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The public shaming of America’s CEOs

RJ Walters

This shame game just might rein in CEO pay where previous attempts have failed, said Gretchen Morgenson at The New York Times. Once the pay gap is boiled down to an “easily graspable and often decidedly shocking number,” employees and consumers might actually protest, and red-faced corporate boards will be forced to act. As soon as the outlandish ratios begin coming out, we’ll hear from “corporate apologists” that CEOs earn their megamillions, because they deliver impressive returns just like “star baseball players or movie stars,” said Robert Reich at Huffington Post. “Baloney.” The stock market has surged so much over … Continue reading The public shaming of America’s CEOs

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Even In Small Town America…

RJ Walters

Pope Francis recently spoke out about “unbridled capitalism”. A good example of that is the unregulated sales of guns in this country. Even my small town of 2,000 now has a gun shop where anyone can buy just about any weapon they choose.  Capitalism is the best economic system in the world but when it is unfettered from any moral requirements it is perhaps among the worst… Continue reading Even In Small Town America…

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Perhaps They Never Will..

RJ Walters

I have to put out a quick post here following Pope Francis’ speech before our congress. To me it was very inspiring but obviously there were those there that simply refused to listen to anything he said. Instead they sat stoically on their hands while those around them frequently stood and applauded. This reminded me of the last words in the final verse of one of my favorite songs which is entitled “Vincent” by Don McClean. It goes like this… They would not listen, They are not listening still Perhaps they never will I just cannot believe that the current … Continue reading Perhaps They Never Will..

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The Good Old Days…

RJ Walters

a world that is boiling over in violence and cut-throat theocracy makes me nostalgic for the days it was merely “simmering in resentment and tyranny Source: How the refugee crisis is teaching us the value of Hussein, Mubarak, and Gadhafi Don’t we all wish for the “good old days” when Saddam ruled with an iron fist and as a result kept the lid on the Middle East.  Yeah his bravado rankled many but we for the most part just ignored him. He did kill thousands of his own people to maintain control but millions have been killed in the aftermath … Continue reading The Good Old Days…

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President Obama’s welcoming speech to Pope Francis

RJ Walters

Your Holiness, in your words and deeds, you set a profound moral example. And in these gentle but firm reminders of our obligations to God and to one another, you are shaking us out of complacency. All of us may, at times, experience discomfort when we contemplate the distance between how we lead our daily lives and what we know to be true and right. But I believe such discomfort is a blessing, for it points to something better. You shake our conscience from slumber; you call on us to rejoice in Good News, and give us confidence that we … Continue reading President Obama’s welcoming speech to Pope Francis

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About Drug Addictions…

RJ Walters

Of the 2.3 million inmates crowding our nations prisons and jails, 1.5 million meet the DSM-IV medical criteria for substance abuse or addiction, and another 458,000, while not meeting the strict DSM-IV criteria, had histories of substance abuse; were under the influence of alcohol or other drugs at the time of their crime; committed their offense to get money to buy drugs; were incarcerated for an alcohol or drug law violation; or shared some combination of these characteristics, according to Behind Bars II: Substance Abuse and America’s Prison Population. Combined these two groups constitute 85% of the U.S. prison population. … Continue reading About Drug Addictions…

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About Knowing…

RJ Walters

I went to quite a few “summer camps” during my corporate career. These were multi-day seminars most often in the summer to teach me one thing or another about how to do my job better.  They were rah rah sessions to keep me excited about what I was doing. Some of them were worthwhile, some were just boring. But since the company paid all the expenses and they were a welcome change from the day-to-day office. One of the summer camps I remember most vividly was about discovery. The cubes below stick with me almost thirty years later: Obviously you know what … Continue reading About Knowing…

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Pope Francis has an unsettling message for corporate America

RJ Walters

On Sept. 24, Francis will be the first pontiff ever to speak before a joint session of Congress. He’ll speak in English rather than his native Spanish. And he’ll most likely say a lot of things objectionable to the Republicans who hold majorities in both branches of Congress, and to many champions of American-style capitalism. Source: Pope Francis has an unsettling message for corporate America – Yahoo Finance Catholic or not (I am not) should listen in on what this man says.  He is a man as close to the teachings of Jesus Christ as I have ever seen in … Continue reading Pope Francis has an unsettling message for corporate America

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The 550 States of America…

RJ Walters

I think one of my favorite hobbies is playing around with reformatting the States that make up the U.S. with the goal of obtaining more equal representation.  It just seems that the present setup is so much out of skew with our times.  When 10% of the country’s population can control the other 90% simply due to having an vastly over proportionate number of representatives in our national congress things need to change. I’ve made posts in the past explaining how the low population States became States mainly because of 200+ year old transportation methods or simply because of regional differences. I … Continue reading The 550 States of America…

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Now That I Notice It…

RJ Walters

I don’t know when it first caught my attention but since then I have seen it again and again. It seems that whenever you get a conservative and a progressive across the table from each other with a moderator in between the same thing happens.  When it is his turn the conservative spends as long a time as the moderator will allow giving his opinions about whatever the topic at hand is.  The progressive sits by waiting for his turn. When it is his turn he gets no more that a couple of words out of his mouth before the … Continue reading Now That I Notice It…

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Some Evangelicals Seem Oblivious To Their Church’s History…

RJ Walters

Both Cruz and Huckabee have branded the action against Davis as “judicial tyranny,” tapping into a surge of public support for a figure presented as an outspoken Christian jailed for her beliefs. – ‘Not a leg to stand on’ – But their stance is a thorny one for Republican presidential candidates who, if elected, must swear to uphold the US constitution….. “It [this story] poisons the brand, and I think we’re already seeing Republicans as a group starting to back away.” Source: Martyr or lawbreaker? Kim Davis case roils Republicans – Yahoo News This is old news now so I guess … Continue reading Some Evangelicals Seem Oblivious To Their Church’s History…

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Putting a Face On It….

RJ Walters

It is heartwarming to see that the tragic picture above has spurred so many of the European nations into further action. Many, especially Germany, have opened their borders to thousands fleeing war and famine in Syria and neighboring places. One image seems to have ignited a fire of response. Thank the Lord. As I have learned “Putting a face on a problem” is the first step in spurring action to solve it. I have long been an advocate for the homeless and financially challenged but until I spent 11 years volunteering in a local soup kitchen/ homeless shelter it was not brought … Continue reading Putting a Face On It….

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It’s The Journey, Not The Destination… Well Sort of…

RJ Walters

I have been in a “wise guy” mood lately, thus the title above.  I am coming up on 70 years of age and when you get that old some of us reflect on how we got here, and why.  My wife is not one of those but I am. She seems so content to just do the same thing day-after-day, year-after-year with no desire for any change. She is just not a dreamer or ponderer as I am. Like so many other things we are opposites in that regard. They (whoever “they” are) say opposites attract and I can certainly … Continue reading It’s The Journey, Not The Destination… Well Sort of…

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The Christian Bubble…

RJ Walters

So many of us grew up sheltered in small Christian bubbles, restricted to cheesy Christian music titles and overly sanitized book selections, that we are resolved to expose our children to the beauty present in art and literature and yes, even the latest Hollywood blockbuster.   This is what drives the Christian Bubble Makers: they believe that raising children in a sheltered environment enables them to put down strong roots in the Christian tradition. Kids develop a strong foundation in their belief system so that when they go out into the world they aren’t tousled by the prevailing cultural winds … Continue reading The Christian Bubble…

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RJ The Factory Worker…

RJ Walters

This is the second in a series of posts about automation and humanity. This one is about my personal experiences with work that has certainly been taken over by a robot. I won’t be getting into the philosophical side of this paradigm shift here. That will wait for a future post. I was fortunate enough to be able to pay my own way through college with a minimal amount of loans. Dad  as a single parent just didn’t have the resources to help me.  He was busy surviving week to week.  My mother, who was then married to a rich … Continue reading RJ The Factory Worker…

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The Dance of The….

RJ Walters

I kind of like this picture now.  When I took it I was disappointed the it was not in focus.  One thing I have learned about my macro lens is that you really need a tri-pod if you want things clear but sometimes serendipity takes over and make the out of focus picture more artful. If you haven’t figured it out by now this is the center of a flower magnified several times.   I think it is kind of neat…. Continue reading The Dance of The….

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Humanity & Artificial Intelligence…

RJ Walters

I am with this post starting a series of posts about robotic machines and humanity. This is a pretty serious topic of which I have some knowledge of at least the beginning of this paradigm shift. This post is what Amazon says about the book entitled Machines of Loving Grace: The Quest for Common Ground Between Humans and Robots. In this series I will be talking on both sides of the topic and also giving you a little bio of my life in its formative years. As robots are increasingly integrated into modern society—on the battlefield and the road, in business, … Continue reading Humanity & Artificial Intelligence…