An "Outsiders' Newsflash: Hard to be Hopeful...While being Witness to Horrific Scenes out of Ferguson Missouri

While on the "Social Grid",   this was posted by a Facebook Friend calling for friendship & love..which I hope we will all remember:



This is as America is witness to horrific scenes out of Ferguson Missouri in the aftermath of the shooting of Michael Brown.   A local Radio Station has been broadcasting this live..and it is horrific:

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On the Dawn of a New Day...A "Thought 4 the Day" :-)

..and as a new day dawns here in "outsiders", A beautiful thought 4 the day from the Great Rumi--may we be ever so blessed:

Words & Ideas Can Change Our World.....

While on the "Social Grid" tonight, a Facebook Friend noted how his Page "exploded" on the death of Robin Williams who passed away today.  But this simple yet profound thought was ever so evident in my mind which drove me to launch this labor of love: Outsiders and have a firm belief in it--one way I hope to continue to be the "Change" as Gandhi Ji taught us all:

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Onward!!

On a "Virtual Stroll Around the World " For the Day: An Interesting Day

Robin Williams was found dead of an apparent suicide today.    At first, I though it to be a hoax--but when I saw reports from France24, i24News From Israel and Al Jazeera confirming what came out of Marin County, I was frankly shocked.   It is sad to see anyone perish.

As I made the rounds on the "Social Grid",  I saw this:

Post by Mike Pouraryan.

This is the crew of the Iranian Airliner that crashed in Tehran in a residential neighborhood as it took off from Mehrabad Airport.  I have flown in those planes and it is an absolute death trap.   I hope their death is not in vain--there have been too much death already as the crippling sanctions have taken a heavy toll on Iranians.    It was with great joy as I read Mr. Rouhani visibliy angry during a meeting with Iranian Ambassadors as he told the dead-enders in the Country who are "afraid" to basically "go to hell..and hope they find a warm place".   He called them cowards.  It was gratifying to see that at least he came out swinging against them all.

What I find also interesting is the latest out of Iraq.    It was a welcome development (also welcomed by the White House) --but Maliki said he would sue the Iraqi President and apparently the Iraqi Supreme Court has said that Maliki does not need to go anywhere.    This is as the thugs from the so-called Islamic State Gang continue their advance towards Baghdad and engaged the Kurds up North.   It is an increasingly difficult situation with no apparent solution in sight.   The right in the United States is clamouring for intervention yet again--and noting that the US should have never left.  Although the Status of Forces agreement negotiated by the Bush (II) Administration left the Obama Administration left virtually no choice.   Being everywhere is clearly not an answer.

There is one bit of good news at least:  The latest ceasefire in Gaza appears to be holding for now.   But the day after is yet to be clearly defined by all parties.  i24News is reporting that the two sides are close to a deal.    However, Israel is also blasting the appointment of a commissioner to investigate abuses in Gaza.  I have seen reports that George Clooney's Wife-To-Be, Amal Alamuddin, is part of a 3-Person Panel to investigate the abuses--however she has refused to serve on it citing her existing work commitments.    The "Social Grid" was abuzz about the real motives behind her backing out after the fact that she had made her reputation in the field of Human Rights defending the likes of Julian Assange.  H opefully this report will not suffer the same fate as the Goldstone Inquiry which Israel destroyed--and it appears that it is to do so here and now with its stance.    One such sense of the truth was depicted in this by a Facebook Friend:

Post by Abouzar Headyeh.

Israeli Pro-Government commentators and spokesmen are already pushing the narrative

It has been a very challenging day.   It is not easy to live up to this admonition while being witnessing to such thuggery around the World--but Gandhi Ji Reminded us to be the change we want to see in the World:  

Onward..with a continued sense of hope !! :-)

View of the Week: On a Challenging World over the past few days....

Madeline Albright, the former US Secretary State, noted how our World is right now:  A Mess.    The so-called thugs of the Islamic State have taken over Iraq's Biggest Christian City, are within striking distance of Erbil and already have enough forces inside Baghdad to really fight for Iraq.    Saddam former Vice President's admonition that they will "liberate" Baghdad is not to be taken lightly.   What is tragic is how in the name of Faith, they are undertaking acts that are contrary to a sense of humanity.

As I write this, the latest Gaza ceasefire is only in name only.   The Palestinian Delegation has threatened to leave Cairo unless the Israeli Delegation returns to Cairo.    Israel has refused to continue to negotiate unless the rockets stop.   i24News from Israel is reporting that the Israeli Prime Minister is under pressure from the so-called right-wing in his coailition to basically finish the job--crush Hamas or take over Gaza yet again.    What they don't realize is the day after as more thuggish fools are waiting in the wings.    It is interesting, though, that the Israeli Foreign Ministry has come up with an idea for an International Monitoring Force for Gaza and Tzipi Livni has also been pitching a peace plan to the Israeli Prime Minister.     It will go on for a while as the Israeli Prime Minister just said that "Hamas won't wear us down"  .     The right wing's pronouncement was noted in this Real News Report clip: 


Deputy Speaker of Israeli Knesset Calls for Expulsion and Jewish Reoccupation of Gaza
Max Blumenthal tells Paul Jay that Moshe Feiglin's program is part of a growing incitement to genocide against Palestinians
Go to story | Go to homepage

As Hamas and Israel are at each other's throat,  if only all remembered this admonition:

Will this truth be embraced?  That's the ultimate challenge--As reports of a new truce have just emerged out of the Middle East.   

As Iraq Burns....

The reports coming out of Northern Iraq are absolutely horrific.     This was shared courtesy of the Financial Times Borzou Daragahi:



The narrative is in Kurdish.   However, the scenes of the desperate Yazidis is heartbreaking to watch. This is as Haaretz has reported that scores of Yazidi women have been kidnapped by the Islamic State to potentially be married off to the Islamic State Thugs.

The thugs of the Islamic State are threatening Irbil and a few cities have fallen.   Although the decision by President Obama is a welcome one, it is simply not enough as this profound tragedy continues to unfold.  But Vijay Prasad noted that the Islamic State will have a fight on its' hands as it decides to take on the Peshmerga:

When Islamic State engage YPG/PKK corridor for Yazidis to escape to Syria, this is who they'll face. pic.twitter.com/X0bEPwf3WM
— Vijay Prashad (@vijayprashad) August 9, 2014

View of the Week: On the Rising Inequality// The View From Standard & Poors

Standard & Poors has just issues a tough report which should cause some concern for all--whether this will be headed is another profound question @

The Global Report From Standards & Poors 

Economic Research:

How Increasing Income Inequality Is Dampening U.S. Economic Growth, And Possible Ways To Change The Tide

05-Aug-2014

View Analyst Contact Information

• Table of Contents

The topic of income inequality and its effects has been the subject of countless analysis stretching back generations and crossing geopolitical boundaries. Despite the tendency to speak about this issue in moral terms, the central questions are economic ones: Would the U.S. economy be better off with a narrower income gap? And, if an unequal distribution of income hinders growth, which solutions could do more harm than good, and which could make the economic pie bigger for all?