V.3

further study indicates: Few people were literate back then, so stories were told word of mouth. The New Testament content was first written by Paul, mostly while under suppression in political prison, about 25 years after the death of JC (I assume the delay in writing was to avoid being accused of heresy and face the same fate as Jesus). Some of the content was 2nd hand info written by followers of Paul and was subject to their slant/point of view. Matthew and Luke borrowed from Paul's material. To be passed on, all of the writings had to be hand copied over the years by the few people who could write, and was subject to their own slant/point of view Church leaders revised the bible over the centuries. The ascension of Jesus provided an inspirational ending, despite conflicting versions in the gospels. Without it, Christianity might very well have died on the cross along with the body of Christ. Jesus, tortured and dying on the cross, asking God "why have you forsaken me?" is a real downer. It is not befitting the "son of God". It is a story of a mere mortal man brutalized by the Romans. But his physical body rising to heaven, instead of just his spirit, added a dramatic special effect and gave the Church something to work with. If, ultimately, God wanted people to believe in him he could have appeared before them like he appeared before Moses. He wouldn't need to have a mortal man do magic tricks like turning water to wine, then allow him to be tortured, then raise the bloody carcass to heaven, then have a handful of other men recall the tale, as best they can, 25 to 75 years later. And rationalizing that Jesus "died for our sins" like a sacrificial lamb may be one of the most absurd concepts in the history of religion, or in the history of rationalizations for that matter. It all sounds like a cruel game that god is playing? Give man a logical, reasoning, questioning mind, then ask him to abandon logic and reason, and not question the word of other flawed men?

I'm a big fan of the central character. I was raised to marvel at his profound wisdom, lessons of compassion, humility and self-sacrifice that still shape my life. Some Jesus quotes make more sense than anything i've every heard. Some don't make any sense at all. Either way, the story of Jesus is the reason the Bible is best selling book of all time! Who wrote it? as historian Reza Aslan points out, "everything written in the new testament about Jesus was written by people who didn't know Jesus when he was alive." the writers were not the apostles. as was very common in the day, they wrote under the names of the apostles as a tribute to them. the term for this kind of writing is "pseud-epigraphy" The apostles were either too old or dead at the time of the writings. furthermore, they were likely incapable of it--illiterate peasants who could neither read or write. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bart-d-ehrman/the-bible-telling-lies-to_b_840301.html imagine Martin Luther King speaking to a small group of poor and illiterate people with no audio or video recording, and several people who weren't there quoting his words at least 50 years or more later. Then, those words being hand-written, copied and recopied by hand for generations and edited by Church leaders with their own agendas, while being translated into different languages. recollecting the "I Have A Dream" speech would be about as credible as trying to recall the details of a sleeping dream.

We need a campaign to make Election Day a national holiday. To get money out of elections we first need to get more people in. As is, the average working person has to find time during the workday or stand in long lines after work. Mail-in voting helps, but not enough. On average, less than half of eligible voters voted in Federal elections over the past 50 years. Do you think George Washington and Abe Lincoln would prefer we honor them with a day off on their birthday or with a day off to ensure that all Americans can exercise the democracy they worked so hard to build? Likewise, which day off do you believe Martin Luther King would advocate to more fully realize his dream? Or, which of his holidays do you think Jesus would gladly trade to allow the meek amongst us a better opportunity to be counted? And, which day do you think would be more significant to how we ring in the new year -- a holiday on Jan. 1st or Nov. 11th? There are many reforms that our country needs to get better. But before the work can begin, we really need a day off!

I'd say corporations are an organized group of people too often doing evil deeds, motivated by money. Then, they go home, pet the dog and love their family like other people. At work it's only their stock price that matters. The team and investors are a mob pushing them to abandon principles to achieve competitive goals. The non-stock holders who get hurt are the collateral damage of their bunker-buster greed bomb. Unethical behavior is "normalized." Including taking risks with consumer's health and environment, covering up resulting disasters and scandals, shipping jobs overseas for slave wages and child labor, manipulating laws and legislation, etc..

dying to know the truth? does a caterpillar die when it encases itself in its tomb? does the flower die when it gives way to fruit? is water destroyed when it evaporates in summer or freezes in winter? or do they all just change form? the caterpillar into a butterfly the flower into fruit the water into a cloud the cloud into rain the rain into a snowflake the snowflake into a puddle, lake, or river to begin the cycle all over again how foolish to believe we are different. to believe our own cosmic cycle begins with seed and ends with rotted fruit is like believing water is gone when it evaporates into the air what is water? is it soft or hard, still or flowing, hot or cold, dense or light as air? the human body is mostly made of water. what is a human being? a solid physical body or a spirit as light as air? we are the caterpillar the blossom like water ever changing eternally flowing

In a lecture on teachings from the Tao Te Ching, Dr. Wayne Dyer says that we come into this world with a round-trip ticket, destined to return to where we came from. But, before then, to be free from our earthly body and connect with our source, we must learn to "die while we're alive". He shares this ancient parable from India: For me, the process includes stripping away the things that aren't real. I remember a joke from a little book of elephant jokes from when i was a kid, "How do you sculpt an elephant? Chisel away everything that doesn't look like an elephant". So, to understand what i am, it helps to know what i am not. To paraphrase, Dr. Dyer says our ego tells us:

"I AM that i am" is a Bible reference. I refute many things in that book. But i can't refute the power of those words. Unlike myself, my older sister was religious. A week after she was diagnosed with brain cancer, she told me she heard the words "i am" in her head. She didn't know what it meant. Within days, she, coincidentally, found a pamphlet a neighbor had left. It referenced the "i am." Within days, as i was leaving my mother's house, i stopped and remembered i wanted to look the phrase up in her Bible. I opened the book and found it was bookmarked on the "i am" page. Like the neighbor, my mother was not told what my sister heard. The bookmark was just where she had stopped reading last. Months later i took a look at a booklet a spiritual friend had left at my house. Yup. Entitled, The I AM Prophecy. Flipping the TV channels i stopped on a Dr Wayne Dyer lecture at the moment he was philosophizing about the "i am" philosophy. I researched and found there is evidence supporting the concept, relating to synapse science. i am, that i am i am that which i believe i am what i program my brain to believe, is what i am. In my sister's case, she could find comfort in knowing she was not a human being having occasional spiritual experiences. She was a spirit having a temporary human experience. i recall the Hindu saying Dr Dyer quoted: this real you water cannot wet and fire cannot burn we are eternal unborn and undying

everything's newer here. cleaner. clear skies people are polite so, no i don't miss the narrow, congested streets, old houses. clouds -- what my father called, the "rat race" that eventually stopped his heart but i went back 15 years ago in september like a salmon returning to it's place of birth there was something in the environment -- in the air, trees, wildlife, proximity to the ocean that was familiar and comforting and the people do seem more real and upfront to me more revealing flaws and all

i go by "V.3" on this forum to remind me to transition my awareness from father (v1), to son (v2), back to spirit (v3): i am spirit my gender, color, and species do not define me. my earth-ware was programmed with a basic operating system for survival and reproduction but connecting to my true source is the key to unlocking my advanced features and unlimited potential i am spirit my body was born into this time, this country, this culture. my ego commands that i identify with them, but i do not have to obey my soul is not bound to them, or to the possessions i will leave behind when i depart earth's cocoon until then, i will do my best to remember what i was taught to forget -- that i am connected to all things, and i will not let the unholy alliance of my time, my country, my culture, and my ego restrict me, separate me, or isolate me i am spirit i am a citizen of the universe, guided by my conscience, not the laws of man -- that change over time and imaginary borders on a map i am spirit love is my religion, my currency peace is my political party, my ambition i honor all sentient creatures' life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. when there is potential for conflict, my greatest defense is no offense. i do not win unless no one loses i am spirit truth nourishes me, justice gets me high, happiness is the measure of my success, sacrifice is the measure of my heroes. compassion and consideration for all living things is the custom i adhere to every day i am spirit i recognize that humility is cool honesty and humor are more attractive than clothes or hair style, friends are more precious than gold and family is the best investment money can't buy i am spirit lying beneath a tree in my backyard can be as inspiring as standing on the edge of the grand canyon i can not distinguish the beauty of a puppy from a rattlesnake or the value of the pebbles beneath my feet from diamonds -- both are invaluable but for the possession of neither would i spill a drop of blood i am spirit i do not live in fear of physical or emotional pain -- they cannot penetrate my soul. i question human behavior, but do not judge human beings -- their soul is as pure as my own i am spirit my physical body is measured in inches, pounds, years, months, and days it took millenniums to evolve from stars but each morning i can reboot to an upgraded, de-fragmented mind today, i release shareware version 50.10.16 to the world free for download via email or text, words over the phone, visual queues in person, or quantum connection via the universe... - Salvator V Soon Note: The above algorithm is free to use and distribute. Consider it, open source SHAREWARE FOR THE SOUL Contribute your own code here at SomethingSoon.studio

there used to be an Avoid Plugin that would Block Products Made By Child Labor it should absolutely be expanded to other products and services but it also does not exist anymore. imagine how many products would be blocked and how powerful the effect would be if significant numbers of people used the tool? Even better, imagine if one of the browser developers had the software installed as a standard plug-in to their browser! Or better yet, an open source, corporate independent browser that displays consumer advocate warnings when you visit sites whose companies have had violations, fines, or judgements against them! I'm talking about a browser with the mindset of of the old Ralph Nader built into it!

"the Revolution Will Not Be Televised" -- It Will Be Scanned there used to be a site called buycott.com, but it doesn't exist anymore. It had a phone app you could use to scan a product before buying it. It would check a database to determine the profiting corporation behind the product and let you know the companies political profile. consider the potential of educated consumers instantly pulling up that info. It makes the concept of "voting with your wallet" a practical reality. In today's world of ever increasing corporate power and decreasing democracy, consumer's purchasing power is the citizen's greatest strength and source of influence.

As for eventually reversing the ruling which allowed for unlimited big donor campaign contributions? It's not enough. That just gets us back to the money corruption level we where at before. The level of money corruption after Citizen's United became law: OVERPOWERING! The level of money corruption before Citizen's United became law: OVERPOWERING!

A great example of the cart before the horse was the healthcare insurance reform that became Obama-Care. Because we didn't enact ELECTION REFORM first, the healthcare reform ended up being as much reform as the health insurance industry WOULD ALLOW. They basically wrote the Bill. WE didn't have the political power to pass universal healthcare like every other developed nation. Until then, it doesn't really matter who is elected. Big donors contribute to both Party's campaigns to hedge their bets so they will control either candidate once they're in office. Meanwhile the Left & Right voters, in the 99%, keep trying to out-contribute each other during each election for the privilege of getting trumped by the 1% when it's time to pass a Bill. Don't forget, the 1% has almost as much money as the majority of the rest of American's combined. They've always got more to spend, and their campaign contributions always pay off well in regards to what their BRIBES eventually do for their bottom line.

the WILDCARDS == ==

i published this board game a year after the Occupy Wall-Street protests: It's a form of anti-monopoly board game that emulates how our economic and voting system works and fails. For the people to win, they need to occupy America one space at a time. The goal of the fat-cat is, of course, wealth and control.

ACTION SHOT:

THE RULES: ++ ++

The Game Box: The Board: front and back:

== If you believe this card can be improved, please submit suggestions. Periodically, the game will be updated to reflect changes in the real-life game. Each side can be read in about 30 seconds (the length of an average commercial--and attention span). The goal is to provide insights to people you play with. Does the card accurately summarize the problem in 80 words or less? Is the solution reasonable even if difficult to enact in the near future? Is the solution the right thing to do regardless of political Party positions (which are often influenced by money)? Though issues are complicated by 1% excuses and distractions designed to protect their interests and power, politicians are employed by us, to serve us -- the 99%. Anything is possible if the will of a fully informed public is behind it. [Note: The focus is optimizing the game card. The larger political debate belongs in the main forum]

== If you believe this card can be improved, please submit suggestions. Periodically, the game will be updated to reflect changes in the real-life game. Each side can be read in about 30 seconds (the length of an average commercial--and attention span). The goal is to provide insights to people you play with. Does the card accurately summarize the problem in 80 words or less? Is the solution reasonable even if difficult to enact in the near future? Is the solution the right thing to do regardless of political Party positions (which are often influenced by money)? Though issues are complicated by 1% excuses and distractions designed to protect their interests and power, politicians are employed by us, to serve us -- the 99%. Anything is possible if the will of a fully informed public is behind it. [Note: The focus is optimizing the game card. The larger political debate belongs in the main forum]

== If you believe this card can be improved, please submit suggestions. Periodically, the game will be updated to reflect changes in the real-life game. Each side can be read in about 30 seconds (the length of an average commercial--and attention span). The goal is to provide insights to people you play with. Does the card accurately summarize the problem in 80 words or less? Is the solution reasonable even if difficult to enact in the near future? Is the solution the right thing to do regardless of political Party positions (which are often influenced by money)? Though issues are complicated by 1% excuses and distractions designed to protect their interests and power, politicians are employed by us, to serve us -- the 99%. Anything is possible if the will of a fully informed public is behind it. [Note: The focus is optimizing the game card. The larger political debate belongs in the main forum]

== If you believe this card can be improved, please submit suggestions. Periodically, the game will be updated to reflect changes in the real-life game. Each side can be read in about 30 seconds (the length of an average commercial--and attention span). The goal is to provide insights to people you play with. Does the card accurately summarize the problem in 80 words or less? Is the solution reasonable even if difficult to enact in the near future? Is the solution the right thing to do regardless of political Party positions (which are often influenced by money)? Though issues are complicated by 1% excuses and distractions designed to protect their interests and power, politicians are employed by us, to serve us -- the 99%. Anything is possible if the will of a fully informed public is behind it. [Note: The focus is optimizing the game card. The larger political debate belongs in the main forum]

== If you believe this card can be improved, please submit suggestions. Periodically, the game will be updated to reflect changes in the real-life game. Each side can be read in about 30 seconds (the length of an average commercial--and attention span). The goal is to provide insights to people you play with. Does the card accurately summarize the problem in 80 words or less? Is the solution reasonable even if difficult to enact in the near future? Is the solution the right thing to do regardless of political Party positions (which are often influenced by money)? Though issues are complicated by 1% excuses and distractions designed to protect their interests and power, politicians are employed by us, to serve us -- the 99%. Anything is possible if the will of a fully informed public is behind it. [Note: The focus is optimizing the game card. The larger political debate belongs in the main forum]

== If you believe this card can be improved, please submit suggestions. Periodically, the game will be updated to reflect changes in the real-life game. Each side can be read in about 30 seconds (the length of an average commercial--and attention span). The goal is to provide insights to people you play with. Does the card accurately summarize the problem in 80 words or less? Is the solution reasonable even if difficult to enact in the near future? Is the solution the right thing to do regardless of political Party positions (which are often influenced by money)? Though issues are complicated by 1% excuses and distractions designed to protect their interests and power, politicians are employed by us, to serve us -- the 99%. Anything is possible if the will of a fully informed public is behind it. [Note: The focus is optimizing the game card. The larger political debate belongs in the main forum]

== If you believe this card can be improved, please submit suggestions. Periodically, the game will be updated to reflect changes in the real-life game. Each side can be read in about 30 seconds (the length of an average commercial--and attention span). The goal is to provide insights to people you play with. Does the card accurately summarize the problem in 80 words or less? Is the solution reasonable even if difficult to enact in the near future? Is the solution the right thing to do regardless of political Party positions (which are often influenced by money)? Though issues are complicated by 1% excuses and distractions designed to protect their interests and power, politicians are employed by us, to serve us -- the 99%. Anything is possible if the will of a fully informed public is behind it. [Note: The focus is optimizing the game card. The larger political debate belongs in the main forum]