Thru Other Eyes

Today's Moment of Zen

I just had to turn off the news. The world can wait a day. Felt the need for a feel-good moment so I quickly put a soundtrack under this video my dear friend Simonne sent to me. If it doesn't warm your heart... well you know the drill... see a heart specialist cuz somethings wrong. Oh yeah, I stole the title of this post from the Jon Stewart Show.

Photo of the Day

Feb 28 2009

Schiphol Airport, Terminal 3 @ 7.45AM

Amie (right) and Hairi (obviously left - Amie's good friend visiting from Malaysia) about to go thru customs on way to 'singles' weekend in London with a group of friends. Don't know if it was the early hour and my eyes weren't yet focused, my age and the hand is not so steady, or just the inconsistency of the mobile fone, but it all seems a little blurry to me. 

I know that no matter where one lives, there are interesting places within an hour's flight, but I have always gotten a kick living in Europe being only one or two hours flying (or 2 - 6 hours train) away from so many different, interesting, old, historically important and culturally diverse capital cities.

You don't see many people in the background either. Can anyone say, "recession?"

Photo of the Day

Prins Bernhardplein, Amsterdam @ 10.30 AM
Looking in one direction, beyond the train tracks entering the Amstel Station is the mist shrouded Rembrandt Tower, the international HQ of Philips. Having seen their stock price tank by 50% in a year and their 2007 $4 billion profit turn into a 2008 $186 million loss, the view from the executive suites is probably figuratively always gray and misty in these days of financial and economic crisis.

Turning in the other direction from the same spot is the neon ticker on the offices of the Financieele Dagblad ('Financial Daily' - the Netherlands' version of the Wall Street Journal). Here we see the near daily bloody slaughter of the once venerable and rock solid ING (and AEGON and other financials) on the Euronext stock exchage.

"How bad will it get?" we ask ourselves every day.

Photo of the day - Feb 26, 2009

Hartog's Boterham (sandwich shop) @ 10.45 AM
Wibaustraat 77; Amsterdam

Newest addition to the famous Hartog's Volkoren bakery. The bakery has been in business since 1896 and continues to bake only whole wheat bread products according to the original recipes from founder Aagje Hartog. They even grind their own wheat right in the bakery. This prize winning bakery has never expanded into a chain and thanks to its original artisan quality and sphere is very successful serving 1400 customers a day! The new sandwich shop is the best value for money in town for a delicious sandwich, coffee or fresh juice.

Two Images of America. Which Do You Like?

I hope you also watched Obama's address to Congress (see transcript or video) and perhaps Jindal's response as well (see transcript or video). Obama presented a powerful vision of one possible future America. It was honest about today while challenging us about tomorrow. It was hopeful, at times inspiring, quite energetic and at certain moments very emotional. But that's what we have become used to with Obama.

My favorite part

Taking Chance Home and John, Too

Obama’s administration brings with it the expectation that America’s misadventure in Iraq will finally begin to end sometime soon. At the same time, the number of US troops in Afghanistan is about to increase.Two events remind me that one’s feelings about these wars must not tarnish the affection and respect that those who die fighting in them deserve.

A few days ago I was alerted by a Facebook friend (thanks David T) to the sad story of John Roberge, 22 years old, who along with three comrades was killed on February 9 in a suicide bombing in Mosul, Iraq. John Roberge came from Leominster, Massachusetts, my hometown. And although I left Leominster long before he was even born, reading of his death and especially of his homecoming touched me deeply. I knew the streets, the street corners and squares that his funeral procession passed along. My friend David, who still lives ‘back home,’ wrote on Facebook of going to the candle light vigil to pay his respects along with thousands of other area residents.

It wasn’t always that way.

And let the games... STOP!

Tuesday, President Obama will sign the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into law. Then it’s ‘waiting to exhale’ as we see if it will have any significant effect over the next couple of years. In the meanwhile, the sub-text of this bill, ‘the making of’ if you will, deserves close and critical scrutiny. The last several weeks have seen a scary and disgusting display of everything that is wrong with our congressional representatives in general and the Republican caucus in particular.

No one denies the gravity of the crisis facing the global economy. It is compared to the two worst episodes in modern economic history – the Great Depression and Japan’s lost decade. Depending on who is talking, we are either repeating the mistakes of those two catastrophes or we have learned the lessons. The stimulus bill is either way too large or not nearly expansive enough. The spending share is too much, or too little; the tax cuts take in an excessive portion of the total or not nearly enough.