A Temple Most Beautiful

Any man, with his assets, can build a temple of stone. But he must rely on Earth's bounty to generate those assets and must mine the Earth for the gold which adorns it.

My temple is that which man and his money can never produce. It is more special than anything ever conceived by man. It's beauty is unsurpassed. Every temple on Earth pales in comparison and is completely moot and without ceremony.

There is no beauty in gold plating, save that artificially given it by man. But look around you. Look at the sky and the stars, the oceans and rivers, the canyons and mountains. Appreciate each breath you take on this planet and revere all of creation with awe. Marvel in it's amazing beauty and the knowledge we are all made of the same stuff. We are all one miraculous organism, sharing this mysterious life together. 

So many mysteries still wait for man to discover about our brilliant planet and the universe we inhabit. This mission of discovery is the ultimate spiritual journey. It brings to tears to ponder it. So brilliantly amazing! Best of all, I need only to step outside to experience it.

What I'm Thankful For I can't Say Out Loud

Every Thanksgiving people have this annoying habit of saying some stupid thing they are thankful for. I am thankful for many things, most of which are the little things I experience day to day. Many of the things which bring me the most joy I can't publicly announce at the dinner table.

I am thankful I'm not you. If I were you, I would not be me, and I like me--perhaps even more than I like you.

I'm thankful I'm not fat. I think it's natural, but there's no way to know for sure. I suppose I could I follow you around and eat whatever you do and see what happens. But even if you're thin, that amount of food couldn't possibly be good for a creature less than 5 feet tall.

I'm grateful my son can get married without crossing our northern border. If you don't know what I'm talking about, I won't explain it. If you do, you'll get why I can't bring this up with the religious half of the family.

I'm thankful I am not a Black Friday shopper. Shopping Black Friday is neither pleasurable nor smart. I can find much better deals online the rest of the year. Why make myself look and feel like an idiot for nothing? If I need a big screen that badly, I really need to get a life.

The thing which brings me the most gratefulness of all: I was able to see through the myths the religious hold dear. I am completely free. Free to think. Free to live life to the fullest. I don't want to waste the only life I have serving a myth and obeying made up rituals which do nothing that can't be accomplished using basic psychology.

Liberation from religion is extremely underrated in our society. When my thoughts were captive to religion, my deeper self was hidden--or at least restrained. I am now smarter and happier. I behold the universe, and see that it is good. I marvel at my existence. I respect every individual equally, sensing we are all connected as a singular organism. My neighbors who are starving don't need a free Bible they are too weary to read. They need food, shelter, health care, and above all, love and respect.

I'm thankful weed is legal. It shouldn't be illegal to grow any plant which nature created. If it were discovered ferns can make you high, should you start re-landscaping? This unnecessary war on weed has not served our country (or any other) well. Also, I really, really enjoy vaping it in my Pax.

Finally, I am thankful for the Internet. The world is more educated than ever before and it's a great place to blog my thoughts when I cannot otherwise speak.

The Cult of 9/11

On the 10th anniversary of 9/11, I'm going to do the very thing I've been complaining about others doing. I'm going to talk about it. But if you are sensitive about that day, please do not read on. You won't like what I have to say.

I've recovered. Well over nine years ago. I was saddened as I watched it unfold from the comfort of my home in Seattle. Yet, I knew it was nothing compared to what other nations have endured. In the eyes of history, it's a rather small event. I'm not a New Yorker. I don't know anyone who was affected. Nor have I ever met anyone who knew anyone. With that perspective, I got over it. Fast.

I find all the repetitious coverage across the media to be quite tiresome. Rather than be forced to relive the pictures and hear the same old stories, I'm reflecting on the last ten years of our nation's history and the post 9/11 world in which we now live. The event has changed our nation and the world. And it's not a good thing.

In the last ten years, four thousand of our young men, barely out of high school, left home to "defend our freedom" only to return in a wooden box. Our troops who returned alive will never be the same, having hardened themselves to bear the shedding of blood. I watched as two million innocent men, women and children died in the "war on terror". Many of these were in Iraq, a country which had no terrorists before we got there. I want to ask you, were the 3,000 lives that were lost that day worth the killing of over 2 million people?

After the tragedy, most Americans were afraid to fly. I've never known fear and immediately after 9/11 I'd have sat next to the guy in Muslim garb on a jet. Why would I be afraid to fly when I'm many thousands times more likely to die in a car or any number of medical conditions. The odds of another terror attack, both before and after 9/11, are so negligible that our response has been absolutely ridiculous. The last 10 years have seen the erosion of many freedoms in the name of security. We now have a Transportation Safety Board who makes old people remove their diapers. Parents allow their young children to groped in the name of security. We have body scanners which show every curve of your sexy (or not so sexy) ass. If you have a bandage under your bra, they're likely to fondle your breasts.

Air travelers have been burdened by watch lists which included anybody even remotely connected with someone they didn't know they knew. My own brother was yellow tagged by virtue of his name. He was a frequent business traveler and was hassled every time he boarded a plane. The would detain him, examine him and see a much shorter man not matching any of their description and let him go on his way. Despite all the false alarms, it took him several years to get his name removed.

And then there's the Patriot Act, which has destroyed much of the privacy and liberty we treasure as Americans. The list of laws and Executive Orders which have eroded our freedom is exhaustive, and include the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007, Sections 1615 and 1622 of the 2008 Defense Authorization Act, Protect America Act of 2007, Revising the 1807 Insurrection Act and Ending 1878 Posse Comitatus Protection, and The Homeland Security Act, just to mention a few.

Despite the erosion of our Constitutional freedoms, none of these measures have led us to a single terrorist. Every serious threat to our security has been uncovered with standard CIA procedures. The TSA's security procedures have exposed only few low-tech lone wolfs, so it's a bit difficult to justify the abuse of travelers and the heavy restrictions placed upon us.

Loss of freedom aside, that day has changed us. And by us, I mean you. You who will "never forget". I'm bludgeoned 24/7 with your sentiments on social networks.  I'm assaulted by the media's never ending coverage and rehashing of the same stories over and over an over again. I change the channel. I change the radio station. I try another site for news. But it's everywhere! I can't escape it. There's no where to run. And it's not just on 9/11. It's been weeks of virtual non-stop rape of my brain. Yes, I said "rape". Don't you realize that once you've healed, reliving all those videos and stories ad nauseum is akin to torture?

Our country has taken on a cult mentality surrounding 9/11. You have not recovered, so I'm not allowed to move on. I am not allowed to seek respite from all the hype. There is no way to escape it save going on safari in Africa. I am forced to endure it. Forced to relive it. And forced to keep my mouth shut or face backlash. Those of us who have gotten over it are damned by the masses. I'm branded as heartless because I got over it. If being emotionally strong is a heartless state, I'll take that label gladly. Whatever you choose to call me, I refuse to give myself over to a state of perpetual mourning and fear. Don't you know that if you "never forget" you will never recover? You'll continue to live in fear. You'll continue to gladly offer yourelf to be groped by the TSA under the illusion that it makes you safer.

Some people take longer to heal. I get that. But should I be forced to mourn with you? Your mourning should be kept private, not cheapened by hype. You should allow those of us who have recovered to move on with dignity.

Election Day, Filipino Style

On October 25, 2010, local elections were held in the Philippines. I had the privilege of witnessing it first hand in remote province of Agusan del Sur on the island of Mindanao.

Elections are a big deal in the Philippines. I would guess nearly 100% of Filipinos turn up at the polls. Here, election season can also turn violent. During the period leading up to an election, my bags were routinely checked before entering a tiny shop. My hosts also insisted on escorting everywhere, even just to walk down the humble road near the home. Among my hosts was Amelito Cadao who is a Counselor of the Pisaan Baranguay (a local voting district in the Philippines) in San Francisco and was running for re-election. To illustrate the danger present even in this seemingly peaceful place, he told me that as long as I am in his baranguay, he could have armed men at my defense. If I left the baranguay, he could do nothing.

Agusan del Sur, Mindanao, Philippines

A few pics I snapped on my visit to San Francisco, in Agusan del Sur, Philippines. It was a wonderful place, with beautiful people. I couldn't help but shed a few tears as I boarded the bus that would take me to Butuan for the flight back to Manila. I have so many memories of this place and much to share in the weeks to come.

Nanai's kitchen, where my meals were prepared for me.

The Changing Landscape of Social Networking & the Future of the Internet

I use Google Reader to subscribe to various news, blogs and podcasts. I also subscribe to many of the same sources via Facebook and Twitter. These days, I've noticed I spend more time on Facebook and less on Google Reader. Facebook puts my social, political and other interests all in one place. Social networking is no longer purely a social experience. The lines between the social, the personal and the private are becoming blurred.

Economy: Singapore vs. US

Just a quick commentary. I arrived in my second home of Singapore roughly 3 weeks ago. Since then, I have been working non-stop--literally 12-16 hours a day--on a software development project with an overly ambitious deadline. Therefore, you must excuse the simplicity of this post. It is late, and I'm lucky to have a thought in my head.

En route to Singapore, I had a stopover in Japan. My first observation was the obvious: the yen had strengthened quite a lot against the mighty US dollar. My overall experience in Japan has confirmed the value of a production-based economy.

If This Were Your Universe . . .

Suppose you were a wealthy and powerful parent. How would the world perceive you if these facts were discovered:

On the day they are born, you tell them they are already a bad person.

Some of your children are poor or happened to be born in a dark corner of the room, so you allow them to go without health care and suffer horrible diseases.
 

The diseases they suffer from were of your own invention.
 

You decide to create chaos to "test" them, and send an earthquake to destroy their home.
 

One of your daughters and son in law move away, become rich and happy while failing to adore you, so you destroy their entire city with a volcanic eruption.
 

You tell you favorite children to make war with your least favorite children.

The debt you don't know you have

You don't need to buy a home or a car to be in debt. You can be indebted without a loan or a credit card. Listen up!

Rent is debt if you sign a lease. Most landlords require you sign a six to twelve month lease.

Most people buy a cellphone through the service provider and sign a two year contract. That is debt. (That's why I bought an unlocked GSM phone in Asia and use always prepaid service). BTW, it is impossible to buy an iPhone in US without a contract.

You can't set up a new Internet or television service in your home or flat without a contract. Period.

The US market is designed to force people into debt slavery by its system of service contracts. When you have a contract, you're obligated for that period of time even if your circumstances change. That's debt.

I strongly encourage anyone who reads this to think twice before signing the dotted line. Do you really need an iPhone so badly you'd enslave yourself to it? It is your master for the duration of the contract. You are enslaved for two years to pay for a phone that will be outdated before the contract expires.

Think about it.

Is Singapore Truly a Police State?

I keep hearing various comments from media outlets, blogs, etc. proclaiming Singapore to be a police state. Just this morning Thom Hartmann sated that as the reason for it's low crime rate. It's system of "fines" for such things as gum chewing, jaywalking, etc. is supposedly keeping its population in line. Having spent several months in Singapore, I've never felt restrained by its alleged police control. Nor do I think its legal system keeps Singaporeans in check. I have a much different theory about Singapore's low crime rate.

The Psychology of "Unfriending"

On Facebook there is a feature which allows users to remove people from their list of friends, dubbed by users as "unfriending". I wish Facebook would enhance this feature. Unfriending someone is childish and cowardly. It allows people to silently end a friendship without having to confront the offender (or victim, as the case may be). Such a tool is used primarily for petty and emotional purposes and rarely for logical reasons.

I consider myself quite fortunate. Despite my controversial nature, my list of friends has been steadily growing. There have been a few casualties on the way up, but I can count them on one hand. In no case was I unfriended by someone I had any emotional connections to (that I've noticed anyway). While I don't miss them, I can't help but wonder what the catalyst was. Such things are important to know. Why? When you run a business, and customers drop away, you try to identify the cause in order to improve your business. I regard social networking friendships, blog subscribers, etc. in the same fashion. My goal is to generate discussion on difficult topics, while not driving people away. It would be nice to identify the exact post or cause of such an extreme action.

Should Churches Host Easter Egg Hunts?

This topic came up in a recent Facebook post. My friend posted that she felt it appalling that churches would hold an Easter egg hunt. She and her husband felt the church should avoid anything whose origins were pagan. They reasoned that Satan uses these rituals, even today, to distract people from God and should not be practiced.

I am from an agnostic family, but frequently went to church with friends. I attended Assembly of God, Lutheran, Baptist, Methodist and Disciples of Christ Churches during my youth. Not one of them held such an attitude regarding Easter. In fact, I don't recalling knowing that any Christian's were opposed to these traditions.

It wasn't until I became older and moved to the south end that I began to encounter a new breed of Christian. I met believer's who were against Christmas Trees, the Easter Bunny, and even Harry Potter. Has Christianity become more extremist or has the south end always been this way? I really don't know, but I never agreed with such insanity. To me, this is the kind of thinking found more among extremist Islamic societies, not mainstream Christianity.

What could possibly be "Satanic" about Harry Potter? It quickly became obvious to me that this view was held ONLY by Christian's who had not actually read it. Obviously, this is a work of fiction--a fantasy. No one reading it would ever confuse it with reality. Why don't these Christian's also oppose the Wizard of Oz or The Chronicles of Narnia?

My favorite Halloween costume has always been a witch. I love witches, magic, and making the cackle. Note I am NOT a Wiccan, do not practice magic, and do not believe in magic. My love for ghost and witch stories has not turned me into a witch (which these particular Christian's would brand 'Satanic').

Much like Halloween, many of our Easter traditions stem from ancient pagan rituals. These rituals were practiced by the ancients who knew nothing of science. They developed complex myths to explain the world around them. These myths attempted to answer questions, such as, "Why is there death?", and, "Why didn't the crops grow?". In such a society, people make connections between events and prior actions. So, if a spouse cheats  and there's a thunderstorm afterward, the superstitious minds of the ancient people would perceive that as the wrath of a god or gods.

These societies would always be attempting to guess what the gods wanted from them to ensure their survival and happiness. Naturally, the ultimate deciders were those in authority. The practices which developed ensured the survival of the community by forging a common mindset among the people.

The ancient rituals have nothing to do with Satan, but are based on these myths. Just because these myths are disagreeable to our modern way of thinking doesn't mean that Satan inspired them. People are quite inventive on their own. This was a culture who didn't understand science and didn't have a supernatural being to guide them. These religions evolved over thousands of years as a way to explain what the ancient's didn't understand. They had no knowledge of science, so they were naturally superstitious and developed their 'theology' as a way to explain the universe. This is a well-known socio/psychological phenomenon.

This celebration preceded the resurrection of Christ. Christ did not resurrect on that day. Rather than abolish a celebration that was deeply rooted in the culture, the church decided to invade the holiday and take it over. They took old traditions and put a different spin on them. They "Christianized" them. The church redefined these symbols and rituals. Easter Sunday (or whatever you prefer to call it) NEVER had anything whatsoever to do with the resurrection.

Who cares what these rituals meant to the ancient societies? They are completely devoid of any superstition today. They have been "purified" by their association with Christ and, nowadays, secular fun. If people want to engage in innocent fun on Easter, it doesn't detract from Christ, since he has nothing whatsoever to do with in the first place. That being the case, there's no reason for hundreds of 'once a year' Christians to go to church that day.

If Santa Claus is Real, Why Not the Flying Spaghetti Monster?

A thought occurred to me tonight. Young children believe in Santa Claus. They really do! Why? Because Mommy and Daddy tell them he is real.

Why is this significant? It testifies to the malleability of a child's brain—their thoughts, attitudes and religion. Yes, religion.

A child's idea of religion comes from his/her parents. As with Santa Claus, a child will believe whatever their parents tell them is true. If you can convince a child that a fictional elf at the North Pole flies around the globe in a single night with a sleigh pulled by reindeer, then certainly you can convince them to worship the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

The National Debt , The Federal Reserve & the State of the Monetary System

I've had many conversations on Facebook about our government's spending and the indebtedness of Americans. The most common point people bring up is that the government should start spending less and reducing the debt. Unfortunately, this reflects a very superficial view of the how the economy operates. Most people think getting out of debt would solve the world's problems. The reality is no so simple to explain and I will barely scratch the surface here.

The real issue isn't what the government owes or how much money it spends. It is the fact that ALL money is created by creating debt. New money is created in the amount of the debt, but interest is still owed. Therefore, if every person & nation paid off all debt, the global economy would still be in the red by trillions, because the money to repay it doesn't exist. Even much of the debt would go unpaid as well, due to the "multiplier affect" (another topic). By design, new money—debt—must always be created so that interest can continue to be paid, ad infinitum. It's a trillion dollar Ponzi scheme conceived by a small group of influential men on Jekyll Island in 1910.

At the moment, the increased spending is keeping things somewhat stable—softening the blow for the entire world. The US dollar is the currency standard for the entire global economy, therefore, it is the US who must bear the burden of debt. Our consumer economy has created wealth (and poverty) around the globe at our own expense.

The gap between the wealthiest 10% and the rest of the world is increasing exponentially because of the debt-based system. The middle class is getting poorer and more indebted, while the rich are getting richer. This is a direct result of our debt-based economy. If you are wealthy, you have no need for debt. Instead (for example), the wealthy will put 1,000,000 in the bank to draw interest, making them even richer. Where does the money come from to pay the interest? Those of us who are not wealthy and must borrow money just to survive. When you get an auto loan, a mortgage, or a credit card, you pay interest on the debt. That interest pays the interest of the wealthy man's investment. The ones getting richer are the very same who control the global economy.

DREAM Act: We Don't Punish Children of Murderers, Why Punish Those of Immigrants?

Many children of illegal immigrants grow up to attend top colleges despite the odds stacked against them. Imagine living in fear of a knock on the door, or seeing your neighbor taken away in a raid. They lived a life of relative poverty. In many cases, they have excelled beyond that of our own children. If anyone is worthy of naturalized citizenship, it is these young Americans.

We shouldn't punish children for the so-called "crimes" of their parents. In this case, the only "crime" was the desire for a better life. How many of our ancestors risked everything to come here? What ever happened to "Give us your weak, your tired, your huddled masses"?

The US is the only home they've ever known. They live the American lifestyle, play American baseball, eat American food, hang out with American friends, and strive for the same illusion of the American Dream. They are as American as apple pie and baseball. Deporting these kids to a strange land for which they are unprepared is a gross violation of human rights—especially when they've done nothing at all to deserve it. Is our country not above that way thinking?

This Could Be You

You're an average man, with an average family and a comfortable income. You aren't extravagant and have worked hard to save money and live frugally. You have $1000 left to pay on the car and then it's yours. You have no other debt, save a credit card you pay off every month.
Then, things get bad very fast. You lose your union job due to massive cuts at the factory.  The family cuts back and lives off your wife's part time income of $600/mo. and savings. You do alright for awhile, but are totally unprepared for the events which follow.

You're full of s**t, but you're not stupid

In every culture and many households, there are words which are considered taboo. What exactly is a bad word? In some households, using exclamations such as "Oh my god!" or "Jesus Christ!" would be unthinkable. In others, you can't say pee pee. Because you have to call it something, cute ways are found to use the same word—wee wee.

In my home growing up, swearing was by no means encouraged. There was one word we were absolutely forbidden to say to anyone—stupid. In my family, calling anyone stupid was worse than telling them to go to hell. In high school, I did find a way around this using my sense of humor along with some medical terminology. I once told my younger sister that the doctor called to schedule her annual pneumoencelphalectomy. She then asked me to spell it so she could look it up! If you know medical terminology, you will be able to figure out I was cleverly calling her an airhead. How come I can say poo and crap, but not shit? Do they not mean the same thing? Perhaps instead of saying, "You're full of shit", I should say, "You full of excrement". Personally, I think the former makes the point a bit better, don't you?

Why is intercourse okay, but fucking is equivalent to a bomb? "I want to fuck you" sounds much better than "I'd like to have intercourse with you". The guy who said the former is the one I'd pick. Isn't an explosive climax better than ending it by conversing with each other?

Vagina is okay, but not pussy. If pussy meant vagina in French, would it still be a bad word?

Are these laid out in the Bible? The Koran?

What or who determines which words are acceptable and which are not?

Seriously, words are not inherently evil. Please, if you're the one who determines which words are okay, and which are not, please enlighten me as to the determining formula.

An inquiring mind wants to know—word police, clue me in!

The "Real Reason" for Unemployment: Laziness?

Today on CNN, Tom Delay had this to say about the "real reason" for the high unemployment rate:

“There is an argument to be made that these extensions, the unemployment benefits, keep people from going and finding jobs.

In fact there are some studies that have been done that show people stay on unemployment compensation and they don’t look for a job until two or three weeks before they know the benefits are going to run out."

Candy Crowley asked: “People are unemployed because they want to be?”

Delay responded: “Well, it is the truth. And people in the real world know it.”

Delay is trying to support his argument that unemployment benefits cause laziness or apathy. Hmmm. As one of the "people in the real world", I seriously question that assessment.

Thieves Watcheth with the Dogs

"Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz, a former chief economist at the World Bank, said that if a country had applied for World Bank aid during his tenure, with a financial regulatory system similar to the Federal Reserve's—in which regional Feds are partly governed by the very banks they're supposed to police—it would have raised alarms."
—Stiglitz, Nobel Prize-Winning Economist, Says Federal Reserve System 'Corrupt'

Stiglitz, author of Freefall: America, Free Markets, and the Sinking of the World Economy, has it right. You can't be a watchdog over yourself. This is a huge conflict of interest. The Federal Reserve recommended massive bail outs to the banks whose officers sit on its board of directors. I have no doubt this is just the tip of the iceberg. The real story is likely far more complicated and far deeper.

Every Man for Himself, No Matter the Cost?

Conservatives love to say they don't want to pay for the health care of another. Everyone should take care of themselves. The "every man for himself" philosophy might work well in an ideal world. In our current environment, this is an unobtainable and unrealistic goal.

"Insurance was designed to help in times of catastrophe. When we apply it to everyday health care, it becomes the catastrophe."