Financial Crisis or Political Circus?

Good Morning...

It seems like the frequency of my posts with political or global topics has been increasing.  I have other blogs where these are generally placed in order to keep us focused on personal improvement and success.  Only when a political or global topic hampers our journey towards success will you find these commentaries here...

The past few weeks...my attention has been diverted by the "budget talks."  I bet yours has too!

You can't turn on the radio or the television without hearing about the "goings on" in Washington D.C.

As I watched the drama unfold...I couldn't help but ask myself "Is this a REAL financial crisis or is this simply a political circus?"

There is far too much mud slinging and blame passing...and not enough data and information!

WE ARE people of data driven conclusions...so rather than fall prey to emotional "leaks"...

Let's look at this...and we will  be able to conclude if this is a CRISIS or a CIRCUS!

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PARAPHRASED - "If you guys don't give in to my demands...social security and military pay will be late..."

Here is what I know...

Our government's monthly income is sufficient to cover our bills...

The order of what gets paid is our Executive Branch's final decision...if Social Security and Military checks do not go out...it is the President's decision...

My question...is this a threat rather than a statement of fact?  Tell me what you are going to pay instead of our elderly and armed forces personnel?

PARAPHRASED - The raising of the debt ceiling has nothing to do with our ability to pay our debts...it has everything to do with our "rating"

This one confused me...because I thought...if we didn't raise our debt ceiling...we couldn't send the Social Security checks and Military pay...now I am being told that it has nothing to do with that!  What has changed in the last 2 days?

My question...shouldn't we be looking at the BIG picture and not hit one item at a time?  All of this stuff is interconnected...

PARAPHRASED - "We need a balanced budget amendment..."

My thought is that we do not need a constitutional law that forces a leader to make good management decisions.  An unbalanced budget is a poor business decision for a family...small, medium, big businesses and for any government!  It is unethical and immoral!  This is not a subject of the constitution...it is for the Senate and House Ethics committee!

PARAPHRASED - "We will crash if the budget is not passed by August 2nd..."

My question is...WHY?  We'll be in the same financial state on August 3rd as we were on August 1st...

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I have had enough thinking through this...

Not one of the statements that I have heard has been realistic, fact based or insightful...there is too much hype!

We are not in a Financial Crisis...this is a political crisis!

If it is political...then the people in Washington are wasting our money!

It is time for our society's stewards to drop the political rhetoric...and begin looking out for our nation...as our Founding Fathers intended!

A Balanced Budget Amendment?  My suggestion is...DON'T DO IT!

Adding a law to our constitution to control the president and congress...is another chop at Liberty...

They should be balancing the budget without "threat or coercion!"

If a congress-person or a leader suggests any budget that is not balanced should be scrutinized for their competence...and ethical slant!  Then if the review is strong enough...the ethics committee should step in...if the review is weak...let the voters decide...

We do not need more laws...we need more people simply doing the right things...making the right decisions...PURE AND SIMPLE...

Do not panic...

Sit back and enjoy the show!

Do not take this hype seriously...

Look at this show for what it is...a great way to see people for what and who they are...

Do not forget what you see and VOTE responsibly!

Enjoy the show...

This thing is a three-ring political circus...

Ring #1 - The Senate
Ring #2 - The House
Ring #3 - The President

ENOUGH SAID!

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I am not one of those "arm-chair quarterbacks."

I can not just sit back and complain or criticize...and...

I refuse to do so without bringing a suggestion for improvement...

SO...

What should they do?

DROP the political positioning!

There is a single goal that they need to accomplish...

Stop worrying about the elections in the future and how "obtaining a raised ceiling will buy time...and put the onus on the next administration..."

Republican, Democrat, Tea-Party, Independent...it just doesn't matter!

In the past...the government has worked diligently to disarm prejudice and promote the concept of diversity...

We have envisioned...us being a "nation of colors" who are color-blind...working for the "common good"

As I think about it...

Political affiliation is a form of prejudice!

In fact...

It is a religion...

The things that we are fighting to keep out of our government are actually deeply embedded in its fabric!

Every representative is just that!

A REPRESENTATIVE!

...OF THE PEOPLE...not a ideology...or a special interest group!

Unity is what made us a nation...and it will be the usher that guides us out of the "Big Top!"

Congress and the President need to spend significantly more time on "defining" the issue at hand and then defining the common good!  Once agreement is obtained on these two simple elements...

Focus on ensuring that the problem clearly measured...and then the goal...as what everyone would agree upon as success...

Are we getting the picture here?...it is a simple (elementary) process improvement project!

Rather than pushing agendas and trying to be the hero...and positioning and "spin" and threats and hype...

Get down to the business of making the United States better...

WOW!  Our name even says "UNITED"  have we forgotten that?

We can proactively unite before it crashes...

Or...

We can let the crash force us to unify...

My advice?  Seek unity and agreement...

Enough time has been wasted complaining about how this situation has hurt everyone and if we go one way or the other...it is going to mess with individual plans...

Selfless and sacrifice are key ingredients to success...

If the amount of spending is a topic for the politicians...then they should consider forgoing their pay and benefits until this is solved...(do you think that is going to happen?)

If that is impossible...then let them figure out how to get paid AND solve the problem...

Focused activity is significantly more effective than chaotic energy...

Focused activity solves crisis...chaotic energy is thing of the circus...

Drop every opinion and platform...those are the things of prejudice and discrimination...

There is only one thing to do and that is the RIGHT THING!

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For our success journey...we can take a lesson from our politicians...

Can you see it?

Have you learned it?

Will you apply it?

Drop the need to be right and do the right things and you'll be successful!

The bottom line is that during your entire journey...your success will be totally dependent upon on focus...

Sometimes it will be on your focus...others it will depend upon unified focus...

This is not a time for compromise...but on unified agreement on the SINGLE goal...

There is no place for positions and prejudice...no biases or no opinions...

There is only one thing that congress and the president needs to do...that is create a budget that invests every dollar so that there is a Return on Investment (like any good corporation would do)...

Don't waste money on entitlements...

Take us back to a profitable position in the global economy...

Our personal challenges are the same...

Your success depends upon this...

Leave ever moment better for you having been a participant...

Will every politician be able to say that on August 3rd?

Can you?

Enough Said...for this weekend!

Pura Vida!

Chasing Dreams and Success

Good Morning!

This one is short and sweet...allowing you to get back to those things that matter...like dreaming?

DREAMING?

Wise advice shared years ago...(somewhat altered from the original by what I have learned)...

"...spend the first third of your life learning as much as you possible can...spend the second third of your life using what you have learned to accumulate as much as you can...and the last third of your life giving back what you have accumulated to those in the first third of their lives...until it is gone...there is no value in leaving an estate...leave a legacy...leave a legend!"

This bit of sage advice aligns with my philosophy of Quantum Obligation (QO)...providing those who grasp the meaning of it with a plan for life that leaves every moment better for one having been a participant...

There is no rest for those who pursue QO.

Quantum Obligation is an evocative call!

It demands dreaming!

Success requires dreaming...but when?

When a person is in the "first third" of their life...they should be dreaming about what they can do with what they have learned...until those dreams become a reality...then...

When a person is in the "second third" of their life...they should be dreaming about what they can do with what they have blessed with...until those dreams become a reality...then...

When a person is in the "last third" of their life...they should be dreaming about what those they are helping are going to do...until those dreams become a reality and then...

There is NEVER a time to stop dreaming...it is the thoughts upon which our futures are built...

It is the form of the dreams that change...and nightmares are not allowed...

Dreaming is just as critical to future success...as hard work and focus is to present success...

The beauty of dreaming is that they (dreams) can change before the future becomes present!

It is the testing ground for success!

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"That guy is a dreamer..."

Is that an insult or a compliment?

As always that depends...

If dreaming does not interfere with the present...it is a compliment...

If dreaming elicits focus and success in the present...it is essential...

If those dreams build for the future and

If dreams become real...then...

I don't have to say it...

You get the picture...

If dreams are the antithesis...or an escape from reality...then they are actually nightmares!

Nightmares?

Nightmares are generally categorized having been generates from fear...but most are unfounded...and can not come to past...

Nightmares are a waste of time...

Pondering (consciously or subconsciously) anything that is highly improbable is senseless!

Nightmares!

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Where are you in your life?

Are you dreams aligned with it?

First Third?
Second Third?
Last Third?

Just as important is what are you doing now?

First Third?
Second Third?
Last Third?

Your goal is to leave a legacy...a legend...to live your dreams of the prior third...

Don't leave an estate that will be squandered by the ungrateful...

Leave a legacy that makes the world better for your having been here...or at least the part that matters!

DREAM ON!

Enough Said...

Pura Vida!

Mental Exercise and Success

Good Morning...

This week was not one dedicated to the pursuit of deep intellectual insight...in fact it was just the opposite!

I actually played with my thoughts...which I believe that everyone should regularly do...it is these activities that often enhance a person's probability of success...

My week was focused on challenging my foundational beliefs...which sometimes...but most times, not...open my eyes to deeper truths...

DISCLAIMER - Go with this...it is just mental musing...and not meant to be any statement of fact...or my real beliefs...it is simply meant to challenge and ultimately show how biases and paradigms can cloud reality!  You may find yourself in total disbelief or arguing the points.  GOOD!  This is what the exercise is meant to do!  You may have more evidence that stands against my thoughts...that is a good thing and just what this exercise is all about!


Have fun with this...and use what we ponder as a lesson that you can apply to your journey towards success...

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My initial thought began with..."how far mankind had come in a relatively short period of time..."

According to science...roughly 40,000 years ago "we" were living hand to mouth...residing in caves or simple dwellings...and barely subsiding...

What we are now...is absolutely amazing...yet there are many unanswered questions...

Like...how could early man (less than 5,000 years ago) build something like the pyramids?

Another question...does the first question really matter?

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Let's drive back a bit further into the scientific (and geologic) history of our planet...

Because...

If we (humankind) could advance so quickly in a relatively short period of time...what if a life form had an opportunity to exist (longer) by a factor of 200 to 500 to 1000?

That intelligence and insight gained over millions of years could be so far beyond what we possess that it is unfathomable!

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According to science...there was a life form that had that opportunity!

The dinosaurs!

The age of the dinosaurs was significantly longer than the age of mammals...

Yet it is a paradigm of science that creates a problem...They assume the dinosaurs resemble our current day lizards that makes us think that they were simple and primitive...(by our standards)...

There is also nothing to really support this assumption!  In fact recent discoveries actually put the dinosaurs closer to birds than reptiles!  Some had feathers!

They also contend (because of that paradigm) that if they were advanced whatsoever...there should be a record of their advanced state of intelligence...

Perhaps there is a record!!!!!

(more on this later...)

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Now let's mess with the earth...from its meager beginnings has had an amazing journey...

It formed...the current theory, by accretion...

The accretion theory holds that the early solar system had the sun at the center and millions of rocks orbiting it...

Over time the rocks collided and amassed...into what we have today...

As I thought about this...I realized that this theory runs contrary to other observations...

Our world erodes...and seldom accumulates...

If the materials orbiting in the solar system amass...why do we have an asteroid belt or why does Saturn have rings?

Collisions break things up...not combines them!

Big stuff turns into little stuff and finally into dust!

These two conditions run contrary to that theory...

Enough of that...

Another thing that the earth has is...scars from those interactions...

I can not dispute that the earth has encountered major asteroid hits...

It is this case that accretion is based upon...because a small asteroid smashes into the earth and adds to the overall mass of our home!

I think that this is the exception...A relatively little thing smashing into a BIG thing...

But I can not imagine collisions between asteroids (of relatively equal size) doing more than creating smaller asteroids!  Erosion...space dust!

I cannot believe that accretion created the earth...if it was a fact...the Rings of Saturn would be little blobs...and the asteroid belt would be building into a planet or two!

One final observation that stands in the face of this belief...is that the meteorites that have been found on this earth...and analyzed...are homogeneous!

If accretion was a rule...then we would find meteorites that were stony and iron...combos!

Enough of this thought!

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Speaking of asteroid hits...let's shift gears for a moment and ponder that cataclysmic event that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs...and probably 5 or 6 other dynasties!

Scientists believe that a huge asteroid impact changed the face of the earth...

It doesn't take a very big one to really destroy everything on the earth!  4 or 5 miles across and everything on the face of the earth will cease to exist!

The impacts affected life almost immediately...by destroying it!  SHOCK...FIRE...DUST...

In a macabre way...Extinctions are the way that the earth "wipes the slate clean" and tries something different!

When an asteroid stuck the earth's surface...or air burst...

The impact was unparalleled!  It exceeded anything that we (advanced humans) could create...even if we detonated every atomic weapon we had!

The temperatures were unbearable...often exceeding the melting point of many of our metals!

The entire globe was affected...

Many areas were buried in huge layers of dust...

The entire face of the world was cleansed with major fire and heat...or it was buried...

If this were to happen today...most if not all of our cities would disappear!

Most life would be annihilated...before that cities!

The entire face of the earth would be cleansed of every bit of evidence of our existence...except for those who may have been buried prior to the intense heat...

Our gold would melt and pool back into veins like those from which we initially mined it...

Cars would melt and again become iron ore!

Our buildings would revert into its basic elements...

Few things would remain in the refined form...except perhaps only diamonds would remain unaffected!

AND...then life would start all over again!

I hope!

My point is...depending on what we call signs of advanced life...most of these records would be destroyed by cataclysmic events like those scars that science accepts as having occurred!

The earth would revert into its primal state!

According to current scientific thought...this has happened at least 6 times!

6 total cleansings!

This means that looking for significant records of intelligence may be a futile effort!

Intelligence generally leaves no fossil record!

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Speaking of fossil records...

There are no fossil records of verbal communication (one of the criteria that we used to define advanced life)...

DUH!

Words may be powerful...but they are no lasting!

The fact of the matter is...we do not know if dinosaurs communicated...

They may have...but there are no records of written dinosaur communication...

Perhaps they didn't need to communicate...and what we think is a criteria of an advanced creature is totally wrong...

Our basic requirements for advance organisms may be flawed...and even if they are right...we have no evidence that they did exist...so we conclude that they didn't exist...

However...the event that caused the mass extinction...may have also destroyed any evidence...

There is no knowing for sure...

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Let's look back at the pyramids...

The greatest thinkers have been looking for the answer to...how could man have built them?  There are 100 ton blocks...perfectly positioned...impossible to cut and move.

We would have a difficult time doing that today!  Even with our heavy equipment...

Yet we attribute these engineering marvels to man!

Perhaps we (mankind) didn't build the pyramids!

What if the only thing that we did was unbury them?

We had shovels back then!

That was something we could do!

They possibly could have been built by a creature that could move 100 ton blocks easily...

...and all "we" (mankind) did was find them...claim them and tunnel into them and made burial chambers out of them!

Maybe they were markers built by dinosaurs!  Communications!

This thought makes me smile...a bit crazy...but it is possible if we change the basic assumptions that we build our theories upon!

Can you see how we often allow our arrogance to jade our conclusions...

If it is complex...it has to be done by mankind!

That doesn't have to be true...

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If you want to change your conclusions...

You have to change the assumptions upon which they were derived...

Our conclusions are built upon specific chains...just like we are built upon our own DNA...

We cannot be anything other than that which our DNA (or our passion) has programmed us to be...(if your DNA is programmed for human...you can't be a butterfly!)

If our DNA is flawed...we are flawed

If our assumptions are flawed or wrong...our conclusions will be flawed...

Enough of that...

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My advice for this weekend update is that our conclusions are often based upon assumptions and not facts...

Our realities are shaped by assumptions rather than facts...

Our failures can often be based upon our assumptions...rather than fact!

Although the journey to success is "from left to right"...

Reverse engineering helps us to identify and challenge any assumption that may stand in the way of our overall goals!

Although it seems petty...this exercise is valuable...

Start with success...and work your equation in reverse...

Reverse engineer it...think through each assumption...and fact!

Challenge each one and ask...what if it were different...where would that take me downstream!

You'll be amazed!

ENOUGH SAID!

Pura Vida!

Nature's Case for Passion

Good Morning AGAIN!

After posting the WEU spurred by my frustration with our political positioning...I was inundated with notes requesting a "regular" Weekend Update...

"I am tired of all of the political positioning...please make me think...and look at life a bit differently" "give me your regular update"...was a common theme...

OK...OK...

I heard you!

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Passion is not enough...

I am convinced that one can not be truly effective or happy until they align their passions with their activities...

This past week...I made a few comments on twitter to that extent...

Like...

"Passion without action is like food without flavor"

We are taken in by "Passion Peddlers" who promote your need to find your passion...and stop short of anything else...

I agree that one's first step is to find that passion...but that is the first step in the journey to success...

If I were to follow the "Passion Peddler's" advice...I would call my trip to New York complete if I simply stood up and took one step north...

The last time I checked...my normal stride is 28inches and not 1400 miles long...

My desire (my passion) to travel to New York (not a real desire or passion) is just the start...from that point forward...it requires a lot of activity...if I intend to walk there...

OK...an epiphany of the utterly obvious!

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ANTS!

The rainy season is upon us...and with that brings ANTS!

I am proud to say that they have again been evicted from our house...but not before I made a cool observation...

Social insects actually all living creatures (except for man)...are very specialized...

Man as far as I can observe is driven by passion...otherwise...

They are driven by their DNA...

Nature has programmed them through trail and error...and natural selection...

The successful survive and the failures are not repeated...

Let's go back to the ants...

Persistent creatures...

It is estimated that there are over 250,000 of them for every human...that is a lot of ants...

An ant is not an ant...there are workers and drones...each fulfilling a specific function...SPECIALISTS...

It is specialization that has made them successful...

There is no such thing as a multi-talented ant...

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Natures replacement for passion?  or it is the first step?

True passion, like DNA cannot be suppressed...

Nature couldn't trust that passion would be 100% effective...so it programmed the specialization directly in the genetics of its creatures...

or it may be that genetic programming may be the first step and...

Passion may be a long term experiment...testing the possibility that passion may be more effective than DNA programming...

That question can only be answered by ascertaining the position of humans in the global experiment...are we more advanced creatures or actually lower?

The important thing to note...ants have genetics...we have passion...

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Ants and Action...

Ants have no choice...what they are programmed to do they do...

They don't wake up in the morning and decide what they want to do...

They don't decide that they are tired of their plot in life and change their career...

They are what they are...they accept it and go about their ant things!

We on the other hand spend most of our lives chasing our passions...

We decide...

We sometimes act on our decisions...

We end up disappointed and we decide to do something else...

We back into the success equation in a backwards fashion...

We do thing and then decide whether we like it...

THAT IS WRONG...

The success equation is worked from "left to right"

We need to identify our passion...(our DNA) and then act upon it...

It is better for success to spend time identifying exactly what we are passionate about...than wasting time...acting then assessing if that action aligns with our passions...

We need to be more like ants...

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Where does this all end up?

Passion and DNA may actually be interchangeable!

Whatever you call it we need to come to grips with specialization...

Each of us has been designed to be one thing...and to fulfill an specific function...

FIND THAT FUNCTION...

What have you been designed by nature to do?

Then do it...

Do it happily...

Don't try to do something you weren't programmed to do...you'll fail...

I once had a great mentor tell me...many people aspire to be a Master Black Belt...but if they can't do statistics in their head...like you...they aren't MBBs!

Some people aspire to be company presidents...but they lack the programming...the Passion...the DNA...

Believing that you can be something different or more than you are programmed to be is a delusion!

Stop trying to live impossible dreams...get real...

If you are not at the top of your game...RIGHT NOW...you may be in the wrong game!

Stop...

Look at yourself...

Realign with your passion...

Accept yourself for what you are...and

BEGIN ACTING on it!

Enough Said!

Pura Vida!

(SPECIAL EDITION) Misleading the Public

Good Morning!

I seldom waste my time discussing political issues...yet...I retain the right to do so when moved to identify issues that stand in direct conflict with our Quantum Obligation (QO)...

Quantum Obligation?

Although addressed regularly in the blog The 21st Century Philosopher...the conclusion of QO is that we as individuals and a society are obligated to exit every event (moment), leaving it better for our having been a participant in it...

The important term in this philosophy is event.  We will not spend a lot of time on defining that term...but we do need to understand that events can be brief or as long as a lifetime...

Important to today's update is "leaving it better"

Many would contend that some critical decisions may leave an event worse because there is a "long term" benefit...a temporal sacrifice for a long term objective...

Along with the actual discussions that are occurring in Washington over our Budgets....there are far too much marketing going on...

There are two terms being thrown around...that I hope are not intentionally being misused...for if they are...this shows the attempts of one of the political parties to deceive the American public!

Do you know the difference between Debt and Deficit?

These are the terms that are important...

Let's briefly look at these terms...

Did you know that the monthly income of the government is about $180 Billion per month?

This is important...because that is like your monthly paycheck...

As long as you spend less than your income...you are in a good position...Right?

Let's look at the term that has been thrown around quiet loosely...debt...

The US has received loans from other countries/entities...these loans are generally in the form of Treasury Bills (T-Bills).  It is kind of like our credit cards or auto loans...

We (the US) have to pay on these T-Bills... Our current debt processing cost is about $20 Billion per month...

OK...It looks like we are good so far...we can afford our debt...

Our debt is used to fund our deficit...

So what is the deficit?

Just like your family budget...congress establishes a budget and a spending plan...

As long as that plan is less than $160 billion per month we are OK...

When the plan exceeds $160 billion per month...we are in deficit spending and need to create and sell T-Bills to fund the deficit...

Does this make sense?

The real arguments going on are between "we want to spend money we don't have" (deficit arguments) and "let's stay within our means" (debt arguments).

Deficit spending is the used of credit (future earnings)...to fund our present!  AND you know what happens when you overuse credit cards!

Then the arguments shift...to "if you want to spend more money...find ways to get more money!"

This is where the two groups differ again!

One group wants to increase the taxes...

That is like you going to your boss...and saying..."I want to spend more money...so give me a raise!"

That argument doesn't do it for me!

Rational people generally conclude that if you want to spend more money...get a higher paying job...a new one...or get a second job...more work...

I heard a Florida Senator say (loosely quoted)...what the US doesn't need is more taxes...it needs more tax-payers...

This guy gets it!

Get more jobs and more new jobs...

Make decisions that make that possible...

We have to realize that we have been living on credit and have been receiving benefits that we didn't deserve...

ENTITLEMENTS!

It is like having a car or a home that we really couldn't afford...

We have to such it up and live within our means...stop thinking that we deserve...

We deserve nothing!

We are entitled to nothing...

This takes us to the crux of the real discussions...that I often think that our politicians do not understand...

It is a discussion of needs (DEFICIT) versus wants (DEBT)...

The question that has to be answered is "what does the American public need and deserve?

What have they earned?

We have been deceived (made co-dependent) by many of our undeserved entitlements...

There is no arguing that everyone deserves health care or an education...

But have we all earned it?

Has everyone earned the right?

Americans...by definition (in our Constitution) have a right to Liberty and Freedom...and the Pursuit of Happiness...

Our taxes should be focused on these rights.  

After that...it is all about what we can afford (budget)...

It is like saying everyone needs transportation...

BUT...does everyone need a limo?

We may think that we do...but have we earned it?

If we want more benefits related to being an American...then it needs to be earned!

In political terms...this doesn't mean...increasing taxes on those who are still employed...

It means getting more people paying taxes...

Our politicians should be focused on economic recovery...making more jobs happen...

Decisions like this support Quantum Obligation...and make the moment better for our having been a participant!

Deficit spending is only fostering co-dependency of many Americans...

Our government should not be focused on making life easy for everyone...just worth the effort!

Then it becomes the individual's decision on what they will earn and deserve!

Enough Said!

Have a great weekend!

Pura Vida!

A Potpourri of Liberty, Freedom and Success Thoughts...

Good Morning!


I am going to "change this up" a bit...


This is a holiday weekend so...we are going to participate in an intellectual buffet!


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Geologists and Interpretations...


I was watching a series on the History Channel that was intriguing!  It was about the entire history of the earth from its beginning as a single small rock...to what it is today...


There were many experts interviewed that gave their perspectives and insights...


One Geologist in particular was discussing the significance of the Precambrian and Cambrian fossils.  He noted that the fossil records found in specific layers are direct records of a "mass explosion" in the diversity of life.


In other words...life went from a few types to hundreds, thousands, even millions of species/types!


Something didn't sit right with me...


These fossil layers (because they were in specific layers) were not the record of the mass explosion of life...but the mass extinction of life in a brief period time...a single event in the geological perspective.  That is what caused the fossil layer...not the massive growth in species...but their deaths...


Although it shows the diversity...the explosion that it points to happened over a long period of time and at some point significantly earlier than the fossil record points to...


OK...this is a petty and semantic difference...but it is minor interpretations that take us closer or further from truth...


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STOP WASTING YOUR PARENT'S AND GOVERNMENT'S EDUCATION MONIES


I read an interesting article, written by an educator/researcher that cited some interesting pieces of information...


If a student has a high school GPA of 3.0 to 3.5...their chances of graduating college is 50%.  A 50/50 chance of getting a college degree...in 6 years!


If the GPA is below 3.0, the chances of graduation drop-off significantly, to around 20%.  A 1 out of 5 chance...and a single "F" puts the probability of graduation at less than 5%.  1 out of 20!


If you look at the wages or salaries of those individuals who "have some college" but have not graduated, it is significantly (more than 1 standard deviation) from those who did not attend college at all...and more than 2 standard deviations from those who attended a trade school...


The writer noted that the world doesn't need more students...our world needs more graduates...from trade schools and college...


Monies...whether from private sources (individuals or parents) or from government sources are TOTALLY wasted on any student that does not graduate!


His advice...stop wasting our money...if you go to school...do it after you have decided what you want to do and follow-through...


As I thought about this, it hit me that parents and kids have to realize that they have to work...earn and prove that they are capable of graduating college...and that a great indicator is previous performance...


The statistics show it!


Don't delude yourself into believing that you are different!  You are part of that curve...you can't idle through high school...and think you are going to excel in college...your GPA IS CRITICAL!


A person's collegiate success is directly dependent on the past performance...and the habits learned...and the values instilled...you can not expect a change...and I hope that the academic community holds strong to their standards...and in fact tightens them up...


STOP WASTING OUR MONEY...AND PROVE THAT YOU ARE CAPABLE...NOW...NOT WITH A LOW PROBABLY PROMISE...


A LOW PROBABILITY PROMISE...is a lie!


From a government's perspective...educational funding should be conditional...with absolutely no exclusions related to default...


If they quit...or fail...they pay!


That would make everyone think twice before wasting our money!


We need to FORCE our students to step up and put their future money where their dreams are!


There is no value in "some college!"


In fact...if you want to make less money...go for a semester or two and quit...or get kicked-out!


There is no gainful employment for quitters!


STOP WASTING OUR MONEY!!!


An interesting paradigm breaking set of thoughts that puts effort into a different light!


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 What we should be be doing...


I  had a most interesting philosophical discussion...


It was about the existence of evil...


The discussion began on whether or not I believe that evil exists...


It started on the concept of evil and moved to the entity "evil"


We agreed that the concept of evil exists and evil acts occur continuously around the clock and around the world...


Evil is global in nature...


From that point the discussions became circular and fruitless...


In fact...I realized that digging deeper or beyond our agreement became nothing more than intellectual sparring...


So I stopped...


and was moved to quote William Shakespeare...(which made no sense to me at the moment)


"...love all, trust a few and do wrong to none..." 


And then the discussion went one step deeper...


We agreed that our purpose is not to seek the root cause (the why of) of evil but to find evil (injustices, immorality, unethical acts) and put a stop to it...


What an interesting place to end...


I learned some an interesting thing from this conversation...


Don't waste time trying to argue to some "far-off" conclusion...but work to see how far you can take agreement and at that point...work to see what you can do with that agreement to make that moment better for your having been a participant...it is your Quantum Obligation!


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Now that Bin Laden is gone...who or what is our biggest threat?


On January 1st, 2000 we entered the 21st century...


Because of its proximity to the 20th century...we really saw no difference...


It was not a binary situation...


It took a few years (8) for reality to set in!


Around October 2008, we awoke to the reality of the 21st century...


The symptom was the crash of the real estate market...


Symptom?


We saw what "enterprising" mortgage companies did to our society...and our economy...but the problem runs much deeper...


I could take you down the logical path...but let's cut to the chase...


What became apparent was who and what are the biggest enemies of our liberty and freedom...


WE (SOME OF US) ARE THE ENEMY...


In other words...we been diligently seeking out the enemies of the American principals of liberty and freedom and found them to be us!


It is our apathy and inability to act with the spirit of the law...


We created a need for more detailed and precise (and restrictive) laws...


We gave up liberty and freedom!


It became necessary for our government to put significantly more laws into place, because enterprising company looked for and found loopholes that allowed them to capture an advantage in their market...not just the real estate market...but across the entire spectrum!


It became the modus operandi of many leaders across the broad and diverse American economy...some were more apparent than others...but it was there...


The sad thing is that society on a whole emulated these leaders...consciously and subconsciously...


Forgive me...but it became OK to be selfish crooks!


The only threat that kept them on the straight and narrow seemed to be a very threatening set of new laws!


Liberty took a major blow!  It is my hope that it is not fatal!


Freedom (another one of our heroes) stepped up to save liberty...and threw itself (metaphorically speaking) on the grenade...


It has yet to explode...but the timer is there!


All of these prose aside...we need to realize that if we are to live in a society of liberty and freedom...if we are to truly be able to celebrate its existence on the 4th of July...and not just the memory of the times long past...


It is not the external enemies that pose the greatest threat to what we stand for...it is those who refuse to live by the American standard...


Are you living by the spirit of the law or the letter of the law?  Are you living according to the content of the law or the intent?


Every time a new law is enacted...the hands of the Freedom and Liberty death clock move closer to midnight! 


We should be living in a way that we are making more and more laws unnecessary...


Laws should be coming off the books rather than more added...or at least...never enforced because no one ever breaks them!


This weekend celebrates Liberty and Freedom...are we celebrating its continued existence...or are we celebrating a time when?


Enough said!


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Have a wonderful and safe weekend!


Look for what life is telling you...


Look for agreement...rather than arguments...


Make a vow to keep Liberty and Freedom alive and thriving...


Are you a Patriot or an enemy of the state?


Like the lesson found in the fossil layer...Are you looking for the real messages (the intent) of of our society...or taking the easy and self-serving path (the content)?


Are you working today...realizing that this helps ensure that you will make your aspirations real?  You do not deserve success...you do not deserve liberty or freedom...they may be unalienable rights...but they are not immortal!  


Liberty and freedom are fragile...it is our actions and beliefs that affect their health and welfare...


Stop...think and ACT!


Pura Vida!