Friday, September 30, 2005
Where Did The Year Go?
Tomorrow will be October 1. Three more months and it's goodbye 2005. Where did the year go?? The Chinese called it the Year of the Rooster or Chicken. General prediction is whatever conflicts there were in 2004 will just be carried over in 2005. That is playing it safe if you fancy yourself to be a seer.
To my mind it hasn't been a good year, or am I just being a pessimist? There are the wars in various parts of the globe. Stock investments were down if not in the doldrums. To top it, the hurricane season kicked in with a bang raising the prices of gasoline and hitting the ordinary worker where it hurts most. It follows that consumers confidence is down which would hurt our GDP.
The bright side? We still have three months and these are the months that people celebrate. Hopefully forgetting the sad tale of the first three quarters. We can still pick up the pieces. There's Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Occasions of family gatherings and reunions. A time of bonding, renewing ties and finding the strength to move on in spite of the trials and misfortunes. It is about finding your roots and rediscovering it. Reaffirming the belief that there are still people, close relatives and true friends, who will readily sacrifice themselves to help in times of need.
So my dear friends, let's pray that the remaining three months will bring us good cheers and hopefully Old Man Winter would be gentleman enough and cooperate...otherwise that'll be another story.
To my mind it hasn't been a good year, or am I just being a pessimist? There are the wars in various parts of the globe. Stock investments were down if not in the doldrums. To top it, the hurricane season kicked in with a bang raising the prices of gasoline and hitting the ordinary worker where it hurts most. It follows that consumers confidence is down which would hurt our GDP.
The bright side? We still have three months and these are the months that people celebrate. Hopefully forgetting the sad tale of the first three quarters. We can still pick up the pieces. There's Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Occasions of family gatherings and reunions. A time of bonding, renewing ties and finding the strength to move on in spite of the trials and misfortunes. It is about finding your roots and rediscovering it. Reaffirming the belief that there are still people, close relatives and true friends, who will readily sacrifice themselves to help in times of need.
So my dear friends, let's pray that the remaining three months will bring us good cheers and hopefully Old Man Winter would be gentleman enough and cooperate...otherwise that'll be another story.
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Find The Man
Coffee Beans...
A friend sent this through the internet so I don't know who to acknowledge on this challenge.
The challenge is to find the man in the coffee beans.
Doctors have concluded that:
* If you find the man in 3 seconds your Right half of your brain is better developed than most people.
* If you find the man between 3 seconds and one minute, then your right half of the brain is developed normally.
* If you find the man between one minute and 3 minutes, then the right half of your brain is functioning slowly and You need to eat more protein.
* If you have not found the man after 3 minutes your right half of your brain is a mess, and the only advice is to look more for these types of exercises to make that part of the brain stronger AND stop drinking too much alcohol!!!
A friend sent this through the internet so I don't know who to acknowledge on this challenge.
The challenge is to find the man in the coffee beans.
Doctors have concluded that:
* If you find the man in 3 seconds your Right half of your brain is better developed than most people.
* If you find the man between 3 seconds and one minute, then your right half of the brain is developed normally.
* If you find the man between one minute and 3 minutes, then the right half of your brain is functioning slowly and You need to eat more protein.
* If you have not found the man after 3 minutes your right half of your brain is a mess, and the only advice is to look more for these types of exercises to make that part of the brain stronger AND stop drinking too much alcohol!!!
Sunday, September 18, 2005
Soon Forgotten
"An object in possession seldom retains the same charm that it had in pursuit."
--Pliny
"Do not spoil what you have by desiring which you have not; but remember that what you have now was once among the things you only hoped for."
--Epicurus
It seems we cannot be satisfied with what we have. Once we have the object of our desire we want more or something that is bigger, better, more expensive even when it is not a necessity.
We grow weary of the person we are committed to. Instead of nurturing the relationship, we desire or look for another until that too loses its charm.
It is difficult to recognize what we really want especially in matters of the heart.
I think the word love is abstract to most without them even knowing it. Is this possible? I refer to those who promised their "undying love 'til death do us part". When another more desirable person comes along within their reach they choose to forget that promise.
Broken families, broken dreams. When "love" was young and affection strong, promises were made, "sweet and beautiful" relationship lived. Soon forgotten.
Two quotes worth remembering when charm has faded and another object is desired.
Here's a story of an "Undying Love".
An elderly gent was invited to his old friends' home for dinner one evening. He was impressed by the way his buddy preceded every request to his wife with endearing terms-Honey, My Love, Darling, Sweetheart, Pumpkin, etc. The couple had been married almost 70 years and, clearly, they were still very much in love. While the wife was in the kitchen, the man leaned over and said to his host, "I think it's wonderful that, after all these years, you still call your wife those loving pet names."
The old man hung his head. "I have to tell you the truth," he said, "I forgot her name about 10 years ago."
--Pliny
"Do not spoil what you have by desiring which you have not; but remember that what you have now was once among the things you only hoped for."
--Epicurus
It seems we cannot be satisfied with what we have. Once we have the object of our desire we want more or something that is bigger, better, more expensive even when it is not a necessity.
We grow weary of the person we are committed to. Instead of nurturing the relationship, we desire or look for another until that too loses its charm.
It is difficult to recognize what we really want especially in matters of the heart.
I think the word love is abstract to most without them even knowing it. Is this possible? I refer to those who promised their "undying love 'til death do us part". When another more desirable person comes along within their reach they choose to forget that promise.
Broken families, broken dreams. When "love" was young and affection strong, promises were made, "sweet and beautiful" relationship lived. Soon forgotten.
Two quotes worth remembering when charm has faded and another object is desired.
Here's a story of an "Undying Love".
An elderly gent was invited to his old friends' home for dinner one evening. He was impressed by the way his buddy preceded every request to his wife with endearing terms-Honey, My Love, Darling, Sweetheart, Pumpkin, etc. The couple had been married almost 70 years and, clearly, they were still very much in love. While the wife was in the kitchen, the man leaned over and said to his host, "I think it's wonderful that, after all these years, you still call your wife those loving pet names."
The old man hung his head. "I have to tell you the truth," he said, "I forgot her name about 10 years ago."
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Hero or King
Yesterday was . It went by without much fuss except probably in NY. It was overshadowed by . A different year, a different disaster. One was man made (crazed), the other, nature's wrath made worse by man in its aftermath. It is in times of crisis when you witness the best and the worst of humankind. How will I fare? How will you fare?
There were countless heroes during 9/11. Not only the men in uniform but also the nameless workers caught inside the Twin Towers who helped their fellow workers escape from the building. For those who did not survive, their deeds and sacrifice would go unnoticed except to God.
In Katrina's wake came the looters, vandals and hooligans. Why the stark contrast?
I can only speculate on three things that would influence how a person would respond to a crisis : 1) Extent, duration and area, of the disaster, 2) Capacity of institutions tasked to react and address the situation at hand and 3) How a person lived during normal times .
9/11, in terms of duration and area affected, was limited although rescue and recovery efforts took several months. Emergency response was immediate. There was containment. Food and water supply was not affected though rumors were rife that it might be undermined.
Katrina was widespread and it lashed the affected areas for a day. Emergency response was insufficient. Food and water supply was affected. There was breakdown in what we normally call a civilized society. Institutions that were supposed to oversee and uphold public order was absent or inadequate. The disaster area became a jungle. For those whose daily existence is about surviving the "concrete" jungle it became their environment. What they do covertly to survive during normal times they can do it openly. They are the king. There are no rules.
It is frightening to think how easily we can loose civil order and rule of law in the face of disaster.
In such a situation will you be a hero or a king?
There were countless heroes during 9/11. Not only the men in uniform but also the nameless workers caught inside the Twin Towers who helped their fellow workers escape from the building. For those who did not survive, their deeds and sacrifice would go unnoticed except to God.
In Katrina's wake came the looters, vandals and hooligans. Why the stark contrast?
I can only speculate on three things that would influence how a person would respond to a crisis : 1) Extent, duration and area, of the disaster, 2) Capacity of institutions tasked to react and address the situation at hand and 3) How a person lived during normal times .
9/11, in terms of duration and area affected, was limited although rescue and recovery efforts took several months. Emergency response was immediate. There was containment. Food and water supply was not affected though rumors were rife that it might be undermined.
Katrina was widespread and it lashed the affected areas for a day. Emergency response was insufficient. Food and water supply was affected. There was breakdown in what we normally call a civilized society. Institutions that were supposed to oversee and uphold public order was absent or inadequate. The disaster area became a jungle. For those whose daily existence is about surviving the "concrete" jungle it became their environment. What they do covertly to survive during normal times they can do it openly. They are the king. There are no rules.
It is frightening to think how easily we can loose civil order and rule of law in the face of disaster.
In such a situation will you be a hero or a king?
Sunday, September 11, 2005
A Young Girl's Resolve
"I have gathered a posie of other men's flowers, and nothing but the thread that binds them is mine own" ... from John Bartlett describing his work of compiling famous quotations...at least he owed the thread and took the time to bind it together for I did nothing except to pick up the flowers and enjoy its beauty...nay, share its beauty...
"I fear to love you, Sweet, because
Love’s the ambassador of loss."
---Francis Thompson (1859–1907)
"True love is like ghosts, which everybody talks about and few have seen."
---François, duc de La Rochefoucauld (1613–1680)
The quotations above aptly describes how a young girl perceives love and marriage. For she came up to me and declared she will never fall in love and get married. The reason is simple enough: a woman she just talked to who is going through a divorce and her parents failed marriage and the emotional and financial impact on those people.
I dare not contradict her stand at that moment for I can feel her resolve, akin to...
"We shall find no fiend in hell can match the fury of a disappointed woman,—scorned, slighted, dismissed without a parting pang."
---Colley Cibber (1671–1757)
But I know, hoping in time, her outlook will change. She's still young and perhaps cupid's arrow has not found her mark. Then perhaps she would realize...
"For life, with all it yields of joy and woe,
And hope and fear (believe the aged friend),
Is just our chance o’ the prize of learning love,—
How love might be, hath been indeed, and is."
---Robert Browning (1812–1889), A Death in the Desert.
"I fear to love you, Sweet, because
Love’s the ambassador of loss."
---Francis Thompson (1859–1907)
"True love is like ghosts, which everybody talks about and few have seen."
---François, duc de La Rochefoucauld (1613–1680)
The quotations above aptly describes how a young girl perceives love and marriage. For she came up to me and declared she will never fall in love and get married. The reason is simple enough: a woman she just talked to who is going through a divorce and her parents failed marriage and the emotional and financial impact on those people.
I dare not contradict her stand at that moment for I can feel her resolve, akin to...
"We shall find no fiend in hell can match the fury of a disappointed woman,—scorned, slighted, dismissed without a parting pang."
---Colley Cibber (1671–1757)
But I know, hoping in time, her outlook will change. She's still young and perhaps cupid's arrow has not found her mark. Then perhaps she would realize...
"For life, with all it yields of joy and woe,
And hope and fear (believe the aged friend),
Is just our chance o’ the prize of learning love,—
How love might be, hath been indeed, and is."
---Robert Browning (1812–1889), A Death in the Desert.
Thursday, September 08, 2005
Cool Music
I've forgotten how cool and relaxing are the sound of Chuck Mangione (flugelhorn) and Herb Alpert (trumpet). It's been eons since I listened to their music. So I decided to borrow their cd when I saw it in the public library. CM's Maracangalha (The Feeling's Back CD) 
has that mellow latin beat.
HA's Midnight Sun CD is a reprise of old songs (All the Things You Are,Someone to Watch Over Me) with his trumpet and vocal interpretation. Good listening on a quiet night when you can't sleep so you decide to post a blog and ended up making a music review. CM's Fotografia and Mountain Flight are cool. So to all the cool and mellow jazz listeners out there grab hold of these cds and happy listening.
has that mellow latin beat.
HA's Midnight Sun CD is a reprise of old songs (All the Things You Are,Someone to Watch Over Me) with his trumpet and vocal interpretation. Good listening on a quiet night when you can't sleep so you decide to post a blog and ended up making a music review. CM's Fotografia and Mountain Flight are cool. So to all the cool and mellow jazz listeners out there grab hold of these cds and happy listening.
Sunday, September 04, 2005
Katrina..the Irony...the Tragedy
Katrina...The irony...The tragedy
Katrina...New Orleans...Louisiana
Flooding...Rape...Looting...Anarchy
A single day of disaster...a countless strife and misery
A powerful nation...dazed and stupefied
A single day of disaster...a countless ignominious acts
A poweful nation...unable to protect its own
The irony...The tragedy...
"If America shows weakness and uncertainty, the world will drift toward tragedy. That will not happen on my watch" ... George W. Bush
