Well, it’s a lot easier to tell ‘em you’re bad than prove them you’re good.

You always get judged anyways.

But, really, why should we care?

When they know nothing about us.

]]> http://endtimescommentary.wordpress.com/2013/02/13/lets-just-drop-the-bible/ Thu, 14 Feb 2013 03:29:48 +0000 jasonlovelace http://endtimescommentary.wordpress.com/2013/02/13/lets-just-drop-the-bible/ http://nickvstheworld.wordpress.com/2013/02/13/this-is-psychology-right-here/ Wed, 13 Feb 2013 23:29:39 +0000 nickvstheworld http://nickvstheworld.wordpress.com/2013/02/13/this-is-psychology-right-here/ When I was a kid I used to have panic attacks…. I’ve never told anyone that

I remember lying in bed and my vision would go in and out of focus and then…. And this was Wierd… I would like zoom in and out…

So imagine looking at the corner of your room and then in the next split second you could see that corner close up…. Like really close up… Every minute detail.

My parents were divorced and I lived with my dad…. He had maybe 3 jobs and I don’t think he was there that often… My brother was there but we didn’t get on… My mum was in Northampton (I was in Hampshire)

I learnt to deal with it on my own, like I said I never told anyone this ever.

I started to, not enjoy that’s not the right word, but for the want of a better word… I started to tollorate them

I think actually this is where my fear of spiders came from… I remember having a moment of zooming in and out and the point I was looking at had a spider in it…. Fucking freaky shit for a kid….. When you can see every detail on that spider

Anyway sorry I digress!

I sorted my own shit out….Oh and once I’d sorted out my panic attacks I went on to start sorting out the rest of the world…

Nightmares…? Pfft I eat nightmares for breakfast… I’ve never stopped having nightmares but…. I enjoy sleeping and I enjoy my dreams… I’ve stopped thinking of dreams as ‘good’ and ‘bad’ they’re just my dreams…

The down side of sorting your own shit out is that you come across as a strong character… People come to you for……. Stuff

Because of this I have seen things and been privy to things that I’d imagine most people only rarely come across….

Be thankful if your life has led you down a path of little or no pain.

I jokingly said on twitter to someone that ‘I never cry’

I don’t….

This post isn’t really going anywhere else its just a thing…. A slice of my soul.. It’s not a cry for help its a statement of fact…

Look at me…Judge me….. But you don’t know me

When we have wronged someone, why not say the words? We would rather simmer in self righteousness, being sincerely wrong, rather than “man up” and say three words? We are being held hostage by three words? Weak!

I am sorry!

It takes courage, self power and a spirit of freedom to say we are sorry. Do we lack backbone and chutzpah?

Perhaps religion has molded us to be self righteous; therefore, the words are actually a sin to say? Is that the twisted response of being a part of religion? Are we intentionally twisting the teaching to avoid abiding by the “word” we believe is spoken by God, or a higher power, just to be self righteous? Are we afraid of being judged?
Are we intentionally ignorant, where we are sincerely wrong?

There is another way we avoid giving an apology. Let’s call it being in a state of self delusion. We are suppressing the fact we are wrong, which is why we have no problem in making excuses, or placing the blame on someone for our wrong doing. So, we walk around saying, we are not wrong.

We then become our own contradiction.

Have you ever had someone to say, “I am sorry, if I have done you wrong?” They know, but their pride is standing in the way. Let’s call this “repenting while lying.” Here is an interesting video clip from the show “Today” featuring Lauren Bloom, the author of, The Art of Apology: http://www.today.com/id/32845175/site/todayshow/ns/today-relationships/t/why-it-so-hard-say-im-sorry/. This clip shows various couples admitting they have a hard time saying, “I am sorry.” It emphasizes the problem with an apology when the word, “if” is involved. This is unacceptable people!

When we refuse to say and do what needs to be said and done, it is impossible to be genuine and authentic, because we are not in total alignment with heart, soul, consciousness and spirit.

We also engage a number of powerful forces, to work counterproductively against us, when we intentionally wrong someone and refuse to say the words.

We call on the cosmic justice system to set the powers in motion to execute the “reap what you sow” action. We create a state of dichotomy for ourselves, causing internal division, knowing our conscience is pricking the heart and mind, but we refuse to let it call us to action. We are creating a life of fraud, hypocrisy and lies. We also create discomfort for ourselves, because we will not set the record straight. We create internal levels of vulnerability to emotions of bitterness, regret and possible physical illness.

We are creating levels of destruction in our relationships. We cannot be trusted to be objective, because we are not logically analyzing to know when we have done our partner wrong. We cannot be viewed as responsible and taking ownership when we do not own up and say we are wrong. We do not love our partner to our fullest ability, especially when we knowingly hurt them, but will not execute the right action to correct the wrong. We are not giving our very best, because we are too stubborn in being wrong when we can easily make it right.

An apology is a necessity. Give it willingly and sincerely, or be willing to face a fate of adversity.

I am sorry!

I hope that you’ll take a moment to read this paper written by Justice Harold See of the Alabama Supreme Court.  Justice See is currently Professor of Law at Belmont Law School. Currently, Alabama is taking the lead along with Oklahoma in becoming the state most successful in reducing the reach and size of government, law, and their regulations.

The fundamental question that we ask you to raise is:

Do you want a group of lawyers to choose your judges, or do you want to elect your judges?

Nationwide reviews of party affiliation of attorneys and judges reveal their nearly exclusive, staggering financial contributions to the Progressive/Democrat Party.

Similarly, in all states with a registration of party affiliation, the judges and attorneys again overwhelmingly belong to the Progressive/Democrat Party.

Judge See makes the case that the citizens are the best suited to choose their judges.
(please click the link)

Publius

Justice_Harold_See[1]

 Who’s smarter? Who’s the sweeter twin? Who’s better at soccer? Who weighs more? These are just a few of the questions that are frequently asked by new friends, strangers, even familiar people. To be honest, this has come to be one the most annoying things in my life. People always tend to compare the both of us using our individual strengths and weaknesses.

People don’t really think that these are awkward yet emotional questions. How about if I asked you in front of your best friend, so who’s prettier? Awkward to answer right?!?! People don’t realize that they’re asking two people to judge their personal thoughts on both themselves and someone very important to them.

When we were younger, my twin sister Billie and I noticed that people are going to ask us questions like this until the day we die. So, we decided to agree on one simple answer; “WE’RE THE SAME.”

I remember one time in high school when we had to have our yearly physicals for soccer, the doctor conducting the physical was trying to make us feel comfortable, however, that was not at all how I felt after I left that day. I guess the doctor was trying to make a conversation and make us feel comfortable, but when my sister and I walked over for our physicals, I’ve never felt so uncomfortable in my life!

He started our physical by humorously asking, “So who’s the chunkier twin?” as he smiled. At the time, we were teenagers; we were going through that stage of low self-esteem issues, and having a doctor ask us a question like that was just so humiliating. Being the nice person I am, I smiled and said, “I am, can’t you see, my sister has a beautiful figure.” Although it hurt me to say it, it got us out of the awkward situation.

Most times it’s easier to just say “WE’RE THE SAME,” however, sometimes the questions people asks are just so personal. But, what I’ve learned since that incident is that people are going to forever compare my twin sister Billie and I for both our strengths and weaknesses. People will say, “ooh, well she’s the more studious one,” or “she’s the skinnier one.” The best thing about the relationship I share with my sister is that when people ask us these ridiculous questions we make jokes about it and help each other get over other’s stupidity.

So before asking twins a question like this, ask yourself, are you fatter than your best friend? And you’ll see how we feel.

I love you Billie Kahealani

By: Janette Moore

Have you been the “procrastinator” to start a new project or are you working on a project you just cant complete?

Ask yourself?

Are you procrastinating because you are afraid of being judged? Are you the “play it safe” person that doesn’t want to put yourself out there? Are you afraid of change, so you wind up doing nothing? Do you spend hours overworking yourself, but leave the harder tasks for another day, another week, another month?

If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, ask yourself, what is it that is blocking you from moving forward? Why aren’t you doing it? What is the downside of that success? What is the upside of staying where you are? How does it serve you to sabotage yourself?

Like Napoleon Hill, once said “Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire, and begin at once, whether your ready or not, to put it into action.”

The religions were on top of this from early on and gave a clear set of guidelines in which to live your life by. They promised ultimate salvation etc etc if you followed them but I think the boundaries are somewhat greyer these days. Look how many murderers are praying for their souls on death row.

For those people that don’t just have one book in their library there needs to be a set of guidelines that can be used to remind us all of the correct way to live. I’m not talking about beliefs, I’m not talking about tradition or ceremony, and I’m not even talking about someone telling you how to live. This is common sense and it simply shows a nice way to live and get along with the other people that you have to share the world with. After all, unless you want to fight everyone that’s different, you may as well try to get along.

Thankfully, the philosopher Alain De Botton has stepped up and provided a list of ten guidelines that Atheists, as well as those that have other books they listen to, can use. Right and wrong is something that we all inherently know. We all live in the same world and deep down we know the difference, however we vary in our appetite for getting away with things. We have different excuses and justifications for doing what we do but underneath it all, right and wrong are still right and wrong.

If you aren’t completely sure of how you should live then you need to read the list below. If you are sure then again you need to read the list below just to be certain. Show them to people you know and if any come as a surprise you need to ask them to think again, this might be why they don’t have many friends.

So, the 10 guidelines are:

1. Resilience. Keeping going even when things are looking dark.
2. Empathy. The capacity to connect imaginatively with the sufferings and unique experiences of another person.
3. Patience. We should grow calmer and more forgiving by getting more realistic about how things actually tend to go.
4. Sacrifice. We won’t ever manage to raise a family, love someone else or save the planet if we don’t keep up with the art of sacrifice.
5. Politeness. Politeness is very linked to tolerance, the capacity to live alongside people whom one will never agree with, but at the same time, can’t avoid.
6. Humour. Like anger, humour springs from disappointment, but it’s disappointment optimally channelled.
7. Self-Awareness. To know oneself is to try not to blame others for one’s troubles and moods; to have a sense of what’s going on inside oneself, and what actually belongs to the world.
8. Forgiveness. It’s recognising that living with others isn’t possible without excusing errors.
9. Hope. Pessimism isn’t necessarily deep, nor optimism shallow.
10. Confidence. Confidence isn’t arrogance, it’s based on a constant awareness of how short life is and how little we ultimately lose from risking everything.

These are valuable. Print them off and Sellotape them to the insides of your eyelids. If everyone remembered these ten things then the world would be beautiful. If you don’t want to stick to them then fine but do it for me. We all have to share the world with each other.

Let me know what you think about these guidelines. I’ve been following Alain De Botton for a while now and he’s a clever guy, really insightful and speaks nothing but an extraordinary amount of sense.

I’m now going to tell you a memory that really changed who I am. I beg that you don’t look down on me for this. This is something that I haven’t really told anyone.

I was in sixth grade. After all of the time I had spent being naked at my house, I was always just kind of curious. Not about me, but about other guys. My erection, I discovered, was a lot larger than I expected. At the time, I really had nothing to compare it to, but it always felt huge. Anyways, I always wanted to know how huge some of my friends were. That’s kind of weird right?

Well in middle school, every guy knows that in P.E and athletics, you all had to shower together. I remember it being difficult for everyone to drop their towels, but once one guy did, we all did.

I didn’t know what to do, but I couldn’t help but stare. I figured I wasn’t the only one staring, but it was just too difficult not to. Every guy was so different. I was one of very few that actually had pubic hair. I also seemed to have the most mature looking member. Most guys things were… well, you can only imagine. That was so weird to me.

I really hoped that they took a good look at mine. Although it didn’t hang very well at first, it was much better looking. I was never a very masculine feeling guy until I had that winner down there to prove it. I felt amazing to show that with no shame at all.

Now I know their privacy and I completely look at all of them differently. Almost in a, “I’m better than you!” way. It was great to feel that way, but at the same time, it led me to a world of confusion. I thought it was bad that time, but later that year things got even weirder. I’m not ready to talk about that yet, but when I am, I’ll let you know.

-Kale

Why i chose a Pen Name…

I have always fancied the idea of writing…in fact somewhere in my heart i always wanted to write but for some reason could never come out in the open and accept the fact that writing gives me happiness…though, from quite some time i have been writing down my thoughts at times in the form of poetry, at times in the form of a story and at times just a loose journal of my floating thoughts and feelings….

So when i finally decided to come out of the shell/fear and start writing and more importantly sharing it with people and rewarding myself with the gift of writing that gives me so much joy and satisfaction…creating a BLOG was just the next step…But when for the first time i sat down to start off my blog…i could not start with my very own identity, i did not feel comfortable giving it my own name…It was a scary thought to let the world know about my inner most feelings…how do i feel about things/people and life in general…i was a little scared…I think i could not gather the courage to go ahead because i always feel that i would be judged for my writings…i know its silly but this feeling is just there and it does not go….so i opted for an imaginary or a pen name.

As a child at times i used to wonder why so many famous writers have a ‘pen name’…wondering how would it feel to be known with some other name but not with your own name…i used to find it very difficult …after all i love my name…i always have loved my name

But now i think i know why so many writers (specially in earlier times) used to have a pen name…May be they were also afraid of getting brutally dissected by society and more than that their own people, friends and family….
It was such an alluring though that i decided to put it on my blog and just to make it more authentic i searched the web a little to know more about writers and pen names…and to my surprise there is a loong list of writers who write under the comfortable coating of their pen names and not the real ones…and yes i guessed it right… this practice was very much popular in earlier times ( one interesting fact that came across was that earlier a lot of women writer used to write under the shield of male pen names)… but even today a lot of famous writers use pen names instead of their own…Below is a small list of some writers popularly known by their pen names…

Mark Twain’s real name was Samuel L. Clemens

George Eliot’s real name was Mary Anne (Mary Ann, Marian) Evans ( yes she was a woman)

Lewis Carroll was Charles Lutwidge Dodgson

O. Henry was William Sydney Porter

Pablo Neruda was Neftali Ricardo Reyes Basoalto

Ayn Rand’s real name was Alisa Zinovyevna Rosenbaum

Agatha Christie was Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller

J.K. Rowling is Joan

I went for years not finishing anything. Because, of course, when you finish something you can be judged.

Reds Must Summon Spirit of Shankly

It’s been a long season for Brendan Rodgers and Liverpool Football Club and it’s only just over halfway through. The Reds have  played over thirty-five competitive games in the campaign to date and could, potentially, play another twenty-five matches before the season’s end. Two of the most important of these games, however, come in the space of the next four days, against Arsenal and Manchester City. The performances turned in, away, at these two top six sides could go a long way towards defining the remainder of the season for Rodgers and the Anfield club.

So far the 2012/13 has been a bit of a mixed bag as far as results and performances have been concerned. A difficult start to the campaign saw Rodger’s side fail to pick up a victory until the season was several weeks old. Since then, the trend has been that of slow, steady improvement, however there have been a number of occasions on which that trend has been bucked, noticeably against the teams in the top half of the league.

Whilst Liverpool under Rodgers have begun to see off the teams which traditionally occupy the lower half of the Barclays Premier League on a regular basis, the so called “bigger” clubs have posed a much tougher test,  one which has found the Reds wanting on every occasion so far this season. Defeating the “lesser” teams with regularity is no mean feat for  a Liverpool boss, many of those that occupied the hotseat before Rodgers have struggled to do so with any degree of consistency. (Dalglish, Hodgson and even Benitez often came unstuck against teams that they were expected to roll over, particularly at home – a glance back to last season is all that’s needed to remind oneself of that truth.) However, simply becoming consistent “flat track bullies”, while a good first step, is never going to be enough for Liverpool, nor should it be.

Rodgers has begun to succeed in at least one of his stated aims, that of returning Anfield to its former fortress-like glory. The Reds have already picked up as many home wins this season as they managed in the entirety  of the last campaign and, as mentioned above, the team has begun to confidently dispatch the weaker sides; now however, it’s time to take the next step.

In the next four days, Liverpool fans will be able to see just how realistic a push for a European place or even a Champions’ League berth really is. If the club is to mount an honest challenge for the top six, or even the top four, then Rodgers’s side must look to pick up some points from the next two games. They must look to take points off the likes of Arsenal, who they’ll be going head to head with in the race to the finish, and they must show that they’re capable of at least challenging the likes of Manchester City, not only for their European aspirations, but also for the fans and for the players’ own self-confidence.

Both Arsenal and Manchester City came to Anfield earlier in the season, City left with one point after a Martin Skrtel error allowed them back into the game; Arsenal left with all three points after a lacklustre display from the Reds gifted them an all too easy victory. If this Liverpool side can step up and exact a measure of revenge,  by picking up at least two points from the return fixtures, then the rest of the season could shape up nicely. If not however, then things could take a turn for the worse.

Brendan Rodgers has faced criticism from a small but vocal section of the LFC support since he took over (largely unfairly although he’s not been without fault), however with the Cup defeat to Oldham still fresh in every fan’s mind, this criticism has gotten a little louder in the last few days. A victory in either of the two upcoming Premier League fixtures would go a long way towards quietening, if not silencing these critics, even a couple of away draws would be a platform to build on. However, a failure to pick up at least two points will hear the dissenting voices grow louder still and could well swell the ranks of the “Rodgers Out” crowd. This is the last thing that Liverpool needs as a football club, the fans have been divided for too long, what’s needed is something to unite behind and points in the next two matches could be just the ticket.

Rodgers Has a Lot to Live Up To

It was broadly accepted by most intelligent Liverpool fans that this season would be, if not a write off, than certainly a transitional season in which progress would be the by-word and, as long as this advancement was visible, the season could be considered a success. Whilst many still believe this to be the case, it’s hard to sit through a season where each step forward seems to be followed by an equally large step back.

Defeat to Oldham in the FA Cup was not a huge catastrophe for the club, whilst it was a massive disappointment for myself and every other fan, it’s safe to say that it wasn’t top of the manager’s nor the owners’ wish-lists for the season. Mistakes were made in selection for me, however with two such huge games on the horizon, the manager had little choice other than to name the side that he did and, in the end, the players let him down.

Apart from anything else, the defeat highlighted the deficiencies in certain areas of the squad, particularly the back five and the centre of midfield, and these areas will have to be strengthened in the summer. As far as being a marker for the rest of the season though, it served as little use. With Stoke having already been played twice, the Reds are unlikely to face such a physical approach before next season, nor is Brendan Rodgers likely to field such a hotch-potch of a side in the near future.

The league form is key, that’s what did for Kenny Dalglish and that’s what Rodgers will be judged on. So far, progress has been made and the stats bear that out. Liverpool are six points better off this year than they were last year from the equivalent fixtures, they are scoring more goals, they are winning at home and they are not losing as many games. However, many fans see performances, and especially results, against the “big” teams as the marker against which any progress should be measured and this is an area where the Reds have regressed.  If Rodgers wants to earn the respect of his critics amongst the fanbase, taking at least three points from the next two games would be a great way to start and the perfect tonic to help everybody forget about Oldham.

Both images by Ben Sutherland.

You trust someone and let them know your secrets. And they pretend that they don’t care. But you see that ever so slight flinch. That eye twitch. That awkward pause. That, “Oh…….. really?”. That look that people get when they are trying to suppress their shock, but its slipping right through. And after that you regret why you ever opened your mouth in the first place. Everything changes. 

And that sucks. How 1 thing, 1 secret can totally change someone’s perception of you. And the worst part is half the time, in trying to be true to yourself, and honest with those around you, you end up feeling worse than when it was only a secret. And thats why we build walls, and make sure the secrets don’t come out, keep them under lock and key, like what my friend is doing. We’d rather be who you think we are than be ourselves. Its too hard to be ourselves.

Getting picked last in anything is not the best of feelings.  I am sure we all have heard someone tell the story of how they got picked last as a kid at recess to play some sort of game.  Getting picked last makes us fill irrelevant.  If I was trying to join some sort of musical team I would be picked last.  I would actually not be picked at all.  Some people do not appreciate someone who sings off-key and sounds like he is yelling instead of singing.  It is a lost art and I have mastered it.

The amazing thing about our God is that He has called each one of us and he claims each one of us.  We are not irrelevant.  We are chosen.  We are not forgotten.  We are loved.  We are not judged.  We are forgiven.  We are not useless.  We are empowered.  We all have a purpose because the Creator of everything has called you and claimed you.

“God has called you and claimed you”

2 Peter 1:10(The Voice)

What’s that saying about kicking someone when they’re already down?

I’ve been telling myself this over and over again. Thinking. Pondering. Where is the silver lining in all of this? I’ve been seeing so much of this “be more optimistic” stuff all over the internet and I just can’t help but wonder… How can this be? How can there be any shining light when the tunnel getting there seems so dark and endless?

I have tried. I have tried to give things the benefit of a doubt. I have tried to be better, do better… but it’s difficult – when you’re afraid of the people around you. You’re afraid to be judged upon, laughed at and gossiped about after. But you know that afterwards, they’re doing it anyway. You feel underappreciated and underused. Why do we try so hard and exert so much effort to those that make us feel this way? How can there always be a silver lining?

I guess, not every situation has a silver lining – and you have to do what’s right for you and your health. Growing up teaches you that there isn’t always a happy ending and you don’t always get what you want or what you’ve hoped for.

I just wish there was a blatant sign pointing me towards another direction. Sometimes it feels like I’ve run into a dead end and I continue to walk in that direction; hurting my head in the process. This tunnel of darkness continues to flow and I keep walking head down in silence. It’s a long road ahead… I just hope it’s worth it.

To the citizens of Tennessee

Recall how we were warned to be careful to not let the Republican party co-opt us and/or our movement? It is happening now and you should know about this to stop the GOP’s further capitalizing on our work with their legislation or lack of representation.

On a national level, Boehner removed three of the tea party congressmen from their committees because they refused to rubber stamp any program, legislation or compromise put forth by the establishment. Here in Tennessee, one of our most reliable state senators is Mae Beavers, who chaired the Judiciary Committee and was aligned with us to reduce the power held by the judiciary who has stated that they don’t want anyone overseeing or interfering with what they do. Senator Beavers knew that she was entering unwelcome territory as defined by Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey. He, Governor Haslam, and Speaker Harwell all have publicly stated that the forty-one year old ‘Tennessee’ system for election of judges is illegal and now they want to try to legitimize this system by passing a Constitutional amendment.

Et, tu Ramsey?

Knowing that Beavers did not share his views, Ramsey completely removed her from the committee, not just as its chair. The Lt. Governor has this right conferred upon him and if he were a Progressive, we’d not be surprised but if you voted for him and publicly urged his election in the primary, then you’d have to fight the feeling of betrayal. Our Lt. Governor is not appearing to be the conservative candidate that we imagined. You can view a YouTube of his reasoning for this decision and then decide for yourself how principled or unprincipled is his decision.

The judges of Tennessee have one of their own, Jeff Bivins, and other high-profile attorneys lobbying to see to the passage of this amendment. If passed, it will remove from all citizen voters their right to elect the judges as our Constitution requires. You should be offended that any state judge is being paid with your dollars to lobby for laws concerning his branch of government. This coordinated effort of the judges has its roots in their interest to preserve the system in which they have the greatest power…and we, the people don’t.

The GOP has changed their state rules to insure that they have more control over who can be elected by Republican members to serve as GOP state and county leaders. It should come as no surprise that those persons who have been in power for decades are drawing lines in the sand, arguing in the name of being a “team player” that principle must yield to party loyalty.

In the name of removing politics from the election process, Lt. Governor Ramsey has been provided an ample description of what the lawyers and judges want. He seems more interested in distancing the qualified voters from being allowed to choose who’ll be the highest judges in our state. I suppose if he were still here, we might ask Judge Bork just how well that politics-free process of judicial election works.