WTF Do I Know?

Letter I sent to my representatives

2012-02-07T10:41:00.001-08:00

I propose replacing all government assistance programs with community service programs.
This means anyone who is in need of assistance (TANF, housing, childcare, food, medical, education, utilities, etc.) would have to provide at least 10 hours of community service work per week to receive benefits.
The person should be allowed to decide what sort of community service work they will do. If they can not decide, the state can provide options amongst institutions that have a need for volunteer work. I emphasize having the person choose what work they will do instead of the state placing them into positions. The government would communicate with the business/institution to track the hours of service.
This includes all government loan programs. Especially student loans. I believe former students could erase their student loan debt if the government took over their loan in exchange for volunteer work.
I think this would lead to people gaining more skills and experience to become more valuable workers. This would allow people to negotiate for better jobs and better wages so they will not need government assistance.

Union evolution

2012-02-05T19:52:00.000-08:00

What if unions became worker cooperatives or collectives
Workers would own and run collective, with profits or benefits shared among them.

They would contract their workers out to corporations
They negotiate the wage and benefits of the workers in the contract.
They would not be direct employees of the company
Or they would advertise for work

"Worker cooperatives are business entities that are owned and controlled by their members, the people who work in them.
The two central characteristics of worker coopratives are:
(1) workers invest in and own the business and
(2) decision-making is democratic, generally adhering to the principle of one worker-one vote.

The international worker cooperative federation CICOPA established some basic standards for worker cooperatives in the World Declaration on Cooperative Worker Ownership (also known as the Oslo Declaration) at a meeting in Oslo, Norway in 2003. The US Federation of Worker Cooperatives uses this document to determine worker cooperative status."

oslo declaration

shareable

www.usworkers.coop

www.american.coop

workplace democracy

Welfare

2012-02-05T12:04:00.001-08:00

Word of the day

n

statutory procedure or social effort designed to promote the basic physical and material well-being of people in need:
the protection of rights to education, housing, and welfare.
• financial support given for this purpose.

concept of government in which the state plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens. It is based on the principles of equality of opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility for those unable to avail themselves of the minimal provisions for a good life. The general term may cover a variety of forms of economic and social organization.

A fundamental feature of the welfare state is social insurance, a provision common to most advanced industrialized countries (e.g., National Insurance in the United Kingdom and Social Security in the United States). Such insurance is usually financed by compulsory contributions and is intended to provide benefits to persons and families during periods of greatest need. It is widely recognized, however, that in practice these cash benefits fall considerably short of the levels intended by the designers of the plans.

The welfare state also usually includes public provision of basic education, health services, and housing (in some cases at low cost or without charge). In these respects the welfare state is considerably more extensive in western European countries than in the United States, featuring in many cases comprehensive health coverage and provision of state-subsidized tertiary education.

The modern use of the term is associated with the comprehensive measures of social insurance adopted in 1948 by Great Britain on the basis of the report on Social Insurance and Allied Services (1942) by Sir William (later Lord) Beveridge. In the 20th century, as the earlier concept of the passive laissez-faire state was gradually abandoned, almost all states sought to provide at least some of the measures of social insurance associated with the welfare state. Thus, in the United States the New Deal of Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Fair Deal of Pres. Harry S. Truman, and a large part of the domestic programs of later presidents were based on welfare state principles. In its more thoroughgoing form, the welfare state provides state aid for the individual in almost all phases of life—“from the cradle to the grave”—as exemplified in the Netherlands and the Social Democratic governments of the Scandinavian countries. Many less-developed countries have the establishment of some form of welfare state as their goal.

"welfare state." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online Library Edition.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2012. Web. 5 Feb. 2012.
.

The basic concerns of social welfare—poverty, disability and disease, the dependent young and elderly—are as old as society itself. The laws of survival once severely limited the means by which these concerns could be addressed; to share another's burden meant to weaken one's own standing in the fierce struggle of daily existence. As societies developed, however, with their patterns of dependence between members, there arose more systematic responses to the factors that rendered individuals, and thus society at large, vulnerable.

Religion and philosophy have tended to provide frameworks for the conduct of social welfare. The edicts of the Buddhist emperor Asoka in India, the sociopolitical doctrines of ancient Greece and Rome, and the simple rules of the early Christian communities are only a few examples of systems that addressed social needs. The Elizabethan Poor Laws in England, which sought relief of paupers through care services and workhouses administered at the parish level, provided precedents for many modern legislative responses to poverty. In Victorian times a more stringent legal view of poverty as a moral failing was met with the rise of humanitarianism and a proliferation of social reformers. The social charities and philanthropic societies founded by these pioneers formed the basis for many of today's welfare services.

Because perceived needs and the ability to address them determine each society's range of welfare services, there exists no universal vocabulary of social welfare. In some countries a distinction is drawn between “social services,” denoting programs, such as health care and education, that serve the general population, and “welfare services,” denoting aid directed to vulnerable groups, such as the poor, the disabled, or the delinquent. According to another classification, remedial services address the basic needs of individuals in acute or chronic distress; preventive services seek to reduce the pressures and obstacles that cause such distress; and supportive services attempt, through educational, health, employment, and other programs, to maintain and improve the functioning of individuals in society. Social welfare services originated as emergency measures that were to be applied when all else failed. However, they are now generally regarded as a necessary function in any society and a means not only of rescuing the endangered but also of fostering a society's ongoing, corporate well-being.

"social service." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online Library Edition.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2012. Web. 5 Feb. 2012.
.

Enslavement

2012-02-05T11:53:00.001-08:00

I've seen people who want to highlight the fact that white people in America were enslaved too. As if people didn't know that. As if this fact invalidates racism. I want people to look further and ask some questions.
Throughout history, what was the common denominator of the people who enslaved others? Or rather, What traits did slave owners share? What method did they use to enslave people? Who allowed them to enslave people?
Who were the first people who were enslaved after America was 'discovered'? Why did they choose to kidnap people from another country and use them as labor? What was their justification? What methods did they use to enslave their fellow Europeans? Why did they stop using Europeans as slaves in the antebellum South? What did free citizens do in regards to the enslavement of other human beings?
What happened when slaves rebelled or escaped?
Hopefully those questions will spark other questions...

Then I want you to realize that slavery is still being practiced in the world, including in America. It never stopped. Many races are being forced into labor, beaten, being sexually assaulted/raped, and murdered. This includes children.
American citizens (including children) are being kidnapped from their homes and are being used as prostitutes.

I can't say that history will repeat itself because it's just being perpetuated. They call it human trafficking now.

Bare Economics

2012-02-05T11:52:00.000-08:00

What do I need
Food,
shelter,
transportation,
education,
health care
How am I going to get it
make it myself,
make it with others,
buy it from someone else,
get someone else to do it for me
If I provide something (including labor)
do I give it for free,
trade it for the price it cost to develop that commodity,
trade it for an equivalent commodity (determined by the negotiating parties),
trade it for the price of living,
trade it for a profit
If I get capital from others to create something
do I get it for free
do I pay it back in a lump sum
do I pay it back in installments
do I pay it back with interest
do I allow them to get a portion of the profits of my creation
If I pay for something
do I allow the creator to set the price
do I set the price
do I pay for what it cost to make the product
If I get something
keep it to myself,
share it with others,
get only as much as I need at the time,
get enough to save some for later,
get some for now and throw away the rest

Deep Thought

2012-02-04T22:55:00.000-08:00

Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it.
Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many.
Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books.
Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders.
Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations.

But after observation and analysis,
when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all,
then accept it and live up to it.
-Buddha

Read more: beliefnet

All men are created equal

2012-02-04T11:54:00.000-08:00

That phrase has been trampled on Because the very people who wrote it, didn't believe in it themselves

Hypocrites have a way of undermining an ideology, No matter how right or true it is.

Especially when their livelihoods were supported by inequality. They made their living by 'proving' that all men were not created equal.
They used the phrase to procure their own freedom then used religion and science to deny other people freedom.

And now they use the phrase mockingly. Knowing that they are taking advantage of a system that has been built to ensure people are not equal.

Jesus really wasn't a fan of wealth

2012-02-03T22:14:00.000-08:00

Matthew 19
21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.
24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”

26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

27 Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”

28 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife[e] or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.
30 But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.

Mark 10 (retelling of matthew 19)

Luke 6
24 “But woe to you who are rich,
for you have already received your comfort.
25 Woe to you who are well fed now,
for you will go hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will mourn and weep.
26 Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you,
for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.

27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them.
30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.
31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.

32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.
33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that.
34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full.
35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.
36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Luke 12
13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
14 Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?”
15 Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest.
17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’

18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain.
19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’

20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

Luke 14
12 Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid.
13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,
14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

Luke 16
19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.
20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores
21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried.
23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.
24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’

25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.
26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’

27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family,
28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’

29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’

30 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

Luke 18 (retelling of Matthew 19)

And it continues after Jesus
2 Corinthians 8
9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

I'll note that James really crapped on them.
James 1
10 But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower.
11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.

James 2
5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?
6 But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?
7 Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?

James 5
1 Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you.
2 Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes.
3 Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days.
4 Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.
5 You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.
6 You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.

1 Timothy 6
17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.
18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.

Revelation 3
17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.

Every life is a Lesson

2012-02-03T19:05:00.000-08:00

More powerful than sitting in a classroom listening to a teacher.
or reading a text book

Listen to the story of a stranger, a friend, an enemy.

Know that your experiences, and those of the people around you, only amount to a grade school education. Anecdotes do not make an expert. There is always more. There are more stories, more lessons to be learned.

Know that statistics only tell a partial story, a poor, clouded story.

Know that the daily news has an agenda

One needs to learn another's needs, dreams, goals, struggles, suffering, joy.
This knowledge is needed for compassion.

Wisdom is fed by paying attention to life. Paying attention to the stories of others.
Compassion asks what are you going through and what can I do to help.

Listen always.

I encourage everyone to tell their stories. Know and Share their histories.
I almost think everyone has an obligation
Not for the purposes of competition or blame. Not to participate in Oppression olympics.

People should tell their stories to promote unity
To show others that they are not alone. To create kinship
to realize that we are more alike than we are different
To realize that other people share your suffering and your joy.

This is why I love NPR. I haven't known a media outlet that allowed so many people from so many different backgrounds to tell their own story. If anyone knows of anything that compares, please let me know.

Evolution in short

2012-02-03T10:10:00.001-08:00

Your point in life is to make sure your genes survive for as long as possible in your environment
This means reproducing so your genes can live on when you die.

There are various ways you can ensure the survival of your genes
You can compete with the other beings to acquire resources
or you can cooperate with other beings to share resources

While all this is happening, your genes are changing
Mutations happen because of the environment (or by chance?)
All beings are genetically different
variation

These mutations either help you survive in your environment or make it harder.
The mutations that help you survive, logically will be promoted
natural selection

"Back in Darwin's day, a contemporary of his (Herbert Spencer) invented a sound bite for natural selection: he called it 'survival of the fittest,' with 'fit' meaning best adapted-not necessarily the biggest and strongest. Correctly understood, though, natural selection is survival of the fit enough. It is not, in fact, only the individuals who are most perfectly suited to the environment that survive; reproduction, after all, is a matter of degree...
As long as an individual reproduces at all, it is fit, even if some are fitter than others."
Evolution vs. creationism: an introduction
By Eugenie Carol Scott

Generosity

2012-02-02T22:26:00.000-08:00

2 Corinthians 9
6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
9 As it is written:
“They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor;
their righteousness endures forever."

10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.
11 You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.

13 Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.
14 And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you.
15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

Deep Thought

2012-02-02T17:55:00.001-08:00

It is important that when pursing our own self-interest we should be “wise selfish” and not “foolish selfish”. Being foolish selfish means pursuing our own interests in a narrow, shortsighted way. Being wise selfish means taking a broader view and recognizing that our own long-term individual interest lies in the welfare of everyone. Being wise selfish means being compassionate.

Dalai Lama

Individual vs collective

2012-02-02T17:49:00.001-08:00

This speaks to what it takes for all to reach their potential.
This is a lesson in balance.
Two things are extremely important.
One needs to learn what they can provide for themselves and what they need from others
Learn what they can give to others and what they should keep for themselves.

If you aren't currently using it, should you hold on to it if someone else needs it?

People need support In order to Reach their full potential. We need each other.
Interdependence

Wisdom from the Dalai Lama says compassion is the best way to serve your own self interests.

Deep Horoscope

2012-02-02T11:23:00.000-08:00

"If Mark Twain had had Twitter," says humorist Andy Borowitz, "he would have been amazing at it. But he probably wouldn't have gotten around to writing Huckleberry Finn." I think you're facing a comparable choice, Gemini. You can either get a lot of little things done that will serve your short-term aims, or else you can at least partially withdraw from the day-to-day give-and-take so as to devote yourself with more focus to a long-range goal. I'm not here to tell you which way to go; I just want to make sure you know the nature of the decision before you.

*
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One of my favorite memories is gazing into my daughter Zoe's face just moments after her complicated birth. She had been through a heroic ordeal that scared the hell out of me, and yet she looked calm, beatific, and amused.

"She's part-Buddha and part-elf," I thought to myself as I held her in my arms. Gazing back at me, her shiny face blended two states I had never before witnessed together in anyone, let alone in an infant: elegant compassion and playful serenity. This revelation imprinted me like a blood oath and has informed my life and my work ever since.

Do you have a comparable memory? A time when a key to your destiny was suddenly laid bare? A turning point when you got a gift that has fueled your quest for years? Revisit that breakthrough. Then ask life for another one.
*

Deep Thought

2012-02-01T17:59:00.000-08:00

The very purpose of spirituality is self-discipline. Rather than criticizing others, we should evaluate and criticize ourselves. Ask yourself, what am I doing about my anger, my attachment, my pride, my jealousy? These are the things we should check in our day to day lives.

Dalai Lama

Living Wages

2012-01-31T17:01:00.000-08:00

A company sets it's prices based on what they paid to create the product and what they want as profit. A company will rarely charge less than the production cost. Even when they compete with other companies, they will still make a profit. Inflation and ridiculous markups ensure that companies make a profit.
Bartering is all but dead in this country. I can not go into a store and make them give me a product for less than what they paid to make it. They're always going to make some sort of profit. Even with discounts and coupons.
Here's what's fucked up. A company puts out a job notice. They're the ones who need the workers. Yet they're the one's who set the price of labor. Shouldn't it be the other way around? They're the customers and the product is labor. The laborer should be setting the price.
For more skilled workers this is the case. Sort of. The Employer sets a price and the prospective employee negotiates that price. If they're good, they get what they want.

I think that workers should be the lead in setting their wages and benefits, not businesses. Even with competition from other workers
Workers should look at their costs of living, look at the hours they are willing to work, look at the difficulty of the work they are willing to do, look at the costs of their education, look at their goals. They factor all this into to price they will set for their labor.
Unskilled laborers should not feel like they have no negotiating power. We found this out when Mexican labor dropped in agriculture.
In today's economy, most employers complain that the job applicants aren't qualified. This means more leverage for those who are qualified.
I hate the fact that unskilled laborers are made to think that their labor isn't valuable because some inflated sense of labor competition.

What sucks is that when businesses compete they still make a profit. When people compete, their wages drop or remain stagnant while inflation and costs of living goes up.
It leads me to believe (warning: conspiracy trip) that businesses have more solidarity than we think.
Companies do give away products for free; but not at the expense of their profits. They do it because they can afford to.

Where in the world are people taught how to put a real value on their labor?

Workers should not be settling for a minimum wage. They should be negotiating a living wage for themselves

A Note to the Wealthy

2012-01-31T13:04:00.000-08:00

You don't have anything I want
There is nothing about you that I want to emulate.

I am disgusted that you could justify your abundance while people, especially children, are homeless or in danger of losing their homes
While people don't know where or how they'll get there next meal
while people can't afford health care
while people can't afford an education
while people can't find jobs that will give them a living wage.

I'm disgusted by the lies
You acknowledge that you have the power to make things better by calling yourself a 'job creator'
but you're not interested in creating jobs. You're interested in creating profit. And you know that jobs take away from your profit.

You lie about regulations and taxes. Knowing that you make more than enough to provide job that people can live off of.

I'm angered by your condescension. The idea that people want to take from others or want handouts instead of wanting to earn their living.

I'm most disturbed by the fact that you can call yourself Christians.

So I'm not jealous or envious.
I have a home
I can eat at any hour of the day
I have money to pursue further education
I have good health insurance.

The difference between you and I is that I give a fuck about other people
I care about people who can't do anything for me
I give to those who can not benefit me

A term for Sexuality

2012-01-31T11:03:00.001-08:00

The one problem I have with giving women who only want to have sex with women another label is that 'bisexual' is a word describing one's sexuality. It's clearly a sexual term. Not one describing someone's romantic or love interests.

Bisexual is in the same family as homosexual or heterosexual. Strictly terms for one's sexuality

So technically, realistically, and honestly, a woman who likes having sex with men and women, regardless of her romantic leanings or who she falls in love with, is correct to call herself bisexual.

Maybe it's a woman's nature to be adverse to a term that only describes one's sexuality, but, bisexual is just that.

I think the we're hitting a wall because, in the QUILTBAG, Bisexual is one of two labels that is strictly about sexuality. The other being asexual.
asexualty

I don't know of any QUILTBAGs that identify as homosexual or heterosexual. They usually call themselves gay or lesbian. Even heterosexuals are called straight.

Gay, lesbian, and straight are terms that describe more than sexuality, those terms are about love and lifestyle and everything else.

So really, homosexual, heterosexual, and bisexual are fair terms to describe one's sexual orientation or attraction.

They aren't very good at describing one's identity. Gay, lesbian, straight are more oft used for that. So this leaves out bisexuals.

Queer isn't a word everyone wants to use due to it's history, so I can see why women who are attracted to women and men would rather identify as gay or straight. Because those terms are about more than just sexuality.

I'm queer because it's the best description of me overall (sexuality excluded). I identify as indifferent or equal opportunity if people push.

Maybe it is all in a word. I'll make this assumption that is in line with the statistics. If you asked someone straight out, more people would confess to their sexual behavior. People would be honest if asked 'Have you had sex with men and women'. They would also be honest about their attractions; 'are you attracted to men and women'.
If you asked someone their identity, the answers are so subjective they don't completely match up with their behavior or attraction. This is true of straight, gay, and bisexual people. And they aren't being dishonest. Identity is not the same for everyone. Identity is about more than who you want to screw or who you have screwed. So you're not going to get the answer you want based on your understanding of identity. You're going to get the answer based on their understanding of identity

Identity, Behavior, Attraction

2012-01-30T10:32:00.000-08:00

Identity, behavior, attraction, and orientation are not the same. People have always, will always make distinctions between the three.

What do straight people call men who have sex with men and women? Gay. What do people call women who are in a relationship with other women? Lesbians. Then people get offended when that person tells them they were bisexual in the first place.

national health report
In the cdc report.

Table 5. in women aged 15-44.
12.5(0.8)% have had same sex contact with another woman.
The highest was women aged 20-24 at 15.8(1.8)%

Table 11. in women aged 18-44.
83.3(1.1)% were only attracted to the opposite sex and 0.8(0.2)% were only attracted to the same sex. 0.7(0.1)% weren't sure.
The rest (15.3%) were attracted to both in some degree.

In women aged 20-24.
only 77.6(2.3)% were only attracted to the opposite sex and 0.8(0.3)% were only attracted to the same sex. 0.4(0.2)% weren't sure.
The rest (21.2%) were attracted to both in some degree

Table 12. in women aged 18-44.
93.7(0.5)% identified as heterosexual, 1.1(0.2)% identified as lesbian, gay, or homosexual.
3.5(0.3)% identified as bisexual, 0.6(0.1)% as something else, and 1.1 (0.2)% didn't report.

In women aged 20-24.
6.3 (1.1)% identified as bisexual

Table 14. in women aged 18-44.
4.6(0.6)% of women who said they were only attracted to the opposite sex still had sexual contact with the same sex.
9.0(0.7)% of Women who identified as heterosexual still had sexual contact with the same sex.

Even this study is skewed because same sex behavior For females, includes oral sex or any sexual experience,
For males, includes oral or anal sex with male partners.

This study, the most comprehensive and the one with the highest sample size (56,032), shows a discrepancy in identity and attraction.

how many people are lgbt

how students identify

discrepancies in adolescents
a study done in Quebec of 1,951 students

Twelve percent of adolescents (n=237) endorsed at least one measure of nonexclusive heterosexuality.
A total of 3.4% reported gay/lesbian or bisexual (GLB) identity (another 3.4% were unsure), 9.0% reported same-gender attraction, and 4.0% same-gender behavior.
There was no consistent pattern of overlap between the three measures, and no single dimension effectively captured this population.
The question about attraction identified 71%; identity identified 52%; and behavior only 31%.
In raw numbers, more heterosexually identified students reported same-gender attraction (n=95) or same-gender behavior (n=33) than GLB-identified students (n=44 and 29, respectively).

And other experts see a distinction too.

"...I use the term "sexual orientation" to mean a consistent, enduring pattern of sexual desire for individuals of the same sex, the other sex, or both sexes, regardless of whether this pattern of desire is manifested in sexual behavior. A woman can have a lesbian orientation but never have a same-sex relationship, just as she can have a heterosexual orientation and still pursue multiple samesex affairs. Most scientists consider desire, not behavior, the marker of sexual orientation. "Sexual identity" refers to a culturally organized conception of the self, usually "lesbian/gay," "bisexual," or "heterosexual." As with sexual orientation, we cannot presume that these identities correspond to particular patterns of behavior. Nor can we presume that they correspond to particular patterns of desire. Because sexual identities represent self-concepts, they depend on individuals' own notions about the most important aspects of their sexual selves. These notions, as we will see, can vary quite a bit from individual to individual. Moreover, some people—particularly women—reject conventional lesbian/gay/bisexual identity labels in favor of alternative labels such as "queer," "questioning," or "pansexual." Others reject all identity labels in order to make room for a broad range of sexual possibilities, as well as to acknowledge the fact that all labels are somewhat arbitrary"- Lisa Diamond

Reading is Fundamental

Queer

2012-01-29T21:49:00.000-08:00

Word of the day

Adj

Strange
Odd

Homosexual
informal usu. offensive (esp. of a man)

differing from the normal or usual in a way regarded as odd or strange
suspicious, dubious, or shady
faint, giddy, or queasy
informal , taboo homosexual
informal odd or unbalanced mentally; eccentric or slightly mad
slang worthless or counterfeit

1508, "strange, peculiar, eccentric," from Scottish, perhaps from Low Ger. (Brunswick dialect) queer "oblique, off-center," related to Ger. quer "oblique, perverse, odd," from O.H.G. twerh "oblique," from PIE base *twerk- "to turn, twist, wind" (related to thwart). The verb

Synonyms
unconventional, curious, freakish, eccentric, weird. strange.

Originally pejorative for gay, now being reclaimed by some gay men, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered persons as a self-affirming umbrella term. Caution: still extremely offensive when used as an epithet.

Queer has traditionally meant odd or unusual, though modern use often pertains to LGBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex and non-normative heterosexual) people.

Its usage is considered controversial and underwent substantial changes over the course of the 20th century with some LGBT people reclaiming the term as a means of self-empowerment.

The term is still considered by some to be offensive and derisive, and by others as a re-appropriated term used to describe a sexual orientation and/or gender identity or gender expression that does not conform to heteronormative society.

In contemporary usage, some use queer as an inclusive, unifying sociopolitical, self-affirming umbrella term for people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, transgender, transsexual, intersexual, genderqueer, or of any other non-heterosexual sexuality, sexual anatomy, or gender identity.

It can also include asexual and autosexual people, as well as gender normative heterosexuals whose sexual orientations or activities place them outside the heterosexual-defined mainstream (e.g. BDSM practitioners or polyamorous persons). Queer in this sense (depending on how broadly it is defined) is commonly used as a synonym for such terms as LGBT.

aglbical

urban dictionary

dictionary

I love sex

2012-01-28T10:21:00.000-08:00

Or at least the idea of sex.
When I was my own kind of devout christian, I wanted to save myself for marriage
Now I'm a queer kid, I learned that marriage wasn't necessary.
Though I still think love is
I think that sex is sacred. It holds spiritual power
And if it isn't sacred then it is definitely something that should be taken more seriously than it is
More powerful (and often dangerous) than we give it credit for.
Fosters attachment and masks love

Like a drug. Addiction

I'm affectionate. I love intimacy
But I've found that sex isn't worth the crap I have to put up with in order to get it regularly.
Maybe if I felt fully connected I'd think differently. But I haven't
I really just want to cuddle...maybe a little kiss here and there.

I love sex. I don't like having sex with people I don't want to be attached to. I don't like the feeling after having sex with someone I'm not attached to. Or having sex and getting attached to someone before it's really prudent

Disease and drama have no place in my life
So, bottom line. I don't have a problem with sex. I have a problem with people.

Deep Horoscope

2012-01-26T11:19:00.000-08:00

In Bill Moyers' DVD The Language of Life, poet Naomi Shihab Nye is shown giving advice to aspiring young poets. She urges them to keep an open mind about where their creative urges might take them. Sometimes when you start a poem, she says, you think you want to go to church, but where you end up is at the dog races. I'll make that same point to you, Gemini. As you tune in to the looming call to adventure, don't be too sure you know what destination it has in mind for you. You might be inclined to assume it'll lead you toward a local bar for drinks when in fact it's nudging you in the direction of a wild frontier for a divine brouhaha.

It's not too late to hear my long-range, in-depth explorations of your destiny in 2012. What new influences will be headed your way in the coming months?

*
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Might you be one of the 36? As a temporary experiment, act as if you are.

New System

2012-01-20T16:49:00.002-08:00

Here's what bugs me (not about any one person in particular). When the government screws up, it's like there's a call for the apocalypse.
When businesses screw up, it's just a little mischief.
Businesses have run government since we were founded.
I really don't care about bailouts. I care about workers and consumers being exploited.
I care about people not having affordable housing, health care, education, and healthy food; and good jobs that provide those things.
Every American can have those things. This idea of scarce resources is bull. We have enough for everyone. It's either being hoarded or wasted.
Every economic system is better than the one before it. It's time for our economy to evolve into something better.
I don't care about any systems that are over 200 years old. Time has proven that they can't overcome human nature.
I think we are smart enough to come up with a new economic system that can provide what is needed for everyone without coercion.

Deep Horoscope

2012-01-19T11:43:00.000-08:00

"It is respectable to have no illusions -- and safe -- and profitable and dull," said author Joseph Conrad. Taking our cue from his liberating derision, I propose that we protest the dullness of having no illusions. Let's decry the blah gray sterility that comes from entertaining no fantastic fantasies and unreasonable dreams. How boring it is to have such machine-like mental hygiene! For this one week, Gemini, I urge you to celebrate your crazy ideas. Treasure and adore your wacky beliefs. Study all those irrational and insane urges running around your mind to see what you can learn about your deep, dark unconsciousness. (P.S.: But I'm not saying you should act on any of those phantasms, at least not now. Simply be amused by them.)
What will be the story of your life in 2012?
*
SACRED ADVERTISEMENT
The iconoclastic physicist Jack Sarfatti proposes that all "creative thought by artists, craftsmen, and scientists involves the subconscious reception of ideas from the future, which literally create themselves."

Beauty and Truth Lab researcher Vimala Blavatsky puts a different spin on it. "Our future selves are constantly transmitting great ideas to us back through time," she says, "but most of us don't believe that's possible and consequently are not alert for it."

What do you think is the most pressing communiqué your future self is currently beaming your way?
*
The preceding oracle comes from my book, PRONOIA Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings.

Abuse

2012-01-18T13:17:00.000-08:00

Word of the day

noun

1 the improper use of something:
alcohol abuse | an abuse of public funds.
• unjust or corrupt practice:
protection against fraud and abuse
| human rights abuses.
2 cruel and violent treatment of a person or animal:
a black eye and other signs of physical abuse.
• violent treatment involving sexual assault, esp. on a repeated basis:
young people who have suffered sexual abuse.
3 insulting and offensive language:
waving his fists and hurling abuse at the driver.

verb [ with obj. ]

1 use (something) to bad effect or for a bad purpose; misuse:
the judge abused his power by imposing the fines.
• make excessive and habitual use of (alcohol or drugs, esp. illegal ones).
2 treat (a person or an animal) with cruelty or violence, esp. regularly or repeatedly:
riders who abuse their horses should be prosecuted.
• assault (someone, esp. a woman or child) sexually:
he was a depraved man who had abused his two young daughters | (as adj. abused)
: abused children.
• use or treat in such a way as to cause damage or harm:
he had been abusing his body for years.
3 speak in an insulting and offensive way to or about (someone):
the referee was abused by players from both teams.

New Oxford American Dictionary

Class in America

2012-01-18T12:24:00.000-08:00

What is class in America

Owners of businesses
Managers
Skilled workers
unskilled workers
unemployed

Is it between those who don't receive a wage and don't have income from private sources.
Those who work for a wage.
Those who control other people's wages.
Those who don't receive a wage but have income from private sources

should we distinguish between the poor and working poor?

I don't think a monetary divide could be set.

Realistic captialism

2012-01-18T10:24:00.001-08:00

People say 'don't blame capitalism, blame crony capitalism'

Whatever they think capitalism is, doesn't exist.
Will never exist as long as there are a few (we call them elected officials) who make, enforce, and interpret the law.
Crony capitalism is the true capitalism

Waste

2012-01-17T13:14:00.000-08:00

Word of the day

verb

1 [ with obj. ] use or expend carelessly, extravagantly, or to no purpose:
we can't afford to waste electricity | I don't use the car, so why should I waste precious money on it?
• (usu. be wasted on) bestow or expend on an unappreciative recipient:
her small talk was wasted on this guest.
• (usu. be wasted) fail to make full or good use of:

New Oxford American Dictionary

Fundamental concepts

2012-01-17T01:59:00.001-08:00

Love/compassion
honesty
freedom

Hitchens on King

2012-01-16T21:28:00.000-08:00

“For years, I declined to fill in the form for my Senate press credential that asked me to state my 'race,' unless I was permitted to put 'human.' The form had to be completed under penalty of perjury, so I could not in conscience put 'white,' which is not even a color let alone a 'race,' and I sternly declined to put 'Caucasian,' which is an exploded term from a discredited ethnology. Surely the essential and unarguable core of King's campaign was the insistence that pigmentation was a false measure: a false measure of mankind (yes, mankind) and an inheritance from a time of great ignorance and stupidity and cruelty, when one drop of blood could make you 'black.”
― Christopher Hitchens

Fraud

2012-01-16T19:45:00.000-08:00

Word of the day

n

wrongful or criminal deception intended to result in financial or personal gain:

• a person or thing intended to deceive others, typically by unjustifiably claiming or being credited with accomplishments or qualities:

New Oxford American Dictionary

Consent of the governed

2012-01-16T11:27:00.001-08:00

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. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.

The Purpose of Education

2012-01-15T21:27:00.000-08:00

To save man from the morass of propaganda, in my opinion, is one of the chief aims of education. Education must enable one to sift and weigh evidence, to discern the true from the false, the real from the unreal, and the facts from the fiction.

The function of education, therefore, is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. But education which stops with efficiency may prove the greatest menace to society. The most dangerous criminal may be the man gifted with reason, but with no morals.

Intelligence plus character--that is the goal of true education.

Martin Luther King, Jr., The Purpose of Education

The Constitution on Rights

2012-01-15T11:30:00.000-08:00

Section 8 - Powers of Congress

To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;

Amendment 1 - Freedom of Religion, Press, Expression. Ratified 12/15/1791

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Amendment 2 - Right to Bear Arms. Ratified 12/15/1791

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Amendment 4 - Search and Seizure. Ratified 12/15/1791.

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Amendment 6 - Right to Speedy Trial, Confrontation of Witnesses. Ratified 12/15/1791.

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.

Amendment 7 - Trial by Jury in Civil Cases. Ratified 12/15/1791.

In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

Amendment 9 - Construction of Constitution. Ratified 12/15/1791.

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Amendment 14 - Citizenship Rights. Ratified 7/9/1868.

1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

2. Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice-President of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the Executive and Judicial officers of a State, or the members of the Legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such State, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such State.

3. No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.

4. The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void.

5. The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.

Amendment 15 - Race No Bar to Vote. Ratified 2/3/1870.

1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Amendment 19 - Women's Suffrage. Ratified 8/18/1920.

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.

Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Amendment 24 - Poll Tax Barred. Ratified 1/23/1964.

1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary or other election for President or Vice President, for electors for President or Vice President, or for Senator or Representative in Congress, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax.

2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Amendment 26 - Voting Age Set to 18 Years. Ratified 7/1/1971.

1. The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age.

2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Human trafficking

2012-01-15T10:47:00.000-08:00

word of the day

n

Trafficking in Persons

“Trafficking in persons” shall mean the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation.
Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs...

The definition of trafficking continues to be the subject of debate, and there is no conclusive or even commonly agreed upon definition globally, regionally or even nationally. This in itself is indicative of the degree of ideological contention which marks the discourse on trafficking and related issues. Absence of consensus on the definition has crucial implications on strategic planning and programme development since some of the definitions which inform concrete practice may be contradictory to each other. However, there are some basic elements of trafficking that are widely agreed upon, such as violence, deception, coercion, deprivations of freedom of movement, abuse of authority, debt bondage, forced labour and slavery-like practices, and other forms of exploitation or use of force.

UN

save the children

fbi

human trafficking

not for sale

Even Jesus lost his shit with the money changers

2012-01-14T21:39:00.000-08:00

John 2
13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
14 In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money.
15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.
16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!”
17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
18 The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”

Heretic

2012-01-14T15:16:00.001-08:00

Word of the day
n

1
a professed believer who maintains religious opinions contrary to those accepted by his or her church or rejects doctrines prescribed by that church.
2.
Roman Catholic Church . a baptized Roman Catholic who willfully and persistently rejects any article of faith.
3.
anyone who does not conform to an established attitude, doctrine, or principle.

I have a different idea of who Christ was in relation to us
A brother
One who was willing to do what we are all called to do

New Oxford American Dictionary
Dictionary.com

The Constitution on Privileges

2012-01-14T11:38:00.000-08:00

Section 6 - Compensation

(The Senators and Representatives shall receive a Compensation for their Services, to be ascertained by Law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States.) (The preceding words in parentheses were modified by the 27th Amendment.) They shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance at the Session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any Speech or Debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other Place.

Section 9 - Limits on Congress

The privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.

Section 2 - State citizens, Extradition

The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States.

Amendment 14 - Citizenship Rights. Ratified 7/9/1868.

1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

I hate assholes

2012-01-14T11:22:00.000-08:00

First I want to start with a definition

asshole
noun vulgar slang

One who makes someone suffer for their own pleasure or gain
One who finds pleasure in other people's suffering
(that they did not cause)
or uses it for their own gain
One who causes suffering and has no remorse
or makes excuses/justifications for it
or minimizes it.
One who sees someone else suffer and shows no compassion
minimizes the suffering or makes justifications for it.
Liars. I know everyone, including myself, has told a lie and probably will in the future.
But, I acknowledge that dishonesty is an asshole trait.
And a very subtle asshole trait is not acknowledging others as human beings.
Whether it be someone who is serving you dinner, ringing up your new shoes, or passing you on the street. To try your hardest to pretend they don't exist...

My Ideal Society

2012-01-13T15:24:00.000-08:00

One where a person could engage in any activity they want

All interactions must be consensual and
Free of fraud or coercion
Every participant must have access to all information pertaining to their interactions

Every contract (any agreement, spoken or written) has a
Disclosure clause
If one party withholds any information pertaining to that agreement
The contract is violated

If one infringes on anyone's life, liberty, or property
They must atone

Ornery

2012-01-13T14:31:00.000-08:00

word of the day

adjective informal

bad-tempered and combative:
• stubborn:

Hereditary

New Oxford American Dictionary

Deep Thought

2012-01-12T19:55:00.001-08:00

‎"People say that what we're all seeking is a meaning for life. I don't think that's what we're really seeking. I think that what we're seeking is an experience of being alive, so that our life experiences on the purely physical plane will have resonances within our own innermost being and reality, so that we actually feel the rapture of being alive. That's what it's all finally about, and that's what these clues help us to find within ourselves

"…Experience of life. The mind has to do with meaning. What's the meaning of a flower? … There's no meaning. What's the meaning of the universe? What's the meaning of a flea? It's just there. That's it. And your own meaning is that you're there. We're so engaged in doing things to achieve purposes of outer value that we forget that the inner value, the rapture associated with being alive, is what it's all about."

Joseph Campbell, The Power of Myth, with Bill Moyers, p. 4, 5

Deep Horoscope

2012-01-12T19:46:00.000-08:00

Comedian Steven Wright says his nephew has HDADD, or High Definition Attention Deficit Disorder. "He can barely pay attention, but when he does it's unbelievably clear." I'm predicting something like that for you in the coming week, Gemini. You will encounter more things that are dull than are interesting, but those few that fascinate you will awaken an intense focus that allows you to see into the heart of reality.

What new influences will be headed your way in 2012? What fresh resources will you be able to draw on? How can you make best use of these influences and resources?

Economics

2012-01-12T10:47:00.000-08:00

Word of the day

n

the branch of knowledge concerned with the production, consumption, and transfer of wealth.

New Oxford American Dictionary

How to eradicate poverty

2012-01-12T09:58:00.000-08:00

short answer
prevent fraud, waste, and abuse.

Ensure every citizen has lifetime access to:
Healthy foods,
Safe, affordable housing and utilities,
Affordable healthcare.
Affordable transportation,
Affordable childcare.

Ensure every citizen has access to:
Health education that promotes healthy eating, exercise,
how to prevent unwanted pregnancies,
prevention of disease and infection.

Financial education that includes budgeting, saving, investing,
how to live debt free.
If not debt free, then how to get and maintain good credit.

Primary Education that focuses on reading, writing, arithmetics, and research techniques.
Teach Critical thinking skills needed to recognize factual information and use it to make informed decisions.
Teach people how to effectively debate and present factual information.

Vocational education that will give the tools/leverage needed to negotiate for the wages they want.
More on the job training and apprenticeship programs.
More business funded certification/licensing programs.
More industries/businesses providing guidance to colleges/universities on what courses to take to be successful in the job market.

Most of all, education that focuses on individuals. Looks at a person's situation and goals and tailors learning to them.
This means getting rid of standardized tests
and getting away from classrooms

Businesses who made record profits, outsourced or automated jobs,
gave their executives million dollar severances,
gave their CEOs salaries that are over 200 times that of the average worker,
Got government subsidies,
Didn't pay income taxes,
Laid off workers,
Cut wages and benefits,
Need to be ashamed of themselves.
They need to be held accountable for their part in our poverty rates.
If they don't do more to help america, we need to boycott them.

We need to promote local businesses that are actively involved in improving the lives of the people in their communities. Especially financial institutions.

Every citizen needs to get involved in their community.
Go to city council meetings.
Volunteer for charities and non-profits. Exercise rights guaranteed in the first amendment daily.
If you aren't going to be represented by your elected officials, represent yourself.
Hold businesses accountable every day.

And they need to release all non-violent drug Offenders and end this ridiculous war on drugs.

Replace our collective sense of self worth that consumerism stole from us. Businesses can't convince us to buy their crap if we know we are capable of producing things, accomplishing tasks by ourselves. We also need to know that we are beautiful without their product.

Ensure that the people have the resources and skills and network to provide for themselves and their communities
Create Self sufficient communities

I love

2012-01-11T21:59:00.001-08:00

I love everyone
so I don't have to be in love with anyone

SYMPATHETIC JOY

2012-01-11T19:21:00.000-08:00

word of the day

n

mudita

The definition is: being happy with someone's fortune/happiness. Sympathetic joy here refers to the potential of bliss and happiness of all sentient beings, as they can all become Buddhas.
The near enemy is hypocrisy or affectation.
The opposite is jealousy, when one cannot accept the happiness of others.
A result which one needs to avoid is: spaced-out bliss, which can easily turn into laziness.
Note: sympathetic joy is a great antidote to depression for oneself as well, but this should not be the main goal.
By rejoicing in others' progress on the spiritual path, one can actually share in their positive karma.
Sympathetic joy is an unselfish, very positive mental attitude which is beneficial for oneself and others. In this case, it also refers specifically to rejoicing in the high rebirth and enlightenment of others.

view on buddhism

The third immeasurable is appreciative joy. It is the wholesome attitude of rejoicing in the happiness and virtues of all sentient beings. It counters jealousy and makes people less self-centred.

People in their daily lives may experience appreciative joy. It is like a mother's joy at her son's success and happiness in life. In the same way, almost everyone will have at one time or another experienced the feeling of joy at the good fortune of a friend. These are the commonly experienced forms of appreciative joy. When one meditates on appreciative joy and extends it to all sentient beings and not just to loved ones only, one then experiences appreciative joy as a sublime state of mind and as an immeasurable.

buddhanet

bodhicitta

buddhanet

Potential

2012-01-11T08:31:00.000-08:00

Marianne Williamson
According to A Course in Miracles, those who have achieved the most in the world have achieved a fraction of what each of us is capable of.
Exercise: Just allow yourself to take that in...to breathe it into your deepest places... Then say to the universe that you are willing to actualize the fullness of who you are...that you know you haven't done so already...that you atone for your own self-sabotaging and self-limiting beliefs...and that now, at this time in this year, you pray for God's help in removing all internal as well as external obstacles to your actualizing your full potential as a child of God. There is nothing to figure out; only miracles to receive. Remain in silence, with your eyes closed while you do this. And the miracles will begin.

LOVING-KINDNESS

2012-01-10T19:30:00.000-08:00

word of the day

n

Metta

The definition of love in Buddhism is: wanting others to be happy.
This love is unconditional and it requires a lot of courage and acceptance (including self-acceptance).
The "near enemy" of love, or a quality which appears similar, but is more an opposite is: conditional love (selfish love, see also the page on attachment).
The opposite is wanting others to be unhappy: anger, hatred.
A result which one needs to avoid is: attachment.

This definition means that 'love' in Buddhism refers to something quite different from the ordinary term of love which is usually about attachment, more or less successful relationships and sex; all of which are rarely without self-interest. Instead, in Buddhism it refers to de-tachment and the unselfish interest in others' welfare.

'Even offering three hundred bowls of food three times a day does not match the spiritual merit gained in one moment of love.'
Nagarjuna

"If there is love, there is hope that one may have real families, real brotherhood, real equanimity, real peace. If the love within your mind is lost and you see other beings as enemies, then no matter how much knowledge or education or material comfort you have, only suffering and confusion will ensue"
His Holiness the Dalai Lama from 'The little book of Buddhism'

view on buddhism

Loving-kindness, the first immeasurable, is the wish that all sentient beings, without any exception, be happy. Loving-kindness counters ill will. The attitude of loving-kindness is like the feeling which a mother has for her newborn son. She wishes that he may enjoy good health, have good friends, be intelligent and successful in all that he attempts. In short, she wishes sincerely that he be happy. One may have the same attitude of loving-kindness for a particular friend or for others in one's class, community or nation. In all these cases, one wishes that the person or persons concerned enjoy happiness.

The extent of loving-kindness in the instances mentioned above is limited to those for whom one has some attachment or concern. The meditation on loving-kindness, however, requires one to extend loving-kindness not only towards those whom one feels close to, but also to others whom one may know only slightly or not know at all. Finally, one's loving-kindness is extended to all sentient beings in all the realms of existence. Then only does the ordinary wholesome attitude of loving-kindness found in daily life reach the state of the sublime or the immeasurable.

buddhanet

bodhicitta

insight meditation center

inner frontier

Separation of Economics and State

2012-01-10T11:07:00.000-08:00

Humanly impossible

When has economics ever been separate from the laws that govern the people?

In America, The people who produce, buy, and work are the same people who vote and participate in law making.

The world can work in one of two ways.

Economic forces control law making
Law makers control economic forces

This is the true difference between private ownership and public ownership
capitalism and socialism.

Any separation is a fantasy
There can never be a true free market because those who have economic powers implant themselves or their representatives in all levels of law making.

A free market is impossible in America because economics and law are intertwined in our constitution

Section 8 - Powers of Congress

The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

To borrow money on the credit of the United States;

To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;

To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;

To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;

To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;

To establish Post Offices and Post Roads;

To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;

Section 9 - Limits on Congress

No Tax or Duty shall be laid on Articles exported from any State.

No Preference shall be given by any Regulation of Commerce or Revenue to the Ports of one State over those of another: nor shall Vessels bound to, or from, one State, be obliged to enter, clear, or pay Duties in another.

No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law; and a regular Statement and Account of the Receipts and Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time.

Section 10 - Powers prohibited of States

No State shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance, or Confederation; grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal; coin Money; emit Bills of Credit; make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts; pass any Bill of Attainder, ex post facto Law, or Law impairing the Obligation of Contracts, or grant any Title of Nobility.

Amendment 16 - Status of Income Tax Clarified.

The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration.

This is like the separation of church and state
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion"

But the people who vote and make laws can not help but make decisions based on their religious beliefs.

Consciously and subconsciously

The choice is to allowed people to participate in whatever systems they want or
to create a system where everyone has a voice in law making and economics

COMPASSION

2012-01-09T19:35:00.000-08:00

word of the day

n

Karuna

The definition is: wanting others to be free from suffering.
This compassion happens when one feels sorry with someone, and one feels an urge to help.
The near enemy is pity, which keeps other at a distance, and does not urge one to help.
The opposite is wanting others to suffer, or cruelty.
A result which one needs to avoid is sentimentality.
Compassion thus refers to an unselfish, de-tached emotion which gives one a sense of urgency in wanting to help others. From a Buddhist perspective, helping others to reduce their physical or mental suffering is very good, but the ultimate goal is to extinguish all suffering by stopping the process of rebirth and the suffering that automatically comes with living by reaching enlightenment.

The attitude of a so-called Bodhisattva is Bodhicitta: this is the ultimate compassionate motivation: the wish to liberate all sentient beings from the sufferings of cyclic existence and to become a fully enlightened Buddha oneself in order to act as the perfect guide for them. Actually, this could well be the most honorable and idealistic motivation possible.

view on buddhism

compassion

Compassion, the second of the immeasurables, is the wish for all sentient beings to be free from suffering. It counters cruelty. People can observe the natural attitude of compassion in the world around them. When a mother, for example, sees her son seriously ill, she will naturally be moved by compassion and earnestly wishes that he may be free from the suffering of his sickness. In the same way, most people have experienced the feeling of compassion upon seeing the suffering of a relative, a schoolmate or even a pet. All these are examples of the ordinary feeling of compassion. To become a sublime state of mind, compassion has to reach beyond the limited group of individuals or beings whom one loves or cares for. Compassion has to be extended to all sentient beings in all the realms of existence before it becomes an immeasurable.

buddhanet

bodhicitta

Deep Thought

2012-01-09T08:35:00.000-08:00

If it was perfect, it wouldn't be beautiful

"Perfection is inhuman. Human beings are not perfect. What evokes our love - and I mean love, not lust - is the imperfection of the human being. So, when the imperfection of the real human peeks through, say, 'This is a challenge to my compassion.' Then make a try, and something might begin to get going."
- Joseph Campbell, Pathways to Bliss

EQUANIMITY

2012-01-08T19:20:00.000-08:00

Word of the day

n
calmness of mind or temper; composure

upekkha

The definition of equanimity is: not to distinguish between friend, enemy or stranger, but regard every sentient being as equal. It is a clear-minded tranquil state of mind - not being overpowered by delusions, mental dullness or agitation.
The near enemy is indifference. It is tempting to think that just 'not caring' is equanimity, but that is just a form of egotism.
The opposite is anxiety, worry, stress and paranoia caused by dividing people into 'good' and 'bad'; one can worry forever if a good friend may not be a bad person after all, and thus spoiling trust and friendship.
A result which one needs to avoid is apathy as a result of 'not caring'.
Equanimity is the basis for unconditional, altruistic love, compassion and joy for other's happiness and Bodhicitta.
When we discriminate between friends and enemies, how can we ever want to help all sentient beings?
Equanimity is an unselfish, de-tached state of mind which also prevents one from doing negative actions.

"If one tries to befriend an enemy for a moment, he becomes your friend.
The same thing occurs when one treats a friend as an enemy.
Therefore, by understanding the impermanence of temporal relations,
Wise ones are never attached to food, clothing or reputation, nor to friends or enemies.

The father becomes the son in another life,
Mother becomes the wife,
Enemy becomes friend;
It always changes.
Therefore there is nothing definite in samsara."
The Buddha

"The foundation for practicing the seven-point cause and effect method is cultivating a mind of equanimity. Without this foundation you will not be able to have an impartial altruistic view, because without equanimity you will always have partiality towards your relatives and friends. Realize that you should not have prejudice, hatred, or desire towards enemies, friends, or neutral persons, thus lay a very firm foundation of equanimity."
His Holiness the Dalai Lama, from 'Path to Bliss: A Practical Guide to Stages of Meditation'

It is said that the awareness of a Buddha is completely even, like the ocean, taking in equally the joys and sorrows of all people, friends, loved ones, relatives, and those never met. This is the meaning of a statement made by so many of the world's great spiritual teachers,
"Love your enemy."
It doesn't mean love the person you hate. You can't do that. Love those who hate you.
From 'Buddhism with an Attitude: The Tibetan Seven-Point Mind-Training'

view on buddhism

the last of the four immeasurables, is the attitude of regarding all sentient beings as equals, irrespective of their present relationship to oneself. The wholesome attitude of equanimity counters clinging and aversion.

Equanimity can be experienced in common forms in daily life. When a grown-up son settles down with his own family, he begins to lead an independent life with responsibilities of his own. Although his mother still has her feelings of loving-kindness, compassion and appreciative joy towards him, they are now combined with a new feeling of equanimity. She recognises his new independent and responsible position in life and does not cling to him.

To become a sublime state of mind, however, the attitude of equanimity has to be extended to all sentient beings. In order to do this, one needs to remember that one's particular relationships with one's relatives, friends and even enemies, are the result of previous karma. Thus one should not cling to relatives and friends while regarding others with indifference or hatred. Moreover, one's relatives and friends in this life may have been one's enemies in a past life and may again become enemies in the future, while one's enemies in this life may well have been one's relatives and friends in the past, and may again become one's relatives and friends in the future.

buddhanet

insight meditation center.org

bodhicitta

Welfare woes

2012-01-08T09:35:00.000-08:00

All these arguments about who receives the most welfare are ridiculous

The moral of the story is that none of the politicians (or their base) are interested in helping ALL Americans find work that is adequate enough to provide lifetime housing, food, education, transportation, childcare, and healthcare.

Corruption

2012-01-07T13:13:00.000-08:00

Word of the day

noun

1 dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving bribery:

• the action of making someone or something morally depraved or the state of being so:

New Oxford American Dictionary

class warfare

2012-01-07T12:23:00.000-08:00

I think the deeper issue is an erosion of compassion. A lack of unity.
Some people don't seem to know or care how their actions affect others.
This isn't a new thing. It's just new to middle class America. Poor people have been aware of and dealing with these issues since before America was founded.
I don't have a problem with people being highly successful.
I have a problem with people not paying it forward. I have a problem with people gaining success by making others suffer.
If you're a billionaire and you contribute to society, try to honestly help others have a better life, I support you.

Assistance

2012-01-06T16:20:00.000-08:00

I don't want the government to provide assistance
I want the people to help each other

Oppression

2012-01-06T14:25:00.000-08:00

Word of the day

noun

prolonged cruel or unjust treatment or control:
a region shattered by oppression and killing.
• the state of being subject to such treatment or control.
• mental pressure or distress: her mood had initially been alarm and a sense of oppression.

New Oxford American Dictionary

Responsible budget cuts

2012-01-05T21:07:00.000-08:00

I agree that the debt is out of control.
I agree that there are wasteful, fraudulent, and abused government programs that need to be scrutinized.
I agree that the government is inefficient
I have no problem with budget cuts
My problem is with irresponsible cuts
If you preach a philosophy that the private sector can provide better services for the people than the government can,
shouldn't you make sure those private services are truly in place and viable before you cut a government program?
Isn't it your responsibility to advertise these private services to the people as a better alternative so they don't feel like the rug has been snatched?

Wouldn't it be better to turn the program over to a private non-profit instead of just getting rid of it?

Now, I know there is a section of the country that doesn't give a shit.
Cut the budget at all costs.
If it doesn't benefit me, get rid of it, let them fend for themselves.
If this is the true philosophy of the budget cutters, then they need to announce it and stick by it.
Do not lie to the people saying you are doing something that will ultimately benefit them, when you ultimately don't care.

Responsible budget cuts are not contracting
It is not government paying a contractor to do work
That leads to fraud waste and abuse
It is not just cutting funding
or completely cutting a program
It's not assuming that charities churches and non profits will take up the slack
It's calling out to private groups
Determining if they can support all clients and services
And ensuring that they can provide better services
Long term business plan

Deep Horoscope

2012-01-05T19:45:00.000-08:00

In his book Priceless: How I Went Undercover to Rescue the World's Stolen Treasures, former FBI agent Robert K. Wittman tells the story of the world's second largest crystal ball. Worth $350,000 and once belonging to the Chinese Dowager Empress, it was stolen from a museum. Wittman never located the actual robber, but years later he tracked down the crystal ball to a person who had acquired it quite innocently and by accident. She was a young witch in New Jersey who, unaware of its origins or value, kept it on her bedroom dresser with a baseball cap on top of it. I suspect you may have a comparable adventure in the coming months, Gemini. If you look hard and keep an open mind, you will eventually recover lost riches or a disappeared prize in the least likely of places.

Are you ready to shed your superstitious fears about the future? Would you like to slip into 2012 armed with an influx of confidence and poise?

Christian Nation

2012-01-05T18:09:00.000-08:00

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
-First Amendment

In the ridiculous religion debates I've seen going on lately,
People seem so confused.
Let me break it down.

Our federal government is not based on Judeo-Christian principles.
Our culture is.

The Treaty of Tripoli states "Art. 11. As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquillity, of Mussulmen; and, as the said States never entered into any war, or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties, that no pretext arising from religious opinions, shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries."

Our founding fathers purposely excluded religious ideas from their government planning. They did not want us to become another England.

The first American settlers were indeed Christian. Their lifestyle was drenched with judeo christian principles.
I think the confusion starts when we see that these principles did find their way into state law. The citizens shaped state legislation and many local officials were Christian.
Currently over 70% of our citizens identify as Christian(and I include Catholics). Our current culture is permeated with Judeo-Christian principles.

BUT I've come to question our Christian status.
Matthew 25
31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory.
32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.
35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,
36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?
38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?
39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,
43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

Exploitation

2012-01-05T14:25:00.000-08:00

Word of the day

noun

1 the action or fact of treating someone unfairly in order to benefit from their work:
the exploitation of migrant workers.
2 the action of making use of and benefiting from resources:
the Bronze Age saw exploitation of gold deposits.
• the fact of making use of a situation to gain unfair advantage for oneself:
this administration's exploitation of the fear of crime.

New Oxford American Dictionary

Taking life

2012-01-04T16:43:00.001-08:00

If taking a human life doesn't fuck with your head, you were already fucked in the head

Swank and Marchand's World War II study of US Army combatants on the beaches of Normandy found that after 60 days of continuous combat, 98% of the surviving soldiers had become psychiatric casualties. And the remaining 2% were identified as "aggressive psychopathic personalities." Thus it is not too far from the mark to observe that there is something about continuous, inescapable combat which will drive 98% of all men insane, and the other 2% were crazy when they got there.

killology

Crony Capitalism

2012-01-04T10:30:00.000-08:00

Word of the day

n

Definition of 'Crony Capitalism'
A description of capitalist society as being based on the close relationships between businessmen and the state. Instead of success being determined by a free market and the rule of law, the success of a business is dependent on the favoritism that is shown to it by the ruling government in the form of tax breaks, government grants and other incentives.

Investopedia explains 'Crony Capitalism'
Both socialists and capitalists have been at odds with each other over assigning blame to the opposite group for the rise of crony capitalism. Socialists believe that crony capitalism is the inevitable result of pure capitalism. This belief is supported by their claims that people in power, whether business or government, look to stay in power and the only way to do this is to create networks between government and business that support each other.

On the other hand, capitalists believe that crony capitalism arises from the need of socialist governments to control the state. This requires businesses to operate closely with the government to acheive the greatest success.

I agree with socialists in this case based on American history.

Work Ethic

2012-01-03T14:25:00.001-08:00

2 Thesselonians 3

6Now we command you, beloved, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from believers who are living in idleness and not according to the tradition that they received from us.
7For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us; we were not idle when we were with you,
8and we did not eat anyone’s bread without paying for it; but with toil and labor we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you.
9This was not because we do not have that right, but in order to give you an example to imitate.
10For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: Anyone unwilling to work should not eat.
11For we hear that some of you are living in idleness, mere busybodies, not doing any work.
12Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.
13Brothers and sisters, do not be weary in doing what is right.
14Take note of those who do not obey what we say in this letter; have nothing to do with them, so that they may be ashamed.
15Do not regard them as enemies, but warn them as believers.
Final Greetings and Benediction

16Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways. The Lord be with all of you.
17I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. This is the mark in every letter of mine; it is the way I write.
18The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you.

Though Jesus and Paul aren't always on the same page

Matthew 6

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?
26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[e]?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.
29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.
30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?
31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 15
32 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.”

33 His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?”

34 “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.

“Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.”

35 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground.
36 Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people.
37 They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
38 The number of those who ate was four thousand men, besides women and children.
39 After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan.

Mark 8

Luke 9
12 Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.”

13 He replied, “You give them something to eat.”

They answered, “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all this crowd.”
14 (About five thousand men were there.)

But he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.”
15 The disciples did so, and everyone sat down.
16 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people.
17 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

Luke 12

John 6

Politics don't matter

2012-01-03T09:18:00.001-08:00

Ethical capitalism, socialism, and Communism are all theories that haven't worked in practice. The only cases of half-ass success were on a very small scale and didn't last long.
Power always seems find its way into the hands of a few people. The most successful large economies use a mixture of them all.
It doesn't matter what party you put in there. Doesn't matter what economic system you have.
I don't even advocate for third party candidates any more. If they aren't bought out by the wealthy, they're constrained by them.
If the people aren't represented, then they will be oppressed.
Our elected officials don't represent the people. Their real constituents are the corporations.
Our government has always been a strong arm against revolution. The wealthy restrain themselves when they realize their practices aren't good for business.
Voting isn't the only way to participate in government, it's not even the best way. Using our rights guaranteed in the first amendment work everyday, not just election day.
We're partially in this mess because only 60% of people voting age actually vote during a presidential election. That drops to around 30% during midterm elections. That's not democracy.
Then, corporations lobby and insert their people into government positions that control policy.
Boots is right on the only thing that works with the wealthy is protest. Whether it be strikes, boycotts, letters, exposure to the press, etc. They listen when you fuck with their profits.
The only real change occurs when the people come together.
The wealthy's winning hand is divide and conquer. They oppress us and get us to fight with each other. Telling us that poor people, immigrants, or other minorities are the cause of the problems they create.
They get away with shit because they've conned us into thinking we can't live without their product. As long as they can make a profit off of enough suckers buying their crap, they'll do whatever they want.
That points to their other winning strategy which is lowering our collective self worth.
Workers and consumers need to unite to overcome all this bullshit.
I'd like to see a society where the people actually create and consent to the laws and economics that affect our lives.

Emperor of America

2012-01-02T17:46:00.001-08:00

Start with affirmation of freedom

We are all fully autonomous beings.
We have ultimate, final authority over our own life, liberty, happiness, and property.

We consent to restrictions in order to participate with a community.

People are free; only restricted when their actions harm others.
Only obligated to the contracts they make with others.

There will be no legislation against personal actions. Or actions between informed, consenting individuals.

Stating that the Constitution is a document defining the powers and
responsibilities of the Federal government. More importantly,
defining the limitations/restrictions of the government.
The rights and freedoms of the people are inherent. The constitution
does not grant rights; it guarantees them.

The 9th and 10th amendment especially confirmed
All laws restricting freedoms that do not infringe on the life,
liberty, and property of others are Suggestions/recommendations or outright abolished.
All federal entities not explicitly mentioned in the constitution are
turned over to the states.

Federal workers have option of being absorbed by the states
or creating a private non-profit oversight/research entity with no
government powers

Economic policy
People are free to participate in any consensual exchange of goods,
services, and labor
Free of fraud, coercion, abuse

Defense policy
Diplomacy
Focus on defense
Less use of military for foreign conflicts. More covert/drone operations.
Only go into foreign countries if the people insist on our help and
they pay for our protection

Direct democracy
Consensual democracy
Voting
National referendums
National initiatives
preferential voting

Term limits for Congress and Judges
8 years for Congress
10 years for judges

Public officials elected like jury duty?

Line item vote on congressional bills
A bill will only have one subject. No pork

Reaffirmation of all judges

Currency
Federal reserve will be controlled by the federal government. No private entities involved.
precious metals measured in grams.

Emperor's suggestions

2012-01-01T21:07:00.000-08:00

Enact community service program to replace all government assistance
Receive government assistance/services in exchange for community service work
Let individual set the exchange
They will provide the service they choose in order to get the assistance they want

Government program funding
donation.
enact tariffs
Enact 10% sales tax alternative
People and businesses donate 10% of their products, services, labor to
the people.

Variety based economy
A bit different than competition

Sales tax on non essentials

Non profit hospitals
Non profit schools
Non profit utilities
Public option for necessities
That compete with private entities

buy local

Discourage hoarding

If items need to be stored,
store in a accessible location to all.

4 hour alternating work blocks

Functional education
Public education for community service

Professional apprenticeship
OJT

Not even you

2011-12-30T02:37:00.000-08:00

I don't trust anyone who thinks they have the authority to enforce compliance to their way of life

Deep Verse

2011-12-30T02:35:00.000-08:00

1 Corinthians 10

12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.
13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

23 “All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up.
24 Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.
25 Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience.
26 For “the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof.”
27 If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience.
28 But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience—
29 I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else's conscience?
30 If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks?

31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
32 Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God,
33 just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.

Commie Bastards

2011-12-30T01:46:00.000-08:00

Acts 4
³²All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had.
With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all.
There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales
and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.

Deep Thought

2011-12-29T21:06:00.001-08:00

‎"We are all born as animals and live the life that animals live: we sleep, eat, reproduce, and fight. There is, however, another order of living, which the animals do not know, that of awe before the mystery of being, the mysterium tremendum et fascinans, that can be the root and branch of the spiritual sense of one’s days. That is the birth – the Virgin Birth – in the heart of a properly human, spiritual life."
- Joseph Campbell, Thou Art That, p. 29

Deep Thought

2011-12-29T20:32:00.001-08:00

When religion meets politics, it all amounts to a denial of autonomy.
The left would want to make you do what you do not want to do.
The right would want to make you stop doing what you want to do.

Deep Horoscope

2011-12-29T19:44:00.000-08:00

The coming year will be a good time for you to consider investigating the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Devotees of this religion call themselves Pastafarians. Their main dogma is the wisdom of rejecting all dogma. Having such a light-hearted approach to spiritual matters would be quite healthy for you to experiment with. For extra credit, you could draw inspiration from a church member named Niko Alm. He convinced authorities to allow him to wear a pasta strainer on his head for his driver's license photo. Having a jaunty approach to official requirements and formal necessities will also serve you well.

scary little thing called love

2011-12-26T05:35:00.000-08:00

I believe that in order to truly love someone, you must understand them.
Many times your heart leads, then love seems to be blind, ineffective, selfish even.
you have no idea if you are happy, if they are happy.
it's scary feeling like you're on a limb that could break any second.
You already fell without even expecting it.
You may get over it but your heart is still wounded. There's still a scar. Making it tougher. Making you guarded.

Trust

Risk management
Accept the risk only when the benefit outweighs the cost
when Love feels like a risk
Anticipate and manage risks by planning
when you don't have enough information to make a healthy decision
make risk decisions at the right level
love takes time
accept no unnecessary risks.
love does not fear.

But I realize I've been using the ORM wrong.
You're supposed to
Identify the hazard
Assess the hazard
Make risk decisions
Implement controls
Supervise

I haven't been implementing controls
I just decide that it's not worth the risk and pass it by
Or I only give what I'm willing to lose.

So what is the benefit
If there can be friendship and a heart protected.
When you love but are afraid to say it.
When I have to change my thinking from love to friend.
when love isn't something I can get rid of so easily. Ignore it, stifle it. Let it die.
What I have to tell myself.
I can be a friend. A friend who loves, supports, helps,
one who doesn't need love in return
I think a relationship is secure, there's a commitment.
What's the difference between a lover and a friend?
Is it just the physical intimacy? Is it a vulnerability?
You can be in love and still be friends. It's a bit of torture if one is not mature enough; but possible.

I feel like I'm an oddity. It's hard for me to relate to people and feel like I'm understood. Very important to me. Otherwise. It's the loneliest feeling, not being understood. This loneliness sits in your gut when you're alone or when you're in a crowd. It's worse in the crowd. It's worst in love.
I hate being confused and this is the most confusing and frustrating thing I've dealt with in a long time.

I'm in love and I'm uncomfortable with those feelings
I'm in love and it scares me
When my mind is telling me that it's not going to work and my heart is telling me that it doesn't matter, just do it.
There's no voice of hope. Nothing saying that it will work out.
Maybe that's my insecurities or maybe it's intuition. Maybe a little of both.
I wish i was able to trust someone with my heart

Word of the Day

2011-12-24T15:13:00.000-08:00

???
Noun

A person who doesn't care about an issue that doesn't affect them.

"as long as I'm fed, I don't care if poor people eat. They need to learn how to provide for themselves. If they can't, that's just evolution at work."

What do you call this person...besides asshole?

Selfish or indifferent doesn't quite hit it.

They have compassion; but only for their causes. Everyone else be damned.

Irreverent

2011-12-24T12:25:00.000-08:00

It's why I ask people not to take me seriously
I'm grossly irreverent
I have little to no respect for anything
Severely jaded
I don't identify with anything or anyone

I don't have any real religious or political affiliation

I'm a libertarian on paper
When I talk to other libertarians or read their writings, I don't want to have anything to do with them

In politics and religion, sarcasm rules
It's like I'm the political (and economic) atheists telling everyone they're deluded.

The only things I want is freedom
but know that it's hard to achieve.
Like happiness
no one can give it to you
It's a choice you make

But we're too brainwashed to realize that we enslave ourselves

I realize that people will defend their cause and become delusional about it. Viewing the opposing side as ignorant, dangerous

How do you really change minds?
Convincing others that your way is better for them...

If you find a way of life that works for you, meets your needs, you should be free to live that life.
You can advocate for it; but, don't force others to follow it.
Be respectful of the fact that everyone else doesn't want to follow it.

I distrust anyone who thinks they have a way of life that will work for all people.

Class Warfare

2011-12-24T10:51:00.000-08:00

I've always thought that underneath it all, America's foundation was built on class.

noun
the system of ordering a society in which people are divided into sets based on perceived social or economic status:

In America, the foundation of class is wealth

What masks it all is that the American elite decided who was going to be in what class.
They had to, to ensure they keep their power

Duh enough, wealthy, white, male, land owners end up in the upper class

and Everyone else ends up in the lower class empires

The government creates this thing called the middle class.

This is where our land of opportunity lives.

Every now and then, the elite allow women and other minorities into their fold. Because it really isn't about racism or sexism or whatever -ism.

It's about power. It's about empires.

Empires came into being by creating something people felt they could not live without.

Dan Snyder makes the bottom of the Forbes 400 list at

1.05 Billion Washington Redskins

Oddly enough

the black female on the list

Oprah Winfrey at

2.7 billion Harpo Productions

The next wealthiest black person

Tiger woods at 600 million

42 of the 400 are women

We must realize that America was not a clean slate

There were powers that transfered and continued

Made decisions and molded the course of America

Any economic

Bigot

2011-12-23T15:12:00.000-08:00

Word of the day

noun
a person who is intolerant of any ideas other than his or her own, esp on religion, politics, or race

New Oxford American Dictionary

Deep Horoscope

2011-12-22T10:04:00.000-08:00

In her memoir Blood, Bones & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef,Gabrielle Hamilton suggests my horoscopes were helpful to her as she followed her dream to create her New York City restaurant, Prune. "I killed roaches, poisoned their nests, trapped rats, stuffed their little holes with steel wool and glass shards," she wrote, "while my girlfriend . . . walked through the place 'purifying' it with a burning sage smudge stick and read me my Rob Brezsny horoscopes in support." I would love to be of similar service to you in the coming months, Gemini, as you cleanse whatever needs to be cleansed in preparation for your next big breakthrough. Let the fumigation, purgation, and expiation begin!
*

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Here's a blurb for one of his workshops. "This day will be of absolutely no use to you. Nothing will be furthered or accomplished by coming. Expect a time of effortlessness, relaxation, and poetry, hanging out, maybe a little mindfulness meditation -- all for nothing. Some might understand this as a protest against our culture's speedy, goal-driven nature, but we know it won't amount to a hill of beans. Good intentions and purposefulness must be checked at the door."
*

Deep Thought

2011-12-17T22:48:00.000-08:00

He is truly a Fool who trust's his :
1. Soul to a Preacher !
2. Health to a Doctor !
3. Right's to a Lawyer !
4. Money to a Banker !
6. Information from a news channel !
7. History from a school system !
8. Education from a University !
9. Security from a police force !
10. Freedom from a government !
11. Choices to a Politician !

Learn these skills for yourself!!!

Hippocrates maybe

Deep Horoscope

2011-12-15T10:06:00.000-08:00

I'm not an either-or type of person. I don't think that there are just two sides of every story and that you have to align yourself with one or the other. That's one reason why, as an America voter, I reject the idea that I must either sympathize with the goals of the Democratic Party or the Republican Party. It's also why I'm bored by the trumped-up squabble between the atheists and the fundamentalist Christians, and the predictable arguments between dogmatic cynics and fanatical optimists. I urge you to try my approach in the coming weeks, Gemini. Find a third way between any two sides that tend to divide the world into Us against Them.

Whether it's your time to ferment in the shadows or sing in the sun, fresh power to transform yourself is on the way. Life always delivers the creative energy you need to change into the new thing you must become.*

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Hearing about it prompted me to ruminate on whether there's any such thing as a completely accurate account of any person's life. My conclusion: no.

In every autobiography and biography ever written, the author imaginatively strings together selectively chosen details to conjure up artificially coherent narratives rather than depicting the crazy-quilt ambiguity that actually characterizes everyone's journey.

If you and nine writers set out to tell your life story, you'd produce 10 wildly different tales, each rife with subjective interpretation, misplaced emphasis, unintentional distortions, and exorbitant extrapolations from insufficient data.

Celebrate the malleability of reality. Regale listeners with stories about the time you worked as a pirate in the Indian Ocean, or rode the rails through Kansas as a hobo, or gave a down-on-his-luck CIA agent sage advice in an elevator. When you call to get pizza delivered and the clerk who takes your order asks your name, say you're Brad Pitt or Paris Hilton. When someone you're meeting is annoyed because you're late, say you couldn't help it because you were smoking crack in the bus station bathroom with your mom's guru and lost track of time. If asked how much education you have, say you have three PhDs, one each in astrobiology, Russian literature, and whale songs.

Deep Thought

2011-12-11T22:45:00.000-08:00

Americans always tend to do the right thing
after having exhausted every other alternative
Churchill

Emperor of the U.S.A

2011-12-10T18:09:00.000-08:00

When I become Emperor
People would solve disputes at the lowest level possible (starting directly with the people who are in disagreement), and if necessary, follow an appeals process all the way to the supreme court. The right to trial by jury will be observed

Justice system will be reparative. All non-violent criminals are released from prison and made to atone for their crime.

Grassroots investments

2011-12-09T00:05:00.000-08:00

A friend, or any person in your community, wants to start a business. They know what they need to get it started
They don't have the capital. So they go to people in the community and ask for investments.
Face to face
Investor says they will give so much; what they get in return can be negotiated
Maybe they just want their money back
Maybe they want it back with interest
Maybe they want a portion of the profits
Maybe they want a say in decisions

No matter what the agreement, there would be no middle man, no bank or investment agency you have to go through. No imaginary digital money.

Deep Horoscope

2011-12-08T10:07:00.000-08:00

Researchers at the University of Oregon claim that in certain circumstances, they can make water flow uphill. I'm not qualified to evaluate their evidence, but I do know that in the coming week you will have the power to accomplish the metaphorical equivalent of what they say they did. Don't squander this magic on trivial matters, please, Gemini. Use it to facilitate a transformation that's important to your long-term well-being.

*

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How would your life change if you made this idea your working hypothesis?

Sexuality: Indifferent

2011-12-04T18:36:00.000-08:00

I understand that we don't like labels; but labels happen. If I'm gonna be labeled, it's gonna be on my own terms. I've gone from straight to bisexual to lesbian back to bisexual and now I just don't care.

I joke that I'm equal opportunity. It's pretty much true; I am "committed to a policy of providing sexual opportunities to people regardless of economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, or physical or mental disability." (modified from the University of Kentucky website)

Problem is, I'm not hiring.
It's hard to admit; but, I really don't like people. At least, not on an intimate level.
I've never met a person I couldn't live without. I usually get tired of people after a while.
I've rarely seen a successful relationship.
It's gotten to the point where I don't see many benefits in getting involved with another person.

Men do things just to see if they can get away with it
and women need to be the center of someone's world. And if that's not you, she'll find another sucker.

As far as gender is concerned...
I don't have the tolerance for men or the attention span for women.

So now I identify as Indifferent.
Thank God I'm ambidextrous.

Community service to forgive loan

2011-12-03T16:18:00.001-08:00

I talked to someone who had a $80,000 student loan.
got a MBA in computers

Sucks to have to pay all that back.
But what if you could work it off?

20 hours a week
at $10 an hour
you could pay off $80,000 in 8 years.

I've heard about people wanting their student loans forgiven.
I think the interest should be forgiven.
I think they should stop charging fees if a person can't pay on time.

I think a person should do community service work to pay off their loans

Tithe

2011-12-02T08:36:00.000-08:00

Devarim - Deuteronomy
14

22 Thou shalt surely tithe all the increase of thy seed, that which is brought forth in the field year by year.

23 And thou shalt eat before HaShem thy G-d, in the place which He shall choose to cause His name to dwell there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herd and of thy flock; that thou mayest learn to fear HaShem thy G-d always.

24 And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it, because the place is too far from thee, which HaShem thy G-d shall choose to set His name there, when HaShem thy G-d shall bless thee;

25 then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thy hand, and shalt go unto the place which HaShem thy G-d shall choose.

26 And thou shalt bestow the money for whatsoever thy soul desireth, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul asketh of thee; and thou shalt eat there before HaShem thy G-d, and thou shalt rejoice, thou and thy household.

27 And the Levite that is within thy gates, thou shalt not forsake him; for he hath no portion nor inheritance with thee.

28 At the end of every three years, even in the same year, thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase, and shall lay it up within thy gates.

29 And the Levite, because he hath no portion nor inheritance with thee, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that HaShem thy G-d may bless thee in all the work of thy hand which thou doest.

Devarim - Deuteronomy
Chapter 24

19 When thou reapest thy harvest in thy field, and hast forgot a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not go back to fetch it; it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow; that HaShem thy G-d may bless thee in all the work of thy hands.

20 When thou beatest thine olive-tree, thou shalt not go over the boughs again; it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow.

21 When thou gatherest the grapes of thy vineyard, thou shalt not glean it after thee; it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow.

22 And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt; therefore I command thee to do this thing.

Devarim - Deuteronomy
Chapter 26

1 And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the land which HaShem thy G-d giveth thee for an inheritance, and dost possess it, and dwell therein;

2 that thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which thou shalt bring in from thy land that HaShem thy G-d giveth thee; and thou shalt put it in a basket and shalt go unto the place which HaShem thy G-d shall choose to cause His name to dwell there.

3 And thou shalt come unto the priest that shall be in those days, and say unto him: 'I profess this day unto HaShem thy G-d, that I am come unto the land which HaShem swore unto our fathers to give us.'

4 And the priest shall take the basket out of thy hand, and set it down before the altar of HaShem thy G-d.

5 And thou shalt speak and say before HaShem thy G-d: 'A wandering Aramean was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there, few in number; and he became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous.

6 And the Egyptians dealt ill with us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage.

7 And we cried unto HaShem, the G-d of our fathers, and HaShem heard our voice, and saw our affliction, and our toil, and our oppression.

8 And HaShem brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders.

9 And He hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.

10 And now, behold, I have brought the first of the fruit of the land, which Thou, O HaShem, hast given me.' And thou shalt set it down before HaShem thy G-d, and worship before HaShem thy G-d.

11 And thou shalt rejoice in all the good which HaShem thy G-d hath given unto thee, and unto thy house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that is in the midst of thee.

12 When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithe of thine increase in the third year, which is the year of tithing, and hast given it unto the Levite, to the stranger, to the fatherless, and to the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be satisfied,

13 then thou shalt say before HaShem thy G-d: 'I have put away the hallowed things out of my house, and also have given them unto the Levite, and unto the stranger, to the fatherless, and to the widow, according to all Thy commandment which Thou hast commanded me; I have not transgressed any of Thy commandments, neither have I forgotten them.

Shemot - Exodus
Chapter 23

10 And six years thou shalt sow thy land, and gather in the increase thereof;

11 but the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of thy people may eat; and what they leave the beast of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, and with thy oliveyard.

As I read it, what was really happening.
The people would store a tenth of their produce with the levites. The levites would give a tenth of that (1%) to the priests. Every three years that tithe would be brought out so that the poor could eat
So tithe is charity
Now It's something completely different
If churches were true to tradition, people would put their money in the collection plate
1% of that would go directly to the church and the rest would be used for charity.

I'd like to see a resurgence of tithing We have to think of an effective way to enact it in our current society. Every business and person gives 10% of their product, services, or labour freely to the poor. Sounds easy enough.

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/

An average day

2011-12-01T21:21:00.001-08:00

Lets start by saying that a person gets 8 hours of sleep a night.
Then they work 4/8/10/12 hours in a day
Then they work on their fitness for 30 minutes to 1 hour
Take an evening meal for 30 minutes to 1 hour
Some have a spiritual or calming ritual for 30 minutes to 1 hour

How much do you have?
13/17/19/21 hours spent
3/5/7/11 hours left

You know what doesn't make sense? Dating

2011-12-01T10:26:00.000-08:00

Dating is completely outside of my realm of human interaction
It takes me a while to even start talking to people I don't know
Then, I have to have regular, constant interactions with them
Like, school or work.

I'm open to something in the future;
but, I have to spend a considerable amount of time getting used to someone else's presence.
I have to observe people before I engage with them.
Or sometimes I can quickly come to the conclusion that I don't care what you think.

Tried it. Didn't like it
And I don't have to try things over and over to get that they don't work for me
It seems so ass backwards or unnecessarily accelerated
Something is wrong with the timeline
There are phases to letting someone in
Levels of trust
Seems like you skip a whole lot or go through them too quickly for my taste
I'd rather just enjoy an experience without all the assumptions and expectations.

I've never met a person that I needed or wanted anything from.
I've never met a person I couldn't do without.
And frankly, the idea of someone having any sort of influence over my life is unsettling

Then there's the sex. Fucks everything up to a certain degree.
Certain things that need to be seen get cloudy. Certain boundaries get crossed.

I need to have a relationship that is rooted in a friendship
Don't expect me to put any effort into it.

Deep Horoscope

2011-12-01T10:08:00.000-08:00

One of my Gemini acquaintances, Tara, has been playing a slow-moving game of tag with three friends since they were all in second grade together. They're 27 years old now, and still live in the same city. Currently, Tara is "It," and has been so for quite some time. But she confided in me that she plans to make a move this week. She says she'll sneak up on one of the other players during his lunch break at work, tag him, and run away before he can tag her back. I told her she's likely to meet with success, since this is an excellent time for you Geminis to gain an advantage in pretty much any kind of game you're playing.

*

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Why you treat me so bad

2011-11-30T21:53:00.001-08:00

Contentment and self-worth are not profitable
How can you appreciate the worth of someone else when you don't have it in yourself
When people are telling you that you are not good enough
and their product will make you better
And there's always something that can be better

A law unto Themselves

2011-11-29T01:05:00.000-08:00

Romans 2
12All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law.
13For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.
14(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law,
15since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.)
16This will take place on the day when God will judge men’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.

Taxes and Job Growth

2011-11-28T19:07:00.000-08:00

Question.

What taxes prevent/stop businesses from hiring workers?

Deep Question

2011-11-28T02:35:00.000-08:00

What will society look like when human labor becomes obsolete?

Subtle Differences

2011-11-27T18:53:00.000-08:00

Looking on the grassroots movements in the USA
Both the right and the left
have said that they cannot trust government to provide for people
Difference
the left says
Let's provide for each other
the right says
Every man for himself

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.’S STEPS OF NONVIOLENCE

2011-11-27T00:45:00.000-08:00

Step 1: Gather Information
Learn all you can about the problems you see in your community through the media, social and civic organizations,
and by talking to the people involved.

Step 2: Educate Others
Armed with your new knowledge, it is your duty to help those around you, such as your neighbors, relatives, friends and co-workers, better understand the problems facing society.
Build a team of people devoted to finding solutions.
Be sure to include those who will be directly affected by your work.

Step 3: Remain Committed
Accept that you will face many obstacles and challenges as you and your team try to change society.
Agree to encourage and inspire one another along the journey.

Step 4: Peacefully Negotiate
Talk with both sides.
go to the people in your community who are in trouble and who are deeply hurt by society’s ills.
Also go to those people who are contributing to the breakdown of a peaceful society.
Use humor, intelligence and grace to lead to solutions that benefit the greater good.

Step 5: Take Action Peacefully
This step is often used when negotiation fails to produce results, or when people need to draw broader attention to a problem.
it can include tactics such as peaceful demonstrations, letter-writing and petition campaign.

Step 6: Reconcile
Keep all actions and negotiations peaceful and constructive.
Agree to disagree with some people and with some groups as you work to improve society.
Show all involved the benefits of changing, not what they will give up by changing.

Social Democracy

2011-11-26T19:55:00.000-08:00

political ideology that advocates a peaceful, evolutionary transition of society from capitalism to socialism using established political processes.
Based on 19th-century socialism and the tenets of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels,
social democracy shares common ideological roots with communism
but eschews its militancy and totalitarianism.
Social democracy was originally known as revisionism because it represented a change in basic Marxist doctrine,
primarily in the former's repudiation of the use of revolution to establish a socialist society.

August Bebel imbued social democracy with the belief that socialism must be installed through lawful means rather than by force.

In his Die Voraussetzungen des Sozialismus und die Aufgaben der Sozialdemokratie (1899; “The Preconditions of Socialism and the Tasks of Social Democracy”; Eng. trans. Evolutionary Socialism), Bernstein challenged the Marxist orthodoxy that capitalism was doomed, pointing out that capitalism was overcoming many of its weaknesses, such as unemployment, overproduction, and the inequitable distribution of wealth. Ownership of industry was becoming more widely diffused, rather than more concentrated in the hands of a few. Whereas Marx had declared that the subjugation of the working class would inevitably culminate in socialist revolution, Bernstein argued that success for socialism depended not on the continued and intensifying misery of the working class but rather on eliminating that misery. He further noted that social conditions were improving and that with universal suffrage the working class could establish socialism by electing socialist representatives. The violence of the Russian Revolution in 1917 and its aftermath precipitated the final schism between the social-democratic parties and the communist parties.

In addition to abandoning violence and revolution as tools of social change, social democracy took a stand in opposition to totalitarianism. The Marxist view of democracy as a “bourgeois” facade for class rule was abandoned, and democracy was proclaimed essential for socialist ideals. Increasingly, social democracy adopted the goal of state regulation, but not state ownership, of business and industry as sufficient to further economic growth and equitable income.

"social democracy." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online Library Edition.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2011. Web. 17 Nov. 2011.
http://library.eb.com/eb/article-9068443

Who do you love?

2011-11-26T18:34:00.001-08:00

People tend to fall in love with someone they created or someone they once knew.
When it all comes down to it, people want others to do what they need to do for themselves.
You don't love your wife, husband, mother, etc.; you love what they do for you. You love their love for you.
One day I would like to meet someone I love for them and not for me.