"Create. Humanity Is Beauty" by Ria Ray

this is a unique book by a truly great and fantastic woman

it is not easy to get this book

the only place I know to buy it is at Fred Segal in Santa Monica

but it is worth having

I suppose you won't have this book until you are ready for it

full of inspired and inspiring words

open at random and see what you need



CREATE. HUMANITY IS BEAUTY
by Ria Ray
designed by Marilyn Prado-Test and Ria Ray

The Keys To The Kingdom

The keys to the kingdom....a phrase that resonates down the ages....
and what does it mean?

the kingdom of heaven

the keys to the kingdom of heaven have already been given to mankind by the one God

and what are the keys?

"whatever you bind on earth is bound in heaven, what ever you loose on earth is loosed in heaven"

very mysterious

I looked around and could see a hint of the explanation. I look down at the earth or around and I see a lot of boundaries. I see forms and definitions. I see objects. I see things that we can measure, things that are finite in a sense.
I look up at the sky and see the infinite, the boundless.

But the real point is that I am seeing this.

I am seeing the finite.
I am seeing the infinite.

I am making boundaries in my mind. I am loosing the infinite in the sky.

It is my own power to create through the power of the divine.

So here is what I am hearing.

God says we are free. We are free to bind. We are free to loose. And God backs us up on this. What we desire God produces.

We are absolutely free. But we are free to bind! And we are free to set free!
It is our choice.

Merry Chastening

it is the season to be jolly
and the season to give

and the point of it all is really for us to learn to be good people

and one of the most powerful events that can help us to improve
is

correction

you are on the wrong track and have trouble and it looks like the wild ego running amok
and it gets away with it for a while and then finally hits the wall which hurts a lot or runs off the track which makes you mad and keeps you from your goal of building the biggest tower

and this is chastening

and this perhaps will result in some humility
which is a good thing

to be humble in the face of the infinite
after all it is infinite and no matter how big you get
compared to the infinite you are almost nothing

remember who you are
here you are finite
there you are infinite

it is a paradox of perspective or point of view

and here is a little thought of me personally

I ask for correction now. I ask for chastening now to save me from a worse chastening later if I don't become more humble

Please chasten me! It will save me! From myself!

Special Olympics of Life

who is not strange?

who is not handicapped?

so we are all handicapped and it is our handicaps that give us reality
our handicaps are simply boundaries or limits
with no limits
we not not even exist

we would "dissolve into the infinite"

so we are all out there competing with our handicaps and getting rid of some of them and getting new ones like how we slow down as we get old or suddenly have an illness or an injury or we learn to do things a new way and get help with a new path climb the mountain and get there and be satisfied for a time and then climb another mountain

and happiness comes and goes and comes again just like love comes and goes and comes again

when you win
when you overcome an obstacle
when you overcome a handicap
you feel happy

no obstacles no happiness

or maybe true happiness is something else but what? the bliss of the void or what?

so here is a little thought

still here, still playing, still learning, still competing, still alive
and loving it

in the right league, in the right game, in the right school,

the school of life
we are all in together
for fun, for joy, for happiness, for each other

Give 'Til It Hurts

how do you know you are giving?

what is giving?

giving in
giving up

you win....I will not dispute your claims....you win
I will not argue about it any more....you win

Should it hurt?

In our culture the most remarkable act of giving
that we are almost all familiar with
was the gift to humanity given by Jesus

and from all indications
it hurt a lot

it hurt him a lot

believe it or not, the story is of a great gift that was given at great pain

give until it hurts

maybe not such a bad idea

And Acquainted With Grief

I have known grief

lost friends

lost pets

lost relationships

lost parents

lost health

lost dreams

Grief is normal and needed and natural

and yet I have learned something else about grief

it is selfish

OK to be selfish when you suffer a terrible loss

but good to remember that we are all the same
we all lose everything
every birth means a death
our loss is really no greater than anyone else's
even though it looks that way 

so I don't wallow in grief
I try to grieve privately as much as possible
I let myself get better, even though I never fully recover

and my goal is to be of good cheer

to serve the needs of others
by helping and working and learning to be less selfish

one spirit

when you go all the way and seek the source and
the truth of identity
you find the one infinite spirit
and you know that is all there is

who is it that chooses?

it is you

who are you?

the one spirit

creative and all powerful

who are they?

 they are the one spirit

who is he?

he is the one spirit

nothing stands in opposition to the one

the one is the all

Abolish Capital Gains Tax

Now that is a good idea.
That would free a lot of stuff and allow it to be more productive.
Many people never sell because of the tax.
Land is not put to best use because people will not sell
because of the tax.

Or, at the very least,

index capital gains

if the dollar drops in value by 50% and your asset appreciates
by 100%

THERE WAS NO REAL GAIN!

so taxing that gain is just appropriation of capital

I don't believe it is right for government to appropriate capital

some people do think it is right

How much has the value of the dollar dropped in the last 15 years?

I estimate between 30% and 50%
so people taking gains on assets they have been holding for the last 15 years
are probably being cheated by this lack of indexing

INDEX CAPITAL GAINS!

Establishing Peace

Crisis

Compassion

Communication

Cooperation

Minus One Too Harsh?

if indexing minus one or inflation minus one is too harsh then imagine this

just always round the increases down

so if inflation was 1.2% then the increase is 1%

if it is 1.9% the increase is still only 1%.

This is a little more gentle but gets the job done over time

Dreaming

dreaming is the mind's natural healing process.....

natural psychotherapy

that is why we need plenty of sleep

Indexing Minus One

Indexing was a great idea that stopped government from really taking us to the cleaners with inflation.
But it could also help to balance the budget now if people would start taking inflation minus one as their benefit increase.

Here is a real world example.

In Santa Monica we have tough rent control.

Every year landlords can increase rents, but only at 75% of the rate of inflation.



If inflation is 3% then the rent increase is 2.25%.

If inflation is 4% then they can raise rents by 3%. So this scheme is actually a little more generous to landlords than indexing minus one would be. That is, as long as inflation does not exceed 3%.

And the escape for landlords is vacancy decontrol. When a tenant voluntarily vacates the landlord can then ask for whatever the market will bear.

Thus gradually rents will stay near the free market price.

 

Inflation Minus One

This is my idea to bring the government sector back into balance.

All the indexed programs of transfer payments and salaries and anywhere possible just make the annual increase equal to inflation minus one point.

So if inflation is 3% then people will only get a 2% raise

This sounds palatable to me.
And after a few years it would likely bring the budget into balance

Why have I not heard this suggested?

Entitlement Suggestion

We should know by now that government transfer payments in the name of  equity or the social contract or fairness or the safety net are the biggest items driving the federal deficit.

Here is a little suggestion

Indexing minus one

Easiest to look at is social security, which is indexed to inflation.
Payments go up every year at the rate of inflation.
This seems fair except that our society can't really afford to do this any more.

How about this. Inflation is 3%. Payments go up 2%.

This would gradually and eventually bring things back into balance.
And the pain each year would be negligible.

I have not heard this suggested.

Someone should do the math

Free Lunch

Thanksgiving 11/27/08

FREE LUNCH

I have heard there is no such thing
As a free lunch
I think I know what they’re getting at
But it really ain’t so
Thanksgiving Day is a fine day
To reflect on the deepest truths of nature
The conclusion jumping out
Smiling out
Springing up
Spreading out
It’s all free, a gift, no strings
Sun shines, rain falls, birds sing
Grain grows, miracles never cease
And it is all free, never to be paid for
Nor paid back
Where does it all come from?
The universe, the cosmos, the infinite, the spirit,
The void, from within, from nature, from God
Each breath you inhale quadrillions of molecules
Oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide
And countless others
Complex, alive, eternal, countless, infinite, delicious
Sustaining
Provided
why not be thankful
Thanks, total thanks,
Thanks to whoever, whatever, what it is
Very good stuff
More than enough
Always here
Unfailing
Thanksgiving Day
The celebration of the free lunch

How To Be Rich

Capital is assets that produce income. My favorite income property is apartments.
Stocks can be income property. Bonds can be income property.
Cash is not income property. Cash is a dead asset. Cash produces no income.



Accumulate capital
do not spend your capital
do not waste your capital

don't sell your land
land is the best asset

capital should grow over time and also give you a spendable income

so always save a little more than you spend
keep growing the capital

let it grow

it will grow

it will feed you
it will clothe you
it will shelter you
it will heal you

it will give you a kind of freedom
but do not be afraid to spend or give

all in proportion

The MISTAKE

there is a secret
and there is also a mistake
the mistake is a simple one

it can take you to hell

but not to heaven

the mistake is

WANTING THINGS TO NOT BE WHAT THEY ARE

why am I angry? Because I think things are supposed to be different
why am I sad? because I think things are supposed to be different

all your negative feelings will fall into this bag

If you are amazed at reality, astounded, grateful, interested, curious...

then you will have good feelings

The REAL Secret

the real secret is to play in the right league

to set the bar at the right level

to have realistic expectations

to be in the game in order to be a good sport and to learn how to be a good sport

to remember that while winning is the goal,
it is not the most important goal

the most important thing is just to get to play
and to have fun, to have good time,
to be a good sport whether you win or lose

New Obama Recession

Looks like America voted to have a new recession.

Markets are sure giving a loud signal that they don't like what they see in the future.
The far left craves a bad economy because it gives them a chance to increase their power when they must
"save" the economy from the greedy.

Lessons Learned

Only A Mood

My face I was hiding
I was hiding my face
What was my disgrace?
No eyes would I meet
I look within
And see only questions
But this is only a mood

Outside the wind is blowing
It is noisy
I can hear the cars on the freeway
And airplanes and jet engines
The sun is fierce in the west
But soon it will set
The grass and the trees like the sun
But only as long as they have water
And it has been very dry this year
I notice slight pains here and there
In my neck and calf, ear and side
Discomfort constant but bearable
Now I hear a siren
Standing around with members
Of the ruling class
They have ruled us into this
For their own satisfaction
For their big homes and cars and
Vacations in Europe, and servants
And jewelry and all their trappings
Of wealth and influence
And others take their place after
Rising through the ranks
Not remembering the guillotine
That the little people can only take so much abuse
before they rise up
And turn the tables
But when they come to power they only repeat
The ways
They become cold and selfish and greedy
And learn to kill for sport
How can I look in the face
Of someone when I know they
Are going to die?
When I see death and what accompanies death
Suffering, fear, panic, madness
But there is nothing to be done
It is what it is
And this is just a mood
My face will light up with joy again
I will gaze with intense love into the eyes
Of my beloved
I will feel comfort and desire
And fulfillment of desire
The sun will set and rise again
But I also know
that there will be a last sunset
A final nightfall
A separation and finish
I can only hope that then
My eyes will open in another world
A good world and a world
With other eyes to gaze into
So I can go out with hope
Hope for tomorrow
Hope for me
Hope for you
Hope for everyone
Hope that the final sunset will not be so final
Hope that the emptiness will be filled
Questions answered
Loves revived, lovers reunited
Tears of joy mingled
All forgiven
All triumphant
All victorious and happy

Gory Glory

Stranger Than Fiction Department(REPOST FROM 4/27/07)

If I wrote a war story
about all the gory glory
would I name a general
Petraeus?
I hope he don't
Betray us!

Who Destroyed America?

How the medical industry, the legal industry, the insurance industry, the defense industry and the education industry destroyed America while blaming the energy industry, the finance industry, the housing industry and the agricultural industry and why the public bought into this.

6000 Dead

We hear of deaths in the news from spectacular causes like storms or shootings or drunk drivers or drug overdoses and on and on.

Sandy the hurricane! death toll over 100!

And it is sad and tragic and a shame and yet....

every day in the USA there are more than 6000 deaths.

6000 dead today from all causes
and yesterday
and tomorrow

6000 dead

(actually a more accurate estimate is 6,647 deaths per day)

and by the way

there are

11,332 BIRTHS!

Big Bird

BIG BIRD

Big bird sitting on the fence
but not like a politician
and not like a TV star big and yellow
the turkey vulture is a peaceful bird
who doesn't go out to kill
he eats carrion
he cleans up
really a more enlightened being
with a big wingspan

It's Not The Money, It's the Mission

George Lucas is pretty rich and just sold Star Wars to Disney for 4 BILLION DOLLARS.

And he is doing something wonderful with the money. He is donating it to "EDUCATION"

a foundation for education

I hope this works out for the good. It should.
I'm really glad he is doing that. It is the sort of thing I once wanted to do.

HOWEVER

I remember thinking deeply on the subject.
I realized that we are already lavishing astronomical sums on education. And I am sure it has benefits, but the major problems of humanity are still with us.

All the brilliant minds at all the universities thinking and studying for centuries more and more and we still have
poverty
disease
madness
war
misery
unhappiness
etc.

So, I thought, money is not the answer. 
The right mission statement in the answer.
For example we have The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution and some other nice documents. Our nation rests on these mission statements.

So I did come up with a good mission statement, if only I could remember it.

Goals Can Help

It is good to establish some goals. Often people say to divide them up into terms.
Short term goals
medium term goals
long term goals

here is an approach

once a month write down all your goals, don't worry about the terms

then put the list away

after a month write a new list of goals and then compare the lists.

any goals attained? any new goals? any goals not attained? any goals not there any more?

The NAIL

Yesterday morning I was out for my jog. Glancing down I saw a large rusty nail in the street right in front of me. I did not stop to pick it up. I felt that I should have.

But I had taken in too much fluid before my jog and desperately needed to urinate.
That was my excuse.

Fortunately
This morning I was jogging and the nail was still there!
Of course I picked it up and threw it in the trash.

I was thankful that I was allowed to remedy my error.

But then, I noticed a lot of potentially hazardous things in the street! And there I drew a line. It was not my job to go out of my way to make the street safer. But if it was right in front of me....

and then I thought, maybe I took work away from some guy who fixes punctured tires!
And then I imagined the man with the tire business secretly placing road hazards in order to get more business for himself.....

I don't want more business
I want less
fewer jobs

I have plenty of business. I have more than enough.

love is kind

Decentralize The Stock Market

When New York city is disabled, so is the U.S. stock market.

That is not a good thing.

They should have it set up so trading can continue without New York City.
I suspect it could be arranged without too much trouble. There is plenty of
trading nowadays that takes place in cyberspace.

It just illustrates how New York has a monopoly on this important
economic activity.

This is the 21st century. It is time for that monopoly to end.
Who knows what sort of event might cripple the New York exchange in the future.
We should not be vulnerable to this sort of thing in the age of the internet.

After 9/11 the markets were closed for an extended period. Now with a big storm called Sandy
the markets are closed again.

This hurts the entire economy. It spreads damage. We would benefit from a
better and more flexible system.

Pleasure In Gardening

I enjoyed watering my garden this morning.
Seems like an innocent occupation, caring for plants.
But I felt a little guilt....
living in Los Angeles we are always worried about water shortages
so it becomes somehow anti-social to water our gardens

sometimes they even make it illegal and threaten to fine you if you water
in the wrong way or at the wrong times

so even this pleasure, the pleasure of watering plants,  which seems totally innocent, is tinged with guilt

on the one hand we are supposed to consume big time in order to keep the wheels of industry turning
but on the other hand we are not supposed to consume because it hurts the environment or something

confusion

to consume or not to consume, that is the question

I plead not guilty

I would like to be able to live my life without fear of punishment
to live by my own lights
to follow my own conscience

live and let live

I can stop listening to all the contradictory voices screaming about how we are supposed to be

I can remember what we really are

2013 Recession

I keep hearing rumors of an impending recession. They point to the slowdown we have already seen
in 2012. Now company earning are coming in weak and we hear of slowdowns all over the
world.
Does this really mean there will be a new recession?
Say this and the answer will be- but we haven't had a full recovery yet!

And if there is a new recession it looks really bad for the government sector.
Tax receipts are already weak and expenses up.

There are three basic possibilites
more growth
no growth
shrinkage

and the growth or shrinkage could be fast or slow

One thing is certain, all these things will be happening some time in the future!

But what about the next 12 months?

I still see the muddle through. In my neighborhood homes are selling quickly and easily.
Restaurants are busy. Business goes on. There is lots of construction and prices are rising for many
things.
That sounds like a good economy.
I believe that the way they measure the economy is deeply flawed.

If I maintain my own home, doing repairs and maintenance, that is not measured as part of the economy.
If I hire someone to do it, that is measured. But the end result is similar.
When people become more efficient, that might look like a decline. But it is an improvement.
If I get sick and go in the hospital, that looks like growth, but it is not a good thing.
If we manufacture more bombs and guns and missiles, that looks like growth but it is just foolishness

Bottom line for me is no recession. Even the GREAT RECESSION is very suspect in my mind.
Mostly it was just revaluation of real estate. And revaluation of the price of labor. We have so much really
that taking away some of it (less than 5%) should not be such a big deal.

 

Losing Things

loss give one the chance to become more enlightened

to awaken
to wake up

to see the truth

one love

no loss

welcome loss as well as gain

we are the infinite already

Writing On The Wall

"Obamanomics
trickle up poverty"

This message was prominently on display on the 405 freeway in Los Angeles
signs of the times

Freedom

we are free

this is a great mystery

most people would not agree that we are free

we are free

not bound, not controlled, not opressed

but totally and really free

wake up and know the truth of total freedom

bad stuff

there is no bad stuff

but....
if we see it like that

where does it come from?

belief in justice, guilt, need for punishment.....that sort of stuff

and
desperate need for attention for strokes for love from other humans

and
mischief
teasing
laughter


sunrise   sunset  

Delight In The Truth

"LOVE DELIGHTS IN THE TRUTH."

so the truth must be delightful

so if something is not delightful, then it is not the truth

"If it ain't delightful, it ain't the truth."

 

Expensive California Gasoline

Every cloud has a silver lining Traffic is noticeably less congested now that gasoline shot up to almost $5.00 a gallon less traffic less driving these are very good things very good but I hear the price will be coming down soon maybe people will have discovered that the road to enlightenment and happiness is not necessarily traveled in an automobile

Geoffrey F. Morgan's Home

This photo is dated 1938 but the house looked pretty much the same in 1952. 533 23rd. Street in Santa Monica, California Note the style of the shingle roof. This house is my connection to Mr. Morgan. I grew up in this house. My parents bought it some time after Mr. Morgan's death. I remember old theater posters in the garage. We also had music in our home. My mother, Drexel Oliva, was a piano teacher. She had two Steinway baby grand pianos in the living room.

Geoffrey F. Morgan Obituary 3/3/1952

Here is a transcription of a news story published in the
Evening Outlook, the daily paper of Santa Monica, CA.
The date was 3/3/1952. It was a front page story.




Geoffrey Morgan, Noted
Civic Leader And Orator
Dies After Long Illness
Prominent Lecturer Loses Gallant
Battle Against Incurable Disease
Geoffrey F. Morgan, writer, educator and civic leader, but best
known in 48 states as a lecturer and orator, died yesterday at Santa
Monica Hospital after a long and courageous fight against an incurable
malady.

Although he had known for many
months that his condition was incurable,
he continued to meet speaking engagements
and to appear in behalf of causes as long as he
was able to stand. In fact he confided that in
delivering his last two public addresses he would
 have been unable to carry on except for the fact
that he supported himself by holding the back of a chair.

As his strength ebbed further and he was confined
to his bed at home, he continued to confer with
civic leaders and especially with persons
interested in beach development, one of his
principal interests, by means of a bedside telephone.
This he continued until even the effort of speaking
overtaxed his ebbing strength. The end, however,
came peacefully after several days of waning
consciousness.

Funeral services will be conducted by the Rev.
Clifford E. Barry Nobes at St. Augustine's Episcopal
Church at 2 p.m. Wednesday with Gates, Kingsley
& Gates in charge. While no specific request was
made, members of the Morgan family suggested
that in lieu of flowers contributions by individuals to the
work of the American Cancer Society fund would
have been in accordance with Mr. Morgan's wishes.

Pallbearers will be Ira C. Hilgers, Harold B. Stark,
L. S. Storrs, Jack W. Evans, Elliott Morgan, and
Morgan Evans.

Geoffrey Francis Morgan, born in London, England,
Aug 8, 1882, was the youngest of the four children
of the late Alfred W. Morgan and his wife, Janet.

The family emigrated to California when Mr. Morgan
was a small child, arriving in the United States in
January 1887, and settling in San Diego County where
the Morgan children received their early education. Later
the family moved to Los Angeles where Mr. Morgan
graduated from Los Angeles State Normal School ,
which later became UCLA.

From 1903 to 1906 Mr. Morgan, who never married,
was a teacher in the country schools of California.
Noting that educational standards for the teaching
profession were rising even in those days, Mr.
Morgan decided that further professional training
was necessary, so he enrolled at Stanford University.

WROTE SCHOOL SONG

While an undergraduate in that institution, he
was the author of the present day Stanford song,
"Sons of the Stanford Red." became editor of
Chapparal and took a leading part in campus
dramatics and debating, gaining a lifelong interest
in the theater in general and the Little Theater
movement in particular.

After receiving his A.B. degree in 1910 he became
principal of a Riverside school in which capacity he
is remembered by numerous older residents of
that community. Again feeling the drive for
further advancement in his profession, he entered
Columbia University, where he received his M.A. degree
in 1914, and then joined the faculty of Ohio University
where he served as professor of education until
1916, when he accepted a position as superintendent
of schools in Athens, Ohio, seat of the university.

During this period he took the lead in organizing
youth activities of the community, and became much
in demand as a speaker on inspirational subjects,
so much so that in 1920 he resigned in order to devote
all of his time to the lecture platform.

NOTED AS SPEAKER

For many years he was speaking on the regularly
organized circuits of the Redpath Lyceum and
other bureaus, but later he became an independent,
in which work he continued until his final illness, except
during the period from 1941 to 1947 when he was
manager of the Douglas Aircraft Company speaker's
bureau.

Mr. Morgan often commented  that he had spoken
at public gatherings in every state in the Union, and on
considerably more than 6000  occasions. Some of his more
popular subjects were: "Success With Ease,"  "What's the Use?,"
"The Blessings of Machinery,"  "Sutter's Fort and Sutter's Gold,"
"There Ought to be a Law," and many others dealing with
aviation, a subject on which he developed a vast amount
of knowledge while associated with the Douglas company.

Between lectures he found time to write more than a score
of plays and operettas designed for amateur production,
working in collaboration with a number of composers,
of whom Geoffrey O'Hara was perhaps the best known.

Many of the plays and operettas still are favorites
with school and amateur groups. They include "Tulip Time,"
"Don Alonso's Treasure," "Rose of the Danube,"
"The Count and the Co-ed," and others.

WAS AN ASSEMBLYMAN
In the field of civic and community affairs, Mr. Morgan,
although he traveled extensively, long ago identified himself
with Santa Monica as his home community, having come to
this area after leaving Athens, Ohio in 1920.

He served as assemblyman for this district from 1931 to
1937, was a life member of the Rotary Club of Santa Monica,
served as campaign chairman of the Community Chest,
took a leading part in work of the Salvation Army, the
Council of Social Welfare, was chairman of the recreation
commission and active in the Little Theater movement
sponsored by the Recreation Department.

For two years he was president of the Santa Monica
Theater Guild, which produced his "Don Alonso's Treasure"
last Summer. He was head of public relations of the theater group
at the time of his death. Through his efforts the present Morgan
Theater has become the home of the theater guild.

He was for a time a director of the Chamber of Commerce,
which only recently awarded him a life membership, and
had served as a member of the Board of Education and the Library
Board.

Perhaps closest to his heart was the development of the
beaches of the state as the primary recreational facility of California,
and from 1940 to 1945 and from 1948 until his death he was
president  of the Shoreline Planning Association of California,
an organization which he sparked to success in obtaining
legislative appropriation of $10 million for beach acquisition.
In recent years he had worked tirelessly for development of the
beaches acquired under this program.

AIDED CHURCHES
Mr Morgan who in recent years made his home at
533 23rd St. was a member of the Rotary, the Dramatists Guild,
Actors Equity, Phi Alpha Tau, and Tau Kappa Alpha, a member of
St. Augustine's Episcopal Church. He often donated his talents
not only to that church but to others of different denominations.

He is survived by his two sisters,Mrs. Hugh Evans and Mrs. G. S. Storrs,
and one brother, Laurence W. Morgan, all living in the Bay District,
as well as by 11 nephews and nieces and 18 grandnephews and nieces.

The 11 nephews and nieces are Jack Evans, Morgan Evans and
Mrs. Ira C. Hilgers of Rustic Canyon;  Bernard G. Evans, San Bernardino
and Santa Monica; Mrs. George T. McKee, Walnut Grove; Elliott W. T.  Morgan
and Janet Morgan, Santa Monica; Mrs. Wallace Boag, currently in
Australia; Leslie S. Storrs, Barbara M. Storrs and Mrs. Harold B. Clark,
all of Santa Monica.

Freedom Choice Power

I need to remind myself often that I am free

I am choosing my experience and my reality

the TV people are constantly telling me I have no control or power
that I am just tossed on the waves of "society"

sorry so many people think that way
they could discover the truth

but it is OK

they are free even if they don't know it

they are free and they are choosing instant by instant

I am free sitting here choosing a hot day
a lazy day
a day to ride a bicycle and to go to a concert
a day to water the plants
a day to do the laundry
a day to cultivate love
a day to drive my daughter to school

a perfect day of wholeness and completeness

no lack
no want
just the infinite spirit of love everywhere eternal

Nothing is forbidden

good rule
the rule of no rule
but instead of forbidding things

we cultivate and encourage things

like love

like patience and kindness

and selflessness

nothing is forbidden but one thing is cultivated

and that thing is love

The Three Thing

many times I have dropped a pencil and reached for it only to miss

I miss once, I miss twice, but the third time I get it.

the third time I actually pick it up

how common is this pattern

third time's a charm?

a charm?  what does that mean?

I just witnessed another human being do something three times before they did it right.
But it was a little trickier, loading a glass into a dishwasher

careless
not giving right attention
in a hurry
asleep at the switch

what is it that makes us miss twice but get it on the third try?

Fixing Indexing

Here is a novel approach on entitlements.
Right now they are indexed to inflation. Thus they go up and up and up.

Try inflation minus 2%.
Benefits go up more slowly than inflation, but not that much, only 2% less.
So if inflation is 2% or less, there is no increase.

If inflation is 5% then the increase is 3%.
I think we could all live with this and it would gradually bring the spending back into balance
with revenue.
Something must be done and this would be an elegant and palatable solution to the problem of government debt.

NO VICTIMS

are you a victim?

there are no victims

we are all free

absolutely free

this is the truth

our freedom is total and absolute

optimist

was just checking my Jan 30, 2012 prediction for stock market performance for 2012

I predicted the market would be up between 12% and 24% this year

right now it is up about 17%

but it could still go up and down
3 1/2 months to go

and how are the bears doing?
they are doing a lot of short covering and taking big losses

it is better to be an optimist
and it is more realistic

really, the markets historically have gone up 3 years out of 4.
so the odds are that any given year will be an up year

scarcity limited resources

he worked himself to death trying to make enough money to pay his medical bills

who is he?

he is us

all of us

the goal is not health and happiness

the goal is to spend a lot of money on doctors and hospitals

that is not the way to health

HEALTH IS SOMETHING YOU DO

you can't buy it any more than you can buy love

so instead of working to make enough money to pay the doctor
put you heart and soul into the garden of your total self

then you will be healthy

Brain Teaser

you have an old clock
it uses a AA battery
you put in a battery and the clock runs fine
but it is set for the wrong time

there is no way to set the time

you would like to be able to use the clock

What do you do?

life

is life something that happens to you?

or is life something you do?

a lot depends on your attitude regarding this question

Why College?

The idea of college has been co-opted by the money people. The people who only care how much money everyone makes and what kind of a great job everyone has

This is a big mistake

When I was growing up I understood that the point of college was to get a
"liberal education"

to be educated was its own reward
to get a glimpse into the wonders of   human intellectual achievement and culture was valuable in and of itself

it is not about getting a job
at least it should not be
that is just how the money people have corrupted it

the value of college is that it should make you a better human being

someone capable of appreciating great literature
great music
great art
great thought

someone who can think

not someone who can get a job and make a lot of money

Small Signs of Overheating

What is up with the economy now? I mean right now today?

I am noticing small signs of overheating again
Overheating is what leads to trouble
too much stimulus leads to trouble
easy credit leads to trouble

I learned this from coffee. I have been drinking a fair amount of coffee for years.
Recently I cut my quota drastically.
And what did I notice? In general I had more energy and needed less sleep at night.

So the stimulus of caffeine came at a price.
On the whole it was debilitating

Meanwhile there is stress in the economy. Gold and oil are going up again
Most remarkable, in my neck of the woods, real estate is getting hot again

There is a lot of complaining about slow growth, but slow is good.
Sustainable growth is better than the crazy cycles of the last 100 years.
If we could be a little more patient and not constantly cry out for more, then we would, in the long run, really have more!

What You Eat

it turns out it isn't what you eat that makes you sick and fat
or fat and sick

it is what you don't eat

what people don't eat is vegetables and fruits

they don't eat enough fruits and vegetables
and that is what makes them fat and sick

Cease To Be Obese

when are you going to cease to be obese?

just because you have a rebel army does not mean that the rebellion is popular

let things alone and they tend to work themselves out

How To Run A Business In Hard Times

what do we mean by hard times?

falling prices, deflation, that sort of thing

easy to manage....

lower your prices

The way to run a business in hard times is to lower your prices. Is that so hard to imagine?
It really works.
When you lower your prices you can sell your product.
Keeps the money coming in.

Keeps the ship afloat.

Lower your prices

Remember The Truth

Meanwhile the zeitgeist had taken a negative turn. Stocks are dropping on news from Spain and Italy about debt. People are giving way too much attention to a shooting at a theater in Colorado. Meanwhile there is almost no attention to a car wreck in Texas that killed just as many people. But they were Mexican workers, so who cares??!!
I am feeling some of the despair. What’s the point? My whole life has been one big mistake. There is nothing to look forward to. That sort of thinking.
We are tipping over as a civilization. Everything is deteriorating and getting worse.
That is what we are hearing in the media. Election bullshit.
Reality intrudes. Look around and you see all sorts of positive stuff. New cars, new houses and buildings, people taking care of what they have, new inventions, devices, great movies, all sorts of amazing progress in the world. Nothing to be pessimistic about. Things are gradually improving on all fronts.
I find that as an individual this truth sometimes is hard to see because of the aging process. Each of us as an individual does have an inevitable decline and death. This can lead to a pessimistic outlook.
But we are not really individuals. We are part of a whole, a community, a world. We are part of the infinite and have access to the infinite. We are magical and powerful and free.
Don’t buy into the negativity.
Go ahead and listen to the whole story. Remember the true story. It is a story of progress and enlightenment.

Pixels

Is the real world made of pixels?

What Is GDP?

William and I replaced 16 feet of our side fence the other day. It was hard work. I am still sore.
But the soreness feels good after a job well done.
I estimate the value of our labor to have been $500.
But that value will not be included in GDP. GDP only measures the money economy.
It does not measure all the good done by people for themselves.
If I pay someone to cook my dinner it is part of GDP. If I cook my own dinner it is not part of GDP.

For us there is another bonus of value in that we did not have to pay taxes, income taxes, on our labor.
When you pay anyone for a job the tax collector wants a cut.
They have not yet figured out how to tax you for making your bed, or mowing your own lawn,
or cutting your own hair.

Imagine an economy of volunteers and people doing their own work for themselves and GDP would be zero.

What would the tax collector do?

Rewards and Punishments

Was reading in a book written by a doctor how people are not to blame for their illnesses

and following that idea it might be said  that people are not to blame for any ill they do
and it might follow that they also deserve no credit for any good they do

so then, just as people do not deserve any punishments, they also do not deserve any rewards

and yet, nature does not share this attitude
nature is unforgiving
no mercy, no appeal

slip and fall off the mountain and you are simply dead
work diligently and intelligently and you will have a fine harvest

but nature won't say you were good or bad
nature will just give you what you really deserve

Demonizing

so there are no demons
really
they do not exist

and yet in our political process demonization goes on all the time

Republicans demonize government
Democrats demonize business and the rich

and we all get demonized at some point

young
old
rich
poor
immigrants
Christians
Jews
police
the military

and so on and so on

all get demonized at some point

so let us wake up and understand we are all just trying to aim for the good and reason together and work together to attain the good

I am not a demon
You are not a demon
They are not demons

there are no demons

Faith

faith is the power that makes substance of our dreams

Getting Attention

you do not need to get sick in order to get attention

we all need attention
strokes
smiles
hellos
touches

but there are an infinite number of good positive ways to get that attention

one never needs to get sick to get good attention

so let go of the sick game
let it go

be well

give love and you will get more love than you ever thought possible
give love and you will never need to be sick again
give love and you will be well
and be sure to open our heart to receive the love that comes your way

Insurance Questions

getting back to moral hazard

if you assume that everything is random and we have no control then insurance for everyone is a fair answer to the bad luck that comes to some

if we think people do have control and freedom and choice and that luck plays only a small part in our lives, then it may not be that wise to pool the costs of bad decisions

for example

in health care

there are factors that are risky and lead to more expense such as
drug abuse
tobacco
alcohol
over eating
"mountain climbing" and other risky sports

why is it fair for the people who live carefully, wisely, prudently, to pay for the medical bills of the reckless?

this gets to the heart of the political debate

how much control does the individual have?
are we really free?

Is it a material world or a spiritual world?

What is Freedom?

My silly

I see the medical establishment as tantamount to a religion.

It is certainly a belief system.

Our government has been up to the neck in it for a long time. Now over the head!

individual mandate upheld as a tax

You can't buy health

health is something you do

so today I will remember that it is all spirit
the materialists have a victory in the political arena
but ultimately their view of the world is not correct and leads to all sorts of trouble

awaken to the reality of perfect health right here and right now
that is the truth
simply receive the goodness that is constantly available and be well
the "illness" was only an illusion

Even now I will not "buy into" these false beliefs in disease  

The Nine Senses

Hearing

Sight

Touch

Smell

Taste

The Moral Sense
Common Sense
Pre-sense
Nonsense

Pre-sense needs explanation. It is both our ability to predict the future and to live in the present.
It is also the presence of infinite mind.

Oil Drops

Oil has come down a lot recently.

I remember not long ago the pundits were predicting gasoline at $5 a gallon.
Once again they were just wrong. Plain wrong.
You can't predict the future.
And you really can't predict it if your understanding is flawed.

What was the flaw in their understanding?

They don't believe in freedom.
They don't believe in innovation.
They don't believe in the genius of the common man.

They don't understand supply and demand.
They think the common man is stupid and will pay anything.

They want to be able to control things.
So it is a political argument.

The little man is a fool and must be protected by "me" because I am so wise.

But history shows us that the one who thinks himself to be wise often turns out to be the fool.

This morning oil is down almost to $80 a barrel.
What next?
Fools will tell you.
 
 

12.8% yield

here is a way to get a hypothetical yield of 12.8% annualized out to next January 19.

this morning you can buy SPY for $134.14 a share
and you can write a call on that position at a 134 strike price out to January 19, 2013 and sell that call for $8.02.

Imagine you have a million dollars to invest.

Buy 7900 shares of SPY at a cost of $1,059,706.
Write 79 calls at 134 out to 1/19/13 and get back $63,358

cost of position is $996,348.

now imagine that next January 19 the stock closes at or above 134, then your stock will be called and the proceeds will be
$1,058,600 for a gain of $62,252.
You also will have received a dividend of around $12,363 during this time

total income from this would be $74,615.

if you annualize this amount you get a yield of 12.8%

what is the risk?
the stock goes down and closes below 134 but you have insurance here of $8 a share so even if it went down to 126 you would not lose any thing.

other risk is that the stock goes way up in which case you do not get the big gain.

God Is....

epiphany

GOD

is

very

messy!!!!!  

Cheap Oil Good or Bad News?

I hear that cheaper oil is bad news.
Bad if you own an oil well
good if you are an average Joe
good for consumers

Of course it is good news if oil prices are declining
and it is what we should expect in a rational peaceful world

billions of people striving to live better lives
each seeking economy and more for less
gradually the living standard improves
we get more efficient

we live better using less oil
we learn to find and extract oil more cheaply
of course the price should always go down

and of course that is a good thing
 
 

Investments

Do not buy into the troubles of others

Do not invest your time and energy in the troubles and problems of other people

When you do that
you actually harm them by validating and reinforcing the problems

there are no problems

all is well

all is bliss

all is harmony

poems

this
 is
 a
poem

WHY should it not be eternal?

why should it be at all?

taken down after a night of sleepy pain

I hear that a lot of people get poisoned

they get poisoned by pain killers
maybe that killers thing is important

it can kill more than the pain

we should face our pain
we should figure it out
go to the source
and fix the source

too dangerous to just hide it

or hide from it

Unemployment

What is unemployment?
They take a survey and they ask people of working age if they are working or not and if they are looking for a job. If they are not working and looking for a job then they count as unemployed.

 For some reason they include teenagers in this survey starting at age 16. And for some reason the kids from 16 to 19 always have a really high rate of unemployment.
 I think I would feel bad if I wanted a job and tried to find a job and could not get one. And then what would I do?
 Personally I would clean myself up as much as possible and keep trying. Get a haircut and be clean shaven and wear my best clothes and be as perky as possible

. I imagine two kinds of unemployed people. One group has never been employed or has only had odd jobs. The other group had a good long term position and got laid off.
 Mostly this is all about money.
If someone has enough money then they could live without a job. Mostly people never have as much as they would like to have so they always want a better job or more money for the job they are doing.
 I would say to start on the attitude.
 Most important is to say
 THERE IS NO PROBLEM
  unemployment is not a problem in fact,

there are no problems
 discover this truth
 and all the problems just disappear

Oil Price Decline Coming

Change is happening
trees do not grow to the sky
oil is about to drop significantly

why?

don't kill the goose!
Substitution

people look for bang for the buck
oil is giving a lot less bang for the buck

all sorts of substitution is happening and it will
it will definitely
drive down the price of oil
and it will be happening soon

how low will it go?

$80 per barrel
$60 per barrel
$40 per barrel
$30 per barrel?

brave new world is coming to a community near you

Redistribution Harms Environment

Here is a working hypothesis
Giving money to low income people harms the environment and harms society

The question is this
What would that money be used for without redistribution versus what do the low income people use it for?

I would guess that the low income people use it for

food and shelter and medicine

but they also use a lot of it for

drugs
alcohol
tobacco
gambling
entertainment
gasoline
and making babies

so maybe the net result is to harm the environment by consumption of polluting resources
and to harm society by the consumption of vice

my suggestion
environmental impact studies of redistribution

has this been done?

Gold Price Explained

It finally got through my thick skull.
I have a new understanding of why gold has gone up so much in the past seven years.
Why the price of gold is out of line with other commodities....

Largely because of GLD

GLD is an ETF , exchange traded fund, which holds gold bullion
in fact it is holding almost 70 billion dollars worth of gold right now
$70,000,000,000 DOLLARS!

in effect they have cornered the market on gold.
All this has removed a tremendous amount of gold from the market and just put it in storage.
People will say it is new demand from India and China
That is the propaganda line. That and the possible future inflation and dollar devaluation
but those things are not an adequate explanation
the new thing in the world is the GLD fund
This fund was opened at the end of 2004 and then
the price of gold started escalating out of line with other commodities like oil and platinum

Now for the rest of the story.
Ultimately even with the GLD distorting things
the market will reassert itself

this means that ultimately the price will drop back to near the price of production
which is still only around $500 an ounce.

when will this happen?
I expect some time in the next five years
If I had to make a date I would say Jan 1, 2015 the price of gold will be around $555 per ounce
see you then

None of Our Business

when did we first get involved?
look at all the damage to our nation

Vietnam
Korea
Kuwait
Lebanon
Iran
Iraq
Afghanistan
Israel

why?
why are we involved

all our meddling has just made it worse

let us wake up and leave our neighbors alone
let them work out their own destinies

we can't understand them and their history
we need to let them be

let them be who they are and accept that

work on our own problems

mind our own business

Propaganda Strategy

The rebels always claim that the government has committed atrocities and war crimes
and killed innocent unarmed people.

They always make these claims.

In order to get support from outside parties

Now as a strategy does it really make sense for the government to order civilians to be shot? Does not the government know that if true this behavior would bring in support for the rebellion?

What can we believe? Is there any truth in this?
If someone gets shot in a demonstration, how do we know who did the shooting?
Plenty of people with guns.

Rush to judgment always picking sides never know the truth
cannot prove a negative

prove you did not do this!

that is not how our law operates.
Here you must prove somebody did something, they don't have to prove they did not!

If I accuse you of building weapons of mass destruction then you are already guilty because it is impossible to prove you are not building them!

I believe people everywhere are trying to do their best, to do what is right, according to their own lights.

I will not condemn, but I will criticize those who accuse and judge and use this to authorize and justify force and violence.

Who Is Funding Rebels?

apparently

we are

news out today is that USA is part of a friends of Syria group
that will be paying $100,000,000 to the rebels in Syria

but we won't be arming them!

they have to get their own weapons

It looks like our middle east policy is to destabilize nations there
we encourage chaos and rebellion
meanwhile in our own country

the authorities allow vigilantes to kill black teenagers

so I feel disappointed now with the direction of things
unlike my normal optimism

but here is the story I can tell myself.

I really don't know what is going on with other people. I really just do not know.
I barely know what is going on with me.

I know the wind blew over part of my fence this afternoon.
I got busy and patched it up.
But it is pretty rotten and we do need a new fence.

The fence is to keep the dog in!

The Wrong Question

health care

who is going to pay for it?
that is the wrong question

the right question is-

why does it cost so much? how can we get it to cost less?

and the right answers have something to do with incentives.....

Origin of Doctors

started as witch doctors
started as shamans
started as workers with the supernatural

how much has it changed?

they say they know

do they?
what do they know?

belief systems are just that, BELIEFS

you think reality is one thing?
it is all things

the material world comes from the spirit
not the other way round

and it is really all spirit

that is what to awaken to

you are spirit
he is spirit
the sun and moon are spirit
the wind and the lake are spirit

all is spirit

there is no disease

all is light
all is love
all is one
one spirit
eternal
uncreated
spirit

The Right Question

How can I put this?
My biggest problem is articulating my opinion.

the mild case

you can live without doctors
without medication
without hospitals
without surgery

and if you do, you will save a lot of money

BUT
we have been brainwashed into believing that you cannot live without this industry
that everyone needs it
everyone uses it
and people tell stories about how their life was saved by medication and doctors
and they are sincere
they believe the doctors saved them

is this the truth?

If you are selling snake oil it sure helps for sick people to believe you have a cure. It helps to make you rich.
Who are the rich in our society?
Who are the 1%

Many are doctors
lawyers
insurance people

what do they really produce?

better to live simply and avoid the fear sellers
they sell fear
we buy it
we die anyway

In The News

gasoline prices very high

stocks very high

time to leave Afghanistan alone

Iran working on a nuclear weapon

looks like it will be Obama vs. Romney

Always worth saying,
treat people with respect and kindness and love and forgive and be patient
and remember that you are getting all the help that you need
walk away from trouble
don't buy into negativity

the real news is....
the flowers are blooming
the birds are singing
Jupiter and Venus are dancing in the heavens

It is all love

No More Secrets No More Lies

Today is the day.
You cannot fool us any more.
The freedom of the internet has exposed the liars.
They keep trying to lie. But they are not getting away with it any more.

First the internet destroyed the Soviet Empire
Now it destroys the American Empire

and finally we will all be able to live together
without fear
in peace
and harmony

the truth is victorious
for all time
Today is the day!

We all are free!

All Deaths Are Not Equal

Syria deaths in recent uprising
They say 5,000 or 11,000
how many really?
Who knows

Afghanistan deaths from American occupation
they say 20,000
how many really? who knows?

Iraq occupation by
AMERICA
has caused as many as 900,000 deaths?

maybe we all need to rethink our approach to human relations
and learn to live together in peace

how can I make peace if I hand a man a gun?
how can I make peace if I am encouraging demonstrations?

let us make peace our high priority
and stop all the death and killing

Delete Crisis

crisis has become a most overused word
from today's headlines I find

Euro Crisis
Debt Crisis
Koran Crisis
Syria Crisis
Greece Crisis
Indian Airline Industry Crisis
Iran Nuclear Crisis
Gaza Energy Crisis
Foreclosure Crisis

is it overused? I would say so.
and it has such a negative connotation, like the end is near
like we won't make it through this one
because it is a CRISIS

delete the word crisis
substitute
opportunity
or turning point
or mess
or folly
or fight
or conflict
or drama
or quantum change

Samohi 1969 Finian's Rainbow

here we have a newspaper clipping from 1969 with a few of the cast members from the Samohi Senior Class Play
Chris Huston
Joe Oliva
Susie Roberts
Lynne White

with the POT OF GOLD!
notice Joe is holding a guitar

COLORIZATION BY ERIN OLIVA

Leave Syria Alone

let them figure it out

be patient with the situation

don't poke a stick in a hornet's nest

stop encouraging violence and revolution

peaceful change
peaceful change

it will change if you leave it alone

be patient

do not fight
no secrets
no secret manipulation

truth out in the open

leave Syria alone

Magic Wand Time

Imagine a magic wand that would end all the woes of humanity
no crime
no criminals
no disease physical or mental
no recklessness, careful people having no accidents
no arguments, happy giving people taking care of each other willingly

now imagine you have this wand and you are a doctor
or a lawyer
a priest
a prison guard

a politician

an insurance salesman
a lock manufacturer

and so on....

would you use the wand?

would they use it?

I believe we already have it. We might use it at any moment.
So let's do it!

Stock Market Woes

a little perspective please

easy to get discouraged by short term fluctuations

market has been sliding down recently

but look at January! Market was up almost 6% just in January!
So now it has given back some and is up only around 3.6%.
Even that kind of rise is not sustainable.

a realistic expectation is for gains to average around 1% a month over a longer term.

I expect a range of between 1% and 2% average monthly return this year.
Which would put the market up between 12% and 24 % for the year.
That will make this a very good year.

very good indeed

What Is Wealth?

You can be wealthy with friends, but that is not my subject.
I am asking about the kind of wealth people usually associate with money
the bottom line

but what is it really?

stored energy

and how is it stored? cash, gold, hard assets, stocks, bonds
so many ways to store this energy of wealth

but what is it REALLY?

It is really the capacity to do work. That is what energy is. The capacity to do work.
So real wealth is productive capacity
like income property
It needs to be in a form that is productive
like a factory or a farm or a business or a skill or talent

If you are the best at tennis or playing the flute or drums, then
your wealth is this skill and talent and yet it must be used

it must be expressed in order to be wealth
all kinds of labor are wealth

your body is wealth, your environment is wealth, your community is wealth,
your family is wealth, all the knowledge of all the generations is your wealth,
all the books, all the songs, all the movies, all that is wealth

so really
we are getting richer all the time

I wake up and am amazed at how well we humans live.
I heat my water in a microwave oven. I turn on the lights and the TV and go online and if I want to go somewhere I can drive in my amazing automobile.

This is all wealth
computers
cars
houses
roads
all the pipelines for gas and water and sewage and electricity and information

unimaginable wealth

all around

and the friends are also wealth, all the people are wealth

Index Capital Gains

This is important to get on the table.
Right now it is often fair for gains to be taxed at a lower rate because they are not really gains
they are just phantom gains caused by the decline of value of the dollar from inflation
but there is a solution to this
index the gains to inflation
get rid of the preferential tax rate and instead index the gains

if you have held an asset for many years the phantom gain might be 60% or more!
that should not be taxed

only real gains should be taxed
only real gains should be taxed

INDEX GAINS
so that we are only taxed on real gains not the illusory gains caused by the loss of value of the dollar

Gingrich Rally

stealth rally
Gingrich rally

Stocks have been doing very well lately. Where is the big celebration?
Is anyone paying attention?
Maybe not. Maybe things are getting better because people are putting attention on their business instead of just whining and complaining

Does Gingrich have an optimistic message?
Is a plump old man that encouraging to see on TV?

We seem to be pushing up to break out through the old highs from last MAY
the market looks unstoppable right now
and the optimism is growing
the animal spirits
the sun coming back
the trees blooming
the spring
the season of growth

What People Do

what are infants doing?
what are demented people doing?
sick in the hospital?

all the categories
worker
student
retired
housewife
child

what if you want to be in some other category

none of the above

I sit
I watch
I wait
I love

I am a lover

what is your means of support

OH! DISABILITY!
independently wealthy
on welfare

begging

is it just about money or where your food comes from

I am a forager

I forage

stealing....I guess being a criminal is sort of a job
burglar, robber, drug dealer
hard work
no pension plan

Myth of Unemployment

Unemployment is just a definition
change the definition
change reality

nobody is unemployed

everyone employs himself all day
day after day
taking care of business

when people talk jobs and unemployment they are really just talking money

I WANT MORE MONEY

call a spade a spade

employ yourself, take care of yourself, full time job taking care of yourself
and your surroundings
and that makes it all better when you take good care of it

and don't be too upset about the people who want more money

New Year New Optimism

I really feel a wave of optimism sweeping my community.
People are upbeat and happy and the new slogan is
"SO FAR, SO GOOD"

And this optimism has a firm foundation

There is a new diligence and a new honesty happening

And a new sense of personal responsibility

Things really are good and getting better. I say this will be the best year yet.
The crooks are on the run now. You just can't hide as easily from the truth.
The internet has opened up the truth and reality to everyone.

This goes for crooked dealings in business, such as Corzine and MF Capital.
It also goes for crooked dealings in government, such as unreasonable pay and pensions for some public employees.

And the keys to success are now
honesty
good service
generosity
diligence
care

the old ways just won't work any more and we will all benefit.

What firmer foundation than the truth?