that our government should focus on THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS...

SO...  the question now becomes does our government give every citizen an EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TO PURSUE?

My pursuit of HAPPINESS is going to be different from your pursuit of HAPPINESS because our physical, mental, and personality limitations are DIFFERENT...  and, they are different because we were not born EQUALLY nor is all our DNA equal which is another reason we are different.  AND...  our differences are compounded with our geographical location and by our birth parents who may or may not be willing to help us with our pursuit of happiness.

SO...  WE AGAIN RELY ON OUR GOVERNMENT...

Government is not our parent nor should it be our parent but some would have us believe that Government SHOULD/MUST be our parent in order to achieve some level of EQUALITY FOR ALL.

Personally, I am not as financially well off as my parents were (both are dead now) and my pursuit of happiness was very much different from their pursuit of happiness and the direction in which they tried to push me.

OUR GOVERNMENT had nothing to do with the choices I MADE and will continue to make until I too am DEAD.

BUT, I was not born in a ghetto...   and unfortunately, I am white...   and, I wonder if my pursuit of happiness and personality would have been different if I were black and born in the ghetto...   but, my wondering is irrelevant because no matter how much I wonder, it will never change who I am and who I have become.

Why do some overcome their handicaps and others do not?

Answering this question is exactly why we will never be equal in America...

All Men (and women) Are Created Equal

From the DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE...

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their 

Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of 

Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just 

powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes 

destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new 

Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to 

them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness...

While these words are beautifully articulated, they are nonetheless MISLEADING...  because all men (including women) are actually not equal when looking at the details of each individual life.

• Some are intellectually smarter than others
• Some  have better physical abilities than others
• Some are more musically/artistically gifted than others
• Some are better looking than others
• Some are taller than others
• Some have better eyesight than others
• Some are more motivated than others

SO...  our CREATOR does not create all human beings equal because our DNA to a large degree dictates the kind of person we will be...  and, this also presupposes that everyone believes in a CREATOR and we know that many people, especially in the USA do not believe in a CREATOR...

Therefore, the statement is misleading.

HOWEVER,

every person who is born in the USA and I suppose all those who have become citizens of the USA are entitled AS CITIZENS to be guaranteed LIFE...  LIBERTY...   and, to pursue HAPPINESS...  and this RIGHT is NOT PREDICATED upon EQUALITY.

TO THIS END...  let me also state that LIFE and LIBERTY is pretty much a NO BRAINER for everyone living in the USA...  but,

the pursuit of HAPPINESS is ILLUSIVE at best and cannot really be guaranteed by OUR GOVERNMENT even though the DEMOCRATS believe that our government can guarantee happiness with their first objective being:  MAKE EVERYONE EQUAL FINANCIALLY...

This philosophy is as ridiculous as it it stupid...             more later...

America is Just Plain FAT and getting FATTER

        

Obesity is a common, serious, and costly disease

1. The prevalence of obesity was 42.4% in 2017~2018. [Read CDC National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) data brief]
2. From 1999–2000 through 2017–2018, the prevalence of obesity increased from 30.5% to 42.4%, and the prevalence of severe obesity increased from 4.7% to 9.2%. [Read CDC NCHS data brief]
3. Obesity-related conditions include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer that are some of the leading causes of preventable, premature death. [Read guidelinesexternal icon]
4. The estimated annual medical cost of obesity in the United States was $147 billion in 2008 US dollars; the medical cost for people who have obesity was $1,429 higher than those of normal weight. [Read paperexternal icon]
5. Obesity affects some groups more than others[Read CDC National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) data brief]  
6. Non-Hispanic blacks (49.6%) had the highest age-adjusted prevalence of obesity, followed by Hispanics (44.8%), non-Hispanic whites (42.2%) and non-Hispanic Asians (17.4%).  
7. The prevalence of obesity was 40.0% among young adults aged 20 to 39 years, 44.8% among middle-aged adults aged 40 to 59 years, and 42.8% among adults aged 60 and older.  
8. Obesity and socioeconomic status [Read the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)]

Obesity Facts:

• Overall, men and women with college degrees had lower obesity prevalence compared with those with less education.
• By race/ethnicity, the same obesity and education pattern was seen among non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, and Hispanic women, and also among non-Hispanic white men, although the differences were not all statistically significant. 
• Among men, obesity prevalence was lower in the lowest and highest income groups compared with the middle income group. 
• Among women, obesity prevalence was lower in the highest income group than in the middle and lowest income groups.   SOURCE:  CDC.GOV June 2020

IN SHORT... AMERICA IS FAT: OVERWEIGHT AND OBESE

I am 72 years old and did not find myself overweight until I was 60 years old and realized after having being diagnosed with cancer had been inactive for many years.  My weight steadily increased whether I exercised or not because of all the steroids that I was taking to fight my cancer.  Today, I have lost 25 pounds of the extra weight gained by counting my daily intake of calories and making sure that I eat less that 2,000/day with the understanding that if I each 2400 calories one day, that the next day I only eat 1600 to balance it out.

BUT, what bothers me more than anything else is the fact that most teenagers are obese and that adults in their 20's, 30's, 40's are obese as well.  I can understand how one puts on weight, due to inactivity when they are in their 50's and 60's and 70's but it makes no sense for young people to be FAT.

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS?

• the individual
• the doctors
• the government
• the restaurants
• the advertisers

The situation is made worse when a FAT PERSON consumes ALCOHOL and/or ILLEGAL DRUGS...

Pickup Truck Drivers Are All Road Bullies

GENERALIZATIONS:  

1. all pickup truck drivers are short in stature
2. all pickup truck drivers work in low wages jobs
3. all pickup truck drivers are white males
4. all pickup truck drivers are uneducated
5. all pickup truck drivers are conservative because liberal bullies drive SUV's

I have never owned a pickup truck and never wanted to own a pickup truck and the bigger the pickup truck the more of an idiot driver there is behind the wheel.

The first issue that bothers me about pickup trucks (and this goes for SUV's as well) is when the damn vehicles are in front of you, especially on city roads, you cannot see around the damn things making it a tad unsafe and usually forces me to move over into another lane, in order to see what's ahead of me on the road.

The second issue that bothers me about pickup trucks is that they always have to back into a parking place and for the inexperienced pickup truck driver, this could take 3-5 attempts making sure it is squared up correctly.  In those lots where two cars are parked in a column, large pickup truck typically take up both spaces because they are so frigging long.

BUT, my main complaint is driving on the INTERSTATE and I can be in the fast lane driving at 80 mph trying to get around an 18 wheeler when a pickup up truck will pull right up on my ass and flash their lights for me to move over, knowing that there is no frigging place for me to move over to until I get around the 18 wheeler.

In short, they are trying to force me to drive faster than I want to drive because they are impatient.  AND, there is never a cop around when this kind of shit happens.

Typically, I decide to slow down and take my time getting around the 18 wheeler...   I mean after all, I have handicapped plates on the back of my vehicle.

There should be a special lane just for these pickup truck driving assholes!!!

Married But Alone

In 1990 (30 years ago), I relocated from the Piedmont of NC to the TN Valley of East TN and in so doing forfeited my network of support in NC...  and, over the last 30 years, my personality, behavior, and comments have prevented me from developing a network of support here in TN, virtually leaving me with no one but my wife for support.  However, that lone support has not really been there because my wife recently told me as well as others (at Church) that she should have left me years ago...  yet, she has remained so one can just imagine how much support I get there.  Recently, she has been forced to take care of me which I can just imagine all the negative thoughts that are going through her mind as she blames me for what she has to do FOR ME.

Compounding what is going on with me and around me in East TN, is the fact that my younger brother never reaches out to me to see how I am doing; my daughter (from a previous marriage) never reaches out to me to see how I am doing, and my sister has made it clear that she no longer wants to communicate with me.

Like Jimmy Buffet said in one of his songs, "Yes, it is my fault..."  And, while that is true for me, once that sentiment has been set into motion, NO ONE on the other side is ever willing to believe that things might one day be different...  so, nothing changes and nothing will ever change to repair those feelings and actions.

Once these people STOP dealing with you, they will NEVER make an attempt to see if they should change their behavior and/or actions.

THEREFORE, I must live with this situation (that I alone created) for the rest of my life...   which in my situation may not be that long because of my age and because old folks die quicker when they are not immersed inside a network of support with family and friends.

I doubt if too many people want to end their lives like this....

THIS and THAT

JULY 2020 Passing

This is the first time that I have been able to sit out on my back screened-in porch for several weeks as the temps and humidity and sunshine have prevented me from doing so; but today, it is relatively mild in terms of temps, there is a slight breeze, clouds in the sky from previous or anticipated rain, and the sun, like friends, seldom appears.  Actually, that is not fair because I have made a point over my lifetime to limit my friends and it appears that those few are now gone....   My fault...   My bad...  (hate that expression).

So, what about JULY 2020 that makes it so memorable?

Nothing other than the fact that I spent 6 days in HOSPITAL LOCKUP because of what doctors are now suspecting was a frigging bug bite that was scratched by me and got infected and because of my low immunity traveled throughout my body and raised a little HELL inside.

When my wife finally took me to the ER because of a day long 103 degree temperature, I was wobbly on my feet and needed a wheel chair, but got into the ER just in time because my blood pressure was 79/59, I was experience afib, heart/kidney failure, and was in sepsis and later was told that had we delayed our arrival by too much longer, I may have DIED...  however, my body responded well and after those 6 days, I was released...  but, with the understanding that my wife administer IV antibiotics (via a PICC line) 3 times a day until August 11, 2020.

The constant infusion of antibiotics cause me to experience fatigue, nausea, general apathy, loss of appetite, constantly feeling BLAH all day long unless I am sleeping which I do a lot nowadays.

However, I have managed to daily maintain my 4 blogs and watch FOX NEWS that leaves me with an elderly concern that we have some serious issues going on in our country and because of these serious issues, it is my belief, that our country has become NO BETTER than any other country in the world when it comes to its leaders and to its citizens.

AMERICANS were once a proud, highly respected, and admired people by everyone in the world because of our abilities, actions, behavior,  and how above all else, we were UNITED.  Unfortunately, this is no longer the case.

AMERICA IS SERIOUSLY DIVIDED along the lines of:

• Politics
• Race
• Gender
• Law Enforcement
• Judicial
• Wealth

We no longer treat each other with respect therefore we get no respect in return.  We can no longer believe in and/or trust our elected officials, nor the police or other law enforcement agencies.  Mainstream Media has decided to take the side of the LIBERALS therefore we can no longer expect FAIR & BALANCED reporting but only that which supports the Liberal Agenda....  and, when the MEDIA starts censoring the NEWS then DEMOCRACY begins to fail.

WITHOUT A TWO PARTY SYSTEM, only one side will control and the the TRUTH will be that which that one side says it is....

This, in my opinion, is a dangerous place to be.

Another issue that is of concern to me is the fact that ALL MEDIA OUTLETS are editorializing the news rather than just reporting it.

MY RESPECT for members of Congress has substantially been diminished because of the biased attacks of Liberal Democrats and the angry Republicans who are now starting to fight back.

WHERE IS THIS LEADING US?

What will CONGRESS accomplish FOR US when they act like that?      NOTHING!!!

All Creatures Great and Small

FREE Education for ALL

What a great idea!!!

However, not everyone has the mental ability to be in college where either they are just not that smart or they are smart but did not take the foundation knowledge in high school seriously.

But,

that will not stop colleges and universities from watering down their Syllabi making it really easy for everyone to PASS.

STILL...

that is still not going to be the biggest obstacle...

If the number of students in college doubled and all of them graduated...  well, where are all the COLLEGE GRADUATE JOBS?

They are simply NOT THERE.

Business and Industry has a management to worker ratio that only allows for so many college graduates...  plus, if all these new college graduates are only going after MANAGEMENT jobs, then who is going to do the WORKERS jobs?

Even For The Stupid...

Typically, there is a 1:20 ratio of management to labor and sometimes that ratio is higher and sometimes, like in CALL CENTERS that ratio might be lower.

SO...  if a company has 1000 employees, it on needs 50 managers/supervisors...  but, instead of the typical 150 management applications, this company because of FREE EDUCATION now receives 300 applications for 50 positions...

Then, who will get seriously considered?

Not just those who made all "As" and "Bs" but those who can demonstrate that they retained the knowledge not just made the high grade.

Most of the smaller Colleges and Universities who are going to be the recipients of all these new college students (and not Harvard, Yale, Princeton, MIT) do not have their curriculum designed to retained knowledge but to simply pass the course or make the high grade.

FREE EDUCATION is going to result in a lot of college graduates working in hourly jobs that are not necessarily commensurate with their level of new education.

If you think you are that smart, then logically think this through YOURSELF.

INTERMISSION IX

America's Ultimate Power

First of all, which America are we talking about?

We have several Americas, like:

• North America
• Central America
• South America
• United States of America

Each one of these places can refer to themselves as Americans....

In this particular case, we are talking about the United States of America.

So, what is America's Ultimate Power?

It's her PEOPLE.

Population of USA (America) is 328,000,000 + and increasing

Growth Rate    72%

11.6 births/1000

8.9 deaths/1000

Birth Rate by Ethnic Group (2020)

1. Hawaiians 
2. Hispanics
3. Blacks
4. Native Americans/Native Alaskans
5. Whites
6. Asians

Americans elect politicians to office:  President, Members of Congress, Governors, Mayors, State Senators and Congress people

Americans can elect Democrats

Americans can elect Republicans

Americans can elect Independents

Americans can elect Socialists

Americans can elect Communists

Americans can vote themselves out of a DEMOCRACY if they want...

Americans have the POWER, but cannot seem to UNITE for one approach...

UNITED WE STAND

DIVIDED WE FALL

American Racism Will Never End

HATRED EXISTS ON BOTH SIDES...

HOWEVER, I believe that American Blacks hate American Whites MORE because of the history of Slavery in the US of A.   And, not just the concept of slavery, but the fact the ENTIRE US of A was based on the DREAM of our FOUNDING FATHERS who owned SLAVES.

Our War of Independence from Great Britain was waged by Slave Owners
The US Constitution was written by Slave Owners
The Bill of Rights was written by Slave Owners

HOW CAN THE BLACKS NOT HATE THE WHITES?

If our Federal Government made it possible for every BLACK FAMILY to be given  $150,000/year for the rest of their lives, that MONEY WOULD NOT ERASE SLAVERY...

IN FACT, nothing will erase Slavery in the minds of the American Blacks or so it seems to an American White.

When my wife and I age 67 & 72 respectively, pass a group of American Blacks in Knoxville, New York City, Myrtle Beach, Destin, or Las Vegas, we are apprehensive and afraid that we might be assaulted by the American Black Men...

WHY do we feel this way?

BECAUSE,

1. American Blacks BLAME all American Whites for SLAVERY...
2. American Blacks Rap Lyrics speak of killing whitey...
3. American Blacks in cities dress and walk like hoodlums...
4. American Blacks are committing violent acts in cities...
5. American Blacks STARE at American Whites with contempt...

My wife and I are not the only ones that feel this way.

I personally saw the hatred between Blacks and Whites:

• whhen I was in the US Navy from 1969-1972
• during the race riots early 60's in Alexandria, VA
• while I was in college in NC (1966-1968)
• as White supervisors treated Black workers differently
• as Professors treated Black students differently if they were athletes

In the 1960's we had the BLACK PANTHERS who advocated the use of violence against WHITES in order to accomplish their goals.

It was only when MLK Jr quieted down the Black communities that WHITES began to feel relatively safe around AMERICAN BLACKS...

A RACE WAR IS ABOUT TO TAKE PLACE IN AMERICA BETWEEN BLACKS AND WHITES BECAUSE THE ENTIRE CONCEPT OF A FREE COUNTRY WAS BUILT AROUND OUR FOUNDING FATHERS WHO WERE SLAVE OWNERS AND DID NOT CONSIDER THE BLACK MAN TO BE A FULL PERSON, BUT PROPERTY.

The only way to make AMERICAN BLACKS feel better, knowing that they only represent a little over 13% of the population of the US of A is to rewrite our US CONSTITUTION and Bill of Rights and give these 13% more control over how our FEDERAL GOVERNMENT operates including its trades deals and wars on foreign soil and taxes and government handouts.

BUT, EVEN THAT WILL NOT ERASE SLAVERY OR THE HATRED THAT EXISTS BETWEEN BLACKS AND WHITES.

COMING SOON: Civil War in America

Progressive Democrats versus Conservatives

American Blacks versus American Whites

Anti-America versus America Lovers

Anarchists versus Law & Order

Liberals versus Conservatives

Non Veterans versus Veterans

Rioters versus Police

Poor versus Wealthy

WE, the People...  is no longer here in America...

WE are no longer united but DIVIDED more than ever...

How can I, as a Vietnam Veteran, have faith and support any group in America that wants to BURN the AMERICAN FLAG...

Those kinds of people PISS ME OFF...

If they don't like America or the American Flag, then LEAVE and see how long other countries will put up with your shit...

Right now, we have anarchists causing turmoil in Democratically controlled cities because they do not want to stop these cute kids from voicing their opinions...  and, those of us who are patiently waiting for law and order to be restored will one day decide that our local government is not doing its job so a new group of patriots will take matters into their own hands and spank these bad boys and girls.

THIS IS THE CIVIL WAR THAT IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER...