Younger mentalities need to think in terms of definite sense impressions, of physical feels, sights, and sounds. More developed mentalities can think in terms of abstract ideas, of general metaphysical principles. The first groups is the most numerous. According to Dr. Freud’s psychoanalytic theory, the psyche comprises three aspects: the id, ego, and superego. The id is the primitive and instinctual part of the mind that contains the sexual and aggressive drives and hidden memories, the super-ego operates as a moral conscience, and the ego is the realistic part that mediates between the desires of the id and the super-ego. Dr. Freud proposed that these three aspects of the psyche may influence the way we think of ourselves. We must first give intellectual assent to philosophical teachings before we can hope to gain practical demonstration of their worth. Persons’ self-concepts comprise all their beliefs about their own nature. They include their assumptions about their strengths and weaknesses, their possibilities for growth, and their explicit descriptions of their customary patterns of behaviour and experiencing. Thus, a person may say, “I am lazy; I always give up when the task becomes difficult. I usually feel happy. I am warm and friendly; however, I need a great deal of help to make it through life.” These self-descriptions resemble statistical formulations, in the sense that the individual believes there have been many occasions when he or she acted in those ways. #RandolphHarris 1 of 29

In most encounters, we can determine the kind of experience we are going to have by how we respond. It is usually important to be respectful of others. However, sometimes people are very disrespectful to an individual for no reason, and when that individual defends themselves, others like to make a spectacle of the victim and say that individual caused the situation because he or she is a certain race, a particular gender, or the situation was due to their appearance when none of those factors are accurate. It is hard, perhaps impossible, to give absolute proof of any statement or any fact; but a reasonable proof may be given. Life is too short to wait for the one so we have often to accept the other. The continual and untiring quest of truth is what distinguishes the philosophic attitude toward life. The intellectual discipline which this involves is irksome to the ordinary mind. For it demands the scrutiny of fact, the unveiling of assumptions, the examination of reasoning processes leading to conclusions, and the probing of standpoints to their ultimate ground. Patience is needed, for the time factor is still there; the ripeness of mind of the prober is still essential, and it must not limit itself by preconceived ideas. It is at the threshold of an astounding realm, where so much that was correct on other levels collapses here and is no longer correct. In His instructions to the Nephites, the Saviour taught, “Therefore, all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them,” Reports 3 Nephi 14.12. #RandolphHarris 2 of 29

The Golden Rule is an ethical principle that states: “In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.” It emphasizes treating others as you would like to be treated yourself. This principle is found in the Gospel of Matthew 7.12, and it was spoken by Jesus Christ and is considered a Christian moral guideline. If everyone practiced the Golden Rule, imagine the effect it would have on the world. However, to do so, seems to be contrary to human nature in today’s face-pace world. In fact, there is a greater tendency for people to act aggressively toward each other. Some are quick to take offense and respond angrily to real or imagined affronts, and we have all experience or heard reports of road rage or other examples of rude, insensitive behaviour. Unfortunately, some of this spills over into our homes, creating friction and tension among family members. It may seem natural to react to a situation by giving back what is given to us. However, it does not have to be that way. The decisions we make and the way we behave are what ultimately shape our character. We sow our thoughts, and we reap our actions; we sow our actions, and we reap our habits; we sow our habits, and we reap our characters; we sow our characters, and we reap our destiny. It is in the home that our behaviour is most significant. It is the place where our actions have the greatest impact, for good or ill. Sometimes we are so much “at home” that we no longer guard our words. We forget simple civility. If we are not on guard, we can fall into the habit of criticizing one another, losing our tempers, or behaving selfishly. Because they love us, our spouses and children may be quick to forgive, but they often carry away in silence unseen injuries and unspoken heartache. #RandolphHarris 3 of 29

There are too many homes where children fear their parents or where wives fear their husbands. Our leaders have reminded us that “fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness,” and warned “that individual who abuse spouse or offspring will one day stand accountable before God.” If he can foster an atmosphere of contention, conflict, and fear in the home, that adversary knows that the Spirit is grieved and the cords that ought to bind the family are weakened. The resurrected Lord, Himself declared, “For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another,” reports 3 Nephi 11.29. Our home should ideally be a refuge where each member feels safe, secure, loved, and insulated from harsh criticism and contention that we so often encounter in the world. Jesus Christ set a perfect example of maintaining emotional control in every setting. Appearing before Caiaphas and Pilate, He was buffeted, slapped, spat upon, and mocked by His tormentors (see Matthew 26; Luke 23). The great irony was that they demeaned their Creator, whose suffering was undertaken out of love for them. In the face of his unjust abuse, Jesus Christ maintained His composure, refusing to act unkindly. Even on the cross, amid that unspeakable agony, His plea was, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do,” reports Luke 23.34. God and Jesus Christ expect the same of us, too.  “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another,” reports John 13.35. #RandolphHarris 4 of 29

One sees their anxiety to understand a doctrine which is on too abstract a level for them and pities the bewilderment with which they end. Yet, for such there is an easier way, brining a more successful result. It is to take up the study of the gospel of Christ first, and only after that, proceed to the study of mentalism and psychology. The work of research proves endless. The task of collecting all the data has no finish to it, and if we are to arrive at any conclusion at all, there is some point at which we must cut short our investigation and reflection. Thus, by the very act with which we serve the cause of practical truth, we render a disservice to the cause of theoretical truth. The very means whereby we decide, join a party, take a side, or evaluate a right and a wrong produce only a makeshift result. We must think our thoughts out to their inevitable conclusion and not stop halfway when the process becomes decidedly unpleasant. Memorized knowledge is inferior to thought-out understanding. It is one thing to begin to suspect the fallacy of these views; it is another to be completely certain of it. A long road lies between the two states and it passes through uneasiness, anxiety, wretchedness, and anguish. The hand of experience sows a good many doubts in the field of his early beliefs. We learn truth partly by experience, partly by intuition, and partly by instruction. Therefore, one of the first steps upon this path is to accept, tentatively at least the reasonable propositions laid down here and to allow the mind to work upon them in a sympathetic manner. #RandolphHarris 5 of 29

Memory depends on interest, attention, and concentration. However, the path does not depend on memorizing; we leave that to the academic philosophers of the universities. It depends on getting understanding, brain-changing not brain-packing. It is inevitable that, as his search for truth becomes keener and deeper, his thought will become more precise. So far as education consists of knowledge and information, it depends on memory, which is a function of an ego built up by the past and present experiences. It is not only a matter of temperament as to which view he will accept, although that factor is obviously present, but must more of development. How far has he journeyed in the understanding of life and the mastery of self? The first impulse to gather facts—that is, to know—was the first step taken by primitive men out of their backwardness toward science. The first impulse to explain those facts—that is, to know, understand, and complete—was the first step taken towards metaphysics. Take what you can find is congenial to your mind, appealing to your heart, and conformable with reason and evidence. To isolate the genuine truths from all the possible fantasies is hardly a work for beginners. When you mind can move from point to point, from idea to idea with alert nimbleness, it is ready for philosophy. As if they were describing a fixed essence, or a class of objects of which they are a specimen, that is how people describe themselves. When a person says he or she is lazy, or sincere, it is as if the person is saying, “It is my nature to be lazy, or sincere, just as it is the nature of a wolf to be fierce.”  However, human beings do not have fixed natures; neither do wolves. #RandolphHarris 6 of 29

Under most circumstances of life, humans have the freedom to choose how they will be and how they will act. Thus, when persons form self-concepts, thereby defining themselves, they are not so much describing that nature as they are making a pledge that they will continue to be the kinds of people they believe they now are and have been. One’s self-concept is not so much descriptive of experience and action as it is prescriptive. The self-concept is a commitment. Because our self-concepts are such powerful influences upon our experience and action, it follows that anything or any person who influences what we believe to be true or possible for ourselves will have a powerful influence. If I can convince you that you are strong, when hitherto you believed you were weak, you may then begin to act in ways that befit a strong person. What you believe to be true of yourself is your “nature”; what should never be forgotten is that one’s beliefs about self are just that—beliefs—and they can be changed. One’s self-concept is open to change, just as one’s beliefs about God, one’s parents, or the world are open to change. The self-concept exercises almost a tyrannical roe in determining behavior. All human behaviour is determined by the need for the individual to maintain and enhance the phenomenal self—another synonym for the self-concept. May we evidence our discipleship by strengthening our homes in kind and loving ways. May we remember that a soft answer turneth away wrath” and strive through our relationships and encounters to shape a character that will meet with the Savior’s approval. #RandolphHarris 7 of 29

There is an assimilation of the master-slave relationship to the relationship between man and God. One of Hegel’s commentators’ remarks that if the master really existed, he would be God. Elsewhere Hegel identifies the supreme master with absolute death. And so, the struggle begins again, on a higher level, between man in chains and the cruel God of Abraham. The solution to this new conflict between the universal God and the human entity will be furnished by Christ, who reconciles in Himself the universal and the unique. However, in one sense, Jesus Christ is a part of the palpable world. He is visible, He lived and He died. He is therefore only a stage on the road to the universal; He too must be denied dialectically. It is only necessary to recognize Him as the man-God to obtain a higher synthesis Skipping the intermediary stages, it suffices to say that this synthesis, after being incarnated to the Church and in Reason, culminates in the absolute State, founded by the soldier workers, where the spirit of the world will be finally reflected in the mutual recognition of each by all and in the universal reconciliation of everything that has ever existed under the sun. At this moment, “when the eyes of the spirit coincide with the eyes of the body,” each individual consciousness will be nothing more than a mirror reflecting another mirror, itself reflected to infinity in infinitely recurring images. The City of God will coincide with the city of humanity; and universal history, sitting in judgment on the world, will pass its sentence by which good and evil will be justified. The state will play the part of Destiny and will proclaim its approval of every aspect of reality on “the sacred day of the Presence.” #RandolphHarris 8 of 29

In spite, or because, of the extreme ambiguity of their interpretation, essential ideas have literally driven the revolutionary mind in apparently contradictory directions and which we are now learning to rediscover in the ideology of our times. Amorality, scientific materialism, and atheism have definitely replaced the antitheism of the rebels of former times and have made common cause, under Hegel’s paradoxical influence, with a revolutionary movement which, until his time, was never really separated from its moral, evangelical, and idealistic origins. If they are sometimes very far from really originating with Hegel, these tendencies found their source in the ambiguity of his thought and in his critique of transcendence. Hegel’s undeniable originality lies in his definitive destruction of all vertical transcendence—particularly the transcendence of principles. There is no doubt that he restores the immanence of the spirit to the evolution of the world. However, this immanence is not precisely defined and has nothing in common with the pantheism of the ancients. The spirit is and is not part of the world; it creates itself and will finally prevail. Values are thus only to be found at the end of history. Until then, there is no suitable criterion on which to base a judgment of value. One must act and live in terms of the future. All morality becomes provisional. The nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty first centuries, in their most profound manifestations, are centuries that have tried to live without transcendence. #RandolphHarris 9 of 29

Meaningful contact with others requires an ability to be quite comfortable with yourself alone. Manipulators who are withdrawing and avoiding might appear to like to be alone. This is not true. Such manipulators are equally as uncomfortable with themselves as they are with others. Actualizers, on the other hand, enjoying close contact with others, also cherish their moments of privacy. One of the subjects of Dr. Maslow’s study of self-actualizing people sat alone for one hour a day, between five and six in the evening, in front of her fireplace. That time was sacred to her, and other concerns were not allowed to interfere. If you examine your daily routines, you will find that you are “withdrawn” for approximately eight hours during sleep. You are involved with other people at work for another eight hours, which leaves about eight hours for relationships with family and friends. About half of our existence, then, involves people. It would be unnatural to want a great deal more. No matter how self-actualizing you may be, you must at times be by yourself. Although manipulation usually involves withdrawal from close relationships, one can be manipulative by maintaining a relationship beyond its nourishing value. Such a manipulator is described by Perls as a clinger or hanging-on biter. The clingers will not give up, but keep right on talking to you although they realize that the conversation is finishes. This is not a matter of social awkwardness, of not knowing how to terminate the exchange, but a neurotic fear on the part of these individuals that they have not said all they want to say. They are so insecure that they cannot let go. #RandolphHarris 10 of 29

When they go for interviews, this fear costs people jobs and, having said something once, they keep trying to say it again and invariably mess it all up. The hanging-on biters are those recognizable individuals who hang on to a conversation like a bulldog with a stick. Rather tan bite it off, they brace themselves like a bulldog and stand there, vigorously shaking the conversational stick. It is necessary for therapy that the analyst gradually gain a clear picture of the kinds of pride operating in each individual patient. If he is unconsciously or consciously proud of it, naturally a patient cannot regard a drive, an attitude, or a reaction as a problem to be tackled. A patient may, for instance, have become aware of his need to outwit others. The analyst may feel it self-evident that this is a problematic trend to be tackled, and to be overcome eventually, because he considers the interest of the patient’s real self. He realizes the trend’s compulsive character, the disturbance it creates in human relations, the waste of energies which could be employed for constructive purposes. The patient on the other hand, without being aware of it, may feel that just this very capacity to outwit others makes him a superior person; and he is secretly proud of it. He is interested therefore not in analyzing the tendency to outwit but in the factors in himself which interfere with his doing it to perfection. If this difference in evaluation is under cover, analyst and patient will move on different planes and analyze at cross-purposes. #RandolphHarris 11 of 29

Neurotic pride resting on such shaky foundations is an insubstantial as a card house and, like the latter, collapses at the slightest draft. In terms of subjective experience, it makes a person vulnerable, and does so exactly to the extent that he is obsessed by pride. It can be hurt as easily from within as from without. The two typical reactions to hurt pride are shame and humiliation. If we do, think, or feel something that violates our pride, we will feel ashamed. And, if other do something that hurts our pride, or fail to do what our pride requires of them, we will feel humiliated. In any reaction of shame or humiliation that seems out of place or out of proportion we must answers these two questions: What in the situation has aroused this response? And what special underlying pride has been hurt by it? They are closely interrelated, and neither can be given a quick answer. The analyst may know, for instance, that masturbation provokes excessive shame in a person who in general has a rational, sensible attitude to the problem and would not disapprove of it in others. There, at least, the shame-provoking factor seems to be clear. However, is it? Masturbation may mean different things to different people, and the analyst cannot know offhand which of the many factors that may be involved in masturbation is relevant to arousing the shame. Does it mean for the patient a sexual activity that is degraded because it is separate from love? Is the satisfaction attained greater than the pleasures of the flesh, and thereby disturbing to the image of being geared only to love? Is it a question of the concomitant fantasies? Does it mean the admission of having any needs? Is it too much self-indulgence for a stoical person? Does it mean loss of self-control? Only to the extent that the analyst grasps the relevance of these factors for the patient can he then raise the second question as to the kind of pride that has been hurt by masturbation. #RandolphHarris 12 of 29

The opposition to commitment expressed by some people is essentially political in nature. It is an attack on the Establishment—which, freely translated—means simply that they feel compelled to reject any standard their parents might possibly approve. Feminists who approve of extramarital pleasures of the flesh because it takes them longer to step away from the sexual double standard, are also using the sexual code of behaviour as a political weapon. Their chief purpose is to assert that they have equal rights to any freedom that men claim—without attempting to determine whether that freedom necessarily contributes to the well-being of any individual, male or female. A different, and nonpolitical, rationale is offered by feminists who see affairs outside of marriage as a means of enabling certain wives to throw off their culturally induced inhibitions and to awaken their long-dormant capacity to respond to stimulation for pleasures of the flesh. There can be no argument with any of these positions when they are not rationalized as the foundation for a general structure of values for pleasures of the flesh. However, it is important to understand that this is the pleading of special cases. If some people must reject their parents’ social-pleasures of the flesh values before they can be free to have the experiences, they need as the basis for validating other values—or reaffirming those that were originally rejected—they are acting no differently than rebellious people have for centuries. If some women must first establish their right to indulge in extramarital pleases of the flesh, as a way of regaining their self-esteem and their sense of being independent and equal human beings, so that as equals with men they can get on with the important tasks of learning to live well together, their tactics are not understandable. If other women must go outside their marriages in search of affirmation of themselves as sexual human beings, their actions deserve compassion and support in guiding them back to the ways of the Lord. #RandolphHarris 13 of 29

Sexual commitment in marriage is not dispensable, and in no case does it warrant being compromised. Stating the extramarital affairs are acceptable is misleading and amounts to being a deception. Extramarital affairs are not a step to be accepted as a last resort, and carry with it the potential for a cure that is as unsatisfactory as the problem to be cured; what beings as an isolated act or two may become a premeditated and repeated pattern of action—which is generally as destructive to the emotional fabric of a marriage as anything can possible be. Thus, compromising the sexual commitment as a means of patching up a marriage may succeed only in tearing it further apart. After reading that an extramarital relationship may help revitalize her sexual energies, a sexually distressed wife had an affair. Immediately there are questions that cannot be ignored. Has she openly communicated with her husband about her dissatisfaction? If so, why have they been unsuccessful in finding a remedy? Or getting help? And if she has not communicated with him, why not? If it is because they are emotionally incompatible, or if they cannot communicate about anything that really matters to her, what kind of a marriage does she have? If the marriage is that emotionally impoverished, why make the issue seem to be the righteousness of extramarital sex—when the issue is really the inadequacy of the marriage? Nor do the questions stop there. Even if the affair turns out well and the wife becomes excited for pleasures of the flesh, what does she do with her drive? How can she cope with the powerful feelings that dominate her but cannot be shared with her husband? #RandolphHarris 14 of 29

Or, trying to share them, how can she help comparing one man to another—and if her sexually unsophisticated or incompetent husband suffers by the comparison, what does she do then with her feelings? Bury them and bury too her newly kindled responsivity for pleasures of the flesh? Or respecting her natural right to those feelings, does she embark on a succession of affairs? Or does she divorce her husband? The questions are, in truth, endless. The few that have been raised are intended only to illuminate the virtual meaninglessness of all special pleading in favour of extramarital pleasure of the flesh. Generalized principles are useless guides to human behaviour involving pleasures of the flesh; what may apply to one person will not apply to another—and, in fact, what is true for one person at a particular moment in life may not be true for that same person at a later moment. Thus, without Christian moral guidelines and without knowing the nature of marriage in the eyes of the Lord, there is no possible way for anyone to offer a secure word of advice about the consequences that may follow if either partner, or both, decide to put an end to their commitment of pleasures of the flesh. Like all of God’s commandments, the law of chastity is a blessing from God to help us have peace and joy. Living this law can also help us stay emotionally and physically safe and well. And it helps us prepare to receive God’s greatest blessing in life. Chastity means not having any relationship involving pleasures of the flesh outside of a legal marriage between a man and a woman. Those who are chaste also strive to have sexually appropriate thoughts, words, and actions. Living this law includes being completely loyal to your spouse within marriage, both physically and emotionally. #RandolphHarris 15 of 29

Chasity is a commandment from God, and obedience to that law helps us prepare to enter the house of the Lord. In the temple, we are invited to more fully commit by covenant to live the law of chastity. When people care for one another enough to keep the law of chastity, their love, trust, and commitment can increase, resulting in greater happiness and unity. Our Heavenly Father has given us the law of chastity for our spiritual and physical protection. Obedience to this law is essential to personal peace and happiness. Those who keep themselves sexually pure will also be more sensitive to the Holy Ghost’s guidance, strength, comfort, and protection. If we choose to keep our covenants with Him, no matter how strong our temptations are, the Lord will help us resist them. The Apostle Paul taught, “God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. The Lord trusts us to make decisions that will honour the gift of our body and others’ bodies, and we are truly blessed as we make choices based on that trust. The Spirit will guide and strengthen us to help us keep this law. The Lord and His prophets warn against sexual immorality. The prophet Alma taught about the seriousness of sexual sin. All sexual relationships outside of marriage between a man and a woman break the law of chastity, and are physically and spiritually dangerous for those who engage in them. One violation of the law of chastity is adultery, which is sexual intercourse between a married person and someone other than their spouse. Adultery is one of the sins warned against in the Ten Commandments. #RandolphHarris 16 of 29

The Apostle Paul also taught that is “is the will of God” that we “abstain from fornication,” which, in a gospel context, is engaging in sexual behaviour outside of marriage between a man and a woman. Though sexual sins are very serious, the gift of repentance is real. Because the Lord loves us, He will fully forgive us when we choose to repent and turn to Him. Repentance requires patience, perseverance, and a change of heart, but it is worth the effort. Sometimes people who have an affair with someone’s spouse feel the need to come clean and confess. However, that might not always be a good idea. It could ruin your friendships and it could ruin their relationship. It might be a good idea to repent and not do it again. Repentance is one of the first principles of the gospel and is essential to our temporal and eternal happiness. It is much more than just acknowledging wrongdoings. It is a change of mind and heart that gives us a fresh view about God, about ourselves, and about the world. It includes turning away from sin and turning to God for forgiveness. It is motivated by love for God and the sincere desire to obey His commandments. The Lord has declared that “no unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of heaven.” Our sins make us unclean—unworthy to return and dwell in the presence of our Heavenly Father. They also bring anguish to our soul in this life. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, our Father in Heaven has provided the only way for us to be forgiven of our sins. Jesus Christ suffered the penalty for our sins so we can forgive if we sincerely repent. As we repent and rely on his saving grace, we will be cleansed from sin. #RandolphHarris 17 of 29

The goal of adopting a safety culture in a fire and emergency services is a daunting yet essential task. To define a safety culture, we first must examine the causes of injuries and death. Emergency responder injuries can be caused by mechanical failure (a rope breaking), human failure (overloading the rope), or an organizational failure (not inspecting or replacing the rope). Organizational failures are always a result of not having a safety culture. Did you ever wonder why discussion regarding firefighting safety are often compared to the airline industry? Besides the fact that both are high-risk professions, they also have the potential for large losses of life based on human decisions, and many times both professions must work with incomplete or inaccurate information. However, the biggest reason why firefighting should be compared with the airline industry could be that they identified a lack of a safety culture and evolved into one. Professionals are who and what they are because they acquire expertise—special kind of knowledge and a context for that knowledge. Expertise can be of at least three types: technical—based on training and study; theoretical/intellectual—based on education and study; and liberal—based on broad reading, interactions with colleagues, and a focus on lifelong learning. Professionals know how to operate the hardware of their professions. They are technically expert. For the doctor, it is an in-depth knowledge of medicines and drugs, laboratory testing, imaging equipment, and surgical procedures. For the architect, it is a well-defined knowledge of loads, stresses, materials tolerances, and coefficients. For the award-winning Sacramento Fire Department professional, it is an intimate knowledge of architecture, building code, fire science, automobiles, medical information, and human biology. #RandolphHarris 18 of 29

Theoretical (or intellectual) expertise is the “how” and “why” of the technical component. In our example of medicine, technicians can perform the tests, but may not know the ho0w and why behind the intricate functions of the human body. A construction worker knows how to pour cement for a reinforced foundation, but may not understand how or why the foundation will hold up the building. The same is true of the firefighter, paramedic, or EMT who knows the basic functions of the Sacramento Fire Department’s equipment. It is not necessary for him to understand the theoretical concepts being the tactical or strategic use of the equipment. This component of the professional officer’s job is what enables him to comprehend and apply new techniques. Life or death decisions come from a firefighter, paramedic or EMT’s ability to understand the role of his profession and its unique expertise within society. It includes knowledge of human behaviour, human relationships, standards of conduct, and the structures of human organizations. A professional needs to know when and how to offer his services to achieve the most desirable and effective results. You could call this the philosophy of the Sacramento Fire Department of the doctrinal ground of fire and/or medical science. What expertise does the Sacramento Fire Department expect you, as an officer in training, to master? The Sacramento Fire Department expects you to learn how to organize, equip, and train the force—your team members. The Sacramento Fire Department also expects you to plan the activities of the force with clarity of mission. You must also know how to be expert in directing operations—engaging in the many kinds of fire department activities during work hours, home life, and when in an emergency. Directing operations is a core responsibility of a professional fire fighter, paramedic, or EMT. #RandolphHarris 19 of 29

“I know what I want to say, but it’s hard to get across. I think that with my kids and everything else, I have responsibilities. Being a fireman, and being a fireman with the Sacramento Fire Department, I have to put my best foot forward. I want to leave everybody impressed, that’s the way I feel. If anybody else feels malice toward me because I work for the Sacramento Fire Department, then that’s their problem. If I ever went down South and got stopped by a state trooper, and he knew I was a fireman because I’ve got my emblem or something, I want to leave him impressed with me. When he leaves me, I want him to say, ‘Well, that’s one sharp guy. He seems to be an intelligent guy.’ That’s what I would like to leave with everybody, actually. But especially with the troopers. It’s the only thing I want to do. If I can’t do anything else, I want to change people’s minds. I know that some people have certain beliefs about the way other people are, or the way they think they should be. It may not be my responsibility, but I would like to changes people’s minds, if I can, and leave them with a positive attitude toward the Sacramento Fire Department.” Take a minute and consider the influence that mobile phones, eye glasses with hidden cameras, drones, and video cameras, combined with social media, can have on your personal performance review. You may be so involved in pulling the hoseline, bagging the patient, or yelling at the crowd to “get back” that you do not even notice that you are being recorded from several different angles. Since the potential exist for you to be a movie star, the only way to perform well is practice, practice, practice. #RandolphHarris 20 of 29

If you see a fire truck stopped in the street without the lights on, be very careful. Sometimes there is an emergency and you should not pass the fire truck. It might be a good idea to safely turn around and go another way because if you hit someone and they happen to die, you could be charged with manslaughter. Sometimes fire fighters are getting back into their vehicle and if you pass the apparatus, you may collide with a firefighter who is on foot. Also, be sure to look at their signals, sometimes emergency vehicles are in motions, albeit, slowly, and drivers try to pass them, and this could lead to a dangerous situation. Also, if you are in an intersection when you see an emergency vehicle, continue through the intersection. Drive to the right as soon as it is safe and stop. Obey any direction, order, or signal given by a law enforcement officer, or a firefighter. Even if they conflict with existing signs, signals, or laws, follow their orders. When their siren or flashing lights are on, it is against the law to follow within 300 feet of any fire engine, law enforcement vehicle, ambulance, or other emergency vehicle. If you drive to the scene of a fire, collision, or other disaster, you can be arrested. When you do this, you are getting in the way of firefighters, ambulance crews, or other rescue and emergency personnel. The concept of professional courage does not always mean being as tough as nails, either. It also suggests a willingness to listen to other peoples’ problems, to go to bat for them in a tough situation and it means knowing just how far they can go. It also means being willing to tell the boss when he or she is wrong. #RandolphHarris 21 of 29

California is the third most expensive state in the nation. A single person making an income above $100,000 is now consider low-income in five counties in California. This distinction now applies to individuals living in Santa Cruze, Santa Clara, San Mateo, San Francisco, and Marin counties. In 37 percent of counties, a family of four living on a six-figure income is now considered low-income.  In fact, Governor Gavin Newsom of Democratic controlled California, brags about being the world’s “fifth largest economy,” but it also facing a $12 billion deficit, looking to cut $747 million for state worker’s pay, pushing to keep medical insurance for illegal immigrants, but wants to cut medical for anyone who has assets over $2,000 and the state has the largest homeless population in the nation. If they are all officially counted, California has approximately 4 million homeless people. The highest home prices in the nation, the highest taxes and the most unfriendly business regulations known to man. The average home price in California is nearly $1,000,000.00 USD, while the average salary is $96,036.00, meaning that most Californians cannot even afford to buy a home. California is having an affordability crisis. In 2025, many people in California saw their bills increase by an estimated $500 a month. This includes things like food, automobile insurance, homeowner’s insurance, electricity. In fact, more than 3 million people in California are facing household hardship, and more than 300,000 of them are facing eviction soon. This comes at a time when California is having a shortage of affordable housing. This is caused by nearly half a century’s old laws that discourage homes sales and encourage higher rents. Meanwhile, China, where we are sending all of our jobs and money has more than 50 ghost cities. Ghost cities are regions will housing has been overdeveloped to the point that these places are uninhabited. Because California is so hostile towards people and businesses, more than 360 companies have fled the state since 2020. Businesses like Chevron, SpaceX, Oracle, and Hewlett Packard are amongst the names on that list. #RandolphHarris 22 of 29

Also, more than 500,000 people a year are abandoning California because it is too expensive to live in, Gavin Newsom has criminalized homelessness and actually started arresting people without homes, crime is out of control, and they are losing their jobs due to companies relocating. More than 100 companies have announced layoffs in California for 2025. Intel is cutting 15,000 jobs, PayPal 2,500 and Meta has terminated 4,000 employees. The California crisis created by Democrats is driving up home prices and mortgages and rents all over the nation and the world, making living unaffordable for all, and advocates say the crisis is far from over. Accordingly, California has more than 3.5 million illegal immigrants. Having the Southern American boarder open and not having American farmland protected, not producing beef, poultry, fish, fruit, produce and dairy in America, and without American goods and services being our number one manufactured and selling items, America has created a dangerous and significantly elevated risks to national security, national economic security, and national public health. Some people may believe that these claims are overstated, but by not routinely monitoring Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CEVs) or other security relevant alerts, such as end-of-life of machinery is how the Oroville Dam Crisis occurred in 2017. Other crises that have occurred due to neglect of critical infrastructure is the 2025 Palisades fires because Southern California ran out of water, when they are located next to an ocean and they could have simply created desalinating plants to help with the water shortage. The water is so plentiful that it is currently eroding land and causing homes to fall into the sea. #RandolphHarris 23 of 29

The American government should know all exploitable vulnerabilities and fix them prior to the situation becoming a crisis. Failure to take such mitigating actions is dangerous and significantly elevates risk to national security, national economic security, and national public health and safety. The American government must understand that significant time and resources must be invested in America. They must also encourage corporations to plan for both mitigating safety vulnerabilities in the short term and eliminating them in the long term. For instance, a company might begin by reaching out to the federal, state or local government and requesting tax incentives to provide security to dangerous communities, to help the government repair bridges and potholes. America needs an approach to eliminate safety vulnerabilities in American cities. There needs to be a road map by the end of 2025, outlining a prioritized approach to eliminate crisis situations in America. There is enough money to send aid to foreign nations, but the American government does not have enough money to care their infrastructure, provide adequate resources, nor end the affordable housing crisis. Nor is there enough money to fund other national critical functions (NCFs). These bad practices of putting America and Americans last is considered exceptionally risky, particularly to national security, national economic security, and national public health and safety. In 2024, Americans spent $100 billion on Japanese cars. #RandolphHarris 24 of 29

The maximum percentage of your gross income that you should earmark for a monthly mortgage payment is calculated at 28 percent, and no more than 36 percent of your gross income to all debts, including mortgage. If you take 28 percent of the median household income per home in Sacramento County, homeowners can only afford a mortgage of $2,070.23 per month. And if you take 36 percent of their gross income to all debts, including mortgage, they should be devoting no more than $2,661.72 a month to these debts. Mortgage lenders must be using some kind of sorcery to get buyers into these expensive homes. To afford one of these homes using traditional guidelines, a household would need to gross $11,280.24 per month or $135,362.88 per year, but the median household in Sacramento County is grossing $7,393.67 or $88,724.00 and that typically means two to four people in the home are working and contributing to the mortgage. Prices in Sacramento County are actually rivaling the Bay Area, and the Bay Aera is so expensive because they have more higher paying jobs and is a tourist destination. And with the State of California being in a budget deficit of $12 billion, Governor Gavin Newsom Granted 700,000 illegal immigrants free health care at a cost to taxpayers of $3 billion annually, while cutting vital programs for veterans, school children, the disabled and the homeless, and is proposing to fast-track his plan to build a $20 billion water tunnel beneath the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta by eliminating environmental reviews and limit avenues for legal challenges. Gavin Newsom only cares about the environment when his policies allow him to raise taxes and restrict freedoms. #RandolphHarris 25 of 29

In fact, Mexico has been causing one of America’s worst environmental disasters. Fifty million gallons a day of industrial chemicals, untreated sewage, and trash flow from Tijuana, Mexico, into southern San Diego County daily. This toxic waste has been turning up on Imperial Beach, and is causing the miles of white sands to become polluted and the ocean breeze to smell of poop, which has been sickening residents and wildlife and costing San Diego millions in the form of lost tourism and health problems. The problem has been going on for more than a century. However, it has become a public health crisis as the population of Tijuana has drastically increased, in recent years, and the waste treatment plants have no longer usable. The beach has been closed for more than three years, and evidence suggests that even breathing the air may be harmful, as toxic particles in the water can become airborne. Yet, even though Gavin Newsom has been governor for six years, he has not rushed into action to stop this very preventable environmental disaster. Why? Because he is not getting kickbacks from China and Mexico, not being gifted mansions and cars, and he cannot tax the struggling California taxpayers to clean up this mess. Simply, it is not profitable for him. Gavin Newsom has been a total tyrant with no regard for taxpayers and does not have a mind for business and should be impeached as soon as possible. He has criminalized poverty, increased taxes, increased tax on gas, and insurance rates so high that people are struggling to survive. In addition to Gavin Newsom’s increased gas prices starting 1 July 2025, the war between Iran and Israel is going to further exacerbate the prices of gas and cause more inflation and economic hardship for people in California. Meanwhile, Gavin Newsom has also given billions of taxpayer dollars away to illegal immigrants and protected them from law enforcement, while arresting law abiding Americans because they cannot afford to pay rent or mortgage and the homeless shelters are unsafe, overcrowded and have restrictions on who is allowed inside. Wars have been started over governments who tax citizens without representation. Taxation without representation is what led to the American Revolution. If Gavin Newsom is not stopped, next he will euthanize the poor and sterilize the disabled. Gavin Newsom has wars and fires breaking out on the streets, but goes out of his way to arrest people who have no place to live. This monster is unfit to be governor and must never be allowed to be President of America! Stop Gavin Newsom now! Save California and impeach this unreasonable man. #RandolphHarris 26 of 29

Meanwhile, with President Trump, we are seeing crime rates sharply decrease, and he recently secured $10 trillion in investments. Additionally, in May of 2025m the United States of America collected a record $22.3 billion in tariff revenue. If elected president for an unprecedented third term, to make housing more affordable and to offset the cost of homeowner’s insurance and auto insurance, President Trump plans to abolish property taxes. Much like the land crisis in Las Vegas, we could also run out of land to farm and will not be able to grow or cultivate our own food. We can protect American farmland and support American farmers by buying American made beef, poultry, dairy, and produce. Also, country of origin labeling is very important so Americans can know where their food is coming from and have the ability to support American farmers and ranchers. As money flows, it influences further investment. Save the land that sustains us by protecting American farmland. Once the land is built on, we lose it forever.  And in the future, there may be food wars. Also, to ensure that we have farmland and buildable land for future use, we need to start limiting the number of people allowed to immigrant to America. Perhaps with the immigrants we do allow into America, there needs to be a diversity program to make sure we have a population that equally represents all races of people. If Americans continue to spend money on American products, then more need to be made to keep up the inventory. When investors notice these goods are selling, it gives them the confidence to pour more money into that local business. It shows that people want these goods made in America and pressures investors to keep these goods and services in America. The jobs stay here, the business stays in American, wages naturally increase, and more money is invested to keep up with demand. This reduces the burden on the taxpayer. When you support American businesses, that money stays in our economy and can help to reduce the national debt. The government creates debt by borrowing from businesses in the private sector or from foreign countries. It also increases the national debt by spending more than it gains in tax revenue in a fiscal year. #RandolphHarris 27 of 29

When people shop locally, more tax money stays in the economy and goes to the government. This way, it keeps more money in our national economy and keeps more jobs located in American which also sends more taxes to the government, which can again help to reduce the national debt. When you buy foreign goods, these companies usually have lighter tax loads or exemptions, meaning less money for the nation debt, plus you are helping to strengthen these foreign nations by send more money overseas. Buying American made products is also better for the environment and helps to reduce the carbon footprint because these products do not have to travel nearly as far. Furthermore, American companies and manufacturers are held to much higher standards on pollution. American companies must be more careful about air, land, and water pollution and have proper ways to dispose of waste. Moreover, please remember to respect law and order and treat your elders with the utmost dignity and kindness possible. And take your education seriously so that you will be successful in life and make your family proud. It is inborn in the human minds to wish to know. If this begins with the endless surface questions of a child’s curiosity, if it continues into deeper questions of a scientist’s probing investigation, it cannot and does not stop there. For the higher part of the mind will eventually come into unfoldment, that union of abstract reflective thought with mystical intuition, which is true intelligence, which needs and sees a view of the whole of things. And so, the knowing faculty enters the realm of philosophy. #RandolphHarris 28 of 29

As you can see, President Donald Trump and his pledge to “Make America Great Again,” is exactly what America needs to save the country and the American people. And yes, diversity is important, so you can see why it is also important to preserve blonde hair and blue eyes as the people with these characteristics are becoming a minority in America. We must think before we can understand the soul’s existence; we must understand before we can realize it. The earliest beginnings of thought, as apart from instinct, when it was itself still but a lurking tendency, belong far back in primeval time. The human intellect as we find it today, so rich and developed an instrument for the consciousness of the ego, did not arrived at this fulness without a series of graduated stages. We have had plenty of scientific thinking, business thinking, and political thinking long enough, but we have had very little inspired thinking. That is the world’s need. The intellect is cradled in selfishness but runs the evolutionary track into reason where it will one day finish at the winning-post of selflessness. As a reminder, parents, pleasure teach your children love America and be patriotic citizens and to buy goods and services made in America. It is also important to respect law and order and treat your elders with respect. “Oh, thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand between their loved home and the war’s desolation! Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n-rescued land Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation! Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, and this be our motto: ‘In God is our trust.’ And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.” #RandolphHarris 29 of 29

The Winchester Mystery House

A New Era of Fear Awaits at Winchester Mystery House.

This fall, Winchester Mystery House unlocks its secrets for @festivalfrightnights, a brand-new Halloween event created in partnership with Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group — the minds behind iconic experiences like Dark Harbor at the Queen Mary and the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride.

It’s Halloween night, 1924. Two years after Sarah Winchester’s death, the mansion reopens under mysterious new ownership. Guests are invited to a glamorous masquerade ball – but the host claims to have opened a portal to the past. Has he uncovered the truth behind the house’s haunted history, or unleashed something far worse?

Festival Fright Nights features three haunted attractions, immersive theatrical moments, themed food and drink, and access to areas never before opened to the public. Running select nights from September 26 through November 1, it’s poised to become the Bay Area’s premier Halloween destination.

Tickets to this event are limited and expected to sell out quickly. For event details and early access to tickets visit the link in bio. https://winchestermysteryhouse.com/

Why Choose Harris?

Harris Plumbing, Heating, Air, & Electric has been in business for 30 years. How many businesses can say that? We take pride in everything we do – no matter how big or small the service call might be. We’re here to help your home be as safe and comfortable as possible for you and your family. We take that responsibility very seriously as a company. Harris will ensure you have the information you need to decide what to do next, whatever your home is facing. We’ll perform a diagnosis and detail what issues are present before starting any work. This gives you a personalized quote and service plan specific to your home’s needs – not some random quote based on the best guess. The only way we can do our best work is to make sure we handle the issues at hand. https://www.callharrisnow.com/about-us/

The Ultimate Driving Machine

BMW continues to dominate the luxury car space. With its top ranking in Consumer Reports’ Auto Brand Report Card and consistent market share growth, BMW has demonstrated its ability to produce high-performing, reliable vehicles that meet consumer demands.

BMW stands out due to its focus on driving dynamics and engineering excellence. While other luxury brands prioritize comfort and opulence, BMW is known for creating cars that are fun to drive and offer a unique connection between the driver and the machine. https://www.brianharrisbmw.com/

Randolph Harris San Francisco Taxation & Mergers

Randy advises clients with regard to business transition, taxable and tax deferred mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, restructuring, integrated tax planning, federal and state tax controversy resolution, and real estate transactions. https://www.jmbm.com/l-randolph-harris.html

Ascent at Montelena

11977 Cobble Brook Drive, Rancho Cordova, California 95742

(916) 302-8760

4 Home Design(s) Available

Now selling in Rancho Cordova, at Ascent at Montelena. This family-friendly community is near major employers like Sutter Health and the State of California. Located in the Sacramento Valley, residents enjoy Northern California at its best. These two-story single-family homes feature Life Tested® floor plans, smart home features, energy-efficient construction, and modern architecture. https://www.pulte.com/homes/california/sacramento/rancho-cordova/ascent-at-montelena-210916