Righteousness (Not Religion) Is the Root of Conflict
Posted: November 25, 2020 Filed under: Living by Accident Comments Off on Righteousness (Not Religion) Is the Root of Conflict
I have spent so much of my life watching the battle between the religious and the non-religious. Who’s right? You have to admit most religion is based on an old book that hardly anyone reads. On the other hand, we owe so much of our civilization to the writings in these books. One day, I heard someone professing to be an atheist saying that all wars and conflict in this world exist because of religion. However, I have found in the last decade or so that more religious persecution was coming from the non-religious. Let me explain…
The Case for Textualism
Posted: November 14, 2020 Filed under: Living by Accident Comments Off on The Case for Textualism
When it comes to the interpretation of the United States Constitution, there are two schools. One school is called Textualism and the other Living Constitutionalism. The first argues that the original intent, and the exact written words, should be what is adhered to. The latter believes that there were horses, buggies, and muskets when it was written and the meaning should evolve with the times. Here is my argument against the latter theory. Read the rest of this entry »
Value of Human Life, Examined
Posted: September 26, 2020 Filed under: Living by Accident 3 Comments
Have you ever been in a situation where you saw that people died and thought, “Thank God it wasn’t X”? It may have been a plane crash on a flight where someone you care about could have been a passenger but wasn’t. Perhaps it was a violent attack near a loved one’s home or workplace. Either way, there has been a moment when you were appreciative that someone else died in the place of a person you love. Whether you believe it or not, you wished for another person to die. Read the rest of this entry »
Date Night Rebooted
Posted: September 19, 2020 Filed under: Living by Accident Comments Off on Date Night Rebooted
After Nastassia and I got married, we quickly fell into a routine, as most newlyweds do. We both worked full-time jobs, and soon established Friday night as a sacred ‘Date Nite’. Why Friday nights? You may assume that it was because Friday is a traditional night for a date. You’d be wrong. After we became a couple, I realized that the “The X-Files” was her favorite show. Even though I made it to the party a couple seasons late, I still joined with enthusiasm. Read the rest of this entry »
Why Felix the Cat is a Detective Hero
Posted: September 5, 2020 Filed under: Investigations | Tags: black hat seo, brand protection, Business, criminology, Hacking, Los Angeles, Private Eye, Security Comments Off on Why Felix the Cat is a Detective Hero
I was running an errand the other day in Downtown Los Angeles. As a big fan of classic Hollywood and detective fiction, I relish in the landmarks and mainstays, from the outdoor urban paradise of MacArthur Park to the crowds of bustling travelers at Union Station; from the authentic Hispanic heritage so beautifully displayed on Olvera Street to the architectural marvel of the Bradbury building (where, by the way, the most cinematic scene from “Blade Runner” was shot). But none of them tickle me as much as the iconic Felix the Cat sign atop the almost century-old Felix Chevrolet. Read the rest of this entry »
Holmes Alone™ “On White Privilege”
Posted: June 3, 2020 Filed under: Living by Accident Comments Off on Holmes Alone™ “On White Privilege”
If you’ve been following me on social media recently, you may have seen that I have launched a new vlog (video blog) originally entitled “Rob’s Readings” due to the fact that each day I read some quotes from the book “637 Best Things Anybody Ever Said”. Each vlog is comprised of one or two minutes of levity for the day, a recommendation or two, and some quotes. The goal is to provide a smile from a friendly face during these often frustrating times. Read the rest of this entry »
How Boogies and Jesus Prepared me for COVID-19
Posted: April 15, 2020 Filed under: Living by Accident Comments Off on How Boogies and Jesus Prepared me for COVID-19
I’ve lived my life by one rule. Everybody picks their nose. Don’t deny it. It’s true. How is this relevant to the current pandemic? The answer is simple. I’ve spent a good portion of my life avoiding touching things that others have touched. For example, I always take the second cup from the Slurpee cup dispenser. Yes, it is possible that somebody took of the top cup and rubbed a boogie on the second one just to get my goat, but it’s not incredibly likely. The same goes for valet parking. I see my car almost as an extension of myself and I believe I’m not alone in this philosophy. Read the rest of this entry »
All Hackers Are Phonies (Sort of)
Posted: October 29, 2019 Filed under: Investigations | Tags: Hacking Comments Off on All Hackers Are Phonies (Sort of)
Fixed fortifications are monuments to the stupidity of man. If mountain ranges and oceans can be overcome, then anything built by man can be overcome. ~ George S. Patton
Let’s face it. Unless you are trying to fix a busted drainpipe or something similar, your adversary is a living, breathing being. You can hunt deer, fish, a wolf, a serial killer, or even a hacker. And conflict can be easily boiled down to living beings and their tools versus other humans and their tools. Read the rest of this entry »
Eulogy for an Angel
Posted: October 8, 2019 Filed under: Living by Accident 1 Comment
Last week, I flew back home to South Jersey to be with my family to attend the funeral for my Aunt Jutta “JJ” Holmes. I was honored for my cousins to ask my sister and me to stand in the receiving line with them as we accepted condolences. It was delightful to see the people who came to say goodbye one last time. I was one of three to deliver words to the folks in attendance. I wanted to share my words with you: Read the rest of this entry »
We Can End War. Here’s How.
Posted: July 11, 2019 Filed under: Living by Accident Comments Off on We Can End War. Here’s How.
On September 21, 1987, then-President Ronald Reagan addressed the United Nations General Assembly with a message about world peace. I was seventeen years old and we were on the brink of nuclear war. That threat came to an end when the United States and Russia found common ground. We all love our children. We’ve lived through two world wars, where each atrocity was only matched by the next, and nuclear annihilation was a reality. And this simple principle kept strangers from killing one another. Here is my favorite excerpt of his speech:
“In our obsession with antagonisms of the moment, we often forget how much unites all the members of humanity. Perhaps we need some outside, universal threat to make us recognize this common bond. I occasionally think how quickly our differences worldwide would vanish if we were facing an alien threat from outside this world. And yet, I ask you, is not an alien force already among us? What could be more alien to the universal aspirations of our peoples than war and the threat of war?”
