THIS and THAT

 

Social Security is SOCIALISM

SOCIALISM is a political and economic theory of social organization which advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole.

Examples:  anything public that is owned by the government like: public transportation, public education, public healthcare, public social security

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC is a form of government operating on principles adopted from a republic and a democracy. Rather than being a cross between two entirely separate systems, democratic republics may function on principles shared by both republics and democracies.

• Democracy is a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives.
• Republic is a state in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives, and which has an elected or nominated president rather than a monarch

Example:  people governing themselves like the United States

DEMOCRATIC CAPITALISM also referred to as market democracy, is a political and economic system that combines capitalism and a strong welfare state curbing the excesses of individual freedom. It integrates resource allocation by marginal productivity, with policies of resource allocation by social entitlement

DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM is defined as having a socialist economy in which the means of production are socially and collectively owned or controlled, alongside a democratic political system of government.

Social Security is a form of social welfare that ensures the elderly have some minimum level of income...   and, social welfare is nothing more than socialism as it is controlled and offered by the government on behalf of the people.

Without Social Security many of America's Elderly would not be able to survive...  and, with this statement I am reminded of a television commercial about the elderly Jews in Russia and how difficult it has been for them to survive and that many of them are living on $2/day and are barely surviving...  Russia has no social security programs for their elderly which is why they are living like they are and why people are asking Americans to donate money to them...

The same issue would happen here in America if it were not for SOCIAL SECURITY unless families stepped up to the plate and took care of their parents, brothers and sisters, and other relatives that might be in need.

WHY DO WE NEED SOCIAL SECURITY IN THE USA?

Many people like myself did not earn enough money during their careers so that they could save some of that money for retirement.  Many people who are in similar situations are forced to continue working until they cannot do so physically or mentally.  Others, like myself, live in areas where the cost of living is low and not that much money is needed to pay one's bills.

Consequently, the fact that America has social welfare for the elderly is the main reason why I stopped working once I reached the full retirement age of 67.  Not only was working somewhat counterproductive for me and my employer but employers don't take kindly to the elderly because they do not have the physical endurance or the mental agility of the younger generation.  

In short, they are not treated very well at work and are rather encouraged to leave.  Now, bear in mind that this is my personal opinion and may not be applicable to everyone...  it was however, the foundation and impetus for my retirement.

IF ONE'S FAMILY HAS NO DESIRE OR WILLINGNESS TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR ELDERLY THEN OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BECAUSE WE ARE AMERICANS SHOULD WILLINGLY ADOPT THAT RESPONSIBILITY WHICH THEY HAVE FOR THE MOST PART DONE....  at least at this point-in-time...  but funding social security is a huge drain on the tax payers and it would not surprise me if they resist paying for it one day.

Friday the 13th

<::::FROM HISTORY.COM::::>

                                                                                

Long considered a harbinger of bad luck, Friday the 13th has inspired a late 19th-century secret society, an early 20th-century novel, a horror film franchise and not one but two unwieldy terms—paraskavedekatriaphobia and friggatriskaidekaphobia—that describe fear of this supposedly unlucky day.

The Fear of 13
Just like walking under a ladder, crossing paths with a black cat or breaking a mirror, many people hold fast to the belief that Friday the 13th brings bad luck. Though it’s uncertain exactly when this particular tradition began, negative superstitions have swirled around the number 13 for centuries.

While Western cultures have historically associated the number 12 with completeness (there are 12 days of Christmas, 12 months and zodiac signs, 12 labors of Hercules, 12 gods of Olympus and 12 tribes of Israel, just to name a few examples), its successor 13 has a long history as a sign of bad luck.

The ancient Code of Hammurabi, for example, reportedly omitted a 13th law from its list of legal rules. Though this was probably a clerical error, superstitious people sometimes point to this as proof of 13’s longstanding negative associations.

Fear of the number 13 has even earned a psychological term: triskaidekaphobia.

Why is Friday the 13th Unlucky?

According to biblical tradition, 13 guests attended the Last Supper, held on Maundy Thursday, including Jesus and his 12 apostles (one of whom, Judas, betrayed him). The next day, of course, was Good Friday, the day of Jesus’ crucifixion.

The seating arrangement at the Last Supper is believed to have given rise to a longstanding Christian superstition that having 13 guests at a table was a bad omen—specifically, that it was courting death.

Though Friday’s negative associations are weaker, some have suggested they also have roots in Christian tradition: Just as Jesus was crucified on a Friday, Friday was also said to be the day Eve gave Adam the fateful apple from the Tree of Knowledge, as well as the day Cain killed his brother, Abel.

READ MORE: Why Friday the 13th Spelled Doom for the Knights Templar

My YETI Cup

 Not too long ago I decided to purchase a YETI cup to use as a large coffee cup and because of its large size, it holds 3 - 8 oz cups of coffee and it seems to hold the heat in pretty well or even better but so far I have only used this methodology at home and never traveling.  Yesterday, I decided to take my YETI with me but leave it in the car while undergoing my monthly IVIG infusion which usually takes about two and a half hours.

I left the house at 6:30, arriving at 7:30 at the hospital and did not return back to the car until 10:30 which means the coffee had been supposedly cooling for a good 4 hours.  Once past the gate to pay my fee, I decided to take a drink to see how cool my coffee had become and while it was not as hot as it would have been from the pot, it was still pretty warm and never really cooled down while driving home to the point that I was drinking it cold or cool even.

I used that same process today when I went for another doctor's appointment except this time I was in and out in 30 minutes and the coffee inside the YETI was almost too hot to drink.  I knew the YETI was really good at keeping drinks cold/cool but I never knew that it would actually be that good for hot drinks and discovering this was a pleasant surprise.

I oftentimes drink hot coffee on my way to an appointment and if I want any coffee to drink while driving home, I have always had to stop at a gas station...  but, that inconvenience does not need to happen anymore.

Daily Enlightenment

At 73 years of age, I would not say that I wise or ignorant but learning more each day now that I am retired and there is no pressure on me to perform or make a grade...  life is very pleasant in that regard.  After 7 decades of life, I have become very much away of the following when it comes to Americans:

AMERICANS WILL HAVE THEIR:

1. abortions regardless of the law
2. guns and firearms even when outlawed
3. alcohol and illegal drugs for entertainment
4. youthful rebellions against parents and authority
5. racism on all sides and their divided mentalities
6. professional sports, musicians, singers
7. anti law enforcement and highway patrol behavior
8. stealing, crime, and petty theft at work
9. hypocritical behavior whenever it pleases them
10. extramarital affairs regardless of the consequence

I became aware of my political environment in the 1960's and have observed quite honestly over the last 50 years that nothing has changed in the American Way of Life, except for wages, cost of living, and technological advances in all areas of society.  THE ABOVE 10 ITEMS REMAIN INTACT.

At first I thought it was the politicians who did not want anything to change and then I realized that the very same politicians were and have been always elected by the people, even when the people basically have remained political ignorant and oblivious to the nature of it all...  or, at least that is true for a majority.

So, the reason for this lack of change regarding these 10 items is that a vast majority of the American people don't want anything of them to change, improve, or get better.  They enjoy and prefer to be exactly where they are.

Quantum Physics: Light and Matter

                                                                             

QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter is an adaptation for the general reader of four lectures on quantum electrodynamics (QED) published in 1985 by American physicist and Nobel laureate Richard Feynman.

In 2006, Princeton University Press published a new edition with a new introduction by Anthony Zee. He introduces Feynman's peculiar take at explaining physics, and cites: "According to Feynman, to learn QED you have two choices: you can go through seven years of physics education or read this book".

The four lectures

1. Photons - Corpuscles of LightIn the first lecture, which acts as a gentle lead-in to the subject of quantum electrodynamics, Feynman describes the basic properties of photons. He discusses how to measure the probability that a photon will reflect or transmit through a partially reflective piece of glass.

2. Fits of Reflection and Transmission - Quantum BehaviourIn the second lecture, Feynman looks at the different paths a photon can take as it travels from one point to another and how this affects phenomena like reflection and diffraction.

3. Electrons and Their interactions - The third lecture describes quantum phenomena such as the famous double-slit experiment and Werner Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, thus describing the transmission and reflection of photons. It also introduces his famous "Feynman diagrams" and how quantum electrodynamics describes the interactions of subatomic particles.

4. New Queries - In the fourth lecture, Feynman discusses the meaning of quantum electrodynamics and some of its problems. He then describes "the rest of physics", giving a brief look at quantum chromodynamics, the weak interaction and gravity, and how they relate to quantum electrodynamics.

Cosmic Consciousness

 FROM THE CHOPRA FOUNDATION

What is Cosmic Consciousness?   

The question at hand is whether there is such a thing as higher consciousness? We are using the term “cosmic consciousness” to denote a state of awareness that knows itself completely, a state of inner silence that is in direct contact with existence. Such a state would be free, without suffering or limitation. If there is such a state, then human evolution has a goal to aim for one that is natural and credible rather than supernatural and faith-based.

As scientific evidence, we began with the quantum vacuum, which is the source of everything that’s deemed “material,” from atoms to galaxies. In everyday usage a vacuum implies total emptiness, but the quantum vacuum is the origin and the end place of our universe, and possibly countless others. In fact, standard quantum field theory gives us an estimate of the mass-energy density of the quantum vacuum: a cubic centimeter of empty space (about the size of the tip of your finger) contains about 10 32 more mass energy-density than all visible matter in the universe! (That’s 1 followed by 32 zeroes, which more energy than all the trillion or so of all luminous galaxies in the observable universe.)

At the source, “quantum foam” is constantly bubbling up to produce everything in creation, here and now. Which means that the quantum revolution that began more than a century ago has effectively overthrown the common-sense notion of matter as something solid, tangible, and reliable. By implication, everything we associate with matter – the sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell of “material” things – has also been overthrown. If that seems radical, quantum theory goes further and dispatches time and space as constant, reliable aspects of reality. They, too, emerge from the “nothingness” of the quantum vacuum.

Why should this matter in everyday life? Because mystics have pointed to a reality that transcends this world, and so does modern physics. It is tantalizing that two worldviews are compatible, both contending that the source of time, space, matter, and energy doesn’t contain time, space, matter, and energy. It lies beyond them, in an inconceivable somewhere that has no location; it’s not a “place” in any common-sense use of the word.  

TO READ THE FULL CHOPRA FOUNDATION ARTICLE, CLICK HERE...

The AKASA

                                                                                    

What is The AKASIC RECORD?

When you hear the term Akashic Records, what comes to mind? When I first heard it, my first thought was of a giant filing cabinet of information. Some people think of the Akashic Records as a library, or a book. Some think of it as a database.

But according to the Records themselves, they are another dimension called the Akasha. The Akasha is a higher dimension than the dimension we live in.

In the Akasha, every thought, idea, and action from the past, present, and future is stored ad infinitum. If you’re familiar with String Theory, the Akashic Records is basically like a database of what’s happening in all the universes that are co-existing together.

The Akashic Records are basically a record of what will happen, is happening, or has happened. Because they are a higher dimension, the rules of time don’t really apply. Time is a flat circle to the Akashic Records, so information from 2,000 years ago is as accessible as what happened to you yesterday. And what happened to you yesterday is as available as what could happen to you — if you stay on the same destiny trajectory — in 10 years.
how experts describe the akashic records

Interestingly, everything has its own Akashic Record. Your soul has an Akashic Record, your house has an Akashic Record, your dog, even your relationship! You can open the specific Records of things to ask questions that pertain to them.                                                                                                                                                                                       TO READ ENTIRE ARTICLE, CLICK HERE...


Here’s how Edgar Cayce, the psychic medium who popularized the Records, describes them:
The Akashic Records, or “The Book of Life,” can be equated to the Universe’s super-computer system. It is this system that acts as the central storehouse of all information for every individual who has ever lived upon the earth. More than just a reservoir of events, the Akashic Records contain every deed, word, feeling, thought, and intent that has ever occurred at any time in the history of the world. Much more than simply a memory storehouse, however, these Akashic Records are interactive in that they have a tremendous influence upon our everyday lives, our relationships, our feelings and belief systems, and the potential realities we draw toward us … The Akashic Records contain the entire history of every soul since the dawn of Creation. These records connect each one of us to one another.

TIME: Past - Present - Future

Time is a commodity that is limited in its nature especially for all living things but time is also conceptualized with a PAST, PRESENT, and a FUTURE; although, we never see the past living in the present that always seems to lean more directly into the future...  since time moves forward not backward; and, we accept the past as what has been simply because we can read the records.  BUT, time is somewhat elusive in that we can never see what just happened and what just happened is never behind us even when we are walking backwards into our future...  so where did our immediate past go?

The breeze that blows by...  comes and goes but as it touches our bodies is all we know of its existence other than what we may observe but where it came from has disappeared into our past never to be seen again so we do not know for sure if the conditions that brought the breeze to us still there...  or perhaps the past goes into some kind of holding dimension.

Using telescopes we can see where space came from and where it is going but that ability stops as we observe the life we are living.  There will always be cars behind us on the interstate but we are all moving forward at the same relative time and even though we see a landscape behind us as we drive by, the conditions of that landscape are different than when we were just there...  just as every millisecond of our present is different so too is every millisecond of our past.

SO...  again...  where does our past go and that it goes so fast we cannot return?

A jet stream is a visual reminder and the actual past of a fast moving aircraft as it moves into its future pausing less than a nanosecond in its present; however, the physical aircraft's past is never seen as if it never been there in the first place yet we see its reminder as it floats behind eventually dissipating.    

Grave Stones are a reminder of someone's past but that is not exactly what I am talking about...  I want to know where our immediate past goes when we are still alive always moving into our future...  this is the question that bothers me and to which there is no easy reply and only speculative proof and our existence in our future that it actually happened at all or why we can never return.

President Elect Biden Wants To Unite America While AOC Wants To Deny Trump Supporters Everything

 

"...As far as I'm concerned, any woman who voted against Hillary Clinton voted against their own voice," Mrs. Obama said recently during a question-and-answer session at Inbound, a marketing and sales conference in Boston.

Obviously, our First Amendment allows her to say whatever she pleases within reason but what really bothers me is that she is encouraging voters to vote their gender or their race regardless if they think the candidate is qualified or if they disagree with their political beliefs...

And, if that were so then no female or black would ever be elected in America... which she should remember is not how her husband WON...

ON THE OTHER HAND,
President Elect Joe Biden has one hell of a difficult task ahead of him because 71 million voters cast their ballots for Donald Trump and are not easily going to forget what ALL THE DEMOCRATS did to President for 4 years after he WON.


AND...
it is not just the general public with whom Biden must contend but a REPUBLICAN controlled SENATE that could possibly kill most every BILL that the House sends over...
SO...
Biden will be left with Executive Orders.


MEANWHILE,
The Global Communities of Russia, China, North Korea, the Middle East will take advantage of Biden's non-HAWKISH attitude for wars and military action and start shifting the global balance of power in their direction...

This Global Change will be further exacerbated with the DEMOCRATIC Party's redirection of funds away from the military and into SOCIAL PROGRAMS while attempting to fund these efforts by increasing taxes on the wealthy that will impact business and industry.


It will be an interesting first two years because if nothing is improving then the mid-term elections could prove very favorable to the Republicans...


ON THE SIDELINES is AOC and her Progressive Democrats and Socialists who want to PUNISH all Trump Supporters with BANISHMENT... and, isn't it interesting how a member of Congress (The House) would make such a comment in our Democratic Republic unless she really did not believe in Democracy from the getgo...


Yes... Biden may have won because American wanted Trump OUT, but he is facing the most difficult battle of his entire political life at age 77 and counting and if something happens to his health a COMPLETELY UNQUALIFIED VICE PRESIDENT will take his place.

Consumer Protection Laws

WHAT IS CONSUMER PROTECTION LAW?

Consumer Protection Law is an area of law managed by the Bureau of Consumer Protection and overseen by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). It protects you and me, consumers, from unethical and careless actions taken by businesses.

The Consumer Protection Bureau achieves this by setting and enforcing rules and regulations for every commercial transaction.

Plus by placing restrictions on how businesses may handle the transfer and security management of consumers’ personal information.          TO READ ENTIRE ARTICLE, CLICK HERE...

The eight basic consumer rights are:

The right to satisfaction of basic needs – to have access to basic, essential goods and services such as adequate food, clothing, shelter, health care, education, public utilities, water and sanitation.

The right to safety – to be protected against products, production processes and services that are hazardous to health or life.

The right to be informed – to be given the facts needed to make an informed choice, and to be protected against dishonest or misleading advertising and labelling.

The right to choose – to be able to select from a range of products and services, offered at competitive prices with an assurance of satisfactory quality.

The right to be heard – to have consumer interests represented in the making and execution of government policy, and in the development of products and services.

The right to redress – to receive a fair settlement of just claims, including compensation for misrepresentation, shoddy goods or unsatisfactory services.

The right to consumer education – to acquire knowledge and skills needed to make informed, confident choices about goods and services, while being aware of basic consumer rights and responsibilities and how to act on them.

The right to a healthy environment – to live and work in an environment that is non-threatening to the well-being of present and future generations.

Ending Systemic Racism

 On June 9, 2020, THE WASHINGTON POST Newspaper that I used to deliver to homes in our local neighborhood as a boy, published an article written by columnist Katrina vanden Heuvel entitled, How Can We Start Dismantling Systemic Racism...  and, if you were to read the article you would discover that she is talking about the United States of America...  just to be clear since it must be assumed that Systemic Racism only exists in America.

"Throughout the pandemic," she writes, "black people have been infected and lost their jobs at a higher rate than white people."

I want to stop right here and I know that this is a minor point, but this author immediately differentiates between whites and blacks which is a backdoor racist comment and is just as volatile as black people not wanting to attend white people's churches.

This author makes the claim that in order to stop systemic racism, we must dismantle system by restructuring those systems that allow it to perpetuate...   and again, this is eloquently written...  but is this author proposing that we dismantle our churches?

Heavens no...  I must presume as there should be a separation between church and state.

This author, through the words of an expert economist, makes the following statement: "...the United States spends twice as much on “law and order” — prisons, courts and police forces — as we do on cash welfare programs such as food stamps and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. The events of this year highlight the urgency of fixing that imbalance."

This author goes on the explain that monies could be shifted away from police department and be used on reconstruction efforts in black communities so they are not as susceptible to the health and economic issues of living in the United States...

And...  many people will willingly tell you that while my elevator does not stop at all the floors that redirecting police monies into black communities will do precious little to end systemic racism in white communities....  unless they are going to be receiving allocations as well.

AGAIN...  I go back to my first comment, how are you going to make black people go to white churches or vice versa...  because in many places especially in the south this is precisely where the systemic racism starts and manifests itself until it explodes out in society.

I am not smart enough nor is anyone else to come up with a PLAN OF ACTION that will actually change people's minds about what they believe and/or perceive and stop them from sharing this with their families, relatives, and friends.

Incidentally, there is systemic racism within the black communities where LIGHT SKINNED BLACKS look down upon DARK SKINNED BLACKS...  but, I don't suppose any monies will be spent on dismantling those systems.

Giving Black Communities:

• better homes
• better healthcare
• better education
• more money

is simply going to result in the white communities becoming MORE PISSED OFF with Black People and the government that allowed this to happen...  especially when, law enforcement efforts are hampered because they did not have enough money to prevent a crime.  Not only will this PISS OFF THE WHITE RESIDENTS but it will piss off the white store owners who are losing income due to all this violence...  and decide to close their doors and move their business out-of-town.

I believe that this approach is going to create more problems than it will solve, but I suppose that the DEMOCRATS will do it anyway in order to get the black vote on election day.

BTW -  we had a BLACK PRESIDENT FOR 8 YEARS and systemic racism was never a topic nor did that BLACK PRESIDENT really do anything to help his own RACE...

Can Joe Biden Do It?

The real question that Americans need to ask themselves now that they have voted Joe Biden into the Presidency is:  CAN HE DO IT?

"Do what," you might ask?

Well... for starters consider this:

1.  Use Trump's COVID Vaccine Push to stop the Pandemic

2.  Correct the economic ills that the Pandemic has caused

3.  Bring racial peace to this nation

4.  Return to Trump's full employment

5.  Raise taxes on the wealthy

6.  Negotiate favorable trade deals

7.  Create an economy that will compete with China

8.  Create a military that will compete with China

9. Create police departments that are unbiased

10.  Neutralize North Korea

11.  Stop anti-American sentiment/hate in the Middle East

12.  Keep Russia under control

13.  Stop foreign cyber crime

14.  Not keeping secrets from the American Public

15.  Stop political hatred among Americans

16.  Not allow Medicare for All to be passed

17.  Not allow the Constitution to be rewritten

18.  Not increase the number of Supreme Court Justices

19.  Not return the government regulations on business that Trump removed

20.  End our dependence on fossil fuels

Donald Trump was an arrogant, self-indulgent, inflammatory pompous ass, but he accomplished an economic society the likes of which no other American President has ever done...  and, it is highly unlikely that Biden will do much to return to that point-in-time...

Biden and Harris want to GIVE MORE TO THE PEOPLE so that THE PEOPLE will continue to elect DEMOCRATS...  the more they give, the less our economy will grow because it is NOT WE THE PEOPLE who create companies and hire people but THOSE WITH MONEY...

There is a HIDDEN CRISIS in America that was exacerbated by the Pandemic and that is our NATIONAL DEBT.  The more that we give to the people, the more we tax the wealthy, and the less money the wealthy have to create companies that provide jobs.  Plus, the wealthy will not be able to pay it all so we will BORROW...  and BORROW...  and BORROW...

And, when our borrowing capabilities end, we will devalue our dollar and most people do not understand what that means...  but, instead of spending one dollar for something you will have to spend two, cutting your purchasing power in half.

IN POINT OF FACT...   Politicians do not solve problems they work towards re-elections, trying to keep their party in control so that the future will hold their ideas not the ideas of the opposing party....  It is our FREE MARKET ENTERPRISE SYSTEM that grows the economy that supports innovations and technology advances...  if you have a reasonable doubt...   look at:

• Google
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Microsoft
• Apple
• Samsung
• Hollywood
• Stoke Market
• Banks and Credit Unions
• Airlines
• Trains
• Automobiles
• Resorts

These were not created by our Governments, by our Presidents, by our Congresses, nor by our Supreme Court Justices...   they were created by NON POLITICIANS who were clever people, using the government in such a way that allowed them to grow and provide jobs.

1. The Democrats believe that our Government should give the people FREE SERVICES
2. The Republicans believe that our Government should allow Economic Markets to grow

And, it is these two opposite opinion that have fought each other so much that since 1960 our society and culture has changed very little.  I am 73 and the social problems we have in 2020 were the same social problems we had in 1960....  60 YEARS AGO...

You tell me...  who caused this to happen?  And, if you don't yet believe do a GOOGLE search on social condition in America in 1960 and see for yourself.

Too Late to Sleep

It is odd how some days I am tired as hell and have no problems falling asleep even after waking up 2-3 times during the night to urinate and other days, once I wake up the first time I cannot fall back asleep no matter what I do and I feel kind of stupid just laying there.

So...  here I am...  been up since 1:30 am or so and it is now almost 3:30 and I am on my second cup of coffee as I sit here in my recliner typing my thoughts instead of writing them down on paper and I don't really understand why I want to do this since hardly anyone reads these blogs of mine...  but, since I am retired with no hobbies and no travel plans due to COVID there is little else for someone like me to do.

• I do not like playing golf
• I do not like watching sports although I used to
• I do not want a part-time job although I do a little teaching
• I am not good with my hands
• I have no interest in oil painting
• I never have bowled so why start now
• I am not into having fun losing money at poker
• I am not into other forms of gambling
• I don't like watching TV or movies

To say that I am peculiar is an understatement, but this is who I am or who I have turned out to be for one reason or another and it is not practical to change nor is it easy.  My cat begs me not to change because he enjoys my lap whenever he gets a notion to and wants me simply to be available.

Too much coffee makes my stomach feel weird so I must lay back for a while...   later...

Komic Korner Kartoons

 

Where In The Bible Does It Say One Has To Attend Church?

THE BELOW BIBLICAL SCRIPTURE PASSAGES ARE USED BY SOME LEADERS OF THE CHURCH TO JUSTIFY THE FACT THAT THE BIBLE INSTRUCTS CHRISTIANS TO GO TO CHURCH...

Hebrews 10:25

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (NIV)

Romans 12:5
... so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. (NIV)

1 Corinthians 12:12
The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. (NIV)

1 Corinthians 12:14-23
Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," (NIV)

1 Corinthians 12:27
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. (NIV)

Ephesians 4:2
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. (NIV)

1 Peter 4:10
Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. (NIV)

1 Thessalonians 5:11
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. (NIV)

James 5:16
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. (NIV)

1 Peter 5:1-4
To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder ... Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. (NIV)

Hebrews 13:17
Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you. (NIV)         SOURCE: LearnReligion.com

BUT...  the one that I like the best is...

Matthew 18:20  
For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them." (NIV)

First Century Synagogue (time of Jesus)

As you read thru these passages, you will notice that NOWHERE is anyone GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS to ATTEND CHURCH...  nor, is anyone given instructions to enter a TEMPLE or a SYNAGOGUE..  NOW...  why do I mention a TEMPLE or a SYNAGOGUE?  Because, back in the days of Jesus there was no such CONCEPT as a CHURCH...  Jesus and his followers went into TEMPLES or SYNAGOGUES to do their preaching and spiritual story telling through parables.

Earth to Earth and Other Places

When I was just a boy who was just a little rebellious, I chanced upon other lads who were in similar situations and we set about doing things that in our youth we should not do like borrowing cars to impress the older girls and breaking into homes just to see other places and before we finished having fun, we took a small boat out on the Potomac for a lark.

It was these fun times that landed me in jail but my parents broke me free when my father became a Diplomat and we moved overseas.  Unlike other places we could have gone, my father decided on Cairo, Egypt because it is the least likely place to have more fun.  So, instead of doing what I used to do, I learned quite quickly that Egypt had the best HASH in the land...  and, with a steady stream of alcohol us teenagers now had a new kind of fun that interestingly evolved into sexual fun and without precautions, we had no idea of the risks that we were taking until a pregnancy occurred and then the females imposed a moratorium.

With 3 years of college and 2 years in the military, I returned to the hallowed halls of academia and pursued my parent's dream of my education.  It was much easier then, since I was older, and hardly ever had to study just attend class and learn to listen.  Grad school was just a few years down the road and soon I was armed for bear which is not such a clever metaphor.

I paid little attention to politics but in case anyone asked I was a Democrat...  just because my parents were too I suppose but they were also more liberal than the stuffed-shirts Republicans who referred to themselves as just being conservative.  I was no conservative and had never been and planned not to be one forever, if that was even possible since forever is such a long, long time.

I hated gun rights because I did not like the violence of the Vietnam War that used guns and other weapons instead of talking...  and, while I did not give a rat's ass if a female had an abortion, I strongly agreed that it was her choice and not the government's.  In fact, I was against the government trying to control my life at all and formed an on paper company just to shelter money to lower my taxes.

A funny thing happened to me on my way (not to the Forum) to old age and that was I lost my LIBERAL ATTITUDE along the way and started leaning in the other direction.  My first sense of anything was my personal debt and the debt of our country.  I eliminated my debt but could not understand why my country would not eliminate their debt.  I saw the liberals as a bunch of individuals who just wanted the rich and wealthy via the government to pay for everything instead of earning it themselves...  and if, they had to cheat and manipulate others to get what they wanted they did and did so without hesitation.

All of a sudden like a psychedelic mushroom flashback, I realized it was the WEATHLY, not the middle class or poor, that provided us with employment even though it made them more wealthy to do so.  In my mind and quite logically I decided that to take money away from the wealthy and use it to give services to others was in actuality being counterproductive not to mention counter intuitive.

And, while the ridiculous battles raged on by our two political parties, behind the scenes were battle fought between the haves and the have nots and then as if a giant FART had exploded out of the government's ass, the black people decided they had not been treated fairly for over 400 years and that our Constitution written in 1776 did not apply to them since they were basically still black and that HATRED between the races was being perpetuated by the CAUCASIAN on a regular and daily basis.

MIND YOU, there were plenty of wealthy male and female black business people, wealthy male and female black musicians and singers, wealthy male and female black athletes, and wealthy male and female black actors...  it's just that there was not enough of them the black community thought and wanted our government to do something about that...  even though the black only represent 13% of America's overall population with Hispanics representing 18% of that same overall population...  and, they had no concerns at all.

HOWEVER, there was an under current growing in the political landscape...  a movement that would take our government from being a Democratic Republic to being a Socialist country where the society cared more about the people than about the wealthy.

Just for your information, there has NEVER BEEN a Socialistic country that has lead the world both economically and militarily since GOD created our universe...  but that little tidbit of information does not really matter...

• It does not matter to American Liberals
• It does not matter to America's Enemies
• It does not matter to America's Wealthy because they have sheltered their money
• It does not matter to America's Businesses since they will hire fewer people

So, America is in a State of Transition and she will move from being a Great Country to one of Mediocrity and we will have to ask other country to protect us as we can no longer defend ourselves.  And if... you think that I am kidding...  what do you think DEFUNDING POLICE DEPARTMENTS really means?  I know that the liberals said they were going to REDISTRIBUTE monies which is not really defunding...  but that is semantics.

Redistribute means take from one and give to another.  We do it all the time ourselves when we take money out of the VACATION FUND and redistribute it to our MEDICAL FUND.  

Redistribute means police departments will have less funds which means they will have less manpower and less other resources which means YOU will have less protection than before...

Funds from the military will be redistributed as well to pay for social programs and Medicare for ALL...

And, one thing that I have not talked about that comes with an economic slowdown is INFLATION...  if you have not experience that one yet, it can be devastating and you really have to experience it to believe it...

I am finally glad that I am 73 years of age and constantly getting older.

Are You/We Alone?

Being alone has never bothered me, in fact, sometimes I prefer to be alone rather than in the company of strangers or even family...  and, it is not that I don't like people or that people don't like me, it is more like I just don't have anything that I want to say to them and I don't want to join in on their conversations.

Unfortunately, we don't live alone and we have to interact with strangers and with family and it is because of this that most Americans FEAR BEING ALONE or by themselves because they NEED OTHERS in their lives with which to interact even if those interactions are relatively meaningless.

But, we do not want to see ourselves as living meaningless lives so we give it no thought as to the conversation or how stupid or insignificant it might be as long as we have people with which to talk.

My experiences with COVID-19 is that I have been tested twice and on both occasions my results were negative but the fact of the matter is that I really don't go anywhere except to doctor appointments and sometimes out to dinner and recently to the gym but whenever I go out and inside, I always wear a face mask even though others who are in and out hardly ever do...  and, what is sad about this who ordeal is that wearing a face mask does not protect you, it protects others from you...

Most of the time I would have to say people don't give a rat's ass if they are alone or not...  it is just not something that they think about because most of the time they are with others and when they are alone at the end of the day, they are sleeping...  but, that is not THE ALONE about which I speak.

Justificatio sola fide (or simply sola fide), meaning justification by faith alone, is a Christian theological doctrine commonly held to distinguish many Protestant denominations from the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches. The doctrine asserts that it is on the basis of their faith that believers are forgiven their transgressions of the law of God rather than on the basis of good works which they have done. This forgiveness is known as "justification". In classical Lutheran and Reformed theologies, good works are seen to be evidence of faith, but the good works themselves do not determine salvation.  SOURCE:  Wikipedia

 "Where is your God"? (Psalm 42:9 & 10)

Both Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34 reveal:  “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’”

Yes...  you are thinking correctly...  Jesus was not speaking English...  a foreign language to us but it was HIS native language in the Middle East where he lived and preached and ultimately died...

But, let us return to YOU...   are you alone?  Or, do you have faith and hope that one day you will know GOD and HIS TRUTH and that you will live for all eternity rather than just a paltry 80-100 years?

And, would you again question your faith if the HUMAN RACE on EARTH was not alone either in its quest for survival?

IS THERE LIFE ON OTHER PLANETS?

And, if there was would that knowledge change your faith in HE who created you?

PLANETS IN THE UNIVERSE:  around 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 planets in our observable Universe, and that's only counting planets that are orbiting stars.

That is a lot of planets I would have to say and the odds are in favor of finding not just another EARTH LIKE planet but planets that have other forms of intelligent life that do not look like us earthlings.

So, the ODDS ARE IN OUR FAVOR TOO that we are not ALONE because we are WITH GOD and OTHER LIFE FORMS even though we may never actually meet either one...

THIS and THAT

 

A God Given RIGHT To Control

This day has begun just like any other day has begun and will begin just like all other days will begin for me up and until that point-in-time when there are no more days beginning for me...  and if, you were to be quite honest with yourself, the same will happen to you, your children, and those you know...  even those you don't know that well...  it is simply a fact of life with which we all must contend at some time or other in our lives...  even though we may not want to admit it now.

• Some of us will live wealthy...
• Some of us will live poor...
• Some of us will live in between the two extremes...
• Some of us will live off the government...

Regardless of how we want to live, our evitable outcomes are all DEATH.

And, while this is not a wholesome concept about which to talk, it is nonetheless TRUE and will always be true up and until that point-in-time when we can freeze our bodies for as long as need be so that a cure can be found for our terminal disease.

This is a future that I will never see...  perhaps you my friends...  or not...  no one knows for sure.

So, we must live like we are in the present and with all of our past behind us and without knowing the future other than its potential predictions from our well educated forecasters.  And, while we are living in this condition, we are entitled to all that life has to offer...  and, even that reality depends upon where one lives and how wealthy one is or intends to be...  God Willing...  I suppose we could say.

YET...

that is not really our reality and our leaders never intended it to be.  And, while our leaders derive their POWER from the majority vote of the people, our leaders are still the only ones with the POWER and it is this POWER that they always believe they should never share since the people, more or less, do not know nor do they care to know how POWER is handled.

Handling POWER gave us:

1. Our Independence/Constitution
2. First and Second Amendments
3. Slavery and the KKK
4. The Civil War
5. World Wars I and II
6. Genocide of a Race or two
7. The Cold Wars
8. The Korean and Vietnam Wars
9. Civil Unrest
10. BLM and ANTIFA
11. White Supremacy
12. Abortion & Equal Rights
13. Censorship of Opposing Views
14. A Biased Media
15. Terrorism and Patriotism
16. Economic/Militaristic Supremacy
17. Cultural/Ethnic Differences
18. A God Given RIGHT To Control

We have OUTGROWN the WILL or the NEED for our CREATOR...  and, as sad as that may seem to be for some of us, it is nonetheless true.  Look around you and pay attention to what your neighbors are doing...  or, simply pay attention to what you are doing.

Can you see beyond tomorrow?

Do you care to see beyond tomorrow?

FREEDOM IS NEVER FREEDOM UNTIL

 IT HAS BEEN TAKEN AWAY...