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Monday, January 10 2011

This was emailed to me and really reflects how I feel.  We have too long accepted provocative rhetoric instead of demanding respectful dialogue on the issues.  I copy it here to reflect on the killings both in sorrow and a more urgent desire to see changes in our behavior that reflects our humanity and not the worst we have to offer. 

"All of us at Pax Christi USA were shocked to hear of the assassination attempt on Rep. Giffords yesterday. Below you will find our official statement on this horrific tragedy. We ask that you join us in praying for Rep. Giffords, the 6 people who died and their friends and families, and those wounded. We ask too that you pray with us that this event may mark a change in the tone and character of our national political conversation.


Official statement on the attempted assassination of Rep. Giffords


Pax Christi USA condemns the violence which took place in Arizona on Sunday, killing 6 people and wounding 7 others, including Representative Gabrielle Giffords. Within hours of the assassination attempt on Rep. Giffords, a Democrat who had voted in support of last year's health care law, the debate regarding the role that our current national political divisiveness had played in this violence was being played out in media outlets across our nation. Prominently noted was that Giffords had been targeted by former Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin because of her support of healthcare reform, appearing on a map on Palin's political action committee's website and her own Facebook page with the cross-hairs of a gun-sight denoting Giffords' district.
 
Pax Christi USA has consistently spoken out against the rising negative rhetoric that has marked our national political conversation over the past few years and warned of its consequences. It is disingenuous and ignorant to suggest that hate-talk media and the hyperbolic use of violent imagery play no role in this rising wave of political violence. The vandalism which has been perpetrated at the offices of our political representatives, the scenes of individuals carrying weapons at last year's town hall meetings, and now the assassination attempt on Rep. Giffords are all part of the same cloth that begins with the irresponsible speech and sloganeering of media personalities and political leaders. Pax Christi USA hopes that the escalation of violence demonstrated in yesterday's events will finally bring our nation to its senses and lead the American people to no longer tolerate such utter disregard for civility and for the humanity of those with whom we disagree.
 
Pax Christi was founded on the reconciliation of French and German Catholics following two world wars in which they had slaughtered each other by the millions. Respect for our shared humanity is at the heart of our proclamation of the power of nonviolence to transform enemies into friends. We believe in a God who calls us to respect all life, to care for all of our sisters and brothers, and to work for a world that reflects the message God's son shared with us-a message of compassion, love, forgiveness, and peace with justice. Today, we pray for Rep. Giffords' recovery, for the healing of those wounded in this tragic act, and for the consolation of the family and friends of the six who were killed-including a 9 year-old girl. And we pray too that this tragedy brings about a new era of civil and respectful dialogue in our national political conversation, where we recognize and honor the conscience and freedom of our opponents, and where our highest ideals-rather than our basest fears-govern how we speak to one another and how we portray each other. "

Posted by: rbcarpenter AT 12:25 pm   |  Permalink   |  Email
Saturday, January 08 2011

Yes this is late. They have already fallen from the sky. They have washed up on the shores.  They are the Birds, the Bees, The Fish, The Crabs and who knows what is coming next.

Things we do know.  The birds dropped out of the sky in great numbers and they were dead before they hit the ground.  The fish died before they washed up on the shore.  The crabs did not die on the coastline where they were found.  The deaths happened in fresh water and salt water.  So we have both air and water.  Specific species were affected.  All of the birds and fish and crabs of every conceivable species mix did not fall out of the sky or wash up on the beaches.  The deaths were not Arkansas specific although that was the first world wide awareness of the mass deaths. 

Despite the rampant speculation the Internet has proved its worth because in a very short time the entire world became aware of the Arkansas deaths.  This is the good news.  As an aside we should be very conscious of our responsibility to maintain the integrity of the information we dispense.  This world wide web thing is a two edged sword.  So before the paranoid censors get ambitious and try to police everything on the internet we might police ourselves and be very aware of what we submit.  Just sayin. (I know many are beginning to dislike that saying) 

So lets pretend we are investigators with very limited tools, but we do have the internet search capability.

Although many in positions of leadership have chimed in and given their expert opinion let's not forget that some well meaning people want to lower the fear factor, prevent panic and hope their input makes the whole thing go away.  It is not going away.  We are in the midst of change, often serious, often deadly.  So keeping quiet about the issues and the problems serves only those who need the air and the wires to be silent for their own purposes, whatever those may be.

Ok I know nothing at this point in time.  But I would like to take a shot at some of the comments surrounding this tragic occurrence.

Loud noises spooked the birds roosting at night and they flew into each other, into buildings, trees, etc. The birds,the fish, the crabs all died from a disease.  They were all poisoned, by pollutants, by noise, by radiation, by unusual climate conditions such as the surface water and air temperature.  And even if some groups want to attribute these occurrences to God's retribution or as a sign of our eminent demise it would be wise of us to figure out the real world causes and leave the end of the world rhetoric for the story tellers. 

Some things to be aware of, although none of these have to be the specific cause.

Climate change is upon us:  Flooding, colder than normal, hotter than normal, Land and water surface ice sheets melting, Tundras melting, glaciers retreating rapidly, Water temperature both ocean and fresh water getting warmer and yes colder in areas all over the globe. In some parts of the world glaciers supply fresh water all year long but only for a relatively short period of time if the current warming trend continues.

Sea traffic so pervasive in the oceans that noise pollution affects every species that communicates through the water.  This affects migration patterns, feeding and social behavior.

Pollution, oil, chemical, refuse, plastics, are pervasively eating away at the integrity of the oceans, our fresh water supplies, our soil.  The simple cause and effect is that our food chain is being tampered with and in some parts of the world we are being systematically poisoned (yes the USA is included).  

Genetically modified plants and other life (fish) are being introduced into our food chain at an alarming rate even though the long term possibility of a serious mistake is not only possible but guaranteed.

Our organic farmers are trying to stop the maddness of industrial agriculture.  The chemical runoffs, the soil sterilization, the GMO crops cross contamination, the depleted soil of organic material and living benefical organisms, the excessive use of antibiotics and hormones to increase production. 

Human reliance on drugs in every dimension of our lives cannot be good. The advertisement for a stop smoking drug has a serious listing of scary side effects, even death, and this is just to stop smoking. 

Humans were not affected so a Methane leak can probably be discounted.

So the point is we do not know,  but I will be tracking the investigation to see where it goes and what the investigators find.....rbc 

Posted by: rb Carpenter AT 02:55 pm   |  Permalink   |  0 Comments  |  Email
Wednesday, July 07 2010

General Problem Discussion

It is time to wade in on the issues that are now in our face on a daily basis. Border States are being overwhelmed by the influx of People, Drugs, Guns, and criminal activities of all kinds. The economic, political and social conditions that enable and encourage this behavior are very visible and very ignored. The issue of employment for citizens of this country, the issues of benefits for those who are not citizens, the issues of taxes, the issues of crime, human trafficking, drugs, and the breakdown of social structures are all visible and are visibly not being addressed with any effectiveness.

The Federal Government's interim solution is a military one. Arizona's solution is both a form of martial law and to pretend the Constitution is not being ignored or even torn to shreds. Congress is not even close to a sensible and fair immigration reform bill. Everyone is polarized on these issues and there is a great deal of noise and emotion with very little clear thinking. This of course will become a tool of the 2010 elections. Will a solution arise before then? I do not have a lot of confidence in that happening based on prior behavior.. I could be wrong.

Some Initial Thoughts on the subject

The battle of opinion on employment, unemployment benefits, illegal aliens, illegal immigrants, undocumented workers, criminal activities, deportation, amnesty, citizens rights, voting, drivers licences, welfare, infrastructure costs, prison jail population (costs to the tax payer), release of criminals (illegal aliens) back into society and a few others goes on and on across the country within families, towns, cities and states.

I would not be surprised if a divorce or two did not occur because of such polarization.

Attempting to discuss any portion of this greater problem facing us brings with it uninformed and not well thought out opinions, emotions filled with judgements and labels that do not contribute to a solution, and the fears and angers of people throughout the country who rely on our leaders to manage such mayhem and confusion without taking away the constitution that is supposed to protect us all.

But first let me get my terminology established, meaning what do I mean when I use certain terms.

Immigrant: A person who has applied for and received a permit for temporarily working in or visiting the United States.

Illegal immigrant: a person who has overstayed the permit period without applying for an extension (without permission).

Undocumented Worker: A person who has come into this country to work and has done so without following the immigration rules.

Illegal alien: Any person who resides in the United States who does not have an authorized visa, work permit or legal permission to be here.

Amnesty: Allowing illegal aliens who do not have criminal records and who work in this country a path to legalized presence and even a path to citizenship (following our existing policies on becoming a citizen).

Deportation: Removing illegal aliens from US soil and sending them back to their home of origin.

Some Logistical Considerations

Finding 10, 11, 12 million illegal aliens and deporting them is an enormous and expensive effort. As of 2004 approximately 17% of our prison population consisted of illegal aliens.

The military solution to our southern border is very expensive and has so far has not stemmed the influx of people across it.

The removal of all undocumented workers would seriously impact all of the businesses and people that employ them.

Any solution would have to consider the expense that finding, documenting, and deciding the fate of 10,11,12 million people would create.

A military solution at our borders would still be necessary until everything was in place and working effectively.

All businesses that employed immigrant and illegal alien labor would have to be monitored, potentially fined, or shut down if they did not comply with the new employment policies.

The problems in other countries that are the driving force behind this illegal alien mass migration would still exist. Terrorist activity and the threat they create would not go away.

We would need a way to handle existing criminals in our jails and a deportation policy when they served their sentences.

The criminals on both sides of the border would not change their intent, just their methods.

There are more but we are getting into the basic issues that are separate from the plain logistics of just how, even a good plan, is implemented.

Some Basic Tools and Policies that should be considered

Right now, across the country, people who are not citizens of this country are driving, voting and receiving social and medical benefits that even some citizens do not have. There is a real burden on our citizens to pay for all of the services that illegal aliens receive.

The rights of our citizens that are derived from the constitution are beginning to erode under the pressure of the illegal alien population and the high resistance against it.

Those illegal aliens who commit crimes fill our jails - 2004 approximately 17% are illegal alien. Approximately 10 Billion per year is the net cost.

Administration and enforcement of prior laws and policies would need to be revisited and either abolished or superseded.

Identification of a citizen vs non citizen would be a requirement to track and monitor the valid immigrant population and limit the ability to forge documents, get drivers licenses and voter registration.

The "born in the US you are automatically a citizen clause" would require careful thought if change was called for.

Tools and technology would be required to implement any serious change to the immigration policies and practices of the US. Identification, data bases, monitoring, enforcement.

Lets talk about real immigration reform

The Basic Concerns

Big Brother: People are very concerned about the Government being able to track them and have available personal information at any time. Mostly this is fear of power and its misuse. So the debates over a National Id card center around this concern. To be more direct no one wants to have to show their "papers" to the police or any other entity unless they want to. Some say the technology is not available to protect against forgeries, identity theft, and safe implementation of a National Id Card.

The other issues associated with such a card are duplication. Would we still need a birth certificate, a passport, a social security card, a drivers license, a military id. And if we did not what would happen to us if our card was stolen or lost. How could we prove who we were, how easy or difficult would it be to rapidly correct such a situation. What technology needs to be in place before such a card is issued.

And what function or functions does the card perform (what can it be used for?)

Employers: Everyone knows that this entire dilemma exists for two fundamental reasons. The opportunity in the US is far greater that the opportunity in other countries. Employers in the US hired foreign labor to keep their costs down and their profits up. So they did not care to screen the legitimacy of those they hired. This created the demand, economic failures outside our borders created the supply.

Farm workers, the entire residential construction labor force, the entire service industry (Home and Business services (cleaning, landscaping, painting, restaurants). These and a few others have over the years replaced the resident work force with the foreign work force. Maybe not completely but enough to move the work from both a skill point of view and an income point of view to those who would work for less.

Any immigration reform would have to target the employers. They would have to be able to easily identify those who were legal to work and those who were not. It would also be necessary to have a legal means (stiff fines, removal of permits) to address employer violations of the immigration reform program.

Each employer would also have to be able to easily update the labor data base with the identity of the employee and their status (citizen, registered non-citizen).

As you can readily imagine a National data base is called for, along with easy access (Credit Card usage is an example).

The Borders: Big walls, long fences, lots of soldiers, border police, Dea agents, Customs Officials, Homeland Security, Local (state and city police) have yet to stem the tide. Billions directed at a moving target. And not effective without the removal of the supply and demand side of the equation (employers, employees).

Official access points are crowded and long stretches of real estate are difficult to patrol night and day.

The border is not just for people desperate for work but for drugs, arms and human trafficking. Sometimes all three objectives are combined into one.

The drug problem will not go away because of the same supply and demand problem. They have the supply, we have the demand.

All of this makes the military option necessary until the supply and demand problem is resolved.

The Existing Population of Illegal Aliens: How do you find 10+ million people who are trying to be invisible or at least live under the radar. What do you do with them if you find them. Many illegal aliens are living with legals. Many have families on both sides of the border. Many have children that were born in the US.

The choices are not simple. They are imbedded in our economy, our schools, our workplace, our cities and towns. The disruption to our society at all levels would be huge if we gathered everyone up and deported them. The Hispanic political voice is becoming more powerful. The devastation to the children (the innocent in this case) would be traumatic when family after family was broken up during the deportation phase.

Immigration Reform - A Beginning

There can be order in chaos. But what is the order of the activities that begin and then complete the process of Immigration Reform.

A) Establish the technological base that will permit all else to follow: Card creation, Data Base, Networking, Administration, Functionality

B) Create a pilot program - 1,000 people

* Identify, educate, test the technology (Card, Data Base, Communication, Networking, Administration, Functionality)

* Employer - Employee interaction

* Lost or stolen Cards and their replacement

* Experiment with the functionality of the card.

* Create Identity Theft scenarios

* Create Criminal Usage scenarios

* Integrate the card with existing processes ( Voter Registration, Driver's License, Passport, Birth Certificate, Social Security, Visa, Green Card)

* Close the pilot program - present results to Congress

C) Create a safe period (1 year) during which all must register with no penalty.

D) Issue Cards and adapted processing devices (example cc). Integrate with Border Security and Customs processses.

E) Implement failure to register deportation and criminal processing phase.

Federal, State, and Local Goverment authority, responsibility and accountability

Posted by: RB Carpenter AT 03:20 pm   |  Permalink   |  0 Comments  |  Email
Thursday, February 25 2010

Is it possible that all we have to do is vote out office every incumbent, regardless of party until they got the message. Read the following and decide.  The choice to act is in our hands.....

EVERY CITIZEN NEEDS TO READ THIS AND THINK ABOUT WHAT THIS JOURNALIST HAS  SCRIPTED IN THIS MESSAGE.  READ IT  AND THEN REALLY THINK ABOUT  OUR CURRENT POLITICAL DEBACLE.
Charley Reese has been a journalist for 49 years.
 

545  PEOPLE
By Charlie Reese
Politicians are the only people in the world  who create problems and then campaign against them.
Have you ever  wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?
Have you ever wondered, if  all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have  inflation and high taxes?
You and I don't propose a federal budget.  The president does.
You and I don't have the  Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of  Representatives does.
You and I don't write the tax code, Congress  does.
You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.
You  and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve  Bank does.
One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one  president, and nine Supreme Court justices equates to 545 human  beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally,  and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague  this country.
I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve  Board because that problem was created by the  Congress.   In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty  to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central  bank.
I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a  sound reason.. They have no legal authority. They have no  ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a president to do one  cotton-picking thing.   I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash.  The  politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what  the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility  to determine  how he votes.
Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.
What  separates a politician from a normal human being is an  excessive amount of gall.  No normal  human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating  deficits.  The president can only propose a budget.  He cannot force the Congress to accept  it.
The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House?  Nancy Pelosi. She is  the leader of the majority party. She and  fellow House members, not the president, can approve any budget they want.  If the president vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.
It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million can not replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts -- of  incompetence and irresponsibility.   I can't think of a single domestic problem  that is not traceable directly to those 545 people.  When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.
If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.
If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red ..
If the Army & Marines are in  IRAQ , it's because they want them in IRAQ
If they do not  receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.
There are no insoluble government problems.
Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can  take this power. Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like "the  economy," "inflation," or "politics" that prevent them from doing  what they take an oath to do.
Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.
They, and they alone, have the power.
They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses.
Provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees.
Don't let anymore smoke get blown up your butt.

Posted by: RBC AT 08:09 pm   |  Permalink   |  0 Comments  |  Email
Monday, November 16 2009

Introduction

Comments on the content of this Web Site have come from several sources.  The most interesting came from my Oldest son and my middle son.  Each asked me several pointed questions and those questions are the point of this blog entry.

Without quoting them directly some of their observations can be generalized for they point to a real dilemma for all those wanting change, wanting their level of awareness to deepen, and wanting to see a real change in behavior.  If, and I say if with due respect for all those who are actively engaged in making a difference, if this web site is to grow and evolve and itself help change our frames of reference then I must change with it.

In essence the feedback was "sometimes I get it, most times you lose me".  And, If we all achieve this level of consciousness, if we all "get it", what will be different in the real world.  How has your shift in perspective made any difference at all in your world and if I may say so, in our world.

Now they were kinder than the tone of that last question implies.  But the real question lies unanswered.  How do we live our lives differently and what changes, really what changes?

Hopefully ideas and explanations that Bridge the Gap

First there is a lot right with the world.  Many, many people all over the globe have contributed to our ability to expand our awareness and our level of consciousness.  This Web site is saying that hope abounds and as a species we are slowly coming together.  Through the technology of information exchange, through the sciences of exploration into what makes us what we are, to cosmology, Planetary ecology, to all those areas of research and endeavor, all of it contributes to an incremental change in how we view ourselves in relation to each other, to our relationship with our home world (and all life on it), and to the Cosmos, and yes even to our relationship with our God or as some would say it, our relationship to the creative and evolving source of all that is and all that will ever be.

It was mentioned by a member of a group I participate in every Tuesday that we should tend to our own growth, not impose our ideas and experiences on others, and be patient. So, with these inputs what do I believe is our best path forward? 

I hope that it has not come across to anyone who wanders through this Web Site  that I ever wish or think we should all experience life the same way.  Nor do I want to give the impression that this is the only path to follow.  However I do believe that our relationships on this planet that we call home can and should mature to a deeper awareness of the depth of life and life energies all around us.  While so many already feel this depth of life I believe it is important for us all to experience on a daily basis this connection not only of these life energies but the interconnectedness of our entire world.

Not in any of my readings have I come across, in any way, a dogmatic approach to achieving this idea of awareness, the observer and the intense presence of being in the moment.  There are so many ways to develop this frame of reference that it matters not how we got there.  But what is where?  Is it a destination, a journey, or just a kind and compassionate way to view ourselves and all other relationships that are part of our lives?

The simple answer is we are not here to tell you what to experience, nor how to interpret each experience.  However, from all those who have influenced what I understand about  life and living, I have come to a few realizations about our progress as a species.  Is the glass half empty or half full?  This is a judgement that leads us to believe a person has a perspective on life that is either/or, positive and hopeful or negative and worrisome. When in truth this frame of reference is both and neither.  For what I am experiencing at this moment is a glass that is half full.  It is missing the other half.  My opinion on the value of the half a glass of water does nothing to change the reality that the glass is not full.

What we are getting to is that to deal with all of the issues that affect us, globally or in our personal lives, is it better to respond to the experience as it is or as we wish to be or not to be?  A judgement on our experiences does not change what is transpiring at this moment.  This judging and labeling thing we do tells us that this is bad for us, good for us, or it doesn't really matter. The truth is, in an unaware state (some say unconscious state), our judgements are a reflection of something in our past or our projections into the future.  These in turn bring into our consciousness feelings about what we are experiencing.  This is sometimes positive and many times negative depending on what emotional pictures or what stories we have created for ourselves and our self image.  What is not good about this behavior is that our past or our fears for the future dominate the conversation in our heads.  We can no longer respond to the moment as it is.

By the way it is absolutely ok to remember everything in our past. It is ok to project into the future.  There are no restricitons on what you feel or what you remember. The only point here is that many of us get trapped by our experiences in our past as they dominate and control how we respond to this moment in time.  This moment is unique.  All of our feelings are ours to reexperience any time we want to.  Yet when they severely influence what is happening right now. When they color, actually cloud, our experience so that we respond based on our prior pain, anger, insecurity, etc. and not what is really going on at this moment, this almost always results in great drama, which is many times distructive to our relationships and to ourselves.

Our goal in this web site is to promote the idea that we are free, creative, and responsive to the moment, as it is, if our mind is not cluttered and dominated with our past or fears of what might happen to us or others in the future.  

 Many people I have spoken to about this change, that I and others believe is critical to our future survival, have brought up the idea that to attempt to influence others with our experiences of life is the equivalent of moving everyone  into the same mold.  They believe that everyone experiences life differently and to direct traffic in this area is the wrong thing to do.

I do believe the TAO lesson that says we all, regardless who and what we are, have the automony and wisdom to respond to life in our own way.  Even in raising children this autonomy should be recognized, but guided for safety reasons. The least interference is better for us all if we are to grow both emotionally and spiritually. So I hope nothing in this Web Sites trys to force us all into the same sandbox of thought, behavior or spirit.

But, and this is a big but, we all experience great drama in our lives that is painful but avoidable.  Our leaders make decisions that are not in our best interest, as citizens of this country, our children yet to be born, and all the citizens that reside on Planet Earth. Wars are fought for all the wrong reasons, entire families are seriously dysfunctional, and self serving people at all levels of society believe that becoming top dog, no matter what the cost, is the right thing to do.  As we have said before self preservation and the defence of our self images (our Ego) has caused more grief than all of the disasters in the world combined.

What we are trying to convey here is that much of our pain is avoidable.  Dealing with the reality of our lives can be exciting and enjoyable, our relationships can be fillled with love and trust, and the violence in the world can diminish a great deal.

How conscious we are of the moment and this moments experience, unclouded by our past or fear, will and does determine how this moment will turn out.  Will it be filled with pain or suffering, misinterpretations, anger or remorse?  Or, will each relationshp be filled with caring, compassion, joy and love.  By experiencing this moment as it is we spend less time arguing with ourselves over injuries to our ego, less time in denial over addictions, lies, and the breaking of our trust.  We see the person behind the mask, accept what is, and give our unconditional support if needed and warranted.  We are not superior, we are not in control of other people's growth, we are only in charge of our behavior and peace of mind.  We lend support when called for, we defend ourselves against real violence, and we care about the impact of our decisions.

Wholeness is a good thing.  Caring about how our behavior impacts others is a good thing.  Considering the impact our decisions will have both present and future is a good thing.  All of these and much more can be a reality in all of our lives if we but anchor ourselves in the moment and let the past be a reference point not a dominator of our current feelings or behavior.

One might ask if this is so easy why are we in the mess we are in throughout the world?  Because it is not easy or difficult, it is a complete change in our view of what we are, who we are and where we fit into the greater scheme of things.  There are no rules, no dogmas, no boundaries.  There is only a powerful change in perspective, all else flows from this one shift in consciousness. 

Posted by: rb carpenter AT 09:57 am   |  Permalink   |  0 Comments  |  Email
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
Saturday, September 05 2009

The Internet

I, like so many others, am using the Internet to publish ideas and concepts that I believe have the power to invoke real change.  To me, and I love high energy discussions, we are all looking for solutions.  So the Internet is the chosen vehicle to permit contrasting and often opposing ideas and beliefs to exist side by side.

That's the good news.  The distressing news is that so many are using this same vehicle to propagate half truths, inuendo, falsehoods, over generalized labels and personal judgements.  Noise has replaced substance at town hall meetings, in emails, on the tube, and throughout the media in general.  When the noise level rises so high that real solutions cannot be heard or discussed, "we the people" are missing the mark. 

Our Fore Fathers initiated an experiment in governance.  But they were not ignorant of the forces that could seriously disrupt that experiment.  Checks and Balances were put in place to tie the hands of mischief and protect this Democracy from those who would try to accumulate more power than is warranted by the situation.  At the same time the voice of the people could be heard through those who would represent the people.  Thus two great bodies could openly discuss affairs of state and let their wisdom bring solutions to the people.

Our Fore Fathers also were very well aware that Mob Rule would unbalance everything and bring the fledgling democracy to its knees.

What we are observing today are attempts to establish just enough noise and disruption to take on the appearance of Mob Rule.  The pursuit of real solutions for real problems is still going on but the public discourse is so noisy that no one really knows what problem we are trying to solve.  It is so disruptive and noisy we are being shut off from both the possible solutions and the potential issues those solution are bound to create.....  More to come......  So lets discuss a couple of the more difficult issues facing us.

Health Care

Camp one on Health Care has nothing to do with Health Care.  Government should be as little involved in the Private Sector as possible.  Let private Enterprise provide the solutions.  We do not need more government, we need less.

Camp Two on Health Care, it is broken.  Way too many people are not covered by insurance and even those that are, are often at risk.  I cannot transfer my insurance from workplace to workplace,  If I have had  a prior Health issue I will not be covered under a new policy.  My Health Insurance can be terminated.  Catastrophic problems such as organ transplant, long term care, terminal illness and others may not be covered.  For full coverage, it is very expensive, for partial coverage you are at risk. 

Camp Three recognizes Government is involved in Health Care (medicare and public hospitals), that Costs are rising, that there are different costs for the same procedure, that Health Care as a Profit Center has many, many issues, the least of which is inefficiency , redundancies, and business priorities vs peoples health priorities.

This is where Capitalism breaks down.  On the one side the profit motive brings entrepreneurship and all of the money and creativity with it.  On the other side profit centers when applied to quality of life in the Health Sector have conflicting aims.  We all want to continue living, but we cannot do that without the dedication, creativity and talent of all those in the Health care profession.  How is risk, reward, and our individual lives to be balanced?

In the ongoing debate between Capitalism and Government, our recent Economic Crisis is a perfect example of the failure of Financial Leaders and our Government to protect us from the excesses of Private Enterprise.  Not to belabor an already worn out example, the stupid risks capitalism took brought our economy and our financial world to its knees. Both the SEC and other entities had the information but did nothing.  After the fact the Government came in and rescued them without conditions (like you only get a small payment for your services until you pay back the government loan!).  Did we reach any conclusions about accountability, did the executives of failed Companies or Hedge Funds get paid from the public coffers?  Were bonuses paid for incompetence or at the least serious miscalculation?  We are all now paying, some dearly, for some peoples  excesses and the often inept way the government intervened.

But, that said, I do not see the private sector assuming full responsibility for our Health Care problems. We are still in the same mess we have been in for years.  So what is to be done?  The issue is not Pure Capitalism vs Socialism.  The Issue is Checks and Balances.  Mischief, Mistakes and Mismanagement are part of the process.  Oversight, properly administered, helps catch the three M's before disaster strikes.

Without direct management intervention "Government run Universal Health Care" many things could be corrected, only a few would raise the ire of extreme conservatives.

The Hospital, though it is a defined Profit Center, has some serious problems to overcome.  Solving only one part of the problem does not correct the brokeness of the overall system.  Free Emergency service must be balanced by other parts of the System.  Medicare limits what it will pay for services.  Therefore all Services have tiered pricing.  Meaning some people/ Insurance Companies pay differently for the same Service.  The threat of an individual, family, or other entity suing over negligence or mistakes carries two problems with it.  The cost of protection (Insurance) is very high.  Running all conceivable tests to prove everything was done properly is another.  Of course the paperwork is enormous.   

Equipment to diagnose our health problems is expensive.  The skill and resources to repair a shattered and broken leg did not materialize out of thin air.  Drugs that save our lives and allow us to continue sometimes add up to enormous amounts of money and time to finally arrive at our doorstep. So none of this is cheap, most of it is expensive. 

Step number one is to remove the redundancy by establishing a networked Data Base.  All patients have an account number with specific retrievable data.  Doctor and Hospital, time and date, Insurance Carrier, and indexed patient data. A National registry of Doctors, Securitized patient records (xrays, MRI's, Date and time of other specific data).  Since Hospitals, clinics and Doctor's offices are profit centers, they all have their own billing mechanism, but, they must record under the patient's account number a billing entry.

In todays world not all Doctors have Hospital privileges.  In todays world you cannot call a Doctor's Office and talk to a Doctor.  Many, many Doctors will not take in new patients that are under Medicare.  The concept of Primary Care Physician is incorrect and outdated.  Tiered pricing is incorrect and unfair to many. Physicians that will accept Medicare are disappearing fast and those that do are experiencing overload. Sharing networked Patient Data, meaning a data base has your records, is not happening anywhere near enough times.   Specialization makes it difficult to treat patients with more than one problem.  Crowding means you may wait an hour or more past your appointment time to see the Doctor.  Many Offices are so crowded it is an all day deal to get treated.  Because of the multi level pricing game (same procedure 5 different pricing levels), because there is no accountability for services rendered, because a Hospital visit is shrouded in mystery and complicated by undefined services (consulted with patient, reviewed chart, ordered blood tests....285.00)...(blood work.....315.00), Exit evaluation...265.00)   You get the idea, specifics, accountability, accurate billing for specific services rendered are not there. 

The Insurance Companies and the Medical Profession could solve this problem.  They could step up to the plate and devise a system of accountability and billing along with an integrated digital data base.  Because they have not we now have the government stepping in.  Everyone who has ever dealt with any of the service providers in the health Industry know about these problems.  A strong system wide solution can be designed and implemented.  Our survival as individuals means part of that survival is predicated on adequate Health services that do not break the individual every time something really bad happens.  It also means a Government run system is not the best system but because private enterprise will not step in and help us out, we have no choice but to create a government sponsored universal health care system.  

Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Terrorism, Oil.

To kill or be killed, is that the question? 

Everything in this Web Site is against this premise. But, that does not alter the current situation where innocent women, children and men are being sacrificed to a greater cause.  It no longer matters who lives or dies, who is injured or left alone on the side of the road with no parents, who has to navigate the rest of their life injured emotionally, psychologically, physically.  It no longer matters how much hate is stirred up, or how much anger is generated over the death and destruction.

Whether the US accidentally or with calculated disinterest kills a dozen innocent people.  Whether 10 or 20 children die in a blown up bus. Whether soldiers give their lives for a cause the end result is really quite simple.  Leaders (and I sometimes use that word loosely) choose war and more war to solve problems and most of us are cannon fodder, expendable, useful, pawns. 

Hey I have an idea, lets all acknowledge, really admit, that two things are absolutely true.  Some resources are limited and our cultures and economies that depend on those resources are in danger.  If we did that what could come out of such an admission.

We could kill everyone that was weaker and had those resources until we were the only ones left standing.  It would be like 5 guys in the middle of the desert with only 5 quarts of water left.  One could kill all of the others and last five times as long, and then die anyway.  However that person would have the satisfaction that they were the stronger and more powerful one of the group, until they too dried up and blew away.

That is exactly what is going on this very minute.  We are not fighting for our Species survival, we are squabbling over who gets the last known peanut butter sandwich in the known Universe.  This is not only ludicrous, it is insanity at its finest level.  I know it does no good to scold those who cannot see past this idiotic behavior but it helps me wade through the horror we as a species are inflicting on each other day in and day out. 

We need serious people to help solve serious problems.  And you, unnamed people, have had your last 15 minutes of ranting, raving and killing in the name of God, Oil, or Democracy.

I know very seriously how presumptuous it is of me to recommend any alternatives to our current approach to the worlds problems.  It is very complex and it boggles the mind how many problems and different people, cultures and religions are in the witches cauldron.  However, I have noticed that the best ideas for resolving any dispute comes from someone who is not embittered or embroiled in the conflict.

 What I am going to propose will take courage, a great deal of courage. I call upon all to weigh carefully these alternatives.  I call upon all to search deep in their hearts for the wisdom and strength to implement them.

So, let us begin.........

A Changing and Dangerous World

The Dali Lama and all who are with him cannot change the reality of China systematically destroying Tibetan culture, heritage, traditions and people.  The world knows this is injustice and does nothing.  Genocide in Africa and other parts of the world has not been dealt with.  Dictatorships crush human rights around the Globe.  Children die from malnutrition, correctible illness, war. Thousands per day.  Lawlessness, terrorism, violence expands across  the Earth in waves.  War is appearing all over the Globe with more and more justification for more and more war. 

Aquifers (underground lakes of clean water) are systematically being poisoned and drained off.  Genetically modified Seeds are systematically threatening the variety and integrity of the grains that feed the world.  The soil is being blown and washed away, poisoned, and being made sterile by over producing and agricultural mismanagement.  We are introducing and have introduced so many chemicals into our food chain that it is almost impossible to avoid the disastrous health effects.  Heavy metals, arsenic, plastics, mercury,  toxins, pesticides.  We are losing species by species at an alarming rate (the genetic pool of diversity is disappearing).  Over population is looming on the horizon.  Crisis after crisis will dominate our attention for the coming decades.

Have I even made you a tiny bit nervous yet?  There is more, much more.  The world our children's children will face should make every parent cringe and want to do something to stop these disasters from coming into existence.  Is this even possible?

Yes, it is.  But some things have to change.  First it is we as individuals.  Although groups (sometimes in the millions) do form to evoke change it is just a different story with the same dysfunctional agenda.  We are not asking for enlightenment here, we are not demanding that everyone adopt spiritual mantles, don robes, or accept new ritualistic patterns.

We are asking that a new level of daily consciousness become a part of all of our lives. From this many things can emerge.

Healthier individuals, healthier families, healthier societies.  Individual anger diminishes and we question more the reasons for war.  Is killing the only way to gain control over the last drop of oil?  Or, can we find a way to manage our resources so that all can participate while innovation and creativity help us develop alternatives and new ways of living.

WAR

Withdraw from the field of battle.  Gather and train ambassadors in the history, religion, culture and politics of the Nations we are trying to deal with.  Everyone is afraid of what will happen if we leave Afghanistan.  We are now the interlopers, we are no longer looked upon as helping the situation, we are becoming not only the enemy but the bringers of chaos and harm.  Offer aid and assistance, but leave.  For Iran, do not try to overthrow the ruling leadership, but strengthen the United Nations to bring sanctions against those who would threaten the safety of the citizens of other countries.

Heroin brings money to the farmers, the drug lords and the Taliban.  Figure out an alternative.  India and Pakistan are at each other again, The governing of Pakistan, Afghanistan , Iran and all other countries should be left to the people of that country.  If we had a United Nations that was effective, all the world could bring their power to stop atrocities and suppression of human rights.  Sanctions from all Nations would be a powerful deterrent to all saber rattling and abusive governments.  There is much that could be done. 

Posted by: Dick Carpenter AT 10:58 am   |  Permalink   |  0 Comments  |  Email

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