Taking Personal Responsibility…

In my mind taking personal responsibility is a big part of the bedrock of what makes the U.S. a success story among the nations of the world. We encourage, some would even demand, that each of us take personal responsibility for our well being and especially for our future needs. The graphic to the right pretty well sums up the benefits and obstacles associated with … Continue reading Taking Personal Responsibility…

Inequality as a Religious Test

But if you believe that every human being is made in the image of God — imago dei; if you believe that every individual person represented in economic statistics is a child of God; if you believe that in nearly all religious traditions, loving your neighbor as you love yourself follows directly after loving God; and if you believe, regardless of your conception of God, … Continue reading Inequality as a Religious Test

There Is Nothing Wrong With Myth….

There is nothing wrong with myth, as it is an ingrained part of a cultural and religious traditions. Here is a little about mythology from Wikipedia: As a collection of such stories, mythology is a vital feature of every culture. Various origins for myths have been proposed, ranging from personification of nature, personification of natural phenomena to truthful or hyperbolic accounts of historical events, to … Continue reading There Is Nothing Wrong With Myth….

A Pragmatic Government….

Malcolm Turnbull has vowed to set aside ideology and be “thoroughly pragmatic” in power as he urges business leaders move on from their past concerns about the dysfunction in Australian politics…. “I want to say to you tonight, emphatically, that the business of government is to get things done. “Australians expect their elected representatives to deliver practical, commonsense policy to improve economic security and the … Continue reading A Pragmatic Government….

Streaks Of Inspiration…

I embrace change, it is what keeps life interesting and challenging for me.  To that end I am adding yet another subcategory to RJsCorner. It is called “Streaks Of Inspiration” and is found under the”About Life” category header above. I am approaching almost 3,000 posts here. Most are about my observations of daily life around this planet earth. But then there are some where an … Continue reading Streaks Of Inspiration…

About Religion…

Religion today seems more about interfaith competition than “love your neighbor”. It seems to be “love your neighbor as long as he is a Lutheran/Baptist/etc.   Spiritual but not Religious The above words (I failed to capture the source) and the graphic are perhaps the primary reasons I now claim to be “spiritual but not religious”. I just see too much politics and interfaith competition … Continue reading About Religion…

Pragmatism & Drugs in Prisons…

I know the title above might be confusing to you right now but let me explain. If only we would follow the principle of  Occum’s razor and understand that most often the simplest answer is the best answer. But instead we make things more complicated than they need to be.  We just can’t seem to help ourselves. This phenomenon came to the forefront for me … Continue reading Pragmatism & Drugs in Prisons…

Here We Go Again… Even Eighty Years Later…

Here we go again!  America is running true to form, fixing some other country’s business for ’em just as we always do. We mean well, but will wind up in the wrong as usual…   Will Rogers June 22, 1931 I seem to have been ignoring one of my heroes of late. It seems that my op-ed posts are taking over RJsCorner. I gotta do something … Continue reading Here We Go Again… Even Eighty Years Later…

Religion Makes Children More Selfish…

History backs-up the scientific evidence that secular people are more moral, as reviewed by Israeli psychologist Benjamin Beit-Hallahmi. Most white supporters of the US Civil Rights Movement were non-religious, for example, while the apartheid regime in South Africa was led by devout Christians and opposed by atheists. But the view that non-religious individuals are morally dubious is deeply embedded in American society. Atheists and agnostics … Continue reading Religion Makes Children More Selfish…

Mount Trashmore… A Consumer Driven Society..

One of the things that we first-world countries have basically wrong in my opinion is that we must be a consumer driven society. Everyone buying and consuming more and more each year is the bedrock of our economic system, especially here in the U.S. Over my seven decades on this earth I have accumulated literally tons of stuff that I really didn’t need or actually, … Continue reading Mount Trashmore… A Consumer Driven Society..

I’m Being Picked On….

Carson insists no other candidate has received the level of scrutiny that he has. Asked on NBC whether he is getting more than President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton, Carson replied: “Not like this. Not even close.”Scrutiny of his past is par for any major candidate for president, not only Carson. Obama’s citizenship was questioned and he later released a birth certificate showing … Continue reading I’m Being Picked On….

They Deserve Their Failure….

That is the moral-ideological core of conservatism today. It presumes that life is a competition or race, that people are unequal in talent, drive, and ambition, and that those who end up on top deserve their victory and rewards — and those who come out on the bottom deserve their failure and hardships. Any attempt to overturn or even mitigate this moral order — whether … Continue reading They Deserve Their Failure….

You Don’t Have To Be Busy All The Time….

One of the things that I learned the hard way during my years of retirement is that you don’t have to be busy all the time. I just couldn’t seem to wrap my mind around the idea of just having “down” time where I literally did nothing. No work, no thinking to any degree; just sitting alone with myself.   The Quakers call this “centering down”, … Continue reading You Don’t Have To Be Busy All The Time….

Artificial Intelligence… and the Second Industrial Revolution

DO YOU THINK WE RUN THE RISK OF “TECHNOLOGICAL UNEMPLOYMENT” WHERE MACHINES TAKE ALL OF OUR JOBS? HAWKING: The outcome will depend on how things are distributed. Everyone can enjoy a life of luxurious leisure if the machine-produced wealth is shared, or most people can end up miserably poor if the machine-owners successfully lobby against wealth redistribution. So far, the trend seems to be toward … Continue reading Artificial Intelligence… and the Second Industrial Revolution

Automatic voter registration through DMV

Gov. Jerry Brown acted Saturday to increase participation in California elections and help prevent shootings at colleges, approving automatic voter registration and banning concealed weapons on campuses. Source: Jerry Brown OKs automatic voter registration through DMV – LA Times California has always been kind of “out there” for me but they do things that need to be done much before most other States. Where most … Continue reading Automatic voter registration through DMV

“Untrustworthy” — Really???

Press secretary Josh Earnest called Ryan’s claim that he cannot trust the president on the issue “ironic,” given he helped write bipartisan immigration reform legislation in 2013 only to stand with House GOP leaders in Congress who refused to take up a bill. “The president has proven himself untrustworthy on this issue, because he tried to unilaterally rewrite the law himself. Presidents don’t write laws. … Continue reading “Untrustworthy” — Really???