The First Amendment of the Bill of Rights

The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was written to include the most important basic personal freedoms that American citizens enjoy but which were not specifically covered in the body of the Constitution itself. The First Amendment prohibits the establishment of a national religion and includes the Five Freedoms; the freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom of speech, and the right of citizens to assemble peacefully and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

During the debates that occurred while writing and establishing the Constitution, many opponents charged that the document did not include a strong declaration of basic personal rights. During the ratification process of the Constitution several states asked for such a declaration in the form of amendments, while other states ratified the document only with the provision that the amendments would be soon added.

Delegate George Mason of Virginia had earlier written Virginia's Declaration of Rights and his strong protests, plus Thomas Jefferson's statements, prompted James Madison to draft the first ten amendments to the Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights. Madison drew heavily on Mason's earlier work.

A key provision of the First Amendment is that the federal government may not establish a national religion. When the Constitution was created, six of the original thirteen states already ran established churches. The intent of this clause was to protect those state churches against potential actions of the federal government. Those states would not have signed the Constitution without this protection.

The free exercise of religion clause prohibits the government from unfairly restricting religious activities. It also prohibits the government from showing preference of one religion over another.

The freedom of speech clause is one of the broadest in the free world. It allows citizens to speak freely. However, later necessary limitations include protections against obscenities, child pornography, hate speech, fighting words, libel, and slander.

The freedom of the press clause allows all manner of publications to freely print appropriate news, information, and opinion. Necessary limitations are similar to the limitations on speech.

The freedom to assemble and to petition clauses reflect the bad experiences that the colonists had during the rule by the British government. The clause allows an individual to petition all three branches of the government for redress of grievances. It also grants the right to gather signatures in support of a cause or to lobby the government in support of or opposition to legislation.

The freedom to assemble allows citizens to come together to pursue common interests. It also allows citizens to march, demonstrate, protest, or carry signs in order to express their opinion in a nonviolent way. This is also known as the freedom of association.

The beginning of the First Amendment states specifically that "Congress shall make no law..." This wording led to the interpretation that state and local governments were not bound by the amendment and could pass legislation that was contrary to the First Amendment. This mistake was corrected by the Fourteenth Amendment which, among other provisions, made the First Amendment binding on all governments below the federal level.

It seems quite fitting that this amendment, with all of its major individual rights protections, should be listed as the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights.

Follow Your Dreams

Since young we are told to study hard in school, get started and work hard with a respectful career over everything else so that we can have a happy life. We have been bombarded with this message throughout our lives and it has made a deep impact on all of us.

Most of us think that we have no other choice but to keep running on this track mill of life, just like the hamsters that simply go through the daily monotony with no questions asked. Then, we keep our dreams locked in the closet fearing that other people may not believe us or laugh at our "unrealistic" dreams. We want to fit ourselves into the image of being "normal".

The good news is, we do not have to take the road that everyone takes. Many people have lost their jobs during this recent economic downturn. Now is the perfect time to pursue our dreams, to answer our inner calling. This inner yearning comes from deep within the core of who we really are as a person. Living this dream would bring us a genuine sense of well-being. When we do what we truly enjoy and believe, we live more in the present, feel happier and peaceful with ourselves and our surrounding. Though we may not make a lot of money with this new path, we will certainly enjoy it and live with no regret. The saddest thing in life is to ask "What if" at our deathbed, right?

The secret to happiness is to become courageous and follow what we truly want, that means to follow our hearts. If we have the talent and the ability to sustain that dream, then why not go for it? The world of today glamorizes certain lifestyle and careers, but reality says otherwise. We know things are just different from what we see in the movies. The key to enjoy life is to stand strong and not to live your life according to other people's opinions. We have to let our inner strength take the wheel of our lives. If we don't take control, other people will be most happy to run our lives for us. So, do not let the views of others affect our search for self-fulfillment.

We must also realize that following our dreams does not mean that we will always be happy and enjoy every minute of it. There will be times that we will be required to do things that we do not love. However, in the end we do get what we want. Life in itself is a surprise, and we often find ourselves being thrown a few surprises along the way.

Following our dreams also does not always mean that we will experience an overall sense of satisfaction, but this is far better than ignoring our inner cravings and putting them off until it never actually happens. On the road to fulfill our dreams may put us out of our comfort zone but we have to learn to cement our direction just to make ourselves truly happy with how our lives have turned out.

We must realize what kind of life we want ultimately. Though it requires conscious effort, but eventually, we get to spend the rest of our lives without regret. The seeds have been sown deep in our hearts and minds, and it is our job to reap the benefits of what we have planted. By following what we truly desire, not only do we fulfill our dreams and be happier, but we are also uplifting the spirit of the entire humanity!

The Power of Intention

Have you ever wondered why some people are more successful than others? What is that magic ingredient that separates the one who makes it from the other who does not, even under seemingly similar circumstances?

It's a question that has been asked throughout history in many different ways: from ancient wisdom stories to modern sales psychology. As with most worthy questions, the answer depends on who's asking and why it is being asked in the first place.

Success Is Found Within Our Motives

The Universe works unfailingly to bring us exactly what we really want. However if our desire does not come from the depths of our heart, we probably won't get it. If we do, it will be fleeting at best. Instead we will get what we've been unceasingly thinking about and have embedded within. Desires can only be propped up for so long before they dissipate, unless our motif for success is a true desire.

The Law Of Attraction

It has become very fashionable to invoke the Law Of Attraction these days. And, if you do it right, you will get what you want. Millions upon millions of dollars have been made selling this idea.

After the initial enthusiasm waned somewhat, new upgrades and hidden secrets behind the Law were added to the existing packages to keep the seekers hooked. And it was necessary to keep propping up the mind to be receptive. Question is, where were the desires coming from?

Lost In The Matrix

Most of us live within the landscape of our own minds, programmed throughout our lives by our experiences and environments. To use a modern metaphor, we are living within the matrix. So, even though we may have desires for a better life, there are deeply seeded obstacles that seem to thwart us each step of the way.

To change our own inner matrix, the work gets very subtle. This is because our heart's desire may have been squashed by layers upon layers of other dominant negative thoughts.

What Is Your Motif?

Does your intention for success fire up your passion and joy? Or, does it always need to be pumped up? If it does, you're off to a great start. If not, you need to dig deeper.

The power of our heart's intention, like an artist's motif, rules. We just need to learn how to stay on course. You see, your heart can't be fooled. It knows.

So the work then becomes to convince your mind to follow your heart's desire. But you can't convince your mind with your mind. Einstein himself found that you can't solve a problem at the same level of thinking that created it in the first place. something else is needed.

The answer is illustrated in the ancient Vedic story of the beautiful twin sisters, Lakshmi and Saraswati. Lakshmi stands for wealth and abundance and Saraswati stands for knowledge and truth. The story goes that if you pursue wealth only for its own sake, it will be impossible to attain or sustain. Lakshmi will always be eluding you at one stage or another. Instead, if you pursue Saraswati first, Lakshmi will start noticing you and will come running after you.

All the mind techniques of visualization and manifesting are beneficial and helpful if your inner motif is flourishing. So, take your intentions from your deepest desires and success will follow you, regardless of technique you choose.

Trane HVAC - Does It Merit It's Trusted Name?

Trane HVAC units are a significant reason central heating has come such a long way since the days of only fans.

Trane

With 90 years of professional expertise, Trane has been the leader in providing air solutions to homes and offices around the world. Almost no one disputes this. In fact, some would say that Trane is indeed all about air.

Trane HVAC units can make even the most uncomfortable, humid days much more bearable inside the house. And regardless where you live, humidity can be a killer (both figuratively and literally).

Those who live in a climate that is intensely hot in the summer (think Arizona) or year round need to be able to rely on the availability of cool air on demand. And as weather conditions change - as they do in most parts of the world - you need an efficient system to accommodate temperature fluctuations.

Indoor climate control is critical, especially when health considerations are brought to bear. Historically, Trane HVAC units are up to the task.

So What is an HVAC?

HVAC - which means "Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning" - is a climate control unit for the home.

Those are its three fundamental functions for thermal comfort, indoor air quality, and efficient operational costs. They are an essential part of our homes, not to mention office buildings and schools.

One Stop Climate Control Shop

A Trane HVAC is a "packaged" system that provides a full solution. It is comprised of an evaporator, condenser and compressor working in unison.

These units have been developed to provide all necessary heating and cooling equipment in a central location.

Trane offers four types of these packaged systems: heat pump, air conditioner, hybrid fuel, and gas/electric.

Energy Efficiency

Over the past few decades, HVAC manufacturers have attempted to make their systems more energy efficient. This is both desirable to the customer and financially helpful to the manufacturers. The improvements have also been driven by energy costs spinning out of control and environmental concerns.

The Trane company and their HVAC units have been at the forefront of these developments, making some of the most energy efficient HVAC units on the market.

Each packaged system has its own benefits and even quirks.

Criticisms

Though not common, some Trane customers complain about multiple TXV value failures on their systems within a relatively short period of time.

More frequently, however, is feedback from those who seem to experience what is known in the industry as the "dirty sock syndrome." This is where bacteria that accumulates on heat pump inner coils release an unpleasant odor as temperatures outside go under 40 degrees.

All in all, though, Trane has managed to maintain its earned reputation as a leader in producing a high quality HVAC system.