“Who can help us?” : GROUPS OF ONE

This guy is doing his part - are you?

The process of being involved doesn’t need to be all-consuming, it doesn’t even need to take much of a different form from your everyday life. 

Two things you need to do – educate yourself while being CRITICAL about what you read (i.e. use your own brain it’s why that wonderful gift was given to you), and THINK about how you can uniquely help (e.g. got a lot of friends, start reaching out to them and engaging them in the discussion, got a car then write something on the back window, work near a busy street and have huge balls then make a sign and hang out there during lunch). 

Not sure where to get started?  READ THE CONSTITUTION – it’s really not very big (took me 30minutes to read) and will arm you with content and a feeling that will get you going for weeks….I PROMISE!  

Here’s a link to it – http://www.usconstitution.net/const.txt 

If you’re hard-core, read up on the fall of the Roman Empire – the parallels are amazing and our founding fathers wrote the constitution with the belief they’d built into the document parts that would help us avoid those mistakes.  This is just one link and the analysis is longer and complex (http://ancienthistory.about.com/cs/romefallarticles/a/fallofrome.htm) But, I like to simplify and the following are what I see: 

• decadence
• incompetence
• rise of Islam
• monetary trouble
• growth of social programs (leads to monetary trouble)

Oh – one other thing, take the high road.  People love other people who take the high road – people shun those that take the low road (unless they’re drunk or on drugs of course).  i.e. Don’t call anyone names – that’s called being “base” and nobody respects those people for long.  Look, I was born and raised 20min from our country’s 1st capital – if you know the place you also know that my ilk don’t hold back in any way…can you say ROCKEEEeee 

You can have fun with this – just look at the guy in the devil costume at the Denver capital down there in my blog.  Imagine the fun that guy had!  Trust me he had a lot of fun, I saw about a dozen people taking pics with him even with  someone dressed up like the statue of liberty (yes liberty and the devil – wish I’d got that pic – very timely). 

And this isn’t about Republicans or Democrats – this isn’t even about liberal or conservative – this is about our constitutional republic going the way of Rome and their failed ancient empire, this isn’t about what group your part of….what I’m proposing is GROUPS OF ONE.  Random acts of expressionism from you and me. 

Don’t think you can make an impact?  Recall the team of two 20 sumptins that blew up the corrupt ACORN organization.  So, remember to take pictures or video, remember to post what you’ve done to the net.  Here’s a nice one my neighbor seems to change every day – I love all I see! 

Are you comfortable with this new reality?

You should take action, you must take action.  You don’t need to attend a protest but do if you want.  I’m not a big protest guy but have friends and family that convince me to go.  I ended up buying a bullhorn at radio shack cause what guy doesn’t want to own a bullhorn right?! 

Have fun and get yourself in the mix.  If it’s no more than to have a conversation with a friend over coffee – do that! 

Doing nothing is not an option, not today.  We gained liberty and freedom from a very small population 300 years ago when everyone was involved, everyone was responsible, everyone had to be responsible. 

Do you want to be lazy and ride the backs of others?  Or, do you somewhere deep inside feel you should do something?  Let’s call that the voice of those that paid the price of freedom with their lives.  Show that voice respect and do something. 

Here’s the list in case you have a hard time thinking (maybe you should also read me blog on imagination as capital below): 

• Make a sign and hang out on the nearest busy street (lunchtime or rush hours – no need to hang out at all hrs)
• Write a message on your car
• Tweet your feeling, follow and follow back (@reimagin is one of my favorites)
• Put on a costume and show up at your capital with a sign that says it all (whatever all is to you!)
• Have coffee with the friend or group of friends and talk about your frustration, share this list with them too
• THINK and come up with something totally unique (where’s all the songs crying about our misdirected government?)

Well, off to AZ tomorrow…have a good night, pray for the USA if that’s your thing, I’m not going to stop, you shouldn’t either!

Who’s going to pay?

Are you ok with this?

The short answer, to who will pay, is EVERYONE. 

Low income individuals will pay with the lowering of overall standards of living.  If they thought they weren’t doing well before, they need to ask how they feel about the longer lines they will find for the so-called free healthcare.  They need to ask how they will deal with the impact of reduced capital investment from businesses that will result in fewer jobs.  They need to ask how they will deal with high prices on about everything (capital investors will pass on high cost to their consumers).  We need to understand that jobs are created when someone with money decides to take risk and invest in business enterprise which they think will increase their original investment.  We need realize this is not something that any government does well.  You may ask why this is….or you may ask yourself isn’t this what China does and they seem to be doing well…. 

Ask anyone who’s been to China, I have, if they were impressed by their standard of living (it is really bad folks – maybe less than 1/2 the level we see out poorest dealing with).  This standard of living is the result of their “centrally planned” economy.  Ask that same person how they’d compare what they saw to USA standards.  You won’t find a sane or rational person say that China’s better off – seriously, unless you like doing a #2 into a hole (the majority of restrooms are of this design), you can’t say they have a better standard of living.  Toilet paper?  HA! 

So, why the diff you say?  Simple, they have a few people who decide on just about all capital investment.  These few people have an idea of what’s “best” and invest based on this logic (they’re not bad people and they do have what they think are the best interest of the maximum number of people).  But, in a capitalist system everyone gets to decide:  consumers decide what’s best for them and make purchases, capital investors decide where they will get their highest rate of return on their money and invest on this logic.  Since each is acting selfishly, everyone can be assumed to maximizing their benefits based on their decisions.  Read that again “everyone can be assumed to be maximizing their benefit”….EVERYONE! 

We see some in the government say they are doing what they’re doing to maximize the general good and that some of us make poor decisions – flawed logic certainly.  Sure, they can make a small point that some people will make decisions that don’t improve others position, or even their own very well (i.e. illegal drug users), but overall we do a better job individually than any central planner could ever – it’s simple, a central planner can’t possibly know what’s best for everyone during every minute of the day, but any individual can and does know.  And, a business person making investment decisions will track this behavior and invest in those areas, lowering cost and increasing availability of those goods and services we want the most. 

Another way of looking at the problem is through the eyes of individuals.  Most people will answer “yes” if you ask them “do you make decisions based on what’s best for you most of the time?”  But, you will find people almost equally divided when you ask them “do you think others make decisions that are best for them?”  hypocrisy by some?  Maybe, but that’s not what motivates some people to say no. 

The crux is that some of us have faith in others and some have little faith in others.  Funny, it almost sounds religious but I won’t go there.   

It boils down to this simple logic.  Imagine living life in mortal fear of other people around you, the decisions you would avoid, the joy avoided!  Personally, I feel sorry for these folks that have little faith in their fellow humans.  Imagine if you too thought this way, how happy would your life be?  We’ve all met unhappy people.  Does getting mad at them help their situation at all? 

If you’ve made it this far, you are probably wondering what the so-called “RICH” folks will do with all this new debt.  Simply put, they will still get richer but maybe a bit more slowly.  Some people reading this will think “sure they will they will play dirty to keep what they have”, and a bit of that may be true.  But, the big reason why they will stay rich and get richer is the same reason these people are rich in the first place.  They are rich mostly because they’re willing to focus their efforts and attention on the things that improve their position financially.  They will work harder, they will invest in themselves, they will invest in others – all to improve their financial position.  In the process they will create jobs too!  When did this group of people become indebted to everyone?  When did the promise of America change from success to entitlement?  Ok, I would agree that some are born with a silver spoon, but the majority of today’s wealthy and the same was true in the past are self-made rich people – ask anyone if they have the “right” to be rich.  I can’t imagine too many people saying no. 

Are we now a country driven by entitlement mentality?  If it is, it’s all our own fault.  We vote on who will give us what we want instead of voting on who will follow the principles in the constitution.  THIS MUST CHANGE OR AMERICA FAILS!  I think it’s not too late, in fact I believe we are still destined to be the light of liberty to the world. 

The constitution is a template for our country.  That template is as good today as the day it was written.  The group of people who signed it risked their lives, their families, and their livelihood because they KNEW that this form of government would work.  They took pieces of ancient governments and chucked pieces that they knew didn’t work.  When America was formed our form of government “for the people, by the people” was something radically new.  We aren’t new anymore, but we must take personal responsibility if this grand experiment is to survive. 

Our current government is playing with fire as they add size and complexity to our system.  They are not following the template they were sworn to uphold.  They are making a new system, they are dumping the old template.  This is not what my relatives fought and died for.  If people don’t believe in our system we must help them or ask them to leave.  The option to “change” the system is a false option – we already have the best, maybe not perfect but to anyone that’s traveled it truly is the best system on this planet. 

Each of us has a responsibility.  We must vote and we must make a point to have our friends and family vote.  We must re-engage a rich public debate to ensure all ignorance is cleared from our countrymen’s decision-making.  Some of this is happening now, but it’s still too small.  Get your neighbors, family, coworkers involved now or kiss your kids chances goodbye. 

How do you start simply – begin by understanding the nature of another person’s mind, just ask them if they think others on balance make decisions that improve their own wellbeing.  If they say no, you need to help them.  They need your help since they are carrying a greater amount of fear than most people do, a fear that causes them to give away their liberty.  Avoid political discussion and focus on the nature of man – make that your point of discussion.  Buy them lunch and start a healthy discussion on what makes them tick, and on what they think makes others tick. 

Tell them – B.Franklin said, “those who live on hope will surely die of starvation” and ask them what they think he ment by that. 

Tell them – Jefferson said, “if you would trade safety for liberty you deserve neither” and ask them what that means to them. 

Most people who fall in love with socialism or communism or Marxism have done so because of the fear mentioned earlier.  And, the simplest way to get past it is to face it.  So, engage the people around you in a conversation that helps them see the fear for what it is, an illusion created by power-hungry leaders.  Yes, many of our leaders understand these concepts and use them to gain more power.  Hey, don’t get me wrong, power is neither good nor bad, but when it’s taken for the wrong reasons it’s going to have a negative effect on the maximum number of people.  Power given and used within the template of the constitution is a good kind of power in my book. 

I wish we were talking about how we give more power to be used for good….the topic of my next blog… 

Signing off – Poorjames

Imagination – the mind’s spring of capital

Will you build it?

When are you going to start building those special places in your mind? You want to, but have you spent more than a few cycles of thought on them? 

NO TIME? TRY THIS THOUGHT …….Early to bed early to rise makes a man healthy wealthy and wise – Ben Franklin  Got time now? 

Do you follow a core set of values and ideas that drive you towards your goal?  Everyone has these.  They grow slowly inside us over long periods of time and because of that they don’t change very quickly – our values are the logic/algorithms/cogs that drive our action.  Sometimes we know it, sometimes we don’t.  Do you know what your values are?  Make a list of them if you don’t – achieving what you want requires you aim at something you really want and that depends on doing what your values support.  If you go after anything that doesn’t sync with your values your chances of success are reduced greatly! 

Imagination needs time and effort like a plan needs water, light and soil to grow. If you don’t feed your brain with the time and focus it needs, you won’t reach the goals you want to achieve – or, the goals you reach won’t be as great as you could have given the right care and feeding.  Keep your plans organized, take notes, spend a few minutes at the beginning and end of each day reviewing your plans, notes and random thoughts. 

A great start to organize all this is to create a list of goals. Try these simple steps on for size, the general rules are – keep it realistic and be specific. 

• make one top-level goal just out of reach, this is the “horizon” on the road you need to stay clearly focused on (Call this your lifetime goal – and, don’t get freaked out and freeze creating this because you can change it later)
• create sections for time frames, 10 years, 5 years, 2 years, 1 year, 6 months, 1 month, this week, and TODAY!
• make one goal for each of these periods
• be sure each objective or goal is Simple, Measurable, Achievable, Results oriented, and Time based. This is refered to as the SMART method
• print this list out when your done
• put it in a place you see every day, like a wall near your bed, your bathroom, your office. You need to see it every day.

The trick being used here is called the power of suggestion. We are born and raised learning to take suggestions on their face value and just do them. These goals written out and reviewed do the trick.  I know some of you are thinking, “I can’t trick myself, I’m too smart for that.”  But, trust me on this we all take suggestions, some of us better than others but the power of suggestion always has some influence.  Ignoring this reality is just ignorant. 

Don’t believe it? Just try this goal setting once for one week of goals.  

Are you good are reading and not good at doing?  Well do this goal list, it will take you 5 minutes and if you never read Poorjames blog again you will use this for life and remember Poorjames forever. 

If you’re like some of us, you don’t have enough time to try anything new that might help us improve our life / get what we want.  

So, use your imagination and try some other simple lists that will help with your goals, i.e. list in order of importance the most important things/people in your life – don’t forget about yourself (without a strong “you” there’s little energy for anything or anyone else – you need to come first to ensure you can make an impact on anything else). 

Another idea – make a list of “WHY” you want these goals.  The process will give you a purpose to draw more energy and focus from.  Don’t be afraid to make these lists public, if you hide them maybe you should go back to the values comment at the beginning of this post.  Sure, your spouse might ask you he/she’s below you on a list of most important people – just assure them that you can’t give them your best without being at your best!

The Devil Joins T-Party Protest

MARCH 20th, 2010

Last weekend in Denver CO, an unexpected visitor arrived on the scene. 

Devil supports HC system

Strange visitor to the Denver capital.

The Denver Capital was guest to an unlikely visitor

Glad we caught the other side of the Devil’s sign!

Devil clearly supports Obama!