I’ve learned that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can be loved. The rest is up to them. I’ve learned that no matter how much I care, some people don’t care back (what can I do?). I’ve learned that it’s not what you have in your life, but who you have in your life that counts (hope I’ll have you forever hon). I’ve learned that you can get by on charm for about fifteen minutes, after that, you’d better know something (or? A nut shall ye forever).
(Written: 03 January 2009, The Eve of my Mother’s Birth Day)
So to start, I would like to point out that this is my personal standpoint, and my professional point of view does not in any way reflect on my opinion to this issue.
Over the course of this trip, I came up with just three wishes beyond myself interest for the New Year. The first is for Israeli government to realize once and for all that Middle East conflict cannot be solved by military means. The second is, for Hamas to realize that its interests are not served by violence, and that Israel is there to stay. The third is, for the world to acknowledge that this conflict is unlike any other in history. It is uniquely intricate and sensitive-a conflict between two peoples who are both deeply convinced of their rights to live on the same very small piece of land. This is why neither diplomacy nor military can resolve the conflict.
The developments of the last few days are extremely worrisome to me for reasons of humane and political natures. While it is self-evident that Israel has the right to defend itself, that it cannot and should not tolerate the missile attacks on its citizens, its army’s brutal bombardment of Gaza, however has raised a few important questions in my mind.
The first question is, if Israel’s government has the right to make all Palestinians culpable for the actions of Hamas. Is the entire population of Gaza to be held responsible for the sins of the terrorist’s organization? The Jewish people should know and feel even more acutely than any other populations that the murder of the innocent civilians is inhumane and unacceptable. The Israeli military has weakly argued that the Gaza Strip is so overly populated that it is impossible to avoid civilian deaths during operations.
The feebleness of this argument leads to my next questions: if civilian deaths are unavoidable, what is the purpose of the bombardments? What, if any, is the logic behind the violence and what does Israel hope to achieve through it? If the aim is to destroy Hamas, the most important question to ask is whether it is attainable. If not, then the whole attack is not only cruel, barbaric and reprehensible, it is senseless.
If, on the other hand, it is really possible to destroy Hamas through military operations, how does Israel envisage the reaction in Gaza once it has been accomplished? One and a half million Gaza residents will not suddenly go down on their knees in reverence for the power of the Israeli Army.
We must not forget that before Hamas was elected by the Palestinians, it was by Israel as a tactic to weaken Yasser Arafat. Israel’s recent history leads me to believe that if Hamas is bombed out of existence, another group will most certainly take its place, a group that would be more radical, more violent and more full of hatred toward Israel.
Israel cannot afford a military defeat for fear of disappearing from the map, yet history has proved that every military victory has left Israel in a weaker military position because of the emergence of the radical groups. I do not underestimate the difficulty of the decisions the Israeli government must make everyday, nor do I underestimate the importance of the Israel’s security. Nevertheless, I stand behind my conviction that the only true viable plan for the long-term security is to gain the acceptance of all Israel’s neighbors. I wish for a return in the year 2009 of the famous intelligence always ascribed to the Jews. I wish for the return of King Solomon’s wisdom to Israel’s decision-makers that they might use to understand that both Palestinians and Israelis have equal human rights.
Palestinians violence torments Israelis and does not serve the Palestinians cause; Israeli retaliation is inhuman, immoral and does not serve security. The destinies of these two countries are inextricably linked; obliging them to live side by side They have to decide if they want to make of this as a blessing or a curse.
We have to categorize the Filipinos in the United States to better understand the effects of the financial crisis on their lives.
The Overseas Foreign Workers are better known as working visa holders with work authorizations that expire in three years; renewable for another three years. The corporations that hire them can sponsor their green cards within the period of the validity of their working visas. From OFWs, they become permanent legal residents.
With the financial crisis, the dreams of getting employment-based green card sponsorships may not materialize especially if the sponsoring corporations are affected by the financial meltdown. If they cannot get the green cards within the maximum six years of allowable legal stay, the working visa holders are expected to go back to the Philippines or look for other means to become legal residents.
The other category is that of permanent legal residents. Their immigrant visas expire every ten years. The only things that they can not do compared to the US citizens are:
1. To get employment in federal governments. During times of economic crisis, the government provides a stable employment.
2. They cannot stay in the Philippines for more than the allowed number of months.
Basically, they are still Filipino citizens. With the financial crisis, even those who have already retired and are receiving Social Security pensions cannot go home. They can’t bring home pensions and their Medicare coverage.
Why don’t they apply for citizenship to enjoy the privilege of staying in the Philippines to enjoy the retirement in dollars? Many of these old Filipinos have pending petitions for their dependents and a change in their immigration status will adversely affect these petitions.
Like US citizens, they live on plastic (read: credit cards). Their savings are not in the form of cash. They are in investments they don’t control. They contribute a percentage of their gross pre-taxed income to a retirement account popularly known as 401 K. Their employers match the employees’ contributions.
The retirement fund is managed by appointed trustees/investment managers which put the money in different investment instruments such as stocks, mutual funds, cds and money market.
Filams do not realize the heavy losses from their retirement funds since they think that they can still recover in due time. The statements they receive from the investment managers/trustees are too complicated to understand by laypersons who cannot distinguish what is a stock and how it differs from bonds or mutual funds. Those whose retirement kitties were put in stocks lost as much as 50 percent. The conservative investors lost about 20 percent. All in all according to the news some $2 trillion were lost in the retirement accounts of US employees.
Some Filipino old timers and those who dreamed big put up small businesses in the US thru the assistance of the Small Business Administration. The capital mostly comes from credit provided by the banks or their personal credit cards.
While publicly traded corporations source their additional capitalization through the sale of their stocks in Wall Street or capital infusion of their existing stockholders, small businesses rely on banks.
The financial crisis had affected the liquidity of most banks. Even if these banks did not engage in sub prime mortgage lending, their bigger sister corporations may have taken the risk. Once in crisis, the conglomerates rally for their white elephant-corporations by moving cash from one corporation to another until both or all them sink together.
My friend who was in the care home business can not meet the cash flow requirements of the day-to-day activities. Most of care home businesses rely on reimbursements from government agencies which payments take a long time due to strict auditing procedures of the documentations.
Some clients pay from out of their private funds which may have been managed by their investment counselors/executors. These funds may have dried up during the recent Wall Street fiasco. The relatives of the patients may transfer them to government-run convalescent facilities. Loss of patients means loss of income.
Another friend who is into online marketing is suffering from zero sales. The customers have cut down on non-essentials. His product lines are electronic and electrical products.
You may ask how about the illegal tago ng tago.
They are invisible…they have no bank accounts…they have no credit cards and they work under the table in jobs which are recession proof…caregiving. Free housing, free food and no transportation expenses. This is the decade when baby boomers are retiring. Financial crisis or not, someone has to take care of them in their homes.
I headed to the Mediterranean for vacation. The next day the Russia-Georgia crisis broke out. A crisis atmosphere settled in the black sea. It is now a candidate to be the “most critical” crisis the international community faces since the end of the Cold War and the Collapse of the soviets as far as consequences are concerned. The reason is simple. This “crisis” basically expresses the need for a re-definition of American-Russian relations. That is to say the crisis expands beyond Russia-Georgia and the Black Sea-Caucasus axis.
This is critical for Turkey’s future. In the cold ward era, international system was two-poles, Russia and the United States being the poles, and was based on a thermo-nuclear balance of horror. The system’s analysis was relatively easier. Nation-states were grouped around the poles. The “third world” was then named “gray zone” in which both poles were trying to be the world leader.
Russia made an attempt to crash Georgia by stepping over the concept of “territorial integrity” and announced recognition of the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. This is said to be its aim to have a “geopolitical control over the transit energy lines”.
That contradicts with “strategic interests” of Turkey and causes a dilemma on Turkish “political choices”. It also makes Turkey a key “interested party” in “the Black Sea crisis”.
The security of Turkey’s “geopolitical importance” and “territorial integrity” in the post-Cold War era was that the country was situated on energy transmission lines between the Central Asia-Caspian Basin and Europe. In other words, it’s being a NATO country and a candidate to the European Union forming an alternative to neutralize the Russian “energy monopoly” in Europe.
The “geopolitical ring” attributing this role to Turkey was Georgia in the Caucasus. However, Turkey depends on Russia in the “energy” subject. 40% of the oil and 60% of the natural gas Turkey consumes are transferred from Russia. 52% of electric power plants are run with Russian natural power gas. Russia also happens to be Turkey’s number 1 partner in trade and tourism.
Because of all this, Turkey is torn between the latest developments, not only between Russia and Georgia but mainly between Russia and U.S. and NATO as well. Even if we do not go back to the Cold War, at the point we have arrived today, Turkey cannot manage this crisis with “platonic moves” such as the “Caucasus Stability and Cooperation Platform”. Perhaps it sounds a bit exaggerated but this point is of critical importance in a way to determine the “future of Turkey’s government”.
Turkey’s Dilemma that I recently had clear understanding…
Am off sick today… Nonetheless, the saga of my exhaustions is not at all the raison d’être why I am back to writing again. It will never be a (nah-ah) motivating factor of me doing so, though it paves me the way to post a blog once more. (Reason enough to thank God despite of)
Well, it is all about hmmnnnn…. LOVE!?
As usual… nothing’s new, nothing’s changed - THIS LOVE - remains weird as always!!!
As I consistently follow the Pinoy Dream Academy Show, I find myself falling in love with Miguel, (A man with an M).It was a physically powerful liking at first. Then as I discover more of him, LOVE grows slowly and intimately here deep within me… Everything that HE IS… His Character, His Natural Ways, His Flaws, His high regard on his craft and his humble approach towards his pursuit in finding his own niche in music. The whole thing that is of him and in him is all that I ever understood as a man that may well complete me.
Then and again, I asked myself… Why do I always fall for a man that is not even close to the possibilities of my own reality? Why do I long for a person that has never known me? I am surrounded by many different kinds of men - from all walks of life, race and of different educational back grounds… but, I repudiated to even think of liking anyone of them, the mere thought of dating either one of them makes my stomach turns up-side-down.
I simply find my happiness lingering in own perception of love, a love that has dungeon my youth, a personal preference of living and loving in fantasy that only – “my FREEDOM OF CHOICE can set me free”; my best friend once said. But, I stalwartly disagreed because I believe that it only takes one man, a man of my destiny who can ever set free me from the bondage of illusions that has enslaved me all through these years.
Should I run out of time waiting for him, I know here in my heart I will meet him next life. So, it wasn’t a story of love in vain, it was worth the wait because it will then be immortal… (It’s just a gist of your mind set, huh!)
For now, it is my decision to stay cool as I journey this life… As God continue to bless me, I pledge that I’d be a blessing to others, be a good steward of His wealth and above all, to live my life happy, simple and IN LOVE… regardless!!!
I set my heart on how i design my own perspective. This perspective has brought me where I am today. And only God knows where this perspective will bring me tomorrow. I am happy with my life so far and I think it is all that matters.
I respect your own personal stand point and I reserve zero rights to question mine. We shall all come to pass; and LIFE is all about PEOPLE THAT MATTERS.
A store that sells husbands has just opened in New York City, where a woman may go to choose a husband. Among the instructions at the entrance is a description of how the store operates. You may visit the store ONLY ONCE! There are six floors and the attributes of the men increase as the shopper ascends the flights. There is, however, a catch. You may choose any man from a particular floor, or you may choose to go up a floor, but you cannot go back down except to exit the building! So, a woman goes to the Husband Store to find a husband. On the first floor the sign on the door reads: Floor 1 - These men have jobs and love the Lord. The second floor sign reads: Floor 2 - These men have jobs, love the Lord, and love kids. The third floor sign reads: Floor 3 - These men have jobs, love the Lord, love kids, and are extremely good looking. "Wow," she thinks, but feels compelled to keep going. She goes to the fourth floor and sign reads: Floor 4 - These men have jobs, love the Lord, love kids, are drop- dead good looking and help with the housework "Oh, mercy me!" she exclaims, "I can hardly stand it!" Still, she goes to the fifth floor and sign reads: Floor 5 – These men have jobs, love the Lord, love kids, are drop- dead gorgeous, help with the housework, and have a strong romantic streak. She is so tempted to stay, but she goes to the sixth floor and the sign reads: Floor 6 - You are visitor 4,363,012 to this floor. There are no men on this floor. This floor exists solely as proof that women are impossible to please! Thank you for shopping at the Husband Store. Watch your step as you exit the building, and have a nice day! Posted to all men for a good laugh and to all the women who can handle the Truth! Notice: This is a forwarded mail from Major Jarrett Hunter/DOT Infantry School Advisor
Hi honey… How’s your day going? Do you have me in your mind? Are you constantly reminded of how much I love you? …in every thought, in every smile, in every way? My spirit is with you now. Feel how it heals your heart and uplifts you. Feel how my love fortifies your soul. Feel it embrace you with overwhelming tenderness and it says I love you so very much… Hope your day is a wondrous one. Keep me in your mind hon… and call my name from time to time. You’ll hear my voice whispering you the words of love you always long to hear. Honey, believe me, I never wanted to have someone that I’d fear losing one day…and that’s one thing that scares me more than anything. My love for you is stronger than I’ve ever known and if I were to ever lose you that is my biggest fear of all. I’ll never change pwamis… (pauli-ulit ko itong sasabihin…and I’ll never get tired saying this over and over again). You should know that by now. If you are prepared to go the remainder of this lifetime with my ways, then you surely know the real me. I’ve not hid a thing with you…I am all I am when I’m with you. It will not be long and I’ll be by your side, hon. Gone will be the torments, gone will be your pain. I will hold you so preciously, keep you well and unharmed. There will be no regrets but only relief that destiny at last is fulfilled. See you in my next blog… but oh, wait… please know that with or without blog, I constantly yearn for you.
When I was in Australia, I lived in Oaks Maestri Towers at the heart of Sydney where there are many children. The only place they have to play was either at the pool, children’s level or in the nearby park. One day a sunny little voice behind me said, "Hello Miss, how are you today?"
I turned around and saw a little mass of freckles seven or eight years of age. She came wobbling up the side walk of the park on her brother’s bicycle. She was wearing a swimsuit and licking a Popsicle. Her eyes were as blue as Male Beach in Maldives. She swung one leg down to stop her bike and I said, "Oh, hi, Punky… very well thank you… How about you sweetie? I haven’t seen you around for several days."
"I have been on a trip."
"Where did you go?"
"I went to Melbourne to see my mother for two weeks. See, she moved away, and I don’t live with her anymore."
I winced, wondering how a mother could leave such a sunny little girl. I don’t know, of course, how that mother’s life has been disarranged, and perhaps her circumstances are beyond her control. But doesn’t she realize how bitter her daughter is going to be?
Then I had to stop myself as I watched Punky wobbling away, happily licking her Popsicle, for I realized: She’s not bitter. She’s been dealt a blow that she didn’t ask for and didn’t deserve, but she’s not passing on the blow. She’s passing on happiness and sunlight. She stopped to say "hello," and to tell me about her trip. And if she can continue to go through life without holding grudges, passing on a smile in return for a blow, she’ll become a beautiful and charming woman.
We can’t be free and happy if we harbor grudges. Just as bitterness produces more bitterness in others, so thus love begets love. Thank God for those dynamic creative people who, when wronged, refused to compound the amount of hate in the world. Instead of returning the blow, they opt to forgive.
My Chimera…
I’ve loved you from the beginning of time and will love you till the end of eternity. I love you with all my heart and with all my soul. Life without you is death with me. I know the fears and the insecurities that are befalling you now, but please be assured that these are only illusions of this world. Our love is the greatest truth and we have no recourse but to pursue this. You have your strength from my love and it’s your love that gives me the strength to survive and go on.
Honey, I gave you the kisses I sent along for your needs. I can’t tell you how badly I’m missing you as of now. The reality of your distance seems to hit worse day after day and I finally get the true sense of the loneliness that fills my heart…I’ve spent the entire day holding you in my mind… and holding you in my arms…Oh, God I miss you…I know deep down in my heart and soul I couldn’t survive without you, my existence seems meaningless without you…
You’ve captured my heart, my soul and my being. I want not to take from you, but to give you all I have. I believe in you …Together we can’t fail! We’ll win in the end because I love you. I could never stop loving you. I know deep down in my heart there can only be one true love in my life… my one life. Know what? It’s not natural for us to be apart. We belong together… always… and forever…
Ahh… nakakapagod na mag isip… Nakaka buwang…
Anyways… Hon, you are all I’ve ever wanted…and all I ever want the rest of my life. I’ll do whatever you ask to make you feel secure about us. I love you…I’ve loved you from the first moment we’ve known each other and I’ll always love you for the rest of my life. You know you have my unconditional love. Yours Forever and Then..
When I am sad, I can write (fair enough)
When I am mad, I can write
For my whole temperament is quickened, my understanding sharpened
And all mundane vexations and temptations depart.
When I am inspired, I can write (of course, we all do)
When I am in love, I can write so well…
For all my thoughts and feelings just come out naturally
But it is hard to be in love to a person who is just a figment of my imagination.
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