Monday, October 17, 2011

Could China be Pakistan's new sugar daddy?

"While Pakistan's ties with China have grown stronger, its relationship with the U.S. has been weakened by deep mutual distrust." So can China be Pakistan's new financial backer? Will the U.S. be replaced? Not anytime soon, some say: http://articles.latimes.com/2011/oct/01/world/la-fg-pakistan-china-20111001

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Steve Jobs

It seems everything I could say about the passing away of this great man, has already been said. Yet, I couldn't just leave it at that. I couldn't shake the feeling that I too should contribute to the man's legacy and write even a short, cliched message in his memory.


But then it hit me. My message for the man could not be a restatement of what others have said. Jobs would never accept mediocrity or repetition. His message had to be innovative and sleek, forceful, yet compact. His message had to be his life. The antithetical start to success by dropping out of school. The creative force of realizing the future before it was created. The simplicity of life that accompanied such huge success. The message of his life was to live. To live fully, to live simply, to never compromise on one's values. This was the way Jobs lived and this is the legacy that he inspires. 


Why is it that Apple has become a trend, a necessity rather than a mere appliance? Because Jobs showed us how we could love the value of innovation, of genius, of human potential. How having a macbook, an ipad, an iphone, or an ipod could allow each of us to tap into the human genius present in us all. It's quite simple. It's the human exceptionality; its the creative spirit of the human experience; it's the sheer reality of being. Jobs tapped into that, and in so doing, he gave us all permission to do the same. 


It's as Marianne Williamson so eloquently put it: 


"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are younot to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."


This is what Steve Jobs did, liberating us from the trap of failure. Letting us fully believe in ourselves and the untapped human potential. And shining his light on the world. 

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Carpe Annum Israel. Seize the Day!


On Tuesday September 27, the Israeli government announced it would be building 1,100 new settlelement units in occupied East Jerusalem. The fact that the announcement came as the world powers are scrambling to save the peace process in the UN suggests that Israel may not be serious about its desire to abide by the promise of a Two-State Solution. Meanwhile, there has been growing protests across Israel as the country’s citizens are increasingly voicing their frustration with a government that no longer listens to their needs. As tensions continue to mount both domestically and abroad, Israel faces rebuke from most of the world powers, with the sole exception of its blindfolded ally, the United States.


Read the rest here.