The Need to be a "Phoenix"

I was thinking about this statement today as I was working on initiatives.     It is, frankly, easier said than done when one has to be faced with the challenge of rebuilding from scratch.   But, the beauty of the possibilities is in rising like the Phoenix from the Ashes--to be resilient.

As The Week-End Looms.....

& Remembering this admonition from Emerson:

To laugh often and much;

to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children,

to leave the world a better place,

to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived,

this is to have succeeded.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

The wild ride of Anwar Ibrahim - Features - Al Jazeera English

I hope he wins: The wild ride of Anwar Ibrahim - Features - Al Jazeera English

V-Thought 4 the Week: Secrets of the World Class

Enough Said..hope visitors enjoy!! :-) Secrets of the World Class

A "Thought 4 the Week" As the New Week is Before US...

A "Thought 4 the Week-End": The Need 2 Smile

It has not been the best of weeks around the World.    Between the aftermath of Boston, potential use of Chemical Weapons use in Syria, the tragedy in Bangladesh and  the on-going interfaith warfare in Nigeria--there is not much to smile about.   But I see no other choice because we have to retain a sense of optimism.    I always pray daily that this sense of optimism is not in vain.

Onward to the week-end....May we always remember these admonitions........

A smile is a curve that sets everything straight.

- Phyllis Diller

Every time you smile at someone,

it is an action of love,

a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.

- Mother Teresa 

Let my soul smile through my heart

and my heart smile through my eyes,

that I may scatter rich smiles in sad hearts.

- Paramahansa Yogananda

Notations From Around the Middle East

As the political moves in the Middle East continues, my mind drifted to the average man on the street.   I continue to think about Gaza and the continued siege.    I saw this clip about the plight of one family from Gaza:



As Secretary Kerry tries to get the so-called Peace Process back on track, I have to wonder whether he is able to make the Israelis understand the true nature of the challenges being faced.   I wonder if he has the courage to lend voice to the ordinary men and women.      The President did acknowledge this during his trip--words is simply not enough, though.    This is as Israel continues to push Iran as the new "devil" in the midst.

As for Iran, there is a Presidential Election scheduled for June 14.    I caught a glimpse of some of the characters who are making some interesting noises.   But, the key internal opposition leaders continue to be under house arrest.    According to sources within the Green Movement, it has been over 800 days since their arrest.   Mir Hossein Mousavi and Zahra Rahnavard were recently taken to see the brother of Zahra Rahnavard who is a avid and strong supporter of Khameini, the leader of the Revolution.     Zahra Rahnavard, the wife of Mir Hossein Mousavi, was reputed to have said to security agents: "..if you think you will get to us by not letting us see our Children, you are sadly mistaken...".   The daughters of Mir Hossein Mousavi have been prevented from seeing their parents for two months to punish them for being the voice for their parents.  One of the daughters and her husband have divorced due to the pressures.  

The World This Week: Reflections

I begin this latest edition of the "Outsiders" World Watch with Bangladesh.   There has been a massive building collapse that has seen over 1000 people injured right now.   Britain's SkyNews is interviewing Gareth Jones of OxFAM on it.   I could not believe that the warnings were there and that over 5,000 people were working there.   They were all subcontractors working for major high-end clothiers around the World--including Britai.   Gareth Jones noted that 35,000 people head into Bangladeshi Cities every month.   How The Government deals with it is a profound challenge.

What I continue to be fascinated by is what continues to happen in Iran.   I laughed when I reviewed the transcripts of the interview Christian Amanpour of CNN did with the Iranian Finance Minister.    The Minister claimed that the sanctions had not broken Iran.   It seems as if he and His President seem to be living in a state of bliss by not realizing what is actually going on.    The Economy is basically in a free-for-all with no apparent end in sight.   One recent report I reviewed noted that over 500 Shoe Outlets had closed their doors in the Province of Isfahan--where Iran's nuclear facility is situated.    This is as the Presidential Elections begin in earnest.

The people who have declared their intentions to run are quite a laughing stock.  They are all establishment figures--including the Son-In-law of Khameini and a former Minister of the Interior.   Khameini came out with a manifesto on how to have the elections conducted.   I suppose one cannot argue with the representative of God on Earth (the official designation of his position as the leader of the Revolution in the current constitution for Iran).   The man to watch, though, is former President Khatami.    He recently gave a speech where he noted how desperate the situation in the Country was.   He noted that even if the Prophet Mohammad came down, he did not have the power to fix things.    Within the context of Iranian politics, it is a profound statement that questions the management of the Country over the past 8 years.    In his speech, Khatami talked about how he handed an economy that was in reasonably decent shape with strong foreign reserves that has been squandered by the sheer incomptenence of the current Government in power in the Country.    The bellicose rhetoric by Iran is allowing the United States to sell 10 Billion Dollars in Arms to Saudi Arabia, The United Arab Emirates and Israel.   This is as Syria continues to burn and be destroyed by the ambition of one man--Bashar Al Assad who is killing so that he does not get killed.    

Beyond the Middle East, there is Europe.    Europe continues to be in recession.    I am awaiting the latest out of the United Kingdom as to whether the UK has gone into recession again.    What is apparently increasingly clear is that austerity is not working.    Christine Lagard of the IMF warned George Osborne, the UK Finance Minister to change course.   It appears that George Osbrone is not hearing them and is bent upon continuing the misguided policies.    As it stands now, Government schemes to cut back but also try and come up with new schemes is simply not working.     The malaise is Europe is continuing with no apparent end in sight.  

Moving on to the Americas, the US political scene is as convoluted as ever.   The sequester is starting to really impact services.    Finger pointing has been going on with no apparent end in sight.     The FAA has been the latest in the crossfire due to the decision it made to furlough Air Traffic Controllers.  The Republicans in Congress accused the Obama Administration of being "imperial".   But, Airlines had already planned for it based on this received from JetBlue:

***********************************************************************

If you’re planning to travel, or know family and friends who are traveling, we'd like to inform you how the recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) sequestration may affect your plans. Due to FAA furloughs, airport and flight delays are possible. While specific details have not been provided, we’ll do everything we can to keep you updated about this matter. As always, our focus will be running a safe and efficient operation for our customers.

Recommendations for travelers:
Allow for more time at security checkpoints
Check your flight status at jetblue.com
Download our mobile app to receive flight notifications
Visit BlueTales for the latest information
We regret any inconvenience you may experience.

Thank you for flying JetBlue – we look forward to seeing you onboard.

Sincerely,

Dave Canty
Director, Loyalty Marketing & Partnerships
**************************************************************
What I also continue to be disturbed by is how the sequester is impacting support for US military families.   I also am a bit distrubed by the rise of hunger strikers at Guantanamo Bay.    More than half the prisoners have gone on hunger strike.    Over 80 of them have been cleared to be released.    Yet, they continue to linger in Prison.  

I conclude this latest "watch" with Pakistan.    The campaign is in full swing.  I saw reports of a debate between Imran Khan and Nawaz Sharif.   I hope Imran wins.  I will have more to say on it as the Elections draws near.

What is clear is simply this:  There is never, ever, ever a dull moment.....

Also released to http:/.www.outsiderviews.com

Will we have the courage to be tolerant & understanding?

“The test of courage comes when we are in the minority.

The test of tolerance comes when we are in the majority.”

~ Ralph W Sockman

Earth Day: It Starts w/Us.....

Earth Day was yesterday.    One of the most poignant of thoughts was from the late Michael Jackson that I saw that I wanted to note and have all be reminded of it--It truly starts with us:

“I really feel that nature is trying so hard
to compensate for man’s mismanagement of the planet.
Because the planet is sick, like a fever.
If we don’t fix it now, it’s at the point of no return.
This is our last chance to fix this problem that we have,
where it’s like a runway train.
And the time has come, This Is It.
People are always saying,
‘They’ll take care of it.
The government’ll–Don’t worry, they’ll–’
‘They’ who?
It starts with us.
It’s us.
Or else it’ll never be done…”

~ Michael Jackson

Onward to a New Week

I spent the week-end at a retreat.  It was a chance to reflect as well especially as I had no access to internet or phone.   Although it is back to reality now as I catch up, it again gave me a moment to be ever more thankful for all that I'm blessed with.  As I got "unpacked", I also took the time to donate blood as well.  They were able to get a "pint".      Hopefully it was a small token to make a difference.

There has been quite a bit going on which I look forward to reflecting upon later on in "Outsiders".  I begin the week with this "Thought 4 the Week":

Self-respect is often mistaken for arrogance

when in reality it is the opposite.

When we can recognize all our good qualities

as well as or faults with neutrality,

we can start to appreciate ourselves

as we would a dear friend

and experience the comfortable inner glow of respect.

To embrace the journey towards our full potential

we need to become our own loving teacher and coach.

Spurring ourselves on to become better human beings,

we develop true regard for ourselves,

and our life will become sacred.

- Osho

Around the World This Week (4/19/2013) : Reflections

The past two weeks has been a very difficult one Worldwide.

I begin with the United States.   On Tax Day in the United States, two bombs went off in the City of Boston during the Boston Marathon.    I was working away when US Media broke away with the breaking news.   It was horrific.   As I write this, there are reports I am monitoring about a gun battle that has been going on in a suburb of Boston.  A Police Officer has been killed while responding to a disturbance at the Campus of MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts.   MIT is a a major University in the Boston, MA area.  Pete Williams of NBC News who has been right on all the reporting so far is reporting on the progress of the pursuit by the FBI on the suspects.  What is clear is that what has been happening in Watertown, Massachusetts  is now connected.     It looks to be a long night as they continue to pursue this.  Something is clearly going on right now.   There is a suspect in custody and the suspect is in custody.    There was a report that the National Guard and the FBI were on the scene and members of the National Guard were going door-to-door to have people stay indoors as the investigation continues.    I was terrified as I saw the videos of the shootings--I couldn't even imagine what the locals were feeling as the MSNBC reporter continued to interview a local witness over Skype.   There are reports that another Police Officer may have died.   There is also further late breaking news that one suspect has died and another one is being sought.   This was just confirmed by a news conference just held.

What has happened in Boston is important to note within the context of the Gun Control Debate.   There was a compromise reached to begin the slow process to transform how to regulate guns in the United States.  It failed--and that failure was shocking to me.     Republican Senators along with 5 Democrats voted to kill the debate on the compromise by US Senator Joe Manchin and Pat Toomey to help transform the registration process.     Gabby Giffords wrote a scathing op-ed for the New York Times that underscores the dept of feelings about the subject.    There is a change that is clearly going on --whether the forces as exemplified by Gabby Gifford, the Newton Parents and Mike Bloomberg.   I wonder whether the death of the MIT officer can further wake up the Country.

While the United States has been in the midst of a number of tragedies (including the horrific scenes in West, Texas), the World beyond the shores of the United States has been also ever more challenging.    

The upcoming Iranian  Presidential Election will also be an interesting struggle.    The only one that seems to be reasonably decent is the former Nuclear Negotiator, Hassan Rohani who worked for the former President Khatami and resigned after the current one who would leave office in a few months.    There are a few others--but it will probably be between Rohani and one of the so-called Conservative players.  They are all establishment figures anyway that first have to pass muster through the Guardian Council.   Iran suffered two massive Earthquakes over the past two weeks.    Thankfully, the Nuclear Plant in the South of the Country was not damaged according to the reports I reviewed.    It would have caused major challenges for the countries of the Gulf.    What was quite scary was that the second one shook everyone from Pakistan to Abu Dhabi.        This past week saw Iran celebrate Army Day.   I caught the parade on Iran's pressTV.     The reporter was amazed by how "new" some of the equipment were.     Although the level of armaments shown were impressive, I was particularly surprised to see a "Drone" on display as the showcasing of current military gear in the Country continued.   I was very disappointed in how the armed forces professed their allegiance to the Supreme Leader--not the Country.     I do find a report that came out this past week noting that sanctions are not working and that a re-think is needed.  This was also affirmed by the US Secretary of State urging the US Congress not to impose new sanctions.  

Beyond the borders of the United States, there is one country that has also been quite extraordinary to observe.    Venezuela had an election that has seen Nicholas Maduro, Chavez's chosen successor, be elected President.  He's slated to be inaugurated.   However, there has also been a determination by the Electoral Commission in Venezuela to audit all returns--a development that the opposition leader has accepted.    The margin is reportedly around 275,000 Votes.    Venezuela matters due to the massive Oil Reserves it has.   One has to see

Beyond Iran, there is Egypt.  I view Iran and Egypt as the two key anchors both in the Middle East and the Muslim World.  As Iran continues to deal with on-going challenges due to the nuclear standoff with the World, Egypt also is continuing its' struggle to recover after the revolution that overthrew Mubarak.   Mubarak has been ordered to again stand trial over corruption and other charges.     The economy, in my view, continues to be on the brink.     Qatar pledged 3 Billion Dollars.    This is as the IMF and Egypt continue to be at a standstill on their negotiations.  In the meantime, there is the problem Egypt continues to have with the Sinai and the continued political instability in the Country due to the standpoint between the Muslim Brotherhood and the secular opposition.    Israel, in the meantime, continues its' policies in the occupied Palestinian Territories       Iran's PressTV is reporting the firing of two new missles from Gaza that landed in Southern Israel.   There has been some firings by factions from Gaza--but the peace has, in large, continued to hold between Gaza and Israel.  New York Times is also reporting a new 10 Billion Dollar Arms deal with Israel, Saudi Arabia and The UAE to counter the perceived threat from Iran.  

There is one more country of focus for this latest World Watch bulletin here in "outsiders".   Pakistan in the midst of a General Election campaign as it continues to deal with a Taliban insurgency that seems to see no end in sight.  Musharaf, the former military ruler, returned to Pakistan thinking that he could lead his party to Parliament.  He has been placed under house arrest until his trial for a number of pending charges against him.    There are two contenders for Prime Minister:   Imran Khan and Nawaz Sharif.    I hope Imran Khan is able to pull it off--We will know within a month what the result is.  The Taliban, in the meantime, continue to wreck havoc on the Country--as they continue to do in Afghanistan.

As we continue to deal with a very unpredictable world, the economic challenge continues to be at the forefront as well.  The sequester has taken hold in the United States and its' full impact is starting to be felt.   I had a chance with someone with intimate knowledge of the impact who briefed me on how military families have been severely impacted by this.    Earnings season is reasonably well.  But job creation has come  to a halt.    Beyond the shores of the United States, though, Europe continues to suffer ever more.     What I find a bit refreshing is an admonition from the head of the IMF, Christine Lagard, who has told George Osborne of the UK that he has to rethink his austerity policy.      George Osborne has not been willing to listen, yet--as unemployment in Britain continues to rise.   The rise in unemployment and continued social fissures it represents continues non-stop in other parts of Europe as well.   Cyprus is the latest in the Euro zone countries to have been bailed out.   Who's next?  Which domino is to fall/  These are all profound questions.    

It is very much a  challenging World.....

Also released to http://www.outsiderviews.com 

A "Thought 4 the Day" In the Aftermath of Boston

A thought never to forget.............

Why I Love Facebook...an Example of How to Do Things Right....

As I continue to work away on on-going daily academic commitments, I ran across this courtesy of Fareed Zakaria about how doing the right thing should be just the way and nothing else:

Fareed speaks with Ratan Tata, who until recently ran the Tata Group – India’s largest conglomerate – about ethics in business.

Zakaria: Tata Sons, the holding company that governs the entire Tata group, is two-thirds owned by charitable trusts, is that right?

Tata: Yes.

Zakaria: Which means that two-thirds of the income that comes from this enormous industrial and services empire goes to charity.

Tata: Yes.

Zakaria: Has that changed the way in which, you know, does that change your perspective on how and why you’re running it?

Tata: Yes, it has. First of all, you know, it runs counter to the general perception that Tatas are a family company and that the proceeds of these industrial operations go to the Tata family. It does not. The family owns about two percent, collectively, of Tata Sons. And the 60s, 65 percent that goes to charity has always been seen as a noble usage of the wealth we have created from our companies, it goes back into education, medical, elevation of poverty or rural development. So, in a manner of speaking, it has always been our driving force that what we’re doing is really for plowing it back to the people of India.

http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2013/04/16/talking-business-and-ethics-in-india/

A "Thought 4 the Day": Goals to Achieve

It was a very nice affirmation for us all to achieve--I sure hope to be able to do so.   I hope to be reflecting these very facts over the ensuing months and years: 10 Goals You Should Accomplish in 10 Years | All Pro Dad

A Plea For Peace: Can it be possible?

Today is a very tragic day for America.     I took comfort in the Words of St. Francis of Assisi as I remembered all those victims and all the victims of violence all around the World that slose their life to senseless acts such as what happened today:

Peace Prayer

Attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi, founder

of the Franciscans (1181–1226)

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace;

where there is hatred,

let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is discord, union;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console,

to be understood, as to understand;

to be loved, as to love;

for it is in giving that we receive,

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born

to eternal life.

Just as 9/11 changed America, the tragedy in Boston will also change how America will be.     When will we wake up and recognize to simply do the right thing? 

Weekly Reflections of An "ordinary face in the crowd"......

It is tax season right now.  This is as there are Economic "headwinds" before us yet again.    This is also as we continue to be witness to challenging times around the World.    North Korea is dominating the headlines--yet I am not as concerned  about North Korea as I am about some of the natural calamities that have befallen us and will.    

Of all the events in a rather eventful week, I view the announcement by Google as quite poignant.   Google has again been at the forefront of transformation of the Virtual World as we know it.    Google has given those of us who have made a conscious effort to have a vibrant "Virtual Life" to have an opportunity to have our legacy live on.     There is a further level of responsibility that comes with it that is every more crucial to recognize.    I hope I will live up to this admonition.      I also subscribe to this view from Bruce Lee that is well worth noting--may we all do our utmost to do our best in this vain.

As I worked away, I had a chance to catch an old movie that I first watched over 22 years ago.   The theme on it particularly stuck me and I very much identified with the key message of it--quite a message:



Onward to a another challenging week while remembering this very admonition--with the prayer that I would work to live up to truly live up to this admonition:   

• 

A "Thought" 4 the Week-End

It is a wonderful thought...if only society sometimes embraced it...

Onward to a very busy week-end:

Though(s) for the Week...To Remember.....

Very poignant...

There are no hopeless situations;
there are only men who have grown hopeless about them.
- Clare Boothe Luce

Sometimes good things fall apart
so better things can fall together.
- Marilyn Monroe

When you say a situation or a person is hopeless,
you are slamming the door in the face of God.
- Charles L. Allen

A little more persistence,
a little more effort, and
what seemed hopeless failure
may turn to glorious success.
- Elbert Hubbard

Remembering a True Hero.....

As the World remembers Margaret Thatcher, I think the world must also remember those selfless souls who have worked tirelessly to make a difference.  One such person who lost her life was a 25-Year Old US Diplomat who was killed in a suicide bomb attack in Afghanistan while delivering books along with 4 other US soldiers and officers to a grade school library.    I am just listening to her Parents talking with CBS News' Wyatt Andrews--and how proud they were.   I think I speak for many to note that all of us are proud of her too.

I wanted to do what I can to remember such heroes.    May her soul  truly rest in peace:

Timeline Photos

بیانیه خانواده دیپلمات آمریکایی که در افغانستان در مسیر تحویل کتاب به یک مدرسه م...See More

By: USAdarFarsi