What is a loss or gain?

I'm sitting here thinking about the weekend that I just survived and the schedule for the coming week when something came to mind. I mean things are always changing, thats a given. But I have often heard about progress, but the other portion of that is what do we sacrifice to move forward? I mean I remember growing up and what we used to do for the holiday season overall. It wasn't perfect, but it was not bad either. But now a days, we are always so busy and running so much that often you want the holidays to be done just so you can slow down. I mean you have things that others think are mandatory, but really are optional. I mean lets face reality, no kid needs more than two or three outfits and a few toys. I mean really what child needs dozens of toys and clothes. Its already bad enough that the current generation doesn't understand the true difference between need and want. Let alone to continue to feed the delusion by soothing guilt at Christmas by spending money we don't have to get presents the kids only want because they see it on TV. It just irks me that people wonder why America is in the present state, but continue to do everything in excess. I mean, we are the world's best and worse nation. We are the best as far as overall healthcare and lifestyle. We are the worse as far as just abusing everything by using it to the excess. I know I'm only adding to the whine of it all, but, maybe after we finish falling finanically will we as a nation see the light.

Random Thoughts

So here I sit, wondering just what is really going on. I mean lets put it this way, do you ever think about the big picture and what we know that the government doesn't want us to know? I mean the more research I do on the web, the more I see we are getting ready to repeat history- again. Meaning the last time we were in this situation was quite a few years ago. Hoover was dealing with the first round of Black Monday, and the nation voted for change in the name of Mr Roosevelt. What he did was doubled down on what Hoover started.

That wound up being a great short term fix, but not something that would last. That also started the trend that has now spread to the masses. And that is to spend more than what we have, afterall- look at our national debt and tell me that it hasn't magnified. I mean here we are promising all this money to other nations, some industries, and even to our financial institutions. I mean most of these people and companies are in the spot they are because they have not been efficient or effective in their practices. On one hand the best thing the government could do to rectify the situation is not bail out the industries. At the same time that is also the worst thing they could do for the situation.

But I still feel that they need to make those that ran these companies into the ground, also responsible for there part in it as well. I mean you have companies that were struggling to cut a profit, but the top execs recieved about 10% of the raw income as pay and benefits. I understand paying someone that is effective at their job, but the companies have went down the toilet. So obviously they have not been effective in what they are doing. So lets make them pay for the lack of job performance by helping them realize where they have failed.

It still amazes me to boot that after America voted for change, the first thing that our soon to be president has done is back down from what he said he was going to do when he was campaigning. So between this and the way our government is giving money we don't even have to everyone- how are we supposed to have faith in our government? I mean if O'Bama gets his way and they repeal the law that allows the media to speak freely- that will also limit what we can blog here as well. I know they claim that wont happen, but in fact they will do it- he has already said as much.

So if you look at it from another point of view lets go look at Germany pre World War 2. First thing Hitler did was get elected, then he restricted free speech then he took away guns. Am I the only one seeing a pattern on this one??? I pray I am wrong, but if not then I will do what I have to for survival.

The realization of Taoism

I have been riding a streak of luck lately that has been completely unexpected. It seems that for the last few years I couldn't catch a break in most areas of my life. Yet when I would sometimes apparently get a break, it wound up costing me even more before all was said and done. The longest line has been employment, but so far this occurance has been held at bay.

It used to be I would think that I found a few things that had gone the right way and yet in the end it was vastly to the opposite. My life has been a long line of direction and misdirection. Today has been that way as well, polar opposites and lots of in between all in very little time. But sometimes life is that way for ya. All you can do is let it happen, evaluate- then react after that. And thats what I have been doing as of late. Let life happen, see whats the reality of it and go from there. If you are a frequent reader at all, you know I think this country lost its mind recently. Or at least the electorates did the losing of the mind. At any pace, it was not a good choice. But the future will bear that out for sure.

All the same I have had to rely on the fact that I am a Taoist more than ever before. I know people are used to relying on their religion. And I know I was raised to be that way as well, but life has taught me that the church can't be trusted at all. I am not against religion at all costs, but I do believe there are alot of people that wont be in heaven. That sad fact alone will take many by shock, and I still think there are alot that will show their true colors by the result of where they wind up. But the biggest fact that people need to remember is that in life all that comes around goes around. Just it seems that lately alot has been going on, its made me look back to the past and try to improve what I do for the future.

Oh- the holidays.....

Well I have officially survived the first of the yearly disasterous trio of holidays. And somehow, I came thru it relatively unscathed. Partially because I had a better than normal outlook thanks to a new possibility of romance.

But also just because of all that going on in the world this year, it seems to have grounded alot more people than in the past. Maybe we need more of these rough times to remind people of what matters in life and whats important to people in reality.

All I know for sure is that its great to see alot of people understanding and getting the holidays for what they were meant to be. A celebration of the people that get together, not everyone trying to one up the other. I can only hope that it carries over into the other two holidays as well.

Yet Another Joy ........

As Americans we all enjoy alot of optional things and have come to see some of those as mandatory things for life. But it seems that some of us have differnt priorities than others do even when comng from a common background. That what even some raised in the same style, or family, will differ in the ways they live day to day.

I mean in our family alone if you look at how religion plays a role in our lives- its widely disparaged. Let alone when you look at what each of us see as what we need or want for us to live day to day. I find this quite humorous on some fronts, other fronts its quite bothersome. But as differnt as our lifestyles and choices have been we stil tolerate each other for the sake of the ones that we call Mother and Father.

Otherwise I'm sure that quite a many times, at least personally, I would have just walked away and been done with the others. Because they think the majority of life is always negotiable. I still think that no matter what people want to think its the common event that will kill America as a whole. That event will not be finding common ground or a compromise to get along. But rather a majority sale of life or wholesale sell of beliefs just so a group or person can think that it makes them more appealing to others.

Why not do something because its what you want to do? I mean other than the obsessive nature of Americans as a culture to want and need the best while only putting in a mediocre at best attempt to reach the same level. We as a nation have become to whiney and dependent on hand outs. And it needs to stop before it does cause the entire collapse of America.

WTH !!!!

I was taking time this morning and checking video feeds and such. When I came across something that I had heard briefly about on talk radio. It seems that even though this great country lost their mind long enough to elect Obama, lets add insult to injury a bit further. That would be that those closest to Obama are already holding press conferences to deflate the expectations. They have already had a press conference saying that when Obama takes office he wont have the recession or any other major issue taken care of by July 4th. Now I'm not sure when it was promised that it would be fixed by the 4th- that passed me by.

But what alarms me is that this is the SECOND MAJOR TIME they have had to reinvent expectations. First time was the Democractic convention, now even before he is in the office they are doing it again. This really does scare me and is why I was so concerned about the possibility of him being elected. BUT- now we are here and this does not bode well for the future of America.

I only pray to God that this is the end of this because anything more than this means that we will be fighting the next war for America in our backyards .... LITERALLY !!!

Gotta Love ......

In everyone's life there are certain things that you love to do. Then we have even more things that we have to do if we like it or not. That latter subject comes to mind as the Holidays come a running into our face for the end of the year. I often quip that our family puts the "fun" in dysfunctional, but as I sit here and deal with my family having returned home from "vacation" I see the truth to the quip. I love all of my family in moderation. but most days they beat that moderation to pieces. This is yet another one of those days.

Observations......

After having been on POF for a while and participating some and watching for the most part- thinking back something hit me. Everyone is looking for this perfect other person to enter their unhappy and flawed life that will magically make everything instantly better. I will agree there is someone for everyone out there; you just have to find them.

But there is no perfect person that will suddenly make life become all justified. I mean it’s just like anything else in life, would it be as rewarding if it was something easy to do? The easiest answer is that it would not be anywhere close. It comes down to something only turns out as well as the effort you put into it. Plain and simple. It seems that certain people don’t want to admit they have faults. Whatever has gone wrong in their life has always been someone else’s fault. Then they wonder why they are still alone and hurting.

It seems that most people on POF want someone else that is going to come into their life and make everything bad that’s happened to them just go away. That this other mystery person also holds all the answers to their future and financial issues. Not to mention the fact that this person will automatically and immediately love them for everything they are at that moment. Not to mention what they will become after all these solutions have come thru from the other person.

Reality is more along the lines of the fact that everyone has strengths and weaknesses in their lives and personalities. The key to making a relation work is finding that other person that offsets your personality- both the good and bad points. And that you accent their strengths and weaknesses as well. So that there is a sense of balance within you two at a natural level.

Otherwise, as you continue to get to know each other and the relation grows- it gets stale because of a lack of commonality. Meaning that besides the weakness and strengths and differences, there is nothing else to keep you together. After each other’s habits are no longer cute, but more of the lines of oh they did THAT again. You will eventually have to rely on the mental and personality compatibilities for the relation to continue to work. It’s not fun having to admit that factor, but it is a fact for a relation to last and be long term. Long term meaning more than just a year or so.

I guess what it comes down to is people want relations to be an easy thing that just happens. And like the rest of life, anything worth having comes with a good bit of work. It takes work, dedication, passion, determination, and most of all mutual love. And sometimes that means telling your “friends” that you appreciate their point of view, but you are doing what is best for yourself. It doesn’t mean to not listen, but it does mean you have to remember that they only see the outside and what you tell or convey to them about the relation. Then after all of that is considered you can decide if that’s how you wish to spend your life or not.