Author: RJ Walters

I am an Independent thinking, highly functional person who is deaf and has some unique views and challenges in life. Like all of us, I am a person who is composed of all my life experiences and that is what I write about here.
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The Best Thing About ‘American’ Christianity

RJ Walters

Diversity For decades people have been prophesying about American Christianity’s demise. Church attendance is dropping, our culture is becoming increasingly immoral and the president is probably the Antichrist. Various pundits, experts and research groups have seemingly made a living predicting American Christianity’s downfall, and yet, while Christianity has become extinct in numerous parts of the world, it continues to live on—and sometimes thrive—within the United States…. There are faith communities for those who are conservative or liberal, egalitarian or complementarian, Calvinist or Armenian, traditional or modern, young or old, Norwegian or Cuban—you get the point. We often view are differences … Continue reading The Best Thing About ‘American’ Christianity

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Pragmatism vs. The Silver Bullet Syndrome…

RJ Walters

I know I swore off politics as a whole but that does not mean I can’t weigh in on some of the issues once in a while. ;) The issue I want to discuss is the pragmatism of the president vs. the “Silver bullet Syndrome” of the Republican controlled House.  I must admit that I didn’t watch the “State of the Union” speech but I did see a few of the responses to it on the Internet.  It seems that the president is going to do piece meal what he can’t get the congress to do  in any form. When … Continue reading Pragmatism vs. The Silver Bullet Syndrome…

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One Minute For Peace…..

RJ Walters

It has been a while since I have visited this site (click on the picture to go there). Of course if you have spent any time on this blog you know that I frequently say that we just spend too much money on our military. Forty times more than any other country on earth and more than the rest of the world combined!  That comes to a whopping $1,200,000.00 per minute 24/7. My friends at AFSC are being very meager in their wishes of only one minute for peace. If we really are serious about deficit reduction, and I think … Continue reading One Minute For Peace…..

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Strength, Courage, Hope in New Year

RJ Walters

Pope Francis, laying out his hopes Wednesday for the just-begun year, urged people to work for a world where everyone accepts each other’s differences and where enemies recognize that they are brothers. “We are all children of one heavenly father, we belong to the same human family and we share a common destiny,” Francis said…. “What is happening in the heart of man? What is happening in the heart of humanity?” Francis asked. “It’s time to stop.” SOURCE Pope Stresses Strength, Courage, Hope in New Year – ABC News. I want to end this first month of the new year 2014 … Continue reading Strength, Courage, Hope in New Year

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Before We Destroy Ourselves….

RJ Walters

I was never terribly good at Calculus in college. I managed to get through three semesters of it was a grade of C+ or better but I never really understood its basic foundation. If it is not calculus, the equation above is very calculus like. So, why am I even showing it here? It is called the Drake equation after its creator, Frank Drake. He was one of the founder of the SETI organization. For those of you who don’t know that is the “Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence”. The big question is are we alone in the universe. This equation … Continue reading Before We Destroy Ourselves….

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Cantonese Sign Language

RJ Walters

Americans “A forefinger pointed towards the temple and twirled rapidly to indicate craziness.” SOURCE:  Cantonese Sign Language | TIME.com. I am always on the lookout for articles about those with hearing impairments so this one got my attention. For those of you who are not aware every country, and even different parts of the same country have basic differences in what they use to sign a particular word or phrase. But most often the sign comes from some general characteristic about the person or thing.  It is kind of humorous to see that the sign for “Americans” in China is … Continue reading Cantonese Sign Language

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Being Homeless Is A Process….

RJ Walters

The first thing you have to understand about homelessness is that it is a series of losses – because homelessness is a process. Maybe you lost your job. And then you lost your partner and your kids. Then you start to lose your friends, and then your house. You stay with friends, which burns out the friends you have left, and then you end up sleeping in the shelter or in your car. You are now homeless, which means you have difficulty in our society finding a place to use the bathroom. The clothes you wear aren’t the clothes you … Continue reading Being Homeless Is A Process….

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Neither Rain, Nor Sleet….

RJ Walters

Residents waiting for their daily mail who haven’t shoveled out their mailboxes or sidewalks could be waiting for awhile, as postal carriers must have clear and safe access to make deliveries. Letter carriers of the U.S. Postal Service are not to take risks trying to deliver mail, according to local Postmaster Deb Egemo. So, if a mailbox is inaccessible, either on foot or by vehicle, the carrier won’t deliver. To ensure delivery: – -Keep walkways, steps and porches clear of snow and ice that can lead to dangerous falls. – Clear enough snow from curbside boxes to allow mail trucks … Continue reading Neither Rain, Nor Sleet….

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Falling Behind By Running In Place…

RJ Walters

“Our scores are stagnant. We’re not seeing any improvement for our 15-year-olds,” said Jack Buckley, commissioner at the National Center for Education Statistics, the research arm of the U.S. Department of Education. “But our ranking is flipping because a lot of these other countries are improving.” The test scores offer fresh evidence for those who argue that the United States is losing ground to competitors in the global market and others who say a decade’s worth of school reform has done little to improve educational outcomes. “While the intentions may have been good, a decade of top-down, test-based schooling created … Continue reading Falling Behind By Running In Place…

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Policemen acquitted in beating death of homeless man

RJ Walters

Prosecutors had accused the two officers, who approached Thomas near a bus depot in July 2011 to question him about reports of vandalized cars, of turning a routine police encounter into an unnecessary and savage beating that cost the unarmed homeless man his life. Attorneys for Ramos and Cicinelli argued that Thomas was dangerous and that the officers responded according to their training. Defense lawyers also said Thomas suffered from a weakened heart brought on by drug abuse. “These peace officers were doing their jobs, operating as they were trained,” said John Barnett, who represented Ramos. “There was no malice … Continue reading Policemen acquitted in beating death of homeless man

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Helping The Poor – Reason 5

RJ Walters

It Forces Human Interaction The common response among many believers is that God commands us “to be a good steward” of our wealth, which is the Christian way of saying “I don’t want to give away any of my time, energy, or resources to people who are just going to flush it away.” Thus, the accumulation of wealth is quickly adapted as a form of spiritual virtue, highly esteemed among American believers and attributed as a sign of God’s favor. But giving directly to the poor forces us to actually interact with humankind, with the people God wants us to … Continue reading Helping The Poor – Reason 5

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A Fool’s Fool…..

RJ Walters

“A fool that knows he is a fool is one that knows he don’t know all about anything, but the fool that don’t know he is a fool is the one that thinks he knows all about anything. Then he is a dam fool.” – Will Rogers, 7 August 1927 This is one of Will’s more philosophical quotes. Those who think they know everything are just damn fools. I have certainly run across my share of these folks. Many have even passed through this blog on occasion but thankfully they don’t stay long. Continue reading A Fool’s Fool…..

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‘Evangelicals and Catholicism…

RJ Walters

On December 5th, The Diversity Chronicle posted a blog with the clever title ‘Pope Francis Condemns Racism and declares that “All Religions Are True” At Historic Third Vatican Council’ . People quickly spread the piece via social media, and many—especially Evangelical Christians—attacked the Pope. The fact that the article was a spoof and not true should serve as a reminder to always research and verify sources, but even more alarming was that so many Christians were seemingly waiting for a reason to blast Pope Francis. It was as if people wanted an opportunity to turn on the Pope, and this … Continue reading ‘Evangelicals and Catholicism…

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There is No Left Brain/Right Brain Divide..

RJ Walters

You are hardly alone if you believe that humanity is divided into two great camps: the left-brain and the right-brain thinkers – those who are logical and analytical versus those who are intuitive and creative. For years, an industry of books, tests and videos has flourished on this concept. It seems to be natural law. Except, it isn’t. SOURCE: There is No Left Brain/Right Brain Divide | TIME.com. I think this story is missing the point when it comes to right brain vs. left brain.  It is not so important to whether the differences are in the left/right or the top/bottom … Continue reading There is No Left Brain/Right Brain Divide..

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“I’m Sorry”?

RJ Walters

Christians mistakenly believe that apologizing discredits everything they’ve ever said. As if saying “we’re sorry” will somehow negate the fact that Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead. In reality, apologizing promotes honesty, transparency, authenticity and humility, things all Christians should exhibit throughout their lives. When Christians apologize, it adds integrity and legitimacy to their words and actions… Maybe this is why Christians rarely hear sermons or teachings about apologizing to non-Christians. Mainstream Christian culture teaches the opposite: believers are always right. The inner-circle perception is that Christians don’t make mistakes—only non-Christians do. SOURCE: Stephen Mattson: Can Christianity … Continue reading “I’m Sorry”?

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A Direct Connection…

RJ Walters

Amazon spokesperson Mary Osako, meanwhile, told Businessweek that “our employees have made it clear that they prefer a direct connection with Amazon.” “This direct connection is the most effective way to understand and respond to the wants and needs of our employees. Amazon’s culture and business model are based on rapid innovation, flexibility and open lines of direct communication between managers and associates.” SOURCE: Amazon Workers Vote Against Forming Union | TIME.com. Lets face it unions today have a pretty bad reputation with many of us. In the past they have tended to make an enemy of the people who … Continue reading A Direct Connection…

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To Avoid Taxes…..

RJ Walters

ZURICH (Reuters) – Two more Swiss banks said they would work with U.S. officials in a crackdown on wealthy Americans evading taxes through hidden offshore accounts, a trickle that could rise to about one third of the country’s private banks. SOURCE: Two more Swiss banks join U.S. tax deal: Fidelity. It sure would be nice if we could get the rich to somehow pay their fair share of taxes.  Swiss banks prosper because they help them hide money to avoid taxes. As the article says still less than one-third of them have joined this new procedure.  I think those that are … Continue reading To Avoid Taxes…..