22. November 2009 by Da Fu.

Most people do not understand or know their work. They know their job but their job is entirely different from their work. Understanding ones work is key to a happy, fulfilling life.

A job is what one does to earn income to meet the basic needs of daily living. It is well known that happiness rises with increased earnings up to about $50,000 per year and that more than $100,000 per year does NOT increase happiness. Yet, 40% of American earn less than $18,000 per year. In a country that prides itself in the “pursuit of happiness”, it is paradoxical that many full time and hard working Americans cannot earn enough to meet basic their needs and be happy. The cannot devote time to their work even if they wanted to.

Ones work is what one was put on this earth to do. One knows it is their work because it makes them happy. Many times ones job is what ones work is believed to be. If true, there is synergy between job and work and the person is happy. Yet, even when there is synergy the job frequently becomes more important than work. In this circumstances, work loses out and happiness decreases.

For many, their job and work are not synergistic. Women who feel their work is their family or home are force to leave them for jobs. Conversely, many women whose job is their family or home are not able to leave to do their work. Many men do not spend time at their work because they get focused on earning more income from their job. Not attending to work is tantamount to ignoring an important part of ones psyche.

One’s success should be measured against ones potential. Work is what we were born to do and not having our basic needs meets cripples our work. “Starving Artists” and callings to ministries and charities are examples of persons picking work over jobs. But the vast majority do not have the wherewithal to pick work over jobs. It is a societal obligation to provide everyone a job that earns enough to allow work.

Yet, enough income does not guarantee that work will be done. Many wealthy and money hoarding people never do their work and believing their incomes measure their success. Philanthropy is a way some of them do their work. But, many never address their work and they are unhappy since their money cannot buy happiness.

Not knowing or addressing ones work has led to pervasive angst. This makes jobs unsatisfying. Enlightened employers know that happy employees lead to better job performance and allow their employees to incorporate work into their jobs. Synergy is key and whatever it takes to do ones work should be a focus.

Posted in Psychology, Moral Values | Print | No Comments »

24. October 2009 by Da Fu.

I used to think that one could not win at lottery unless one bought a ticket. But that is not true and here is why.

Since lottery winnings are usually dedicated to public funding obligations, lotteries are regressive taxes since they tax the poor and the rich at the same rate. In reality, since the dire straits of the poor lead them to buy disproportionately more lottery tickets, these regressive taxes are especially egregious.

Politicians and the rich are in collusion to pay less progressives taxes by instituting regressive taxes through lotteries. Thereby, the rich dodge their progressive tax obligations. This underhanded regressive taxes plays on human despair to make sales, i.e., tax.

How do I win at every lottery draw? I take out the money I would have spent buying lottery tickets and consider it my winnings by NOT buying the tickets. Yes, you can win without a lottery ticket. And, you can win every draw!

Posted in Moral Values, Politics | Print | No Comments »

13. September 2009 by Da Fu.

Think of the thousands of Americans and hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians dead from a “Weapons of Mast Destruction” deliberate lie by the Bush Administration. That was duplicitous conspiracy and no one has yet shouted “You lie” at Bush nor his VP Dick.

Republicans have no right or claim to discerning what is a lie since their fundamental belief that they are “right” has been refuted by the American electorate. We threw you lying asses out of office!!

I am beginning to believe the Republican’s delusional thinking is bordering on psychosis. They definitely need a reality check. They need to realize they are in the minority and NOT in charge any more.

Posted in Moral Values, Politics | Print | No Comments »

5. September 2009 by Da Fu.

Republicans are poor losers and even poorer participants in the modern American Democracy. They need to join the current America that is multi-clutural, pluralistic and tolerant of all its citizens. The old “White Male” American they reticently cling too is gone forever and they need to accept the fact that it will never be again.

When Republicans were in charge (and messed everything up!) they believed they were “right” about everything and the hell with everyone else’s determination of what was right! Now that they have be thrown out of office (mostly because of what they believe what was right was not), they have stilled failed to figure out their “right” is not everyone’s right and they cannot demand that their right be done. They still don’t realize that they are NOT in charge and that they have be elected (thrown!) out of office. Get a reality check!

Enlightenment means figuring out that your determination of what is right is no better or more correct than anyone else’s determination of what is right. Republicans are just one or a group who believe’s their right is better but this belief is unfounded, has no basis in fact and in a Democracy your right cannot and should not be imposed on others unwillingly.

Liberals are showing the same inflexibility as Republicans. Liberals must learn from the Republicans that what is right for American is a consensus of the people’s right….not just the Liberal’s determination of what is right.

Compromise is key to getting what is right for all Americans. Both the Conservatives and the Liberals need to look to the center to get a sense of America and do what is best for all rather than what they believe is best for their group.

Posted in Moral Values, Politics | Print | No Comments »

16. August 2009 by Da Fu.

Grandma and everyone else is going to die. That is a fact. What death racketeers don’t want is to give up the many hundreds of billions of dollars looted in Grandma’s and everyone else’s death-prolonging care. Their imminent deaths are unavoidable and undeniable. Instead, these death racketeers focus on how much revenue they can generate before death can no longer be prolonged.

Given a choice, i.e., an advance directive opportunity, Grandma and most others would choose a peaceful death rather than to be tortured by futile medical care. Yet, many in the medical-hospital-industrial complex thrive on death-prolonging medical care. They are fighting to keep their booty.

For most of us, it is NOT about the money since we know many more billions are spent on actual life-saving and life-prolonging care. No one quibbles or would ever want to deny this medical care. It is unrewarding to the patient and family but very monertarily rewarding to the medical care providers that is the issue.

Death racketeers are using scare tactics like “death panels” to garner support against the Advance Directives provision. They are not unethical but instead a-ethical, i.e., they have no ethics. They worship the almighty billions of dollars and care little about the pain and suffering without gain that their death-prolonging care delivers.

Shame on all the un-enlightened ones who have been duped into supporting death racketeers. Shame on death racketeers for worshiping the dollar more than their fellow human beings.

Posted in End of Life, Health, Moral Values | Print | No Comments »

11. July 2009 by Da Fu.

The days of conspicuous American consumption are over. Just like corporations have “right-sized” their employees numbers for years to stay profitable, it is time corporations “right-size” their sales expectations in order to stay, i.e., survive. And, these sales expectations should be based on value propositions–not price.

Conspicuous and debt-increasing consumption by American Consumers has fueled US and Global economic growth for too long. The American Consumer is not longer capable or willing to continue its participation in the Capitalist’s folly, i.e., spending more for the sake of spending without a definitive value.

Value–not price–will be the new American Consumer’s mantra. The days of disposable products are numbered. American value convenience, ease, usefulness and now green over cheap. Myriads of Microsoft Windows computers sit idle because people bought cheap and did not get value. In contrast, Apple through its iPods and iPhones has finally conveyed its computer and operating system (Mac OS X) values proving cheaper isn’t worth it.

Americans have also figured out that a high price tag does not mean value. May products are overpriced for no reason other than someone is willing to pay the asking price. US Drugs are a good example. Drugs are priced the way they are because third parties, i.e., insurance companies are paying for them. I have frequently stated that the best way to cut the price of drugs by over half is to mandate non-coverage by third parties. Consumers/Patients will then realize the true value of generics and that expensive “me too” drugs (drugs that are no better than other, cheaper drugs in their class) are not worth their asking price. Too often direct to consumer drug marketing is directed a getting insurance companies to pay a premium price for a drug. Shame on these capitalists. The almighty dollar has harden their heart and left them with no conscience. Increasing co-pays and co-insurance is making patients realize that more expensive is not necessarily a better value.

Americans are not opposed to spending money for something they value. Cheap Japanese transistor radios of the 50s and 60s evolved in much valued Japanese electronics of today. Korea, Taiwan and China have taken the same route.

Corporations should and cannot ever expect to return to quarter over quarter sales growth. Smart investors (as oppose to greedy capitalists) know that a good company is profitable and stays that way. Increasing profit usually means giving up something of value. Unfortunately, profits is rarely given up in order to increase corporation value and profits. Instead corporations give up intangibles usually experienced employees that eventually erode profits. So, little or no gain is realized.

I find it ironic and paradoxically that a company suffers for not meeting “analysts expectations.” This means a company producing actual facts suffers from not meeting an analysts guess of the future. My expectation would be that the analysts should suffer for not guessing right. Thus, it appears that ANAL-lysts are part of the problem and not the solution. Companies should stop pandering to ANAL-lysts expectations and instead do what is right for the company. They should make products based on value rather than just increasing revenues or profits to satisfy ANAL-lysts. The best way to do this is not report the irrelevant “numbers” needed by ANAL-lyst to make their guesses and instead concentrate on their value propositions and customers.

Value–not price–is key to surviving in the new American markets. How this value is reached and maintained remains to be played out.

Posted in Moral Values, Semantics | Print | No Comments »

5. July 2009 by Da Fu.

I saw a t-shirt with “Never Say Never” written on it and it made me smile because of my personal truism. It is “My only intolerance is intolerance”. My other double take truth is “What we all have in common is that we are each unique.” Some say what makes us human is the ability to hold two contradictory ideas at the same time. The double take truths above are such ideas. Yet, many think that holding contradictory beliefs makes them human but instead it just makes them self-serving hypocrites.

For example, many Christians believe worshiping Christ (his mystical side) and ignoring his teachings (his ethics) is being a devout Christian. This is not true. It makes them a half Christian. Thomas Jefferson rewrote the Bible and took out the mysticism and left only the ethics. It is how Jesus wanted us to behave. Most Christians do not behave this way.

Many hate their neighbors because they hate themselves. They assuage this self hate by giving money to a church and preachers promote this giving and self enrichment through “prosperity ministries.” Today these preachers would be thrown out of their “Temples” along with their “money changers” supporters by Jesus himself. These churches and their teachings are an abomination of Jesus’ life and death.

Though good deeds alone cannot get one into heaven, being good enough to get into heaven means by nature doing good deeds. It is paradoxical to be heaven good and not do good deeds. It is consistent to be an evil doer and attempt “good deeds” to make up for the evil deeds. Unfortunately, the so-called “good deeds” evil doers do are not truly good deeds since they are self centered and selfish. So, evil doers delude themselves.

These delusion are not limited to Christians. Islamic “Jihadist” a.k.a, terrorist, suicide bombers, etc. delude themselves into believing they are doing “good deeds” when they are actually being selfish. Is it not selfish to want a harem of “vestal virgins”? Is is not selfish and self-enriching to impose ones beliefs on others?

If the leaders of these Jihad movement are so committed why do they have to convince others (usually the poor and ignorant) to die for their cause? Why are they not suicide bombers themselves? The answer is they have too much to gain by letting others die for their beliefs. Deeds for self-enrichment whether monetary or otherwise are evil even in Islam.

Double take truths make many of us human while double take beliefs make many self-serving hypocrites. There are worlds of differences.

Posted in Moral Values, Semantics, Politics | Print | No Comments »

22. June 2009 by Da Fu.

All conflicts are tribal. Even those conflicts within Tribes are about factions (’sub-tribes’) within tribes. How sub-tribes and minority Tribes are allow to participate in governing determines the way they are respected and how they survive.

Take Iraq for example. The major tribes are Shiite, Sunni and Kurd with many other minor tribes (e.g., Christian Iraqis). Since the majority of the country is Shiite and if they can come to vote as a block, the Shiite’s will control the country and the Sunni and Kurd Tribes are powerless. Even if the Sunni and Kurd Tribes could form a political alliance, they would still be in the minority. Is there any hope for Iraq as country then? The answer depends on their governing structure.

If a super majority such as 60, 66 or even 75% is need for major constitutional and oil revenue redistribution then the minority tribes could garner enough influence to demand respect and prevent a simple majority overwhelming them. As an alternative a majority of each tribe’s representative would have to support the measure. In these situations, the minority Tribes/Parties cannot be ignored.

Ironically, in the USA W. Bush and his VP Dick saw a 51% slim majority as a “mandate” to lead all the people the way this slim majority desired. They railroaded the other 49% and caused them enough pain to throw the Republican Tribes out of office and also take their ruling majorities away. The Bush Republican Coalition was made up of the Conservatives, Capitalists and Christian Tribes. This coalition fell apart due to the Conservative’s hegemony and Capitalists’ financial mismanagements.

Does this mean the Democrats can govern at will? No because the “60% filibuster rule” in the Senate allows a minority to maintain power by preventing the majority to act. Thus there is a mechanism for minorities parties (’tribes’) to be respected. Paradoxically, this minority power that the Republicans hold on to so dearly, is the same power they threatened to take away from the Democrats when they lead the Senate. Their “nuclear option” to get rid of the 60% filibuster would not be serving them well at this time. Republicans need to know that what goes around comes around.

Even the Democrats have sub-tribes. The Minorities (e.g., Hispanic, African-American), Liberal and Moderate Tribes. The Liberal Tribe’s Health Care Reform is garnering some resistance from the Moderate Tribe and will have to be changed to get passed. Compromise and accommodation (’two dirty words’ to Conservatives) will be required to have a measure passed.

Israel is a reverse example. Israel’s major Tribes are so evenly split that very, very small Minority Tribes (e.g., Ultra Orthodox Jewish Tribe) have garnered unprecedented control to make a majority. If a super-majority was required to bring down a government, then the power of very small Minority Tribes can be prevented from becoming controlling.

Successful governing is about including all tribes and balancing power. It is not about a majority takes all because this leaves out a significant number of citizens. It about inclusiveness, compromise and respect of all citizens.

Posted in Moral Values, Semantics, Politics | Print | No Comments »

16. April 2009 by Da Fu.

Today, the Obama Justice Department released GW Bush Regime’s Legal Opinions on torture. They condone blatant violations of basic human rights and violate the Nuremburg Trials and Helsinki Accords. Yet, the current Attorney General said that no CIA or other agents using these legal opinions will be prosecuted. Is this the ultimate in American hubris?

In the Nuremburg Trials, it was decided that a defendant’s claim that the action was a legal State order or sanctioned is insufficient to justify basic human rights. Are American’s doing the say thing?

Someone needs to be prosecuted for this egregious violation of basic human rights and I believe Bush’s so-called Legal Team should be the ones. They are the one who wrote these opinions and sanctioned illegal actions. They are the criminals and they should not be allowed to get a pass on these illegal decisions.

And if these Legal Team members state that these decisions were demanded by higher ups then these higher ups should be prosecuted also. NO ONE is above the decisions of the Nuremburg Trials and Helsinki Accords.

Posted in Moral Values, Politics | Print | No Comments »

12. April 2009 by Da Fu.

A major difference between Modern Tribes and Primeval Tribes is Modern Tribal Leader’s respect for other Tribes regardless of differences. Even though the Republican Primeval Tribal Coalition ruling days are over, they still pretend to be in charge and refuse to respect the will of the majority, i.e, a Democratic Party Modern Tribal Leader. Maybe it is time for Primeval Tribal Coalitions that comprise the Republican Party to come to an end. We can no longer tolerate their collective destructiveness.

The Primeval Tribes that comprise the Republican Party–the Conservatives, Christian Fundamentalists and Capitalists have ruled our country since 1994 and have destroyed any semblance of cooperation with other tribes. Their unilateralism and partisanship has also done a lot to destroy the American way of life for other tribes.

The Democratic Party is made up of Modern Tribes–Liberals and Trade Unions and Primeval Tribes–Minority Groups. Minority groups are in the Democratic Party because they cannot or will not assimilate into one or more of the Republican Party tribes even though they hold many of the same values.

It was not imagined that Capitalists Tribe would act against their corporation stakeholders’ interests for their personal self interests but they did. So we have the financial debacle we have now. Pure Capitalism is unethical and must be regulated and corporate governance must rein in unfettered Capitlism for the good of all stakeholders and not just the Capitalists themselves.

Some Christian Fundamentalists Tribal members are realizing that their values cannot be imposed on others and they should love others in spite of their differences. In spite of what they believe, philosophy, beliefs and faith are not based on any immutable laws of nature; therefore, adherence is a choice. They need to accept others just as they want others to accept them.

Finally, the Conservative Primeval Tribe needs to get over their law and order fixation. Laws are man-made and can be unmade. Prohibition is a good example. People with guns kill more people in the USA than the current wars in Iran and Afghanistan. Maybe guns don’t need to be regulated but who can get guns does. Conservatives must become part of the solution instead indirectly supporting the problem.

It is unlikely that the Republican Primeval Tribal Coalition will ever regain power without major modifications. The Capitalists are seen are the cause of our current financial crises, the Conservatives as supporting Presidential and other powers that went way beyond the Constitution and the Christian Fundamentalists as focused on theocracy rather than religion. In the meantime millions of spiritual Americans remain unchurch of religions’ focus on social rather than on spirituality.

The new Millennium did not start in 2000 with the start of the regime of G. W Bush, a Primeval Leader but instead in 2009 with the inauguration of President B. H. Obama, a Modern Tribe Leader. May the people of earth benefit from our nascent American enlightenment.

Posted in Moral Values, Politics | Print | No Comments »