Follow the yellow brick road.

My Drill Sergeant taught me something that stayed with me my whole life. I think its one of the founding principals of surviving in any environment you find yourself. The thoughts and decision making in our world are broken down into two areas.

Rules & Reality
The goal I believe is to find a way to make them equal. Unfortunately I don't think it is possible for us to make rules that can keep up with reality. I think that this may have been where my concept of truth and fact has come from. I think everyone at some time in their life must have seen an example of this.

 Where I run into trouble at times in my life is when I spend so much time complaining that the rules were broken, instead of just facing my new reality. Its hard for me to understand every event just for itself. It is in my nature to try to find a pattern and therefore create a rule. I think its human nature to do this. I have trouble at times in my life when something does not fit the rule I gave it, and rather than just accept it I am trying to compartmentalize it. This post like every other post here is an attempt to define the interactions of life. Why can’t I just follow the advice of loved ones and live day by day?

 

So here is what I have: 

Truth	Completely dependant on perspective
Fact	True from every perspective.
Rule	Suspected outcome of the interaction between known Truths and Facts.
Reality	Actual outcome of the interaction between known and unknown Truths and Facts.

 

 So at least I am still on the road to "Wisdom". Not sure what I am doing with it. 

Until I figured out that Algebra was more about problem solving and not really about "math" I was failing. Unfortunately the facts of numbers, make "math" the easiest way of teaching Problem Solving. So I was stuck with that. I wonder how Mr. Carr would feel if he saw this. 

Truth + Truth = Truth
Truth + Fact = Truth
Fact + Fact = Fact

Why do I need to know?

It is hard to pick just one thing going on in the world to try to understand. Technology has made our world smaller over the years by allowing us to see things that just 2 decades ago we never would have heard of. We are at a point now where I can know virtually every piece of public information if I only take the time to look. Why do I need to know?

Our world has been built by societies and cultures that until recently had no opportunity to come together on a plan. At this point no country wants to reform.

(REFORM- I am NOT working here under a definition of “fix”, “patch-up”, or “reeducate”. I am in fact thinking of reform under its simplest possible definition in the English language. RE-FORM, as in FORM AGAIN.)

I could and likely will one day explain the need for our governments to reform, but it won’t be today.

Now we can form our own opinions on the world. This is a luxury that our grandparents did not have. We have an ability to make our own opinions based what we witness with our own eyes. If we chose to only rely on what we are told then we are derelict in our duties.

It is not our job to provide the answers to our children. It is our job to provide the evidence that lead us to our answers, and hope that they agree. It’s known that one generation never agrees with the generation before it, and that is because every generation has more information than the one before it. Shouldn’t we try to get the same amount of information that will be available to our children BEFORE they get it? We owe it to them to give them what our parents could not give us.

I believe that there is a universal “desire” to provide every option for our children. We “desire” different things. Your list of things may include money, comfort, education or some concept that I can not grasp, but if it does not include knowledge than your list is not complete.

We can not provide evidence to a question we have not taken the time to think about for ourselves. It is not uncommon for parents to not know what their kids are being taught in school because the parent was not taught while they were in school….or college…or graduate school.

I need to know about Jill Carroll. I need to know about Iran. I need to know how our government works and how other governments work I need know what makes the Sky Blue. The list goes on forever. You will pay taxes or a private institution to educate your child, but the responsibility of giving your child knowledge is yours and yours alone.

That is why I need to know. That is why I am here. I can not give them money or comfort or many of the things you give your children, but I can try to give understanding and tolerance and patience. The first step however is getting it myself. I can try to give them a better world but for that I will be needing your help.

Jill Carroll

By all accounts Jill Carroll, a freelance writer currently employed by the “Christian Science Monitor” is an educated young woman. She is photogenic, and even without make-up I think most young American Fighting men would say “hottie.” For those of you that don't recognize the name this young woman, she was kidnapped recently by some undisclosed Iraqi group. At the time I am writing this there has not been an accurate time given of her kidnapping, nor has there been a time given for the time that AlJazeera has received the tape and the kidnappers’ demands.   If prayers will bring your God into action then I request that we get started.   It's Dangerous if we all get along. I have trouble imagining a world where the American press and the American government can come to a true agreement of goals. I think though that if this young woman dies in the hands of these people that we will find it happening for a short time.  If you have been paying attention over the last week you will know that CNN was thrown out of Iran for misquoting their president. Iran said publicly that it would allow CNN back in the country once it has shown that it would have fair and balanced reporting concerning Iran’s actions. Less than 24 hours later CNN was let back into the country and there has not been another words said on the matter.  What agency has the ability to convince a powerful and feared world government to change its mind so rapidly? If I can believe that all decisions are based in fear as I have written here then I have to ask myself: What does the Iranian government fear from CNN?  “We the people” think of channels like CNN as a news station on our cable television. It may surprise some to learn that other countries see CNN as shapers of American Opinion. American Opinion is a feared and hated thing.   The balance we maintain here in America is based on fundamental differences of opinion between our Government and our Media.   The death of this young woman will make not only the people of America cry out for “justice”, but our press will let go of whatever imaginary leash its been holding on the dogs of war. This young woman has risked her life for the purpose of providing a balanced opinion of the Iraqi people. She is looking for peace, and understanding. If they do not let her do that, they will see what happens when the American Government is allowed to fuel its war machine with the hatred of the American people.  I don't believe that these people could have possibly have chosen a worse person to kidnap.   This photo swiped from http://www.boingboing.net/2006/01/09/jill_carroll_us_jour.html Provided by MSNBC "Jill Carroll is the 31st media employee to have been kidnapped in Iraq since the start of the war. Five of the kidnap victims -- four Iraqis and Enzo Baldoni of Italy -- were killed by their abductors. The others were released safe and sound. Twenty-three of the abductions took place in or near Baghdad."

Thank you little Johnny

One of the things that I am trying to understand here is right from wrong. Not only am I trying to understand right and wrong for me but maybe the overall definitions of right and wrong for everyone. Everyday new things happen to me and to others which constantly have to be out in one of these two areas. I try to unofficially rate everything on a scale of 1 to 10. 1-5 equaling bad and 6 to 10 good.  3-7 equaling arguable. It’s the only way I can come to the terms with the grey areas that we find in our world where everyone insists that we define everything in black and white. To be rated by me as under 3 or over 7 would usually have to mean something drastic and unquestionable and I can not think of many if any things that fit in those areas.

One of the tools we use to understand things that are happening on a global scale is to look at it in a smaller forum and try to decide how we would judge it. Here is an example of how doing that can maybe lead us to the opinions we don't hear yelled in the streets.

Example 1

I am a child. I have been told that little Johnny down the street is bad and I know that is the opinion of my parents and friends. My parents tell me that if I keep being Johnny’s friend that I will be punished. My parents and friends are kind of irrational at times and I know they do things without thinking about it. I know that they are looking for Johnny and there is nothing I can do to stop it. I see that everywhere Johnny goes that not only are people trying to punish him but they are also punishing everyone who helps him. I like Johnny. I don't think he did anything that bad. I want to help. I try to help Johnny. My parents and friends find out. They punish me.

Who’s fault is it I got punished?
A. Is it Johnny’s fault?
B. Is it my parents and friends fault?
C. Or is it mine.
D. All of the above


I am working under this “fact”:  In any situation it is the actions and attitudes of everyone involved that are the cause of a situation. Based on that “D” is the simple answer, but I try not to deal in simple answers. SO……….

We know that everyone here is to blame but I ask that I make some kind of order. (If you want to play along now is your chance to think about it without my opinion having any influence on you.)

I have thought about it and I am going with C-A-B in order of “blame”.

C. I think in this situation the child understood that the parents were serious and consistent in their actions. I also think that the child believes that the parents and friends will act without thinking and therefore should not be trusted to act in a rational manner. If we understand all the possible outcomes of a situation and still make our decisions we forfeit any right for complaint if one of those situations comes true.

A. In this situation Johnny did something to make the irrational Parents and friends mad. He is either justified or he is not. It happens. In most cases it results in the parents and friends lashing back. It is an understood repercussion of his actions. He witnesses his friends being hurt for helping him and unfortunately has to continue accepting the help that is offered. He hopes his friends understand what helping him could lead too. He knows what it could lead too and yet he accepts the help.

B. The parents here may be irrational and unthinking but at least they are constant. That Consistency is the ONLY thing that won’t let me move them up the list higher. As parents they should understand that Johnny did something wrong and others should not be punished for his problems. As parents they should consistently try not to punish the child for standing up for what he believes in and helping Johnny. They should actively insure that only Johnny gets punished for Johnny’s crimes and that the crime of helping Johnny does not have the same punishment. However, again I say that their consistency  makes them the least to be blamed in this scenario.



Having done my best to explain my thinking in that scenario I want to re-write Example 1. I will attempt to mark my edits.

Example 1-B

I am a man from Damadola. I have been told that Ayman al-Zawahiri from Al Qaeda is considered bad and I know that is the opinion of America and my own government. America and my own government tell me that if I keep being Ayman al-Zawahiri from Al Qaeda’s friend that I will be Bombed. America and my own government are kind of irrational at times and I know they do things without thinking about it. I know that they are looking for Ayman al-Zawahiri from Al Qaeda and there is nothing I can do to stop it. I see that everywhere Ayman al-Zawahiri from Al Qaeda goes that not only are people trying to BOMB him but they are also BOMBING everyone who helps him. I like Ayman al-Zawahiri from Al Qaeda. I don't think he did anything that bad. I want to help. I try to help Ayman al-Zawahiri from Al Qaeda. America and my own government find out. They BOMB me.

Who’s fault is it I got BOMBED?
A. Is it Ayman al-Zawahiri from Al Qaeda’s fault?
B. Is it America and my own government’s fault?
C. Or is it mine.
D. All of the above

I think I am done for the day.

    

Discovering My Faithless Religion Pt2

OK.If you have not read part 1 of this I would recommend that you start there and then come back here.

Discovering My Faithless Religion

So we are working under the terms that there is no heaven and there is no hell. We are also working under the impression that the vast majority of us accept the 10 commandments as the basis of right and wrong.I guess the next question would be; Why do the right thing for no reward?

Quite frankly I don't know! I have discussed here in these posts that I feel all of our decisions are based in fear. Without a heaven or a hell though what are we afraid of? What makes a true atheist, (if there is such a thing), do right from wrong? Is it respect of his fellow man that he is striving for? I just don't know. This might be something everyone has to come to their own answers about. I don't know what my answer is.

I am trying to be good for the sake of being good, but as always there is some motive there. There is always something. There is always a reward either real or supposed. I may not even know what it is but I know its there somewhere. Even if I receive nothing physical for my actions I still receive a positive feeling and that is a reward.

I think the best we as humans can do to be better human beings is to consider self fulfillment as the ONLY reward. I mean you can “hope” for your heavenly reward, but I can not personally believe
that any entity so benevolent as these gods seem to be would be so petty that they feel a need to hear their own names. I guess a good question here is whether or not our Gods believe that good deeds are enough or whether advertising is the goal.

Also I have to believe that our Gods know when we are doing good and also know when we need help without our prayers. I would hope that they know right from wrong. As usually though I am more than willing to be taught facts to disprove my truths, so if you have any other evidence that would lead me to believe that our gods need these things than I am happy to hear them.

For now though I have to go with what makes me fulfilled because that the only reward I have faith in.

I'm sure Ill write more on this as more comes to me.

This is how it must have felt.

There was time during my second marriage where I shared the responsibility of raising two boys. At the time they were around 10 and 13 respectively and came from a troubled background. Both had been passed from home to home and circumstances led to them living with us for a time.

I have not had any contact with them in any way for years and recently was sent a link to the oldest’s Blog. He is turning 18 and is joining the Army. His Blog does not have anything personal on it and for the most part is a collection of internet “personality polls”, all of which have him listed as the coolest of the possibilities.

To be 100% honest I have to say that I was truly glad and unfortunately a little surprised that he was even alive. I know that may seem like an exaggeration but I can not properly describe what mindset I have seen this kid in.

I have seen him happy. I have seen him sad. I seen him stressed and without care in the world, but most of all I have seen him cry. All of these things listed were at times because of me. I have sat alone in a room trying to understand how a human being can get to a point that I had turned into. I had become everything that I did not want to be, all so I could make him into what he wanted to be.

He does not know about this Blog and I don't want him to know. His tests are coming and when it’s over I’ll be judged. There will be more tears.

When it was discovered that this young man was going to join the Army I was sent the link to let me know that I had in fact had some effect on the boys life and decision making process. I criticize the military here in my space. I criticize more those who can not understand why some people need to join the military. I talk here at times that some people join because they have no other real option. This young man easily falls into this category. The rest of the world really does not have any place for him and he no longer has any place for the world.

I think he also falls into a space that I have not discussed. There are some whose life has been so upsetting and disturbed, that the chaos of war, and the discipline brought to them is the only thing able to being them back to “reality”. Imagine your life for a minute a place where you have been so far out of control that the concept of going to war seems calming.

I am amazed at times to watch the young chase down discipline all in the name finding their freedom. I am even more amazed at how that discipline eventually gives them the power to know they were free all along.

Good luck Son
Please remember that you need to be alive to spend that GI Bill, and your friends will appreciate it more if you pull them back into safety rather than taking the bullet for them.

I love you and I am not the only one.