Out of the Shell

What is life worth if we do not experience it to our fullest potential. It is at your discretion to decide what experience life at its fullest potential is. I write this in recent events in my life that have forced me to come out of my shell, and get out extremely vast comfort zone. It is not often I am uncomfortable with something, but my recent assignment of 'interesting' dancing in front of a crowd of more than 5,000 has challenged that proposition. 

In general, this experience has forced me to forget about minute things such as self image and pride in order to enjoy and embrace the goofy side of life. My lessons are; do not fret at the small things, as they do not matter in the long run, do things you normally do not do (reasonably), as these things are often your fondest memories, and try to limit yourself to saying no to opportunities.

Frightening

Recently, I have come across Janoskian videos on YouTube. I don't like criticizing people who are just attempting to become successful in a harmless, legal way, but this is a different situation. I don't see how this group of kids could have a channel become so popular amongst YouTube fans. Millions of views... really? I personally feel guilty and ashamed that I assisted in adding to that number. These children do nothing but bother people in unnecessary and inappropriate ways that honestly should not be found entertaining in any manner. Using others at their expense, who didn't even volunteer to be a part of the video, in order to attempt to create comedy is a truly pathetic way to become popular and make money. As I'm sure they would not support degrading and using others to become successful in the corporate or political world. Another sad day in the free nations of the world.

We Are the 99%

I sit here laughing at this slogan used by the Occupy movement and some Democratic clubs on campus because of its inaccuracy and false implications. I understand the thought process behind using the slogan, saying that these are the everyday "middle class" people that believe they are at the mercy of the wealthy who hold positions of power in our society. It is foolish that this slogan is representing a form of portrayed victimization because of its inaccuracy. The true 99% of our society earns an income of $506,000 or less annually, surely not what ''Occupiers'' would consider part of their 99%. This means that stock brokers, real estate agents, wealthy small business owners, etc. would be included in the 99% percent since these occupations on average earn less that $506,000.

The 99% is truly not composed or representative of the 99% and statistically has been shown to actually represent the lower 40% on the income tax bracket from its composition of supporters. There are obviously people who consider themselves part of the 99% movement that earn more than the lower 40%, but does not represent the majority of the group.

This movement financially wants more from a country through financial benefits and more tax cuts when it "invests" a minority of the funds through taxes for these programs. Not only does this group (40%) pay less percentage-wise on their income, but only contributes 3% to the overall tax income of the United States. I am not degrading the importance of these people to our society, but just would like to point out that the situation is much different from what the media is portraying. 

http://www.american.com/archive/2007/november-december-magazine-contents/guess-who-really-pays-the-taxes/

The true top 1% earns 19% of the income of the US but pays 37% of the taxes, and the top 25% of income earners pays 85% of the taxes of our country. This isn't to mention that the majority of financial risks and investments in new technology, companies, etc. are executed by the wealthy members of our society. These advancements and risks benefit everyone and we happily accept them as they become available to the less wealthy masses. As in everything in life, there are successes and failures and when the failures of investment occur, people still are effected in the lower classes. This is merely a reality of life and the downs must be accepted just as the ups are. We cannot react in uprising and disgust every time there are tough times in life. Where would we be if many wealthy men and women such as Bill Gates, Andrew Carnegie, Warren Buffett, etc. who have contributed incredible amounts of money to education, medical research, birth control projects, libraries. All of the lower classes have the opportunities to benefit from these programs created.

Although we live in a time of instant gratification and the need for everything to happen as soon as possible, we must have patience to see and allow the endeavors of the wealthy benefit us through the trickle down effect. We can see this through the availability of cars, cell phones, computers, health care treatments (including free clinics that have been around for decades, where they will not deny patients), education, etc. Is it the best available? No. But is it better than what people of equal position in society had ten, twenty, fifty years ago? Certainly. Let us be thankful for what we have now and patient for the benefits we will receive in the future.

Recent Events

In recent events, gay marriage has surfaced again as a large issue on the national level. Would just like to point out from a political perspective that this shouldn't even be an issue. Whether Republican (fighting for individual freedom through less government) or Democrat (fighting for equality of all through government empowerment), the solution of allowing a civil union between same sexes makes sense. It is an issue that distracts us from greater issues while causing unnecessary debate. As a Republican, you believe in the Constitution in its original form which means that there is a separation of church and state. Therefore allowing same sex marriage would be dealt with at church level since it is separate from state. This would achieve greater individual freedom from less government restriction on how to live one's life. From the Democratic viewpoint, (which really need not be explained since this party is the original warrior for this cause), people are achieving greater equality through the government's push to create policy allowing same sex couples to have a civil union.

On another note, there are plenty of children in this world created by straight couples but no longer have parents in their lives. Many gay couples adopt along with straight couples and are terrific caring parents for children who would otherwise be absent of love in their lives.  Artificial insemination is another topic to be debated.

As an American, it is embarrassing to see that as a country that was created by people escaping religious and social oppression, we are trying to reverse our progress by combining church and state. Forcing a belief on people is still not a successful way of capturing true believers, and this is coming from a believer himself.

OLYMPICS!!! YAY!

Besides the obvious excitement I displayed in the title of this post, I would like to also display a state of reflection on these Olympic Games. It is a terrific time for our world in which we can come together at a single place and compete peacefully while learning about other nations. In the past, these games have been much more than games, representing the breaking of barriers, the excellence and progress of the human species, and the exploration of different cultures. Not all games have been peaceful or monumental, but have nonetheless shaped the world into what it is today. May we respect the athletes and their dedication to their craft, and may we respect the nations who have come together for learning and competition. Peace to all.

Losing Freedom One Order at a Time

Here is the link to an article about the recent Executive Order President Obama signed into effect without the usual desire to attract media coverage. I do not own the rights to this article. Rights to this article belong to RT.

Incredible Overreach

Let's Get Real

Regardless of political affiliation, I have a simple question about those who are wealthy and claim to care for those who are jobless, homeless, and starving. If you are a wealthy person who believes everyone should "pay their fair share" to help those are in need; have you truly helped those people you are striving to assist when you have had the opportunity? Specifically, have you offered to pick up, house, and feed a homeless person you have seen on the side of the street? These are part of those who you claim to care about and want to help, yet you are passing up a perfect opportunity to fulfill your goals. I doubt any government program could do more for a person than what an individual can do for another individual. Imagine if each person who could afford it, picked up someone that needed help. Obviously there are risks of theft, personal injury, and such but why do we approach these issues with an attitude of 'I want to help, as long as I don't actually have to help and do dirty work'? Better yet, imagine if you were that person sleeping under a bridge while you watched others drive by in fancy cars. Given they earned those fancy cars, but where is the humanity? Doesn't it ever occur to these people that they are blessed with excessive wealth and should personally make the world better by helping those less fortunate? I guess we will just continue down this pathway with the same attitude, that the government should just have more and they can fix it, rather than take responsibility and do something for our own people in our own country. 

Now I'm just rambling...

HMMMM

If the human race lost all technology and basically began over again or aliens discovered our planet after we wiped out, I have a theoretical question. If they find one book and one book only that had pictures of humans, dogs, birds, and dinosaurs talking to one another, would they assume that all creatures were intelligent and communicated and lived together?

If the answer is yes, are archeologists perhaps making mistakes in how they analyze the sophistication or lack thereof of ancient civilizations?

BRAIN FOOD

Do Texans have the same needs and lifestyle as New Yorkers? Do Californians have the same needs and  lifestyle as people from South Carolina? If they are the exact same should we have one government body to make decisions for all of them? Or if they are different, should there be more responsibilities given to the states to decide what is best for their citizens?

BRAIN FOOD

Perception

If two can look at a glass filled with water halfway and one can see that the glass is becoming fuller and the other can see the glass emptying, is that the only instance in life where one can perceive the same circumstances and come up with different conclusions and facts?

Ohh Yeaaa

In case you haven't seen it yet, an entertaining video. KRISPY KREME

Philisophical Thought

- Not taking credit for this story, but a good read

Professor: So, you believe in GOD ?

Student : Absolutely, sir.

Professor : Is GOD good ?

Student : Sure.

Professor: Is GOD all powerful ?

Student : Yes.

Professor: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to GOD to heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But GOD didn’t. How is this GOD good then? Hmm?

(Student was silent.)

Professor: You can’t answer, can you ? Let’s start again, young fella. Is GOD good?

Student : Yes.

Professor: Is satan good ?

Student : No.

Professor: Where does satan come from ?

Student : From … GOD …

Professor: That’s right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?

Student : Yes.

Professor: Evil is everywhere, isn’t it ? And GOD did make everything. Correct?

Student : Yes.

Professor: So who created evil ?

(Student did not answer.)

Professor: Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don’t they?

Student : Yes, sir.

Professor: So, who created them ?

(Student had no answer.)

Professor: Science says you have 5 Senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Tell me, son, have you ever seen GOD?

Student : No, sir.

Professor: Tell us if you have ever heard your GOD?

Student : No , sir.

Professor: Have you ever felt your GOD, tasted your GOD, smelt your GOD? Have you ever had any sensory perception of GOD for that matter?

Student : No, sir. I’m afraid I haven’t.

Professor: Yet you still believe in Him?

Student : Yes.

Professor : According to Empirical, Testable, Demonstrable Protocol, Science says your GOD doesn’t exist. What do you say to that, son?

Student : Nothing. I only have my faith.

Professor: Yes, faith. And that is the problem Science has.

Student : Professor, is there such a thing as heat?

Professor: Yes.

Student : And is there such a thing as cold?

Professor: Yes.

Student : No, sir. There isn’t.

(The lecture theater became very quiet with this turn of events.)

Student : Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat. But we don’t have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can’t go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.

(There was pin-drop silence in the lecture theater.)

Student : What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?

Professor: Yes. What is night if there isn’t darkness?

Student : You’re wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light. But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and its called darkness, isn’t it? In reality, darkness isn’t. If it is, well you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn’t you?

Professor: So what is the point you are making, young man ?

Student : Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.

Professor: Flawed ? Can you explain how?

Student : Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good GOD and a bad GOD. You are viewing the concept of GOD as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, Science can’t even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing.

Death is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it. Now tell me, Professor, do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?

Professor: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.

Student : Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?

(The Professor shook his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the argument was going.)

Student : Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor. Are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher?

(The class was in uproar.)

Student : Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor’s brain?

(The class broke out into laughter. )

Student : Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor’s brain, felt it, touched or smelt it? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established Rules of Empirical, Stable, Demonstrable Protocol, Science says that you have no brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir?

(The room was silent. The Professor stared at the student, his face unfathomable.)

Professor: I guess you’ll have to take them on faith, son.

Student : That is it sir … Exactly ! The link between man & GOD is FAITH. That is all that keeps things alive and moving.

Another About Intelligence

Once again on the subject of intelligence being a direct correlation to atheism, I have another proposal, another viewpoint that might interest others. First off, the insults by atheists against monotheists that state the "idiocy" of believing in a higher being are pointless in the sense that in the long run it does not matter because according to the majority of these people, there is no after-life and therefore no point in trying to convince someone. On the other hand, for monotheists insulting atheists by saying they are bad people for simply not believing in something they do, it is extremely hypocritical. The majority of religions do not support judging people or spreading anger, and this is exactly what being accusatory and judgmental does. There is simply no reason why people can't have different beliefs and allow others to hold different beliefs without forcefully and hypocritically try to convince everyone else that they are wrong. ANYWAYS I digress. It is undoubtedly difficult for an intelligent person to not fully understand a subject because they often find themselves easily comprehending everything presented to them. Now obviously intelligent people will be offended that I am insulting their intelligence by saying they can't understand something, that in fact, no one can fully grasp something. Can there be something that does not have a beginning and an end? Of course there are people who claim to understand it, infinity is simple to understand in mathematics.... But is it? One can't fully wrap their mind around never not existing (apologies for the double negative). How about creation in general? Can something come from nothing? What is nothing? It is the definition of itself. It is similar to the concept of zero. You can describe nothing as the absence of something, but you need something to describe nothing. Quite ironic. What created the nothing? But then that means there was something. Physicists and various scientists can claim to explain the origin of the universe. But it is doubtful that anyone can fully grasp the concept of nothingness, of that nothingness magically turning into something. Maybe the old versions of Holy books are meant to be altered through time, I do not mean that in any blasphemous way. I support discovery and innovation as most humans do and ironically support peace and allowance of others to their own opinions while not interfering, all while at the same time I am creating a blog that is meant to bring about arguments. I will continue on these thoughts later because things are beginning to seem like a paradox.

Different Way of Looking at Things

Here's a video from a young man who has not just followed the Church but looks at things in a different way. As I believe with many things, although you may not agree with a viewpoint someone has given, there is always something to learn or consider from what is said. 

Enjoy