It’s Still Bribery

God, through his prophets speaks, or should I say cautions, against bribery quite a bit. I will leave it up to you to look it up. He not only cautions the judge from taking bribes but against the person using his fortune to bend the outcome of a judgment.

Not only that. Guess what! It just makes sense to speak against bribery. Any time money, things or favors are offered to change an official decision, is wrong and possibly illegal. It results in bad judgments. It can result in unfair judgments. The guilty go free and the innocent gets locked up.

In modern times, it can warp the judgments of those we elect to represent us. in some cases, to gain money and power, they vote opposite of what they know is right. If you doubt me, start checking what some of these senators are worth. Look at the value of some of their homes. Look at the lobbyists who are lined up, cash in hand, willing and ready to propose their bribe.

They, the briber and the bribee, will one day face the Lord for what the have done and failed to do. I have virtually given up on most of who practice their dirty deeds in the government buildings, those most of us would like to hold sacred. Not only is their practice obvious but they no longer try to deny it. They almost all go into office as paupers and come out multi-millionaires. I mean with proof like that….

However, bribery has become common in almost every walk of of life. one of those sideways methods of bribery is advertising. It would seem, though I can’t prove it, that advertising has gained significant control over radio and TV programming.

I would guess the worst of this is the advertising of gambling on virtually all media. 30 years ago, not only would it not be done, it was illegal in most areas.

Unfortunately, both the bribers and the bribees have been hard at work. Of course we always hear those little disclaimers at the end of the ads, which you and I know are as effective as paper walls.

Now sports betting has become quite the thing. It brings together one thing I love and one thing I detest. And why? Who benefits? Of course. Those that pay the bribe, those that are bribed. The rest of us, not so much. The sports and the athletes stand in danger of destruction.

Playing Loose With the Truth

Morgan and Morgan, a law company keeps playing a commercial in which it is said that we all have a right to be fed. I would like to know where he got that from. It is not in my Bible nor do I find it anywhere in the Constitution. The Declaration of Independence only calls out Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of happiness. To be sure, there is not even a right to happiness, only to pursue it.

The fore fathers never intended that you can just sit and be fed by the country, or anyone for that matter. It is up to us as individuals to seek out a life for ourselves.

Fortunately, we are in a rich country that does feed those who are not able.

On the other hand, Paul in the Bible makes it plain for all that those unwilling to work should also not eat.

As I say, I don’t have the foggiest idea where he came up with the idea of which he spoke. I think the man is playing with the truth. Of course, I might be wrong. Until he proves me wrong, however, I will remain very suspicious of him.

One Reason to be Rich

I had just finished doing some things outside and kicked off my shoes when a story came on TV showing relatively large beautiful blue pool. Surrounding it was a nice manicure lawn.

I turned to my wife and said, “I would love to have that pool.”

After a short pause, I added, “Unfortunately, we don’t have anywhere to put it.” I don’t know, if there were a way, maybe I could put both my front and back yard together. Then, somehow, I might suspend the house above the pool to provide enough area for sunning myself.

The neighborhood might not like the architecture, but I suspect I would be very popular with the neighbors during the late days of summer. I could have a poolside BBQ once a week and dozens would be begging tickets.

Yeah. It would be amazing just how many friends I could buy and influence.

Well, we don’t have the pool, or the fortune. So. what we do, about 2 or 3 times a year we rent a room at a nearby hotel with a nice pool.

The thing is, neither of us can swim well. But we love to try.

Borders?

Ever since I can remember, and that was a long time ago, I have been taught that the imaginary line between two states was a state line, not a border.

Borders exist between nations, not between internal states. However, I looked it up. Every source I could find made no differentiation between a border of a state or a nation.

Nonetheless, I will use the term state line if I may. I just find the term border, well, international. Moreover, when you cross most state lines, it is just almost imperceptible.

Wait. I might be wrong about that. When a person goes from Southaven, MS to Memphis, TN. it’s like going into another world. Didn’t used to be that way long ago. Now we no longer need an artificial line. The physical line is becoming far more visible, as well as more dangerous.

Hint for Long Life

The young man asked for a hint for long life. I told him I saw one of those signs on an off ramp, one with big letters saying wrong way. Then I cautioned him, “Avoid signs like that.”

Of course, it was only half in humor I said it. As humans, we see those figurative Wrong Way! signs all the time, all too frequently ignoring them.

God hangs those signs pretty much all over. They alert us to things not to do and we do them anyway. And then, of course, we raise our voices with that common cry, “Why me, Lord? Why me?”

Remember, when it happens to you, you’re neither the 1st or last. It seems we all have to learn that lesson the hard way. It just is, some of us are a little slower than others.

So, just remember. Avoid those wrong way signs and have a long good life. Either that or get used to saying, “Why me?”

Why Didn’t Newt Fix it While He Was Speaker?

He seems to to be making a little off of it now. You can’t watch TV hardly nowadays without him effectively saying, you pay us and we’ll make sure no one steals your house. If you noticed that that sounds a lot like a protection racket, I noticed that too.

Now let’s see. Seems to me as if he was in a position to fix that. Why didn’t he? He was in a position to resolve ID theft. Why didn’t he?

I really liked a lot of what the former speaker did, but I am quickly losing my respect for him. I am asking myself, why should I, effectively have to pay a protection racket to keep my house?

Where are the laws. Where is the enforcement element. Why aren’t those perpetrators of grand larceny in prison. Yet, they don’t even run. They know not one charge will be leveled against them, though they just stole and sold a 300 thousand dollar home.

And what is done to resolve the problem created by the thief? Does the rightful owner get his title back? What happens to the person who bought the stolen home? Can he get any of his money back?

Worse still, can it be that the thief can operate from outside of the US? How is it that we can go after him. How is it that we can even identify him?

Then again, who cares, until it happens to them?

And after…Newt says, should have paid us. We would have stopped it. The thief will go free, but we would have saved your home, until next time.

What? 1500 pages.

No. It was actually 15 thousand pages. Do you have any idea how long it takes to read that much legalese, let alone digest it properly.

OOPS. I apologize. I made a mistake. After checking back over it, I realized it is 100 thousand pages. this paragraph has been added after initial publication. Again I apologize.

At any rate, the state discovered it and just turned it it over to President Trump’s attorneys. It makes me wonder if Trump will be able to read any of it.

Properly, Trump’s lawyers asked for 90 days. The judge said 30. I hope they all had speed reading courses. Moreover, I am wondering whose bathroom all those papers were stored.

We are talking 150 pounds, likely more paper. It prompts the question, what does a person put on 15000 sheets of paper? Is it typed? Is it hand written? Does this mean all hand doodles are included.

It does make me wonder, if it takes that much cellulose for one trial, I now know where all our trees are going.

I do wonder, though. are these records going to become public. I wonder just why they had to get so wordy.

Oh. One more thing. If the judge were to be given a test on the content, would he pass it.

Stupid Rhetorical Question to Consider

If you have a tough problem, would you rather have help from 10 advisors or one man willing to fold up his sleeves and provide help.

Slightly different question, 10 men from FEMA or one strong man with a chain saw.

I suppose it can be considered a dozen ways. You know, like ten democrats or one republican. 10 college grads or one man with a good willing heart.

Mostly, I got the idea because I do have a problem and it seems the only thing I can find is advice. I can tell you from experience, that doesn’t help much.

My Job Was Technology

Most of my life was spent working with technology in some respect: electronics, computers, and the instruction of it. It is one profession where you cannot relax for a minute.

One minute, I’m thinking “someone needs to build something….” The next, I hear how someone has built it. It never stands still for a minute.

Mostly it’s been good. I never was fond of finding square roots on paper as in the 6th grade. Much better on a phone.

There are, however, drawbacks. It has really destroyed our ability to maintain our privacy. It has also made it easier for people to steal and destroy the lives of others.

It has certainly put the world on the brink of utter destruction, what 2 or 3 times. Who’s counting? Planes, boats and rockets are generally good productive things, but not always.

There are big advances in the field of biology. On the other hand we have monster scientists who use the knowledge to kill millions. Who would have thunk?

I do believe, however, that one place where technology has helped the most is to help those who have been crippled; to help those who have lost the use of their arms. Think of those who were born deaf and now they hear and speak.

If only we could permit the one use of of tech and not the other. However, I am convinced that this side of heaven, that is not going to happen. It takes a twisted mind to figure out how to turn a big jet passenger plane into a very destructive weapon. It is why those of us with normal minds never considered it.

Daily writing prompt
How has technology changed your job?