A Day Dream

(PSTI)

Private Small Tropical Island..

with internet connection...!!!

What Else..??

Knowledge Base..

Organized repository of knowledge (in a computer system or an organization) consisting of concepts, data, objectives, requirements, rules, and specifications. Its form depends on whether it supports an (1) artificial intelligence or expert system based retrieval, or (2) human based retrieval. In the first case, it takes the form of data, design constructs, couplings, and linkages incorporated in a software. In the second case, it takes the form of physical documents and textual information.

Copyright©2009 BusinessDictionary.com.

Café Darfur..

During the last few days, a petition was circulated on Facebook, arguing President Obama to address the Darfur issue, and elevate the international actions to restore peace and settlement. The fact that this petition could not attract more than 12,000 signature so far, as no more massive campaigns were associated alike few years ago.. This had created the questions about the topic, and its mysterious momentum.. Therefore, I think, I can help to clarify the matter in simple terms.. The text is solely scientific, historical, and reality facts, without the usual decorative wording.. This will irritate many readers..!! However, I am available for any queries or hot debates..!!

Sudan:

The name was extracted from Arabic phrase means “Land of Black People”.. It represents almost 40% of the known Pharaoh Empires, with potential to contribute to reveal more in Egyptology.. Its land is well known for precious metals, fertile agriculture and diverse natural resources.. Once called a Bread-Basket, African Switzerland, Home of Readers.. yet witnessed lots of famine catastrophes, political chaos, and ethnic crisis.. Colonized by Egypt for many centuries under fancy territorial names, by covert and remote agents of Great Britain, and Ottomans as a subsidiary of Egypt. It is the biggest country if Africa, with complex relations and boarders with 11 countries, and dominated by nomadic way of life. Sudan was a transit station for African Slaves to the Middle Eastern markets, and represents the real gateway between North and South..

People:
Sudan became a home for main three ethnic groups: Sudanese, Nilotic and Arab.. They represent respectively 20%, 20% and 60% of the current population.. Eventually, Arabs are leading fertility rates, almost double of the others. During the colonial era, Sudanese people were exposed to various policies meant to partition them based on ethnic profiling and to sustain the domination of Arabic tribes due to multiple geopolitical interests. Therefore, their rates of education, wellbeing, civic and cross boarder exposure were higher than other Sudanese. This had guaranteed them ruling the country since 800AD.

The anthropological term (Sudanese) means those tribes along the southern edge of Grand Sahara; across from Sudan to Mauritania.. These are ethnically mysterious, mixture between Nubian, and native tribes of their locations. Throughout the history, they lost their native languages, used Arabic, and adopted the Islamic faith.. Eventually, they have Arabic as their mother tongue, with mixed Afro-Arab traditions and Bedouin life style.. You may call them (Black Arabs..).. Darfurese or Darfureans are the group of them who inhabit Darfur.

Previously, half of the current Sudan was inhabited by Nilotc tribes, who are another ethnic mystery. However, they had their name from their attachment to the Nile river and its countless feeders in the southern Sudan. All of them speak native languages, adopt native faiths and cultures. While sharing many folkloric and cultural elements with east African tribes, they have their own distinction in terms of genetic features. Today, good portion had adopted the Christian faith, and many are influenced with western missionaries. Arabic is mostly the common media between different tribes, while English is used by the educated persons.

Arab’s communications with the Sudan was early as 15,000BC, when rumors on its rich gold mines traveled across the Red Sea to Arabian Peninsula.. The migrant Arabs to Northern Sudan, where the Pharaohs-old gold mines; had little confrontations with native others, whom were occupying the Savannah further south or the steppes further west.. Inevitably, mixing and grooming with the natives had provided current Sudanese Arabs with their tan or dark skin, in addition to many native customs; which watermark their folklore.

Resources:

Sudan was well known for massive fertile agriculture land, which lacks infrastructure to be properly used.. Nile river and seasonal rains are sufficient for agriculture economy and creating wealth no less than Saudi Arabia.. It is also known for precious metals and marbles in its barren land in the North East.. Western Sudan provides 95% of Arabic gum, which pharmaceutical industries would never be without.. Darfur has the 3rd reserves for Copper in the world, and lately known for the 4th rank for Uranium.. Oil discovery in heart of the country; indicates great reserves as well, which would geologically affect production in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Nigeria, Cameron and Gabon.. Attempts to mastering the limited fresh waters of the Nile River irritate both Egypt and Ethiopia..

Gaming:

Simply; Darfur is first of the futuristic Wars on Resources.. This is a complex political set-up; which many are not exposed to or familiar with.. Dominating resources is not carried out with tropes, unless becomes critical; but by lobbying tactics, beneficiaries’ temptations, and incubating political leaders.. This is what colonial administrations had carried out in Sudan and elsewhere, in various forms.. Regretfully, when the domination is carried out by local powers, it ends up with scandals and chaotic performance, due to lack of adequate political experiences.. As geopolitics are always known for the hidden players and interests, it is difficult to condemn single group or leader for unlawful practices.. However, it is needed to expose the weakest player when actions goes off control, as a complacence for public opinions.. In Darfur, outnumbered players were beating the dances..!!

 

Atrocities:

Simply, to dominate the wealth, push the opponents away, to the west, to Chad.. This was the agenda carried out by the Sudanese regime, which lacked experience or courtesy to share such planned actions with the interested parties.. There is no sole player in today’s politics, except the super powers.. The regime wrongly calculated political support, but failed to fine tune the assumptions.. The same regime harbored and supported Bin Laden few years ago..!! Then, everything was put on the loud speakers.. People talking about atrocities, and no one discusses why it is happening..!! This means that the cause is politically accepted by the concerned powers, yet the lesson has to be taught to those independent immature players.. Women were raped in ethnic drive.. Kids were brutally slaughtered.. Men were castrated first, then shot dead.. Simply and literally; Arabitization of Darfur..!! Villages were burnet to force people to flee.. Businesses were paralyzed, Families were shattered, and famine is imminent..!! Almost 4 million paid the price, and still do, indefinitely..!!

Currently:

International Media stopped campaigning for Darfur, while silent humanitarian aid continues to recover the atrocities..!! ICC case against President AlBasheer is almost closed..!! Peacekeepers are only guardians for the aid activities..!! Darfur rebels are diminishing in fast rate, and their delegates in western capitals are harassed to leave..!! Sudanese Government is standing solid addressing false promises on brighter future for all Sudanese..!! Main oil territories are arbitrated in favor of the Northern Sudan, without any objection from Southern Sudanese whom are about to declare independence next year..!! Israel pulled out its players from the Sudan Quest, despite how fetal for their security stand against Egypt..!! Agreement is in-drafting between USA, Egypt and Sudanese Regime (and rebels leaders too) to mutually coordinate, invest and utilize the tangible resources, One will secure precious resources, another will secure food security and third will stay in power..!!

Salaam Darfur..!!

Love & Friendship

Love is friendship that has caught fire..

It is quiet understanding, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving.

It is loyalty through good and bad times.

It settles for less than perfection and makes allowances for human weaknesses.
Ann Landers

A loyal friend laughs at your jokes when they're not so good, and sympathizes with your problems when they're not so bad.
Arnold H. Glasgow

Silences make the real conversations between friends.
Not the saying but the never needing to say is what counts

Only your real friends will tell you when your face is dirty.
Sicilian Proverb

Loyalty and devotion lead to bravery.
Bravery leads to the spirit of self-sacrifice.
The spirit of self-sacrifice creates trust in the power of love.
Morihei Ueshiba

  I was certain that the demise between Love and Friendship is hairy and confusing.. Spent a lot of time trying to describe it.. Then received this long sought quote..

Thanks to Amela for this wonderful quote

BTW, this scene from Steven Segal's "into the Sun" is one of the most amazing; short-writing what love means..!!

What about Obama's Health Policy..

This wonderful debate was launched on Facebook by Rashid Narain Shukul; which is worth posting for many valued reasons..!!

Why Obama’s views on public health regarded so radical and he be dubbed Socialist? Is Socialism a bad word?

I am no American, nor profess to understand why he [President Obama] should be so demonized! All I understand is that he wants to offer his people a choice between health insurances offered by ’private enterprise’ and the State. The choice still will be with the masses.

What one fails to understand is that - is the government not accountable for administering policies for good of public? Should not the government intervene when ’market forces’ become subservient to forces of greed and profit at the cost of destabilizing any established social order? Just in case my usage of ‘Established Social Order’ offends the sensibility of any of my friends, I will use a term closer to their heart, ‘Established Industrial Order’. Or, better still, ’Established Economic Order’, though I think the term ‘social’ is more appropriate as it encompasses human activities (needs & desires) beyond the realm of trade and commerce.

True, central to the meaning of socialism is common ownership. It implies that the resources of the world are owned in common by the entire global population. However, it really does not make sense for everybody to own everything in common. Yes, some goods tend to be for personal consumption, rather than to share—clothes, for example. Yes, the concept of private ownership and its ‘reward’ for enterprise has definite merit. Then so does the concept of ‘corporate citizenship’ and being one's brother and sister’s keeper... or is it too socialist a viewpoint!

In practice, common ownership implies everybody having the right to participate in decisions on how global resources should be used. It means nobody being able to take personal control of resources, beyond their own personal possessions. MNCs may serve well for the ’developed western world’ interests but not necessarily in the interest of rest of the world. Is building of a Just Social Order and addressing ‘social injustice’ a dream, nay, should be mandatory to all forms of government. Is the concept of the welfare state a form of socialism!

Enlightened Democratic control is therefore also essential to the meaning of socialism. Socialism, an Arcadian or Utopian concept, refers to a society in which everybody will have the right to participate in the social and political decisions that affect them. I think for this to happen should not the populace be educated and well versed in logic before they can make an informed choice/decision. But some group of thinkers, in America, may find ‘Education for All’ or the concept of ‘Affordable Education for All’ – socialistic!

Production of goods and services, under tenets of socialism, should cater to human primary needs and then, only then, for other forms of gratification. You may wonder how would or who would decide what human needs are? This question takes us back to the concept of democracy, for the choices of society will reflect their needs. These needs will, of course, vary among different cultures and with individual preferences—but the democratic system could easily be designed to provide for this variety.

In MATTHEW 19:23 we find Jesus warning about the peril of riches, but at the beginning of MATTHEW chapter 20 (verse 1), Jesus compares God to a wealthy landowner. Is the problem wealth itself or something else? In LUKE 12:16-21 we have the parable of the rich fool. Was the man's sin in having wealth?

Maybe, Socialism is not so bad a concept, at least in parts...surely un-reigned forces of free market did muck up and create the present day economic scenario. I hope, my friends will throw some light and help redeem my blurred vision for I am neither a Socialist nor a Capitalist!

Comments:
Chakravarthi Suchindranam no american either, but i understand practical "socialism" ... have had occasion to sample it. the amorphous american "state" is not, has never been, and will not be in the conceivable future, "people friendly". hence the opposition, imho ....

Joyce Singha-Ghosh As I understand, the govt run policy will be like the one in India, which I remember was in complete shambles. As I have never experienced it here in the Sates, I wouldn't know and in reality would like to see how it works out. But the bottom line is any govt run programs are a mess just because nobody takes responsibility and nobody is answerable ... Read moreto anyone. It's like they say the system is bad. All in all we have to pay which ever way one looks at it. There's no free ride. The current one with private health and insurance sucks because it is so expensive.

Adil Abdalla Should I say that the true triggers of this fierce battle has nothing to do with either political theme or social platforms.. I can read it in a different manner as a battle to maintain or reduce the profitability of insurance industry.. In many countries, west, north and east; the so called universal health care is provided, either within public ... Read moreor private programs.. The giant US Insurance enterprising already covers the assets of the entire world at $ 36 trillion, which is simple triple the actual value..!! This had been little mentioned as contributor to the financial crisis..

Rashid Narain Shukul Finally, somebody hit the nail... it is all about the economics. It is about factions wanting to protect their deep pockets and the rest is politics....

Adil Abdalla No wonder that Obama will eventually lose it, while a new Democratic Candidate for 2013 is in the selction process by the System Guardians....!!

Maliha Raza Khan Actually - most common americans wont mind a government run health care system - so long as they get good qualiity medical care and lower insurance bills! We are one such family!

Mark Young The main problem people here have with this program deals with govermental intrusion into our lives. 83% of U.S. citizens already have health insurance in one form or another, and 100% have access to health care. All this new health care programs that is trying to be forced upon us just deals with the goverment having control over it's citizen's ... Read morehealth care. With this new system, I will eventually lose the insurance I have and be forced to purchase the goverment's plan on top of drastically raised income taxes. It will cut 20% of what is paid into the senior citizen's Medicare program, effectively destroying the health plans that they get now. The goverment will pay doctors less than they are now, causing more and more doctors refusing to accept the goverments health plan. That will lead to rationing what little care that will be provided by doctors who will take it.
There will be less care availble to those who cannot afford it, while those who can afford to pay out of pocket will still get the best care available as soon as they need it. Doctors will have lines just to schedule an appointment. This will end up being worse than what we have now. Is the current system in this country perfect? By no means it... Read more isn't. What system is perfect? If anyone can get immediately access to emergency care or go to a free health clinic for minor needs or even qualify for medicade for more serious problems, why should this system be destroyed for the goverment just to have more control over it's citizen's health care? No one in this country wants to see their felow citizens go without medical care, we just don't want the goverment to control our care or force us to purchase their product under the threat of tax penaltys.
To add another point, this proposed program will actually costs the majority of Americans even more money. Higher income taxes along with having to pay a premimum for the goverment's plan will cost people a lot more in the long run. The only ones who will not end up paying more than now are those who already aren't paying for anything. It has ... Read morealso been shown that in other countries that have universal health plans where everyone has equal access to health care does not mean they recieve any better health care. Acuatally, they get less time with doctors and worse care because of the increased workload.
From what everyone has read, it is quite obvious that I am against this goverment plan. I don't mind paying a little more to help those who need it, but to give up a double digit percentage of my income to get less care is wrong. Not only that, this plan is completely unfair to those who really don't need or want to have health insurance. I have... Read more 2 step-sons, ages 20 and 21, both of whom are very healthy and in no need of insurance at this time. Under this plan, the will have to purchase what the goverment offers. The big problem is that the goverment has an across the board plan rate. This means they could be paying the same amout monthly that I do ( I pay $200 a month now just for my plan). Why should 2 healthy men be paying the same amount for something they may not even want to use less care than someone like me who is on a lot of medicines for Diabetes and Choloesterol problems? That is unfair to them. There are way too many flaws with this plan to be put into action.
There are many other things that can be done to help those without insurance who want or need it to be able to afford to get some insurance without the goverment taking control. I will shut up now.....: )

Dee Parker We beed ti help ourselves & each other. What has happened to this country that we have forgotten the Golden Rule. We need to get rid of lobbiest oa all kinds & stop our legilsators from taking $$ for their votes in congress. Please keep an open mind. Our President has put out a wish list & the legislator needs to be locked up until they get their ... Read morework done. Be kind, considerate & hewlpful to all & you shall receive ten fold back. The USA big bus. Wall Street, Ins. Banks & greedy people have left the USA & the world in a terrible place, all for $$$ in their pockets.

Joyce Singha-Ghosh I am glad you invited this informal debate without all of us calling each other names etc. Quite a civil debate in fact. But the bottom line is any time the govt tries to run things they invariably screw up. Well here it's another 3-4 years and then if things don't work out the people can choose another candidate. Obama could have taken on the ... Read moretask of reforming the current health care and that would have saved us tax payers a whole lot that would go in completely overhauling the system.

Rajiv start another topic after this one. When I was in school socialism and communism seemed so wonderful - all good for everyone. But of course with age and knowledge the reality of living in this kind of la la land - have slowly dawned. Both these systems have a pathetic record wherever they have been or still are. Perhaps we can find something between these and capitalism.

Israel..

Surprisingly counter exodus, dangerously reduced fertility, and phenomenally psychological tension are few yet crucial elements working against the will of the Israeli politicians.. These were the triggers behind Egyptian political weight with US government in late 1970th, and the concurrent concerns yet effective doubts raised by collective Arabic politicians..


Yes, same as Gaddafi predicted that Europe would be a Muslim continent within 50 years, Israel would demographically diminishes within same time line, if not earlier..

Ironically, the true problem, that many Arabic, Muslim and Palestinian enthusiastic activates can’t get it till date.. Politics, is no longer works without scientific facts..!!

This has nothing to do with religion, culture or political intensions.. It is sort of “Natural Selection:; which had made the Homosapians took it over from the Neanderthals thirty thousand years ago.. Average Arabic fertility is conservatively 5.8, while Jewish is only and hopefully 2.9 !!!

Take it or leave it..!!

A little a world history

 (You wouln't believe it; it came to me in a junkmail V ad..!! Those marketing guys are further becoming unbelievable..!!)

4.5 billion B.C.
Planet Earth formed.

3 billion B.C.
First signs of primeval life (bacteria and blue-green algae) appear in oceans.

600 million B.C.
Earliest date to which fossils can be traced.


4.4 million B.C.
Earliest known hominid fossils (Ardipithecus ramidus) found in Aramis, Ethiopia, 1994.


4.2 million B.C.
Australopithecus anamensis found in Lake Turkana, Kenya, 1995.


3.2 million B.C.
Australopithecus afarenis (nicknamed Lucy) found in Ethiopia, 1974.


2.5 million B.C.
Homo habilis (Skillful Man). First brain expansion; is believed to have used stone tools.


1.8 million B.C.
Homo erectus (Upright Man). Brain size twice that of Australopithecine species.


1.7 million B.C.
Homo erectus leaves Africa.


100,000 B.C.
First modern Homo sapiens in South Africa.


70,000 B.C.
Neanderthal man (use of fire and advanced tools).


35,000 B.C.
Neanderthal man replaced by later groups of Homo sapiens (i.e., Cro-Magnon man, etc.).


18,000 B.C.
Cro-Magnons replaced by later cultures.


15,000 B.C.
Migrations across Bering Straits into the Americas.


10,000 B.C.
Semi-permanent agricultural settlements in Old World.


10,000-4,000 B.C.
Development of settlements into cities and development of skills such as the wheel, pottery, and improved methods of cultivation in Mesopotamia and elsewhere.


5500-3000 B.C.
Predynastic Egyptian cultures develop (55003100 B.C.); begin using agriculture (c. 5000 B.C.). Earliest known civilization arises in Sumer (45004000 B.C.). Earliest recorded date in Egyptian calendar (4241 B.C.). First year of Jewish calendar (3760 B.C.). First phonetic writing appears (c. 3500 B.C.). Sumerians develop a city-state civilization (c. 3000 B.C.). Copper used by Egyptians and Sumerians. Western Europe is neolithic, without metals or written records.


3000-2000 B.C.
Pharaonic rule begins in Egypt. King Khufu (Cheops), 4th dynasty (27002675 B.C.), completes construction of the Great Pyramid at Giza (c. 2680 B.C.). The Great Sphinx of Giza (c. 2540 B.C.) is built by King Khafre. Earliest Egyptian mummies. Papyrus. Phoenician settlements on coast of what is now Syria and Lebanon. Semitic tribes settle in Assyria. Sargon, first Akkadian king, builds Mesopotamian empire. The Gilgamesh epic (c. 3000 B.C.). Systematic astronomy in Egypt, Babylon, India, China.


3000-1500 B.C.
The most ancient civilization on the Indian subcontinent, the sophisticated and extensive Indus Valley civilization, flourishes in what is today Pakistan. In Britain, Stonehenge erected according to some unknown astronomical rationale. Its three main phases of construction are thought to span c. 30001500 B.C.


2000-1500 B.C.
Hyksos invaders drive Egyptians from Lower Egypt (17th century B.C.). Amosis I frees Egypt from Hyksos (c. 1600 B.C.). Assyrians rise to powercities of Ashur and Nineveh. Twenty-four-character alphabet in Egypt. Cuneiform inscriptions used by Hittites. Peak of Minoan culture on Isle of Creteearliest form of written Greek. Hammurabi, king of Babylon, develops oldest existing code of laws (18th century B.C.).


1500-1000 B.C.
Ikhnaton develops monotheistic religion in Egypt (c. 1375 B.C.). His successor, Tutankhamen, returns to earlier gods. Greeks destroy Troy (c. 1193 B.C.). End of Greek civilization in Mycenae with invasion of Dorians. Chinese civilization develops under Shang Dynasty. Olmec civilization in Mexicostone monuments; picture writing.


1000-900 B.C.
Solomon succeeds King David, builds Jerusalem temple. After Solomon's death, kingdom divided into Israel and Judah. Hebrew elders begin to write Old Testament books of Bible. Phoenicians colonize Spain with settlement at Cadiz.


900-800 B.C.
Phoenicians establish Carthage (c. 810 B.C.). The Iliad and the Odyssey, perhaps composed by Greek poet Homer.


800-700 B.C.
Prophets Amos, Hosea, Isaiah. First recorded Olympic games (776 B.C.). Legendary founding of Rome by Romulus (753 B.C.). Assyrian king Sargon II conquers Hittites, Chaldeans, Samaria (end of Kingdom of Israel). Earliest written music. Chariots introduced into Italy by Etruscans.


700-600 B.C.
End of Assyrian Empire (616 B.C.)Nineveh destroyed by Chaldeans (Neo-Babylonians) and Medes (612 B.C.). Founding of Byzantium by Greeks (c. 660 B.C.). Building of the Acropolis in Athens. Solon, Greek lawgiver (640560 B.C.). Sappho of Lesbos, Greek poet (fl. c. 610580 B.C.). Lao-tse, Chinese philosopher and founder of Taoism (born c. 604 B.C.).


600-500 B.C.
Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar builds empire, destroys Jerusalem (586 B.C.). Babylonian Captivity of the Jews (starting 587 B.C.). Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Cyrus the Great of Persia creates great empire, conquers Babylon (539 B.C.), frees the Jews. Athenian democracy develops. Aeschylus, Greek dramatist (525465 B.C.). Pythagoras, Greek philosopher and mathematician (582?507? B.C.). Confucius (551479 B.C.) develops ethical and social philosophy in China. The Analects or Lun-yu (collected sayings) are compiled by the second generation of Confucian disciples. Buddha (563?483? B.C.) founds Buddhism in India.


500-400 B.C.
Greeks defeat Persians: battles of Marathon (490 B.C.), Thermopylae (480 B.C.), Salamis (480 B.C.). Peloponnesian Wars between Athens and Sparta (431404 B.C.)Sparta victorious. Pericles comes to power in Athens (462 B.C.). Flowering of Greek culture during the Age of Pericles (450400 B.C.). The Parthenon is built in Athens as a temple of the goddess Athena (447432 B.C.). Ictinus and Callicrates are the architects and Phidias is responsible for the sculpture. Sophocles, Greek dramatist (496?406 B.C.). Hippocrates, Greek Father of Medicine (born 460 B.C.). Xerxes I, king of Persia (rules 485465 B.C.).

Rent-a-Friend..!!

By Coline Covington, FIRST POSTED SEPTEMBER 25, 2009
In three and a half years I've never once been caught out," says Ryuichi Ichinokawa, founder of Tokyo-based Office Agents, one of the 'rent a friend' businesses currently flourishing in Japan.

Ichinokawa makes sure his 'agents' - available for hire as 'friends', 'work colleagues' and even 'relatives' - know the answers to every possible question in advance. A slip could ruin the reputation of his client ­ and his business.
Business is booming. After four years, Ichinokawa now employs 30 agents and charges £150 for wedding appearances, or more if the agent is asked to speak or sing karaoke. The economic recession has increased demand as requests come in for agents to act as 'bosses' or 'work colleagues' to cover up for the fact that the client has, in fact, lost his or her job.



In short, the need to save face in public is a growing concern amongst the Japanese.


The roles agents are asked to play range from being best man at a wedding, to being a child's 'uncle' at a sports event, to being a parent attending a match-making party. They might be asked to be a husband at a social gathering, or even a rival suitor.
What each situation has in common is that the client wants the agent to fill in the gap in his or her life - a gap they feel unable to broach publicly.
Behind the example of the 'uncle' watching his nephew's sports event is the fact that the child's mother is a divorcee, the father is absent, and the son is being bullied at school by his peers. It is clear that the divorcee is attempting to fill in the gap of her missing husband and her son's missing father in the hope, apart from anything else, that this will solve the problem of her son being bullied.
The uncle is also a stand-in father and, at least in the mother's mind, will quite literally represent the protective authority figure that is missing in their lives.


Another situation described by Ichinokawa is acting to rescue love affairs that are failing. A woman client employs an agent to act as a potential rival in order to re-kindle her lover's interest. When she is in public with her inattentive boyfriend, the agent is programmed to 'accidentally' turn up, show that they've met before and express overt interest in her. Here the agent is asked to collude with the woman in trying to cover up the fact that her boyfriend has lost interest in her, if he was ever interested in the first place.
Whatever role the agent is asked to play points to an underlying emotional gap in the client that is too painful to know about - much less risk exposing.


Hiring a 'boss' might be the most obvious attempt at saving face, but there are invariably deeper emotional gaps that agents are being asked to fill.

In a culture that prides itself on the importance of form and structure ­ on putting on a good public appearance - it is perhaps especially shameful when the facts of one's life don't correspond to how they are supposed to be. For many people, these discrepancies convey a terrible sense of failure and inadequacy. Having to hire friends and relatives only highlights the isolation of Ichinokawa's clients and how much intimacy is lacking in their lives.


Japan is a culture, known during World War II for its kamikaze pilots, but which now has an extreme fear of vulnerability and defeat.
It is ironic that Ichinokawa originally wanted to train as a counsellor. Instead of training, he set up his agency and now claims that what he is providing is a kind of counselling.
However, in helping clients cover up their problems, the agents seem to be acting more in the role of social prostitutes, giving short-term relief that must be kept secret at all costs. Creating the façade of a life without problems is immensely seductive but it is the client who is fooled in the end.

One Poem, Many Interpretations..!!

This is the famouse one by Mawlana Jalaluddin Rumi (1207–73)
The Original was made in Persian.. These are some interpretations of his famous poem.. Each interprets a vision.. or a taste..
Please, thoughtfully; Pick yours..!!


Come, whoever you are!
Wanderer,Worshipper, Lover of leaving, come.
This is not a caravan of despair.
It does not matter if you have broken Your vow a thousand times, still come
And yet again come!
Come, come again, whoever you are, come!
Heathen, fire worshipper or idolatrous, come!
Come even if you broke your penitence a hundred times,
Ours is the portal of hope,
come as you are!


Come, come, whoever you are!
Wanderer, Worshipper, lover of leaving.
It doesn’t matter.
Ours is not a caravan of despair.
Come, even if you have broken your vow a hundred times.Come, yet again, come, come!


Come, come whoever you are!
Wanderer, idolater, worshipper of fire,
Come even though you have broken your vows a thousand times
Come, and come yet again.
Ours is not a caravan of despair!


Come, come, whoever you are!
Wonderer, worshipper, lover of leaving.
It doesn't matter.
Ours is not a caravan of despair.
Come, even if you have broken your vow
a thousand times
Come, yet again, come, come!


Come again, please, come again!
Whoever you are.
Religious, infidel, heretic or pagan.
Even if you promised a hundred times
And a hundred times you broke your promise,
This door is not the door
Of hopelessness and frustration.
This door is open for everybody.
Come, come as you are!


Return (in repentance), return!
Whateveryou are, return!
Even if you are an unbeliever or a Magian or anidol worshipper,
Return!
This court of ours is not a court of despair.
Even if you have broken your repentance a hundred times,
Return!

The American People..

We used call the Americans as the most illiterate people on earth.. Yet, they are the most active in confronting worldly injustice, pollution, poverty and illiteracy..

Americans pay a lot for International agencies, NGOs and Charities.. Yes the US system encourages, but also their own simple openness and search for personal complacency.. As USA was never a Colonial power, we probably can't understand them, nor take them seriously.. On the other hand, almost no one lived their for a while, came back fleeing their way of life..!!

We hate them on newspapers, while addicted to their TV shows and movies..!! We blame them for all evils, while dreaming of their green Doollars would fill the tine box below the bed..!!

Maybe it is time to step down from our 3rd world ivory..!!!!

New UNESCO DG..

I'm sorry for Farouk's lose,
yet happy for "Righteous" to win..

It was The People's victory, not The Politicians..
Despite the complex games and lobbying
in the last few days..


Thanks to all Bloggers, Campaigners; Twitters and Thoughtful Visionaries..
Thanks to those Egyptian Bloggers, who stand firm against him, getting the world to know: what type of man he is..
Maybe; this will be a dawn of restoring the long missed authentic merit of Egypt..

 This battle for UNESCO Directorship
constitutes ahead both
Accountability and Governance..


Irina Bokova has a challenging mission ahead
Proving that who supported were not misled,
Sailing into new era of achievements,
and unite efforts towards the Future..


a New phase of lasting Realization..


Also, sets Peoples' concerns and actions
to draw an end for
Corruption, Inefficiencies and Incompetence
in our troubled world..


Clock is fast ticking..!!


Now, I can renew my ICOMOS membership..!!

UNESCO DG 2009

Failed to preserve his national culture,

traded nation’s ID for globalization,

and fully surrendered to evil lobbyists..

Can he possibly or sensibly manage the world culture against its futuristic challenges?

Certainly NOOO..

yet he may politically lead the UNESCO..!!

Then, it is time to quit my ICOMOS membership..!!

http://saveunesco.wordpress.com/

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=95147323072&ref=search

It is not a matter of being an Egyptian, an Arab, a Muslim or a Third World Citizen..

Should the voting delegates look into what's happening in Egypt under his cultural authority..?
Instead of making Anti-Semitism an Arab’s right not only a Jewish one; he finally caused it to be the new Jewish victory over Arabs..!!

It is a matter of Capacity and Capability..
Integrity and Visionary..

It is the commons' last resort to be counted..

It is simply: Education, Science, Culture and Heritage

It is truly a Petty..!!

Intangible Heritage..

The 2009 competition is fierce on electing the new Director General for UNESCO.. It is already turned political.. or this is how it was for many rounds.. The reason can be fully understood when reviewing the contents of its sensitive agenda for the “Intangible Heritage”.. This is where the true merit of Mankind would be preserved, and served.. more than the clear objective of Tangible Heritage, Culture and Education.. This is why many stand against the Egyptian candidate.. This is where the mind set of future generations is drawn..!!

By John Daly (Americans for UNESCO)

Recently there was a world competition to select the seven new wonders of the world. UNESCO, incidentally, refused to participate, perhaps because of a potential conflict with the World Heritage list of 851 “properties”. UNESCO is of course correct in recognizing that there are far more than seven locations in the world that deserve protection as unique elements of mankind’s natural and cultural heritage. However, there is also value in recognizing that there is a much smaller number of sites of more transcendental importance. Each of the seven wonders is – in my opinion as well as that of the general public – a more important element of man’s heritage than the average of the 851 sites listed by UNESCO.

UNESCO makes occasional proclamations of “Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity”, creating thereby a list of such “masterpieces”. I suppose that the masterpiece list is supposed to complement the World Heritage adding intangible items to the tangible locals of the World Heritage Center’s list. The Masterpieces list specifically seeks to recognize “two types of expression of intangible cultural heritage: forms of popular and traditional cultural expressions and cultural spaces. This heritage is made up of many and varied complex forms of living manifestations in constant evolution including oral traditions, performing arts, music, festive events, rituals, social practices and knowledge and practices concerning nature.”

The three proclamations to date have together identified 90 “masterpieces”. They include the Cultural Space of Jemaa el-Fna Square in Morocco, Woodcrafting Knowledge of the Zafimaniry of Madagascar, and the Andean Cosmovision of the Kallawaya of Bolivia.

Let me suggest a set of Nine Wonders of the Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Each of these is a complex cultural element in constant evolution, which is not limited to any one country or region, and which transforms the lives of billions of people on a daily basis. Each involves social practices.

Scientific Agriculture: Based on a variety of plant and animal species domesticated in centers all around the world, scientific tools are utilized to provide improved varieties and breeds. These are combined with scientifically developed farming practices and the use of scientifically developed inputs such as pesticides and fertilizers in farming environments modified by such means as land leveling and provision of irrigation, and appropriately engineered farming equipment. Individual farms and farmers are supported by complex institutions such as extension services, agricultural research services, plant protection services, soil protection services, etc. The term “scientific agriculture” is used here in contrast to, for example, “traditional agriculture”.

Participatory Democracy: Obviously, participatory democracy has developed slowly, with many steps back, over millennia, including innovations pioneered by Athens in ancient Greece, the British Magna Carta, the American and French Revolutions. Equally obviously, there are many current versions among democratic states, many nations that have only partially institutionalized participatory democracy, and some nations that are governed by dictatorial or theocratic elites. I suggest that those societies that have institutionalized participatory democracy well tend to have governance responsive to their peoples, who enjoy the benefits of rule of law.

The Modern Market Economy: The fall of Communism and the triumph of Capitalism testify to the advantages of modern market economies over centrally planned economies. It must be recognized, however, that there is variety among the national implementations of the modern market economy, and that much of the world is still dependent on other economic systems including informal economies, subsistence economy, or barter systems. The modern market economy differs from earlier laisser faire models in that it is more regulated and includes provisions for a social safety net. Globalization is a feature of the evolution of the market economy with changes in infrastructure. The modern market economy is supported by a myriad of institutions for regulation and support, and depends on acculturation of buyers and sellers to function through markets. With the introduction of improved national and international information infrastructures, organizations have been reengineered to meet changing market needs and demands, and sectors have been comparably restructured, indicating the complexity of institutionalization of the market economy.

Modern Engineering Technology: The application of science to practical arts has produced the knowledge and understanding underlying our modern infrastructure. Modern engineering includes aeronautic, civil, electrical, electronic, environmental, industrial and mechanical engineering. Modern engineering is institutionalized through government and commercial engineering services as well as within corporations, and is supported by a complex web of research, standards, educational, and professional institutions. The term “modern engineering technology” refers to professional practice that has been professionalized (starting in the 19th century), is based on modern scientific knowledge, and is distinguished from the engineering practices of traditional societies or of informally groups.

Modern Urbanization: Today more than half of the people of the world live in cities, but a very large portion of those who do live in urban slums. Still, large cities of developed nations represent a cultural invention that yields the residents unprecedented security and comfort. It is a relatively modern invention, in that there were very few ancient cities that could support a population as large as one million people. It is the modern urban culture of Tokyo, London, Paris or New York that I would consider prototypical of modern urbanization, and that is a model to which cities in developing nations sometimes aspire.

Modern Science: Modern science is based on what is termed “the scientific method”. It is implemented by institutions for the conduct of scientific research, for the replication and validation of experimental results, for the organization of scientific information, for the formulation and validation of scientific theories, and for the dissemination of scientific information. There are also institutions for the support of modern science, including for the training of scientists and their supporting personnel, for the supply of scientific equipment, for science policy, and for financing science. Modern science can be contrasted with other knowledge systems, such as those for traditional or indigenous knowledge or for local knowledge, or political, legal, or other knowledge systems. It includes natural sciences (both physical and biological) as well as social sciences and mathematics.

Modern, Knowledge-Based Medical Practice: I use the term to include both preventive medicine and public health measures as well as curative medicine with its networks of doctors, nurses, dentists, hospitals, health centers, and consultation rooms. It is the practice of modern, scientifically trained practitioners, as contrasted with the practice of traditional practitioners (midwives, herbalists, curers, etc.) or of families using traditional or local knowledge. It depends on the availability of appropriate pharmaceutical products and medical instruments, both of which are supplied by complex institutional systems. While modern, knowledge-based medical practice serves all of mankind, its full benefits are currently limited to a relatively small fraction of the world’s population (those who can afford its cost).

Cyberspace and the International Information Infrastructure: With the development of the telegraph, telephone and radio, a new kind of communication became possible, and the technological extensions (television, mobile phones, satellite communications) have made such communication much more widely spread. Digital information technology, and the creation of the Internet and World Wide Web extended cyberspace, which now contains a huge library of knowledge and expression. Cyberspace provides a new virtual forum for global communication, which perhaps a billion people use actively today. It provides for new forms of institutionalization of other wonders in this list, such as e-commerce and e-government. I include it in this list especially to make the point that mankind’s most important intangible heritage need not be of ancient origin.

World Religions: A few religions include most of the world’s population as their adherents (Christians 33.03% of world population, Muslims 20.12%, Hindus 13.34%, Buddhists 5.89%). Each of these religions has evolved – during the course of millennia – not only an extensive and complex theology but institutionalized rituals and networks of places of worship. They have all institutionalized systems for training of leaders and members of the faith. For at least 70 percent of mankind, these religions provide patterns of religious belief, codes of moral conduct, communities of faith, and comfort. They would seem clearly to be among the most important elements of mankind’s intangible cultural heritage. They are to be distinguished from religions of the past that no longer have adherents, and many religions that are limited to small numbers of adherents, usually geographically concentrated in a relatively small region.

Concluding Remarks: Culture is often misunderstood. The term (and the concept it represents) is not limited to “high culture” of symphonies and classical literature, nor to “popular culture” of movies and pop music. Nor is it something found only in traditional societies, marked by is fragility and picturesque nature. UNESCO should conceive of its cultural responsibility as relating to “the whole product of an individual, group or society of intelligent beings. It includes technology, art, science, as well as moral systems and the characteristic behaviors and habits of the selected intelligent entities.” (Wikipedia)


UNESCO in its list of Masterpieces of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity has focused exclusively on elements of traditional cultures. Indeed, many of these are endangered, likely to be abandoned by the societies in which they once thrived as the people abandon the traditional and adopt more modern institutions. There is merit in recognizing the beauties of oral and intangible heritage of traditional cultures, encouraging their preservation while it is still possible.
It is perhaps more important to recognize the benefits of intangibles of modern culture. UNESCO is a development institution, seeking to help societies achieve conditions that they value, including education for all. Its efforts to promote science and communication are part of its development agenda. Ultimately, societies will not achieve adequate levels of health and nutrition nor freedom and security without development in areas to which UNESCO must contribute.

Thus, it is critical that UNESCO recognize that cultures will have to evolve in ways that are conducive to their social and economic development if they are to meet their members aspirations, and that UNESCO’s job is not merely to encourage protection of endangered quaint customs from the past, but to encourage development and dissemination of cultural practices which are needed for social and economic development to meet current and future needs. Thus it is important that UNESCO recognize the cultural elements that underlie such progress and find ways to help cultures find and adopt useful cultural practices and traits. There are elements in its cultural programs that do this, but they are relatively few and those are relatively weakly supported. UNESCO’s education, science, and communications programs also encourage development-enhancing cultural change, but do so little informed by UNESCO’s cultural expertise.

The United States and other developed nations embody many important cultural elements which can contribute to social and economic progress. The people and government of the United States have historically been more than willing to share the riches of our intangible culture with other nations and peoples. We should encourage UNESCO to recognize our leadership in many of the areas that I have identified above as Wonders of Intangible Culture, and to lead in encouraging other nations and peoples to consider incorporating these elements more fully in their own cultures.

As a final comment, let me reject the notion that such action would be “cultural imperialism”. Imperialism would involve the imposition of cultural elements on other cultures through the use of economic or other kinds of power. Making cultural elements available to other cultures for them to accept or reject – placing the power in their hands – is quite the opposite of imperialism. Indeed, one of the advantages of working through UNESCO in this respect is that an intergovernmental organization is much less likely to slip into an imperialistic mode than bilateral assistance agencies.