Author: Ray Barbier

I am just an average man who loves writing, thinking and trying to inspire kindness, love, understanding and Compassion in others and try to find them within myself.
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Our welfare system is broken and inefficient


IMG_1077 I sit here listening to the rants and raves of our political leaders. Seems anything that benefits the common people its labeled communism or socialism but if it benefits the rich it is accepted with little objection. I agree we shouldn’t be a welfare state and that there is a lot of work that needs to be done to the welfare system in America. I see too many people taking advantage of food stamps, welfare and many other programs while so many who really need the help are denied any help. They wonder why our federal and state governments are in debt and seem to want to blame social security, Medicaid or Medicare. The elderly deserve those benefits since they paid into them all of their lives but yet I see so many who never work (and are perfectly able to) receive food stamps, housing, gas cards and welfare. Does this mean we should stop helping those who are really in need? I think not, I believe we need to investigate and monitor recipients at random to confirm they are not abusing the system.

What really bothers me is what a friend told me, he worked at a local grocery store and saw a woman who bought 250.00 dollars of a name brand soda with her food stamp card and she sold it to the small gas station down the road, when he called it in to the state he was told there was nothing they could do because its al hear say. More or less they didn’t care or didn’t want to bother doing anything about the food stamp fraud. Since then I have seen other people doing the same thing both buying with food stamps and selling the soda to a gas station (for half price) . There are so many ways they can take advantage of the food stamp system its just crazy that we don’t have a task force out there to stop such abuse.

Recently they at least passed a bill to allow random drug testing of food stamp recipients so at least they are trying to find ways to weed out some of the abuse of food stamp. Now don’t get me wrong I am a strong supporter of programs such as food stamps, government housing and welfare for those who truly need it and don’t abuse it. For “We the people” are the backbone of this great nation and we should take care of our needy, handicapped and elderly. If we look upon any social class, race, religious sect or individual as expendable or undeserving of the basic rights guaranteed by our constitution then we are not the great nation our founding fathers created. Our welfare system is broken and inefficient and needs an overhaul and definitely we need to find a way to make sure there is little to no abuse of the benefits it provides.

The only way we may find solutions to the current financial crises that our nation is when the republicans and democrats realize that compromise along with sacrifice is the only way to get things done. Until then we will see more and more people sink into poverty if not become jobless and homeless. Lucky for our politicians they have a guaranteed job and retirement along with a good health plan and a salary paid by all of us. I guess that’s one reason they seem to be apathetic and unconcerned about the urgency of the problems at hand. They all seem more worried about campaigning and playing politics than about trying to come up with solutions to the current problems before us as a nation.

 

 

Well enough ranting for now, Right or wrong that’s my 2 cents worth today.

Raymond Barbier

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Change, acceptance and fear


003 Since the time we are born we sought out the approval of our family and peers, the path of life we choose to follow is heavily influenced by the opinions and attitudes of our family unit and our peers at school or work. Even though we are solitary beings in thought we tend to become attached to the ideals and values of those we are closest to. Of course we have our own personal spin on those values and ideas but the core of them were taken from the close circle of influence we have.  Good thing about human beings is they can change their core beliefs mid stream and change their direction if not their whole life path. Usually the older we get the less we look to others for approval and or acceptance and learn to be more independent in our views. Still the base core of the beliefs we had in our youth influences our lives. The dependence on the acceptance of a social group and or their approval can limit us from reaching our full potential . We wind up spending too much energy trying to make everyone around us happy as well as trying to gain their acceptance. A lot of us waste too much time trying to figure out why we are not accepted, liked or successful. We tend to believe  since we are not liked or accepted that we are either broken or something must be wrong with us. There is nothing wrong or broken within us, and usually we are more accepted and liked than we tend to perceive. Our fear and negative thoughts are blinding us to the truth that everyone is imperfect and that each one of us are both accepted and rejected by the world around us. Even the most popular people in society have those who dislike them and don’t accept them into their social groups.

I believe that we all must learn not to put so much time and energy into being accepted or liked and focus more on being the best person we can be. No matter what cards fate has dealt you in life you have the potential to be happy as well as the ability to change the things in your life that you don’t like.  Change of course is not an easy thing because the first thing you have to do is change your own mindset, you have to let go of the thoughts that make you believe your stuck or unable to progress beyond your current position in life. That is one of the hardest demons to wrestle with and usually it will not surrender easily. Once that is out of your way you just have to take the first step towards your new life. You will face obstacles and even have some set backs but you will make it to the destination if you keep determined. Self growth and self-improvement is a personal experience and there is no one out there other than yourself that can change the person you are or decide where your going in life. Others can only aid you or try to slow you down but that is all they are able to do. Don’t worry about acceptance and or social status, don’t make life too complicated and be true to yourself. Be who you are and shed the shackles of self-doubt and live for the moment as your true self.

 

 

 

 

The first step towards happiness is Self Acceptance.

Raymond Barbier

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Netflix asks Congress to amend video legislation


Netflix asks Congress to amend video legislation.

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How The Web Killed SOPA and PIPA | TPM Idea Lab


English: www,domain,internet,web,net
Image via Wikipedia

 

How The Web Killed SOPA and PIPA | TPM Idea Lab

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Micheal4Peace's avatarOne Life, One Goal, One God, Infinite Possibilities

You know what I’ve learned tonight? If we just wait, watch great things happen! Something that really just kinda passed me and me not given any thought to it at all happened tonight finally–here it goes…..

You know that besides your real family you sometimes have another family that in time feels like a second one, right? Well this family i call my second are the most awesome people i’ve ever known and will do anything to help you out. They are people that for me are a treat to hang with, never a dull moment around them. This family is a pretty good sized family, five kids and the parents. With seven people in the house, you can most likely say that it’s never quiet nor boring. I met this family around my fifth or sixth grade year, still in middle school at the time where I am which…

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PROTECT IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet


PROTECT IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.

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The tug of war between the ego and the spirit


002In life we seem to have so many challenges to face and obstacles to overcome. Without adversity and or the challenges in our life our minds and souls would become like a stagnant pool of water. Without having some kind of disturbance or motion water becomes foul over time and when we are unchallenged in life we too become somewhat foul. Foul in the sense we have no personal growth nor any motivation to move forward or to better ourselves. Even those on the path towards enlightenment and well as those that reach it there is always some kind of challenge or adversity to face. Enlightenment does not mean life can not or will not throw at you the challenges and obstacles of life it just means you are more aware of the whole process and that you have the knowledge / wisdom to deal with them. Of course you may outgrow and get to the point many of the challenges are no longer a part of your life but newer ones will appear to replace them. You are given challenges and adversities to face that are of your level not ones below or above your present level. God will not put upon you anything that you are not able to overcome or deal with in time. Sometimes the challenges you face may seem to much for you to handle but those are the ones meant to help you grow both spiritually and mentally. Life’s adversities and its challenges build character and skills . They also teach us the lessons we need to learn as well as help guide us toward a closer relationship with God.

To follow the path of enlightenment, righteousness and piety are all spiritual paths towards spiritual growth. Any path that is selfish or is for the ego/I is one towards the carnal and degrades the spirit. If you pay attention most of what religions call evil or sinful deal with the selfish nature of the ego such as greed, lust, envy and apathy. Then on the other end of the scale such as good and or righteous is the selfless acts and compassionate nature or charity, love, brotherhood and forgiveness. Seems one focuses on the self and distracts one from both their spiritual growth as well as from the needs of others. While the other focuses on the well-being of others and promotes spiritual growth. The tug of war between the ego and the spirit is one that we must face throughout our physical existence.

Just some thoughts for today

Peace and Love be with you all.

Raymond Barbier

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Mother Nature


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Think outside the box, Swim against the tide


Think outside the box, push the boundaries set by society and be the creative force you were born to be. Einstein, Edison and Tesla are some of the greatest minds known in recent history. What made them such Geniuses and creative forces? Mainly the fact they thought outside the known boundaries of logic and science. They pushed the envelope and did not get held back by the main stream scientific views of the time. Many times in our past we have had so-called truths and facts in the scientific community that if accepted and not challenged would have kept us as a species in the dark ages. Look how at one time we believed the world was flat and that the universe rotated around earth. Both ideals were so strongly believed that until a few great thinkers dared to think outside the box and beyond the borders set by their society and time to see that both were not factual at all.

It is mans ability to be imaginative as well as creative that gives him the ability to reach higher and go farther than any other species that is on this planet. Our tendency to be tribal and our unique skill of language that gives us the potential of doing such great and wondrous things. But our Societal / collective mentality can sometimes be a burden because of the cultural belief system and the boundaries it sets. Individuality is a good thing when it comes to creativity and imagination. It is hard to break away from the herd or tribal mentality, it usually comes with some ridicule along with the possibility of being looked at as a outcast. If you don’t adhere to the norm of society then you will not be accepted, but then if you discover new truths and are able to introduce them to the tribe then you will be hailed as a sort of leader. But then being accepted by ones peers may be nice it is nothing but food for the ego, and though the ego is a necessary part of ones psyche it is not the most important.

Think outside the box, Swim against the tide and walk to the beat of your own drum. Be the next Tesla,Einstein or Edison and bring light to the hidden truths and facts yet to be discovered. Debunk the false truths as well as the theories that are based on misconceptions. Utilize the full potential of what you were born with and become the person you were destined to be.

Raymond Barbier

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