My Views May 4th 2014

downloadThis blog is going to be my thoughts on recent events, a change from my recent posting giving advice to other people about their future development or career changes etc.

Indonesian Executions and reactions

Ind DrugMany people have made their opinions felt regarding the executions in Indonesia, but let’s look at this from a different perspective. Suppose the alleged smugglers had been successful and had got their product to its intended destination. This would have created more misery for people already addicted to drugs, first of all they need to raise money to buy the drugs, where does this come from? In most cases usually criminal activity and this usually involves at some point violence and possible deaths. Then there are the addicts themselves, every time they consume the drugs they are literally putting their life at risk from overdose, bad drugs etc.

So what do you do? Allow the drugs into your market? How many people are impacted from the use of drugs both directly and indirectly? Which will increase your crime rate and deaths from drug related activities? And let’s not be blinkered by this, there will be deaths from this and it will impact outside of the so-called drug world.

Each and every drug trafficker is well aware of the consequences involved within their trade, they know only too well the countries that carry the death penalty and which ones will actually carry out the executions see the list below:

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Brunei, China, Cuba, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Laos, Malaysia, Morocco, North Korea, Oman, Qatar, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore. Somalia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Sudan, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United States, Vietnam, Yemen Zimbabwe.

Notice from the list one of the biggest complainers about the executions is the USA, whose approach to the death penalty has long been clear.

As for Australia, how they can complain about the executions is a little bit absurd considering it was their own police force that informed the Indonesian government of the actions of the drug traffickers, who knew full well what the consequences would be. So, please if you are going to create an International incident and a Diplomatic row make sure you have all the facts before you say something. And as for the Police Commissioner stating they had nothing to arrest them for, how about conspiracy to commit the alleged offence?

Shooting at Dallas Event

_82748579_027045651The organisers of this event must be really stupid and did not think this through very well at all, to hold a conference on cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. With recent events in France and Denmark this is tantamount to stupidity of a mind-boggling degree. Yes you have freedom of speech enshrined in your constitution, but for heaven’s sake the writing was on the wall long before the event, therefore you might as well have sent them a personal invitation and as for the venue itself, are you serious, that you would put people’s lives at risk to make a dollar?

  • Depictions of the Prophet Muhammad are offensive to many Muslims.
  • There were widespread protests in 2006 when the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten published cartoons satirising the Prophet Muhammad.
  • In January this year, 12 people were murdered by two Islamist gunmen at the French magazine Charlie Hebdo, which had published similar cartoons.
  • And a gathering of free speech activists in the Danish capital Copenhagen was targeted by a gunmanin February, killing a film director.

A little forethought and listening plus being aware of people’s feelings would have avoided this.

French Schoolgirl Skirt Ban

black skirtOk we get that France is an alleged secular culture, were the wearing of religious symbols is not accepted in public, but to get to a stage were the wearing of a long black skirt being deemed as religious in a public school is extreme to say the least.

As far as I can remember no-one has ever been told that a long black skirt is offensive.

I think someone needs to inform the fashion industry that they are perpetuating religious symbols in their latest trends about long skirts

Mayweather vs Pacquaio

mannypacBilled as the fight of the century actually turned out to be what most commentators could see a masterclass in defensive tactics, Mayweather threw more punches with greater accuracy than Pacquaio. He had height and reach advantages, so how anyone can say that it was a wrong result needs to look very closely at the statistics involved.

These 2 poems had an influence on me

The 2 poems below had an impact on my life when I first heard them.

Desiderata I first heard when it was performed by Les Crane in 1971

If by Rudyard Kipling I can remember hearing this in class and being spellbound this version by Micheal Caine to me is one of the best versions

Desiderata – by Max Ehrmann

Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant, they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love, for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is perennial as the grass.

Take kindly to the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

Max Ehrmann c.1920

If’ by Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream – and not make dreams your master,
If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings – nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And – which is more – you’ll be a Man, my son!

Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936)

Here’s the powerful essay that got a high school senior into all 8 Ivy League schools

Here’s the powerful essay that got a high school senior into all 8 Ivy League schools – Read at Business Insider: http://www.businessinsider.com/powerful-college-essay-got-high-school-student-accepted-to-all-8-ivy-league-schools-2015-4?&platform=bi-androidapp