Envy and "Equality", The Destruction of Society

To the People and Society,
    Beware of Envy! This "Deadly Sin" is one of the quickest to destroying society and sometimes it takes only one with a voice to begin its warpath. Let me clarify a few things first before I explain. There's a difference between Jealousy and Envy. Jealousy is when you want something good that another has. This is a minor issue and can actually lead to people working to obtain that good properly. However, if you let it consume you, it becomes Envy which seeks the destruction of that good simply because you cannot have it. Does that definition make it clear why envy is evil? Because it seeks to destroy Good! The destruction of Good is never good and when you throw in such a selfish reason, Envy earns its place among the most despicable crimes in the human heart.
    Perhaps something that needs to be fixed in our minds is the idea of equality. People use "Equality" to try and justify their Envy and therefore destroy what is good. Throw away what idea you have about equality and reform it if necessary. Life can never have true equality because of four things, circumstance, free will, talent, and the presence of evil.
    Let's take a look at the game of Settlers of Catan. The game is relatively simple in concept. You claim an area which give you resources if the corresponding number is rolled. However, multiple players cannot claim the same spot because each "settlement" must be at least 2 lengths away from each other. There are good numbers, but even they are not rolled all of the time. An 11 has 2 chances of being rolled, but sometimes luck causes it to be rolled more than a 6 which has 5 chances of being rolled. This would mean the resources on an 11 would be claimed faster than the one on a 6. That is the idea of risk. It's never a guarantee, but the people who prepare for it will benefit as opposed to the people who build only on the 6. That's because there is timing, luck, and individual choices.
    We hear a lot that "All Men are Created Equal." This is true in one aspect and false in probably every other case. The idea is that is true is that every man's life is priceless. Every man, woman, and child should have a chance to live and make choices to try and better their situation. However, the idea of liberty also includes that we are responsible for our choices and so must live with the consequences, hopefully so that we won't ever make that bad choice again. If society believes it can always make the same bad choice and get away with it, then it will never stop making that choice. Look at the celebrities who escape jail for drunk driving. They still do it and it's because we allowed them to escape their just punishment!
    Now let's consider our talents. I can play the piano with both hands, but my older brother is physically unable to do the same and that is how he was born. I can write these letters but he can't even write his name unless someone guides the pen for him. However, I can't bring people together the same way he does. I can't lift people's spirits like he cheers people up. We are very different people and that is a result of birth as well as circumstance. The only thing we are equal in are in the fact that we share some genetics and a name and our parents love us both very much. But do you something? The idea of society is that we take our different talents and use them together to obtain progress.
    So I've already commented that Envy is a root cause of evil. After all, if everything that is good is destroyed, then what good is left? When Good is taken away, that means it is unobtainable which means there can never be used to reach progress. If governments are to be involved, it should be to preserve the good, not take it away.
    Let me show you how equality in all things is actually horrible. I think the best example of inequality that we actually depend on is the traffic light. Representing "equality" is the stop sign. Can you imagine how horrible it would be if every traffic light turned into a four way stop sign? That shouldn't be too difficult thanks to the existence of black outs that force the traffic lights to indeed become four-way stop signs. As a light, it can take 3 seconds to 2 minutes to cross the intersection. At a stop sign, you can never cross the intersection in 3 seconds unless you break the law and never stop. Instead, as the number of cars trying to use that intersection increase, it can take 5 or even 20 minutes to cross that intersection and you would have to repeat over and over again. With a traffic light, some people have to wait and others don't have to, but that allows people to get through faster and without stopping.
    Want another example? It's easier to make a Prius get a fuel economy of only 12 miles per gallon than to make a Hummer get 50 miles per gallon. So if we were to make them "equal" then the Prius would have to suffer, but that would in turn raise gas prices to very high limits and a horrible environment. Again, it's easier to make a car accelerate slower rather than faster. Now if you shout out and say, "but those cars meet different needs and can never be the same even if you adjust one or two qualities," then I can reply that is exactly my point. There is far too much to change as well as reasons why things are the way they are. If you claim that the doctor next door earns 10x more money than you, perhaps you are neglecting that his insurance costs 20x more than you or perhaps his daughter's health condition means his expenses are 500x more than yours. There is just too much to consider such as perhaps his job really is 10x more important than yours or at least requires a certain combination of talent and ethics that is far more rare than yours.
    Many attempts we try to make things equal only lead to more inequality, such as reverse-sexism or reverse-racism (which really are just sexism and racism). As a result, it's an unobtainable task when done without virtue being the source. When people act like whiny brats and try to force the government be like a bad parent, then no one is really satisfied. There are some things the government can do to make things right, but the real source of the problem are the conflicting personalities and vices we decide to let grow. However, if we encourage virtue to be practiced, which is easier in a smaller village than a big city, then there is hope that everyone can be happy. At the moment, the real reason I see anyone wanting a city to grow is for more tax revenue, but that's an issue of Greed and so a different topic. But how about we start preaching virtues in our schools again? That is the first step in restructuring our society for the best. When we start implementing virtues again, then society will thrive.

N. D. Moharo

Virtues of a Child

Dear "Adults" or "Wanna be adults" as I should put it,    I'm writing to you to consider becoming a child. I do not mean become a kid, but a child. If it weren't for the negative phrase of "acting childish," I would think that there really is a difference between kids and children. I think the term "kid" is somehow related to the story of the goats and sheep in the Christian Bible where the goats are the inconsiderate animals. Since the child of a goat is by definition a "kid," then I think it is logical to think that the term "kid" refers to bad children of which is referred in the common phrase "I hate kids."
    Now I won't go on about why I think that was the true origins of the word, but for my purposes in this letter, I'll be using "kids" or "brats" to refer to bad children and "child" for the good. In this situation, children have virtues that should not be tossed away upon reaching adulthood. What I find sad is that the virtues are what appear to be thrown away and the vices of kids are adopted.
    What virtues am I thinking about? Consider their fascination with the world. They value the little things. The child is amazed by things we take for granted whether it be butterflies or airplanes. They are honest too, trying to describe as they see things before they are corrupted by kids to the "benefits" of lying. A child is curious and inquisitive about how the world works. Children can entertain themselves thanks to their fascination for small things and their imagination to bring things to life. They aren't greedy but appreciate the money they earn.They see chores as interesting things to do and help without being asked. They admire greatness and aspire to become good. They live in the present while hopeful of the future.
    Now brats are not fascinated by the little things. They only compare and are never satisfied as a result. They lie for their benefit to get out of trouble or to gain something. They disdain learning and rather waste their time. They require entertainment and are easily bored, becoming greedy to buy more toys. They require being forced in someway to be productive and do housework. Their heroes are those who are talented in escapes and trickery rather than rescuing and self-sacrifice. They can hold grudges and see no point in the future.
    Is there any child who is perfect? No, and to expect that would be unreasonable and unjust as the world will teach them some vice or another. However, when you consider these virtues are truly something good, then it is easy to start adopting them ourselves. I do believe there is an element of truth in that the children who see adults practicing virtue will adopt those virtues. But if we expose our children to the vices without the foundation of virtues, then we are to blame when they end up becoming "kids."

N. D. Moharo

Legislation Proposal For Protecting Jobs and Addressing Unjust Lay Offs

Hello Everyone,
    I used to believe that the government should leave the capital sector alone. To a certain extent, I still think this is true, but I've come to realize that Government does in fact have business with the capital sector. Laws are passed to help address unjust behaviors and there is something that I think have been a practice long enough: Laying off people within a couple of years of their hire.
   I don't care what the current administration is saying, but the economy has not gotten better. Don't just report how low the unemployment numbers are in December. Those are to show how much the Minimum Wage and seasonal jobs make up our economy. If anything, that shows how bad our economy is when the working force is dependent on $9 per hour wages, and that's only guaranteed for a couple of months if that.
   Can you believe there used to be a time when one man could earn enough for a family of four or more? Apparently, my grandfather used to own a family drugstore for a while and he was able to take care of a family of nine and was still a generous man. I only heard that because it was gone by the time I was born, but the fact is that even a small business could take care of a large family. Now, a married couple with both having "well-paying" jobs, still have trouble with mortgages and want children but how they can afford to is a very good question. The economy stinks and part of it is because we focused so much on Unemployment Numbers that we neglected the Quality of Work Numbers (I don't know what the actual term would be).
    How can we fix this? A law I have in mind would do two things. Protect the current jobs while giving incentives to give them raises. The law is simple. Before a company can lay off anyone, the officers and board must take a paycut to the level of 10x the lowest paid salary and keep that for a year with no bonuses (More Complicated Calculations necessary for higher brackets).  The reasoning behind this is that companies claim they cannot afford a division when in fact they can. I heard of a company a few months ago that laid off 200 employees so they could afford a new VP they didn't really need. 200 salaries gone to pay one? That is unjust. Now considering that the lowest someone who works 40 hours a week can earn is around $20,000, that means the board can still earn $200,000, which might mean they have to change their lifestyle a bit, but they won't starve. After all, if they believe that laying off people is best for the company, they should prove that they believe it by sacrificing some of their pay first. Also, people at the bottom would get raises because the people at the top would want to earn more.
    Have you heard of a company that pretty much did this, and still hasn't laid off many people? I have. It's Nintendo of Japan. When their latest handheld, the Nintendo 3DS launched, it was a failure. But rather than lay off employees, the CEO Satoru Iwata took a 50% paycut and board members took a 20-30% paycut and the 3DS is now a success. Just search for "Nintendo paycut 50%" and you will find articles on this. Wired reports that Iwata was making roughly $770,000. So his paycut brought him down to about $385,000. Now Japan does have a different business model than the U.S. but I think that's about 10x the lowest paid salary. In fact, they defended that Lay offs are not good for business.
   I have respect for a company like that. If American companies were more like that, I think we will greatly help our economy grow and it will be peaceful. I personally would love to avoid another French Revolution because of economic injustice like the case I mentioned before. So perhaps we can all start a petition and make this proposal law by the time the next election comes around.

N. D. Moharo

Again that proposal is Before a company can lay off anyone, the officers and board must take a paycut to the level of 10x the lowest paid salary and keep that for a year with no bonuses (More Complicated Calculations necessary for higher brackets).

The Root of the Homosexual Debate and Effects on Friendship and Adolescence

Hello Everyone,
   I've avoided this topic for a long time because I'm really sick of it. I'm actually sick of romance in general at this point. I even find it hard to think of a movie or book that has no aspect of romance at all. The only one I can think of at the moment is The Hobbit (the book and part one). However, I don't think we'll be rid of the topic for a while so I might as well contribute to hopefully helping people from both sides have a better understanding of each other. Perhaps if we limit the amount of "hate" from both sides, there will be actual progress.
    Some people might think that the rise of the "Gay Rights Campaign" is just the latest of the "Civil Rights Movements." This is understandable because the core issue pretty much started at the same time, but it wasn't about rights, it was about the meaning of sex. Both sides of the homosexual debate boils down to how one views sex. Is it for pleasure or for procreation? That's how simple it is and is the answer to why some groups will never approve of "gay marriage."
    That issue reveals that the idea of homosexuality is just the recent culmination of the debate on abortion, contraception, and the purpose and practice of sex. To be honest, I'm still surprised that homosexuality has taken the stage before incest or polygamy. I would have thought those would be harder to argue against but we'll see those arguments eventually. Anyways, I am wandering off topic. Let's look at the opinions.
    On the homosexual side, sex is meant for pleasure. This would mean that it would logically have the support of those who are in favor of porn, those who are okay with contraception and free sex, and the media that likes to promote those ideas to make money. Also, it can be a form of intimacy. So I can somewhat understand that those heavily invested and moved by romance tales can support this side.
    For the people on the other side, sex is for procreation and the effects of pleasure and intimacy are effects to serve that goal. Seriously, sex rationally sounds gross. The guy uses the thing he pees with to mate with the girl who bleeds in that area? If it wasn't pleasurable, mankind probably never would have had sex and considering how hard it is and long it takes to procreate, we would be extinct. As for intimacy, it's a necessary to keep the parents together to raise the weak and helpless child as well as give themselves to each other. These people view that taking the procreation aspect out of intercourse results in an large increase of men being jerks and abandoning responsibility (I think this has proven true), the objectification of women (some of whom are partially undermining the efforts to limit this), an increase in divorce (rates have greatly increased over the last 50 years), and that people will grow up to be more childish than actual adults. So people who look at the results like these and those who are for "doing as nature intended" would hold this view. An example of this would be the Catholic Church which apparently produced a document called “Humanae Vitae” with these details at the start of the debate over 50 years ago and still has not changed its stance.
    I can also understand that these people in the latter group have things to fear. Currently, the idea of voting has been attacked as many voter approved measures across the country have been overturned by the courts. The idea that things like this are state issues as expressed in the Bill of Rights and should be determined by the state and not the federal government also has been undermined. Soon enough, the First Amendment will be under fire as gay couples will demand that they can get married wherever they want to be, at the expense of people practicing their own values. This includes a few Christian Denominations, Conservative Jews, and Muslims, and so on. What I can see is that this group sees that if the foundations of all rights are taken away, there is no guarantee that any rights will be protected (unless it helps someone gain power/money for the short term). America has one of the oldest current governments, but it almost looks like it's doomed to collapse as people sacrifice the foundations for their rights for things they consider rights (but what is a right?).
    Personally, the thing that upsets me the most is the value that appears to be overlooked and yet attacked very stealthily. I fear that the next generation will be afraid of or not know real friendship. Every deep friendship that I can think of in the media or stories is somehow being subverted. It's a running and overdone joke in Sherlock that people think Holmes and Watson are gay despite their own words. Even longer, people played around with idea for David and Jonathan. We are even at the point where two teenage girls hold hands and we can immediately think they are lesbians. That's sad considering that that last one was not even a thought a few years ago. I just saw a TV show that featured holding hands as just excitement for seeing a good friend, just as little girls who don't know about sex would. Unfortunately, we've turned hand-holding into a sign of romance now, and soon we'll start teasing/bullying people that they "must be gay" (which is the case in Sherlock).
    The idea of being "bullied into being gay" does strike a big chord in me. This actually does happen and cause so much trauma for these kids. When everyone around you says it must be so, you start to wonder if it's true. Can you imagine if it comes from your family as well? As much as you fight with your siblings and parents, they do have a big impact on your development, especially during the confusing adolescence period, which makes them the most vulnerable and anxious as well as easy target. The only reason I was spared this is because I didn't understand the insults I was given. To me, the definition of "gay" was "happy," as in the Christmas carol Deck the Halls. I remember it being explained to me, but just like when my father tried to explain the concept of sex and where babies came from, it did not click in my head. All I remember was having one of my favorite drinks and just nodding along.
    Unfortunately, I think we will only see an increase of these attacks on friendship and bullying. Soon, people are going to just assume that your best friend will always be your romantic partner. After all, it's always the close friendships we see that people speculate about. This might also be in part to blame about how girls nowadays refer to marriage as "a sleepover with your best friend every night." It's an ideal to some that your spouse is also your best friend, even though that doesn't have to be the case. Actually, I've started to wonder if doing so actually ruins your friendship. It's a subject I'm currently pondering as I wonder if it's supposed to be the reverse. Maybe the true ideal is not that your good friend becomes your spouse, but that your spouse becomes your great friend. I'm thinking about this because a true friend is someone you have common interests and respect but at the cost of nothing in return but respect and love (not the romantic type). Meanwhile a romantic love is normally complementary and demands some sort of exchange in order for it to continue. Anyways, I still need to think about that more. As it is, I have taken enough of your time. I hope this helps both sides get a better understanding of each other and lead to more peaceful discussions instead of heated and angry fights.

With Love,

N. D. Moharo

Driving Tips part 2

When I wrote my last post of driving, I thought I had covered everything I had wanted to, but I started to recall more as I was driving. Here are more tips on how to improve your driving experience and the experience of others.

DON"T USE HIGH BEAMS. If you live in a city, you almost never have a reason to use these. They may not cause your accident, but they blind other drivers, some coming in your direction. I actually wondered if it's legal to put a mirror on the back of my car so that people could realize how bright these lights are. When the car behind me is using them, all three of my mirrors are blind and reflecting light into my eyes. That is definitely dangerous especially if I decide I need to change lanes and you decide you want to accelerate. To fix this, don't use these lights. The symbol for high beams is the combination of horizontal bars and a shape meant to represent your headlight's bulb. Some cars tell you when you are using them, but not many such as my car. Look for the symbol on your headlights switch and make sure to avoid it unless you are absolutely alone on a dark road.

Use your signals when you want to change lanes, not while changing. My sister would often get upset because people wouldn't let her change lanes. I would then comment that she never indicated that she wanted to move over. For the people behind, she might just look like a drunk or confused driver which would mean they want to get far away from her. If she would signal, about one out of three cars would let her in.

While changing lanes, accelerate. This is what you are supposed to do. Since you aren't going straight while lane-changing, you have to increase your speed to match the people in the other lane as well as prevent the people behind you from needing to slow down drastically. If you don't have enough space to properly accelerate and refrain from having to brake, then you didn't have enough space to change in the first place.

Know the lines. You know the solid lines? That's when you cannot change lanes. Even when there are no lines, like in an intersection, you are not allowed to change lanes. In fact, some practices, such as turning on red, are dependent on people obeying this law. The times you can change lanes is when the lines are dotted. When they are blocky, then that is a warning that the lane is not going straight. You often see them on the freeways to indicate that the lane is an exit only lane.

Know your lane rights. The only people who are allowed access to one or more lanes while crossing an intersection are the ones turning into a 3-lane or more road on a green light, in which only the lane closest to the straight traffic has this right. So that means if you are turning left, and you are in the most left lane, you can only turn into the most left lane unless that was the only lane. The same is true with the right lanes. While a cop will most likely never give you a ticket for breaking this law, if you get into an accident, the blame is all on you. Just follow the curved dotted line and you should be fine unless someone decides to break this law.

Learn to read road signs. In the rare occasions that you come across a spot where the exit lanes on the freeway are either the left or center instead of being right, there are warnings posted on the freeway. When you come across that green sign above the freeway, the side of the sign where the small "Exit" sign is above indicates which side of the freeway you need to be on to use it.

That's all I have for today, but I feel like there is more for me to cover so you can expect another post like this sometime in the future. Until then, I wish you a fantastic new year.

Driving Tips

When it comes to driving, there are always dangers. However, adopting a few practices can help us avoid getting into accidents. As a result, here are some tips and tidbits to help improve your driving experience.

Avoid rushing. Try to make it so you don't drive recklessly by giving yourself enough time to make it to your destination. If you are stuck in traffic or something similar in nature, just explain it to your appointment. Don't do something that might cause an accident and make it so you can't make it there anyways. Also, by not rushing, you can stay awake and aware of the bad drivers who make dangerous and stupid maneuvers.

Know your Yellow Lights. From what I have seen, Yellow Lights typically stay for about one-tenth of the Speed Limit in seconds. So for a 50 MPH zone, the light will stay yellow for about 5 seconds, but don't take it for granted. Some areas do have it shorter so you should pay attention and drive through only if you believe you can make it before it turns red. This means don't try to make left turns when the light is already Yellow. It will generally be red before you even start turning. While you can make a yellow light if you are going straight, you can truly never make it while turning left.

Don't start as soon as you see Green. Part of the reason is said above. People will try to make left turns even when the light turns yellow. This means the light will turn green for you before they finish. Wait until it's clear before you start.

Change lanes safely. Don't change lanes as soon as the car passes you because they might unexpectedly slam on their breaks as you aren't looking. Don't change lanes when you just pass a car either because they might be accelerating and not notice you, especially if you are speeding at 10 MPH faster than everyone else.

Turn Red Lights into good things. If your significant other is with you, make red lights romantic. One way red lights have been less tedious for me is that it means I can get a nice hug or kiss while we are waiting. There are other things you can do too such as use them as opportunities to check your gas tank or change the radio. Just make sure you stay aware of your surroundings.

Plan your route. GPS is a great tool but people's dependency has caused them to stop planning their trips. This means these drivers don't know which lane to get into or when they need to make a turn right after making a turn. If you plan your route, you can determine the lanes you need to get into and keep you from making many dangerous maneuvers.

Look ahead. You should always pay attention to the car in front of you, but you should also take note of the car in front of that one. Whatever the next car does will generally impact the car in front of you and therefore you can anticipate what you need to do. No reason to accelerate if you know the head car is braking. Also, Red always trumps. If the light is green but the car in front is braking, then you need to brake.

Know the roads. Once I was driving and the woman behind me was being impatient going just at the speed limit. However, I feel like she didn't know the road because there is a good reason for the speed limit. Because you are going uphill, she didn't know that it becomes a steep drop all of a sudden and there is a traffic light in the middle. Until you make the last-second turn, you don't know if it's green or red. Also, if you don't press the brake, you can easily accelerate from 45 to 60 MPH. However, that isn't the only reason. There is another light at the bottom of the hill. However, even thoguh you can tell if the light is red, you cannot tell how many cars are stopped at it. There can be as many as 20 cars and you wouldn't be able to tell because of a wall that blocks the view until you make a turn. You cannot go fast than 45 MPH if you want to brake in time. If you know all of this ahead of time, then you can avoid making foolish mistakes.

Keep a safe distance. Tailgating is stupid, even more so when you are tailgating a truck. If the car has to brake all of a sudden, then you can be incredibly screwed and it's all your fault. Note that it's harder to brake when you have a bigger car than the one in front of you, meaning it is more likely to cause an accident. Also, when you do it behind a car bigger than yours, you block your view so you can miss what's happening ahead or the signs that tell you where you need to go. Besides, if you keep a good distance, even if the car ahead of you is braking for a second, you can just coast and you'll be fine. No braking necessary in so many cases if you keep the right distance. A good distance is generally 2 seconds behind the car in front. You should also be able to see the light in front of it under the car. Also, if you keep a safe distance, this allows for smooth lane changing that doesn't even affect your speed much. It's a win-win practice.

Speed Prompt

Hi everyone,
    I had the intention on writing a post on Balancing Good and Evil, but I am going to need more time to think about it. Until then, I have a prompt for you to consider. What tells your mind if you are moving fast? Is it a visual queue? For example, if trees are close together, I feel sometimes I'm moving faster even though I'm only going 40 MPH as opposed to when I'm going 60 MPH and the trees are far apart. Then again, perhaps it's because those trees might be on curve and the ones far apart are on a straight road. Maybe it's a feeling of resistance and bouncing. If you are in a car with a bad suspension and low to the ground, you might feel like you are going faster than if you were going faster in a truck with a smooth suspension. What are your thoughts?

N. D. Moharo