The Movie Index

This is the movie index that references into the articles and also cites to IMDB for even more reference information. A must view for every cinephile.

The Article Master Index

This is the heart of the articles eco-system, and includes the idioms/maxims references. Where the references are updated, citations to both this eco-system and LinkedIn are provided.

AI’s Recommended Reading list

See below for more highlight articles. But, if you’re curious about AI’s recommendations for reading, click here. The list is not necessarily endorsed, but it is interesting.

Why Political and Economic Systems Fail

There is a reason why everyone loves Abraham Lincoln, and it perhaps depends for Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush, Obama and Trump. It’s deeper than policy. Balance.

The Three Noble Cardinal Rules of Wisdom Are These…

“There are Three Rules of Wisdom. Three and only three. To these a sage is loyal, forsaken by fools to be.”

Team Building Concepts from the Classic Ben-Hur Movie

Ben-Hur was charged to determine why the team of Arabian horses would not hold a turn. He figured it out, and it was obvious.

Are you up in arms about President Trump not placing his hand on the Bible during inauguration? We’ve already addressed those issues. Jefferson was a theist and believed in Separation of Church and State. Maybe you think Jesus liked oaths, or that a judge must swear an oath. Perhaps you think that “god in government” is good, or that swearing oaths and women’s rights are not correlated. You can decide, but these posts provide some food for your thought.

I Never Promised to Love My Wife; Or, All About Oaths

This unique post explores the distinction between an oath, affirmation, and the social basis. A lot of oaths floating around, but we should think about them.

The Judicial Oath; Or, How Wrong Can It Get?

A quick review of a plaque at a law school that completely conflates the bases for taking the judicial oath or affirmation. An ironic hypocrisy, no less from the judiciary.

“Forgive Them, Founding Father; They Know Not What They Do.” Or, the Folly of Trying to Socialize the Meaning of Life

Freedom of religion is another way of saying, “the meaning of life.” Religion cannot be socialized in a diverse, free, and free-thinking society. See also, The Woman Wins, below.

Following are a few featured articles (among the many articles) about the United States of America, the Constitution, and the diverse, free, and free-thinking culture. These articles provide a great introduction to the concepts.

The “Seven Deadlies”

This is a seven chapter look at the “Seven Deadlies” causing the decline of the American Hegemony.

Seven Key Principles of America

Explore the history of America through the lens of seven key writings, reminding us of what real American philosophy should be.

America’s Hard Decisions

Success is based upon hard decisions. The “Infant Soldier” is introduced in this post, as well as the metaphor of socializing profit.

These posts are fundamental reading, perhaps contrarian, regarding “Objective Based Leadership” and accomplishment of the “Primary Objective.” These posts explore the “primary objective” with examples of where the media and society will direct empathy to the cause of failure, rather than to fulfilment the mission, in a manner of self-destruction. These posts expose a collision of duties where a leader must make a choice in the horns of a dilemma. Many of the posts implicate this concept, often overlooked as a criterion of assessment. Start with Running to get into the game, then see more…

The Primary Objective

An exposition on how a social narrative will contradict the social directive, to induce failure.

The Lincoln Moral Dilemma

Slavery or saving the Union. Lincoln’s moral dilemma. A sublime example of the primary objective and decisional logistics.

The Priest-Patton Scale

Goal posts don’t move to the ball. When is perception the goal? Balancing soft perceptions and hard goals. What is the Primary Objective?

These articles expose some core concepts for consideration exposing new ways to look at issues, often against the grain and off of the bandwagon.

Character v. Integrity

This article breaks down concepts of formulaic character and integrity, by competing perspectives, which are often confused and conflated with morality.

Giving Empathy v. Needing Empathy

Explore the reasons why giving empathy is like giving someone a gift, but needing empathy is like needing to get a gift, and subjects us to the vulnerability of neediness and seduction.

The Cardinal Virtues v. Noble Emotions

Are the “Christian Virtues” really virtues? Not according to this comparison with the Socratic Cardinal Virtues. The Socratic Virtues are masters over the Christian “Noble Emotions.”

These articles summarize and simplify complex fundamental issues, but without changing their essence. The goal is to make these subjects more approachable. In the blog list, look for more, like The Art of the Lie, which is not as succinct as these, but a fun ride.

Love v. Fear? Which Is More Effective?

The perennial debate of love versus fear is broken down to the elements.

The Cardinal Virtues Reduced to Essence

The Socratic Virtues reduced to their core essence. The Cardinal Virtues summated to the two final Master Virtues to rule them all.

The Mean Insult v. the Tactical Insult

A properly placed insult is time-tested rhetoric, tending to influence the listener, whether or not true.

Civil morality does not require god. An atheist can be constrained not to kill equally with the theist and agnostic. Theists kill all the time, with various justifications. The question of “zygote gestation” is a unique and difficult question for a civil society, because it presents a natural context and a supernatural context. But civil association of a diverse, free, and free-thinking people in the United States is not a supernatural scope, but rather a temporal secular association constrained by Constitutional right. Theists tend to focus on agreeability of cause, rather than effect; that is, not whether people are effecting killing or kissing each other, but rather that they must be caused to do so for the same reason. A difficult question with ideas for consideration in the articles. The Woman Wins is advanced reading and takes some time and intellectual stamina. See all in this category…

The Woman Wins

This is a highly detailed review of zygote gestation in relation to “god in government” in a diverse, free and free-thinking society. Hopefully interesting, but get a cup of coffee.

The Perennial Debate: If We Step on a Polliwog, Do We Kill a Polliwog or a Frog?

Words have meanings for a reason. They define a thing. A zygote is not a crying infant.

America Is Not a Church

America is not a pure democracy, but rather a modified democratic republic. The Bill of Rights overrides the “Bully Majority.” The “Orderly Administration of a Diverse, Free and Free-Thinking People.”

Part of the Fables and Stories Set, these articles look at things a bit differently. Strange, perhaps. But then again…think about it. Start here, then see more…

The Naked Brain

Let us reduce humanity to a brain, and then start over, and then see what we’ve got.

Which Slave Had It the Worst?

Zeus and Hera have a debate to determine which slave throughout time had it the worst.

Clown Influence

A clown in a suit with a briefcase, but no one notices. Who’s following?

EMOJIALITY?

A light look at emojis, and a picture that tells a story without the use of words.

Shakespeare, English Language and Other Such Items

Light-hearted thinking about the Bard and his profound impact on the English Language.

The Great Masquerade

Ah, The Truth. The Greatest Masquerader. The best thing I will ever write… “Each time he comes to me in the exact form of my desire…”

Poems and other such musings. A few of them are reviewed and interpreted by AI.

What is Rational Deism®?

Rational Deism® might be said to be a consolidation of Eastern Buddhism, and Western Philosophy, with Love as Binder

The Infant Soldier

A consolidation of social duty that converges for everyone: infants by proxy. Self-sacrifice of one for all.

Aesop – The Lesser Hope Doctrine – The Peacock

Hope is a form of desire, and we know that desire is not always good. A consolidation of “lesser” hope principles. The Peacock.

Jesus, Aesop and Socrates, not a bad place to get started with some spirituality, philosophy, and practical insight for life.

ONE

The ONE Books and projects are about consolidating the Gospel of Jesus, using a 3,000 unique Unification Index. Reading the Word has never been more light and easy.

The Essential Aesop

Aesop’s Fables are not for children. Wisdom is Wisdom and serves all. The “Why We Loved It” brings it forward. There’s a fable for you.

The Proseuche (The Prayer of Socrates)

AI-Rated 9.5/10 Socrates meets Theophilus and the two discuss the meaning of prayer. Chapter VIII and Chapter IX are great starting points, and then dig in, or just go in chapter order…