Res ipsa loquitur

The doctrine of res ipsa loquitur (Latin for "the thing speaks for itself") infers that there is a certain responsibility that we in a civil society owe one another a measure of due diligence when interacting in in business or communal affairs. In our culture to breach such a trust via an accident or misbehaving bears certain consequences for the corporation or individuals in violation(including our relationships toward one another).
I hear news stories all the time and almost immediately I presume that I have the facts, only to read or hear another report of the same story told with a differing slant. It would be nice to occasionally hear the unfiltered who, what, when where and how and allow us to decide the why.
When one has the facts before them, it is not difficult to come to a reasonable conclusion. The trick is to have all the facts and not come to a conclusion based on your prejudices, misconceptions, or bias. Certainly, we like to think we do these things on our own without assistance from others. Trust us enough to make up our own mind. In the end, the thing speaks for itself.

Who can tame the Leviathan

“Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys.”
P. J. ORourke
Hobbs was one of the first to draw the analogy between the mythical sea monster and the government. The coparisons are astounding. Both continue to consume and grow at alarming rates seemingly without great benefit to anyone but themselves. Of course that is not entirety true. There are somethings the government does well, or so we have been told.
By the way there are things they could do better. Such as TSA screening. Why do we have to be patted down and nearly nude inorder to fly? I recall a TSA screener who was so embarrassed after going through the nearly nude process that he shot at least one colleague after induring the scrutiny surrounding the process. Maybe congress should go through similar processes regularly. How about making congress subject the laws they pass. Maybe then we would not have to be apart of their social experiments . Perhaps this is a classic case of too much power! Let's tame the Leviathan. Less power and less money and more accountability. Time to take back the keys and cut back on the whiskey.

Now what?

“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.”
Mark Twain

If you have family, friends, and or colleagues that always find something negative to say, it's time to change the paradigm. Surround yourself with positive people, positive things, positive thoughts, and positive action steps. A positive mental attitude will take you farther than skill in many situations. Very few high achieve have managed to live without challenges. Thomas Edison and Bill Gates have handled adversity at some point and excelled. Both of them were thought to be failures at one point. Each man believed in themselves and was surrounded by like minds. My father used to say "it doesn't matter what happens to you in this life, but what you do about it. " He would then say" now what?" So, take an honest look at your situation.  Deduce where you are presently and from whence you have come. Decide where you would like to be. Set action steps to meet your agreed upon goals and surround yourself with people who also believe and support your dreams. Seek out a mentor to guide and direct you. Now what? Wake up, get up, roll up your sleeves, gird your loins and get to work.

know your limits

“The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits.”
Albert Einstein
Inorder to to know your limits you must allow your self to be stretched beyond your levels of comfort. The down side to being stretched is that it is usually painful and requires you to give in to others. The upside is that you grow beyond the boundaries of your place of ease. Some of the greatest among us have made their mark on the community by allowing themselves to be stretched beyond the barriers and stumbling blocks constructed solely for their demise. Clearly distinguish the difference between limits and individual comfort zones.

what to say now

“One of the hardest things in life is having words in your heart that you can't utter.”
- James Earl Jones
When a friend's heart is in pain, or a parent is trying to figure out what went wrong in raising a child, when your government seems inept, your boss unsympathetic, and your spouse unwilling to listen. I suggest the unabashed truth if it encourages, uplifts, and edifies the situation.
If it doesn't, then, just listen and show them
love and support. In the end, they will decide for themselves. When they want your truth, they will ask.

The best choice

“For what is the best choice, for each individual is the highest it is possible for him to achieve.”
Aristotle
The only way to achieve our best is to rise every morning and face adversity head on. We may struggle, but struggle with dignity. We may stumble, stumble with grace. We may fail, fail with the courage to try over and over again. Remember to alter, modify, adjust, adapt, overcome, just never quit, never give up, and never back down. In doing this you are achieving your best.

No checks and balances

“Give me five minutes with a person's checkbook, and I will tell you where their heart is.”
Billy Graham
Clearly there hearts are not focused on economic recovery especially since 12% of the population spends 9 billion in hair care products a year. Unemployment is at an all time high in the cities. Time for checks and balances in this good life.