Thoughts on Inner Peace

Reality is that thing that most people seem to hate. The opposite thing of course is the things we love. For instance, a walk on the beach, a good movie, a close friend, or sleeping late are just a few of those things a lot of people love to spend time doing. Most of us spend our days doing a job we do not love and worrying about things like paying bills or a bad back or being on time for the next event, meeting or business arrangement.

Most things we love take us to that place we dream about if only in our minds. I like to run for not just that since of accomplishment, but that time to just think and contemplate apart from the necessities of job and responsibility. Money after all seems to provide the means to do so much of what we might love, especially when we are young enough to enjoy it. Ironically many people spend there whole lives slaving for the opportunity to do the things they love. True children are those blessings and complications which cause us to sacrifice even more in hopes of providing a brighter future.

Guess what so many things cannot be controlled or even earned. Accidents, chance and destiny seem to play a part in all our lives. To those who are fortunate enough to win in life the search for inner peace may be avoided. To those whom suffer may they find inner peace? Religion, art, music seem to be able to provide these moments of inner peace and contemplation. Rich or Poor, Great or Small may you find this peace---although if you are poor and small you may truly be able to enjoy it more.

“I know how to live when I am poor, and I know how to live when I have plenty. I have learned the secret of being happy at any time in everything that happens…. I can do all things through Christ, because he gives me strength. Philippians 4: 11-13

Internet Rip-offs

Universal Tattletale LLC is a complaint site which receives a lot of typical complaints.  The internet is a haven for rip-offs.  We are not exceptions to getting ripped off by slick talking sales people whom make promises which they cannot keep and have no intention of keeping. It is my desire to share this example to expose this company, but also show how clever they are at getting away with getting paid for doing something close to nothing.

 

One of these companies I recently dealt with is First Place or www.1p.com or 1stinternetadvertising.com or other names.   Ironically I accepted a deal for them to place our Universal Tattletale: Liberty Complaints and Compliments site on a trial basis for six months.   It was my desire to stop using Overture and Google to avoid pay per click charges; however I was able to track the progress of First Place because of my statistical information from these other services.  The last time I checked with the BBB of Las Vegas this small company had over 80 similar complaints and has been asked to leave the BBB of Las Vegas.  Remember Las Vegas is the capital of Rip-offs, Mafia and the protection of these types of these sleazy deals.   But like a lot of people there slick talking sales person convinced me they could do big things so they were able to get me for $750 before I was aware of their scam.

 

To not bore you with details if I had paid the same amount of money to Overture the outcome would have quadrupled the number of registered users to the site. Keep in mind most people get on the site for free.  Meanwhile I could not identify even one registered user which was attributed to First Place in six months.  They showed a lot of hits but no action at my site??  I’m sure I could show the reason they are a scam, but many people would have no way to prove anything.  Why is the attorney general from Nevada not doing anything?  How about the US attorney general?  Simply put they are bogged down with this type of activity.

 

Please forward this letter or complaints about this business to people like Clark Howard, or Tom Martino etc.  I think this scam deserves some attention from the media. 

 

Sincerely,

 

Randy Lockdall

 

 

Rightwing or Leftwing: Something good to be said for the Middle

Let me apologize for taking so long in writing a new note.  Honestly I haven’t told anyone this blogger site even exists.  So congratulations to the few who might scan the blogs and find this note.  I’m on the rode a lot so I’m trying out the new Sirius Satellite Radio.  When you hear the same stuff all the time the idea of getting differing points of view actually becomes attractive.  Sirius is great because I can go from leftwing to rightwing talk shows at the click of my remote.

 

Quite honestly I’m finding there are talk shows as far to the left as Limbaugh is to the right.  It’s amazing how many issues can clog the mind with viewpoints that confuse the conventional middle of the road American.  Terri Schavo was a perfect example of typical right/ left confusion.  On the right we had James Dobson, some right wing senators and Terri’s parents all were adamant about keeping Terri alive.  The left was supported by testimony from doctors, court rulings and Terri’s husband (whom was quite frankly a bigamist fathering children with his girlfriend, but remaining married to Terri) keeping his bond of till death do us part.

 

Being a married man and father I can understand the difficulties of the parents more than the husband.  After all he could have agreed to allow the parents to have guardianship and the case may have turned out differently.    The expert testimony and decisions made by judges make most people agree that letting Terri die was a reasonable thing to do.   But, questions of motivations and loyalties of the husband remain.

 

Political motivations and media attention could not be denied in the intriguing elements surrounding Terri’s life and death.  This situation could happen to almost any person or family.  In my household my wife would want to live and I would want to die.  Does this mean that more Republicans would want to live and more Democrats would want to die if they were Terri Schavo?   This was in fact the problem, that no one was certain what Terri’s wishes were when it came to pulling the plug or feeding tube.

 

This event and Terri’s life turned heads away from the Iraq war and the economy for a few days, although the Bush’s couldn’t help but once again be at the center of this quagmire. The system prevailed as the decision to let Terri die was upheld.  This is one issue which can afford a left and right attitude.  Yes, we should place in writing,” I want to be kept alive by machines or I want you to let me die if I can not sustain myself. “    Of course the left and right would fight about whether government should allow this choice also.   

 

Randy Lockdall