God is Everything

GOD is believed to be omnipresent and omni powerful.
If we were to understand Her, we would need to at the very least understand the Universe, which either is all there is or is at least an aspect of God. From Newton, through Einstein we attempt to understand God (Universe) but did not quite succeed.

In most churches on this one of many rocks in the Universe, the only one we can be certain supports carbon-based intelligent life form, you would learn absolutely nothing or close to nothing about the nature of God. You will however learn a lot about what people couple of thousand years ago though of Her. In some aspects you may learn the philosophical and ethical aspect of Her, but nothing of the laws that govern Her.

For that, skip the Sunday trip to the Church or Temple (save on Gasoline too and protect the rock from overheating) and listen to the below.

USA Education System is FAIR

Polska Wersja

I write some critical things about U.S. so I think it is time that I say something positive (see Juli, I can from time to time :-0)

In Poland, at least in Poland before ~1995 or so, professor at the University was God! Not only there was no syllabus but basically despite studying during entire semester, being good student that does all that is asked from him/her, professor could do whatever he/she wanted during the final exam ("Zaliczenie")

When I talk to my mother on the phone about my school, she is still used to that kind of thinking and when I am struggling in the middle of semester to get good grades, she says something like "But it is not the final yet right?" The assumption is, why are you worrying, this all does not matter, only the end does.

In U.S. professors are required and do provide clear guidance of what is expected from students during a semester and how will they be graded through out and at the end.

In the class called Public Economics (PA 652) we were informed right from the start about details of the course. The most important were 4 exams, with the 4th one being the final. We were told that only 3 best out of 4 will count and if we do well on first 3 and are satisfied with grade, we will not even go to the final.

Also, in contrast to Poland, there is respect of privacy of the student and random number are assigned to student and only particular student knows his/her number. This way student does not have to worry about being looked down because he/she did not do well on the exam.

I remember one class in Poland, in school of music. The teacher gave each student his/her exam but left one at the desk. Then he wen on about how stupid this person is. That person was me. I knew it and most student knew as they all could just look around and see who does not have his/her paper yet. Those kind of abuses were not that uncommon. Professors at the Universities often gave F to students during the final exam despite the fact that this was A student till that final exam. Sometimes the professor would then do a "favorite" to half of the class that found itself with Fs and gave them "poprawke" - another opportunity to try to pass the final. He/she would say they will have this session at 9 am in his/her office only to show up around 1 pm ... again giving F to half of those who waited there.

So, God or not, but something should bless the higher education in America, for its fairness and respectful treatment of students at the very least.

My random number is 27. I already passed the class (must go to last two classes ... last requirement) I can try for A by taking final. Now, Polish students, are you envious of such treatment? I would be.

Exact fair treatment is all classes although finals are usually required, this arrangement is rather unusuall. The key is that all this is predetermined at the beginign of semester. There is a CONTRACT between professor and student. Netiher one can dismiss the contract or not obay it.


Example of Syllabus

Colonization for "strategic interest" (OIL!) continues

Republicans Agenda Is Failing U.S.

Republicans Agenda Is Failing U.S.

Today we are in recession or will soon be in one in major part due to unregulated mortgage industry that lent money without enough common sense. The free market failed.

Patrick Rucker (Reuters) says "The collapse and forced sale of Wall Street giant Bear Stearns exposed the dangerous interconnectedness of financial markets and the faulty oversight now in place, U.S. regulators said in prepared congressional testimony on Thursday"

The collapse of giant Bear Stearns is generally speaking as a result of frivolous landing practice.

But to be fair, Free market did not failed. In free market we should watch losers loose and free market will reward those who play by the rules.

Republican party generally speaking is based on two principles that relate to economy and place of government in society:

1. Unregulated market as much as possible. (The evil democrats sold to EU interest want to regulate and regulate which is dangerous for our way of life, socialistic) (Unregulated: Energy Market, Financial Markets, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Welfare, everything)
2. Low taxes
   

Just briefly, low taxes means among other not so much money for an army, but let me focus on INCONSISTENCY of Republicans when it comes to regulation vs. deregulation of free market.

So, your superbly conservative G. W. Bush administration is now proposing more regulation of the financial industry? How is that possible? Why don't we do nothing, like Senator McCain proposes?! It is not just fair but follows the doctrine of free market fairness and government not messing up with our society! This would be consistent with privatizing social security, private health insurance (current situation) and generally speaking consistent with the ideology of Republicans.

(As a side note, have you paid attention to Bush, conservative president, limiting severely ability to sue doctors - frivolous law suits. What happened to freedom of individuals to hold the doctor responsible for his/her mistakes?)

Here is why it is not working today and there will be more and more regulations in the future and USA has been following European model of more and more regulations, is following this model today and will be more in the future. In other words, we will become more and more like Europe and the "free eh ha cowboy style of Economy and Society" will never work.

Here is why Republicans will loose numbers and Democrats will increase its membership.

Our societies are complex, more and more complex. This isn't a situation like we had 50-100 years ago with few people and lots of open space with 0.1% of people investing in stock market while the rest lived on the farm or worked in cities never dreaming of 401K, health insurance, etc.

We, We as SOCIETY cannot afford SCREWUPS - the meltdown of economy hurts me and you, regardless of if I took the risky mortgage and you did not.

I did not take risky mortgage, I was responsible. Yet, my 401K lost tons of money. Gosh, thank the Democrats my social security is not on the market, it would have lost money too.

This is what Europe decided some time ago. Society in Europe cannot afford to allow free enterprise in the model of USA (Republicans agenda) because the consequences of some failures (undoubtedly there are also successes of free market) are too large and grave for EVERYBODY in the society. In densely populated Europe, failures are too risky to the society as a whole.

Ironically, few people in USA gets this common sense fact. McCain can run on 'liaise free' government but if he becomes the president, and if there is another economical crises during his presidency, he will do the same what ... Bush - another Republican conservative president.

McCain, Republican, will at least attempt to save us all from financial crises, try to bail out big financial institutions that got themselves in trouble. McCain will also help the people. The politicians simply must do so. The consequences of not doing anything are too large, too grave. It is easy and somewhat nice and certainly politically advantageous in reference to conservatives to say "let the market decide" but reality is that many Republican senators are going to their district and are being encouraged by people (Republicans presumably) to do something about it.

Go figure, to me this is at the very least dishonesty, not to say hypocrite agenda.

In any way, liberalism will win. Liberalism is a reflection of complex society. Don't believe me? Look at the blue-red map of U.S. Where ever there is densely populated area, Chicago, New York, California, people are "blue". Where your nearest neighbor may be few miles down the road, it is Red. As population grow, the blue will overtake the red. It just can't go the other way, because any failure of "red", and there will be more (nature of free market) will change the losers of that failure from red to blue ... overtime, there will be just different shades of blue.

Finally, with our current problems with global warming and addiction to oil, free market will not provide solutions without appropriate new incentives for green energy which can only come from government leadership - government is the people that we elect that share our values. Those values are changing towards "blue" because our society is getting more complex.

OK, now start the hate emails :-)
In case you want to go with the argument, "if you do not like it here, leave" I want to tell you that since a week or so, I am U.S. citizen and do not intend on leaving, except for vacations.

Problems with Faith

Problems with Faith

One - does not reason
Two - sees other religions' ideas as crazy but not its own one