Who is God?

Years and years ago I heard a very wise Catholic priest say that God is whomever you want to call him...Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha, Yahweh, etc, etc.  They are all one in the same person.  Rather controversial for a priest to say, wouldn't you think?  He was a very forward thinking priest, in my opinion.

I'd like to think that years and years ago, when there were far, far fewer people on the earth, that there was a charismatic, peaceful man who went around and tried to get his fellow man to be kind to one another.  He made friends wherever he went, but much to the dismay of the rulers at that time, he was probably more popular than them, even though he didn't ask for notoriety.  He had to be made an example, and therefore he was killed/crucified by the ruling party. 

Of course he had some very ardent followers who kept his dreams alive, and spread his good will.  Through the years his good will, and good works, became, like all stories and rumors, embellished.  He was raising people from the dead.  He was turning water into wine.  And what he preached, was reinterpreted to make the people of any particular region feel that he was speaking to them only.  This may be where the separation of religions came about.

Religion, itself, is supposed to be a good thing.  But now we have people saying their religion is better than someone else's religion.  We are presently condemning Muslims, but think back to the Crusades.  The Christians, at the time, were a rather bloodthirsty bunch!   And there are probably plenty of other examples, on all continents, where religion is used as the reason to  get rid of someone you consider your enemy.  This is not what "God" wanted, when he walked the earth thousands of years ago.  This is not what any peaceful, free person would want.

But today we were interpreting, and reinterpreting the bible, or other holy books, to serve our purposes.  It's a story book that has been told, and retold, with embellishments along the way, to fit the mood of the time.  Too many people read passages that seem to fit their agenda, and if not, they find a different interpretation that will.  They want their "God" to say what they want to hear/read.

I'm just trying to understand it all, on Day 221!







 

So what is it with gas prices?

I think I may have had a mental breakthrough on this issue, for me anyway.

This is an election year, and if you didn't know that, you're living under a rock!  And you walk everywhere you go, or use non-motorized transportation.  And that's probably a good thing; the eco-friendly transportation, not living under that rock!

But look at it this way...the president of the moment, is somewhat of an environmentalist.  He wants to explore more efficient means of producing and conserving energy.  Heavens, he wants to have cars to get up to 54 miles per gallon!  And he wants to explore alternative forms of energy, such as wind!  And this all means the oil companies won't sell as much oil!  And their astronomical profits and big salaries and bonuses may diminish, although I doubt they'd disappear entirely.  Other countries (think China) are still increasing their own consumption, and for big oil, that's a definite plus.

So they raise the price of gas at the pump, and everyone wants to blame the president, as if he has anything to do with it, except for his dream of more energy independence.   And they'd probably like to get the "other guy" voted in, who might, just might allow drilling of oil, indiscriminately, in pristine, natural, wild areas of the globe.  Drilling in itself is not a bad thing; the waste left behind (think spills, disturbed ground, displaced and disturbed people and wildlife should be considered.) 

And then there's a pipeline that some want to be built, which would go from Canada to the Gulf, and not a drop of oil in that pipeline, for the U.S.  Oh yeah...that makes all the sense in the world...if you're an oil magnate.

I'm still driving, albeit less, and looking for positive alternatives, including political candidates, on Day 220!



 

Wasting a month, for good reason...

Just as I was putting pen to paper, and making notes, while driving around on my "real job", I was struck down with an aneurysm.  Fortunately I got the best of care at the hospital I went to, on an emergencuy basis, and I came through surgery with no ill effects, or after effects.  But it did take the entire month on August, plus a couple weeks in September, to get the doctor's release, so I can go back to my job.

I did find myself reading a lot of books, as there was nothing worth while on TV, for the most part.  We can listen to the candidates on either side, and not just the presidential candidates, nitpick on what each other thinks, decides, stands for etc, etc, etc. but after a while, who cares?

A few observations on the whole "adventure."  When I went to the emergency room, it was full of people who really didn't look that sick except for the gal who was in labor.  I heard people complaining that they had been there "X" amount of hours, and were going home if they didn't get service.  Now, if they're really sick, why would they even think of leaving the emergency room?   And if not that sick, why did they choose the emergency room in the first place?

I did have the co-pay with me ($100.)  I wondered how many people just said something like "bill me"?  I'm sure if they paid their $100, they wouldn't be contemplating going home for "lack of service." 

While I was in one of the examine rooms, there was another woman in a room yelling that she wanted a cigarette.  She was told she couldn't have one, and she started throwing things.  Security was called on her.

I have received a couple bills, which say on them "this is not a bill" as the insurance companies have to hash out who is going to pay what.  The stay was definitely not cheap.  But in retrospect of what the doctors, nurses, and other staff personnel go through, they probably earn every dime they make. 

They see you at your worst, and try to help you any way they can, often with little respect.  If you doubt this, jut go sit in an emergency room and watch the action...might be better than people-watching at the mall!

Just glad to be alive on Day 219!

 

It's easier to ask forgiveness...

...than to ask permission.  Or so said a friend, recently.

Perhaps that what Glaxo-Smith-Kline was thinking when they sold drugs that were not totally approved for the total audience they were targeting.  One such drug was Paxil, an anti-depressant.  Supposedly when children of a certain age, or younger, take this drug, they can become suicidal.  Now isn't that what anti-depressants are supposed to stop?  I don't really understand the reasons for all these anti-depressants, anyway.  The second drug was Wellbutin.  I have no idea what this is good for, but according to GSK, everything from weight loss to better sex.  Uh huh...

The company, or some of its minions even bribed doctors with such perks as European pheasant hunts, and Madonna concert tickets, to push the drugs on their patients.  The first would be interesting, the second, I'd have to sell on eBay; personally don't like Madonna. 

So...those two drugs must have made them a tidy profit because they were just handed a fine, from the FDA, for between 1 and 3 billion dollars.  Yikes!  Now, that's some kind of forgiveness!  Although I do wonder how many people, especially the underage Paxil users, who may have been hurt by the drug.  There's no amount of money that could justify that!

As for me, I'll stick to aspirin...Day 218!

Coward's way out

Sad but true, two former Wall Street traders took their lives recently, in separate incidences, since they were under water on their mortgages, and facing financial ruin.  At least to them, it was financial ruin.

The first guy found another job, after he lost his first, but he was only making $125,000 or so a year.  Well, I can tell you, from a double income family that does NOT even bring in $100,000, you CAN live on less!  But why wait until everything seems hopeless.  Why didn't you give the house back to the bank, find a nice apartment to rent, tell your kids the truth as to why you're downsizing, and LIVE for them?  Nope.  Too much ego?  Too macho?  Too humiliating?  Hey, there are a lot of us out here who would have envied your $125,000 salary, and would have thought you did the right thing by your family.  Rather than taking the coward's way out and leaving them in a potential lurch.

The second guy, more recently, torched his house because he couldn't pay the mortgage.  Which was in the range of $17,000 a MONTH!  That's more than a lot of people LIVE on per YEAR!  But although he was a Wall Street broker, he wasn't very bright in the ways of the world, and got caught as the arsonist.  So after his trial, which he was found guilty, he decided to take the coward's way out.  Again leaving his family in a lurch! 

Obviously, both these individuals loved money more than their families, and if they couldn't have it all, then they didn't want to live.   A very sad legacy to leave their children.

Living poor by some standards, and enjoying life...on Day 217!

No good deed goes unpunished...

This line was in an e-mail sent to me by someone who did not think along the same lines as I did, concerning conservation, and tearing down a house.

I simply said that the people who bought a house on the property adjoining theirs, for over $4 million dollars, only to raze the house so they could have a "better view" perhaps should have considered the house could have been salvaged by people who wanted the wood, windows, etc, for architectural purposes.  I don't care that they wanted to tear it down, after all it's their money.  I just though that rather than go into a landfill, the pieces could have been conserved, for other more useful purposes.

It would have taken a bit longer than a bulldozer, but so what! 

The writer of the note said in not so many words that he/she never got any satisfaction from good deeds, and so did not do anything along those lines.  That most people really don't give a crap.  I tend to disagree.  I thought he/she was being very cynical.

I'm not rolling in dough, but I do make contributions if I think it's for a good cause.  I also hold the door open for people who need an extra hand.  I let people cut in line in front of me, or if I'm in my car, provided they're using their turn signals!  Even a smile can lift some spirits.  I don't expect to get a "hurray" every time.  If I think the benefactor is obviously ungrateful, then I just don't help that person again.   But most people are grateful, even if they are not effusive about it.  It just makes me feel good. 

Keeping up a positive attitude on Day 216!

For love or money?

Ho hum, Rielle Hunter has penned a tell-all book about her tawdry affair with the one-time presidential candidate, John  Edwards.  If you've been sleeping under a rock, you may not know that he was married at the time, to a woman with terminal cancer.  Of course he was one of those "born again Christians" (before the affair, in fact!), and now he's oh so remorseful.  All the more disgusting turn of events. 

This affair even produced a child.   Of course Rielle, who seemed to be smarter than she looks, did not practice safe sex, and obviously John didn't either.   Being a woman, she should have known her cycle better than she did, or if she was practicing the Catholic standby of rhythm, she should know its effective only 50% of the time.  In essence, it's a crap shoot. 

So, I'm wondering, does Rielle not get enough child support from John, that she expects to reap a fortune with her book?  I can tell you unequivocally that I will not be reading it, even if the library has it in stock, where reading it would be free to me.

Saving my money for more important things on Day 215!