The So-Called Religion Which Has Stained Our Existence!

India is considered to be a land of 33 crore Gods and Goddesses! We all worship the form that we believe in. But religion, now a days, has turned out to be a sort of business. People are more indulged into religious affairs, when there are thousands of children who don't have food to eat or cloths to wear! People spend millions of rupees behind the construction of temple, and then for its maintenance! It's utterly useless! What I believe in is that worshipping is an inner job and we do not need to go to distant places to worship! Moreover it is the feelings that we have and it is the work that we do, rather to just banging our heads in the temples, mosques, gurudwaras etc. Our society is not so powerful just because of our religious beliefs. They are so stubborn! The cast system which was set up in the Vedic era, still affects our mind! Discrimination based on the grounds of religion is widespread! All the riots and terrorism which break out is all due to the religion.

After the independence of India, when Pakistan seceded or to put in, when India and Pakistan were formed, there were a lot many problems arising between the Hindus and Muslims! Lakhs of people were killed just because either they were Hindus or were Muslims! There were many riots happening at that time. It was also believed that Pakistan was for Muslims and India was for Hindus! This period could be considered as the 'Reign of Terror' in the Indian History! The chief reason behind all that blood shed was religion. Even today so far almost 80% of the Indian and Pakistani population consider each other enemies! One reason for the enmity, which is prevalent even today is the again the Religion, the difference of Hindus and Muslims. We all often fail to look from a broader perspective and just tend to stick in the dirty web of religious disharmony! If we all consider each other Human Beings and sink all our personal grudges than we would realize the true power of the nations! We constantly fight against each other and day by day our rivalry is becoming stronger and stronger. We are becoming more hostile and boisterous towards each other! It must not be forgotten that India and Pakistan once upon a time were a part of the same nation; it is today that Pakistan has become a separate nation. The current issue is that 'should, Kashmir go into Pakistan or should it stay with India?' The probable answer to this question from my point of view is that Pakistan and India shouldn't be considered as different nations and should work collaboratively to accomplish the tasks. This unity will help both the countries to save a huge amount of money that they spend on fighting with each other and moreover the when both the countries unite their prosperity would be worth seeing! As such if we rationally look at the situation today, there seems to be no problem with India and Pakistan, all the problems that we see are all illusive and can be dissolved if we just open our eyes and try to think differently!

Actually all the religions teach a single thing - 'Love' but it is we who perceive it in different ways! There cannot be any religion in the world which would teach 'Inhumane customs'. In an Indian village, during Navratri, there is a huge lamp that stays lit through the 9 days! The Ghee that is used is pure, original ghee! Now, such things are so stupid! People don't get pure ghee to eat while they burn it off to ashes there!! We are the evils of our society! Lot many temple might simply be galloping all that finance that they get as charity! People are ready to give a thousand rupees when someone says, "Today is Janmashtmi, we are arranging for a grand festival tonight. You are a devotee of God, please lend us some money" but they would not have a penny to give to poor children who do not have books to study! Such is our mentality! We perform rituals and religious rites (Like the Havans, and Yagnas and what not!) in each and every small thing and spend thousands of rupees, or to put in give thousands to the ones which have lakhs! What I feel is that it is a mere waste of money and time - the very precious things, which do not return once gone! I must say we are the evils!

The truth that lies in our sacred texts is something very different from what we consider to be! It is said that we must 'Perform our duties regardless of the result we may receive. We must serve the humanity as right fit.' What I personally believe in is that we should never waste time in 'specially' worshipping the Lord. It is our work, which is our worship and thus we should always keep our selves busy and productive. That's the way we can progress. Currently the amount of money and time that is spent behind worship is the money and time from which we can make hundreds of remarkable and productive changes. But unfortunately we want to waste it like anything, in spite of knowing that it has troubled us so much and now it's the time to be 'Practical'!

Have you ever heard that your God complained against you if in the morning you didn't pray to him or you did not perform a Yagna or something of that sort? Than why the hell do you need to do all that? It is an illusion created by all of us and we are the people who need to break through it! I'm saying that we all must become atheists, but at least we must learn to prioritize the real world and the religion! So just to conclude we all are spending millions and billions of rupees, across the country, through centuries. Now it's time to stop all this nonsense! I must say that if we stop all these useless ceremonies, rituals and religious tasks than we would be capable to pension off all the debt on our country!

Political Activism and the Presidential Election With Fulbright Scholar Michael Sonnleitner   Lessons Learnt   The Death Penalty - Ineffective, Irrational and Fiscally Irresponsible   Building Cultural Icons and Tearing Them Down - It's Wrong and Even Those Who Do, Know It   

Why Do People Gain Weight?

Why do people gain weight? This important question has many easy and not-so-easy answers. According to recent statistics, over one-third of the United States population is obese. An even higher percentage of the population is overweight, without being considered obese.

The American population has been gaining weight at an alarming pace over the past few decades. The rate of obesity in the United States has already surpassed epidemic proportions, and there is no sign that it will slow or decline.

For most people, weight gain or loss follows a pretty simple formula. It is easy to understand and is similar in concept to budgeting money. For example, when you make a budget, if you spend more money than you make, you are losing money. This is similar to losing weight. When you spend more calories than you take in, you lose weight. Conversely, when you spend less money than you take in, you save money and when you spend less calories than you eat, you gain weight.

Obesity has become a major problem for one-third of the American population because as a nation, we have stopped being active and tend to overeat. Of course, there are a few people who have other health issues that directly affect their weight. This argument may not apply to them. But it applies to the majority of the population who is overweight.

If it is really that easy to explain, why do people gain weight? Why are so many Americans obese and why are the answers to solving the obesity epidemic so difficult to find?

Obesity is a health problem that carries risks for the entire country and not just those who are obese. Consider the costs of health care for example. You might be an individual of normal weight, but your health insurance premiums will continue to rise as the country struggles to pay for the healthcare costs of those who are obese. There are plenty of costs and additional health problems that arise because of a person's obesity. This may include heart disease, diabetes and a host of other issues. Who pays for the costs taking care of obese individuals? Everyone does!

The answers to the obesity epidemic may not be clear. But it should be clear to everyone that if something does not happen to stop and reverse the epidemic, the health of our nation as a whole will deteriorate very very quickly.

Political Activism and the Presidential Election With Fulbright Scholar Michael Sonnleitner   Lessons Learnt   The Death Penalty - Ineffective, Irrational and Fiscally Irresponsible   Building Cultural Icons and Tearing Them Down - It's Wrong and Even Those Who Do, Know It   China's Stealth Fighter-Bombers and the US Military's Political Sequestration Problems Pondered   

State Of Insecurity In Nigeria And The Need To Find Lasting Solutions

The current State of Insecurity in Nigeria crept on the country like a thief in the night, while the leaders and watchers of the country's collective security, were asleep or too blind to see what was going on. In less than 10 years, Nigeria has moved from a country where issues of suicide bombing was totally inconceivable, by the even the most imaginative minds, to where suicide bombing is now a daily occurrence. The country has moved from a nation where church buildings and mosques used to held sacred by everyone, including unbelievers, to a tragic situation where churches are now being bombed with regularity.

The nation has transformed from a country where our National Independence day celebrations was always a time of unbridled public expression of pride and joy, to a situation where the President was forced to deliver his last Independence day speech from his bedroom, simply because terrorists dared him to come to the stadium.

Nigeria is now surrounded, and hemmed in on all sides, in a deadly siege by the Militant Terrorists in the South-South; escalating menace of armed robbery in the west; economic terrorism in the Midwest; kidnapping for ransom and political assassination in the east and suicide bombers in the North. That Nigeria is under siege from all sides, not by a foreign power but by their own home grown terrorists is no longer a matter for debate, but a deadly and sober reality, that even the most ardent patriots have come to acknowledge

The descent to a state of complete state of insecurity all started out with intra-party skirmishes and use of thugs by some of our politicians. While Nigerians were still occupied with the mundane affairs, the political thugs turned to vicious assassins.

In the South-South, restive militants in the Niger Delta turned up the heat to alarming levels after their political and social leader was brutally killed. The government had to declare amnesty for the self-confessed anarchists before the country could have a semblance of peace.

Just when Nigerians we breathing a sigh of relief from the respite provided by the Niger Delta militants after the controversial amnesty program, the Boko Haram insurgency erupted in the North.Police stations and police officers were killed with regularity and even the newspapers stations were drawn into this boiling pot of terrorism when the offices of some newspapers such as Thisday and Sun were bombed by suicide bombers.

In the Western states, the armed robbers seemed determined not to be outdone. They have taken their game to another level with daylight robberies followed by midnight visits. Cars are being hijacked with regularity and the police appeared to be at a loss on what to do about it.

While the State of Insecurity in Nigeria continued to worsen on an hourly basis, the government appeared paralyzed and incapable of dealing with the level of savagery and arrogance of the terrorists from everywhere.

The State of Insecurity in the nation has reached such an alarming level that even some of the most ardently patriotic, well-meaning, and optimistic Nigerians are beginning to accept the obvious fact that Nigeria is tottering towards becoming a failed state. One writer actually called it the 'Somalization of Nigeria'. To some, this may be an exaggeration of the reality on ground, but I personally will not disagree with those sentiments. When a Nation can no longer guarantee a basic necessity for survival in the country, then it is tending towards failure though it may not have totally failed. I am sure those who have been living with the terrorist nightmare on a daily basis in Jos, Kano, Abuja and other cities will definitely agree that Nigeria has failed them in the area of security.

The effect of this problem is so far-reaching that I am still surprised that the National Assembly and the Executive arm of the nIgerian government have not even appreciated the economic, social and political ramifications of this security nightmare. More than 80% of activities on Nigeria's capital market occur from foreign investors. Obviously, no reasonable investor will put continue its money in a country with poor security. Also, over 70% of food supplies in the country come from food supplies from the north and the state of insecurity in the country has led to drastic cuts in supplies of essentials such as Tomatoes, Pepper and Yam. As it is, many Nigerians have not even connected the rising cost of these staple foods to the terrorism in the North. People just knew prices are rising without even understanding why.

As this condition continues to worsen, Nigerians are going to be in for a season of famine and hunger. As one commentator put it, 'It may well get to the point where the poor have nothing else to eat but the rich people around them'.

As Nigerians continue to cower in their bedrooms praying for the scourge of terrorism, militants and armed robbery to be taken away by God, many have tried to find the cause of this modern day siege of the most populous black nation. Some have traced the root causes to poverty; some have fingered corruption of our leaders while others have tried to pin it on foreign influence.

Meanwhile as allegations and counter allegations continue to assault the citizen's already frayed mental conditions, they are yet to be provided with any practical solutions to this scourge on theircountry. Government keeps assuring the people that terrorism will soon be a thing of the past. How this will happen, in view of the daily bombings, nobody has told the anxious citizens. Nigeria's security problems continues to worsen at a rate, where even some of the most patriotic and courageous Nigerians, are now wringing their hands in despair, with a scary acceptance of the fact that Nigeria could be tending towards anarchy and failure as an entity.

The Government appears confused and powerless to stem the tide of this siege and state of insecurity. The President appears totally disassociated from the climate in the country. He has moved from one of the most popular presidents to be voted for, just a year ago, to a President that everyone now looks at with anger and scorn.

In order to find lasting solutions to the security problem, some smart people all over the world have made some useful suggestions that should be considered in arresting this security problem. Maybe it is also time for the President to consider some of these previously inconceivable options in confronting the siege on his country. Some of the viable solutions to the problem in my view include:

1.Government should swallow its pride and recognize that it is time to engage the terrorists in a meaningful discussion in the same way the government engaged the militants in Niger delta area a few years ago. That engagement led to their laying down their arms and brought relative peace in the South. There is no reason to suggest that the same strategy would not work in the Northern states.

2.Another positive step may be for the president to admit that the country's law enforcement officers are simply not trained, or equipped, to deal with the level of sophistication from people who are presumably illiterates, and call in the terrorism experts from USA, U.K and Israel.. These foreign governments have decades of experience in dealing with the kind of insecurity presented by terrorists and they may be able to offer some very useful approaches towards containing this problem. This is not the first time for the government to hide behind ineffective patrotism. The country needs help and it should get it from wherever it can.

3.Another possible solution may be for the government to set up a Northern Development Commission for the Northern parts of the country to help with the alleviation of poverty, improvement in education and enhancement of local development, just like the Niger Delta Commission is doing for the Southern States.

This is a viable option because many people have suggested that lack of education in majority of the populace; poverty; and under-development of social amenities are some of the root causes of terrorism in the Northern parts. Afterall, hungry and poorly educated people are very susceptible to becoming suicide bombers. Providing a special development commission to deal with issues of development, education and poverty in the northern Nigeria will go a long way in reducing the level of their disenchantment with the whole country as appears to be the case now.

4. Of course if none of these options or others are acceptable to the government, another option may be for the President to simply hold up his hands in surrender and tell Nigerians that he is way out of his depth and resign from the position honorably along with his Vice President. I really don't know

While we all agree that the state of insecurity in the land is indeed a serious one. Everyone is also agreement that the President must take some very active measures to solve this problem before Nigeria becomes a complete pariah among the comity of nations. The country can simply can survive without the patronage of foreigners. Yet, no foreigner in his right senses will want to go invest in a country with serious security problems. So it is time every stakeholder in the country get together and solve this problem of insecurity in the country.

Nigeria has enormous potential to be the economic and political tiger in Africa and solving its security problems will be a good way to start living up to that potential.

Political Activism and the Presidential Election With Fulbright Scholar Michael Sonnleitner   Lessons Learnt   The Death Penalty - Ineffective, Irrational and Fiscally Irresponsible   Building Cultural Icons and Tearing Them Down - It's Wrong and Even Those Who Do, Know It   

Indian Higher Education - An Overview

Wide discussions are held on the state and concerns of Indian higher education. What really is the issue here? Let us take a look!...

Though the problems associated with this sector are multilayer-ed, I had divided it broadly in to administrative and academic problems, with few subtitles under these as I feel that all other problems like, social, psychological etc. associated with this sector comes in the backdrop of these broad problems. Let us first look in to these problems before going in to the reforms required.

CONCERNS

I) ADMINISTRATIVE-

i) Reservation- Reservation and Privatization are perhaps the most debated topic in our higher educational sector, and hence I have listed it first in the list. Increased concern over reservation has negatively affected our higher educational system as it has taken away lime light from many other major concerns. Reservation in any sector (&especially I educational system), causes loss to society, as the brightest do not reach better institutes; but we still continue with it thinking it would bring more good to the society than its losses. Though the need for a reservation still exists it is time to think of its re-allotment for more effectiveness. Sam Pitroda, the chairman of National Knowledge Commission, "Reservation has probably set us back several years in our ability to carry out the reforms we need to."

The popular support that reservation gets had prompted many of our politicians to o on further with reservation (with a need for Supreme Court to intervene in the matter and cap reservation limit to maximum of 50 Percent). The social tensions faced by the authorities against this policy is mainly managed by increasing the total number of seats and also because many among the upper class pursue foreign education.

The proper implementation and gradual reduction of reservation in a democratic country like ours need strong political will, free of prejudices.

ii) Political intervention in universities- This takes place both in policy formation and implementation. Bureaucratic sluggishness, misconceptions and prejudices retard the growth of our higher education sector. The denial of visa for prominent global educationalists to come to India, the slow moving files in government offices on matters concerning collaboration of industry and institutes, the delays in allocation of new courses etc. are the finest examples of this aspect.

Among the policy matters too, the absence of Political visionaries had been a problem while there were 5 IITs established during Nehru's period, only 1 IIT was established prior to the recent establishment of5 new IITs. Unhealthy political among the teaching and the student community and the inefficient funding has also retarded the growth of this field. A prominent educationalist tells, "Our deans and administrators now hang on the spoken word of our politicians, and student unions and teachers beat to their drum. It's so entrenched that asserting independence in appointments and day to day decision turns you in to a radical, a rebel in the system."

As political elite and the government receive benefits of these negative aspects, they prefer a status-quo. Thus, in our higher educational system, we have this uncomfortable condition, as Nandan Nilekani puts it "the state interferes, rather than guiding; (play) politics rather than policy".

iii) Regulation- In the regulatory aspect of higher education, we have a dual problem. On the one hand, we have a confusing array of different regulatory bodies like UGC and AICTE and on the other hand, neither the government, nor UGC or AICTE has an effective control over our Universities. The rating system of the UGC and AICTE is also one with many loop holes.

Due to absence of good legislation, UGC and AICTE had reduced to regulatory bodies that stand helplessly by, as India's university system crumbled, and thus half of India's expanding colleges, as a Vice-chancellor remarked, "are intellectual and social slums".

iv) Funding- India spends only 1.9 percent of its GDP on higher education, the lowest among any nations with GDP higher than $500 billion. Its spending on research activities at universities is also very low compared to both the developed and the emerging nations. Even the funds that are presently allotted are not efficient enough. But, it should be noted that higher funding or investment in higher education can lead to better results only with reforms in the total system.

II) ACADEMIC-

i) Quality of the Higher education- India is the 3rd largest in the number of higher educational institutes after China and USA and is one of the largest degree producers in the world.

But, quality of these is quite unsatisfactory. No worthwhile invention has been made here. Rote learning can identified as one of the factor behind this. India's engineering and medical colleges, management schools and universities are facing a serious shortage of quality academic faculty by about 20 percent. Global competitiveness of Indian students is comparatively small and is still smaller if the top 10 institutes of India are taken out. India does not have more than 5 universities in the top 500 bracket of the academic ranking of world universities.

ii) Number of Institutions for higher education- Though India is one of the largest in terms of number of institutes for higher education; it is still short of them. This shortage is expected to be more by 2015, thanks to the efforts to improve the enrollment ratio. By 2015, we need at least 1500 universities, against 350 we have today.

iii) Research- The research standards of our country has been poor, both in terms of quality and quantity. If we consider a particular area, say Computer Science, where we are assumed to be strong, we can see that annual PhDs in this field in our country is 25, while it exceeds 800 in USA and 2500 in China. IIT is granted 3-6 patents in a year, where as it is 64 for Stanford and 102 for MIT! We haven't seen any technological adaptation after 1970s and 1980s and not a single major invention emerged from India over past 50 years!!!

iv) Employability- "75 percent of the Indian graduates are unemployable for the work they are trained for", was said by Shri. Narayana Murthy of Infosys. Many people prefer sub-standard engineering degree than good vocational skills, where as 90 percent of the employment opportunities require vocational skills. McKinsley estimates that only 10 percent of Indian students in arts and humanities and only 25 percent of Indian engineering graduates are globally competitive. 12 percent of the 41 million unemployed are either a graduate or a postgraduate!

REFORMS

It is an agreed fact that reforms are required in the area of higher education. Many suggestions on this matter address many of the problems mentioned earlier. Some of them are a panacea for more than one of those problems.

A 'super regulator' which forms a single independent regulatory body would eliminate the confusion prevailing over multiple arrays of regulatory bodies. This would also bring more transparency, setting up of uniform controls and better quality in higher education. We need independent regulatory body free from government or political intervention.

Private participation, if properly propelled can bring out both qualitative and quantitative improvement in our higher educational sector. It is neither possible nor sensible for the government to invest the huge amount that is required for, in our higher educational sector. Private participation, from both inside and outside the country should be encouraged to make more institutes in our country. This will take away the deficit between the demand for higher education and the availability of institutes. This will avoid the instances like that which happened in Delhi University this year, when a 100percent cut-off was announced in a college under the university. Institutes like TISS, BITS, Lady Sriram College, Sriram College of Commerce, Xavier Labour Relations Institute (XLRI), CMC Vellore, St. Stephen's College, etc. has taken away our doubts on the quality of private institutes.

The interactions between industries and institutions should be encouraged, taking necessary precautions, as this can increase the employability of the students.

Reforms have taken in our country when visionaries came in to action, like it happened during Nehru's times. When visionaries like M.S. Swaminathan, Vikram Sarabhai, Sam Pitroda, Verghese Kurien etc. acted, reforms required happened with direction. In the higher educational sector of our country, we have "a Niagra of reports and a Sahara of actions". Reforms required in higher educational sector requires controversial steps, as we are in a democracy. In fact, the market economy has been pushing us to the necessary reforms, to an extent. The question is, whether India can bring about these reforms fast enough to avail the opportunities that the country has today- domestically and globally???

Political Activism and the Presidential Election With Fulbright Scholar Michael Sonnleitner   Lessons Learnt   The Death Penalty - Ineffective, Irrational and Fiscally Irresponsible   Building Cultural Icons and Tearing Them Down - It's Wrong and Even Those Who Do, Know It   China's Stealth Fighter-Bombers and the US Military's Political Sequestration Problems Pondered   

The Future of the World Depends on Failure of the EU - Human Freedom and Liberty Needs It to Fail

Yes, I'll admit that title is a little hard-hitting and in your face, but what better way to get the point across. Now then, you are going to want my explanation for such a harsh reality type statement like that, and I believe you are justified in your inquiry, so, let's get right into the meat of this debate, and then you can contemplate on this argument, whether you agree or disagree is immaterial, my objective is purely to get you to think about it all.

Now then, if you will recall Greece is world of financial hurt, mostly due to their over expenditures on socialist type government give-aways, and rather than going to austerity measures to re-align themselves with the rest of Europe, they elected a more left-leaning socialist leader. What did France do? Well, they are not without their own challenges although far better off than the PIIGS - Portugal, Italy, Spain, Greece, and Ireland. But what did France do, well, they too voted in a more left leaning President recently.

All these left-leaning socialist methods are what has caused all these problems, and rather than fixing them, they decide to add more fuel to that fire and dig a bigger hole, rather than digging their way out of the one they'd created. If the ECB becomes an entity with the same power as the Federal Reserve and attempts to borrow its way out of things without changing this socialist mindset, it only will blow the balloon up bigger for one less hoorah before the big pop and implosion in the years ahead.

Worse, in the meantime it gives other nations a model to follow, and they too will reach the same potential eventuality and drive off a similar future cliff. And, let's not forget our own nation's problems, isn't our current leadership also following socialist theory and borrowing so many bad economic habits from Europe already? If the governments of the world become the parents and nannies of their citizenry, then what happens when the parents can no longer provide.

Perhaps you will recall when you were young and your parents took care of you? You didn't have that much freedom, and you always wanted more, but those were the rules right? Well, if the government is your new parents and you live as a socialist subject then you will not have any freedom or liberty, and then may I ask what you intend on doing when your parents lose their home, and leave you all alone? Freedom and Liberty come with responsibility my friends.

Of course, I am utterly amazed that the US voters would elect a regime that promised them such a socialist dream, something that goes against everything this great nation stands for. It's time to understand that socialism does not work, and maybe it is time for the European Union's experiment to fail before other nations follow it into the same abyss. Mexico is about to elect a left-leaning socialist, and many nations in South America already have. History shows this to be unwise, and it will surely cause those economies an early demise.

We as Americans know better, or at least most of us used too, today, it appears that the majority may not know better - nevertheless, maybe it's time that everyone see the light. It might be much better off for the future of mankind, for freedom and liberty worldwide, if the EU simply fall apart and those nations which are less socialistic are allowed to succeed on their own accord and those which aren't are allowed to pay for their foolhardy mistakes, then we might see a rebirth of freedom and liberty, yes, with responsibility, as that is the nature of things on this planet, it's always been that way, no matter what a politician might say.

Please consider all this and think on it.

Political Activism and the Presidential Election With Fulbright Scholar Michael Sonnleitner   Lessons Learnt   The Death Penalty - Ineffective, Irrational and Fiscally Irresponsible   Building Cultural Icons and Tearing Them Down - It's Wrong and Even Those Who Do, Know It   China's Stealth Fighter-Bombers and the US Military's Political Sequestration Problems Pondered   Getting Elected Is the Easy Part, Why Is It So Hard for the Obama Campaign to Win Reelection?   

More Than a Piece of Paper

According to a recent story from the New York Times Americans are increasingly feeling the pressure of raising children outside the context of marriage. In short we are witnessing the disintegration of the family in the United States (and all the western world for that matter) take place right before our very eyes. The article goes on to say that the only reason most Americans will even wade through the doll-drums of matrimony is to establish a stable financial structure on which to build a family upon. Even going so far as to say "It is the privileged Americans who are marrying, and marrying helps them stay privileged".May I quickly point out the logical implications of such a view on marriage?

For those who would say that the only practical reason to "tie the knot" is to build a stable economic platform for a family, you have to follow your logic to its end. First the obvious implication is that you should shoot to marry someone who is wealthy, and that perhaps not alone but certainly primarily should determine if someone is suitable to marry. Secondly(lets dig a little deeper now), lets imagine for a moment that you and your spouse try for several years to build a solid financial foundation for your family, but then tragically it fails miserably and you end up filing bankruptcy. According to the logic employed here, you should get rid of that spouse who is hindering your financial conquests, and look for one who is more entrepreneurial, or business savvy. After all, if marriage exists solely for economic security, then what basis do we have to preserve a failing marriage?

It's not as though people are not following the logical implications derived from such a view on marriage. Have we not seen the divorce rates sky-rocket? For not only first marriages, but second, and third marriages as well? The newest cultural development however, is to avoid the heart-ache associated with marriage all together and just cohabit or "shack up". This graph from a Washington research group (link below) shows the staggering amount of children born out-of-wedlock. As you can see the trend to have children outside the context of marriage has grown from that of the previous generation. So instead of a child having at least a shot at a mommy and a daddy who are committed to each other, now the child has to cycle through a seemingly unending line of boyfriends that mommy brings home. Boyfriends who perhaps show a fatherly affection towards the child for a time, but only because the goal is to get with mommy. Such is the fate of a society in which the word of God is so unilaterally rejected. There is no devotion to a spouse, or to children, or to the institution of marriage because there is no understanding of where marriage came from or what it represents. what the bible says in reference to Israel is so relevant for us today "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge"(Hosea 4:6). We will be destroyed, because we are not having enough children (our death rate is rapidly closing in on our birthrate), and we are not giving our children Godly instruction in order to make them into properly functioning adults. So whats to be done? As Voddie Baucham would say "I'm glad you asked".

We must return, return, return to a biblical view of marriage. Volumes have been written on this subject, but we will try to ascertain at least the general concept of marriage. To do this we will ask, and then answer three basic questions. First, "Where does marriage come from"? Secondly "Who can/should partake in it". Finally "What does marriage ultimately represent"? Let's see what scripture shows us.

Who created marriage? When the pharisees asked Jesus in Mathew chapter nineteen "Why did Moses permit divorce"? Jesus gives a great answer. He doesn't start with Moses, he takes the pharisees all the way back to Genesis, and shows them from whom the institution of marriage is derived. Listen to what Jesus says "Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female', and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." (Mathew 19:4-6). Jesus gives a direct quote from Genesis "That a man shall leave his father and mother and be united to his wife". The answer to the question is that God made marriage. Man did not come up with marriage on his own in order to benefit society, or to help preserve and perpetuate the species. No, God ordained the institution of marriage.

Who can/should be married? Again let's look at Genesis "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh" (Genesis 2:24). There is no qualifying statement to this. God does not say "my people", or "Sons's of Adam" rather he simply says "man" and "women". So who should marry? Men who have the desire to engage in relations with women and women who have the desire to engage in relationship with men. These are the only parties allowed to take part in God's institution of marriage. Anything else (e.g; Homosexuality, sex outside the context of marriage) is a perversion of God's decree and is a crime against God (AKA sin).

What does marriage represent? Ultimately we don't find out the full answer to this question until Ephesians five. The fifth Chapter of Ephesians tells us that "For we are members of his body. 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' This is a profound mystery--but I am talking about Christ and the Church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband"(Ephesians 5:30-33). Clearly Ephesians five tells us that marriage was ultimately given to represent the oneness that the Church experiences with Christ. Paul even references the same verse in Genesis to prove his argument!

So based on what the bible says we can dogmatically infer that God created marriage, that it was made for men to marry women and for women to marry men, and finally that it was made to represent Christ's relationship to the Church. This is a far cry from the culture's misconception of what marriage is and what it is for. Marriage is so much more than a piece of paper. It is a vessel by which the king of kings revives glory. We ought not to trend upon that vessel, but rather to prop it up and defend it. It is therefore our responsibility as followers of Christ to communicate the biblical outline for marriage to the culture and to do so lovingly. After all, what is the mark of a Godly marriage but that of love.

New York Times Article

Washington Research Group

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Baby Boomers' Casual Fashion Can Be Traced to Technology Professions

I was out shopping today, something I rarely do these days, and I couldn't help but notice how people dress; especially men. I was not shopping for clothing, just in the strip mall and a big box retail store. But what struck me was how our society has evolved men into casual, almost sloppy dressers over the years. Why is that?

Growing Up Memories

I remember as a child, proletarian men always wore clothing that was protective and usually considered formal by today's standards. My dad would wear slacks and a long sleeve shirt when going to work. No blue jeans, they weren't as popular in the 50's and 60's as they are today. The upper class would seldom be dressed in anything but a suit and tie in public or on the job. Weekends, especially Sundays, my dad would wear a suit with a white shirt and tie, as many of his colleagues would. He was not unique; most men of the middle class would dress in an almost formal manner to go to church or visit family because it was the social thing to do. Sure, that was then, but why was it so important for that generation to dress up whenever they could? It's because formal dress was a sign of success whatever your level of occupation or socioeconomic status.

I attended high school in the early 60's and, here too, dressing was important. The high school I attended was the only public high school in the city, and boys were required to wear a jacket and tie during the fall and winter months. In spring and early summer we were allowed to shed the jacket, but many did not. Something about wearing nice clothing made us feel good about ourselves. Yes, we complained about it at the time, but I believe it was a self-esteem building exercise. All our male teachers were dressed in suits and ties and it was easy for the students to look to them as authority figures; they looked the part.

During my professional career in the late 60's and 70's I maintained the tradition of "dressing for success." Three piece suits made a comeback in the 70's and early 80's, it was common to spend what was then a considerable amount of money on dress suits for the office. It was the mid 80's when men began dressing down in corporate America. I believe dressing down has some correlation with the introduction of personal computers; maybe coincidental, maybe not.

Dressing down is common today

Today, dressing down is common, especially in cities south of the Mason Dixon line and west of the Mississippi. Fashions for men have become so informal that the only national men's clothing stores I can think of is Men's Warehouse and Jos. A. Banks. Very few local haberdashers still exist. Back in the 70's and 80's, I remember there being a local haberdashery on every street corner in the downtown district; not today.

Our style of dress promotes our self-image, and the old slogan "dress for success" is appropriate. In public today, I noticed 9 out of 10 men were wearing t-shirts. Have we evolved into a t-shirt culture? I am not being judgmental; it just leads me to wonder why this culture no longer promotes dressing for success?

Many technology company founders promoted the casual climate we see today. I remember when Steve Jobs started the Apple Company and was among the first CEO's to be a casual dresser. Employees at Apple emulated this behavior and it is now a common practice in almost every technology company I know. Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, is another example of an extreme casual dresser in the technology sector. He even wore a hoodie when he was promoting the Facebook IPO to Investment Bankers and Financial Advisers.

What is interesting to me is how everything today is about 180 degrees different then when I was growing up. Back then, proletariat men dressed in work clothes considered today to be casual because the nature of their jobs was highly physical. But they saw dressing up as a sign of success. Today, upper class and most University graduates dress down in their occupations, unlike in my father's day. The baby boomer generation is sandwiched between the silent generation and the millennial generation and promoting this transition in fashion.

I can't help but believe that technology occupations have had a hand in this transition to a more casual dress because many of our technology occupations lack social interaction. Instead, we interact socially via computers. Technology workers work directly on computers and in a virtual environment. Future work environments are likely to be in a virtual setting where fashion and social interaction is not necessary. Although this change in fashion has occurred during the Baby Boomer era, I suspect subsequent generations will carry this fashion style. The larger question is how will our social structure change when everyone interacts via computers and smart phones. I believe this fashion behavior will last for at least one more generation or until it becomes important to dress up as it was in my father's day. But, I can't honestly tell you what the catalyst will be for this change.

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Old School Journalism Meets New School Journalism in Social Media

One of the incredibly encouraging things that I learned in journalism school, that really stuck in my brain when broaching the subject of the future of journalism is: That journalism is not on the way out; it is in transition to becoming something better than it ever has been before. The old watch dog is not decrepit and failing, it has been rejuvenated back into the protector of the individual as well as the masses that we all as journalists have sworn to uphold and protect from the beginning. That regardless of the threat to our own life and limb, we cannot back away from the truth; journalism is in a journalist blood not in his credentials. That the old school and new school faction of journalism should not compete with each other, but combine together as one in order to form a global coalition of the protectors of free will and free speech, that no government or dictator can ever repress again.

The ideals of the modern-day social media journalists have been seen in the uprisings of the "Arab Spring" and found not wanting, but empowering to even the least internet literate. The blogs and forums of our worldwide web have encouraged democratic debate not partisan division as so many of social hysteria's mentors have implied.

Social media journalists are not the demons of the new age of journalism even though there are legions of them, but the followers of time-tested journalistic ideals and practices.

Journalists have been ensuring that even though justice might not be done for all, at least it can be viewed or read about by all who are concerned about the integrity of its outcome. Putting the needs of the many before the greed and selfishness of the few has been an unspoken rule for centuries in journalism that existed even before the printing press caused so much controversy as it created the dawn of mass media.

We as social media journalists need to also understand that we are the present pioneers of a new dawn in journalistic history. We should also take great pride and solace in the knowledge and belief that we shall be here forever in the hearts, minds, and spirits of everyday people with the same journalistic ideals and expectations of social change, and the betterment of society, that have always seemed to prevail in journalism regardless of the financial and political corruptions; that have attempted to taint these ideals to further their own agendas. Social Media journalists shall remain in spirit on the World Wide Web for as long as the spoken and written word continues to exist.

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The Road-Map to Unity in Nigeria

It's clear that the Nigeria we live today is filled with raging atmosphere of conflict and disunity. This article offers a road-map towards establishing unity in Nigeria. I believe, like many eminent Nigerians do, that Nigeria's unity is being woefully threatened by sentiments, ethnicity, and militarization and these forces of threats are signaling the nation's downfall towards separation. Only a united Nigeria can survive these ongoing rages of dissent and conflict. But, what are the road-maps of Nigeria's unity?

The Federal Government Must Address the Real Issues-- right now; little has been done by the federal government to address the formidable challenges of a broken Nigeria. Anywhere we look, from militarism to religious and ethnic conflicts; the federal government has done little or nothing to resolve the raging situation. Even when committees are set up to address fresh violence, the investigation remains inconsequential. In Jos; for example, where a line of demarcation is set up, separating the Muslims and the Christians, reminiscent of the apartheid South Africa in 1950s; the government is yet to come up with a solution on how to resolve this issues. The federal government must be committed to finding out the root causes of these conflicts and disunity, and have strong, standard policy to resolving the overall conflicts and division in the country.

Nigerians Must Prioritize-- the burden of establishing a united Nigeria shouldn't just be shouldered by the federal government (although a greater weight has to be shouldered by her), Nigerians too have to come in to ensure that peace and unity reign in the country. But, they have to prioritize. Issues that are foremost must be address first. The compounded problems that loom by day into the Republic are enormous and they are being handled recklessly by the Nigerian authorities. Nigerians have to join hand to prioritize on how best to tackle their problems. This can be done through running a community development programs and delivering seminars to enlighten the general public.

Brotherhood-- this is a most need virtue in a fragmented Nigeria. Nigerians of every ethnicity, gender, and religion must come together and join hands to move forward. Rivalry and ethnic sentiments must be stopped if Nigeria must survive as a multi-ethnic nation. The kernels of brotherhood should start from our homes. Parents must step in to orient their kids that all Nigerians are one; all are equal; and all deserve a full measure of love.

Putting the Country First-- Yes! Nigeria first before anything else as Mallam el-Rufai, the ex-minister of Abuja, often says, "I'm a Nigerian first before being Hausa". This is the general creed that every patriotic Nigerian must have at the back of his or her mind. Nigeria as a nation belongs to us-- Nigerians, and that for us to live a better Nigeria; we have to be our brother's keepers, our country keepers, and our nation builders. Now is the time to stop being sentimental on personal issues and began to join hand to move forward.

The road-map to Nigeria's unity is possible. The federal government must run a background check on the forces that are overwhelming the Nigeria's unity. Nigerians too have to come by to prioritize and unite themselves as Nigerians first before anything else. If brotherhood triumphs sentiments in Nigeria, I believe the Nigeria we have in our midst, today, will be stronger and more united, and the government of the people by the people and for the people will flourish peacefully.

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Helping Small Business Doesn't Mean More Contracts From Washington DC - They Don't Get It

It is amazing sometimes the amount of political rhetoric on TV, especially when it comes to our economy, taxation, and the business community. Speaking of the business community, we all know that the small businesses in the United States employ about 75% of the people, and that 10% of the US population enjoys owning one of their own. Nevertheless, it is the biggest sector of our economy, and one which we must pay particular attention to if you wish to lower our unemployment rate. Okay so, let's talk about this for second shall we?

There was an article in Washington Technology News on June 11, 2012 titled; "White House pushes small buys for small business," by Mathew Weigelt which stated that the Federal Government would be issuing more smaller contracts to smaller companies, contracts under $250,000 which I suppose is supposed to be proof that criticism that the Administration "doesn't care about small business is false." However, to me what it clearly says is that Washington DC has no clue, so whether they 'care' or not is immaterial.

You see, it is obvious from my perspective that what we need to do to help the smaller companies in the US is to reduce regulations, and not keep adding more. What we need is for the government to get out of the way, not throw a bone here and there to individual little businesses for government contracts. Yes, it is good to also support the little guy, and not always a big corporation, but the United States government should also watch its cost and efficiency, and go with the lowest bidder, sometimes that maybe a smaller company, sometimes it may not.

In the free-market system every customer, client, and company must do what's best for them, that's how we get the efficiency and the abundance we have come to love in this country. The federal government cannot choose the winners and losers in the marketplace, nor should they try. Small businesses should be allowed to fail or survive on their own, but we should make it more difficult for them to succeed, as they do not have the lobbyists to bend the regulations in their favor as large corporations apparently do because of the incestuous relationship which goes on there.

If this is someone's idea of helping our little companies, by providing a few more contracts here and there, they are misinterpreting what needs to happen in the marketplace to provide more jobs and reduce our unemployment. This is why I rightfully say that the federal government and this particular administration has no clue as to what's needed in this sector. Indeed I hope you will please consider all that and think on it.

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Government Regulators Spying On Your Company - Why Do They Treat You Like a Terrorist?

Well, I'm not one to point fingers at government regulatory bureaucracies, well, that's not true, actually I do on occasion. However, I justify this because someone needs to watch the world's governments so that things don't get out of hand. In fact our founding fathers were quite concerned about the US population becoming lackadaisical and allowing the intrusion of government into our daily lives. Still I ask, what about our businesses?

You see, it seems to me we have a little bit of vigilantism going on in many of our regulatory agencies. We have folks that have joined the bureaucracy to enforce their view of the world upon all of us. Perhaps they have a fantasy that communism is nice, or socialism is the right way to run a civilization. Now that they have a little bit of authority, they go out and enforce their view of the world onto all of the businesses and, regardless of the reality of the current law.

Now you might think that this doesn't happen very often, but I assure you it does. Not only does it happen at the federal level, it is quite common at the state, county, and even city level. Of course, it hardly stops there, we have socialist left-leaning thinkers even running HOAs, and special assessment districts.

MSNBC had an interesting article posted on May 31, 2012 titled; "EPA planes spying on ranchers? Lawmakers want answers," by Miguel Llanos which stated "Nebraska cattlemen's group is pushing the Environmental Protection Agency to stop pollution-control flights over ranches, claiming it amounts to spying on citizens. EPA, meanwhile, says the flights are an effective way to quickly spot -- and stop -- pollution from manure lagoons and other waste at large livestock operations."

Well, I have one phrase to American Businesses; "Get Used to It" because the bureaucracy is more often than not these days acting like the Borg. Further, I suspect, and this is just my personal view, that the EPA is going hard and heavy after livestock ranchers because they have far too many individuals who are animal rights activists within their organization. It seems that the EPA is now filled with folks who are quite left-leaning. In many regards that makes sense, because it is that segment of our population which so readily accepts the environmentalist branding.

What I'm saying to you is this; whereas it might be wise to use unmanned aerial vehicles with special cameras to go out and enforce environmental water pollution laws, it is quite another to have these helicopters, or UAVs scaring the cattle. That seems to be cruel and usual punishment to a poor cow which doesn't understand what that thing up in the air is doing, and therefore it puts undue stress on the animal.

This causes the very thing that these environmentalists and animal right activists are against. Of course, it's okay if they do it, because they're supposedly doing it for a good cause. I question that. I hope you will too, so please consider all this and think on it.

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The Truth About Nigerian Stereotypes

Now I know that there are a lot of crappy stuff perceived to be "typical Nigerian behavior" that are making the rounds. Most of it are pretty messed up but some are just so darn annoying. Even more so because I hear these things either directly or indirectly, quite on a daily basis. While we might choose to be the bigger people and overlook the lot of it, some particular notions must and will be aired out because they are misleading to non-Nigerians and embarrassing to any decent Nigerian (and we are quite a number by the way). So here it goes, the basic truth about Nigerian stereotypes you probably have heard about yourself, by yours truly.

1. Every Nigerian is into advance fee fraud: Popularly known as "419, yahoo-yahoo, scamming" call it whatever you may, this first stereotype is hilarious as it is annoying. What with the way, foreigners tend to clutch their credit cards with a Nigerian in sight. First off, just how many Nigerians exposed to the internet actually fully understand all of its intricacies? Not like its their fault, you might want to blame the crawling speed of some modems. Now even I, hate to admit the fact but it is true. Just like any one else, we use the internet for homework, social-networking, office work and the like. Seriously speaking though, I am aware that quite a number of Nigerians have been associated with this vice so much so that Sony had to incorporate the fact into it's PS3 advert a few years back. Truth be told, it hurt. Fact is, we aren't the only people that indulge in this. Many other nationals of different countries have been caught in the act pants down so what makes us so special? Sometimes I have to wonder though. Let's face it people, criminals aren't all citizens of one country alone, they are scattered everywhere, deeply rooted in every civil society. So please for the love of God, spare us the drama of looking over your shoulder when a Nigerian stands behind you on the queue of an ATM, we got our own.

2. We live in the thick of jungles with the wildest animals, swinging from tree to tree in an attempt to run for dear life. Stop. Now go back and read it through. Seriously? This is the year 2012 AD in the 21st century. How benighted can people be? This is one stereotype I find is shared with the rest of Africa. (Funny how some people see Africa as a country and not a continent). So just to clear things up, Nigeria and indeed the rest of Africa like anywhere else has its own highbrow areas, middle-class housing and then the of course, its ghettos and slums. No, we don't live in the tropical rain forests wearing nothing but hide and hunting down lions and deer. We live normal, civil lives.Yeah, you saw some pretty bad stuff on t.v but then again you do know better than to believe everything shown there.

3. Our lives are run by voodoo and black magic. Even though it is practised under another name (juju), not every single Nigerian indulges his/her self in the practise. You should also know that Nigerians are very religious people as seen on every Friday and Sunday (Moslem and Christian worship days).

4.We are naturally volatile people. So maybe we are having issues in the country right about now but then, who doesn't? Thing is, it will all come to pass. Nigerians are naturally very happy people. Doubt me? You should fly into the country soon and be greeted by the billboard welcoming you saying the exact same thing. What's more? Ever wonder how even though we might be suffering so much, we make jokes about it on twitter? Need real proof? Check out the world's happiest people surveys and be amazed at how we top the list year after year.

Ranking of the World's Happiest Countries

1. Nigeria 2. Mexico 3. Venezuela 4. El Salvador 5. Puerto Rico

Now that I have straightened this out, I hope you have your facts right.

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What's Wrong With Postmodernism and Deconstructionism?

The movement called 'Postmodernism' began as a reaction against Modernism, brought about by disenchantment with classical science and rationalism, and the kind of civilization that these things have wrought. Postmodernism took its cue from the scientific dilemma that raised the question of whether external reality even exists, or whether it is only an image constructed by a subjective mind. The postmodern answer is that it really does not matter, since it accepts without question that our perceptions are all we can know of reality anyway. This interpretation means in turn that only subjectivity has any actual significance for us, since everything, from matters of taste to religious belief to scientific truth, can be nothing more than personal opinion.

This being so, every opinion must be accorded equal respect, since each opinion is just as subjectively true as any other. Thus, postmodernists have to maintain a strangely paradoxical absolute faith that nothing is absolute, and they have to be tolerant of anything and everything. Knowledge is demeaned, morality is belittled, and every notion, whether thoughtful or insane, is given equal credence. Relativism becomes postmodernism's moral imperative, and this means that postmodernism, like relativism, is morally bankrupt and incoherent. The new twist, however, is that moral bankruptcy and incoherency are not problems anymore! They are just as good as anything else, and we might as well enjoy ourselves and revel in the absurdity. Modernist artists often recognized the tragic emptiness that the worldview of positivistic science had spawned, and sought in their art to provide some sense of meaning and comfort. Postmodern artists see exactly the same emptiness, but they do not call it tragic. They are satisfied with the meaninglessness and eager to make the best of it.

Meanwhile, anyone who disagrees with this analysis, and continues to insist on the possibility that some things might be objectively true, is merely revealing their deep-seated sexist, aristocratic and racist motives. Everything thus becomes political for postmodernists, who are suspicious of anyone claiming to know anything, and intolerant (paradoxically enough) of anything claimed to be true for anyone other than the speaker, and possibly a very small, specific, local environment of listeners.

All civilizations, we are told, have been wrongly based on what postmodernists call 'grand narratives' -comprehensive theories and stories about reality that claim to be necessarily true, and that form the foundation of a society's general beliefs and practices. Greek mythology, religion, modern science, stories about America's Founding Fathers, are all examples of grand narratives. Postmodernism is a critique of grand narratives, attacking them as being essentially nothing more than festering sexism, racism, and exploitation, full of contradictions, inconsistencies, and lies.

One interesting consequence has been the rise of fundamentalism as a kind of resistance to the questioning of the grand narratives of religion, and the rise of conservatism as a resistance to the questioning of the grand narratives of politics -hence the two movements become bedfellows in their common distaste for postmodernism. On the other hand, the postmodernist willingness to accept anyone's opinion attracts many radicals and liberals. Thus the dualisms return with a vengeance, the arguments get more heated and more vicious, and the rifts just widen even more.

Closely related to and intertwined with postmodernism is the cultural critique called 'deconstructionism'. Originally a method of literary criticism, deconstructionism has been expanded into a strategy for analyzing and interpreting science, philosophy, religion, history, politics, art, and ultimately all aspects of contemporary cultural life. Resembling the reductive method of science, it consists of breaking things down into fundamental elements that are considered more 'real' than the whole - but in this case, instead of atomic particles, the fundamental elements turn out to be psychological motives. By analyzing language, deconstructionists strive to uncover and expose the hidden ideological biases that reveal what the author's words 'really' mean. Any claim that a work of art expresses something noble, true or meaningful, is easily discredited by the analysis of sexist, racist, ethnic, and other base motivations that are unearthed by applying the method. Only small specific details can be accepted as valid, since there are always deceptive political, cultural, or economic assumptions lurking behind any suggestion of a big general truth. Details which the author does not include are particularly subject to suspicion: any use of such words as "all men believe", for instance, does not include "all men and women believe", and since this clearly indicates sexist inclinations any possible value in the words that follow must automatically be precluded.

Thus the spirit of truth and reason is denied, and our horizons get narrower and narrower. Everything once considered beautiful, meaningful and sublime, whether in art, philosophy or politics, is now subject to being deconstructed and debunked, scientifically reduced into scattered fragments of negative personality traits, deception, and bad faith, exposed as nothing more substantial than a handful of ugly, dangerous and politically incorrect motives. And like scientific reductionism, once something has been deconstructed it most probably can not be put back together again.

In the end, very little is left:

· The only things that are real are subjectivity and personal opinion;

· The only things that are important are functionality and personal comfort;

· The only things that are honest and genuine are our base motivations.

There is no recourse, so we might as well enjoy the absurdity. At least modernism held out the hope that science would create a better world. Postmodernists view that as hopelessly naïve nonsense.

The great irony is that all this postmodern analysis and psychological cynicism is just an elaborate and pretentious recurrence of ancient Greek sophistry. The Sophists were philosophic teachers who taught that there is no such thing as absolute truth, but only subjective truths that hold for a given person at a given time. Like Socrates, they sought to liberate young minds from uncritical assumptions (they did this by using rhetorical skills to demonstrate that for any rational argument there is always an equally skillful rational counter-argument.) But unlike Socrates, they stopped here, merely concluding that 'truth' must be relative and subjective - and having wiped out everything that had guided their students' lives and given them meaning, they simply left them empty.

Socrates, on the other hand, showed his young followers that by dropping their unfounded assumptions about what is true, they arrived at the beginning of their quest for knowledge. Postmodernists, like the sophists, are already finished. Spiritual emptiness and intellectual collapse are the end of the road. Just add a little modern self-centeredness and a hefty dose of political correctness, and ancient Greek sophistry becomes postmodernism.

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Back In the USSR You Won't Believe How Lucky You Aren't

With Vladimir Putin back in power in Russia it looks as if he is using many of the old tactics used by the former Soviet Union during the Cold War in his international and global dealings. This is somewhat of a problem and kind of throws a wrench in creating global stability.

You see, every time a rogue nation tries to pull a fast one somewhere in the world, the United States tends to put its foot down. Unfortunately, every time we end up making an enemy out of a rogue nation state inadvertently for some reason, Russia can now run over and make them their new best friend of the week. Okay so let's talk about this for second shall we?

Bloomberg Business Week had an interesting article in their June 16, 2012 edition titled "Is Vladimir Putin Going Back to the USSR?" by Michael Kinsley where he postulates amongst other things that "trying to restore Russia as a great power, Putin risks driving it into a ditch."

Now then, obviously you can understand that this is going to cause friction. That's happening right now with regards to negotiations with Iran and Syria. The United States was also hesitant along with NATO dealing with Libya, something we should've done a long time ago. It's not that the United States couldn't use some checks and balances now and again on the global stage. We haven't done everything perfectly right, certainly not all the time.

Nevertheless, over the years we have mostly handled things correctly, even if the global media or history was rewritten to counter a positive outcome from US intervention. Thus, adding more fuel to the fire, and as of late having Russia wedge itself between freedom and liberty throughout the world, and help in propping-up rogue regimes and dictators which has been quite a problem. Not to mention the fact that they just love to sell weapons systems to these rogue nations, or offer their support to help them out if the United States decides that it's time to act rather than continue meetings, negotiations, and dialogue with rogue regimes who have no intention of making good on their word.

Personally, I wish all the best for Russia, and the Russian people, but Vladimir Putin is a problematic actor for bringing the global community of humanity together in a common cause of peace, liberty, freedom, and democracy. Something that the world desperately needs so every human on this planet, all 7 billion of them can enjoy a fruitful life experience. Certainly you can understand that. Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.

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Nothing In This Life Is Absolute

This is not at all related to Albert Einstein's famous law but it is similarly intriguing.

Nothing in this life is absolute. Everything is relative to the person who sees and judges it according to his own perspective. Each individual perspective is based on several factors like, biases, preferences, and experiences with that particular object or thing.

Take for example color: Have you ever wondered why people have special preferences to particular colors? Why is it that some color combinations are fine with others while others find the same color combinations nauseating? Is it possible these happen because people are not really seeing the same colors?

For example, the color "blue". Could it be that the hue you see which you have been calling "blue" all your life may be the same hue somebody else sees and calls it "red", or "green", or "yellow" all his life, too? The hue you find beautiful and call it "green" is the same beautiful hue somebody else has been naming "blue" since birth? The beautiful color both you and someone else see and find beautiful is the same hue but you call it differently. Who is to judge? The judge himself may find the same hue beautiful but calls if by other name still. So, the same hue is the favorite colors of many but each one calls it by other name.

Religion: Most religions believe in the same things, ideas, or concepts such as a creator and its creations, life after death that could be spent either in hell as punishments for wrongdoings or sins while on this life, or heaven and nirvana as rewards to those who do good deeds while still on earth, etc. However, different terms are used to explain the same things depending on the point of view of its practitioners or believers.

Religion is likened to the six blind men as described by John Godfrey Saxe's famous poem, "The Blind Men and the Elephant", who had their own and diverse notions of what an elephant was based on the parts of the elephant they touched.

Beliefs are described by their followers relative to each individual's experiences, preferences, biases, etc. We may all be worshipping the same god but is known by so many names by others. It could be that we are all partly right, but then partly wrong, who is to tell?

Beauty, it is said, depends on the eyes of the beholder. Some people believe that a milky white skin is beautiful while others insist that black is beautiful. There are those who think that various body paintings like tattoos enhance beauty while others consider these as blemishes. Many races in Africa or the Far East consider long dangling pierced ears are a thing of beauty which people on the other side of the world see these weird.

Therefore, we may conclude that nothing in this life is absolute, everything is relative to something else. Keeping this mind, we become respectful of other people's opinion thus avoiding unnecessary frictions in our day-to-day dealings with our fellowmen.

May PEACE be upon us all!

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