7/23/2014

A Mid-Week "Mojo" For the Week 2 Share


A Mid-Week "Mojo" to share (Courtesy of the Time @ Foundation for a Better Life) : 




& Visualize your own Greatness as the Publisher of Success Magazine, Darren Hardy Reminded us all:  

"Formulate and stamp indelibly on your mind a mental picture of yourself as succeeding. Hold this picture tenaciously. Never permit it to fade. Your mind will seek to develop the picture...if you paint in your mind a picture of bright and happy expectations, you put yourself into a condition conducive to your goal." -Norman Vincent Peele,  

7/21/2014

On the "Grid": On # Gaza & A Sense of Hope w/a sense of history (Daily Thoughts)

The War continues in Gaza.  As I write this, Israel reported that 6 more Soldiers were killed as Israel continues its' war against the Tunnels.  How Hamas been able to build the tunnels as they have is amazing. Despite all that Israel has done, missiles have again been fired into Israel including a number of them above Tel Aviv.

The cost on Israel is rather staggering:  32 Million Dollars a Day  Furthermore, every Iron Dome Missile Fired is an estimated 50,000 Dollars.   The Israeli Prime Minister visited the border and underscored his determination to continue the war.   The problem is that it is undermining Israel's position.   Diplomatic Efforts are also continuing as the Secretary of State has left for Cairo.  A tweet from "Outsiders" was  sent to the State Department Spokesman wishing them much success--for the sake of all who are suffering right now. Right now, i24News is interviewing Maha Mehanna in Gaza to get a sense of a true sense of the terrible realities on the ground.


What is tragic and unfortunate is that all sides (including the Palestinians) bear responsibility.    Marwan Bishara of Al Jazeera underscored this in his very perceptive analysis here which I also noted in a tweet earlier:


Gaza 1994-2014: The peace that led to war - Opinion - Al Jazeera English


The insanity is set to continue for a while yet.   But,  this  from One Voice reflects a sense of hope about the art of the possible:

View image on Twitter





7/19/2014

View of the Week: On the Grid For the Week-End in #Gaza, The Media & Other Thoughts

The war in #Gaza continues with no apparent end in sight.   There are some startling statistics that were reported on early on Twitter: 
It was quite interesting how the Institute for Palestine Studies remembered #Madiba on Mandela Day: 





What is quite refreshing is how some of the leadings lights in Israel are noting how this war that was unleashed will hurt Israel in the long-term because of the challenges it represents.   Israeli Soldiers have already died.   It was quite startling to hear how much it is actually costing the Israel to fire each Iron Dome Rocket and the daily cost of the War that seems to be expanding by the day.   Israel does not have much time politically and it continues to undermine Israel's position.    Israel24 is reporting that Hamas has reported on an Israeli Tank being ambushed near Gaza City--and Haaretz just reported sirens in south and central Israel.    This is as some of the realities of life in Palestine today is hard to ignore--which has forced the resistance to continue as it has:




Thankfully the Web and the Grid is able to provide some sense of the reality on the ground.  However, with the pending FCC decision to change the rules, who knows what happens.   Comcast--that owns NBC--made a move to reassign Ayman Mohyeldin after he witnessed the 4 Children being killed and was reassigned.  After an outcry, the decision was made to send him back into Gaza.   It underscores that the US Media has lost all sense of credibility.   Thankfully, there are outlets such Israel24 that are trying to present probably the most realistic view at hand.     The eminent scholar Professor Dabashi reflected on it on his Facebook Page: 


A journey of peace and brotherhood is an impossible journey right now especially as all are trying to gain an advantage--but to what end.   Code Reds continue to be going off throughout Southern and Central Israel.       There is no other choice though and Tony Robbins reminded us all: 




7/17/2014

On A Challenging World: Brief Thoughts 4 the Day

It has been a very tragic day around the World.   Malaysia was subject to another tragedy today as 290 people perished when #MH17 was shot out of the air.     #NDTV of India just interviewed a couple in Amsterdam who was slated to be on the ill-fated flight.   There is a lot of finger pointing so far and no one seems to know yet--although this that Mashable reporting on was quite disturbing:




The War between Israel and Hamas has entered a new phase as Israeli forces have entered Gaza ostenibly to destroy the tunnels--but it is probably bound to expand further.  The ordinary Gazan is paying a profound price as ever so depicted by the gifted Iranian artist Golrokh Nafisi "Termeh".   This is a beautiful depicition of the 4 young souls who perished when the Israeli Navy shelled the beach in Gaza City as they were playing Soccer/Football.  Professor Dabashi of Columbia was good enough to share this with the World as he released it to his Facebook page earlier tonight: 



 

As the World is able to see this live feed from Gaza @
 http://www.aa.com.tr/live1/gaza-live.html, one wonders when will this insanity stop?   

A "Thought 4 the Week"



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Your laughter will inspire the world today. Let it ring loudly and often.
Your thankfulness will give life its beauty today. Your love makes the entirety of existence worth all the trouble.
Your actions will make life richer today. Your thoughts and words and feelings will bring new substance to the wonder that is life.
Your awareness will inform and improve things. Your curiosity will make a whole new set of experiences possible.
Whatever you do will matter very much, going far beyond you and coming back in wonderful ways you cannot even imagine. So do, and do, and do some more, with authentic joy and boundless, delighted generosity.
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7/16/2014

The Transformation of Our World: It has Begun in Earnest.....


The BRICS have made their major move during their Summit in Brazil.   They have created a bank to serve as a counterweight to the IMF and the World Bank.     Despite their internal challenges, it is ever so an important development as we're ever so a witness to a World that continues to change before our very eyes.


 

On the "Virtual Grid" On The War Between Israel & Hamas: Sobering Thoughts

As I write this, Israel and Hamas have agreed to a 5-hour humanitarian truce. This is as journalists were witness to the horror of 4 Palestinian Children being killed by Israeli shelling--but there was also reporting by Israel24 of 13 Hamas fighters being killed as they tried to attack a Southern Israeli Kibbutz through a tunnel: 



Israel24 is reporting that 8,000 reservists have been called up. Al Jazeera provided a very nice histogram of the reality that has transpired over the past five years: Gaza: A History.  Yet it seems as if the voices of the ordinary Palestinians is not being heard.

What is ironic is how the World has been witness again and again.   Queen Raina's words 5 years ago was ever so evident as the World had a muted reaction to the plight of the children: "..either the declaration is not universal..or Gazans are not human... Our Humanity is incomplete when children are victims of military operation" :




As the ceasefire is going into effect, Mahmoud Abbas has become ever so irrelevant. He's supposed to be going to Cairo on Thursday to see the Egyptian President. But the Middle East Monitor depicted his role and it is a rather chilling one:



The devastation of the past 9 days was outlined in such detail by the Norwegian Doctor who has been serving in Gaza tending to the wounded:


As the debate ensues, though, the emminent Scholar Professor Hamid Dabashi wrote an admonition to us all not to condemn all the Jews and gave a call to action to all to remember:


Post by Hamid Dabashi.

No one seems to have an answer to  the devastating reality of Gaza that was noted by Jon Stewart : 




The only refuge that Gazans seem to have is in UNRWA facilities which is now full to capacity.  I saw a report about UNRWA being hit.    As Jon Stewart noted, the World has gone mad.

As I assessed how futile it all has been so far, I took comfort in this admonition from Audrey Hepburn: “For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness;and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.”