Reflections & Emptiness.


May all beings be happy. May they live in safety and joy.... As a mother watches over her child, willing to risk her own life to protect her only child, so with a boundless heart... cherish all living beings, suffusing the whole world with unobstructed loving kindness... During all your waking hours, may you remain mindful of this heart and this way of living that is the best in the world. - Shakyamuni Buddha


Gazing into the still body of water
a reflection of myself I did see.
Realizing the reflection was absent of substance,
I contemplated emptiness and began to understand.
The ego created self is but an illusion,
the constricted vessel containing the conditioned self.
The many years of grasping to hold on to attachments,
the pushing away of that which I've been averse to,
and all the delusions of my ego can now be seen for what they are.
Creations constructed in my mind to support a non-existent self.

 LC




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Illinois Democrats Move To Tighten Firearm Regulation/Restrictions...

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by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Liberty -vs- Tyranny As the country struggles to understand, and come to grips with random acts of firearm violence by unstable and unbalanced individuals Illinois is already taking action to further regulate firearms. Like the millions of law abiding citizens I am torn between the right to bear firearms and finding the point at which it makes logical sense to restrict that right. In a modern society in which the tools of warfare are advanced beyond what the founders could possibly have envisioned, and the efficiency of modern armies are such that the citizens would stand no reasonable chance against the modern army, does the possession of semiautomatic assault weapons have any real purpose for the homeowner and sportsman? If deemed they do should they not be highly regulated and restricted to HELP reduce the incidents of tragedies like Sandy Hook? I certainly do not have the answers, nor do I believe the anti-gun crowd has the answers eith...
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Is Our Democratic Republic At Risk From Forces Both Foreign and Within?...

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We are moving this running post up to front page this evening where it will remain until January 3'rd 2017 when we will return to single posts, hopefully on a daily basis. There is much to do in getting the TRUTH out about Donald J Trump, a dishonest, totally self absorbed, and dangerous individual. He may be the president on January 20th but that does not mean thoughtful and concerned people shouldn't challenge Trump at every turn and fight his agenda whenever it runs contrary to their interests and those of their family. More to come. BTW, be sure to read today's entry, 12/28/16, below. this is just one example AND, it is just the beginning. You've probably noticed the brief posts of late. Posts with very short commentary by the weblolg administrator followed by an article that goes into the subject in much greater detail. This has been done purposefully following the rancorous 2016 election, and because its Christmas Time, soon to be a New Year.  This posting f...
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One of America's Greatest Pastimes, Early Polling...

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by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Lib e rty -vs- Tyr a nny American's are an interesting bunch. Stubborn and fickle at the same time. Especially Republicans. But then again I question just why in the hell anyone is concerning themselves with the 2016 presidential race two years out? I guess it's because we're... Americans? Public Policy Polling - PPP's newest look at the Republican field for 2016 finds some big changes from our previous polling. Marco Rubio, who had led all of our polling since December, has dropped all the way to 6th place. Rand Paul now has the lead nationally, to go along with the leads he posted in our most recent Iowa and New Hampshire polls. And Ted Cruz has already hit double digits. The numbers are: Paul 16, Jeb Bush, Chris Christie, and Paul Ryan each at 13, Cruz at 12, Rubio at 10, Rick Santorum and Bobby Jindal at 4, and Susana Martinez at 2. Cruz has proven to be such a darling to the far right that he actually already lead...
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As the Melodrama Continues...

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by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Liberty -vs- Tyranny As the nation watches (as well as the world at large) the United States House, led by the rEpublican false conservatives have us serfs standing at the cliff's edge as we look into the abyss. Perhaps, just maybe, the intransigent false conservatives are running out of time and their true motives are being recognized by the many who heretofore believed them. As more disgruntled past supporters turn their backs on the false conservatives maybe, just maybe they ought to look to history to find the ultimate result of their type of behavior and intransigence. Even a staunch Ayn Rand Objectivist has the ability to see beyond the present as he peers into the future. At least this one does. Echoes of our founding fathers are ringing in my ears as I write this. Eric Cantor, the intelligent yet blind House Majority leader may very well, and soon find himself the object of ridicule. As difficult as it might be for some to acce...
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As The Feds Ship Illegals To Massachusetts From The Southern Border...

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How A Nation Can and Does Change...

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Damage Control???...

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by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Lib erty -vs- Tyr anny President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton take part in the Transfer of Remains Ceremony marking the return to the United States of the remains of the four Americans killed in Benghazi, Libya. Molly Riley/DPA/Zuma It ain't a cover up but... Mother Jones - The latest revelations about the Benghazi talking points—as opposed to what actually happened at the US diplomatic facility at Benghazi , where four Americans died—do not back up Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham's hyperbolic and absurd claim that the Benghazi controversy is Obama's Watergate. But neither are they nothing. As ABC News reported on Friday morning, the most discussed talking points in US diplomatic history were revised multiple times before being passed to UN Ambassador Susan Rice prior to her appearances last September on Sunday talk shows. The revisions—which deleted several lines noting that the CIA months befo...
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On a Different Note and Looking Ahead...

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by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation U S A Purveyor of Truth America seems to be in perpetual campaign mode. No sooner than things start to settle in following a mid term or presidential election than the pols start preparing for the next election and the spinning starts in earnest. Leaving one to wonder just when our elected officials are actually working on our behalf. Call me the cynic but I cannot help but believe our politicians and leaders spend more time working to create the "world of smoke and mirrors" they want us to exist in for their sake than actually representing us and taking care of crucial matters that affect our nation and each and every one of us. So, today, I'm joining in the American Political Merry-Go- Round and predicting that Americans will once again get exactly what they (in their apathy) vote for. America, with its dismal voter turnout, low information voters, and political sound bite junkies, will pull the levers once again for those politic...
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Iraq and the Obama Almost Strategy...

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Can the Left and the Right Engage In Meaningful Dialogue?

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by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Liberty -vs- Tyranny On one of my prior posts a commenter expressed wonder at why I attempt to engage with liberals and endure their insults. This particular visitor also made generalized statements about liberals that were mostly hyperbole and in this bloggers opinion part of the problem. The same problem the left is often guilty of. The visitors complete comment. First of all I believe that the post above me was written by a nut. But the title of his or her post is interesting. Interesting enough for me to elaborate on. (Editor’s note:  The visitors opening, “ First of all the post above me” is in reference to a liberals comment that was lacking in any salient points and was essentially a ramble of incoherent gibberish.) The liberals for some reason other live in la-la land and have some utopian dream. Yes the Blame Bush game that is played by the progressive blogs we read is nothing less than disgusting, and hateful. They *hate* ...
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