In Seach Of Heroes - Matrimonial Heroes (Part One)

Writen by Aderemi Ojikutu

Just as our arrival at destination is tied to the supply of fuel, even if we are travelling by a perfectly functioning vehicle, so are our destinies tied to the Heroes in our midst, even though we seem to be doing well on the average.

Their absence from our midst is the reason for the reign of ‘lack-lustre’ mediocres on the throne of our private lives.

Heroes are the ones who stir up the innate virtues in us for success. They serve, not really as role models as many think, but as a beacon of greatness that rally us to aspire for self-fulfilment and actualisation. (Afterall, many of us don’t really want to be the exact copy of our heroes, we are rather content to know and always see someone bearing the burden and lofty standard of societal aspirations).

The successes and triumphs of our Heroes are the loud voice that shut up the quiet wishpers of mockery, defeat and failures in our own lives.

The making of heroes begins, first, from the home: ‘Matrimonial Heroes’. As a father or parent, have you ever felt the tremors of what possible future backlash it would be if you fail to provide or meet basic parental obligation to your innocent young ones? For how long do you think you can manipulate their innocence with fragile excuses for passing the buck?

The first, and not the least, hero of every child is the parent, but when a parent fails in the heroic responsibilities toward the child, it is only a matter of time before the growing child ’switch’ loyalty and consequently reshuffle his or her hero list. May we not be victims of such revolutionary change of a teenager’s moral constitution.

How do you explain why a teenager would strap himself with a bomb to blow to death and drag other innocent people with him to the grave, without the slightest iota of foreknowledge or suspicion by the parents, that their teenager has sold-out to a completely strange doctrine and a tragic figure as his hero?

Yesterday’s careless symptom of ‘matrimonial-hero-failure’ has become a pandemic explosion today, threatening civility with babarism.

Take a careful and studious note of this; every nation that failed by every ramification and definition of that word, is a nation without a hero-model that can inspire to aspire. It is therefore logical for such a nation to begin to expire. In fact, a wise man once said that our success as a nation is largely dependent on our personal or individual successes.

That is why the untimely death or assasination of national heroes always inflict a mortal wound on the body of such nations for a long time before healing, if at all, it heals.

Do you know that our heroes are also a product of other heroes? Hear out J. K. Rowling talking about Harry Potter: “…I didn’t have to stop and think very hard about my hero.”

This article is dedicated to her, who, though being a literary heroine of our time, refuse to be distracted by fame and fortune from being a matrimonial heroine to her three children and family. Happy birthday to J.K.R. who marks 40 today -31st July.

Aderemi Ojikutu (Aderaskeey) is a Motivational Author and Youth Mentor. He is a minister of the Word of God. A political economist and political leader. He is President of the TREASURE WRITERS CLUB in Nigeria (http://ryze.com/go/Aderaskeey). He is also the current President of the National Democratic Forum (N.D.F). He was National Mobilisation Officer of the National Association of Nigerian Students (N.A.N.S) for several years. A revolutionary of over two decades, he was also the political secretary of the defunct Nigerian Labour Party in 1989-1991.

Authenticity Of Vastu (Science of Indian architecture)

Writen by Nitin Parmar

Vastu is one of the most ancient sciences of Indian architecture and is composed of specific rules, regulations and directions, set down by sages of the vedic times. For the modern society it is the highly evolved, comprehensive building philosophy.

According to vastu, a building or a premises is a living organism and can be designed in harmonic resonance with the underlying energy structure of the universe. Such a building or premises becomes a generator of coherence, attuning the occupants to the universal laws and increasing health, wealth and spiritual well being.

Prosperity of Famous Tirupati Temple

World famous Tirupati temple is found adhering to the principles of vastu shilpa shastra. Its prosperity legendary thanks mainly to the exemplary implementation of the principles of Vastu Shastra. The main temple is situated on the South - West side of the temple complex. On its North - East direction is a lake and pond. The dining hall of the temple is on South-East side while the North-West and North side of the temple is allocated to the godown for grains and items require in the kitchen. The entire temple complex is of square shape as a result of which its axis and that of the Earth are perpendicular to each other. The main temple is occupying only the one fourth area of the total areat and on its Eastern and Northern side is open area. Thus the Tirupati temple of Lord Balaji is an ideal place according to the norms of Vastu Shastra which is why it is the most prosperous temple on the earth.

Prosperity of Japan

Inspite of a small country, Japan has progressed tremendously. It has a large water body - the Pacific ocean in its North-East direction. The eastern side of Japan is widely spread and open. Thus Japan gets full benefit of the rays of the sun. This gives Japan a maximum benefits of Vastu & made this country rich and prosperous. But it has sea in Southeast and south, which is a place for Fire, this The Japan has suffered the attack of atom bombs explosion and earthquake ,as it has sea in south east and south.

Prosperity of London

Prosperous city London is ideally situated according to the principles of Vastu Shastra. The Thames river is in the east direction. It has more parks & garderns in the North west & East. Many famous Educational institutes & universities are located in the North east corner. The boundry of the England is more towards North & East directions- a positive directions to capture benefical morning sundrays ,according to vastu.

Prosperity of America

Looking at the map of America, the country is more located towards east side than west. Also the extention is more towards north east, which is auspicious. It has huge lakes in the north east location. As one progresses towards North-East in United States of America the land becomes richer and richer, it is found.

At the root of the progress and prosperity of the cities like New York, London, Mumbai, Singapore, Hong Kong etc. are always the benedictory principles of Vastu Shastra, it is found.

Prosperity of Mumbai

Mumbai, a rich port has a water body to its North - East. All major lakes for drinking water are situated in the North east direction of Mumbai. It has an atomic plant represting Agni (Fire) in the south east of the Mumbai. Fire is a key factor in prosperity of any vastu premises or location. It has more ocean in the West, the perfect location for Vayu (Air).

Spiritual prosperous India

In India, Slope is more towards east, which is auspicious. All important rivers are flowing towards east, that is why country is more rich in spirituality. Thousands of westerners flock to India for spiritual enlightenment. India has the Himalayas in the North of the country which is against vastu, thus there is lot of poverty in the country. There is water in Southwest and southeast side of our nation, thus we have to face the attacks of foreign empires & lot of expenditure on defence.

About The Author

Dr. Nitin Parmar

http://www.vastu999.com

parmar@vastu999.com

New York City is the Center of the Universe

Writen by Cy Yablonsky

New York, NY - It was discovered yesterday that New York is, indeed, the center of the Universe. Pooling the resources of the American Astrophysics Association, NASA, and We Are The World (NYC, that is), the four-year study analyzed the gravitational pull of the Universe and other factors.

“So?,” asked Mike Spano, 23, from SoHo, “this is news? I’ve been telling everyone this for years.”

Dr.John Smithberg, PhD, from WATW(BTI), said, “When I earned my degree, from NYU, I knew that proving New York City was the center of the world was my calling.”

The study used advanced analysis tools on the data from the Hubbel telescope. They were able to calculate, based on astral rotations, that the gravitational pull of the Universe was centered around New York City.

As with many studies this one is not without controversy. Based on the data it seems unclear whether Wall Street or Broadway is the actual center. From some numbers the exact center seems to be Broadway and 34th Street. Other numbers indicate the small deli shop on Wall and Rector.

“Who doesn’t know that New York City is the center of the world??” Sammy DaBull, 21, from the Upper East Side asked. “All my friends agree with me!”

The study also added that there is no need for people from NYC to know about anything outside of New York. It explains that, while it helps to be aware of The Jersey Shore and Miami, there is no need to know where such states as Louisiana and Canada are located.

Copyright 2005 Cy Yablonsky. Cy Yablonsky is an Associate Realtor with Othello Realty, you can visit Othello Realty at http://www.OthelloRealty.com. Feel free to reprint this article but you must include this paragraph and all links must be live and working, no changes can be made.

Edgar Degas - Biography Of The French Artist Renowned For His Figure Painting

Writen by Dr Bianca Tavares

The career of Edgar Degas was a long one - about 60 years out of his total 83. And his style, unlike that of most famous artists who worked into their old age, never ceased developing, always seeking out new means of expression and technique.The art dealer Ambroise Vollard one day asked him why he had never married, to which he replied that he would live in constant fear that, whenever he completed a new painting, he would hear my wife say ‘That’s so pretty what you’ve done there!’. In fact, despite today’s almost universal appreciation and popularity of his images, it was never a conventional sense of beauty that attracted his talents.

Hilaire Germain Edgar de Gas (it was only later that he started to sign his works ‘Degas’) was born in Paris, the eldest of three boys and two girls born to a prosperous banker from a Neapolitan family and his Creole wife from New Orleans. He was actually named after his grandfathers - Hilaire Degas, a banker from Naples, and Germain Musson, a New Orleans merchant. However his mother was to die when he was only 13 years old.

He was educated at the lycee Louis-le-Grand, a famous school for the elite, where he received a classical education and also met his long-time friends Henri Rouart, Paul Valpincon and Ludovic Halevy. Having received his baccalaureat in 1853, he enrolled at the Faculty of Law, although he preferred to spend his time in the print room of the Louvre where he had already made some copies from engravings, and also visiting the painting studios of Felix Barrias and Louis Lamothe. In 1855 he entered the Ecole des Beaux-Arts and began to study officially with Lamothe, a pupil of Ingres.

Not needing to study and compete for the Prix de Rome, in 1856 he set out for Italy, first visiting his family in Naples. In October 1857 he visited Rome where he met Gustave Moreau, already an influential figure eight years his elder. They became close friends and visited Florence together between June and August 1858.

From 1865 to1870 Degas exhibited each year at the Paris Salon. He also became friendly with Berthe Morisot and Edouard Manet and, in the summer of 1869, joined Manet in Boulogne and Saint-Valery-en-Caux where he painted some landscapes. Of all the artists of the time, it is doubtlessly Manet with whom he had the greatest affinity. They were both older than most of the Impressionist circle and both came from prosperous families so they could also meet socially within their family circles.

The tragic events of the Franco-Prussian war and the Paris Commune of the years 1870-71, together with a lengthy stay in Louisiana visiting his family from October 1872 to March 1873, marked both an interruption and a turning point in his career. At the outbreak of the war he joined the national guard together with his friend Manet and many other artists, however the extreme cold during the siege of Paris affected his health badly and at the start of the Paris Commune he went to rest in the Orne with his friends the Valpincon family.

It was during the 1870’s that Degas acquired his reputation as a painter of dancers. The reasons for his interest in dance were numerous and diverse but certainly stem from his life-long enthusiasm for music and the opera. The interior of the opera house also had many visual attractions - the possibility of unusual views onto the stage from balconies or the orchestral pit, contrasts between light and darkness, illusion and reality, beauty and banality.

After the theme of dance it was the racecourse that drew most of his attention. Racecourses were a new phenomenon in France, being introduced there from England in the 19th century. The Longchamp stadium opened in 1857 and it was this course which inspired Degas, Manet and, later, Toulouse-Lautrec. The exclusive Jockey Club was inaugurated in 1833 and it naturally attracted the same upper classes who attended the Paris Opera.

His first personal exhibition, which was held at the Durand-Ruel gallery in 1892, consisted of an extraordinary series of semi-abstract monotypes with enhanced colours representing mysterious landscapes. Besides such landscapes his style wasn’t to change dramatically from then on, although his subjects tended to grow in dimension - whereas previously, for example, he would have depicted a whole dance troupe, he now concentrated on perhaps just two or three figures in the foreground. This was undoubtedly to some extend due to his failing eyesight.

Degas himself gave another explanation for the mysterious power of his later works: “It’s one thing to copy what one sees, but it’s much better to draw what can only be seen in one’s memory. It’s a transformation during which the imagination collaborates with the memory … there your recollections and fantasies are freed from the tyranny exerted by nature.”

Degas continued to struggle against his blindness and worked up to about 1912 when he was forced to leave his apartment where he had lived for the past quarter century and move to a more convenient address in the Boulevard de Clichy. But it proved to be an ordeal from which he never fully recovered and, despite the huge international success and high prices commanded by his works from 1900 onwards, he became sad and indifferent to the glory. He died on 27th September 1917 during the wartime, making his death go almost unnoticed by the world - although perhaps a fitting end for the man who had once said “I would like to be famous but unknown”! He was buried in the cemetery of Montmartre.

Learn more about Edgar Degas and find other biographical writing by Bianca Tavares at Vintage Art.

The Rape of Vande Mataram

Writen by Arvind Katoch

100th year of Vande Mataram will be written as a black day for this beautiful patriotic song. If Vande Mataram would be a person then he must have committed suicide while seeing all this. This is big shame for the politicians of India who have used this song to create an avoidable controversy. India is a single country for its entire people including Hindu, Muslim, Christen, Sikh and all other communities. As a united country, we can have one flag, one national anthem, one national song, there can not be different flag or anthem or song for different communities. The act of creating controversy regarding the Vande Mataram and making it a pro one community song is highly shame full act.

I like Vande mataram because I feel proud and associated with my country when ever I listen or sing it. This song was written before the independence of India therefore it is not able to mention few of the things. However, all these things are ignorable in the light of sentiments attached with this song. Unfortunately, our politicians have sold their every inch of soul and they can do any disrespectful act towards anybody. Things can not be forced on anybody and it should not be like this. If Muslims’, Sikhs’ or other communities do not want to sing it then it OK. But really an ordinary man against Vande Mataram or some of the leaders are making it an issue.

All these issues are making us a divided nation with Hinduism on one side and other communities on other side. Further, Hindu’s are again divided into different castes and communities, making India a nation of few castes, religions and regions. In coming years it will be very difficult for us to search an Indian because then every one will be a Brahman, Schedule caste/tribe, Backward class, Muslim, Christen, Sikh or other castes. Controversy on Vande Mataram is a starting of this time where people will be less Indian and more individually oriented. This was not the dream of leaders of India who fought for its independent.

Vande Mataram A fellow Indian

The Invention of Land Creatures; Part Seven of The Invention of Everything, Second Half

Writen by Tom Attea

“Well, think about it. The agglomeration is only so big, right? Nothing leaves, pretty soon there’s no room for anything new.”

“You’ve got a point there. So?”

“We went with the idea that each kind of creature would have a certain share of the overall lifespan of the agglomeration.”

“You mean all the creatures don’t last as long as the planet can play host?”

“Right. Everybody gets a share.”

“With plenty of time to do what each creature is most likely to do?”

“Exactly.”

“Sounds right. Anybody know how else to make room for new creatures?”

“What if we give the dinosaurs a means of transportation to another agglomeration?”

“First of all, we’d be interfering. And second of all, they won’t be smart enough to pilot them. I mean, you really have to get into this thing unfolding in a natural way or all kinds of complications start to arise.”

“OK, OK. Then it’s settled. After the dinos have been around for a long time -”

“- I absolutely insist on being generous. How about 100 million years or so?”

“We took your always benevolent inclinations into account. How about 150 million years?”

“Done. Go on. There’s a big fire.”

“And, as I said, there are no fire trucks. So the fires keep burning. The sky fills with smoke. Not enough light and heat can get through it. The planet gets cold and the dinosaurs - “

“- don’t say that word. You know my position on that.”

“Right. The dinosaurs do not - whatever - they complete, or end, their lifespan on the particular agglomeration.”

“And all because they didn’t have fire trucks.”

“Yeah. Well, if we’re going to let a planet start from scratch and go through its lifecycle on its own, we can’t very well start with a big red fire truck sitting there, and the dinosaurs driving them around.”

“Doesn’t seem at all like a natural development to me.”

“Please, continue. But remember. Never say ‘die.’”

“Believe me, I learned my lesson. Now, what’s the eventuality? You’ll be delighted to know that over time, and I mean a good deal of time, the smoke clears away and the dust settles back down. So the heat and light can get through again.”

“And the whole thing starts over again?”

“Almost. Some creatures will make the transition.”

“Good. But how do you plan to work that?”

“We figure that some of the water creatures will stay cool enough to make it. Of course, some of the ones that remain amphibians can skedaddle back into the water. And some of the smaller land creatures will find hideouts, especially the ones that don’t need too much heat or fresh air. We restart with those.”

“And?”

“Well, now that we’ve done big dumb, we think it’s time for small smart.”

“Seems like an appropriate variation. Where do we get the new critters?”

“Well, after the big fire and the clearing sky, the conditions are a bit different. Naturally, some of the creatures start changing into whatever’s just right.”

“In what sense?”

“Well, for instance, if we’re going to have smarter creatures, they have to be able to do more than walk around and grab food. So the smarts we programmed into them will go to work and develop, not only feet, but hands.”

“Really? They’re going to have those, too?”

“Got another way for them to have something that helps them do more with their increasing intelligence?”

“I think you’re right. Please, proceed.”

“So here’s the deal. They sit around all day and try to do more and more with these hands. Some of them finally even develop what we call a thumb.”

“A thumb?”

“Yeah. We took it from the thought, When a creature has one of these, it won’t be dumb.”

“Thumb, not dumb?”

“Right.”

“I like that.”

“Me, too.”

“Good. Let me show you what I mean. I have a mockup. See, four things we call fingers and this fifth thing we call a thumb.”

“Interesting development. Keep going.”

“Well, watch this. See how the thumb works with the four other fingers. Neat, huh?”

“Whoever would’ve thought just one more digit could make such a big difference?”

“Yeah. And imagine looking at your hands all day and thinking, I know I can do a lot of things with these, but I just don’t seem to have enough brains. And what happens? You got it! The thought sends a signal to the brain: Can you please get smarter? And, over time, guess what? The brain catches on and meets the request.”

“Wow. How?”

“It develops into a more complex central processor.”

“Of course. Excellent.”

“Thanks. Now, let me show you some examples of smarter creatures. They’re waiting outside. OK, you can come in now. Please, if you’ll just stand right here. I’ll take the one that’s in the cage. See this one? One of the first to develop with feet and hands. We call it a monkey.”

“A monkey?”

“Yeah. The ‘mon’ part stands for “moronic by comparison” with some of the later creatures but the ‘key’ stands for the fact that it’s the key to getting significantly brighter creatures.”

“‘Mon-key? Nifty.”

“Glad you approve. Anyway, since the monkeys are the first ones with feet and only pretty functional hands, they aren’t that smart, so they don’t listen well. That’s the reason for the cage. But as you can see, all the other ones understand enough to listen. Excuse me. Could you please arrange yourselves in order of appearance? Thank you. See how they gradually change from looking more like the monkey until we get to this guy and gal, who look the least like the little guy in the cage?”

“Suddenly, so little hair. Why so?”

“Oh, it seems like a less beastly motif. But notice that they have plenty on top and a sparse distribution elsewhere. We were trying to differentiate the new series, and the first thing we thought of is, Hey, why not let them stand on their own two feet, to free their hands up completely. But they still looked pretty much the same. Then we noticed the obvious. They were all covered with about the same amount of hair. From then on it was a no-brainer. We decided to take the wrapping off and saw right away that more brains, less hair seemed like a natural marker.”

“I can see that. Won’t they get cold?”

“At times, but, hey, they’re smart, right?”

“So they figure out how to cover themselves with things.”

“Yes, they do.”

“Talk a little about those two at the head of the line.”

“You used the right word.”

“What, ‘head’?”

“Yeah. They’ve got some pretty good ones on their shoulders. You can say hello if you want to.”

“Hi, there.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“Hold it. You mean they can even talk like us?”

“Hey, why not? We figured, How smart can they be if they can’t talk?”

“Gotcha.”

“Wonderful. I just love that idea. Land creatures that can talk just like us!”

“Fantastic! You guys in tech never cease to amaze me.”

“We do our best. You can go now. And please take the monkey with you. Thanks. OK, that’s the top line on the land creatures, at least, as far as we need to go into it at this session. Of course, there’ll be whole lot of smaller creatures, like bugs and worms. But they’re a given. “

“I think you covered those sufficiently in the previous session. Anything else?”

“I’d just like to ask if you’re planning for even smarter creatures than this last group?”

“Right now they’re just a hypothesis. I think we want to see how the last entry in the series does.”

“The couple at the head of the line?”

“Yeah. We think they’ll be smart enough to manage. If they turn out to be unequal to the challenge of life with thumbs and bigger brains, they’re programmed to request an improvement.”

“Good. I need you to get the whole thing right from the get-go.”

“We are doing our very best. Anybody need anymore detail on the land creatures?”

“Exactly how smart are the latest thumb creatures?”

“Well, you know, as the saying goes, ‘Vanitas, even among the Gods.’”

“‘Toss’ what?”

“Translation, ‘vanity.’”

“Oh. What, we have a weakness?”

“Well, I don’t know about you, but after all the work we’re putting into inventing the universe, we thought there should at least be one creature who’s smart enough to appreciate our handiwork and even understand a certain amount of it.”

“Well, the potential is there, so realizing it seems more right than just pretending it’s not a possibility.”

“Actually, I don’t see any downside.”

“Well, let’s talk about that. All the creatures, wherever they are, will be able to appreciate what we did to a certain extent, won’t they? I mean, they’ll be alive. They’ll see, hear, feel, smell, and taste things. They’ll reproduce. Sleep, wake. The usual drill.”

“Yeah, but most of them aren’t going to be able to think about their own lives by standing outside of themselves and saying, ‘Hey, look at me. I’m a monkey in the woods. What should I do with my life?’”

“No?”

“No. They’ll just be into enjoying life in all the basic ways, mostly physical with enough mental ability to get done whatever they’re capable of.”

“I think you’re saying that the smartest ones will have the capacity to think about their own lives?”

“Yes, we are.”

“Will they even be able to decide whether or not they like our handiwork?”

“I think we should give that a go.”

“I’d say they’re all bound to think, Wow, look at the land, the water, the sky, the heat and light, the plants, the other creatures, and I get to be part of it, so aren’t I lucky? So they’re bound to like us.”

“Well, I think we should have the courage to let them make up their own minds. You just know there will be some dissenters.”

“I suppose, and, going back to our variety principle, I think you’re right. Let them decide for themselves, regardless of where they come out.”

“I concur. As soon as we slap a restraint on them, it’s like we don’t trust our own craftsmanship and, out of respect for the ladies in the lab and right here in this room, our craftswomanship.”

“Well said.”

“Thanks. As I mentioned earlier, we’d even like them to be able to discover how things work. In fact, if you don’t mind, we’d like to give them enough intelligence to become scientists.”

“Now that is a bit of vanity, making them scientists, too.”

“You’ll have to excuse me, but we really like the idea.”

“I’ll go for it as long as we can have some esthetically minded creatures among them. You know I’m a beauty maven.”

“I want all kinds of variations. So there we have it - scientists, artists, and, of course, plenty of folks just to enjoy what those two groups manage to do.”

“Don’t forget business types. Somebody’s got to support all this science and art.”

“Of course. But go on. I’d like to know just how much these creatures will be able to understand?”

“We thought we’d be daring and let them figure out anything about the universe.”

“Anything? I don’t know about that.”

“I mean, such as what it’s made of and how it works.”

“How about how it got there?”

“From what we decided to call the birth of the universe on.”

“You mean, we limit it to the post partum stuff?”

“Right. What about why it’s there in the first place?”

“There will be limits, and we’re going to give them a pet that helps them understand their situation.”

“What kind of pet?”

“We call it a dog.”

“A dog?”

“Yeah.”

“How does it help?”

“When these creatures talk to it, it will have this ability to cock its head to the side, like this, and look at them as if it’s trying to understand. But they’ll realize it never really does. It just looks that way.”

“And that reminds them of their own situation in terms of the questions we decide are beyond them?”

“Right. They’ll know they’re not alone with certain limits. But now we’ve gotten into material I’d like to reserve for our question and answer period.”

“I agree. I think we’ve done enough for today. Between the ones in the water, the sky, and on the land, my mind is literally overrun with creatures. Anything else you want to say before we close the meeting?”

“Only that we’ve really had a great fun thinking them all up.”

“The work shows it. You really got into it. Before we adjourn, may I ask what’s on tap for next session, which, I assume should be our last, at least, on this project?”

“It should be. We just have to settle on some details, like gravity and magnetism, after which we’ll have our Q & A session? Then I think it’ll be a wrap.”

“Sounds like a plan. Extraordinary effort. I think we’re on our way to a promising universe. See you all tomorrow for our final and, I trust, infinitely satisfying meeting.”

So now we had invented the creatures. Thinking back over the developments, I never would’ve thought so much would depend on fire trucks. The next session looked like the last one we’d need before we moved into major production and distribution. After the Q & A period, I planned to bring up my idea that every planet where life can develop should come with an instruction manual. I haven’t got a clue how the idea will go over. But I’m hoping for a green light.

Berkeley Professors Say We Have Created Millions of New Terrorists by Going into Iraq

Writen by Lance Winslow

Many in academia believe that the United States of America by going into Iraq has created millions of new terrorists. The common phrase is that we have stirred up the hornets nest. In the book; “Taking Stock of The Forever War” by Mark Danner he states that the Al Queda small group has become a the concept of “Al Queda’ism” and thus a call sign bringing people together against the West.

Mr. Mark Danner believes that the United States has failed to earn the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people and Moslems throughout the region in the world. This would hardly be deniable, however how can you win the hearts and minds of the people when clerics are able to incite violence in recruits international terrorists suicide bombers simply by using a cartoon that was published in some obscure publication over 4000 miles away? Indeed went looking at that point of view; it is impossible to win the hearts and minds of the Islamic people and only a fool would try.

It appears that these liberal professors in their liberal skewed view of the world have not taking into consideration the human characteristics of mankind or the long history of violence and war in religious doctrine, which reap power to clerics who promote war. It seems their psychological arguments are totally out of context. From a Machiavellian point of view, sure it makes sense to be loved and respected, but that is simply is not possible.

So it is better to be feared it respected and be tough on international terrorists and if necessary use unthinkable force to gain that respect. As fear is the only thing with the international terrorists respect anyway and in fact is there only weapon. We cannot allow it to destroy us and therefore we must fight fire with fire and forget about rationality, for the other side has none, nor do they care about human innocent life. Consider this in 2006 you liberals.

Lance Winslow

Humanity: Remain Our Human Traces as Much as Possible

Writen by Vicheka Lay

Reading history of world heroes such as; Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Ghandy, Alexander the Great, former kings of the Kingdom of Cambodia, Chuon Nat (Cambodian), Nou Korn (Cambodian), presidents of the United States of America and villains such as, Pol Pot, Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea, has inspired me to fulfill one thing: leaving my human traces in this world as much as possible.

One of the extremely systematic philosophical questions that, until today no one can reasonable provide the answer yet, is why life? This article intends to answer this philosophical question and that answer is: “to remain human traces in this world as much as possible.”

To me, life is just about struggling to remain our human traces in this world as much as possible. This article is not to persuade the readers to the theological, scientific, or other extreme paths, but just to solve one of the life’s questions.

We are all proud that we are the most intellectual species of any specie of animal on earth. Indeed, we are lucky and extremely lucky to live in human lifestyle, but have we ever imagine that we will die in human ways or as animal’ behaviors? So try to live and to will die in human behaviors.

I do not contradict your cash business and other competition for luxurious human lifestyle, but do not forget to remain your human traces in this world as much as possible, because we do not know, in term of religious or non-religious belief, whether we would be born human again or not; if we are to be born human again, we would see our former human traces and if we are to be born animals, we would know that we used to be human and if we are not to be born again, our human traces will still help our next generation: there is no any negative aspects behind remaining our human traces in this world.

“Reaming our human traces in this world as much as possible; a one hundred percent perfect vocation.” Coined by Lay Vicheka (May 13, 2006, 11:10 p.m., Cambodian time)

Lay Vicheka is a translator for the most celebrated translation agency in the Kingdom of Cambodia, Pyramid Translation Co.Ltd.. He is now hoding other two professions: freelance writer for Search Newspaper; focusing on social issues and students’ issues and Media Liaison Officer for Asia’s first free on-line IELTS consultation website. Lay Vicheka is the expert author for ezine and prolific article contributor to other websites around the world such as articlecity, 365articles, spiderden, talesofasia, etc (Just google him). He is also a volunteer Cambodian-newspapers columnist (Rasmey Kampuchea and Kampuchea Thmey). Lay Vicheka has great experience in law and politics, as he used to be legal and English-language assistant to a Cambodian member of parliament, migration experience (home-based business) and in writing. He is also member of a New York-based research company. Posting address: 221H Street 93, Tuol Sangke quarter, Russey Keo district, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Tel: 855 11 268 445, vichekalay@yahoo.com

Fun and Games Job?

Writen by Marge Holley

Library Director? People often say to me when learning that I am a librarian that it must be fun working in a library and just reading books all the time. How little they know.

As a library director some of my duties include: buying books and supplies, keeping records of all library transactions, checking books in and out, shelving books, attending meetings and conferences and week-long seminars, calling on overdue books and sending reminders, doing bookwork totals daily, monthly and yearly for statistics and reports, publicity, organizing and overseeing various library programs, which include Summer Reading, preschool story time, book discussion groups, family night, teen night, coordinating volunteers, weeding out and discarding old and out of date books, shoveling snow, and spreading snow-melt in winter, sweeping sidewalks and watering shrubs in summer, borrowing books from other libraries for interlibrary loans, picking up mail daily at the post office, trying to keep people quiet so others can enjoy the library and helping patrons find books. We also help people on the computers, clean the bathrooms, wash windows, set up tables and chairs, vacuum the carpets, empty the wastebaskets, put trash out for garbage day, dust, clean and sweep entry.

As we say at our meetings: “We wear many hats and small town librarians’ jobs are a labor of love.” You can prove that just by looking at our salaries.

Marge has been writing all her life and has published two humor books. She is a library director in a small town in Southern Idaho and has just turned 62. She writes a local column called, “Granny’s Journal.”

Diverse New Life Found In Pacific: Set To Take Over If Humans Blow It

Writen by Tom Attea

Recently, scientists discovered 52 new species in the Pacific off Indonesia.

Elated, Mark Erdmann, a U. S. scientist who led surveys there this year, stated, “We feel very confident that this is the epicenter of marine biodiversity” on the planet.

They immediately urged that the precious area receive protection from commercial fishing.

What they did not reveal is that the clever fish are diversifying just to make sure there’s plenty of life, at least in the Pacific, to keep the earth humming as the center of it in the solar system, just in case humans blow it on land.

The fish are part of a subtle plan by nature to make sure that, while humans have a place in the overall life of the planet, they cannot ultimately control or conclude it, no matter how stupidly they behave.

As one of the scientists, in an off-handed comment, admitted, “It’s great to know so many different kinds of life are swimming around and crawling in that part of the ocean. It makes you feel confident that, even if humans wipe out most or all of the life on land, one day, millions of years from now, an amphibian will come along that will crawl back up onto the land, and a few million years later a new group of creatures who think they’re the smartest on earth will have a chance to prove it - or lose it.”