Work is as natural as play or rest. There is a strong impression that people dislike work and they always try their best to avoid it. It is vehemently asserted that people are naturally lazy. But that is not so; work is a natural activity. Everybody needs to do some work. The reason is very simple. The human body is an organic system which converts inputs of food, water and air into outputs of behavior. Work is the most important form of such behavior. The human body generates a certain amount of energy, physical and mental, for which work is the best outlet. In the absence of work a human being will atrophy. A noted author has said: “You ask…why I go on working. I go on working for the same reason a hen’s goes on laying eggs.” Work can be a pleasure, an energizing activity. It recharges the human body and mind.

Man is endowed with many faculties. He can think. He can learn and store knowledge. He possesses imagination. He wants to understand himself. He wants to communicate with the outside world. He wants to be creative. He wants to achieve the impossible. 

Work gives man an opportunity for self-understanding, self-expression and self-development. Suppose a man is writing a report. As he proceeds, he gets to know his limitations: so he understands himself better. His thinking and writing is a matter of self-expression. And this exercise gives him an opportunity to develop his talent.

Work is like a mirror in which one can see one’s real self very clearly. When an individual is working vigorously, it is clear indication of his physical and mental health. Work in fact sums up the past of the individual, his habits, his ability to concentrate, his educational and cultural background, his motivation and his values. Work provides the individual with an objective scale for assessing his progress and self-development. For instance if a worker is not well, if he is a habitual late-comer, if he is not well-trained, his performance will be poor. His work therefore reflects all these factors. He can, if he so desires, improve himself. His work again will show how much progress he has made. Therefore, an individual should be as interested in his work as he is in his health and his well-being.

Work protects man from boredom and vice. Work is an essential as air, water and food. When a man is without work he is bored and boredom is the cruelest punishment that can be imposed on anyone. Boredom destroys a person physically, mentally and spiritually. It is a silent but soul-killing form of torture. Generally, a person who has no work tries to escape boredom by engaging in other activities such as gambling or becoming addicted to drugs and liquor. He may become quarrelsome and destructive.

Even an ordinary worker who takes his daily work seriously attains some measure of contentment and peace of mind. He is self-disciplined. He develops good habits. He is regular and does not overspend. On the contrary, a worker who neglects his work is bored, undisciplined and develops various vices. He is denying himself one of the essentials of good life – work which will utilize his time and energy meaningfully.

Ever wonder why work is very vital all along with our lives?

Let them, the grammarians, forgive me for the topic, but if most of them would not forgive me, then I bet to differ, and proclaim that on a very light note I am serious about it. It should always be their job as faithful as they are to proof-read scripts, to ensure correctness, acceptable and allowable, well formed language; only to turn and be stripped of their hard-earn possession, or have their girl child badly defiled or raped. Have you for once thought about how society can curb these menaces other than having these criminals put into the non-reformatory prisons just to suspend their bad deeds?

I am not an expert in virtues and vices but a concerned citizen of society who wish that the cheapest cause of a serious effect is given the due attention.

I believe the roots of all crimes are the recycling vices that hover around human society. Show me a crime and I would be eager to know the vices from which the crime evolved. Lysander Spooner, in his Vices Are Not Crimes: A Vindication Of Moral Liberty, says of vices as the errors which people make in the search after their own happiness. Of the lot, the ‘Great Soul’ Mahatma Gandhi, says of the roots of violence as “…pleasure without conscience; knowledge without character…”. Now, then, the reservation about where we first acquire pleasure and knowledge, and the corresponding character and conscience? In other words, who are the first stakeholders to blame for the ill development in individual’s id, superego and ego? Which would be your choice of answer, parents or teachers? To me both answers are correct. Wondering why?

For the sake of this article, let us allow those professional classroom teachers rest as they muse over their low remuneration in the country and the supposed better one in Heaven. Even though classroom teachers play important role in the total development of an individual, their duty lays under the school as a major stakeholder. Charity would always begin at home, so it is imperative to deal with the basic stakeholder.

I think it is about time we gave the distinction between couples and parents (fathers and mothers) with the criterion, teaching. In my candid view couples or partners, or even lovers, should not be considered as parents for the mere fact they have children or wards but the fact that they are teachers; teachers of values and virtues in a positive and sound atmosphere. The common and true adage goes like “we have 18 years to TEACH our children independence…” There are a number of texts in the Holy Bible which cite parents as teachers or trainers, and I believe other religious or holy books do the same. The ‘rites de passage’ of the African traditional religion also stress on parents and the community at large as the main teachers of society. So it is very clear the major role as parents is to teach; but many couples or people enter into the institution of parenthood without prior knowledge of this important duty, not to even talk about the content of this duty. So, with lack of knowledge, society would always perish. Society always bears the brunt of more serious crimes mostly because some so-called parents failed to act as teachers.

The human nature is such that it is continuously learning; from the foetus to the foot of life. Children would therefore learn from the pre-formative stage through the formative period, through to adulthood. By the time a person reaches adulthood the subconscious mind is already made up with whatever good or bad  it has passed through. So the adult human becomes giant in what virtue or vice, or most of the time the mixed, ingrained in them. The vicious mother would pass nothing but a pile of vices to the foetus. Sometimes the male couple causes the expectant female to be vicious; hence the male too becomes vicious inducing vices in the female to the unborn child. These couples would be doing anything but failing to be parents.

Direct transmission of vices occurs during the formative period where the children can feel their environment with their senses; in this case the couples, but not parents, display vicious character in the presence of the children. The worst happens during the weaning period where most women for varied reasons can just cut the nursing period. This act has been shown to be the cause of many psychological complications such as negativism, aggression, fretfulness, stereotyped activities and complete disregard of the mother. Even at this point a good-positive-minded and loving parent can manage the situation to nib in the bud any serious future development.

It is my utmost hope that couples who wish to raise children learn to be teachers, not just that but with love, good and positive minds so that they become the mothers, the fathers or the parents they already claim they are. Remember the adage that “we (as parents or as teachers) have 18 years to teach our children independence, why try to do it all in the first years?” I believe there would surely be a good turn for society, especially my happy home Ghana, if this piece is carefully considered in order to curb the crime against you and me, and the grammarian who is solely engaged in correction of grammatical errors.

            Society does not require constant honesty. In fact, it would not function with constant honesty. That is not to say we should not aspire for constant honesty, but rather that constant honesty is an unattainable goal. Constant honesty is impossible because lies are a necessary evil, just as all vices are.

            It is always problematic to shift the truth in one or another’s favor. It disturbs the balance of reality that the truth creates. The truth separates right from wrong, red from blue, coffee from tea. Without the truth, this balance is disturbed. Reality becomes clouded, and herein lies the problem. Hypothetically, if everyone in society were to lie and never tell the truth, lies would, in fact, become the truth. Reality would be hopelessly confused with fabrications, and a parallel universe created through lies would develop.

            To avoid such a dilemma, people do not lie incessantly. Your average person will lie in moderation, when they feel it’s required or an urge arises. Perhaps this will disturb the balance that truth creates slightly, but not so much that the scale will tip to one side or the other. The balance of truth will remain fundamentally the same.

            However, as is apparent in cases where an overwhelming amount of lying occurs, the balance of truth begins to tip to one side and consequentially, reality becomes clouded. Lies become intertwined, as one truth contradicts another lie, and people begin to question whether the truth they had told is a lie, and what lies are actually truthful.

            Thus it becomes necessary that when one must lie; lie with moderation. At the very least, lie well enough that it may go unnoticed. Lies are necessary, but may only exist if they can seek a way to coexist with the truth. This applies to all vices and their opposing virtues.

            This does not diminish the value of virtues in people, if those same people lie or indulge in vices from time to time. In fact, it’s quite the contrary: To indulge in vices only exemplifies the virtues that society may otherwise take for granted. To truly enjoy something, one must also experience the bitterness that contradicts it. Without bad, there is no good. You must have one to have the other. So, essentially, although vices may seem undesirable and troublesome, they are necessary for the distinction of virtues to also exist.

            In the end, we all must aspire for perfection. Avoid indulging in your vices and being anything less than great. But if you must indulge, do so in moderation. Moderation is the key, because the balance will be tipped if we are not careful. If society indulges without moderation in vices, and people lie, gamble, cheat, and steal with frequency and comfort, there will be no line between right and wrong. Essentially, government will dissolve, order will dissent, and anarchy will arise.

            However, to the contrary, if we were to live in a world with only virtues and no vices, it would be a bland life with no meaning or feeling. There would be no sweetness in anything, and everything would be so fantastic to the extent that people would lose sight of what fantastic means. Without people making mistakes through their vices such as lies and deceit, life is no longer life. It is merely an existence without any meaning or experience.

           In an effort to live life to the fullest, all you must do is simply live. Follow your instincts, and you must hope that your instincts will lead you not to abuse your vices, but to indulge in them when you feel it’s necessary. Avoid lying, but do not get caught up in the past if you do lie, because lies are what makes the truth so much more beautiful.

This is a line taken directly from a book I read recently; one aimed at younger teens. The main character was thirteen, as was his girlfriend.

Similar to this book, we’ve also got movies and music that sexualize children. In the lyrics of a certain song, a girl is said to be seventeen. In the chorus comes the line, “. . . makin’ love out by the lake to our favorite song . . .”

Maybe people think using “making love” in the place of “sex” makes it all right. Certainly, “making love” does sound less gratuitous, but the meaning is the same.

I’m no stranger to sexual exploitation. I read plenty of manga, and obviously, I’ve run across several that display underage characters having sex–sorry, making love. Since manga comes from Japan, where pedophilia is known as “lolicon” and “lolicon” is legal, I don’t have a problem with it. Sadly, though, ninety-nine percent of said manga I read didn’t establish anything near a loving relationship in the characters who were making love. This is actually true in real life as well.

Manga is another topic on its own, but the point to draw from that last paragraph is that underage relationships are founded on nothing other than lust. If you’ve ever been to a public high school, or heck, even a public middle school, you’ve probably seen the stereotypical jock and cheerleader couple. The girl’s leaning back against the locker; the guy’s resting his arm on the locker beside her, making loose gestures with his free hand. His legs are usually crossed. I have this down in such detail because I see it so often. Again, ninety-nine percent of the relationships I see in the school hallways end after one act of intercourse. Then the girl gets pregnant and the guy decides he doesn’t want to be a father. So much for all their time together.

In my high school, couples start dating based on the partner’s nice breasts or abs, maybe with a few other things to excuse it such as kindness or similar interests. Then, after establishing a relationship and posting it on Facebook, they proceed to look for even more excuses to have sex. Same religion, political side, etcetera. And hey, sometimes, valid love does form like this. Contrary to popular belief, teens do possess the ability to love. This isn’t the case most of the time. The majority of these couples are only fooling themselves into thinking they’re in love. The results of these sorts of relationships are obvious: breakup and divorce.

I see where people are coming from when they say teenagers can’t love. As the saying goes: God gave man a brain and a penis and only enough blood to use one at a time. Yes, this is especially true in teenagers. No, it doesn’t make us incapable of the most valuable emotion. It just makes it harder to reach.

Kids are rushing into relationships because the music they listen to, the movies they watch, and the books they read actively promote it. Also, take some time to look around in your local clothing stores. Now look at the sort of clothing designed for young girls. Not even taking bikinis into consideration, a lot of outfits are designed to maximize sex appeal in girls as young as five and six. And yes, a bikini is very sexual.

Games, surprisingly, have done surprisingly little in the way of underage sexuality. Sure, you’ve got your Japanese visual novels, translated and hosted on Hongfire, but again, that kind of thing is acceptable in Japan.

Every other form of media has contributed to the problem. “What about painting or drawing,” you ask. In return, I suggest you open up Deviantart and browse around for awhile. Deviantart is mostly non-deviant, but some pictures make it earn its name.

Child pornography is illegal, and yet, we’re seeing mild doses of it constantly in the media. This is contributing to the causes of teen pregnancy and the high divorce rate. That said, I suggest to America: either enforce the current law like you should, or make pedophilia legal.

When they Die

“You are just like me. I always wanted to study but I had to work to live. Yes, my son, you will study.”

Anger

It is now understood that losing the plot can actually have major health benefits. People who respond to stressful situations by letting off steam, losing the plot, or just ranting and raving a bit were found to have lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol (which can lead to heart disease). Let us not forget, of course, that showing anger also promotes feelings of control, which can also lead to a feeling of self-satisfaction.

Avoiding Housework

Studies have found that the use of too many cleaning products can actually be the main cause of asthma, especially in very young or even un-born children. The exposure to chemicals in cleaning products have been linked to a 41 per cent increase in the likelihood of a child developing asthma by the age of seven. So if you don’t want your child to get asthma, don’t do as much cleaning!

Fidgeting

Breaking news, fidgeting can help people stay slim. Those that regularly twitch, tap, stretch or even yawn can burn up to 350 extra calories every single day. Recent research has shown that there is a staggering difference in levels of fidgeting between slim people and those that are obese. Don’t worry if you are not already the type of person that fidgets, it is a very easy habit to pick up, and it could lead to a weight-loss of 10 to 30lbs a year.

Fizzy Drinks

Everybody knows that fizzy drinks get a bad rap because they can be blamed for rotting teeth, but how many people knew that the sugar contained within fizzy drinks can actually aid short-term memory. A study at the Caledonian University in Glasgow found that the part of the brain that declines with the onset of dementia can become more active after the consumption of fizzy drinks.

Gambling

Gambling may lose you money but it can also boost your health. Well, gambling in moderation that is. In a study of people over the age of 65, even just a weekly visit to the bingo or to the horse-racing boosted energy levels. It also helped to keep the brain active and was found to help prevent the onset of depression and dementia.

Lazing About

It is said that people who laze about are destined to have problems due to lack of exercise, recent studies, however, have shown that lazy people may actually live longer. Couch potatoes will be pleased to hear that doing nothing can actually help them live to a ripe old age. Research has shown that people who run long distances into their fifties use up most energy that they need for cell renewal and fighting disease. Lazing about can counteract stress and people who like to take a midday nap instead of exercising have a better chance of living longer.

Loud Music

It is said that the first sign of maturity is when you realise that the CD player volume also goes down. It has been found that loud music can trigger happy hormones, so keep it loud to keep happy. It all comes down to the way the brain reacts to the way the inner ear reacts to the loud music. Something to do with a connection between the drives of sex, hunger and hedonistic responses; this in turn satisfies the brain which is then stimulated into releasing feel-good hormones.

Swearing

Have you ever wondered why so many people who never swear always let out a bit of swearing when they hit themselves? (Think of a joiner hitting their thumb with a hammer) Well, studies have found that the reason may be a sub-conscious way of dealing with the pain. In a recent study students were asked to plunge their hands into tubs of freezing water while swearing. The results showed that, on average, by swearing they could withstand the pain of the frozen water for 40 seconds more than if they weren’t swearing. Apparently swearing increases aggression levels which actually lowers people’s sensitivity to pain.

In closing, it would appear that many of the things that we would class as vices can actually be virtues. Well, to some extent anyway. The best way to have a healthy and long life would appear to include sitting on the couch, fidgeting while consuming fizzy drinks, listening to loud music as you avoid the housework, swearing and showing bouts of anger every so often. Apparently that is the way forward. Allegedly.

We all have different ways of handling stress. Some eat, some starve, some blog . . . Well, you know me, I like blogging. But I also have other vices, of which I will not name. And goshdarnit . . . I like my vices! Don’t worry, they are all legal – mostly in liquid form. But seriously, how do people without vices manage? I’m sorry, but I just can’t imagine. Now don’t get all spiritual on me, I don’t want to take this conversation in that direction. God is first and foremost in my life so no need to go there. (Spiritual stress is a whole different topic.) I’m talking about physical stress. The tension, the headaches, the nerves, etc., etc., You know. . . the everyday stuff. And, in my case, add a 5 and 9 year old. 

Then there is the stress of trying to live right. Trying to keep my feet firmly planted on the White Road is proving to be quite challenging. I’m not saying it’s impossible. It’s just that, at times, it is hard to stay on. Whether it be because of particular vices, or hatred, anger, greed . . . it doesn’t matter what the cause – we all fall off from time-to-time because we are human. Have I fallen off? I’m not quite sure I ever had both feet on the Road at the same time for long stretches. There are just so many rules. So, I mind the rules best I can. That’s where the vices come in – for me, for you, for most everyone. Whatever your vice, be it Doritos, chocolate, soda, beer, wine, tobacco, painkillers . . . enjoy your vice(s) and don’t let anyone make you feel guilty about them. Vices are the means of getting away with doing something naughty without breaking (m)any rules. Actually, the only rules you might be breaking are the rules you make for yourself, which is why it is a “vice” as opposed to a bad habit. (Okay, well…a vice can be a bad habit, but not all bad habits are vices.) Vices are good and even necessary to help us maintain a little balance in our lives. So go out there, enjoy your vice and have a fabulous day. Just don’t let your vice turn into an addiction.

(And for those of you who manage stress naturally, like via yoga, SHUT UP I don’t want to hear from you.)

The state must share the murderer’s crime as the death penalty forces them and creates a legal mechanism which if abused, could put any citizen’s life in jeopardy.

The death penalty is not a solution to the problem of homicide, finally where a convicted murderer is executed for it does not bring him back to life.

Proponents of capital punishment often argue that we need a final penalty which will deter would-be murderers from killing.

However, studies of which one was conducted by the University of Pennsylvania under the director of Thorsten Sellin and Marvin Wolfgang, show that the fear of execution is not an actual deterrent to homicide.

In the University of Pennsylvania study, states were compared with neighboring states who had outlawed the use of the death penalty.

Murder rates were compared in states with and without the death penalty where findings were given with no statistical differences in the frequency of murders on why, then, is there still so heated a debate over capital punishment?

The answer may be that there is an urge for revenge within the human psyche.

People feel more and more helpless especially in the face of rising crime rates, where they then want to strike out to get even and find a simple and final solution.

It is our duty, but unfortunate there are no simple answers to these complex problems for which we are rational human beings who must resist such irrational appeals.

Additional water pollution solutions involve reducing nutrient and pesticide pollution by encouraging smarter agricultural practices and using biodynamic farming, no-till planting and settling ponds to reduce the amount of runoff that enters into the ground water and flows into the streams. Another one of the water pollution solutions that may be very effective along these same lines would be to reduce household runoff of pesticides and fertilizers by using less of these chemicals or stopping their use altogether.

There are many other water pollution solutions that may be put into effect including:
• Reestablishing wetlands to act as a buffer zone to runoff and to assist in filtering pollutants
• Drive less to reduce the amount of air pollution being emitted into the environment and minimize the amount of nitrogen deposition.
• Improve the sewage treatment system to stop the leaks in the pipes.
• Conserve water
• Improve storm water management.
• Monitor watershed
• Stop deforestation to soak up the rain water and prevent runoff from occurring.

Individuals can do a lot to help with the water pollution problems and to aid in the water pollution solutions. Buy organic food and “green” household cleaners and personal care items to prevent the run off of chemical into the ground water. Eliminate as many pharmaceuticals as possible and stay away from meats that are raised using hormones and drugs. It is also important to properly dispose of any old paints and varnishes. Another way to implement water pollution solutions is to use less plastics and plastic products and not to litter. Water pollution solutions are very affordable to put into effect. The United States research Council has estimated that to do an initial clean-up of all the contaminated groundwater in over 300,000 sites across the United States it would cost $1 trillion dollars over the course of thirty years. That would average out to around 33 cents per person per day.