Jean Piaget, a researcher and psychologist did an experiment that showed how we mature emotionally and psychologically... He took a group of children and using two glasses that held the same amount of water, yet one was tall and one was short... " All of the children would answer the tall one does... Children younger than the age of seven would stick to their idea when asked again;... Could it be that we as a species have grown past our proverbial seventh year as a civilization?... … View Post »

What I have read many times is very true we each do associate sometimes - peculiar meanings to words that the normal person, the dictionary and the media use to mean something very different... For instance, if you lived in Texas and you told me you were cooking in a" spider" I would know you meant you were using a frying pan... how can you make words mean so many different things?... " And Humpty Dumpty replied..." When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in a rather scornful tone," it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less."" The question is," said Alice," whether you can make words mean so many different things."" The question is," said Humpty Dumpty," which is to be master - that ' s all." Through the Looking Glass... … View Post »

If there are no Solutions, then there are no Problems This was something I learned early in life... When we sense there is a problem or when we have factual evidence of a problem and can describe it and yet we believe there is no solution we are overlooking the obvious... For problems that seem to be irresolvable, what we have is a lack of knowledge not an irresolvable problem... It is similar to how our eyes see light and shadows... What is needed to have any inkling, intuition, hypothesis, or guess that a problem exists is some form of a possible solution to make the shadow of the problem visible to our mind... Drake demonstrated through multiple studies using rats in a maze that frustration generates rage... When the rat was trained to go through the maze and get their cheese and had successfully done so on their own... If a piece of Plexiglas was placed between them and the cheese, they became frustrated... This phenomenon has been shown to exist in humans, apes, chimpanzees, squirrels, fish and the list goes on extensively... We use the maze of social etiquette, of shared belief systems to acquire our proverbial cheese, what ever that may be now... Matthew Alper in his book The God Part of the Brain postulated that we have within our brain a biological urge to seek a supernatural explanation: That we may be innately wired to perceive such universal concepts as a spiritual realm, a God, a Soul, and an Afterlife... This could support both the claims of the Atheist as well as the claims of the Theist, Non - Theistic ( e.g... For example, whether Jesus Christ existed and actually was crucified and the major point whether there was a resurrection from the dead... When we act as a group, we normally will take out our frustration on another group... We then classify them by their atrocities, and prioritize their overall value in order to organize our efforts as a group to change the enemy... In this group process of the Karpman Triangle ( victim, abuser, rescuer ) the meaning of important words change... For instance Justice: Justice to someone who is in victim state of mind is used to show others what the abusers are taking away from them... Which brings us to Peace, this word changes its meaning for those who are in the rescuer state of mind... Once this occurs they can resume their rightful status at the head of the pecking order and all will be well for everyone... Freedom is that which is normally used as a rallying cry for those in the abuser state of mind as they begin using actual physical acts of aggression against the enemy... … View Post »

Rick Herron, creator of Skywalker Jets, invented a rocket pack that weighs about 90 pounds and can propel a 200 pound pilot around the air for what is likely the most invigorating 5 minutes of their life... Rick intends to produce a model that has a range of about 4 miles and includes a GPS unit integrated into a HUD showing flight time and engine information among other things... He has to get it approved by the FAA For those that are looking to escape the next earthquake or just change your name to Luke ( smile ) it will only cost you a mere $200,000 if it goes into production... The SoloTrek XFV hopes that one day it will allow people to swoop and dive at distances comparable to a small airplane according to a CNN report from 2002... It can run for about two hours on a tank of gas or any heavy fuel even kerosene... TAM is saying on their site that they are the only company in the world that produces a complete turn - key package of a flying rocket belt, custom - made to the pilots weight and body size... They say they are using the most advanced technology and aerospace materials, including: * A fully - tested, custom - made flying rocket belt, * This belt has been proved to be the most stable design and easier to fly * A special machine to make our own unlimited supply of rocket fuel * Hands - on training in the process and the equipment * Flight training of 10 flights in your own rocket belt * Maintenance and setup training * 24 / 7 expert support * Housing and food are included during training The total price for all this is only $125,000 usd California - based extreme sports and power racing firm Jet Pack International has announced that it is taking pre - orders for a commercial jetpack it intends to launch during 2008... The top speed is 83mph, an estimated range of 27 miles, a maximum height of 250 feet and a fuel capacity of five gallons... But before rushing out to place your order, be advised that the T-73 is expected to retail for $200,000 and that flying lessons for all new pilots will be compulsory Unfortunately these are beyond the reach of the normal person... They are too expensive and too difficult to use in an emergency such as an earthquake... Here is what the American Red Cross Advises: Prepare a Home Earthquake Plan Choose a safe place in every room - - under a sturdy table or desk or against an inside wall where nothing can fall on you... Drop under a sturdy desk or table, hold on, and protect your eyes by pressing your face against your arm... Choose an out - of - town family contact... Consult a professional to find out additional ways you can protect your home, such as bolting the house to its foundation and other structural mitigation techniques... Strapping the water heater to wall studs... Battery - powered radio, flashlight, and extra batteries... In a high - rise building, expect the fire alarms and sprinklers to go off during a quake... If you are in bed, hold on and stay there, protecting your head with a pillow... If you are in a car, slow down and drive to a clear place ( as described above )... If you would like permission to use the information about earthquakes on this page in a newsletter or other publication, or on your Website, please click here If you have some advice or a web site that has advice please feel free to add it here... … View Post »

Communication and Religious Differences Our traditional perspective of religion is often based on our cognitive beliefs, and to maintain quality communications it is important to keep in mind the differences that exist: Our world is far different from the experience of others from different cultures, heritages and religious experiences... Believe it is not possible to have knowledge of God or that we do or that a Supernatural Force in any respect based on accepted proof or is provable... This difference in perspectives creates a different reality for us of today, and the difference can add to our interactions or can become a barrier to quality communication... To understand someone elses perspective if it is quantitatively different, we have to make the effort to actively listen and ask questions... The two listening styles that can help us get at the other person ' s perspective are deconstructive listening and explicative listening... Deconstructive listening allows the acceptance and understanding of another ' s story without emphasizing any powerless or pathological aspects... When listening to another person ' s" story" you must encourage him / her to elaborate in order to help you access his / her experience through quality questioning... The goal of your questions should be to help the person distance him / herself from the problem of explanation, and thereby increase objectivity... This will allow evaluation of the situation from a more rational perspective... … View Post »

Here is an important issue...acting ethically means treating people" equitably." Treating people equitably does not mean we treat all people equally... Treating people as equals does not mean we say the exact same thing or act in the exact same manner with everyone...many spouses would not find that amusing at all ( smile )... To strictly adhere to showing the love God as given in monotheistic religions or to show the" satiyagraha" or" love force" of Ghandis ' Hinduism, or to relentlessly focus on the belief in the" innate moral sense of Human nature" the non - theists have...is I think OK... … View Post »