JUST CAN'T SEEM TO--------

   To those that have followed my blog,I wish to apologize for not writing this past week or so. Call it writers block,(not really as I have a lot to say on almost every subject know to man),I face the keyboard and cannot find the will. or courage to write anything. So after 10 or 15 minutes I close down the laptop and tell myself that I will write something tomorrow.And as they say,tomorrow has yet to come.Hopefully this situation won't last to much longerWell that's it for now.Keep the faith I will be back,tearing apart the false assumptions and beliefs that abound in this world of ours.

THE FOUNDING FATHERS HAD IT RIGHT!

1. -     When we look at the problems that beset our country and the way our politicans go about trying to solve them,then certain things stand out.The first thing is that for supposedly intellgent beings,seeing that they all have college degrees and on top of that rich or at least well to do,they are very shortsighted.It was once said that the first duty of a politician is to get reelected.So true. It is because of this desire to get reelected,that their approach to solving problems is very shortsighted. Only those solutions which produce immediate results that can be attributed to the politicians legislation or his parties belief system is considered.It is these things that can be translated into votes that the politicians care about.Thus it is the party line and the parties politicial beliefs that rule the way politicans approach all things. This may sound somewhat cynical,but this view point is a direct outcome of having a politican class.
2.      A permanent political class creates and infects the members with an insidious virus or belief.This belief does like this,the voters continue to elect me,therefore my belief system and my judgement on all that comes before me must be superior,otherwise I would not be reelected.Therefore it follows that I know what is best,no matter what anyone else has to say.With this belief system,true solutions to the myriad problems facing us as a nation will never be considered.An because of this belief system by the political class,problems continue to grow until the point is reached were the solution to the problem becomes worst than the orginial problem.This is the reason that the political class will never question the assumptions which the operate under.
3.      Now when the Founding Fathers drafted the Constitution forming the United States of America,they never considered adopting term limits for the presidernt or members of Congress or the Senate.To them it was inconceivable that any individual would make it their life's mission to be continuely elected to office.The way they viewed service to the country was that an individual would serve a term or two then return to private life.A politican to the way of seeing things was a lot like that of a militia ,a priviate citizen who would take up arms when the need arose and once the threat was dealt with,returned home and lived their lifeuntil the next time that their community or nation need them.So what the solution to the problem facing us today.Well that's easy,institute term limits for our congressmen and senators.That would insure that the politicans would not be wed to any particular political belief system.They would be more open to solutions that they had not thought of or considered before. Will this solve the problem.no really but it would be a good start.Our politicans must learn to question the assumptions by which they approach a problem,and see if the assumption they are operating under is valid.It is really amazing how problems will fall when one questions assumptions.So what do you believe.will this help solve the problems facing us?I know what I believe,but the question is what do you believe?

GOOD NEIGHBOR'S

    
     The idea for this post comes from a friend in England.At first glance I thought it would be an easy post,after all what makes a good neighbor is oblivious. Or is it. It was once said that good fences make good neighbors. Now the assumptions from this saying is obvious,especially if you know were the saying comes from.When the west was being settled in America,a conflict arose between cattle ranchers and the farmers.The cattle were eating the farmerss.s crop,so to solve this problem the farmers erected fences to keep the cattle out.Thus were the ranchers and farmers were able to live peacefully side by side.So the assumption was you stay and do what you want on your side of the fence,and I'll do what I want on my side.simple,isn't it. Now if that's was all it took to be a good neighbor,wewould be home free,but were not.We must also take into consideration the historical concept of what a good neighbor means,which brings us to religion.
     The biggest influence in the west on what it means to be good neighbor is of course Christianity,in the far east it is of course Buddhism. Christianity bases its view on two beliefs. The first one is to love thy neighbor,and the second one is based on the principals of the Ten Commandments.Briefly it means that one should offer one's neighbor any help that it is within one's power to give.It also means that one should ponsibletakeinto consideration the effect that ones decision about the use of ones property,will have on ones neighbors.An example of this would be if one had a tree who's branches might cause damage to the neighbor's house if they broke.Being a good neighbor would mean removing those branches that could damage the neighbors house. It does not mean that one has to remove a tree because leaves might fall on the neighbors property.After one can not be responsible for what wind might blow from ones property to another.Would one be responsible for trash that the wind blew onto your property and then blew on to one's neighbor property. Of course not. The same goes for what happens if birds perch upon one's tree. After all Nature happens.A good neighbor would shovel snow from the neighbors walk if they were unable to do so,the same goes for mowing the grass,for the same reasons.Boiled down,being a good neighbor means behaving in such a way as you would wish your neighbor would do for you. Unfortunately in this day an age of political correctness,and me-ism,some individuals have taken it to mean that they can dictate to their neighbors close and far how their neighbors should behave,and even believe.
     To me personally,it means to make sure my chosen lifestyle impact as little as possible my neighbors peace and quiet and the enjoyment of their property.Reasonable accommodation is the key.But that is my belief, the question as always is what do you believe?That is as they say the question.Hope this post helps in deciding how to interact with ones neighbors.             

GOD---INTOLERANCE---DEATH

     Since this blog deals with assumptions in all aspects of life,I would recommend that the readers of this blog obtain a copy of James P Hogan's sci-fy novel,:Inherit the Stars"It is the perfect blending of science,logic and fiction,and the story shows just how assumptions can help or hurt in one's search for the truth. However,I must warn you, that once you read Hogan's work,it is addictive.Each book leaves you with the desire to read something else he has written.It's an addiction that I highly recommend.
     There are certain assumptions to God,intolerance and death that link all three together.This post ame about because of the violence in Egypt,between the fundamental Muslim's and the Christian minority/all because of a rumor.Now the assumption about God that all religions share is that God expects its creation to live a certain way.Now according to the basic tenets of each particular religion,this lifestyle can be gentle and caring or violent and cold. The problem is that any fundamental view of religion and its tenets,places the greatest value on the most basic values of the religion.Even though the vast majority of Muslim's look at Islam as a caring and gentle religion,one cannot hid the fact that Islam was created as a warrior religion,to counter the invasion of christian crusaders into the middle east.Thus the violence between fundamental muslim's and the minoriy christians in Egypt.Interolance in its most vile form.Now the basic assumption about death,goes hand in hand with the view of God that religions hold.Death in this context is just a transtion from one form of existence to another.That in the existence after death,reward or punsihment will be given out by the God that each religion recognizes.Thus what one does during ones life has meaning,here and after death.Thus the fear of death,  but what if there is no life after death,then death only has meaning to those that are still alive.For the person who dies,has no idea that they are dead.One moment they possess consciousness and the next nothing.There's nothing to fear since you won't know your dead.So see its all about the assumptions one makes in life about the most basic beliefs.Is there a God,do you believe in religion,if you do then you must accept the assumption that death is not final.I know what I believe,but the question as always is what do you believe? And does this belief control what you do and how you live and approach life?An interesting question to contemplate,don't you think.

MOTHER'S DAY TRIBUTE

          To all my female readers of this post,let me wish you a Happy Mothers Day.Not only are you the glue that holds the family together,but the binding agent for society,and without whom there would be no future for the human race.So enjoy your day,and know that you are Loved and appreciated in our hearts and thoughts even if they are not expressed openly.I will leave you with this true story.
.        In the late 1980's I was in charged of a kitchen at a juvenile detention facility for the state of California ,in Campo,California. I had approximately 30 women working for me in the kitchen who's average age was around 40.The first Mother's day I was working in the kitchen,my big boss drove out to the camp in a van loaded with 30 dozens bouquets of red roses for our female employees.After getting all the ladies together, we passed out the bouquets to each and everyone. That done,my boss, made a small speech of appreciation to the ladies for their hard work during the last year,at which point he asked me if I had anything to say.I replied ,"yes",and in front of all my employee's I ask him,"Were was my bouquet of flowers?"  He looked at me with this strange face and said,"Richard,its Mother's Day remember." "I know",I replied",but you can ask any of the ladies here,that I am called a mother more often everyday than any of the ladies here.It seems almost every 10 ot 15 minutes I hear the pharse,"Richard you Mother #$^%&$." Both my boss and the ladies broke out laughing,but I will have you know that the following Mother's Day I received my very own bouquet of roses from my boss,presented in front of the assembled ladies.
       I hope this true story brought a smile to your lips and a laught to your soul. So once again Happy Mother's Day to one and all.

WHO KILLED TED AND ALICE--REPEAT

   Who killed Ted and Alice, thats the question.Now what does that have to do with assumption?. When I was teaching world history I would start off each and every class at the beginning of each an every semester exactly the same way. Once seated I would ask the class to close their eyes and picture their home.Upon entering the house they find Ted and Alice lying in the center of the living room,stone cold dead in the middle of the room. Around them were bits of broken glass and the carpet was wet around their bodies.Have the picture in your mind? Now I would tell them they could ask me any question that takes a yes or no answer,their problem was to discover exactly  how Ted and Alice died.
           Needless to say,every class proceed in exactly the same way.The questions would follow a similar pattern. Were they shot?,hit with a blunt object,poisioned,strangled? As the time ticked by the possible ways in which Ted and Alice died became more and more outragerous.The mystery writers in hollywood would have been envious with the number and ways Ted and Alice were killed off. Just before the end of the period, I would point to one student an pose the following question,"How did you get your name." The immediate reply would be," My parents gave it to me." Ok, I would reply," How did Ted and Alice Die."
          Ask yourself this, just what are you assumming not only about Ted and Alice, but about the problem as a whole.I'll give you a hint, the assumpation you are making is so basic, you aren't even aware that you are in fact making it.The reason you, like my students are having a hard time solving the problem,deals with the fact that you unconsciouly make a very basic assumpation about Ted and Alice.The assumpation that you and my students are making, is that Ted and Alice are human.Ted and Alice, those are the names we associate with males and females.The unspoken thought is that it refers to human male and females. And because we assume that they are human, all the questions deal with how human beings can be killed or how they can die.Logical and normal, but absolutely wrong. The answer to the problem is that Ted and Alice are goldfish.It seems that their bowl was knocked over and broke when it hit the rug. Thus the presence of broken glass and the rug being wet.If one gave equal emphasis to the broken glass and wet rug as one did to the names Ted and Alice, the problem is easily solved. Easy isn't it,once it is explained.
           It is this tendency to make assumptions about something as basic as names,which is the primary reason why problems seems so complex and unsolvable.If you cannot solve a problem no matter what you do, its not because the problem can't be solve, its because you are making the wrong assumptions. If you change the assumption then solutions can be found.The posts from here on will deal with differnt problems and the assumptions we are making concerning them.Then we will explore possible solutions if we change the working assumptions.Will we solve the problems facing us individuality, as a society, or as human beings,who knows? But the attempt is in and of it's self worthwhile. So remember this my friends,"Question everything you believe to be true,you might be surprised at the answer

FLEAS ON A CAT- REPEAT

We all make assumptions every minute we are awake.Some of these are very deliberate when making decisions, but most are completely unconscious.It is these unconscious assumptions that allow us to navigate through our harried existence on this spinning blue-green globe.It is usually these unconscious assumption and the way we try to solve the problems we see because of them that the solutions we try are not effective.A great exmaple of this is what I call, "Fleas on a Cat". I have a cat named Bragg, who a friend gave me about a decade ago.He's a great companion, even though he drives me crazy occasionally.Lately, I noticed that he has fleas. Not Good. Well, I know one sure way to kill fleas, that is to throw Bragg into a blast furance.High heat is 100% effective in killing fleas.There is a drawback to this solution; it will kill Bragg. I can hear the outcry."Are you insane,why would you even think about throwing your cat into a blast furance.Of course, I would never consider that as a viable option;after all I love my cat.Now ask yourself,why no one living on the face of the planet would consider throwing my cat into a blast furance just to kill fleas.The reason is, that when asked how to kill fleas on a cat,everyone would assume that you want the cat to live, and the fleas dead.Everyone makes that unconscious assumpation and approaches the problem with that goal in mind.So the way we can kill fleas becomes very limited,as long as we want Bragg to live.(please excuse the way this blog is one long paragraph.I am new to this and have not figured out how to start new paragraphs...I will figure it out, trust me.)Now back to the topic under discussion. When we try to solve problems, before we decide on a particular solution,we need to examine the assumpations we are making concerning the problem.Both conscious and unconscious ones. And see if they are valid.Because if the assumpations we are making are false, then no matter what we try to solve the problem, it will fail in part or in whole.Take a brief moment and think of all the problems that our society has faced over the years.Have we ever solved one, or do they continue to grow so much that we despair of them ever being solved.The reason for this is easy. The assumpations we are making, both conscious and especially the unconscious ones are false.As they say when programming computers,"Garbage IN,Garbage Out."