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Monday, October 26 2009

Fulfill the promise life has to offer all that are brought into this world. Honor all that are yet to be born, by caring for the present and protecting the future.

We continuously choose the Path of Compassion, Awareness, Awe, Responsibility, Courage, Delight and Joy

It is our COMPASSION for our spouse, for our children, for other humans and for all other life that guides us to protect and serve, to care about and respect all life and the source of life.

It is our AWARENESS of the Universal Processes that got us here, Our Genetic kinship with all life and the whole Earth Eco-System, and the fragile nature of our continuation that allows us to make the good decisions in the present and for the future. We are all curious, inventive, complex, loving, problem solvers, hopeful, caring and creative and yet, we are all still children standing on the brink of adulthood.

It is our AWE At the Miracle of Life itself, At the Whole of the Universe, At the events that permitted our emergence that allowed Self Awareness, Thought, Choice, Love and Compassion, and the Miracle of our existence.

It is our RESPONSIBILITY and COURAGE that permits us to go beyond our own immediate needs, honor the needs of others, and to understand that we are not in charge of the whole. We are however an Instrumental Participant in shaping the future of a healthy and vibrant Earth Community.

It is we who must now maintain the Integrity of the Whole While maintaining the integrity of the Parts. It is we who must require our leaders to honor their commitment to represent all peoples and all life with dignity and respect.

To recognize that one's own little corner of the world is a mirror of all other little corners of the world. It is a part of the whole. Therefore to be a custodian or guardian of one little corner nurtures and cares for the whole Earth.

We will be required within this century to develop and support New Laws of the Planet that provide Global Responsibility and Accountability. We will not encourage dominion over others but the formation of International management teams that will care for and encourage all of us to share resources, protect the integrity of the Earths Eco-System and join together to solve the problems of our species survival.

We will join with others to address the problems, the dangers and inequities. We will share knowledge, resources, and technology.

We will strive to develop, preserve and enhance the quality of life of all.

It is our DELIGHT and JOY as we share this bond with Billions to acknowledge we are part of the community of Life, that no life is unworthy, all problems can be solved, abundance is possible, All war is unnecessary and all scarcity can be temporary.

United we can stand to enhance the quality of life for all.

It is all a choice as the Awesome Story of the Universe still unfolds. We are not yet done with our changes.

Over the last few hundred years we have reinvented our civilizations with new knowledge and technology. In the process we let go of our roots. Our true significance. Our humility over how we got here suppressed by our need to control and dominate: the land, the seas, the elements, other life, under the mistaken idea that this style of behavior would insure our survival.

We took survival of the species too literally. Self Preservation at all cost, even when the cost was clearly a danger to the future inhabitants. We have a genetic kinship with all life, but we have lost that awareness along with our compassion for life and for each other.

Over the next few decades we must, and will, reinvent ourselves as sons and daughters of the stars. Our actions and behavior will nourish this planet, for it is truly our Home. All life will find a niche to flourish and discover its own destiny in this journey through time.

We ARE in the longest night, the Winter Solstice of our consciousness. We do not know when the sun will rise. But in our stories, our myths, our beliefs, our deep consciousness, we know that a new season will come, the sun will reach its zenith again, and we will truly become the evolving children of the stars. It is up to us to see the Divine Nature of the Universe reflected through our conscious self-awareness, our actions, our behavior and our compassion.

The Universe is truly our home. As Guardians we would:

Plant a seed for a new beginning, care about the present and its impact on the future, protect and serve all life with respect.

Take the responsibility of living beyond our own immediate needs and honor the needs of others.

A Guardian understands that to separate and protect any human arena from the living ecology of the planet is to deny the planet's right to exist and evolve on its own terms. The integrity of the whole must be maintained.

Recognize that our own little corner of the world is a mirror of all other little corners of the world. It is a part of the whole. Therefore to be a custodian or guardian of one little corner nurtures and cares for the whole Earth.

Require our leaders to honor their commitment to represent all peoples with dignity and respect and deny those who would be masters of all. Strive for a new Global Management philosophy of Responsibility Accountability. And understands that our bond of humanity is our common commitment to:

Fulfill the promise that life has to offer all that are brought into this world, and honor all that are yet to be born by caring for the present and protecting the future.

We are all custodians and guardians. Of our future, of our children's future. Communicating, accepting diversity, accepting change, and still dealing with the issues of the day with sound judgement, fairness, creativity and firmness is part of the package. This is a dynamic process that includes our common bond (the total Earth Community) and the appropriate laws that frame the Custodial/Guardian concept, Locally and Internationally.

One thing to remember is that there are a lot of us. Billions of us. That, of course, is both the bad news and the good news. But with more and more connectivity world wide, with common ground and a simple concept, the power of numbers alone begins to turn the massive ship. This is a seed of hope in an overwhelming negative environment.

Within each of us is the desire to address the wrongs that we are witness to and make the world a better place.

Our spiritual connections spread from individuals and small groups to everyone we come in contact with. The more profound that spirit, the more truth it embodies, the broader and greater the influence.

I seriously doubt that the seeding of the stars, billions of galaxies and one tiny habitable planet, that spawned conscious self-awareness, was initiated so that billions of intelligent but self serving and irresponsible life forms whose only goal is to end their lives with the most toys, the most land, the most resources, or the most whatever, was the great plan.

In our own way, without a Very Big Person holding court over our lives, we are being judged, and the outcome is still in doubt.

The Universal processes have blessed us with all of the tools needed to establish a wonderful place to live, a Garden for Life - to explore, to create, to love and understand, and to enjoy.

We are each significant in our own way. Though others, who want more than they need, may tell you that you are less than the dust on the furniture. This is not only not true but identifies them as part of the problem.

Guardianship is a process and a state of mind. To feel a sense of community for the whole Earth System, and all life within it, is what makes the whole thing work.

This is the fundamental frame of reference that allows all peoples to think and act in the best interests of present and future generations.

It is easy to say that we must protect mother earth, stop polluting our food chain, share resources, stop wars, feed the starving children, stop the genocide, educate our prospective mothers and fathers on raising children, empower the international community, etc. etc. It is the implementation of such a serious change in our perspective and behavior that is the real challenge.

None of us can ever treat this hazardous and difficult journey lightly.

The magic of a seed is that all of the organism's abilities to meet the challenges of survival from generation to generation, over vast spans of time, is encased in a tiny package that needs only the right environment to begin its journey and blossom into its potential.

This is the beauty of the self organizing Universe which we are now an influential part of.

A human starts with undifferentiated cells that over a period of 9 months self organizes into organs, nerves, a brain and a protective outer layer of skin. When you understand the details of the process, it truly is a miracle.

The Earth itself is a seed of creation. Over a few billion years the Earth has organized itself into a habitat for all life not just humanity. We presently reside on a rotating ball of rock that is so special that it would have taken only one or two differences in its birth to prevent life from ever appearing. It also will not take a whole lot to make it all disappear.

So what is important here? One: a recognition that our biosphere is not immune to our self destruction. Two: our future as a species is not guaranteed. Three: Who dies with the most toys, or the most land, or the most money, or the biggest empire is not the point of it all.

This is not new news to any of us. Only time will allow the necessary awareness to blossom and take root in the mind. Only a firm foundation of ideas and action will oust the old and bring in the new.

Posted by: RB Carpenter AT 03:12 pm   |  Permalink   |  0 Comments  |  Email
Friday, October 16 2009

 

MARKET STRATEGY:

 Always make a profit (Peter Lynch).  Always limit your risk of losses.  Since always is not always possible, and since you may have to weather a significant downturn in your stock or the market, it is imperative that you exercise unbending discipline in your buys and sells. At the very least you must honestly ask yourself if you can afford to hold a stock for many years, which means weathering its ups and downs.  Since we are now in a different world than we were many decades ago, buy and hold strategies can make one very nervous.  Evaluate your entire portfolio at least every six months.  Never turn over your decision making to a third party.  Although we do this via mutual funds, they are at least responsible for many, many investors and usually invest across the board (strongly diversified).    

Always make a profit means that you will pay very close attention to the factors that will affect your ability to profit from active participation in the market.  You will develop an overall set of rules that guide your actions, and you will evaluate each transaction based on its risk reward potential. The frame of mind that 'always make a profit' creates, is often humor because of its simplicity, discipline because its necessary and confidence because it is a map for continuous successful transactions.

 

     Do not allow yourself the emotional turmoil that normally accompanies winning or losing.  If you lose, clearly understand what happened and why, use it as a lesson and move on, the same goes for winning.  Fear based stress does not improve your decision making ability.

 DEFINITIONS:

 * EPS - Earnings per share.  This number (0-99) is a factor of the last five years of earnings coupled with the last two quarters.  The average of these two numbers is compared with all of the companies in the table and ranked 0-99.  Companies with superior earnings rank 80 and above.

 * RS - Relative Strength.  Measures the relative price change over a twelve month period on a daily basis compared with all other stocks in the table.  Stocks below 70 are weaker or lag the market.

 * A/D - Accumulation/Distribution.  This rating A-E is derived by multiplying daily volume by the change and direction of the stock price.  A is strongest and E is weakest.  Coupled with other factors, this would help to determine if a stock is under accumulation (buying strength) or distribution (selling strength).

 * Vol % Change - Shows each company's trading volume for that day in terms of its percent change above or below the average daily volume for the last 50 days.  This will indicate if a stock price change occurs on abnormally high or low volume. 

 General Guidelines:    

 * The prime objective is to buy those stocks with the maximum upside potential and the minimum downside risk.

* View all stocks as bad investments. Always listen to the news that might affect your stock.  Never own it forever.  Always be aware of what=s going on with the company and in the industry.  The maker of buggies may no longer be the company of choice.

      * Never defend a bad buy or timing decision.  Always exit a stock if your tolerance for a loss is minimal (10 %) below your buy price. This is called a stop loss order. Since many stocks fluctuate 10 to 15% in either direction, the key to this strategy/discipline is your awareness of the volatility of the stock and your buying time and price.

 * Stocks usually find a base level for some period of time, whether they have moved up in price or down.  Never buy a stock that has just recently extended downward more than 20% from its recent base level.

 * Buying a stock on the way down requires one to be very aware of its overall strength and what the whole sector is doing.  Buying on the way down, even if you are very familiar with it, is risky.  You never know where the bottom is.  The violation of this rule is most prevalent. 

 * Understand the overall market direction as well as the direction the industry that your stock is in is taking.  Trying to bet against the market movement, is difficult and often discouraging, if not fatal. The phrase is "don't fight the tape".  This means that to go contrary to the overall market movement is pure gambling. Hedging your decisions with puts and calls can be a great strategy but does require you to be more involved than many people have time for.  

      * Analyst and market watchers can severely affect a stock's price.  They not only set expectations for a company, their opinions weigh heavily in the market place.  They along with the company set expectations.  If these expectations are not met the stock can take an intermediate tumble. Always know when earnings are being reported and be aware of the expectation level that is being set.     

* Institutions can move a stock significantly in either direction.  If a stock has a large institutional following, and they decide to dump the stock, it may decline rapidly in price.

 * Understand when the market is nervous.  Nervous people make nervous decisions, your stocks can be affected, no matter how sound your buying decision is. 

 * A long term view of the market and your individual stocks is a critical factor in your emotional stability.  Buy with a long term strategy, sell with a profit, minimize your risks with a disciplined stop loss order.

     * Mutual funds provide a refuge from the daily swings of the market.  Stock trading is a daily research effort, if you do not have the time to spend on it do not carry a short term outlook, play the market long term (2 to 5 years) with a broad diversification.

 PERCEPTIONS and EXPECTATIONS:

 * Earnings are reported quarterly.  However, analysts project a company's earnings before they are reported.  This creates an expectation in the eyes of the people who buy stocks. If a company reports earnings that do not meet expectations significantly, the stock could be dumped regardless of its long term potential.  The degree of the discrepancy is a perception and cannot adequately be determined.  Also, even if a company reports terrific earnings, it may not jump in price.  For example a whole industry may be in disfavor.  This is the market weighing down a good stock, when the market weight is removed, these stocks generally take off.

 * Nervousness is created under many conditions.  If the government decides to reduce military spending, companies that are significant players in the defense industry may take it on the chin.  If the FDA fails to approve several drug applications in a row, this may create the perception that all stocks in that class are suspect and create a sell off.  If interest rates move up or down based on FED action, the whole market could take a turn, positive or negative based on the perceived result of the action taken. If a group of stocks have risen substantially during the year, and the perception is that they are overvalued, there may be a sell off in a particular industry.

 * We are in a world economy.  We are being integrated.

      A FEW TECHNICAL RELATIONSHIPS:

    * An EPS of 99 is great. It means that this company has had excellent earnings over 5 years and the last two quarters have exceeded the same quarters in the prior year (> 25%).    

      * A RS of 90 to 99 is also great. It means that the stock has out performed 90% of all other stocks in the table from a price performance point of view. 

 * A A/D of A means that the overall strength of volume of buying and selling relative to the price movement is in an accumulation phase. When volume is centered around selling the stock is in distribution.

 * A large volume change (>100% of average daily volume over last 50 days activity), could indicate several things. 

* Large block selling or buying (balanced)

* Significant interest with a breakout possible

* Significant disinterest with a decline possible.

 * The best performing stocks averaged a relative strength of 87 before their major increase in price actually began.

 * If the relative strength line has been stagnant for 7 months, or if there is an abnormal decline over 4 months, the stock is questionable.  Look at the charts.

* Large numbers of shares (The total shares of a given company) must be weighed against the average volume of buying and selling. For a portion of your investment capital look for companies with less than 25 million shares in their capitalization. Optimum is 10 to 15 million.

 * Look for large percentage increases in earnings per share.

 * The lower the debt ratio, the better.  Also a company's cash position can mean they have the strength to buy other companies.

 * A few institutional sponsors are better that many.

 * A new product or service, new management, or a beneficial change in the industry, or even a new high price in the stock should be looked for in your buy decisions.

 * Three out of four stocks will follow the market direction.

 * Buy stocks that have broken out of their base (not more than 10%).  If you buy within the base, they can fluctuate 10 to 15% and knock you out (if you follow the 7 to 10% sell rule).

MARKET DIRECTION

 * Tops in the market: Average moves to new highs, but does so on low volume (demand is poor), Volume surges for several days, but there is very little upside based on closing market prices.

* If the market leaders begin to break down, or if the discount rate is raised, the market may be heading down.

 * The advance/decline line fails to meet the market averages after the market averages reach new highs. I.E. few stocks are participating in the advance (more stocks decline than stocks advance).

* Watch for shorts.  At a market top, major short positions may be taken if the stock tries to break out and fails.  If a major short position develops in your stock, watch it very carefully. If it fails to continue on the upside, consider selling.

 

Posted by: RB Carpenter AT 05:25 pm   |  Permalink   |  Email
Monday, October 12 2009

Being in the Moment

Do not confuse Being in the Moment with a disregard for your past.  Of course we are influenced by our entire interpretation of the past.  The subtle difference between letting go (being in the moment ) and actually thinking you can BE IN THE Moment is whether your emotional memories are driving your response to whatever is happening now. Or, you are fully experiencing what is happening now. Your past emotions nor your anxiety over the future do not overpower your awareness of the moment and make it into something it is not. 

The TAO has taught me that virtue is how I behave now, with awareness, with compassion, with integrity.  When you are consumed with yesterday's pain you cannot be here now especially when your interpretation of the moment is clouded by your history of pain, joy, or anger. 

Technically we all have a 500 millisecond delay in our respone to the moment.  That is the interpretation and recognition phase.  When we have a witness (our inner observer) to what we have retrieved from our past in order to understand and act appropriately to the moment, this observation helps us, in a conscious state, to let go of all heavily charged memories and emotions and focus on what is required now.

What is required now is our full attention.

FREE WILL (yes we are responsible, no we are not)

Hi, this was in response to a question raised over the idea of free will vs all outcomes are predetermined.

But first I recommend the ramblingtaoist.com
 
The arguments for or against "free will and the "outcome" has been preordained" mislead us into a position of absolutes.  i am responsible for what I do, i am not responsible for what I do. While we all publically assume the mantle of responsibility a casual look at our behavior strongly indicates real confusion and discomfort with this concept.

We cannot ignore the immense programming inherent in our DNA.  Genes are triggered to trigger other genes that influence the entire complexity of our biological structures, themes about how we respond to the outside world, internal brain structures that interpret our relationships to everything and everybody we come in contact with.

At some point in time our development allows us to choose while at the same time influencing those choices with our past experiences and how we interpreted them.  We not only store a vast amount of comparison data "{deja vue") we create a "self" that is governed by its own survival and "self" satisfaction.
 
Those who believe that awareness and being "intensely in the moment" allow us to respond to the moment as it is and not as we "wish it to be or not to be" come closer to the reality of our dilemma.  For within this sandbox of consciousness we are better able to choose from the paths available and not depend so heavily on our past.  That past of course being all of our accumulated love, hate, pain and life experiences.  In choosing to "let go of the past or future" we take a new step toward free will in the moment. 
 
But there is no such thing as pure free will, just as the outcome as predetermined does not exist.  What we have to take seriously, beyond philosophical debate, is the notion that we choose our level of consciousness.  This choosing is not a given but must be directed from the outside or by significant changes on the inside.  Once this other side of "the self" has been recognized then the responsibility of "free will" within the limits of our humanity becomes the total responsibility of the individual.  Everything done or experienced now carries with it total ownership.  You now choose with the full awareness that it is an imperfect choice, but a choice non the less. 
 
So allowing our emotions full expression, allowing our past to dictate the present, allowing our imagined future to determine our response to the present limits our choosing and supports the "deterministic view"  the outcome was inevitable.  We live in a world dominated by unconscious individuals, the outcomes of their interaction with the world are relatively predictable.
 
The "free will" discussion cannot ever be effective until it is recognized by all that full consciousness is a prerequisite for "free will".  Everything else is deterministic or appears to be..
 
Dick Carpenter

Posted by: Dick Carpenter AT 08:50 am   |  Permalink   |  Email
Friday, October 09 2009

Obama and the Executive Branch

I wish to congratulate Obama for his efforts that resulted in the Nobel Peace Prize.  That said this is only the beginning.  Strengthening the UN with all of its divisiveness will be a monumental effort.  With all of the hawkishness I see around me, withdrawing from the theatre of War will also test all that the US stands for.

Speaking of war, I noticed that the US in all of its moral righteousness has done nothing about China and Tibet.  I am aware that Pakistan and India have Nuclear Weapons.  These two Nations have been at each others throats far, far too long.  Someone or some group of people is financing the groups who would kill men, women and children to cause fear and chaos and make a point.

The race to the 2010 elections is getting ugly, and has been ugly for some time.  A perfect example, Obama made his speech before congress.  He said (Insurance Executives are not bad people, they just...).  On TV two media commentators blatantly spoke about how horrible it was that Obama called Insurance Executives "Bad people".  This was a lie, misrepresentation, and if I had a vote (which I don't) they would apologize or get fired.

I get EMAILS all of the time that are absolute distortions of the facts.  Now I know that Obama is beginning to feel the weight of his Office and responsibility.  The people he has to deal with will now and then offer less than stellar advice (Veterans Health), Those who would follow the Generals and escalate the war in Afghanistan.  While I cannot fathom the danger and difficulties our soldiers are going through, I personally would like to see a statement that defines what Victory is and how long it will take, and how many soldiers and civilians will be dead or injured until Victory is declared.

Jobs, jobs, jobs.  The stats do not tell of the hardships so many families are experiencing and going to experience as the job market stays weak or non existent.  Giving Billions to the Insurance companies so that at some point in time the millions that are without Health Insurance can be covered will not create new jobs (unless of course the companies MUST apply that money to HEALTH CARE). 

Just as a point of order, Companies that transfer their manufacturing outside of the country, could be taxed if their headquarters is in the US.  Better would be incentives to bring the jobs back to the US.  Manufacturing is critical to our future prosperity.

The Bill to have us all Green Up our houses prior to resale is ludicrous.  It took us several years to install better and more efficient Air Conditioning.  Installing Thousands of Dollars for new Energy windows would not sit well with our budget.  Give me real tax incentives to Green Up our houses is better.  Mandates vs "do it this way or else" vs incentives. which is better? 

More to come....

House of Representatives and the Senate.

So far they are performing at a snails pace.  Bickering and agonizing over Health care instead of coming up with a plan that would revitalize the Health Care Industry.  Public Option (I won't vote for that, that's Socialized Medicine), Oh lets give the Insurance industry a few hundred billion dollars without any need to overhall their Programs.  better yet lets let each state opt out if they want, that will surely make things better.  Don't worry about the wars, poverty, clean air, Jobs, Fair Trade, manufacturing.  Lets just use those powerful intellects to fight dirty over the 2010 elections and try to disparage and embarass the Obama Administration. 

Believe me if some intelligence does not creep into the two arms of the government an awful lot of people will vote differently in 2010.  Pretend this is screaming frustrated  shout...."Govern why don't you.  Represent the people why don't you.  Clean up your act.  Morality, ethics and common sense do matter".

Ok enough sarcasm.  I hope the plan can be revitalized. 

Doctors do not like Medicare.  I do not like Medicare.  Medicare strips away the high cost of procedures, hospital visits, and doctor consultations.  So the Doctors solve the problem by not taking in new Medicare patients, Hospitals charge rediculous prices for bed space, tests,  supplies, blood, and a whole host of procedures and chart reviews.  Meanwhile the whole process is not being addressed.  I would bet that if a consortium of doctors, nurses, hospital staff, Insurance experts, and process experts along with Network Data Base experts were brought together a plan could be devised that would address our faulty Health Care System.

Currently it is just a party fight, does anyone really want to reign in costs and change the system?

Posted by: Richard B. Carpenter AT 09:27 am   |  Permalink   |  0 Comments  |  Email
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