I Have the Flu and it Sucks

A couple of days ago my daughter got the flu, I gave her medicine and avoided direct contact. It didn't work and now I have the flu and a fever. I don't like the fever part and can feel how it is effecting my thinking. Fortunately I have my favorite soup, I hope I can keep it down. Heck, I hope I can get it in me. When I get the flu I often lose my sense of taste.

I feel cold and am sweating, I go from cold to hot and back again. It is quite interesting how a fever effects us and our level of concentration. Don't expect any news from me tonight. Be well.

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

Hello all,

The Pimpernel contributes to many charities and has housed the homeless for around five years in his own home. I have also made substantial contributions to food banks (one of which I helped start). Since I was in elementary school I have worked and contributed to MDA and UNICEF. THE ALSA foundation supports people and research into Lou Gehrig's disease, a disease that slowly destroys people. There is a challenge going around to either contribute $100 or dunk your head in ice water buckets. People with integrity have done both, I have not been given the challenge; but, will be contributing $400 to charity with the first $100 going to ALSA. The other $300 will be going to MDA (Muscular Dystrophy), a food bank and homelessness.

Once one has taken the challenge, they are entitled to challenge others and I have already begun that process. As this blog is anonymous I will not be posting videos nor calling people out by name on this site. In fact, I have been making personal calls to the people I am challenging. One of them is the president of a substantial company and another is the head of another organization. I am not challenging them for $100, I am challenging them to give $100 to ALSA and $300 to any charities of their choice.

For 7 years I have been writing this blog and it has over 60,000 hits. I have never asked for a dime and do not advertise, this site is not and never will be monetized. I don't roll that way. It will also always be anonymous unless people choose to post identifying information. That is how I roll. Having said that, I want to know if any of you will bother to contribute, if you do let us know and you don't have to identify yourself or prove it to me. It is a moral question. Do you care about others, do they matter? I think we all matter.

One of my best friends died from a similar disease. I watched this lovely man slowly lose everything, his body, his mind and his awareness. It was horrifying; but, he did it with integrity. This is for you Bill, I miss you and love you.

Robbie, you are being called out to take the challenge and challenge everyone on the website that I used to be a member of and let them know that this is from me, if any remember me on it and even if they do not.

If the truth is inside you then I hope your truth is that others matter and that you are willing to help others. Lets have some fun while giving to help others. Peace.

Pimpernel

Let's take out the garbage/

There is a lot of rubbish going around that needs to be discarded.

BBC - Richard Dawkins: 'Immoral' not to abort Down's foetuses.

How does one believe in bringing back a Cromagnon; but  also believe we should kill off people who are not perfect? We all matter. Why does he believe that the existence of people less capable then himself means their lives are not worth living? If most people believe that joy is what we should seek in life and a person with Down's feels more joy than him, then why should the kid with Down's die?

Mr. Dawkins is a swine and proves it everytime he talks.

Mail Online - Are we becoming more STUPID? IQ scores are decreasing - and some experts argue it's because humans have reached their intellectual peak. The article claims that IQs went up because of better nutrition and education. It then proceeds to claim that the decrease in IQ is the result of humans reaching their intellectual top. They never asked the question if nutrition and education have devolved since the 60s,they have. They also ignored the fact that as new skills are more beneficial than others, the SAT and IQ tests have not evolved to track what people bother learning. If the test includes questions about how to start a fire with two twigs, does it even bother testing for what people bother learning? People are not getting dumber.

Why does the world want to convince you that you do not matter? It is never for your benefit that another would tell you that you do not matter and you do, that is what the world hates, it hates that you matter.

Why Do People Have Near Death Experiences?

I read this article today and it made me think about something.

LSJ - Near-death experience was life-changing for Howard Storm.

A lot of people have died and come back. The vast majority did not have what is termed a Near Death Experience. I have read that it is about 1 in 10. An NDE is a "spiritual" experience. It is the experience that some have of seeing the other side and is generally characterized as a feeling of love and acceptance shared with at least one other sentient being. Now, some people before they die "imagine" talking to love ones who have passed and are waiting for them. While that experience is equally important, it is not characterized as an NDE as those people haven't physically died.

I cannot prove my experience was "triggered" by my first heart attack; but, they did occur at the same time. As I have read about NDEs in the last few years, it also caused me to read about spiritual experiences unrelated to death. The Kundalini experience is very similar to a NDE and the Shamans that used certain drugs described their experiences in similar terms. The experiences are described as more real than real and the reality that the person is aware of is mental rather than true physical.

The man in the article was an atheist and the experience made him a believer in God. I was already a believer in God when I started this blog and prior to my heart attack. My understanding of him and the afterlife was different than it is now; but, the experience didn't cause me to redefine me. I was quite happy being me before and my still am, that did not change for me.

Very few people write about these experiences and it is usually the one's whose lives totally changed because they changed and redefined themselves and their purpose. I believe it is very possible that most who have had an NDE don't talk about it much. Certainly few of us bother to write a book. I don't even bother reading books about other people's NDEs. Been there, done that and all I got was this lousy t-shirt.

I remember when my doctor told me that I had a heart attack just from looking at my EKG. LOL. What he didn't know was why it wasn't in my folder. I didn't tell anyone at the time and didn't see a doctor for three years or so. I didn't think it mattered as I did not believe I would be alive for more than a year. Funny, my doctor recently told me that when he met me, he didn't think I would live out the year. Now he says I am fine, that must be bad. LOL.

Anyways, as I read the article I began thinking about the purpose of having an NDE when many of us do not come away redefining ourselves. Perhaps the experience has more than one purpose and that the purpose is unique to each one who experiences it. Not everyone has an NDE; but enough do that we may be able to determine some patters and they would be reflective of the effects they had which would tell us about the varying purposes.

If you read about NDEs then consider that the people that write about theirs are a small minority of people who had them. It is (falsely) claimed that the average serial killer is white (that is because other countries catch fewer, report it less and haven't bothered profiling them by country, race or religion. Try catching a serial killer in remote Africa or Polynesia, you have no CSI labs. You may not even have a local police. We don't know what the average serial killer is like, we only know about the ones we caught in America and a couple of one's from other countries. NDEs are the same way, the average person, if he knows about them, only knows about the people who ended up writing books about it and they are an incredibly small minority of us.

As I considered all of this it made me wonder why have the experience if you don't end up redefining yourself? What purpose did it serve for me or others like me? It didn't change me, I knew it was real and learned some things; but, it didn't change me and I did not need reassurance as to who I am or why I am me. I am me and that has never been on the table. I felt the love on the other side and would have stayed; but, I had to be me, I couldn't become addicted to the ultimate love if it meant losing me. I have to be me, it is the only thing I have fought for during my whole life. The right to be me while accepting the responsibility for all my actions as the price tag. That is the burden and freedom that comes with free will. My NDE did not do a darn thing to change that except maybe make me even more determined to be me, the person I choose to be.

Many people come out of their NDEs feeling a need to redeem themselves. I didn't, I came out feeling a need to forgive myself. I did not come out of it with a "mission" or message for anyone other than me. I do preach; but, that was because I was asked to by another person who had an NDE or two. LOL. He had at least two, I had two heart attacks; but, the second one did not result in an NDE that I know of. I believed in God already and I chose my path and career when I was 4 and my brother and sister know that for a fact.

God gives us all gifts and challenges, we define ourselves by determining what we will do with them. Success is not about achieving your goals, it is about becoming you, defining you. That is called free will and is it's purpose.

Mathmatical Proof For a God.

What is your definition of God? What if it is the greatest intelligence in the universe? Now, we cannot prove that the universe exists, that is the problem in quantum physics. Heck, they can only prove that nothing is solid. They have no accepted answer for why or why everything is connected when it is not in any way connected in a manner we can understand or measure. God is therefore the greatest awareness in the universe. If nothing exists but you, then you are God. If there is a being with a greater knowledge then he is God. Spiritually it is believed that God is the being from which all other awareness came.

Now I will show you why mathematics proves there is a God. There cannot be an absolute zero. It cannot exist as you exist and that disproves an absolute zero philosophical argument. It violates the scientific method as the method could not exist if there wasn't anyone to think of it. It is impossible for there to be an absolute zero. Zero as a concept can only exist if things, sets of things exist. You have ten apples and you give all ten to me, how many apples do you have? The answer is zero; but, the question presupposes that something called an apple exists. It presupposes existence. Let me give you this, how would you represent God mathematically? The answer is one not zero, lol.

Philosophically one must begin with existence as the answer, mathematically this translates to the number one. That is the reason that everything we see at a physical level is different on a quantum level and the reason that mathematicians cannot understand religion. They assume there can be an absolute zero, nothingness. For me to even think this or write this means that there must be a one in all theories, that a one is what is assured.

Let's assume for the moment that we are a dream then someone is still dreaming us, that means there is still a one. To presume that when we die we cease to exist at all is to presume that we never did, that there can be an absolute zero, this is why Einstein said that matter could neither be created or destroyed. He was right, awareness is. All awareness always was because it's existence cannot be destroyed. Awareness wasn't created, it just was and cannot be destroyed, as Einstein said, it can only change form. That explanation is the heart of the scientific method.

If the answer is that there must be a one then shouldn't the questions evolve around what that one is and what it is like? Shouldn't the question be what is the nature of existence and not whether or not it exists? If there can be a concept we call math then there cannot be an absolute zero. How can nothing have a concept and zero is a concept.

60,000 Hits and some thoughts.

Hard to believe. This blog will have passed 60,000 hits tomorrow. I have been writing this for about 7 years and have killed the whole blog twice; but, like me it just keeps chugging along. I wonder which posts different people were interested in. Pastor Daniels has been the most searched and read and that makes me feel good, to know that she is remembered.

I want to send my thanks to my readers for keeping an eye on me and my writings. I estimate that I have written somewhere around 3.000 plus posts. I don't know for sure as I deleted the first two versions of this blog. Sometimes I regret that. Currently it is my plan to retire in about 10 weeks and I don't know what part this blog will play in my life at that time. Maybe I shall keep it going until I hit 100,000 views.

I was at work today and talking to someone I have known for decades, she asked me for my blogs address and I gave it to her. She said she wanted to follow it after I retire so we could stay in touch. I pulled up some random post I had made about Transhumanism and she was surprised to learn about it at all. I had her read the heading, the one where I point out that you matter and she said that it is amazing how many people don't think they do matter.

Perhaps I shall turn the blog into a sort of diary after I retire and posts pictures of meals that I have or my dog; but, I doubt it. This blog has never really been about me. I discuss things I have gone through to make points. While they are true, they are meant to be examples of lessons I have learned or experiences that we have or may have. For those who don't know me personally, I really have had two heart attacks, died once, got divorced and just had my first granddaughter (the best part of still being alive). For those who do know me, I wonder if this has helped them to understand me better, I hope so. I actually write to those who don't know me, that is why it is anonymous.

Sometimes this blog has helped me just by forcing me to put my thoughts or feelings into words. I don't regret the things I have written; but, I have deleted a couple of individual posts for different reasons. I regret deleting the one about my aunts funeral the most. She was my last elder that mattered to me and the family. I have four elders left, none of those four came to my fathers funeral and I will not go to theirs. I believe my brother and sister will also skip those funerals if we even hear about them. Funerals are the family and that brings us back to my aunts funeral.

About two years before my aunt died my wife left me for another man. My aunt was not happy and did not want my ex to come to her annual Christmas party; but, I begged her to let my ex and my daughters see her, I did not attend as I was sick (my blood pressure had spiked and I didn't let anyone know). She let her come and was civil as I requested

When my aunt passed away her son said he did not want my ex at her funeral. While I did not wish to see her at the time, I asked my cousin to consider allowing her to come and he said she had to ask.The decision was not up to me, it wasn't my mothers funeral and I respected the families wishes. I was told my ex believed she had a right to attend; but, nobody has a right to attend a funeral against the wishes of the family. When a different aunt died, my wife and I both attended. Heck, I made a lot of the funeral arrangements. One of her ex-husbands showed up and gave an eloquent speech. I had not seen him in well over two decades and was impressed.

It is highly unlikely that my ex will die before me; but, if she did die first I would attend the funeral if the family, including my children, wanted me to. If, as is most likely, I died first, I would want my ex to feel free; but, not required to come. It might help the children and that is good enough for me. Personally I don't care about my funeral, I am much more interested in the party that follows and I will not be here for either. I wrote about all this at the time; but, one of my son in laws posted absurd comments and eventually I deleted the post, that was a mistake. I think the issue deserves to be written about and that others might find value in the issues as others face them also. I think if I had not deleted the post, it would be interesting for me and others to read again; but, it is gone.

Robin Williams Death and News

Robin Williams has died, they believe he committed suicide. He was one of the kings of improvisation. For anyone reading this that has been at one of my sermons they are basically improv with a point. My points may be spiritual; but, the approach is improv comedy. It is hard as it can be to make up jokes as you go along, it is an art form and he was one of the best. Will Ferrell is probably the best at improv now. I remember watching Mr. Williams in the 70's, he then did movies and got an academy award. He had many talents. Hard to believe he was only a couple of years older than me. Most comedians are shy or tortured or have faced great problems in their life, that is why they turn to comedy just like any other artist. It is hard to tell a joke that begins with, "My life is so great". May he rest in peace.

Yahoo - The Fiscal Times - In NYC, Front Doors Are for the One Percent. Yes, they are building homes where they have both the poor and wealthy and they want the poor to enter through a back door rather than the same door as the wealthy, to enter the same building that they all live in.

Yahoo - Bloomberg - Why self-driving cars will mean more traffic. If you want to understand your future, you should understand the future of movement, traffic and vehicles. Read the article and extrapolate.

Yahoo - AP - Obama wants limits on US company mergers abroad. There are those who believe in the United States; but, few corporations do and they will do anything to avoid paying taxes to the country that they benefited from being in. It is called globalism. Basically companies wish to be treated as "people" in the United States but not taxed as people. They want you to pay the taxes for them.

Yahoo - Kristen Bell adds star power to minimum wage debate in hilarious Mary Poppins parody. Just a fun video with a point.

The Independent - Exclusive: Scientists accuse government of dishonesty over GM babies in its regulation of new IVF technique. This link is really just a reminder that we are continuing to create babies with three parents in test tubes.

Inquisitor - Affair With Kristen Stewart Nets Rupert Sanders’ Ex A Landslide Settlement. Yes, Ms. Stewart is a cheating skank; but, that is not the purpose of the link. The article attempts to imply that the man that cheated on his wife with Ms. Stewart paid a "landslide settlement" because he cheated, that is incorrect. He would have paid the exact same amount if his wife had cheated on him. You cannot bring up adultery in a divorce proceeding in California, it is a "no fault" state.

Huffington Post - The Increasing Irrelevance of Corporate Nationality. Here is a great line from the article, "In fact, since 2000, almost every big American multinational corporation has created more jobs outside the United States than inside. If you add in their foreign sub-contractors, the foreign total is even higher." Read the article, we actually give tax deductions for Research and Development and that includes when the money is spent in foreign countries, we give a tax break for creating jobs in foreign countries.

The Huffington Post - Why A Higher Unemployment Rate Is Actually Good News This Time. Here is the logic of the article, we may still be losing jobs; but, we hiring more people than before. We fired 10 people; but, hired nine new people so the economy is better, right? They will do anything to spin the truth and keep you confused.

Yahoo - My life after Manson. Can a person repent and change, watch and think and then consider if you are capable of change.

The Huffington Post - 'Too Big To Fail' Lives As Regulators Slam Banks' Living Wills. I have written about this before in regards to JP Morgan. A living will for a bank is their bankruptcy plan and their plan is to keep all the assets and have the government bail out the parts that have no assets. Making the taxpayer responsible for their failure. They are worse than a lazy government employee, they take your money give nothing back and blame you for their failure.

LA Times - New charges filed against ex-CalPERS official in corruption case. The real public pension scandal is the people who are stealing from the public pensions that we pay for with our tax dollars. Politicians and private equity companies are looting the pensions.

I have purged my computer of the links that I have been saving for you. I do hope that I an continuing to supply you with articles that you may have missed, the real trend news that we all need to know if we are to be an informed populace. As I wrote this one of my employees sent me a picture of the sunset in Hawaii. It was beautiful and I just might have to go there to celebrate my impending retirement. I love Polynesia and the people.