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Little Steps Are Not Enough…

RJ Walters

What will it take to get even a small degree of bipartisanship back in our federal government? That seems to be the question of the decade for those of us living in the US and actually much of the world as well.  My friends at Eudaimonia & Co speak constantly about the dark side of capitalism and we all need that at least a small dose of that to keep us focused on the bright side of life. Here are some of their words in a recent post about that: There are three great trends which shape American decline — and the … Continue reading Little Steps Are Not Enough…

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Why Incompetent People Think They Are Amazing

RJ Walters

I know the title of this post will get quite a bit of attention because it mirrors someone we all know.  It is known as the Dunning-Kruger Effect. Here is a quote from an article about it: “When psychologists Dunning and [Justin] Kruger first described the effect in 1999, they argued that people lacking knowledge and skill in particular areas suffer a double curse. First, they make mistakes and reach poor decisions. But second, those same knowledge gaps also prevent them from catching their errors. In other words, poor performers lack the very expertise needed to recognize how badly they’re … Continue reading Why Incompetent People Think They Are Amazing

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My 10 Pillars

RJ Walters

I know you don’t care but since I am an addicted list maker I have been tinkering with my blogging schedule here at RJsCorner.  In order to not fixate on the political scene I have committed to addressing more diversified topics.  That diversity is driven by my blogging schedule as shown at the top of this and every page. Monday is the only day I allow myself to concentrate on the political scene inside the beltway and particularly inside the Oval Office topics. Any more than that could drive me to insanity. :)  I have just changed Tuesday to blogging … Continue reading My 10 Pillars

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Compromise?

RJ Walters

I think one of the biggest failures of the Obama administration was their naivete in thinking that they could compromise with the current Republican Party. Here are some words about that:  American needs a loud, proud, uncompromising, demanding, and transformative opposition at this crucial juncture, my friends — one which accomplishes something in particular: a new social contract. What else is this wave asking for? Anything less is failing the moment, the opportunity, the challenge, and the test — of collapse. Trying to fight authoritarianism with gentle compromises and winsome diplomatic smiles is like offering your abuser tea and crumpets. America needs an opposition that can … Continue reading Compromise?

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American Myths – American Exceptionalism

RJ Walters

For this Question Everything Friday I want to bring you another dangerous myth that is ingrained into our country. That is that we are so exceptional that you can’t be compared to any other country.  Here is my quote for the day about that. We can’t compare America to any other country! Especially not strange, dangerous countries like Scandinavia or France! We can’t? Why not? How else do you suppose that nations make progress — if not by learning from one another? Americans have been told that other places are “homogeneous”, so America can’t be compared to them — but “homogeneity” is not the … Continue reading American Myths – American Exceptionalism

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Seeking Wisdom – James Madison

RJ Walters

Another of the major sources of wisdom I frequently visit is the fourth president of the U.S. James Madison. There are a number of reasons for that admiration, not the least of which are the similarity between Madison and myself. He was 5′ 7″ and small stature while most of the other famous people during that period were broad-shouldered and well over 6′.  Since he was a little guy he had to work harder than many to get the attention he deserved. I am currently 5′ 7″ myself (although I was over 5′ 9″ before old age and compression fractures took … Continue reading Seeking Wisdom – James Madison

Life On The Margins4 Comments

Explaining Our Times…

RJ Walters

Ok, I admit that I have been retired from the workforce for almost two decades now, so aside from what I read I am pretty much ignorant of it. When I left the workforce the mantra was “Do more with less”. Many of my coworkers were being laid off and I was told that I had to do their jobs in addition to my own.  I couldn’t imagine a more stressful situation today. When I came across this article by By Ruth Whippman in the New York Times it helped me to have more empathy for today’s middle-class workers.  Ms. Whippman is the … Continue reading Explaining Our Times…

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Bluster…

RJ Walters

David Brooks from the New York Times and the PBS Newshour recently used a word I haven’t heard in a long time. That word is the title of this post and here is the definition. This word just seems soooo appropriate for someone we all know. I don’t even have to mention his name.   If there is any single word that can possibly contain who this guy is, bluster is it. He is certainly loud, totally aggressive, as indignant as anyone I could ever imagine.  He refuses to believe in facts other than the ones he made up. But I … Continue reading Bluster…

Philosophical Thoughts2 Comments

What If Jesus Meant All That Stuff

RJ Walters

Shane Claiborne is one of my favorite Christian authors. He definitely lives the words of Jesus and he is not bashful when it comes to telling others that Talk is cheap and actions are where you demonstrate your beliefs. At one point Gandhi was asked if he was a Christian, and he said, essentially, “I sure love Jesus, but the Christians seem so unlike their Christ.” A recent study showed that the top three perceptions of Christians in the U. S. among young non-Christians are that Christians are 1) antigay, 2) judgmental, and 3) hypocritical. So what we have here … Continue reading What If Jesus Meant All That Stuff

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Spider Attack!!

RJ Walters

For this “Outside the Box” Saturday I give you a picture of when I was attacked by a giant spider!  Well, not really, but it was a 30 ft or should I say a 10-meter high sculpture of a spider. This photo was taken in Ottawa Canada when we visited there a few years ago.  The sculpture is called Maman and is located at the National Gallery of Canada.  There are so many sites in Ottawa to see. We spent four days there but that really wasn’t enough. Continue reading Spider Attack!!

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Between Fact and Belief…

RJ Walters

Since I have lived the largest part of my life as a scientist I have thoroughly come to believe that when facts clash seriously with beliefs then beliefs need to be modified. I know the current Oval Office occupant doesn’t believe in facts, to him everything he doubts must be fake news and sadly his loyal base blindly accepts that line.  That is one of the scariest things for me about these times. But that is not the main point of this post.  Here are some words to ponder: They are facts. Nothing more and nothing less. Just facts. It … Continue reading Between Fact and Belief…

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Thomas Jefferson, American Hero

RJ Walters

I want to kick off this re-formatted “Seeking Wisdom” category here on RJsCorner with Thomas Jefferson.  He is one of my primary sources of wisdom. He was an idealistic rebel of his times. Even by his compatriots, he was considered a writer for the ages.  He was a young man when he was drafted to write the Declaration of Independence. Some believed him to be just too much of an idealist and too inexperienced to write it, but looking back that is exactly the type of person needed for the job then and maybe even more so now.  He was … Continue reading Thomas Jefferson, American Hero

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My Essence Statement – Who I Am

RJ Walters

In a recent post, I declared myself as living a joyous life of a nuanced skeptic. This post will flesh out that description as to make you even more confused. :)  Now in my old age, I am convinced that it takes almost a lifetime to determine just what your personal essence is.  We can all describe ourselves at various points in our lives but to find the essence of you is much more difficult. Maybe the difficult part is to do it in just a few words. I have been playing with the words above for several weeks now. … Continue reading My Essence Statement – Who I Am

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Snippet – Canadian Countryside @ MyView…

RJ Walters

With this post, I am instituting a new post category called Snippet.  This is where I send you a short note about what I have been doing.  With this snippet, I wanted to tell you I just added a new gallery over at MyViewOfTheWorld Photo site. I think you just might like it. It is from my 2011 month long trip up the St. Lawrence Seaway. There is some absolutely beautify scenery up there.  Continue reading Snippet – Canadian Countryside @ MyView…

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Studebaker…

RJ Walters

I know a good portion of my readership are seniors like me. So, I imagine that they know what the title is all about.  But for my younger readers, Studebaker was one of the few carriage makers who successfully transformed into an automobile maker in the early 1900s.  It seemed that most of them just wanted to throw an engine on the carriages in place of horses. 😎 Studebaker was located in the rather small town of South Bend Indiana from 1852 until 1967.  Many of their cars have become fashionable icons since those days.  Even in the 1960s when … Continue reading Studebaker…

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More Myths Americans Need to Unlearn About America

RJ Walters

Let’s face it, we can’t simply ignore the problems and hope they go away. That seems to have worked for a long time but in reality, it has just allowed the problems to fester and get worse.  America is collapsing and if we don’t do something about it soon, it just may be too late. Just because we have gone-to-the-edge before and survived doesn’t mean it will happen again. Here is the myth for today that we need to unlearn: Myth:    America isn’t collapsing!!! Life expectancy is falling, the vast majority of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, they can’t raise … Continue reading More Myths Americans Need to Unlearn About America

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Seeing Them For Who They Are…

RJ Walters

For this “Seeking-Wisdom” post, I want to try and bust a few bubbles before diving into this category much further. We all must recognize that the inspirational figures in our lives are for the most part like all of us in that they are multifaceted. They have characteristics beyond those that inspire us.  For instance, Thomas Jefferson is one of my top sources of seeking wisdom. Even today, 200+ years after they were written,  his writing and insight simply astound me!  But then there is the fact that he was a slaveholder who likely fathered several children from his “visits” … Continue reading Seeing Them For Who They Are…

Life On The Margins, Redux1 Comment

Who Are You??

RJ Walters

Like most of us, people often ask me who I am?  When we are in our employment years we often answer with our current occupation.  For me, that was an IT/Database developer. Depending on who is asking we sometimes give a different answer. But in reality, it takes years and often an entire lifetime to determine who we really are. Throughout our lives, we struggle with one thing or another and those struggles are a big part of what forms who we are. They say that diversity builds character and I can certainly attest to that fact. Living in poverty … Continue reading Who Are You??