Variety of terrain and random thoughts.

Today I got to enjoy a long drive through farmland, rainforest, desert, pine forest, high mountains and low valleys. All in a 300 mile area in Washington and Oregon. Each place has its own beauty and there is a great peacefulness in desert that I truly did not appreciate until moving here. Sometimes it is nice to get out where there are no people and no cell service and just hear yourself think. It is easy to see God's hand in the desert. It is easy to put aside the stressors of life and just ponder. Overall this was a good weekend though intense at times. I thought of many things. Things like a mother getting older. Her dog and how old he seems. How sad. How he looks like an old person now. How nothing is forever. Yet I realize I must enjoy things and be happy for the moment. The present is all that is. There is hope for the future and lessons of the past but the present moment is where its at. In that way, I agree with Buddhist philosophy. What is really scary is since I have developed the live in the present moment philosophy, I am noticing how much other people worry more than me. Anyone who knows me knows I worry too much but I have become the calm voice of reason. At least with my wife and mother.

The blogs new name

Years ago I called it truth for dummies because my main objective was the quest for truth and was there absolute truth. I thought it was catchy. What it morphed into was a personal meltdown of all my own self evident truths. Things I believed without question. In 2006 when I started leanings were shifting from hard right to more left. One time a prophet known as Tom Stamman gave me a word and that word was axiomatic. Meaning things I took for granted as truth would be changed. I could have never imagined what that meant but it fits now. I had a meltdown and the axioms I held true are not so strong now. So where was I and where am I> My religious beliefs are in flux. The core ones have not changed. I am still a Christian. Though I see treasure in other religions now as well. Politically I went from so far right that I thought Bush was too liberal to so far left I thought Obama was too conservative to more centrist overall with some highly liberal leanings and some conservative positions. All I can call myself is an independent but I would say I am a liberal leaning independent. My faith is very strong but my religiousity is very weak. I am seeking a Church. Thinking about Methodist as it seems to be socially liberal. Social justice is a key theme of the teachings of Jesus. A lot more than capitalism. Anyway, if this blog pisses you off, lets talk and be friends anyway. I will probably offend everyone in some way but I hope to stimulate free thinking and tolerance

Obsession with entertain-news and dumb things

A few weeks before the election, the nation was all ablaze in talk of butt chugging college students. The latest reality show is of more interest than the real issues. This obsession with entertaining news stories is leading to an un-educated populace and it has started in America but our indifference is spreading to the rest of the world. Take your face off the reality shows. Stop worrying about who is butt chugging and worry about who you voted for.

Elections and Such

Obama has not lived up to all my expectations and I was upset that he approved mandatory health insurance calling it health care. I have a little change of heart on that issue in that I think the mandate should have been struck down but we I would not have killed the whole law as there is much good in it. We need single payer though and we do not have health care until we get it. Anyway, I am pleased Obama was re-elected. Mostly because Paul Ryan would have been a big step in the wrong direction for the country and might well cause much suffering. My only fear is Ryan will rear his head in 2016 so the dems better find someone good between now and then to prevent him from winning. Romney is a do nothing and would have been a do nothing president. Oregon rejected Marijuana which surprises me. I guess Washington is truly more liberal than Oregon. Many less known ballot measures passed. Dave Reichert won another term which was a bit disappointing but you cant have it all. Though I live in a supposedly conservative part of the state now, it seems to be that it is somewhat moderate and people are very live and let live. Funny that when I was in liberal land I shut down the blog and was much more closeted in my political beliefs and now in conservative small town land, I am openly more liberal. I just dont care anymore. Like me for who I am or do not like me. I am very concerned about how divided America is and how dogmatic many are. I think we need to become a more live and let live nation. We need to stand up for the rights of people we do not agree with.

I am back

It has been nearly three years since I had a serious post on here but I have decided to revive the old blog. Much has happened. I have been through two jobs and we no longer live in the Seattle area. We have moved to a small town in Central Washington and I have a new job that is not in corporate America. This is a new twist. We will see how it all plays out. I have no readers anymore I am sure as this thing has been off line for two years (mostly due to fear) but now I no longer care. People can know where I stand politically and religiously now and if they dont like it, I just dont care anymore. Many people seem to be live and let live and I am much more live and let live than I was before. If anyone is out there please comment and just say, I am still here and still read this. I will probably have to find new readers. Facebook and Twitter just do not allow someone like me to ramble on like I like to and this has blog was a piece of my life.

Resurrected

I resurrected this back into existence. it had been hidden for about a year.

If anyone reads this, please comment. I am going to leave this out there for historical purposes and encouragement of my meltdown years.

My new blog is out there if you want it I will give you the URL or am I just speaking to the ether.

Keep on Going

I have been trying to figure out if blogging is even relevant with the explosion of Facebook, Twitter, and other things like it. Which by the way though we may use them we really need to question the motives of the people who run them but thats another story.

I do have something on my mind and it is privacy. I am visiting Oregon this weekend and I was at Target in beautiful Albany. The guy in front ot me was buying some nicotine gum and they carded him (despite the fact he looked at least 35). Now that in and of itself is just policy overshadowing common sense. But when they got his ID the proceeded to try and SCAN it. Now these stupid barcodes on drivers licenses were supposed to be for Law Enforcement or DMV to read. Who knows what data is stored there. Target scanning it is a violation of privacy. What is to stop them from acquiring data (perhaps more than is listed on the front of the license) and using it for targeted marketing?


I am all bent out of shape about this because it is another step toward the "Your Papers Please" orwellian society that is coming about in the name of "security"

I dont like showing my ID to clerks when I use a credit card. I dont want to share my information with a coporation just because I buy something there. They are selling me the item for MONEY not in exchange for my personal ID. When IDs have RFID chips in the (WA has an ENHANCED license that does) people can get info without us knowing. Anybody remember Minority Report? Want to have to have an eyeball transplant to hide from the system?

When anyone asks me for ID for a debit or credit card. I show it then I go online and report them to MasterCard. It is AGAINST their terms of service with the merchant to require anyone to show ID. They can lose their ability to take credit cards. Its not that I am for fraud, I am just against the loss of privacy.


I suggest everyone think twice before

Ageeing to get any ID that requires ANY biometric data (face rec, fingerprints, etc)
Getting ANYTHING with an RFID chip in. (get a foil wallet if you do)

Accepting the "your papers please" metality and forking over ID to anyone who asks.

Allowing anyone to scan your ID (unless they are a cop or at DMV)

Signing up for "club cards" There are some who share them to avoid the info and still get the benefits

We need to wake up to this or we will have all of our movements tracked not by the government but by large FOR PROFIT CORPORATIONS. In this society Hitler wouldnt be a politician. He would be the CEO of an Oil Company.

Anyway, I am done venting.

I dont think blogging is dead. Just not a fad anymore. It must remain. Just try to regurgitate this much in a tweet.