Everything is an Experience

Everything that happens to us, whether it is a tangible event or even if it is merely a dream, nightmare, hallucination or fantasy. These are all REAL experiences because they have entered into our minds and they are stored there indelibly... and subject to recall at a later date.

The mind is kind of weird like that. What could be dangerous is how we can be manipulated (by others or by our own self-talk) to believe something. When we hear something often enough, it takes on more credence and many who have in an emotionally abusive relationship start to believe the negativity they are constantly bombarded with. There is a name for this: gas-lighting.

We are also influenced by political propaganda, commercial advertising, peers and even by teachers/professors - or on an institutional level. Clever slogans, clichés, catch-phrases, old wives tales, urban legends and now memes that we see on social media also influence us in this way too. Some misinformation has persisted for decades or even thousands of years, simply because the stories and phrases keep getting told and retold and nobody questions them. These also become our experiences, indelibly etched into our minds.

The good thing is that we have control over our thoughts. We may not be able to filter out what goes in or what originates there, but we can modify our thought process so that we can separate what is truth from what is fiction, or even break it down into further categories - what is entertainment, what is fantasy, what is a belief or what is theory. These all have a proper place and it is healthy to identify and then categorize our thoughts and experiences so that we can properly deal with them and keep things in a healthy perspective. Many of the things we experience can simply be filed in the trash can. We may never be able to fully dump the trash (because memory is indelible), but at least we know where these thoughts belong.

It is also healthy to periodically assess our experiences and put them to the litmus test. As we grow older and have more experiences and as we learn more, we can retrieve those thoughts stored in our minds and reorganize them into their respective categories, if necessary. Many times, we have held onto false beliefs because it never occurred to us to ever question them - mostly because we never questioned the source (perhaps it was a parent, a teacher, a scientist, a religious leader or a well-respected intellectual) and thus, we have accepted it as truth. It is good to question things and to put them to the test. The experiences that we have stored in our minds are passive thoughts stored in memory. They are just there. It is what we do with them that makes up our character and our intellect. Those things that are stored in memory are the building blocks for the mechanism of our intellect and if we have good materials to work with, the higher quality the end product will be. This is where the term "garbage-in, garbage-out" comes into play. By using quality building blocks (that we've carefully organized) and by exercising our minds, the end product can be magnificent and beautiful!

On the other hand, sadly, many good minds get seized and taken over by negativity and flooded with trash. I believe that sometimes even the purest minds of those with the best of intentions experience their trash bins spilling over and contaminating their minds. While this is disturbing, those who are in the habit of organizing their thoughts to where they belong can more quickly clean up the mess and recover, while those who are not in the habit of organizing their thoughts may have difficulty or may never recover.

This is why it is of supreme importance that we not only take the time to meditate to properly organize our thoughts, but we also need support from others. We should do our best to provide positive reinforcement of truths to our loved ones and peers as well. By spreading misinformation and negativity (whether intended or not), we only exacerbate the problem and perpetuate falsehoods. Open, intellectual conversations with others help to stimulate our minds and help us to see others' perspectives, but also help us to process those experiences that have been mysterious to us. We can put the pieces of the puzzle together. Any great undertaking is usually a collaborative effort, but in that process we also work out all the defects. That being said, never underestimate the power of your own reasoning. Sometimes the group effort is simply an echo chamber of falsehoods and one person who thinks outside the box is capable of elevating the collective to a higher plane.

In essence, no matter what our thoughts and experiences are, we need to organize them and only use those that are true and can be helpful in our progression. We all need others and we need positive reinforcement but there are also times where we need to be alone with our thoughts. Most of all, in order to have success and happiness, we need to think for ourselves and exercise our amazing minds. We ALL have great potential. Learning to tap into that potential is quite a learning process in and of itself.

Smokescreen

One of the oldest (and most effective) strategies for achieving an objective is to create a diversion and while your audience is focusing their attention on the sensationalism, something significant happens surreptitiously. Some call it magic, others might call it politics. One thing to be certain, though, is that much of what is portrayed in what is considered "mainstream" news, is a lie... propaganda at best, but most disturbingly it is a smokescreen for illicit activities that the majority of the general public would usually object to. So, when some story gets major media attention or there is some inflammatory front-page coverage about a political figure designed to stir up hatred toward that person, you better believe that something else is going on in the background that is getting little or no media coverage. Whether you like it or not or whether you agree with this or not, as a viewer who gets fired up about all these stories, you are being manipulated and lied to.

Sensationalism, alarmism and smear tactics, while painting on a façade of innocence and sincerity are the favorite tools of politics and corporatism. Wisdom, discernment and deep research can often ultimately reveal the truth though. However, many constituents are not interested in the truth - but fantasy. The fantasy that is being painted by the candidates/parties they are enamored with or might I be so bold as to say... worship. This worship is motivated by personal greed (what can this candidate do for me) or promises... illusions of grandeur that will soon dissolve or morph into other promises - a continual string of deceit, sensationalism and blaming the "opposition." The result is that we have been conned and thus our society is being overruled by con men with nefarious objectives.

Never believe for a minute that we are being led into peace and prosperity by ANY candidates or those currently in office promising or alluding to such. Much of politics regarding economics amounts to nothing more than a massive Ponzi scheme. If you don't know what that means, do some research into what a Ponzi scheme is and how it operates and do some research into how relatively recent (within the past 80 years or so and exponentially in recent years) U.S. Government economics has worked. I don't mean glossing over propagandist materials, but study the actual operations, statistics and numbers. They don't add up, and there is a reason for that.

We like to believe that we are a part of supporting human rights or "saving the planet" but once again, these campaigns (used by politicians and corporatists alike) are nothing more than bargaining chips to use as leverage. Don't be fooled.

So, you might ask, what can we do about this and how can we make the world a better place?

1) First of all, making the world a better place involves each individual DOING something and working toward that objective - not just complaining about a perceived problem or issue they don't like. True activism is more than holding a sign and shouting trite slogans into a bullhorn. If you are sincere about "saving the planet" you will actively do your part to be a good steward over our planet's resources.

2) If you are truly concerned about taking care of the poor and needy, you will contribute out of your own pocket and with your own sweat equity, directly to the poor and needy. You will be inconvenienced and even burdened by making the world a better place, not simply by checking a box on the ballot.

3) If you don't agree with any of the choices on the ballot, don't vote for "the lesser of the evils" but rather, choose to write-in a more honorable candidate that didn't make it in the vicious race.

4) Live your religion. Whatever your belief system, those core beliefs often have something to do with kindness, peace, forgiveness and ethical behavior. Many who profess to adhere to a religion do not outwardly display civility and compassion and are RINOs (Religious In Name Only). This is yet another convenient ruse that even the dirtiest of politicians use as a campaigning tool. We can be better than that.

5) Work. Work hard. Work ethically. Work does not necessarily have to result in monetary compensation, though that is usually the end goal. The important part is that we work to sustain ourselves, support our families, to voluntarily contribute to others who are less fortunate and to make this world a better and cleaner place.

6) Never quit learning. Education should be a lifelong endeavor, not a piece of paper on a frame as a trophy or initials after your name to make you appear more important. Learn true concepts well-grounded in reality and pure sciences, but also learn to expand your imagination beyond that box and discover fantastic worlds that can only exist within the universe of your imagination. The more you learn, discover and imagine, the more you will be able to connect the dots and understand the world and the universe.

7) Create. As sons and daughters of God, who is the ultimate creator, creation is inherent in our DNA. It may take some extra effort to bring out that creativity (oftentimes because it has been squelched during childhood), but each one of us has some unique ability tied to creativity. I know I have been blessed with many creative talents, which I am thankful for and I work to try to keep up on the multitude of these skills and talents.

8) Take care of yourself. We can't very well take care of others or make the world a better place if we are battling our own health issues. Eat right, exercise vigorously, get proper rest and avoid recreational drugs (of all kinds) and excessive alcohol. This may seem like a stretch, but addiction is a form of worship in that your substance or behavior takes priority in your life.

9) Prepare for tough times. Many people panicked because of Y2K. Some of my friends are too young to remember this and some of those who are my age simply blew this warning off as sensationalism. Whatever the case, we should all prepare for the tough times that WILL inevitably come. We are living in a false economy and many who have grown up in the past 20 or 30 years have never even had the experience of gardening or food preservation... or even know how to cook a meal. If you can legally and responsibly do so, arm yourself. Educate yourself on what it takes to live off the land and cook with very basic ingredients. Stock up on foods and other necessities and use your stock.

10) Probably most importantly, become unified. As a disparate society, we don't always agree on everything but we can almost all agree on a few things. I believe we ALL desire life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We ALL desire peace, prosperity and comfort. We may disagree on how those objectives are accomplished, but if we can be a voice amongst the masses and not be squelched by those who are manipulating us, our unified voice can be more powerful than any tyrannical or fascist governing force.

Not All Religions Require Worship in God

A fictitious analogy: 

Tubuku, a small remote island in the South Pacific has an active volcano on the island. This volcano has regular eruptions, but none yet have destroyed the inhabitants. The tribal elders have discovered long ago that they can use the predictable volcanic activity as a means to control the inhabitants by keeping them in submission all the while giving themselves a comfortable lifestyle.

The chief calls the inhabitants of the island together, saying: “Listen to your elders, they have something very important to tell us!” The storytellers come out in their ornate costumes with bizarre makeup and costly jewelry – each one of them dressed in apparel that peasants and commoners could only dream of earning enough in their lifetime to afford. They sing and dance and tell their stories of love and heartbreak. They tell of courage that even the greatest of their warriors are unworthy of – but they are mere stories. Nevertheless, the villagers weep and cheer and desire more of their stories. They throw their gold and precious stones to the storytellers so they can hear more stories of courage and love. The chief is proud of his storytellers and his elders and smiles in approval because they are the means of his own power and glory.

The wisest of the elders makes a proclamation: “Now listen, inhabitants! The fire god is jealous of us for using our own fires to cook with. You must immediately cease this practice or the fire god will bring down his wrath upon us and destroy us all! Only those who are worthy to be adorned with these precious costumes and our beloved storytellers may cook with fire.”

At that precise moment, the volcano belches out fire, smoke and lava as the villagers bow down and worship it. The elders raise their arms in acknowledgement of the impending peril of the inhabitants.

The villagers are distraught, but they know that the fire god must be appeased, so they throw all of their treasures at the feet of the chief, the tribal elders and the storytellers. But not all of them believe.

Those who question are bound and brought before the chief. “Most honorable chief” their spokesman cries, “without fire, we cannot enjoy our meals and it is unsafe to eat uncooked food.” The chief tells the spokesman, “my servant, be of good cheer because I have a solution. Our elders have developed a way that you can cook your food by using fire from the fire god. This pleases the fire god who will not take his vengeance out on us.”

The spokesman is relieved, believing that this solution will benefit the entire tribe. “What is it that you ask, my great chief?” The chief appears concerned and as he once was a storyteller himself, he can feign concern and compassion for his people. “The only thing I ask is that you give up more of your treasures so that we can harness the power that the great fire god has provided us.”

The spokesman’s countenance is fallen and he droops his head. “But we have given us all our precious treasures, what more yet can we give?” The chief explains, “this is a time of great sacrifice, so please understand. All citizens must bow before me and give freely of your lands and devote your labors to me and then we can invest your properties to appeasing the fire god.

The spokesman is puzzled and boldly questions the chief, “Why do the elders and storytellers not have to abide by the same decrees?” Why do you require so much for yourself?

The chief becomes furious, but dares not publicly censure the spokesman. He diplomatically declares, “it is necessary to make the storytellers and elders happy so that they can work to protect us from the anger of the fire god. As for me, no one else is worthy to be chief over this tribe.”

The spokesman is distraught, but knows no other way to negotiate with the chief. He abruptly returns to his home, vowing to find alternate solutions as he is skeptical of what the chief has to say.

Villagers mock the spokesman and those who question the tribal elders and storytellers. The unbelievers are scorned and are considered outcasts who are ignorant because they do not believe the chief, the tribal elders and the storytellers. They have no voice among the people anymore. The inhabitants ultimately sacrifice all that they own so they can be spared from the wrath of the jealous fire god.

The spokesman, though uncooperative, decides to concede and in his shame he throws himself into the volcano as a sacrifice for the fire god (this is the account from “official” sources anyway) and those who have supported him come to a consensus that they must also concede and follow the chief.

All the dwellers of the island are at peace and the chief and storytellers become wealthier while the elders “discover” a spring of hot water that the villagers can cook with and are rewarded for their discovery and they all live happily ever after because the fire god has chosen not to destroy them.

Be wary of your belief system. Not all religions require deity as those to bow down to and worship. We can worship a true God of miracles and deliverance, but there are many substitutes in our world of confusion.

Assumptions

I'm gonna put out a rant today. This deals with making assumptions and putting blame/responsibility where it rightfully belongs. First, let me preface this by stating that proper communication goes both ways. Oftentimes a superior or one with greater authority or advantage believes that it is fully the responsibility of the subordinate party to understand the message, even if that message was not delivered in a manner that the receiver could understand.

I've experienced numerous instances recently where there was a breakdown in communication because one party assumed that the other "should just know" the information. The excuse is always voiced something like: "We notified everybody." or "You've been here long enough, so you you should know better by now." or "There's no excuse for not knowing this." I guess it begs to question, whose responsibility is it then to ensure that the receiving party is informed? In the case of a teacher-student relationship, that responsibility falls squarely on the teacher. If your teaching methods were ineffective (and it is reflected in a significant portion of the students not knowing the information in question), then the teacher can't hold the student(s) responsible for that which was not taught properly. You can't assume that your student is just going to know the information. I have also had the unpleasant experience or heard about where students were tested on materials that either weren't adequately covered or there were several "gotcha" questions included in an attempt to ensure that nobody in the class gets a perfect grade. That is not teaching. That is sadistic.

When I use the term "teacher" this can be equally applied to any person in a teaching position (to include parents, mentors, trainers or anyone who teaches). This is not communication, but rather it is an attempt to elevate the "teacher" to a perpetual position of higher status than any student ever could be. Intelligent students can see right through this ruse though. This was a common method of teaching when austere educators were thought to be the ultimate authority, but in modern society, teachers are our peers. Effective teachers don't command respect though sadistic methods, but they earn respect through having genuine interest in the learning process of their pupils. This is especially true when students are paying money out of their own pockets for a quality education. In that respect, the teacher works for the student and if the teacher is apathetic in that sacred calling, it is shameful that students have wasted their valuable time and money attending that class. In the case where a person in a teaching position is abusive, demeaning or sadistic, this is actually counterintuitive to learning and it creates barriers and mental scarring that may take a long time to overcome - and in some cases, these learning blocks may last a lifetime. After nearly five decades, I still suffer from the effects of an abusive teacher I had in first grade. The message that her students received was entirely different than the subject matter at hand.

There are many other instances I have experienced lately that underscored the importance of effective communication - and how merely assuming that your receiving party got the message is not a good idea. When you wish to disseminate your message to a wide audience, you must use multiple methods of communication AND ensure that your receiving parties have received and understood the message. You can't leave fliers taped to doors with indefinite dates and times for an important event (like a parking lot closure due to construction), you can't (or shouldn't) expect all the tenants to move their vehicles for said construction. No, this is not effective communication. This isn't even communication at all. If you want the parking lot cleared, you need to clearly post signs and cordon off the area well in advance. You need to notify each and every tenant AND get an absolute response before you start towing off vehicles and expecting the tenants to pay the towing bill.

I also see how these assumptions can strain friendships, business partnerships and family relationships. For instance, when someone posts a general status update on social media and then expects everybody in their sphere of influence to be responsible for receiving said information. Sometimes the breakdown in communication may be technological, but in many cases there are people who either do not check their Facebook or Twitter pages very often or maybe they don't even have accounts. Some people have limited whose status updates they have on their newsfeed, so the posts are never seen by the intended recipients. It's not their fault they didn't get the memo.

So, how do we break down these communication barriers? How can we be effective teachers and communicators? The first and most important thing is to have genuine consideration for those whom you teach or wish to communicate with. In the corporate world, this could mean the difference between success and utter failure of your enterprise. If we treat our personal and professional relationships as though our livelihoods depended upon care and concern, then perhaps we are getting somewhere. Then and only then can we follow through to the next step - acknowledgement. I went to a communication seminar a few years ago and what the speaker had to say made perfect sense. He stressed that incomplete communication (where the receiving party has not provided acknowledgement or feedback indicating that the message was received), is where communication did not happen. Acknowledgment is more than a head nod or a one-word answer though. Complete communication requires that the receiving party restates the message. In a formal learning situation, that feedback may be in the form of a progress check or an ungraded (or minimally weighted) assignment. This is not only a tool for the student, but as a gauge for the teacher to understand where more emphasis needs to be placed and reveals weak areas in the curriculum.

May we ALL be effective communicators and never assume that the receiving party has heard and understood our message without acknowledgment and as listeners or learners we shouldn't assume that we always heard or read the message properly, especially when it doesn't seem to make sense. It may be necessary to beg for clarification. Communication is duplex - involving both parties being completely involved, both verbally and nonverbally.

Balance + Compensation

One lesson we can learn from the forces in the universe is balance. You might think of it as a Yin-Yang thing, but I believe it goes much deeper than that.

One of the things that came to me today when pondering the subject of balance and compensation is advice that comes from several different sources that I've gained much insight from. It is quite simple in theory, but it takes discipline combined with discernment to put into practice. In order to achieve extraordinary feats, success is dependent upon first eliminating your barriers. Some of our barriers are physical and tangible, but others are mental, spiritual or social. In the case where those barriers are inherent or impossible to eliminate, the next strategy is compensation. Compensation may come from within or we may have to rely on a "higher power" - either a mentor or from God. Each one of us is unique in our innate abilities, limitations, balance between our abilities and limitations and our means of compensation, and each of us relies on different methods of compensation or what some refer to as coping strategies. Whatever the case may be, since we are all different, what works for one person may or may not work for another person, so these are some things to keep in mind when trying to assist or give advice to someone else or in the case where someone is trying to help by offering advice.

Our balance between abilities and limitations is rarely (if ever) 50/50. The imbalance may be somewhere like 40/30 or 20/70 or something like that for example, and the compensation will therefore need to be 30% and 10% respectively.

If this is starting to seem incoherent rambling, let me explain a few details to clear up the murky waters.

Abilities come in the form of talents (that we've worked hard to develop), inherent gifts (that we were naturally born with), and principles that we either acquired through childhood development and/or mature decisions or through experience. These are the attributes that lead to success.

Limitations are the barriers that we either place upon ourselves or have been placed in our way by other people. This also the baggage that naturally weighs us down through negativity, traumatic experiences, lack of confidence or other intangible, yet absolutely real conditions. Other barriers include physical and mental handicaps that exist regardless of any attempts to eliminate them, though some of the effects may be reduced or canceled out through compensation.

Compensation is a deliberate or subconscious method used to fill in the gaps where your abilities run short. Compensation is often good, but is often ineffective. Sometimes compensation can be detrimental to our progression or may be harmful to others or to our relationships, depending on what types of compensation are used and what is at stake. Compensation has to come from somewhere, so it sometimes comes at a price that drains us of resources that we could have otherwise used toward developing our abilities or the compensation comes from an external source, relying upon others and weakening their reserves.

Eliminating barriers often requires the help of others or temporarily compensation from within, in order to have the strength, courage or knowledge necessary to develop positive attitudes and rewire our neural connections to permanently change behaviors. Think of it in terms of building a bridge. A bridge doesn't just appear out of nowhere. It starts with weaker and less efficient methods or workarounds until the permanent structure is complete and thus the barrier is eliminated.

So, what do we do once we've eliminated those barriers and become successful in our areas of weakness? One might think that we could or should rise above the rest of the populous to dominate. This is erroneous because then a negative attitude toward others (that of feeling superior or desiring to dominate) becomes a liability - a limitation, so to speak. I've witnessed what I call "intellectual implosion" happen with some people and with others I have seen how pride has been the downfall of others. Whatever the case, a person reaches a point where they feel they no longer need to improve or they no longer need God or they feel superior to others and treat those less fortunate as peasants or foolish. They forget that at some time in their lives (and even at present) they have needed compensation from external sources. At this point, a person can go one of two directions: 1) Be humbled and genuinely elevate others through efforts of compensation. Teach, mentor, financially sustain and actively help others because they know that we become stronger as a society when more people are successful. 2) The person can pursue dominance. Token donations to the poor are used as leverage, but otherwise this person fails to acknowledge where he/she came from and feels fully entitled to any and all riches, accolades and distinction - in other words: power.

What do we gain from this? First, we must understand that the world is unfair. People are going to abuse their positions of distinction and wealth. Some stars shine brighter than others - meaning that some people develop extraordinary abilities and use them for good (and should rightly be acknowledged for their strengths) and there are yet others who either hide their talents or waste their gifts or abuse them to do evil. Some people have riches who do not deserve them. Truly, that is their barrier that stands in the way of becoming a wonderful human being. Most of us are going to simply be average. There is nothing wrong with that, however there are ALWAYS ways in which each of us can break down those barriers or find compensation to liberate our extraordinary abilities. We can ALL improve and find ways to help elevate others. No man (or woman) is an island. We are all interdependent and no matter how far a person ascends up the ladder, there is always the risk of falling. When a person has abandoned those who have helped that him/her get to that position, nobody is going to be there to break their fall.

Regarding First Amendment Rights

I'm going to exercise my constitutional First Amendment rights and break silence for a bit because I believe that if we do not continue to exercise our constitutional rights, we will lose them.

We are at a crossroads where our rights are being threatened. There are those who belong to influential movements - outside our country as well as domestically - who do not share the same convictions and passion for defending our constitution and our freedoms the same way as patriots who have sworn with their lives in the defense of our country and constitution do and have done in years past.

For these special interest groups, rather than standing up for freedom of speech, religion, the press and the right to peaceably assemble (as well as other amendments contained in what is known as the Bill of Rights), it is more important for them to promote their own interests alone, disregarding the rights of others.

For lack of better terminology, we live in a hostile world. There are many things, too numerous to number, that are offensive, destructive, and even harmful. We need to delineate and distinguish between those that can cause us actual harm and those we simply deem offensive.

In order to preserve that which we hold dear to us: our sacred beliefs, our religions, the thoughts in our hearts and minds, that which we teach our children in our own homes and in our sacred sanctuaries... it is IMPERATIVE that we also tolerate that which we feel is offensive to us. If we cherish what we believe, we must also allow others to express their beliefs as well... and we must accept criticisms of our beliefs.

We are all going to be offended. That is a fact of life. I can't even take a drive down the street or visit a public place without finding something that is offensive to me in one way or other. I can't attend school or go shopping or turn on the TV or even go to church without finding something that offends me. To rise up and force others to bow to my whims because I find something offensive oversteps another's rights of free expression. To litigiously compel individuals and business owners to cater to my every desire because otherwise I would be offended is a violation of that person's constitutional rights - which violates not only the business owner's First Amendment rights, but could also trample on his or her Sixth Amendment rights as well.

We must be cautious of what "rights" we promote as our own because as we abuse the courts for our own purposes, we set precedence for that which we certainly will find offensive and even to the point of destroying the very constitution that we are using as our legal leverage... because the end result is censorship. Censorship is one of the first steps toward tyranny. When the government gets involved in managing our personal affairs, the less liberties we enjoy.

Tolerance is a two-way street. I do not agree with every decision that is enacted into law and some I find very offensive, but it would behoove me to at least tolerate and recognize those laws. Likewise, I would expect reciprocation on the part of others, who disagree with or would find offense in my particular beliefs as I exercise my constitutional rights. To only recognize one group's or one person's constitutional rights (as interpreted by members of the Supreme Court) but to impede or nullify another's rights is unbalanced and the end result will most certainly bring about unintended consequences - because in everything, there are natural laws of equilibrium. There can't NOT be a rebalancing of powers. Throughout history this results in uprising, rebellions and physical violence. We do NOT want this.

Those who truly believe in peace will work toward peaceful resolutions which require tolerance on ALL sides. Those who are religious must tolerate that which is considered to be the most vile and offensive while those who eschew religion or who have alternative or unconventional religious beliefs should also tolerate those beliefs - especially considering that the majority of citizens in our country adhere to a spiritual belief system. Those with differing beliefs must also tolerate not only what they deem offensive, but accept inconveniences that come about as a result of religious preference.

In the end, we must work toward unity or our methods of divisiveness will rip our nation apart. If we continue down this disturbing path, the end result will result in destruction and violence like we have never experienced before. We cannot achieve love through hatred.

One final thought: It is more important to Do right than to Be right.

The Term: "Narrative"

One of the current buzzwords that I find most disturbing is the word "narrative." In and of itself, it is an innocent word, but the way it is used so prevalently is that it is used interchangeably with the word "truth" - the idea that if you believe something strongly enough, it is therefore truth, is a very disturbing concept. Some might find it offensive, but truth is an absolute. Anything that is not within the bounds of that absolute is not truth. The truth IS binary. 

I must also add the disclaimer that we ALL lie and we are ALL hypocrites to one degree or other, but probably what matters most is what justification we use for as a basis for our deceptions - and what are our intentions or end goals? Sometimes, deception is used as a defense or weapon against evil and there are numerous examples of governments' use of deception to keep their country safe from enemies and there are even numerous examples of deception used for righteous purpose in the holy scriptures. But those are the extreme exceptions. 

Lying is so commonplace now that we don't know what is the truth anymore. Dishonesty has become so accepted in our society that it in some circles it is even considered honorable to lie... but even more of an honor to lie to the world is to lie to one's self. We have gone to the extent that our fantasies become "truths" and we wrap our lies, justifications, propagandas and belittling of those who disagree with us into a tidy package called our "narrative." 

It is a constant battle between media sources, with each end of the political or social spectrum calling each other liars. Who do we believe? What is truth anymore? It dawned on me yesterday as I was pondering the subject. The narrative has become the new "truth" and ALL major media sources that call their brand of media "news" are liars - ALL of them. Some of them lie knowingly and intentionally because they are elitists pushing a specific agenda and for them "the end justifies the means." Others, use speculative or unreliable reports as their sources and hope for the best. Sometimes it turns out to be true, sometimes not. Probably the vast majority of "news" outlets unintentionally, yet repeatedly report false information ignorantly. They don't understand the issues and are simply the messengers, disseminating whatever information gets transmitted to them without bothering to check the veracity of their feeds. News is a multi-billion-dollar media industry. What matters most in terms of their success (financially) is who reports the story first and/or who gets the most views. It's nothing more than sleazy competition, not unlike any other form of media or entertainment. The media in its many forms are extensions of political candidates and entities (to include political action committees - especially those entities) so the media is therefore a propaganda machine - but that is a whole other subject unto itself.  

So, the next time you hear the term "narrative" don't naturally assume it to be truth. It is merely personal opinion on steroids. Truth is truth - it is binary... it is absolute. Anything outside the bounds of truth amounts to nothing more than a lie.

Earth Day 2015

I've recycled when and where I could ever since I could remember and it's disheartening to see the effects of littering or misuse of resources resulting in unnecessary waste and adverse effects on our environment. Recycling is part of the solution, but the problems go much deeper than that and recycling is not always possible... of feasible... and many times when we think we are recycling, our efforts to sort and place "recyclables" into the proper receptacles are in vain because much of it ends up in landfills. But landfills are not the main problem. The problem is not properly managing waste or raw resources in the first place. Many of the atrocities we are acutely aware of are in third-world countries and serve as an example of how NOT to manage waste. When we outsource our manufacturing to countries that don't have adequate infrastructures for manufacturing and agriculture, the environment suffers, most especially in their communities.

Many of our problems can be managed at the consumer level. It goes beyond sorting out our recyclables and putting them into the proper receptacles. It starts with our purchasing decisions. 1) Purchase only items we need. 2) Don't make unnecessary trips in our motor vehicles or aircraft. Look for items that have minimal packaging, if possible. 3) Next, don't litter. I've seen people intentionally throwing trash out of the windows of their vehicles or just drop items on the ground or leave their trash behind in classrooms or whatever. There are people who want to save a few bucks in dumping fees who dump their trash, furniture, tires... even toxic waste, in vacant lots or in ditches along less-traveled roads. How could anyone with a conscience do this? 4) If you cut a tree down, plant another one... or two. Or just plant a tree or two regardless. 5) Be careful to avoid introducing non-native species, especially invasive species. Many are introduced accidentally by transport, agriculture or exotic pets and fish released into the wild. Some are intentionally introduced as a means to manage ecological problems, which further upset the natural balance. Florida is FULL of non-native species. Only buy or plant native plants for your yards. 6) Reuse items that would normally be thrown away. Trash bags are not a bad thing, if managed properly. We can use and reuse them over and over again and if possible, in the end recycle them. Many items that we see as trash can be reused or donated to charities and even if they are broken or don't work can often be recycled for scrap. It's hard work, but I've generated hundreds (possibly thousands) of dollars dismantling electronics and appliances for scrap metals. It put a few extra dollars in my pocket to pay for equipment that I couldn't afford otherwise. 7) Even if you didn't make the mess, clean it up anyway. Besides being involved in designated clean-up activities, we can do this every day, in every situation and in any location. It's really not a big deal to pick up a random piece of trash and dispose of it properly. Really.

In the United States and Canada, I think we've come a long way in managing our resources, but we could still do better with a few tweaks here and there. We ALL generate trash and consume resources. Awareness and education to learning how to minimize our impact and how to properly dispose of waste can make our communities better and cleaner. Yes, it takes a bit of effort, but if EVERYONE put forth a little more effort, the results could be astounding.