Thru Other Eyes

When Washington Shuts Down

Thanks to a huge snowstorm, Washington, D.C. has come to a total standstill. Is Mother Nature providing us with a metaphor that we need to listen to?

On Saturday's New York Times website I saw these two introductions to two opinion pieces:

 

Regardless of what one thinks of the New York Times or its regular columnists - you don't even have to read these columns, I haven't - one can't deny the truth of the overall points that Collins and Herbert are apparently making. 

Time is indeed perhaps running out on the economy – short, intermediate and long term – and the legislative branch of government, with the Senate deliriously far in the lead, has become totally dysfunctional. And it is not functioning primarily due to the dysfunctional behavior of its members. That our representatives and senators can behave the way they do - while the country is in the throes of many serious crises, all with long term implications - is absolutely reprehensible. It’s outrageous. It’s hard to believe that our elected congresspeople have slid so far. But they have. 

National crisis and a dysfunctional Congress. Not a pretty combination. But worse than that, yes, there is something worse than that. 

My wishes for 2010

I want to wish each of you and all who are dear to you a most wonderful 2010! May it be a year of health, happiness, good fortune and spiritual discovery.

My wish for 2010 is that each of us will look inside, or as Micheal used to sing, let's each start with the 'man' in the mirror and ask ourselves, "How can I change in order to bring the change that I seek into my world?"

My wish for 2010 is that each of us will break free of whatever shackles hold us back from fulfilling what we truly want to fulfill, perhaps even what we are destined to fulfill.

Each of us know or at least I hope feel somewhere deep down inside, that when it comes to overcoming the immense challenges that collectively face us all, "what got us here, ain't gonna get us there." In fact, "what got us here" has created the threats and challenges we find ourselves now facing.

We are not prisoners of our past, not individually nor collectively. Nor are we prisoners of some dark side of our inherent 'human nature.' Things will always be the way they have always been only if we choose them to be. We each have experienced in our own lives and certainly seen in the lives of others, that the more cruel aspects of our 'human nature' can be overcome.

Whether we consider ourself religious, spiritual or just a simple collection of genetic material, we know from our own lives and from so many examples around us that love, caring, compassion and giving raise us individually and collectively to a place far removed from the self-destructive sides of our 'human nature.'

Don't look to others to start first. Don't look to others to be the 'leaders.' Each of us is a leader and each of us is a hero. But, only if we want to be and only if we choose to be.

Let's create a 2010 of peace, love, compassion and caring: in our own lives, in our families, in our workplaces, in our streets, in our communities, in our countries and in our world. Believe me, it is possible. But you have to believe it too.

I love you.

Thought of thanks giving

Today I am in the USA to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family. The day inevitable leads to the question, "What am I grateful for?"

Oprah popularized the concept of a daily 'gratitude journal' which is a great idea but is something I do not do (although perhaps I will give it a try) and I suspect it is something that most people do not do. It is handy then to have a day like Thanksgiving when we take the time to pause and consider the blessings in our lives.

Today I feel grateful for all the love and friendship I have been so fortunate to experience in my life. In particular, I am grateful for the love and friendship I am privileged to share with that special person the universe has hooked me up with. But I am also grateful "to all the folks I've loved before..."

I am grateful for all the trials, tribulations and suffering the universe has placed on my path because it always has come with the strength, perseverance and most of all sheer luck to come out the other side a perhaps battered but surely more humble, compassionate and wiser human being.

But this year, perhaps I am most grateful that for whatever reason or with whatever purpose, the universe has helped me learn two powerful truths: "the greatest quality is seeking to serve..." and "to whom much is given, much is expected." Thank you universe and many friends and strangers who have helped me experience the power of these truths and for giving me the where-with-all to further explore what these truths will mean for my life.

Happy Thanksgiving. Whether you celebrate this holiday or not, where ever you are, I hope it is a day of love, friendship and gratitude for you and all who are dear to you.

On The Road Again

  As much as I love Wille Nelson's rendition of 'On The Road Again', I love even more being on the road again myself. During my 4 week absence you can follow my travels to Cambodia and Laos at Leonard's Trail.

Be well in the meanwhile and happy trails wherever your road leads you.

Twittelleh

This is too funny! I am also gonna give up my Twitter account and move over to Twittelleh!

My Thoughts on Rosh Hashanah 2009

(Note: if you'd like some appropriate background music click here.) 

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, heralds the beginning of the Ten Days of Awe. These ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, are a time of intense introspection as we contemplate our deeds in the year passed and according to tradition prepare ourselves for God's judgment.

Jewish tradition says that on Yom Kippur, God irrevocably seals our fate for the coming year in the Book of Life. As is recited in one of Rosh Hashanah's important prayers the Unetanah Tokef, "On Rosh Hashanah it is written, and on Yom Kippur it is sealed."

It is in these 10 days of awe that we have the chance to intervene in the fate that God provisionally has in mind for us: "On Rosh Hashanah it is written, and on Yom Kippur it is sealed." On Rosh Hashanah one could easily descend into total panic. "Oh my, look at this list of all the things I have done: the times I hurt someone's feeling, gossiped, lied, cheated, cut corners with my own morality, let others down, didn't do as much as I could have to help someone, didn't give as much as I should have to the poor and needy, didn't care as much as I should have about someone's welfare... And now only ten days to change my fate! How?!! How??!! How??!!!!"

"To whom much is given, much is expected."

  A short thought as I watch the moving, touching, sad and funny memorial for Ted Kennedy.

"To whom much is given, much is expected." That ideal inspired Ted Kennedy's life and deeds. It was perhaps the very fundament of his belief and values system. It was certainly the well-spring of his political success. I too should try harder to live by that credo. Not because I have so much, but because so many have so little.

Thank you Teddy for this lesson also.

My Thoughts on Ted Kennedy

 The Kennedy family has put up a beautiful website about the Senator's life and about the events and arrangements leading up to his burial in Arlington National Cemetery. There are also tributes and a place where people can add their own thoughts or stories. I just shared this on that website and I would like to share it here:

In 1960 I was five years old but it wasn't too many years later, around the time I was 11 or 12, a year or so before becoming Bar Mitzvah, that I was already becoming quite politically aware and even involved.

And I grew up in Massachusetts in a Democratic family.

My political, social and perhaps even moral development was impacted and influenced by the Kennedys. And that is the kind of impact and influence that Senator Kennedy has exercised over his 47 year career in public life. That is for me his legacy and message.

By what he has done, by what he has fought for and by how he has fought those fights Senator Kennedy has helped us learn about fairness, justice and human dignity. And even after his most vulnerable and dark moment of human failings, Chappaquiddick, we have seen how he dedicated most of the rest of his life to repairing the negative karma he knew was his.

That's a sign of the most humble sort of greatness we can strive for as human beings. That's what Senator Kennedy's life, and his sickness and how he marched towards death, will mean to me. He was a great man and his absence would have been felt at any time. He will be even more sorely missed today, in a time when there are so few men like him in positions of leadership.

An Irish blessing: 

May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face.
And rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.

Something new from Thru Other Eyes

I've got a new thing going on my blog and I call it the 'The Daily View'. It's a near-daily quick look at something interesting I come across. Take a look-see.

MJ

 
"I'm Starting With The Man In The Mirror
I'm Asking Him To Change His Ways
And No Message Could Have Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World A Better Place
Take A Look At Yourself, And Then Make A Change"

Do Coincidences Exist in the Middle East?

What do you think? Do coincidences exist or is the timing of certain events just too fortuitous to be random coincidences, especially when one is talking about events in the Middle East? In Dutch, the word for coincidence is 'toeval.' The word can be also read as 'val toe' which loosely translated means falling in(to) place.

Are certain events concerning Iran mere coincidences or are certain things just falling into place? Consider the following three things that all happened to appear in yesterday's news.

American green light for Israeli attack on Iran?
On Sunday, Vice President Joe Biden was asked by George Stephanopoulos, host of ABC's "This Week," about Iran and Israel. He was specifically asked what he thought about Prime Minister Netanyahu's statements that if Obama's engagement with Iran bears no fruit by the end of the year that Israel will take matters into its own hands. A follow-up question addressed the USA's position if Israel were to decide to attack Iran. Biden's answers clearly seemed to be a 'wink-wink' if not an out and out green light for an independent Israeli course of action, even if that included military action against Iran.

Here's the exchange:

Iran Twitter Report - June 30 - July 3

   You have undoubtedly noticed that Iran has pretty much disappeared from the mainstream media. This gives people the incorrect idea that it's all over. Although the government has been very successful in quelling large public gatherings through violence, intimidation and mass arrests it is clear that this thing is anything but over. It has perhaps gone into a new and slow-moving phase where most of the action is behind the scenes. But as many expert commentators have said over the past weeks, it is going to be impossible to get this genie back into its bottle.

So what has happened the last few days? We finally have some news about Persiankiwi, the nighttime chanting continues and according to many is growing still in intensity and there are plans forming for a national strike in the coming week. But the real story at the moment is the continued and by many measures growing split among the country's top clerics and political elite. So that's where we will begin.

Iran Twitter Report - Sunday June 28 & Monday June 29

  (written Monday afternoon, 6.30 PM Tehran time)

Today's round-up includes the gathering at and near the Ghoba Mosque, the reinvigoration of the opposition movement, nighttime rooftop chanting, voter fraud, whereabouts Persiankiwi still unknown, the return of one missing Iranian Twitter with his reports of friend's experience while under arrest and some video links.

Reinvigoration

Yesterday was a different day then the several days before. As you will have certainly heard from the mainstream media, there were once again street demonstrations at and near the Ghoba Mosque. Protesters used the annual memorial celebrations for Ayatollah Mohammad Beheshti who along with dozens of others were killed in an anti-government bombing in 1981 as cover for renewed street presence.

Iran Twitter Report - Saturday June 27

  (Written Sunday afternoon)

Even though the information coming out of Iran via Twitter remained sparse on Saturday there were several things of interest. The mainstream media has largely returned to reporting based on what is available from government sources which in and of itself is a large and unfortunate victory for the government's propaganda machine.

The victory is so big that many people are beginning to assume that the protest movement has been quelled and as one friend said to me on Saturday, "But that thing's over, isn't it?" It is clear that the government's violent campaign against its citizens and the efforts to restrict the flow of information and hunt down and arrest key sources of information has had a significant effect. We have entered a phase best characterized by that philosophical question, "If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make any noise?"

So what was happening on Saturday? We will cover a demonstration by victims' mothers, look at what's happening behind the scenes, we have a few words about the battle for cyberspace and of course an update on Persiankiwi.

Iran Twitter Report - Friday June 26

Today the non-government information flowing out of Iran was even slower than yesterday with little information of substance. That plus the sad death of Michael Jackson has pushed the situation in Iran way down the ladder in the mainstream media. However there are some noteworthy bits. Here is a round-up of what I could glean from Twitter and other web sources.

Green Balloons

Given the extreme violence against protesters in the last couple of days, there was a call on protesters to release green balloons today. It is impossible to know how many people did so as the information flow has slowed from a trickle to a drip-drip. Between the called-for time of 1 PM until 1 AM (both Iran time) I could find only 250 tweets (a posting on Twitter is called a tweet) talking about green balloons and almost all of those were from people outside of Iran. Many contained links to pictures and videos that did make their way out today but after randomly clicking on dozens of the links I could only find four different videos (1, 2, 3, 4) and a handful of pictures.

Iran Twitter Report - Thursday June 25

Something out of the ordinary is going on in Iran today as the information coming out via Twitter and other sources has slowed to a trickle with very little substantive information. At first I thought that maybe I was missing something but even CNN, with their fully decked out Iran desk, confirmed my suspicions:

"The Internet communications that CNN monitors to determine what is happening in Iran, where the government has imposed severe restrictions on international journalists, appeared to have slowed Thursday. It was not clear whether that was because there was less activity or because the government was blocking access."

The Iranian Twitter, Persiankiwi,

Iran Twitter Report - Wednesday June 24

It is now midnight in Tehran and here is the Twitter report for the last 24 hours from the individual I follow most closely. It makes for heavy reading with its eye-witness report of deadly and brutal attacks on people today at Baharestan Square. Also, this Twitter and his group of trusted contacts are apparently now on the run as the authorities seem to be closing in on them. He writes: "we must go - dont know when we can get internet - they take 1 of us, they will torture and get names - now we must move fast." That and two other messages were posted four hours ago and since then nothing more. With only 24 messages today versus his 100 messages yesterday, it is clear that things are getting ever more difficult and dangerous as the regime tightens both the physical and IT noose.

Iran Twitter Report - Tuesday June 23

 I have been closely following the events in Iran for the last week and a half. Unless you have been living in a cave you will know that the mainstream media is unable to report what's going on due to severe government restrictions. All the real news that is filtering out is coming from mostly young Iranians who are risking at best their freedom and at worst their lives to break through the government's information embargo and counteract the propaganda that official government news sources are spreading. They are passing information about events and developments on the ground, planned demonstrations and requests for assistance primarily through Twitter and Facebook. And they are secretly filming and photographing what's happening and uploading this material to Youtube and other websites.

The Twitter reports of those close to the action are unlike anything that we are used to from mainstream media. They are often eye-witness accounts or accounts from people they call trusted sources. Their entries often come in real or near real time and are packed with all the emotions that the person is feeling as they write. It is high human drama, often raw and more often than not since a few days ago full of fear and anxiety.

If you want to know what's really going on from a human perspective then forget the mainstream media and go right to the source. After all, that's what the mainstream media is doing at the moment.

Here is what one of the more authoritative Twitters reported yesterday, June 23, 2009. I am reprinting this person's Twitter activity for those who are not following Twitter or who do not follow this one particular source. Although it is not difficult to trace who this is from, since Twitter is open to all, I am not printing his or her's Twitter name. The time period covered is from 2.30 AM on June 24 back to about 4 AM on June 23:

Queen's Day 2009 in Amsterdam

Here are some pictures from Queen's Day 2009 in Amsterdam. By now you may have heard about the attempted car attack that took place as the Royal Family's bus procession made its way through the city of Apeldoorn. The Royal Family was not hurt but 4 people were killed, another five are still in critical condition and an additional eight are in moderate condition.

In some cities, the Queen's Day festivities were canceled. Amsterdam's mayor decided to allow the festivities to continue as cancellation would have created an enormous public safety challenge with 800,000 people in the city that would have no where to go and all trying to leave the city at the same time. The festivities will end several hours earlier than planned.

Pictures

(click picture to access album)

Queen's Day 2009 Amsterdam

"The First 100 Days"

I almost never do what I just did. I can’t think of when I did it last. But this media frenzy called “The First 100 Days” is so ridiculous that I just had to shut out the news. Given the way so many things are going, we should be talking about the next 100 years and not wasting our time on “The First 100 Days.”

One hundred years from now, probably a lot sooner, we are going to see the moment we are living in for what it is. What we are experiencing and witnessing all around the world may be nothing less than the end of one Age and the beginning of a new Age. Could we passing from what I call the Age of Commerce to what could be called the Age of Man? Just as we once passed from the Age of God to the Age of Commerce.

I don’t know when it began

Gorillas in the Mist

No, I am not talking about Dian Fossey or the film Gorillas in the Mist. I am referring to the painfully embarrassing low level that Israel's politics have reached. And indirectly but by clear proxy, the society that continuously insists on electing these politicians.

When can you begin to get the feeling that a society has regressed; experiencing some kind of reverse moral evolution, arriving at the national moral level of an empty clam shell? (Didn't want to insult the gorillas' level of relative moral development).

What does it say when Israel's previous Prime Minister Olmert was washed out by suspicions, investigations and impending indictments on "charges of fraud, breach of trust and fraudulent receipt of monies"?

What does it say

Random Train of Thoughts - All Aboard

Something happened to me today that reminded me just how strange the brain can sometimes work. And how one thing leads to another. It wasn’t anything big but it was entertaining and mildly enriching.

It all started when I went to clip my fingernails. Usually, I do that after showering. I find it much easier to clip them if they are a bit softened from the warm soapy water. But I had already showered hours ago. 

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.

Victims No More?! - An Open Letter To My Jewish Brothers And Sisters

(This article is somewhat longer than usual; if you prefer, download a printable version here.)

Dear Friends,

Thank you very much for the video you sent me called "An Open Letter To The World From Israel." Here's an open letter in return. Although we have sharply differing views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in general and perhaps even more divergent perspectives on the most recent war in Gaza, my respect and love for you always lead me to listen to your views with an open mind.

The video, with its catalogue of many of the most heinous indignities we Jews have faced through the centuries, is frankly a not very subtle playing of the ‘anti-Semite card.’ Apparently in your opinion - and from what I have seen and heard over the last three weeks, in the opinion of Israel, most of her citizens and much of world Jewry - what we have witnessed in Gaza, the events that led up to it and the reaction of many people and media around the world can best be viewed in the context of age-old and still present global anti-Semitism.

The last few days I have spent a great deal of time thinking very deeply about the significance, value and validity of playing the “anti-Semite card” anno 2009.

The March of History

Just heard this great quote while chatting with a few hundred thousand people from all over the world on the CNN.com/live-Facebook integrated application:

'Rosa Parks sat, so Martin Luther King, Jr. could walk, so Barack Obama could run, so the rest of us could fly!

George Bush Rides Into The Sunset, Not A Moment Too Soon

George, I wish I could say it was fun, but it wasn't. I wish I could say we will miss you, but we won't. Have a good life as you ponder each and every one of the many tens of millions of Americans and other people all over the world who no longer have so much chance for a good life thanks to you and what you have done and let happen. Sweet tortured dreams, my friend.

Happy Trails To You

A New American Dawn, A New Global Hope

Today, is a day for thanks and inspiration as we prepare to welcome tomorrow's dawn.....

Every day brings a new dawn with new chances for hope or despair but tomorrow, January 20, 2009, will be the dawning of a new hope for an America reborn. It is so fitting

Two Things I Wish I Had Heard and One I Wish I Hadn't

Yesterday I would have been a lot happier if I had heard two things coming out of the USA and a hell of a lot happier if I hadn't heard one thing coming out of Israel.

I See What You Don't See

All of a sudden we seem to be further from peace than at any time since the Oslo accords. The war in Gaza has recreated an impenetrable filter through which the two sides see two totally different realities. The light of mutual understanding and other-directed empathy, weak as it has often been, has now totally disappeared into a Bermuda triangle of violence, hate and fear.

I have long known that 'the usses and the thems' of the world will look at the same facts yet see totally different realities and create two totally different narratives. I have recently heard two things from Israel’s side and found two things in my email in-box that have made painfully clear that what Israel and many Jews see when looking outward is totally different from what many others see when looking towards Israel. Why are we caught up in this game of 'I see what you don't see?'

The Hundred Years' War

As those of you who know me know, at times like these my normal news junkie habit becomes an obsession. Perhaps not so healthy but, hey, that's me. Today I read this article in The Economist - "The hundred years' war" - which I can heartily recommend. In fact, I urge you to take a few minutes out of your busy schedule to read this very impartial view on the current war in Gaza in the context of the long-running conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. If you have an outspoken bias towards one side or the other, don't expect any knee-jerk confirmations of any singular point of view. Expect to see the conflict from a broader and more balanced perspective.

Feel free to come back and comment after reading the article.

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Mutual Prayers - Reaching Out To Each Other From Our Spiritual Core

I am tired. Sleepless nights. Tormented dreams. Feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. These are the things I am experiencing in these dark days of suffering, violence and death in the Promised Land.

At the end of a discussion with someone recently, my discussion partner lamented, "This is all so terrible, but what can we do?" We may be at the mercy of our political leaders and we may be imprisoned by the more extreme elements on all sides but there is much that we can do.

We can keep our minds and our hearts open to each other's humanity. We can share our feelings, our thoughts and our opinions. And we can use the courage, the strength and light that emanates from our universal spiritual core to search for common ground.

Allow me to share with you two things I read this morning on the website of the Israeli newspaper Haaretz: "A Jew's Prayer for the Children of Gaza" by columnist Bradley Burston and a reader's reply to his article entitled "A Palestinian's Prayer for Israel/ Beautiful Israel:"

"No Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza." Say What?

There is so much to say about the current war in Gaza, that I have been unable to put how things look thru my eyes into a coherent article. As I watched the ground invasion unfold through the night I followed several international TV news channels from Al Jazeera to CNN to the BBC and Sky as well as keeping up on what several bloggers with phone links to family and friends in the region were reporting.

What I saw and heard was extremely painful and disturbing. Besides the terrible human destruction, I am quite troubled by the absurd things that come out of the mouths of some of the spokespersons on both sides. To be honest, I don't have high expectations when Hamas spokespeople take to the airwaves but I do expect more of the Israelis and I therefore listen more critically to what they say.

Why? First of all, because they are 'my people' and my inclination is to look in the mirror before pointing fingers at others. Secondly, maybe I have more hunger for truth and transparency when an army marches off to take lives because I too have had a hand in this endless cycle of futile violence as an Israeli soldier. And thirdly, if Israel is to claim the moral high ground and present herself to the world as the true victim then the least it can do is to be open and transparent when it comes to her motives and actions. For these reasons I expect Israel to pass at least some minimum test of truth and logic in the press room.

It is one thing to try and win the international PR war with selective information, self-serving interpretation and the occasional mis-information. All sides do that. But it is another to so transparently cover callous feelings and inhumane actions in a deceitful cloak of moral and intellectual dishonesty. And on no point is that more painfully apparent than when Israel claims there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Living Blind In The Promised Land

The events of the past days in Gaza have once again shown us how far we are from peace and how faint the glow of our divine spirit. When will we start living the uplifting parts of our religions and our belief systems? When will this madness end? Who dares to say, "No more!" along with us? After decades of living 'An eye for an eye' have we all truly become blind?

The Patients Have Taken Over the Asylum. Again.

200 and counting! Madness, madness, madness!

      

       

Pictures from upper left: Olmert, Livni & Barak; Palestinian victim today; Israeli victim today; Palestinian fighter; Israeli helicopter gunship; Hamas supporters; Israeli F-16; spent Hamas rocket in Israel

Obama versus McCain in America's Premier Triathalon - The Real Race For the Whitehouse

The election may be over but this video is a must-see if you are looking for something to tickle your funny bone!

That Small Blue Dot

It was today, 40 years ago, that three American astronauts on the Apollo 8 mission became the first of our species to see our planet while orbiting another celestial body. They were the first human beings to escape the gravitational pull of the Earth and enter the gravitational field of another piece of space real estate. The images they broadcast back to us and the now iconic photos they shot of our planet, were the first confrontation we had with our own planet as our vulnerable, lonely life raft in the vast hostile emptiness of space.

A timely moment I thought to watch and re-watch this three and a half minute moving ode to our beautiful and wonderful Earth. The stirring words are from Carl Sagan. Watch it. Share it. Have school kids at home? Watch it with them. Are you an educator? Show it to your students. We are still so far from learning and implementing the lessons it contains.

Be well.

Happy Holiday Season to Everyone!

From my heart to yours! Whatever holiday you celebrate or don't celebrate in the month of December. Best wishes from my heart to yours. I had something serious in the works but that can wait a day or two. I think we all need a little laugh just about now! Be well!!!!!

Auto Industry Bailout or Just "Bail out!"

Instead of stepping up to the plate and throwing the auto industry at least a temporary lifeline, the majority of Senate Republicans, and a few dimwitted Democrats, decided to just bail out; bail out on the American economy, bail out on American workers, bail out on American families and bail out on their grave responsibility as senior representatives of the world's leading economic power in trying times.

What was going on in their heads as America, and indeed the entire world, is suffering the most serious and dangerous economic catastrophe since the Great Depression? How is it possible that it actually took the dumbest and the most lame lame-duck President of the modern era to finally do what they should have done? These senators went gunning for big labor and in their rabid obsession were apparently prepared to send the deteriorating economy off the next big cliff.

Be Grateful

Even though I don't have the chance to celebrate the American holiday Thanksgiving living here in the Netherlands, today is as good a day as any to pauze for a moment and consider the things I am grateful for. With the horrors in Mumbai taking place live on my TV screen, with the worries about staying in my home or ever being able to retire because of the financial disaster taking place, it is more important than ever to take the time to be grateful for all the blessings in my life.

A few days ago I received an inspirational email from my friend Simonne. It made me realize that with all the craziness going on around me, there is still so so much to give thanks for:

If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep you are richer than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.

And if you get this on your own computer, you are part of the 1% in the world who has that opportunity.

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness ... you are more blessed than the many who will not even survive this day.

If you have never experienced the fear in battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation ... you are ahead of 700 million people in the world.

If you can attend a church without the fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death you are envied by, and more blessed than, three billion people in the world.

If your parents are still alive and still married ...you are very rare.

If you can hold your head up and smile, you are not the norm, you're unique to all those in doubt and despair.

Have a good day, count your blessings, and if you want, pass this along to remind everyone else how blessed we all are.

George's Magic Mouth

Thanks but no thanks George. Your words, empty words, cliches, nothing new, 'look and see what we are doing', 'we are on top of it' and all the rest of it just makes things worse. No one, well, almost no one, has any faith in your ability to handle this crisis. When you started your talk this afternoon, the Dow Jones Index ticker in the inset screen was down about 100 points. By the time you finished your ten minute talk, the index was down 195 points. And once you finished and the traders could turn their full attention back to trading the Dow Jones Index was down to minus 210 points within seconds. And now 15 minutes since you shut up the Dow is down 290 points. Nice job mate!

With your approval ratings now at near all-time historic lows of 25% you should know better. And if you don't, then your advisors should know better. You do more damage than good when you open your mouth and nothing comes out except hot air. No one has any faith that we are in good hands with your leadership. Every time you open your mouth, my situation and that of hundreds of millions of other people around the world, just gets worse. The surety that I can stay in my home goes down, my ability to have anything approaching a timely and secure retirement gets less, my feeling of security and well-being gets even shakier.

Why? Because every time you open your mouth, millions, if not billions, of dollars of market value are wiped out of peoples' holdings. It would be comical if were not so serious. You open your mouth, and whammo, net worth starts to evaporate! It's like magic!

George, you just said it yourself: "...anxiety can feed anxiety..." and guess what we are feeling a lot of anxiety about. You guessed it! Your ability to lead us out of this crisis!

Mommas everywhere have always said, "If you don't have anything nice to say, just keep quiet." George, if you don't have anything helpful to say, do us a favor, and just SHUT UP!

Check out CNN's Top Ten Heroes for 2008

She gets my vote. Who gets your's? Check it out!!!

My Ten Days of Awe and Thoughts as Yom Kippur Approaches

 One more day to go. As the sun sets tomorrow night, Jews the world over will usher in Yom Kippur – the Day of Atonement. Yom Kippur is the most austere day in the Jewish calendar, a day when, according to tradition, our individual fate for the coming year is sealed by God in the Book of Life. Yom Kippur is also the culmination of the ten days of awe, the ten day period between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, when we seek forgiveness for the wrongs we have done and recommit ourselves to do better.

I have had a unique Rosh Hashanah and ten days of awe.

Packing!

24 hours and counting! Tomorrow, Sunday the 14th, I leave for Cambodia via Kuala Lumpur. Can't wait! After a one day stopover in KL to rest I will be heading to Phnom Penh for four days and then up to Siem Reap and Angkor Wat for ten days. A great deal of my time in Siem Reap will be spent with my friend Savuth and his family. We'll be talking about how he can further grow his tuk tuk business (see Angkortuktuk.net), touring some of the sights I didn't get to see last year and spending time with his lovely family. In addition I hope to check out many of the non-temple activities, especially visiting many of the great community projects going on. I look forward to sharing my experiences here on the weblog and on Angkor Tuk Tuk The Weblog.

A Feel-Good Moment

I don't know about you, but sometimes with everything I constantly see on the news I can often make good use of an unusual kind of feel-good moment.

Well, here's one thanks to my dear friend Simonne who tipped me to this story. It's only two and a half minutes long but the good feeling it gives you will last much longer.

This is the story of Christian the lion