6/02/2014

Thought For the Week: on "The Dash" :-)

A new month is at hand.      I wanted to begin a new month with this wonderful little poem about life and hope that the almighty grants me the strength and the courage to live up to it by being ever so courageous:

The Dash
by Linda Ellis
I read of a man who stood to speak
at the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
from the beginning…to the end.

He noted that first came the date of her birth
and spoke of the following date with tears,
but he said what mattered most of all
was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time
that she spent alive on earth
and now only those who loved her
know what that little line is worth.

For it matter not, how much we own,
the cars…the house…the cash.
What matters is how we live and love
and how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard;
are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left
that can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
to consider what’s true and real
and always try to understand
the way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger
and show appreciation more
and love the people in our lives
like we’ve never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect
and more often wear a smile…
remembering that this special dash
might only last a little while.

So when your eulogy is being read
with your life’s actions to rehash,
would you be proud of the things they say
about how you spent your dash?

5/31/2014

On the "Virtual Hunt": Brief Thoughts 4 the Week-End

It is another busy Week-End of research & planning.     It was also an disheartening week as my eldest Aunt passed away.    Najmeh Javad Najafi was a scholar, a person of faith and someone who served Iran in many ways and epitomized this with her two books she published in 1953:  Persia is My Heart and a Wall and Three Willows.  As she's laid to rest on Tuesday in Chatsworth California, her legacy of service will live on.   

As I reflected upon the month that was, I could not help but remember what Richard Nixon noted as he resigned the Presidency.  He reflected upon how as one has been to the deepest valleys, can one be very much appreciative of the highest mountains one could be.   It is ever so that what is here and now can be appreciated and how a sense of togetherness and tenacity should be what must define our lives.

The challenges before me--taxes, dealing with Insurance companies & medical bills, continuing a rebuilding process which seems never ending--is at times disappointing.     That's why I am very appreciative whenever I see the predicament of all who seek out my help and guidance.   Just in the past two weeks alone, I had students of mine reach out telling harrowing stories that just broke my heart.  One of them was 9 months pregnant as she separated from her spouse.  Another one had her nephew killed in a drive-by-Shooting.   Another one just noted that she had lost her Mother, had cancer while continuing to figure out how to juggle two jobs.   It is such stories that continues to affirm my faith and drives me ever so determined to serve.

As the Virtual "Hunt" is ever so in full swing,  here is a "Virtual Treat" of some Ted Talk from http://www.ted.com  for all to enjoy in additoin to a number of admonitions to remember:

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11 must-see TED Talks

Here's a primer on TED Talks, featuring 11 classic talks on the range of topics you'll find on TED.com.Watch »
Total run time 3:08:31 


 

If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up.
Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.
- Michael Jordan

When one door closes, another opens.
But often we look so long, so regretfully,
upon the closed door,
that we fail to see the one that is opened for us.
- Helen Keller

It doesn't matter if you try and try and try again, and fail.
It does matter if you try and fail, and fail to try again.
- Charles Kettering

Courage and perseverance have a magical talisman,
before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish into air.
- John Quincy Adams

5/30/2014

On Iran: A Paradox (A View of the Week)


A "Working Week-End" begins to gear up for june 2014. A Facebook Friend passed on this brilliant and beautiful talk by the ever insightful Scholar Dr. Abbas Milani on the Paradox that is Iran today:

5/29/2014

A "Thought 4 the Week": Staying Strong


A Brief Reminder to remain every so strong despite all the challenges.....

On Our World: Brief Notations


As we bid farewell to May 2014, this was gratifying to observe: [HTML3456] [/HTML] The people of Egypt had the courage to express their sense of dissatisfaction after 2 years of represssion as Sisi engineered his way to the top. He has promised the World, though--and one wonders if he's able to deliver. It was also of interest to assess President Obama's new vision on Foreign Policy that he delivered at West Point. He tried to inject a sense of realism into the new realities while seeking to underscore that the United States will continue to play a preeminent role in World Affairs. This is as he also announced a total drawdown by 2016 and how he underscored the fact that it will be up to the Afghans. It will be curious to see how the new President of Afghanistan will deal with the issues. Karzai, in the meantime, is having a great time making the rounds as he attended Indian Prime Minister Modi's inauguration. Another pivotal player has been Iran--a particular focus here in "Outsiders". Iran is continuing on-going discussions with the P5+1 folks at the technical level and The Foreign Minister continues to be ever so optimistic. It is nice to be optimistic--however the proof will be in the agreement. This is as some facebook users were sentenced to a combined 128 years in Prison. As such, the struggle to transform Iran seems to be as slow as ever. Europe, also, has undergone a profound political Earthquake as the Eurospectics swept the elections. The National Front in France won 24 seats in the European Parliament. The UK Independence Party scored similar victories throughout the UK. [LINK=http://www.france24.com/en/20140529-young-anti-far-right-protesters-urge-france-wake/] It was quite a scene to see an estimated 4,000 French Students as they urged France to "wake up". [/LINK] Hopefully the people of Europe will wake up in realizing that they are better off together than apart as their broken economies are finally beginning to mend after a very tough and challenging five years as exemplified by a recent report on Spain by the IMF. Beyond the Continent, there is the continued insurrection in Ukraine. It was extremely shocking to read accounts of a Ukrainian Helicopter being shot down by Rebels that saw 14 soldiers--including a well-regarded General--killed. The new President-Elect of the country has vowed to crush the "bandits" of the East. The road ahead will be long and hard. It is not easy to be inspired and encouraged as one assesses the World as May 2014 enters the dustbin of history. But, there is little choice but to stay hopeful and inspired: Also on "http://www.outsiderviews.com" released 5/2014

Thought 4 the Week: On Being a Rainbow as Maya Angelou Reminds Us All...

Prepare yourself so that you can be a rainbow in somebody else's cloud. - Maya Angelou (1928-2014), American Renaissance Woman
A wonderful tribute courtesy of the team @ GiveMore :-)
May the almighty bless us ever more in this--especially as one of the rainbows of our family passed away today who did her utmost to be a rainbow for us all--May the almighty bless you ever more Najmeh Joon....

View of the Week: On the State of the Internet & the Future

When Mary Meeker Speaks, the World Listen!! She spoke @ Re/Code and it is ever so insightful as ever: