All of Joseph Holbrook's images and commentary, "Quotesmefiles"© etc., within this web site, are copyrighted. Written permission is required for any use.
I think those who believe in “afterlife punishment scenarios”, are often drawn to stories that allow them to feel vindicated. They feel powerless to enforce justice here and now and by pulling stories from both modern and ancient texts, they glean a sense of righteousness and strength, along with a belief that all the bad guys will get their due. . .when they're dead.
If they haven't noticed. . . .that's exactly what our present day enemies believe about us. Should “strength of belief” have anything to do with "The Truth". . we'll be lucky if it's a wash. And if strength of belief has nothing to do with "The Truth", then there are a lot of people spending a lot of energy and time for no reason at all.
The Universe, all Universes, have been running perfectly for incalculable eons. Preoccupation with "just punishment for evil doers" won't alter a thing. And using precious time to envision some sort of "after-life justice" is a stumbling block that really needs to be removed if the goal is true peace of mind and spiritual maturity.
Whatever the details, everything will continue to work exactly as IT always has, exactly as it’s supposed to. In that I Have complete faith.
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“Socialism: As Patriots, we must be vigilant. The ability to lead and direct people is absolutely important in a President, but being directed to jump off a cliff should still be avoided, no matter how precise or flowery the instructions.”
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“I think we should designate a new annual Holiday, "Capitalism Day", so that future generations might remember what it was.” (I later looked it up and there IS an International
Capitalism Day on the first Sunday of June each year. Who knew.)____________________________________________________
“Those who talk of "spreading the wealth around" speak as if "The Wealth" is a stagnant object, like a stick of butter. "The Wealth" is a tangible and pliable result of intelligence, creativity, hard work and tenacity. It should be spread as doctrine and taught as law that these are the requirements and causes of wealth. And that if you punish those that work for it by giving the results to those that don't, incentives become blinded, the doctrine will become moot and those that know how to create it either can't. . . or won't. “
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“I sort of keep an eye open for short phrases that make sense today, but would have been total blabber a couple-few decades ago. The more completely it would have seemed like blabber, the better. I saw one in Google News recently:
It really wasn’t all that long ago that no one would have had a clue about what that meant.
Obviously new technology brings new terms and it's easy to find phrases in specialty fields that baffle everyone but the initiated. And it's true that a lot of phrases I run across have something to do with recent invention or discovery, but it’s still amazing to see that such giant changes in general communication can take place in such a relatively short period of time.”
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I have a problem with how the word "Knowledge" is generally defined and used these days.
An elderly person very close to us is having memory problems and she often asks the same questions repeatedly. She was in the hospital recently and her memory problem arose in conversation with the Doctor. I mentioned: "It's interesting. The process by which she determines what questions she wants to ask seems to have remained the same. Her questions are reasonable. . . she just forgets that they've been asked and answered."
It wasn't till the next day that I thought: That seems to be the problem with the whole world.
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I despise the inappropriate use of the words racism and racist: If one has a preconceived opinion that a particular race is innately inferior, that is unadulterated racism. If one correctly notes that societally unacceptable acts are being committed by what appears to be the majority of an ethnic group. . . .that's an observation.
Scientific investigation (of the observation) may lead to genetic, or environmental, or cultural elements behind the behavior, but that's neither bigotry, nor racism. . . .it's only learning.
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(Desiderata (Latin) : things that are desired as essential)
Click on the poem’s name for the website. A wonderful poem, with an interesting history. It is a course of life I believe in and the author's faith resides where mine does.
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There are so many T.V. stations and so many shows I'm not interested in at all. One day I noticed that a show I did like was on 3 different stations at the same time. It was the same episode on all three stations. I felt I was finally getting my money’s worth.. . . .what's happening to me?
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The Obama administration will be releasing photos showing alleged abuses by U.S. troops. The photos, taken from Air Force and Army criminal investigations show military personnel intimidating detainees by pointing weapons at them. (Shocking)
New Obama Administration policies will only allow bouquets of flowers to be pointed at the enemy. And if they are inclined toward certain allergic reactions, it could be quite uncomfortable. The ACLU, however, will no doubt object to the new policy as well.
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It seems that so many people these days present themselves as some sort of fabricated character. You see them as they contort their face, talk fast, swear often and degrade others. To those of us who can pretty easily recognize the difference between swagger and substance, it’s like fingernails on a blackboard.
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Did you know that there is a circular cutout in each end of every Aluminum foil and plastic wrap container. Pushing the cutout IN creates a hub which retains the roll and allows it to spin. IE. the roll stays in the container. . . . .it won't fall out.
As in many things throughout our lives, I'm forced to wonder: How many solutions are at our fingertips, but from habit or lack of observation, we simply overlook them. I think there may be many more than we expect.
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Being separate from God is a penalty of ego.
As long as you are pursuing, you are doing the separating.
Chasing what can't be caught, when IT is where you are.
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A friend called me today and said she has just recognized an omen that we should all have recognized: We are now. . . . AN OBAMANATION. Wish I'd have thought of that.
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Life and Death are always only a breath away and it's not as though we ever have complete control over either. I'm just trying to have a good time while I'm here.
Ironically, evolution may be evidenced by the fact that those who are opposed to the theory seem to beget more who have the same trait. They all congregate in similar groups that promote the same concept: "No matter what you're talking about, God did it, so why look for any other answers." Those who grasp evolution then, whether religious or not, display a comparative affirmation of Darwinism. They obviously evolved from either an earlier form of opposer. . . or at least a common ancestor.
It may be that Natural Selection favors the continuation of Creationists. They may be necessary to keep science looking for better ways to communicate reality to everyone.
If you believe in Heaven and Hell, don't think of Capital Punishment as a sin, just as an early transfer.
Sometimes tears come when all that I've experienced in life meets up with all that I'm so very thankful for. And even though I doubt that I will be able to miss anything when I'm gone, I think it's just knowing how much they deserved to be missed that makes my cry.
It seems to me like there's this big ship that's no longer going anywhere and it's got a giant hole in it right at the water line. The people on board are moving around to different spots on the ship trying to hide from the hole and keep from drowning. They're not enjoying the trip at all and they're getting more scared with every passing week. But. . .they remember what it was like to boldly sail wherever they wanted to go and they assume that once the hole gets plugged, everything will go "back to normal".
The hull of a ship is its structural strength and it was people stealing material from the hull that apparently caused the hole. No one really seems to have a grasp on how big it is. The captain and his crew have thrown all the food on board at the hole, but that didn't work very well. They've begun throwing the passenger's personal goods and future supplies at the hole, but they're not sure if that's going to work either. No one seems to have the expertise on how to plug it. Out of sheer desperation the captain, crew and all the passengers are now praying that the hole will fix itself. . . . they're all sort of waiting.
The passengers are hoarding what remains of their future goods and supplies. They've all lost a lot and they know that replacing it, let alone building up more, is going to be a lot more expensive. Maybe even impossible in their lifetime. Some have abandoned ship. Some have even been thrown off. I sure hope the ship can get under way full steam ahead very soon. And I certainly hope someone's working on how to protect the hull from being damaged like this again. Personally, I think we should identify all the people who severely damaged the structure of the ship and shoot them.
Patti saw this on one of those "words for the day" calendars and dropped it on my desk. Said she thought it was pretty good. She's always been observant.
"For most women, the language of conversation is primarily a language of rapport: a way of establishing connections and negotiating relationships. For most men, talk is primarily a means to preserve independence and negotiate and maintain status in a hierarchical social order." (Deborah Tannen, library linguist)
In the case Professor Gates and the Cambridge policeman, President Obama made an obviously premature statement that the Cambridge “police acted stupidly". He subsequently backed down from the comment (though not thoroughly enough). What no one will ever address is that Obama' s knee-jerk response sounded more like a Black man from Chicago with a chip on his shoulder than the President of the United States. And though a President is certainly allowed to have personal opinions, a good one knows when to keep his mouth shut about them, regardless of his or her personal background or color.
The ultimate truth about and consequences of the incident is of no concern to me here. The President’s response is. It’s possible that Barrack Obama is so enamored with his speaking finesse, that he thinks he can say whatever is on his mind and get away with it; or worse, that everything he says should be taken as gospel.
On the positive side, perhaps we gleaned some insight into a President with a penchant for drawing conclusions without sufficient data. It may be how he tends to think and we certainly should know about that. It may also speak of a President who thinks of himself as a black man first, our President second. And some may think that’s alright. I don’t.
( The entire incident reminded me of a “quotesme” file from years ago: " Absolutely nothing brings about racism and bigotry faster than claiming it falsely." (Joseph Holbrook)
The recent incident between officer James Crowley and Professor Henry Gates has prompted President Obama to invite both to the White House "for a beer."
There is speculation as to what type of beer will be served. If I were James Crowley, I would insist on "Henry's African Ale" and insist that its description be typed on each place mat at the table: Made from African hops, but brewed in America, it's a bitter dark beer with a pungent sourness. It's highly carbonated so it froths over easily. And even though these attributes should subside with maturity. . . . they apparently get worse.
I look up a lot of things that people email me and have come to generally mistrust internet information. It seems a giant percentage of "informational stories" I receive are either incomplete, wrong or pure fiction. For me, if a communication is presented as factual, then it should be. Of course, opinions and fun are different animals altogether.
Incorrect information is everywhere because people who like to instigate wrong or exaggerated news and facts are more than happy to invent it.. . .for their own reasons. Others seem to receive and pass it all along in response to their personal anxieties; or, they feel like they're doing the right thing. Then there's also that sense of accomplishment being First to pass along inside stories and new facts. And though it all may smell like being informed, it's only gossip; worse actually, since a lot of it is intentionally skewed or fabricated and the passers become inadvertent propagandists. Admittedly, it can be difficult to discern mistakes and errors from intentional deception and don’t get me wrong, I’ve certainly been caught up and guilty of some of this myself. But, I’m as aware as I can be these days. It's a vicious circle, or more like a domino affect I guess. Something to be avoided if possible.
A close friend recently opined about basing decisions on radio talk shows: ". . .people that call into radio programs at 2 AM do NOT reflect cogent thought processes, and the views are slanted". I certainly agree and see similar problems with people passing along emails full of lies and fiction, but presenting them as fact. Some even show attitude when I correct them, as though the story was more important than the truth of it. I like metaphoric and fictional romps as much as the next guy, maybe even more, but not when they're presented as reality.
Babble, as the word applies to conversation, usually means rapid talk that’s difficult or impossible to understand. I think it should also mean: Communication so infused with lies and fiction that the truth is indiscernible. . . or lost. Sounds a lot like Politics doesn't it.
To be honest, I've never thought that being “right” was my responsibility. I'll freely admit to the pursuit of that pinnacle, but so often, I've seen those that think they're “right” running around misleading the rest who are looking; so, I feel it's good just trying to be "a little more correct " tomorrow than I was today.
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Emergent properties: No matter how distant, circuitous or unimaginable they are, if the potential for occurrence was not there from the very beginning, they would never arise.
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I don’t see all of mankind agreeing on a singular Religion. . . any sooner than I can see
mankind agreeing on a completely honest, beneficent and logical One World
Government. Neither are right around the bend.
I think man would have to be a very different sort of animal than he is right now in order to
pull either one off. The thing is, if we’re going to imagine that kind of Change, why
not just imagine that we really don't need any form of government at all. Wouldn't it be great
if everyone in the world was actually that conscious, all at the same time? That's my dream.
I believe the Christian prophecy is that Jesus will return with both, the one religion and the
governance for a thousand years. What a phenomenal promise that is. The gift of an
Ultimate and Eternal Universal Epiphany on every physical and mental plane for absolutely
everyone on the planet.
I am being absolutely honest when I say that I can’t think of a better solution. (Joseph Holbrook)
Sometimes, within emails amongst friends, interesting philosophical questions and comments
pop up. This next year, I'll attend to more of those in this journal over the political
opinions that I’ve seemed obsessed with during other years. I’ve tried this before. Now I
pledge it.
I'll synopsize my final Political Opinion right here: "It’s bad, it's going to get worse and you
can't depend on anyone that's involved to tell you only the truth."
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1. an Email comment from someone:
Maybe science and faith are closer than they think to each other!
my blurb: Science and Faith have always been as close as they can be. As close as we have
allowed them anyway. Many don't know it, or notice it and some just don't like facing any
possibility that parts of their Faith might be proven wrong. The relationship between the two
has always been tenuous to some degree. Science and Faith are always fun to think about
though. Should they go hand in hand? Sure. Whatever is The Truth should.
I've been a Science fan for as long as I can remember and it has certainly changed during my
lifetime. Things that were taught as True in grade-school simply aren't true anymore. But
what's nice about Science is that the new truths. . . make more sense than the old ones. They
are more. . . Certain. And they become more evident. It's usually because we've been able get
some sort of a new perspective on the subject. I feel the same about Faith.
My faith in Science is Very High. . . . but with an open mind.
My faith in my Faith is Very High. . . but still with an open mind.
We don't know everything. We don't even know everything about anything:
Why wouldn't one want to be further informed and enlightened about both Science and
Faith. And. . . . Why wouldn't one expect that within either, new perspectives could possibly
change their view of The Truth. (Joseph Holbrook)
“I AM frustrated by the inherent nature of most of the world's religions - to exclude rather than
include.” (An email comment from a friend)
(my response)
It really doesn't seem very spiritual does it? One group of people "believes" differently than
the group down the block, and by each group's reckoning, They are the ones that
"believe correctly". Most of the time they also believe that their way is. . . "The Only Way"
(to believe in and be in contact with God). Sometimes it seems as though they believe their
religion IS God.
Each group may work diligently and even admirably at being tolerant about sharing the block
with each other. They may even occasionally find and share similarities within their belief
systems . . . but that's about as far as "inclusions" generally go.
It's not unusual to find that within the confines of either group, members are considered
"unfaithful" if they even consider thinking that a different approach might be "another
way". After all, that would mean that their group is no longer special. It would mean theirs
isn't the Only Way. It would mean that. . . God doesn't like them best.
I believe that ultimately religions will have to fall away in favor of "The Truth". That is,
The Truth about God that they all attempt to reach and teach. Isn’t it after all, the same God?
I believe that all the Rituals, Names and Dates, all the Cultures and History that we cling to are
just flavorings of the human voyage. They may be glorious to partake in, but Finally and
Certainly, it's the same answer . . .for everyone.
With that admission, when you measure our success in advancing toward the goal, we’re. . .
. ..well, you can fill in a word, or two. (Joseph Holbrook)
