The Hidden Cost of Freedom

The price of freedom is manifold. In order to gain freedom people must sometimes fight for it and die so that others may obtain it. Once obtained, many more will fight and die so that freedom will continue ringing its bell of liberty for everyone.

But freedom carries a hidden price tag once it is obtained. Freedom's hidden cost is one that many people fail to see but a price that must be paid nonetheless. This hidden cost must be satisfied in order to assure real freedom for everyone and not mere servitude to authority in exchange for peace and prosperity.

In order to gain real freedom you must always question authority and you must always be ready to challenge authority when you think that authority it is not in everyone's best interests. Paying freedom's hidden price is not only the duty of every citizen in a free society, it is the hidden mark of a man or a woman who values and seeks freedom for others and who cherishes his or her own.

18th Rule of Thumb

An understanding of something is not necessarily required for its acceptance.

The Three Betrayals

The worst betrayal in life comes from those closest to you.

The cruelest betrayal in life is inflicted by people who don't care about the damages they cause.

The biggest betrayal in life is when good people are treated badly.

Jonco Bugos Blog Under Construction

As of today, the Jonco Bugos blog is being migrated from LiveJournal to Blogger. The Jonco Bugos blog should be completely relocated to Blogger within a week of this posting.

At that time (or possibly before) the blog author, Michael Casher, will delete the LiveJournal blog which has become cumbersome and slow with unwanted Flash ads.

Thank you for you patience and for your interest in Jonco Bugos.

Michael Casher
Blog Author

Tip-of-the-Year

Never leave a trail that can become a fuse.

16th Rule of Thumb

If you bare your soul to strangers they just might try to steal it.

To Have and Have Not

Those of us who have the basic comforts of food, shelter, clothing and medical care and who are willing to share their good fortune with those who aren't so fortunate are the best among us. They are charitable people who are also aware enough about life to realize that hard work is not the only means of securing the necessities of life and that these necessities ought to be entitlements in any free and progressive human society. The best among us know that there are many individuals who are more than willing to work for these entitlements but do not have that opportunity for various legitimate reasons, including a waning national economy.

Those who "have not" are not necessarily unmotivated and irresponsible. The element of luck has much to do with one's success in life and only the selfish among us who "have" will contest that notion. When opportunity knocks it is often an event of pure chance.

If you are someone who has the basic entitlements of food, clothing, shelter and medical care, you are obligated as a citizen of a free and progressive society to share your good fortune with fellow citizens who are less fortunate. Freedom means nothing if the benefits of freedom are not shared and enjoyed by all.

Christmas Bells

"Freedom rings loudest when every voice is heard." – Michael Casher, science fiction author, 11-30-09

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Expect Little and Receive Much

Unreal expectations are among the biggest barriers to enjoying your life to the fullest.

Anticipating an upcoming event may add to the excitement of the event when it finally occurs but expecting an upcoming event to be exactly the way you envision it will almost guarantee your disappointment.

Life's biggest and most memorable moments are those which surpass your modest anticipation or which surprise you completely.

The Two Respects

Getting respect and earning respect are two different things.

Earning the respect of others for an accomplishment is the reward you reap for taking the time to learn something and then applying that knowledge in a manner that sets you apart as one who deserves respect for that endeavor.

Getting respect, on the other hand, is feeling accepted for who and what you are as a human being sharing a dynamic and diverse world with others. This kind of respect is an entitlement that should be a guarantee for as long as you live and never something you must earn. Being respected by everyone as a human being is something you simply deserve just by being alive.

Now that you know about the two respects, it is your turn to give them freely unto others whether or not they are given freely unto you. This is the real secret of respect.

Tip-of-the-Month

You'll never have to worry about looking a gift horse in the mouth if you never accept one in the first place.

Something You Already Know

Just because everyone's doing it, that doesn't make it right.

15th Rule of Thumb

Always trust a first impression but never trust an impulse.

Tip-of-the-Day

When in doubt, dig a little deeper for the facts, and then keep digging until you finally hit the truth.

14th Rule of Thumb

A watched pot may never boil but an unwatched pot always boils over.

Life's Guarantees Are Written By Us

There are no natural guarantees in life except the struggle between the stark, cold reality of survival and the dream of paradise that lurks within us all.

Freedom is not guaranteed to any of us. It must be fought for and, once secured, it must be guarded with the highest conscience and the purest values we can muster toward its survival in the dynamic and evolving culture in which we live our daily lives.

Like freedom, peace comes with no guarantee of longevity. Peace must be nourished with a continued absence of conflict between ourselves and others and cultivated with the benefit of prosperity, which is the fruit of peace.

And when peace is harvested and enjoyed on a daily basis, alongside the prosperity that a lasting peace inevitably produces, a guarantee of freedom is being written for us each and every day.

13th Rule of Thumb

There are no free rides in life, only freeloaders.

Making A Difference

The desire to understand the differences between you and other people is a mature attitude that can be either a good thing or a bad thing, depending on why you seek that understanding. Understanding someone and liking someone are not the same thing.

People come in all sizes and shapes, with looks that vary from individual to individual. Each person has a background that is as colorful and varied as the next person. The trails they leave behind them as they live their lives show us what origins nature and unseen forces have given them, as well as the choices they have made in life and the desires they have pursued.

No one can judge what nature has bestowed on others and no one should judge the choices others make in life, short of those choices which trespass the laws of man. To seek understanding simply for the purpose of acceptance or condemnation is a self-serving futility and not an act of service unto mankind. Knowing this is the first step toward understanding the allowable differences between people. Accepting others for what they are and for what they do, when they are law-abiding people who are merely different from you, is making a positive difference in the world in which we live.

Understanding is not required for acceptance. Accepting the differences in others without complete understanding of those differences is an achievement for the spirit that dwells within you and a victory for us all, as human beings sharing a dynamic and diverse world.

Be Proud and Not Ashamed of Your Heritage

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

A vote is not a solution.

While it is our right and our duty to vote, we need to remember that casting a ballot for someone who claims to have all the answers will not solve all our problems.

Only we can do that.