Category: Random Thoughts

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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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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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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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Most of us are only one or two paychecks away from being homeless


015  Now that winter time is here it is time to start to think about those who are at high risk during cold and severe winter weather. Neighbors, relatives and friends that may be up in age that need to looked after during snowstorms. Simple things as getting them groceries and making sure they have adequate blankets as well as water. There is also the homeless that need warm clothing, food and blankets if not help finding a local shelter. The local shelters also need supplies including food to take care of those in need. Even if you have very little to give or you have a busy schedule you can afford to give a few minutes of your time or a few pieces of clothing you no longer need or want. You can always get your church or organization to start a food drive or campaign to aid those in need. The least one can do is drop off a donation at a local church or non profit to help. Just remember most of us are only one or two paychecks away from being homeless so with that in mind help those that are.

 

May god bless you in This new year of 2012 and may you share the blessings with others.

Raymond Barbier

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New year, New Way?


p10174 With New Years upon us it is once again to make new years resolutions. We all could make those unrealistic promises to ourselves that we know deep in our hearts we will not even try to fulfill or even set goals that we will strive for that are impossible to reach. The sad part of resolutions such as those is that when we fail to complete or uphold them we have the sense of failure which isn’t a good thing to start the year off with. Best to either set simple and achievable goals for your new years resolutions or ones that will not bring certain failure. We all want to make a resolution that will either improve our selves or the lives of others so to start the year off with a positive note. Most change is enacted through a series of steps not one giant leap, so remember to make a resolution that can be planed out as a day by day plan. To arrive at any destination one must take the first step and be willing to follow through with every step afterwards till they reach the end. There is no shortcuts to self-improvement or change. The fist step forward usually consists of forgiving yourself of the mistakes of the past as well as the mistakes of others. If you can not leave the past in its own time then you will find it very hard to move forward if even exist in the present. Learn from your past mistakes and don’t live in their shadows for they will block the light that you deserve to live in. Start your new year off with a clean slate for both yourself and others, for each day we wake is another chance to do what is right and live in the light of our creator. For his son died on the cross and through his blood we are washed clean of our past sins so we can live free as well as seek to become more Christ like in our every day life. To feel remorse for your sins is what you do before you pray to be forgiven and not what you do after the sin is washed away. To carry the shame and pain of a past sin is to hold on to the sin itself, if you believe in the mercy of our lord then the sin is no longer yours to carry. So leave your sins of the past in the past and leave the path ahead in the hands of the lord. Forgive, be forgiven and move forward knowing that you do not walk alone in this world. One of the greatest new years resolution one can have is to surrender to the will of the Father and follow the teachings of his only begotten son. Learn to be tolerant of the beliefs of others for they have the right to choose the path they walk in life as well as the religion they practice. Just learn to love all of your brothers and sisters on this great planet earth we have been blessed to live on and cherish its beauty. No matter what resolution you make on this new year I pray that you find peace and prosperity in this new year of 2012. May our politicians wake up to see the mess that our house is in and let them find the wisdom to put aside their differences to do what is best for both our planet and our species.

 

May God bless Mankind and guide us in this new year.

Raymond Barbier

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We Should Be Thankful Everyday


turkey

 

 

It is Thanksgiving Day here in the U.S. a day we all gather to be thankful for the blessings in our lives. There is a debate as of where and when the original celebration of Thanksgiving was and below is a Wikipedia Excerpt and link to original article for you to explore.

 

 

 

(WIKIPEDIA.ORG EXCERPT)

 In the United States, the modern Thanksgiving holiday tradition traces its origins to a 1621 celebration at Plymouth in present-day Massachusetts. There is also evidence for an earlier celebration on the continent by Spanish explorers in Texas at San Elizario in 1598, as well as thanksgiving feasts in the Virginia Colony.[7] The initial thanksgiving observance at Virginia in 1619 was prompted by the colonists’ leaders on the anniversary of the settlement.[8] The 1621 Plymouth feast and thanksgiving was prompted by a good harvest. In later years, the tradition was continued by civil leaders such as Governor Bradford who planned a thanksgiving celebration and fast in 1623.[9][10][11] While initially, the Plymouth colony did not have enough food to feed half of the 102 colonists, the Wampanoag Native Americans helped the Pilgrims by providing seeds and teaching them to fish. The practice of holding an annual harvest festival like this did not become a regular affair in New England until the late 1660s.[12]

Read the complete Wiki Article at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving#In_the_United_States

(END OF WIKIPEDIA.ORG EXCERPT)

Regardless of which of the Thanksgiving celebrations were the first one, the whole idea is to be thankful for not only the food you harvest but also that you have been blessed with family,friends a good community and hopefully good health. So much we can be thankful for that we seem to take for granted in our every day life. Thanksgiving is a time for us to try and remember those things and be thankful for them as well as for being alive yet another wonderful day. It good we have one day a year to reflect and to be thankful, but we should be thankful for each and every day we have. We should cherish the gift of the present and be thankful we have had a past as well as happy we may have tomorrow to enjoy. I pray everyone has a good thanksgiving and do not forget we should be thankful everyday that we wake from our slumber.

 

Happy Thanksgiving to all
Raymond Barbier

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And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love


1 Corinthians 8 – 13

 

p103288 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.

Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

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The Family unit is the foundation to ones entire life


p10061  Slow down and enjoy the little moments that make life so wonderful, for life is too short to waste it rushing around blind to the beauty of this world. Stop putting your job and or career before your family, friends and your own life. Yes we all must work, but working is not the sole purpose or meaning to our existence. Having fun with friends and family as well as some alone time are all  important parts to our short life that we live. We started working so we can pay the bills and to provide a decent lifestyle for ourselves and our family, but if that work consumes all of our time it leaves both ourselves and our families lacking in quality time together. It seems it is rare for a family to sit down and eat at the kitchen table anymore, daddy is at work, mommy is juggling being a mother and a working woman as the children run to their electronic escapes from the world.

The family unit is slowly dissolving or morphing into something with little closeness and that is very dysfunctional. Luckily there are still some families that function quite well, but they are becoming far and few between in this modern world. The family unit is where children learn their life skills and develop their emotional blueprints to their adult selves. For one of the most important things in life is the family unit and we need to start focusing on its development.  Though it may be hard to balance time between work, family, friends and yourself but it is a crucial element in the development of children to have a good home life. It will take an effort from every person within the family to maintain a functional family, every one will have to sacrifice something in order to make time to be together. For those sacrifices they will gain family closeness and well as love and respect between the family members.

The Family unit is the foundation to ones entire life, for a strong foundation can create a sturdy infrastructure.

May Love, Faith, Hope and wisdom guide your every footstep.
Raymond Barbier

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Share your love and kindle hope in others and most of all keep the faith.


p10114 With the Holidays season upon us it is once again time to think about friends and family as well as the less fortunate people of the world. We should not only be thankful for our own blessings, we should be bringing blessings and joy to others. The gift of love goes a long way as well as the gift of charity, to be in service to our fellow humans goes even further. Holidays also seem to remind us of the those we lost and the dreams that never came into fruition. To reflect on those things is perfectly normal but to wallow in the loss and or grief is not. We should celebrate the things we have received and rejoice in the time we had with those we have lost. Remember the love they brought into your life and the change they made in both you and your life. Dreams that never become reality are but seeds for new dreams that could come true.

 

During this holiday season try to share your love and kindle hope in others and most of all keep the faith.

 

Love, Understanding, Charity, Faith and Compassion be the main theme in your daily life.

 

Happy Holidays
Raymond Barbier

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