A lifelong friend of mine is asking for help. Ray Robinson is one of the most creative, honest, caring and intelligent humans I've ever had the honor of knowing. He grew up in a railroad family. His Father and Grandfather were lifelong engineers for Southern Pacific and Ray was a brakeman/conductor for 16 years. His love for the Railroad is legendary.
As long as I've know him, he's had a lifelong dream of building his own personal hobby real Railroad and in 1972 he started collecting track and wheels for his dream quarter scale railroad. In 1970 he built a HO railroad running throughout his home up near the ceiling on the walls. Well, in 1996 he was able to buy 41 acres up in Oregon with this project in mind, about as far away from neighbors as possible to not have any problems arise from bothering people in any way.
For approximately 12 years his wife and himself, with the help of hundreds of volunteers labored unimaginable hours to make this grand dream of his come alive and to see it done. They spent pretty much every cent they earned all those years to make this happen. The volunteers who mostly are other Railroad buffs came from all over the land after hearing about the scale and scope of his project. Upon arriving and meeting Ray, they knew they were doing something that would be a lasting tribute to the entire Railroad legacy, which would also be fun and they could all be kids again in the process.
I want to make something perfectly clear here and now. This has not been some kind of willy nilly thrown together project. Ray is a landscape contractor and used nothing but professional detail for the sake of his beautiful land and the lakes and streams it impacted, built with extreme care to not adversely impact these features in any way whatsoever.
After finally completing this grand dream and driving the "Golden Spike" in October of 2007, with hundreds of well wishers, Newspapers and TV stations on hand, they all celebrated in style and of course went on rides on the railroad. A grand time was had by all it looked like everything was going to be just fine. In all this time, with all the weekend construction, lots of Volunteers coming and going around Ray's property, never was there a complaint from anyone. What the Robinson's did was turn an old 1885 Homestead, where they had run cattle for 73 years before they bought the place, into a landscaped park for fish and wildlife that you could appreciate with a train ride. They don't allow any fishing or hunting on their land which is totally surrounded by National Forest.
In fact as word spread around the country about this Railroad, most of the local Newspapers and Television Companies naturally sent out reporters and cameras to try and capture such a wonderful accomplishment hidden out in the forested lands of such a freedom loving state such as Oregon is renowned for. Oregon Public Broadcasting and home and Garden TV both did TV specials on their railroad and it was aired by OPB in Oregon, Washington and Idaho and Worldwide by HFTV.
Well as most truly wonderful and free stories like this one are, here's where it all of the sudden turned potentially disastrous. You have heard that "No Good Deed Goes Unpunished" and it certainly was true for the Robinsons. Despite being in Local Newspapers and on Local TV for all those years, Some local county worker, you know.......the kind we are all paying for with our hard earned taxes, finally somehow just heard of it and all hell broke loose for Ray and his wife because of him and his ilk. Without ANY complaints of any kind, this fine piece of bureaucratic crap took it upon himself to make Ray's personal Hobby Railroad "come up to code", whatever the hell that means. The lane county Land Use people said he had violated zoning for his property and hadn't bought permits. Now they have the State Land Use people saying that his hobby railroad is too big for a hobby and he must file for amusement ride variances and permits. We're talking several hundred thousand dollars here and all for a hobby railroad the Robinson's have never charged for, is never open to the public and is by invitation only to family and friends to ride for free.
Now, I really do understand how this kind of nonsensical red-tape crap gets started. Mr. White shirt is applying what he learned in "Government Jobs" class about using all the rules evenly, with no exceptions for any one individual. One size fits all and all that crap. Well guess what folks, that only works in school books on how to run a country like everyone are robots. In the real world all people are different with different needs, desires and levels of intelligence and most honest, creative higher government workers knows that and works with each case individually for the general good of all.
So here comes my sales pitch to everyone reading this tirade. Ray needs all of us to write a note or e-mail to everyone on the list below proclaiming your belief in personal property rights and the need to sometimes make exceptions to the rules for people like Ray and his Wife who are only trying to make a very cool dream come true for Railroad buffs throughout the world.
So please, take the time to make this happen and also cc the note to Ray and Katheen, so they can get an idea of who is helping them make some positive changes in our esteemed local government bureaucracies. Changes that just might show all the white shirts who is actually paying their salaries and who are after all the bosses around here.
I'm not even going to attempt to explain the details of the Robinson's endeavor. The scope of their project would be too large to put in this small piece. Luckily for all of us, they built and maintain a wonderful and very complete website chronicling it from day one through today, including a full accounting of this little white suit guy's personal problems with the project and what the County and State are asking of them.
Ray has said that without help at a much higher level than the county, he will have to remove and sell his railroad and your letters just might make the difference.
The "Meadows and Lake Kathleen Railroad" website address is:
http://members.peak.org/~kmr3/M&LKRailroad/
Go there to see pictures of the construction, history and environment and every stage of development of the Railroad. You will not believe how cool this is.
Now below are the snailmail addresses and e-mail addresses of all the folks that might be able to help put the little white suit dude in his place and preserve this grand example of one families perseverance, patience, intelligence and honer in creating a dream come true for themselves and all the Railroad lovers.
Please take the time to send as many of these people your views on private property rights and the need to sometimes make exceptions to the rules for people like Ray and his Wife who are only trying to make a very cool dream come true for Railroad buffs throughout the world.
For all of you on the list below, we are all asking your help in any way you can to do anything you are capable of doing to help Ray keep his Railroad running now and into the future. The kinds of things the "Tin man county guy" is asking for makes the whole thing impossible for Ray and His wife to do. They would have to immediately start tearing the whole thing out after so many years of blood, sweat and tears from them and the hundreds of wonderful people who volunteered their time for free to make this happen.
Won't you please help?
To all you fine folks that have taken the time to read this whole thing, I would also ask that you not only copy and paste it into an e-mail and send it on to the addresses below but also to everyone on your personal e-mail lists, so we can keep this going out into the world.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart.....
Paul Huston
Ray and Kathy Robinson's e-mail address to cc to is:
kmr3@pioneer.net
Here are all the addresses of folks who might be able to help the Robinson's with their problems.....
Gov. Kulongoski, snailmail address: 900 Court St. N.E. #254, Salem, Oregon, 97301
State Senator Jeff Kruse: snailmail address: 900 Court St., Northeast Suite S209, Salem, Oregon 97301
Sen. Jeffery A. Merkley
E-mail: senator@merkley.senate.gov
Sen. Ron Wyden
Contact info: http://wyden.senate.gov/contact
Rep. Peter A. DeFazio
Contact info: http://www.house.gov/formdefazio/contact.html
Sen. Joanne Verger
e-mail: sen.joanneverger@state.or.us
Morrisette.Sen@state.or.us
Pete.Sorenson@co.lane.or.us
matt.laird@co.lane.or.us
Marsha.MILLER@co.lane.or.us
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Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Prison overpopulation answer
One of California's and probably most states largest social and financial problems is prison overpopulation. Do you have any idea how much it costs to house and feed prisoners? One incredibly logical idea has been staring us in the face from the beginning. Decriminalizing drugs! I know that drugs do incredible damage to people and society. I also know there's not a law in the world that can keep a junkie from his drugs. Drugs have been against the law for years and years now. Has the usage even slowed down one little bit. No, it's gotten worse and worse.
Decriminalization may lead to more addiction in the short run, but it will take drug trade away from the gangs, causing the price of a fix to plummet along with the rates of murders, shootings and theft. With the many billions of dollars wasted on this useless debacle of a "war on drugs", we are no better off than we were when it began in the Nixon administration. Abandoning this idiocy would save lives and tons of tax payer money. Education and drug treatment programs are much cheaper, more effective methods. Use some of those billions we waste on housing and feeding these unfortunate drug addicts in ways that might actually start solving this huge ongoing problem. For those addicts who don't want help, that is their choice and they just might solve it for us all by simply dying and taking their apparently insurmountably personal problems with them. As we all know, you can only offer anyone help. The ultimate choice of action is their own to make, not ours.
Nor do I think the rise in addiction would last. Losing it's outlaw cachet, drug use would cease to be "cool" and would quickly be seen as what it is, a sinkhole for pathetic losers. The lessons we learned from the prohibition of alcohol should be applied across the board.
I really think that the only reason this insanity is still going on in this inlightened day and age is the pressure from the alcohol companies to keep it illegal, therefore keeping them rich with their "legal" drugs.
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Come on.......DO IT!
Decriminalization may lead to more addiction in the short run, but it will take drug trade away from the gangs, causing the price of a fix to plummet along with the rates of murders, shootings and theft. With the many billions of dollars wasted on this useless debacle of a "war on drugs", we are no better off than we were when it began in the Nixon administration. Abandoning this idiocy would save lives and tons of tax payer money. Education and drug treatment programs are much cheaper, more effective methods. Use some of those billions we waste on housing and feeding these unfortunate drug addicts in ways that might actually start solving this huge ongoing problem. For those addicts who don't want help, that is their choice and they just might solve it for us all by simply dying and taking their apparently insurmountably personal problems with them. As we all know, you can only offer anyone help. The ultimate choice of action is their own to make, not ours.
Nor do I think the rise in addiction would last. Losing it's outlaw cachet, drug use would cease to be "cool" and would quickly be seen as what it is, a sinkhole for pathetic losers. The lessons we learned from the prohibition of alcohol should be applied across the board.
I really think that the only reason this insanity is still going on in this inlightened day and age is the pressure from the alcohol companies to keep it illegal, therefore keeping them rich with their "legal" drugs.
Right at the bottom of this posting is a "Comments" link. Click on it, follow the instructions and leave a comment about this post. You can use your name or make up one, by clicking in the circle beside "Name/URL". Or just leave your comment anonymously by clicking on the circle beside "Anonymous".
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Come on.......DO IT!
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Changing with age
Ok, I have to admit something here. As time moves on and I get older (crap, did I just admit to that?), I see myself more and more moving to the right fiscally. Now to stay bluntly and proudly honest here, I also have to admit that I'm still about as liberal as one can be about ALL the social issues of life. IE: drugs, sex, abortion, gay marriage, religion and everything else that is just flat out none of my personal business.
It just seems more and more logical that our government should run itself the same as us peons have to run our financial realities and lives. The glaring truth about having a successful financial personal system is quite simple really. You DO NOT spend more than you make. Now credit, (the devil in disguise) allows people to do just that. Instead of uttering those words that our grandfathers and fathers were so familiar with "Gee, that sounds nice but we can't afford it", the advent of credit made it possible to have most anything you want right now if you are willing to pay for it over a long period of time. Of course it cost a lot more with the rip-off interest they charge for the "service" but oh well, we want it NOW.
By the way, in the past that outrageous "interest" rate would be called blood money and would be against the law but somehow it became acceptable business practices in our modern world. We now call them "bankers and credit card companies" and pretend that they are just nice people trying to help us. The truth of our present debacle going on in the world now is they decided to go ahead and give anyone credit without even being able to make the payments at all. Now how criminal should that be in a sane society? Those politicians who changed the rules, bankers, loan officers and banks who did that should all be in prison right now to say the least. Maybe a daily caning should be added for good measure, with live video so we could all watch and enjoy.
The other truth that intelligent, thoughtful and careful folks do in their personal financial lives is to at least try at all times to have a "nest-egg" set aside in case of any unforeseen emergencies that inevitably comes along in life. A rainy day fund, we sometimes call it. I've heard politicians for years utter those concepts but their obviously only paying lip service to it to look good and get reelected by saying garbage they think we want to hear. I do know that the Governor of California has been trying to get the politicians to do this for years now without any results at all. Plainly they all are deaf or stupid, probably both and then some.
Some other truths about this subject is normal American's do care deeply about the less fortunate's problems but have to always face the realities of how much if any we can help others. For one thing most people can't afford to just "give" anyone money as they are trying to stay solvent themselves. The other truth is that's really not how you can best help people in need at all. The best way to help anyone is to show them how to help themselves. You've heard of the great wisdom: "Don't give people fish, teach them how to fish." That is the ONLY real way to help anyone, here in America or the rest of the world, for that matter.
So getting back to my original reason for this rant, I started out being influenced greatly from the sixties as the typical long haired Hippy, Musician, Liberal, kicked back weirdo and now shockingly find myself leaning farther and farther toward SOME of the attitudes of my right wing brethren. Unlike most of them I hear talk though, I still choose to see life as a half full cup of wine and have nothing but a positive outlook for us humans on this here planet called Earth. I do purposely choose to not be the typical Rush Limbutt "doom and gloom, anger and hate" right winger I so often hear talk.
Right at the bottom of this posting is a "Comments" link. Click on it, follow the instructions and leave a comment about this post. You can use your name or make up one, by clicking in the circle beside "Name/URL". Or just leave your comment anonymously by clicking on the circle beside "Anonymous".
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It just seems more and more logical that our government should run itself the same as us peons have to run our financial realities and lives. The glaring truth about having a successful financial personal system is quite simple really. You DO NOT spend more than you make. Now credit, (the devil in disguise) allows people to do just that. Instead of uttering those words that our grandfathers and fathers were so familiar with "Gee, that sounds nice but we can't afford it", the advent of credit made it possible to have most anything you want right now if you are willing to pay for it over a long period of time. Of course it cost a lot more with the rip-off interest they charge for the "service" but oh well, we want it NOW.
By the way, in the past that outrageous "interest" rate would be called blood money and would be against the law but somehow it became acceptable business practices in our modern world. We now call them "bankers and credit card companies" and pretend that they are just nice people trying to help us. The truth of our present debacle going on in the world now is they decided to go ahead and give anyone credit without even being able to make the payments at all. Now how criminal should that be in a sane society? Those politicians who changed the rules, bankers, loan officers and banks who did that should all be in prison right now to say the least. Maybe a daily caning should be added for good measure, with live video so we could all watch and enjoy.
The other truth that intelligent, thoughtful and careful folks do in their personal financial lives is to at least try at all times to have a "nest-egg" set aside in case of any unforeseen emergencies that inevitably comes along in life. A rainy day fund, we sometimes call it. I've heard politicians for years utter those concepts but their obviously only paying lip service to it to look good and get reelected by saying garbage they think we want to hear. I do know that the Governor of California has been trying to get the politicians to do this for years now without any results at all. Plainly they all are deaf or stupid, probably both and then some.
Some other truths about this subject is normal American's do care deeply about the less fortunate's problems but have to always face the realities of how much if any we can help others. For one thing most people can't afford to just "give" anyone money as they are trying to stay solvent themselves. The other truth is that's really not how you can best help people in need at all. The best way to help anyone is to show them how to help themselves. You've heard of the great wisdom: "Don't give people fish, teach them how to fish." That is the ONLY real way to help anyone, here in America or the rest of the world, for that matter.
So getting back to my original reason for this rant, I started out being influenced greatly from the sixties as the typical long haired Hippy, Musician, Liberal, kicked back weirdo and now shockingly find myself leaning farther and farther toward SOME of the attitudes of my right wing brethren. Unlike most of them I hear talk though, I still choose to see life as a half full cup of wine and have nothing but a positive outlook for us humans on this here planet called Earth. I do purposely choose to not be the typical Rush Limbutt "doom and gloom, anger and hate" right winger I so often hear talk.
Right at the bottom of this posting is a "Comments" link. Click on it, follow the instructions and leave a comment about this post. You can use your name or make up one, by clicking in the circle beside "Name/URL". Or just leave your comment anonymously by clicking on the circle beside "Anonymous".
I will receive an e-mail, OK it and then it will appear for others to view after they click on the comments link.
Come on.......DO IT!
Sunday, January 4, 2009
A party of one
For some reason, I've taken note of something I've seen over and over through my life. As people pass through my awareness, some have stood out as unbelievably special. You see them on the news or read about them in the papers. If you're lucky, you have a couple right in your life, community, town or area you live in.
You always first hear about them because of some great and compassionate thing they are doing. You hear about some program to help youth who are going down the wrong path. You hear about some cool place or technique that helps drug addicts get off drugs. You hear about some place that is dedicated to spaying and neutering all animals so they don't die from starvation or at the pound because of overpopulation. There really is a place just like that right in my home town of Auburn California and of course the whole thing was started with the vision and drive of one women.
The truth is there are super special people all over the world doing great and wonderful things for the betterment of mankind, often times with very little financial or other help. One of the things that stands out about that for me is almost always, if it wasn't for that one special man or women, the great things they are accomplishing would not happen at all. It's one person who always is the creative, energetic, intelligent driving force behind what they do. Always!
Sure they usually have several helping souls. Almost without fail, these creative geniuses have this indescribable power that draws good people to their side, without knowing how they got so involved but are grateful to be part of these great programs. These genius's know how to get things done, no matter the odds. They don't talk crap, they get busy and make good things happen. No excuses. They just do.
The thought that has ran through my mind for years when I see these things is the potential these people have that could be used in much larger ways here. I know it sounds crazy but we as a society should try to get as many of these wonderful people together as often as possible somehow in one place and see if they have any ideas about the many huge problems we in America are having.
Sounds crazy huh? Ok, we have tried professional politicians. Rich people. Successful business people. Through the ages we even tried to let religion fix everything.
Well, I've only one thing to say.............How's that been workin out for ya?
So here's my grand idea for America, first and foremost. Because I'm an American, I think we should try and make ourselves prosperous, healthy and happy first. Then maybe we can help other deserving parts of the world. Never by giving them anything. Just teaching them to do it for themselves, just like we should.
So come on Bill Gates and all those other geniuses in the high tech world. All the other geniuses out there doing all these sometimes almost magical new things to help people and life. How about you putting your minds together for the welfare of mankind, starting right here in America. I know it's asking a lot from you. You're already busy with your magic but ya know what? The world needs you.
Right at the bottom of this posting is a "Comments" link. Click on it, follow the instructions and leave a comment about this post. You can use your name or make up one, by clicking in the circle beside "Name/URL". Or just leave your comment anonymously by clicking on the circle beside "Anonymous".
I will receive an e-mail, OK it and then it will appear for others to view after they click on the comments link.
Come on.......DO IT!
You always first hear about them because of some great and compassionate thing they are doing. You hear about some program to help youth who are going down the wrong path. You hear about some cool place or technique that helps drug addicts get off drugs. You hear about some place that is dedicated to spaying and neutering all animals so they don't die from starvation or at the pound because of overpopulation. There really is a place just like that right in my home town of Auburn California and of course the whole thing was started with the vision and drive of one women.
The truth is there are super special people all over the world doing great and wonderful things for the betterment of mankind, often times with very little financial or other help. One of the things that stands out about that for me is almost always, if it wasn't for that one special man or women, the great things they are accomplishing would not happen at all. It's one person who always is the creative, energetic, intelligent driving force behind what they do. Always!
Sure they usually have several helping souls. Almost without fail, these creative geniuses have this indescribable power that draws good people to their side, without knowing how they got so involved but are grateful to be part of these great programs. These genius's know how to get things done, no matter the odds. They don't talk crap, they get busy and make good things happen. No excuses. They just do.
The thought that has ran through my mind for years when I see these things is the potential these people have that could be used in much larger ways here. I know it sounds crazy but we as a society should try to get as many of these wonderful people together as often as possible somehow in one place and see if they have any ideas about the many huge problems we in America are having.
Sounds crazy huh? Ok, we have tried professional politicians. Rich people. Successful business people. Through the ages we even tried to let religion fix everything.
Well, I've only one thing to say.............How's that been workin out for ya?
So here's my grand idea for America, first and foremost. Because I'm an American, I think we should try and make ourselves prosperous, healthy and happy first. Then maybe we can help other deserving parts of the world. Never by giving them anything. Just teaching them to do it for themselves, just like we should.
So come on Bill Gates and all those other geniuses in the high tech world. All the other geniuses out there doing all these sometimes almost magical new things to help people and life. How about you putting your minds together for the welfare of mankind, starting right here in America. I know it's asking a lot from you. You're already busy with your magic but ya know what? The world needs you.
Right at the bottom of this posting is a "Comments" link. Click on it, follow the instructions and leave a comment about this post. You can use your name or make up one, by clicking in the circle beside "Name/URL". Or just leave your comment anonymously by clicking on the circle beside "Anonymous".
I will receive an e-mail, OK it and then it will appear for others to view after they click on the comments link.
Come on.......DO IT!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Reality Percentages
All throughout history, some folks have said over and over things like "The youth are going to hell in a hand basket".
I was reading the newspaper years ago and there was a great big long tirade about this very subject. The author was talking about how the young people of that day and time had lost all respect for their elders. How they were beyond redemption and hope and needed to be handled with an iron hand to relearn these things. It was quite a long piece and as I was reading it, I thought to myself that the author must be some politician or the other mouthing off to get people to vote for him, so he could be the one to force these wonderful changes on our wayward and misled youth, to make them good, contributing citizens again. Well, when I finally got to the end of the piece, guess who the author was? It was Adolph Hitler! Turns out that was one of the main themes of his political platform back then. He was saying that a lot of people and especially the youth were falling apart and losing their humanity. He was saying if the people elected him, he would whip all those discontents back in shape and save their way of life. Well we now know how well that worked out, don't we?
Years later, I found out that Socrates pretty much said the same thing about people in general and especially the youth way back in his time also. I pretty much discovered that some people, mainly politicians, ultra religious groups and others have been saying these things throughout the history of mankind. Of course they want you to join their agenda or affiliation and mainly give them money to solve this pressing issue.
One of the cool things about my business is I get to talk in depth with lots of very intelligent folks in all walks of life. I've learned that in general the theory that "most" people, young or older being bad or slowly going to hell in a hand basket has always been and is today bullshit. As proof, ask any teacher anywhere if most students are screwing off, not paying attention and generally causing nothing but problems and he/she will gladly tell you that it's just not true. He/She will tell you that it's true for a very small percentage of them only. They'll tell you that the vast majority of students are serious, caring, studious young people who are trying most of the time to do their best.
Look around you at everyone you personally know in your life. Look around at those you see in your normal workday and weekend. It's pretty easy to see that the percentage of bad/good people is probably on the line of something like 95% good and 5% bad. That means that 95% of people are hard working, caring, honest, compassionate folks who are generally happy with life and would be willing to help a neighbor, friend or even a stranger if the opportunity or need came about and they could. I'm going to step out on a limb here and say this is most likely true everywhere in the entire world, not just in America.
Now that leaves the reality of that other 5% percent who are truly bad. In the student world, those are the ones who are our future denizens of the juvenile justice system and eventually our prison system. The only other alternative for those types without some serious medical, psychiatric or social help would be death, one way or the other.
So, is this the reality you see in your life? Are most people you know pretty good folks?
Right at the bottom of this posting is a "Comments" link. Click on it, follow the instructions and leave a comment about this post. You can use your name or make up one, by clicking in the circle beside "Name/URL". Or just leave your comment anonymously by clicking on the circle beside "Anonymous".
I will receive an e-mail, OK it and then it will appear for others to view after they click on the comments link.
Come on.......DO IT!
I was reading the newspaper years ago and there was a great big long tirade about this very subject. The author was talking about how the young people of that day and time had lost all respect for their elders. How they were beyond redemption and hope and needed to be handled with an iron hand to relearn these things. It was quite a long piece and as I was reading it, I thought to myself that the author must be some politician or the other mouthing off to get people to vote for him, so he could be the one to force these wonderful changes on our wayward and misled youth, to make them good, contributing citizens again. Well, when I finally got to the end of the piece, guess who the author was? It was Adolph Hitler! Turns out that was one of the main themes of his political platform back then. He was saying that a lot of people and especially the youth were falling apart and losing their humanity. He was saying if the people elected him, he would whip all those discontents back in shape and save their way of life. Well we now know how well that worked out, don't we?
Years later, I found out that Socrates pretty much said the same thing about people in general and especially the youth way back in his time also. I pretty much discovered that some people, mainly politicians, ultra religious groups and others have been saying these things throughout the history of mankind. Of course they want you to join their agenda or affiliation and mainly give them money to solve this pressing issue.
One of the cool things about my business is I get to talk in depth with lots of very intelligent folks in all walks of life. I've learned that in general the theory that "most" people, young or older being bad or slowly going to hell in a hand basket has always been and is today bullshit. As proof, ask any teacher anywhere if most students are screwing off, not paying attention and generally causing nothing but problems and he/she will gladly tell you that it's just not true. He/She will tell you that it's true for a very small percentage of them only. They'll tell you that the vast majority of students are serious, caring, studious young people who are trying most of the time to do their best.
Look around you at everyone you personally know in your life. Look around at those you see in your normal workday and weekend. It's pretty easy to see that the percentage of bad/good people is probably on the line of something like 95% good and 5% bad. That means that 95% of people are hard working, caring, honest, compassionate folks who are generally happy with life and would be willing to help a neighbor, friend or even a stranger if the opportunity or need came about and they could. I'm going to step out on a limb here and say this is most likely true everywhere in the entire world, not just in America.
Now that leaves the reality of that other 5% percent who are truly bad. In the student world, those are the ones who are our future denizens of the juvenile justice system and eventually our prison system. The only other alternative for those types without some serious medical, psychiatric or social help would be death, one way or the other.
So, is this the reality you see in your life? Are most people you know pretty good folks?
Right at the bottom of this posting is a "Comments" link. Click on it, follow the instructions and leave a comment about this post. You can use your name or make up one, by clicking in the circle beside "Name/URL". Or just leave your comment anonymously by clicking on the circle beside "Anonymous".
I will receive an e-mail, OK it and then it will appear for others to view after they click on the comments link.
Come on.......DO IT!
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Bravery?
This is something I've thought about often through the years as I watched or read another story on the news about some gang or the other raising hell out in our country. Usually it's a story about a bunch of punks running around shooting guns, killing each other or killing innocent bystanders, who had nothing to do with it.
To make my thoughts clear on this subject, I would have to go back to when I was a teenager in high school. Back then, when someone had a problem with or just didn't like someone else, they would "call out" the other person to a fight, usually after school at some agreed upon location. After all the details of the fight were worked out, the rumor mill started and before the end of the day, half the school knew there was going to be fight and everyone that could, tried their best to show up to watch.
Here's how it would come out for everyone. The two combatants would come together and all the people who came to watch would form a huge circle completely surrounding them. The two fighters would approach each other face to face, take a good stance, put up their fists, dance around for a while and the whole thing would start as soon as one or the other thru the first punch. At that point, the whole crowd of onlookers would be yelling and screaming for one or the other.
Now lets get some very important things straight here. There were some plain as day, completely understood, unwritten rules involved in this whole planned affair. Fairness was everything. Only straight ahead fists were allowed. No kicking (this was before Karate), no hair pulling, no use of sticks, rocks, knives or ANY thing other than fists. The ONLY brave and honorable thing was to stand there face to face using only your fists to pound the opponent into submission. I have to proudly add here that if anyone did pick up a stick or anything, the whole crowd would not only start yelling, they would grab the stick and you and put a stop to the whole thing right then. Now the second the other guy fell to the ground, honorable people would stop and let the other person back up before continuing. The second one or the other gives up or says "I give" or lets it be known by one and all that they want to quit. IT'S A DONE DEAL! Game over, everyone walks away and the whole thing is finished.
The whole point of my little story here is back then these things were handled in a civilized and honorable way with both sides showing respect and bravery to each other. The purpose was not to kill or maim your opponent, it was just to prove you were brave and perhaps worthy of being a "man", in those times.
Now back to those punks in the news shooting each other and anyone else who get in there way. I'm announcing right now, right out loud and clear that all those punks are god damn chicken shits. They are like little baby pigs, pretending to be adults. They are too chicken shit to stand face to face with anyone. They sneak around shooting from moving cars or hide behind something to make their kill. They have no real guts at all. In fact, they are the scum of the earth and should be shot on sight by our law enforcement, who we have given the right to wipe out human infections.
Somehow we lost sight of what bravery, honor, respect and personal responsibility means in this new society we find ourselves in. I wonder if it's possible to somehow get that back in our children's realities before it's too late.
What do you think about all this? How do you define bravery, honor and respect? Is there a way you can think of to reach the youth with these truths and create change?
Right at the bottom of this posting is a "Comments" link. Click on it, follow the instructions and leave a comment about this post. You can use your name or make up one, by clicking in the circle beside "Name/URL". Or just leave your comment anonymously by clicking on the circle beside "Anonymous".
I will receive an e-mail, OK it and then it will appear for others to view after they click on the comments link.
Come on.......DO IT!
To make my thoughts clear on this subject, I would have to go back to when I was a teenager in high school. Back then, when someone had a problem with or just didn't like someone else, they would "call out" the other person to a fight, usually after school at some agreed upon location. After all the details of the fight were worked out, the rumor mill started and before the end of the day, half the school knew there was going to be fight and everyone that could, tried their best to show up to watch.
Here's how it would come out for everyone. The two combatants would come together and all the people who came to watch would form a huge circle completely surrounding them. The two fighters would approach each other face to face, take a good stance, put up their fists, dance around for a while and the whole thing would start as soon as one or the other thru the first punch. At that point, the whole crowd of onlookers would be yelling and screaming for one or the other.
Now lets get some very important things straight here. There were some plain as day, completely understood, unwritten rules involved in this whole planned affair. Fairness was everything. Only straight ahead fists were allowed. No kicking (this was before Karate), no hair pulling, no use of sticks, rocks, knives or ANY thing other than fists. The ONLY brave and honorable thing was to stand there face to face using only your fists to pound the opponent into submission. I have to proudly add here that if anyone did pick up a stick or anything, the whole crowd would not only start yelling, they would grab the stick and you and put a stop to the whole thing right then. Now the second the other guy fell to the ground, honorable people would stop and let the other person back up before continuing. The second one or the other gives up or says "I give" or lets it be known by one and all that they want to quit. IT'S A DONE DEAL! Game over, everyone walks away and the whole thing is finished.
The whole point of my little story here is back then these things were handled in a civilized and honorable way with both sides showing respect and bravery to each other. The purpose was not to kill or maim your opponent, it was just to prove you were brave and perhaps worthy of being a "man", in those times.
Now back to those punks in the news shooting each other and anyone else who get in there way. I'm announcing right now, right out loud and clear that all those punks are god damn chicken shits. They are like little baby pigs, pretending to be adults. They are too chicken shit to stand face to face with anyone. They sneak around shooting from moving cars or hide behind something to make their kill. They have no real guts at all. In fact, they are the scum of the earth and should be shot on sight by our law enforcement, who we have given the right to wipe out human infections.
Somehow we lost sight of what bravery, honor, respect and personal responsibility means in this new society we find ourselves in. I wonder if it's possible to somehow get that back in our children's realities before it's too late.
What do you think about all this? How do you define bravery, honor and respect? Is there a way you can think of to reach the youth with these truths and create change?
Right at the bottom of this posting is a "Comments" link. Click on it, follow the instructions and leave a comment about this post. You can use your name or make up one, by clicking in the circle beside "Name/URL". Or just leave your comment anonymously by clicking on the circle beside "Anonymous".
I will receive an e-mail, OK it and then it will appear for others to view after they click on the comments link.
Come on.......DO IT!
Sunday, December 7, 2008
The News
After catching the morning Television News and National Public Radio on the way to work the other day, I made a decision I'm hoping to be able to follow up on. By the time I got to work, I was damn near depressed. Now normally, I'm a pretty glass half full, upbeat, positive type of person but as I'm sure is true for most normal people right now, it's pretty hard to remain true to my natural attitude, what with all the crap going on in the world right now presented on the news.
Speaking of that, I know that the news did not and does not directly cause the economic problems the world has going right now. The truth is though, the news by feeding the doomsday ideas so expertly and incessantly, is making and keeping everyone nervous about spending any money until things get better. The problem with that is our entire economic system is built on consumerism. Money being spent by everyone around the whole world is the grease that makes the economic machine go around. So even though it's not the cause, it is like a giant anchor dragging everything down. If we stop buying products, the companies have to lay off or fire employees. Then those employee's don't have the money to spend and the whole thing just starts to feed upon itself.
So, here's my grand plan. I'm going to give it my best shot to not watch or listen to ANY news for quite a while. I've wondered for years if everyone might just be a whole lot better off not watching the daily barrage of negative garbage they call "the news". I've heard their lame attempt at an explanation for the negativity time and time again. They say good news doesn't sell. They say the public grows bored with anything positive but bad news catches and holds their attention. So that's what we deserve and that's what they are going to give us. It's kind of a sad commentary on our real needs and desires huh?
You know, back in the past, before television and mass media, people got by just fine day by day without knowing anything at all about most of the rest of the world and it's many problems. I really wonder if someone living in a small town in America has any need at all to hear all the crime statistics and details in some large city such as New York. Does it do their lives any good at all to know those things? I doubt it.
So, I'll let you know how successful I am with my new resolution. I'm as bad as the next guy with turning on the box as soon as I walk in the door and usually it's the news that's on, so it really has became a habit for me as I'm sure it has for most folks.
Christ, maybe I'll actually use that time to pet the cats, talk to my wonderful wife, take the time and energy to make a great meal, relax with the new found peace and quiet without the blaring box. I know the few times we have lost our power, it was amazing to realise that life went on just fine and the piece and quiet was pretty cool.
Right at the bottom of this posting is a "Comments" link. Click on it, follow the instructions and leave a comment about this post. You can use your name or make up one, by clicking in the circle beside "Name/URL". Or just leave your comment anonymously by clicking on the circle beside "Anonymous".
I will receive an e-mail, OK it and then it will appear for others to view after they click on the comments link.
Come on.......DO IT!
Speaking of that, I know that the news did not and does not directly cause the economic problems the world has going right now. The truth is though, the news by feeding the doomsday ideas so expertly and incessantly, is making and keeping everyone nervous about spending any money until things get better. The problem with that is our entire economic system is built on consumerism. Money being spent by everyone around the whole world is the grease that makes the economic machine go around. So even though it's not the cause, it is like a giant anchor dragging everything down. If we stop buying products, the companies have to lay off or fire employees. Then those employee's don't have the money to spend and the whole thing just starts to feed upon itself.
So, here's my grand plan. I'm going to give it my best shot to not watch or listen to ANY news for quite a while. I've wondered for years if everyone might just be a whole lot better off not watching the daily barrage of negative garbage they call "the news". I've heard their lame attempt at an explanation for the negativity time and time again. They say good news doesn't sell. They say the public grows bored with anything positive but bad news catches and holds their attention. So that's what we deserve and that's what they are going to give us. It's kind of a sad commentary on our real needs and desires huh?
You know, back in the past, before television and mass media, people got by just fine day by day without knowing anything at all about most of the rest of the world and it's many problems. I really wonder if someone living in a small town in America has any need at all to hear all the crime statistics and details in some large city such as New York. Does it do their lives any good at all to know those things? I doubt it.
So, I'll let you know how successful I am with my new resolution. I'm as bad as the next guy with turning on the box as soon as I walk in the door and usually it's the news that's on, so it really has became a habit for me as I'm sure it has for most folks.
Christ, maybe I'll actually use that time to pet the cats, talk to my wonderful wife, take the time and energy to make a great meal, relax with the new found peace and quiet without the blaring box. I know the few times we have lost our power, it was amazing to realise that life went on just fine and the piece and quiet was pretty cool.
Right at the bottom of this posting is a "Comments" link. Click on it, follow the instructions and leave a comment about this post. You can use your name or make up one, by clicking in the circle beside "Name/URL". Or just leave your comment anonymously by clicking on the circle beside "Anonymous".
I will receive an e-mail, OK it and then it will appear for others to view after they click on the comments link.
Come on.......DO IT!
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