Yael Tamar's in-the-works blog

Poetry - Finished - When You Fall Out of Love

2010-10-13T06:22:00.003-07:00

When you fall out of love,

You start seeing the truth,

And you curse at yourself

For not seeing

What your friends and your mom

Have been trying to say

And you've heard what they said,

Misbelieving.

When you fall out of love,

Then you start being mad -

Being mad at yourself

And for giving

Into course of events

That have brought you to him,

This unfortunate man

That you're leaving.

When you fall out of love,

You start asking yourself

"How do I really know

If it's worth it?

So that next time I won't

Make the same mistake and

Waste my efforts again

To reverse it."

When you fall out of love,

You pop corn and watch that

Same bad movie you know

Word by word.

You forget for an hour

And a half that you're sad,

Then go back to the same

Lonely world.

When you fall out of love,

You regret all the time

That you wasted on him

And the dollars.

You however don't know -

When you fall out of love

What you really become

Is just loveless.

Poetry - Finished - My love

2010-10-13T06:22:00.001-07:00

If my memory fails, I still have my notebook

Where I wrote all the songs together with you

I don't happen to remember a moment I had

With you that wasn't true.

When I start on my journey, I pack all my things

And then I look at you hanging on my right

You're so peaceful and beautiful; your body's so slick

I will always have you by my side.

Poetry - FInished - Ashamed

2010-10-13T06:20:00.002-07:00

No one likes to hurt

No one likes to be the fire

That takes the will

And burns

And then explodes like a bomb.

I don't know how to revert

My sheer desire

So I wait until

It returns

To where it came from.

Poetry - Draft - Dreams Awake

2010-10-13T06:20:00.001-07:00

You're asking me what keeps me up at night –

It's your light.

But it's the same thing that keeps me alive –

And leaves me astray.

Why do I need a connection to you –

When it drives me away.

And how does it bring me back to the top –

When I dive?

When do I stop? –

What do I do?

I swallow salty smiles at their disguise –

To my surprise

You help to pull me away from myself –

Who gave you the right?

If you want your misery gather to party –

I'll be there in spite.

Had you decided how you want to it to finish –

I'd be back on the shelf.

This book is finished –

…Or has it even started?

Don't be like that, be like the rising sun –

Not the one

That darkens dreams, as the moon being solemn –

It's not you in the end

Who caused this system to break –

I'll just pretend

That I hate the night and you love the day –

You have stolen

My only way –

I'm awake.

Poetry - Draft - Train of Thought at a Dead End

2010-10-13T06:19:00.000-07:00

Train of Thought at a Dead End

You did not take the morning train today,

And you're afraid that now it's lost forever.

You know it, but you are afraid to say

That you won't make it to your destination. Ever.

You took your dream and realized it, but

There'll be another; it won't disappear

Like you did. You don't need a lot.

And all you need is this for you to hear.

You are a whore, a slut, a bitch, a wreck,

You don't deserve to neither breathe nor be.

You're not a human, not a chelo-vek[1].

You cannot think and no, you cannot see.

But you will hear this, I command you to,

You need to step away from this euphoria,

You want to be yourself, and others too,

You have to choose or life will do it for you.

Oh babe, how many characters you are,

Your smile is like the one of Mona Lisa's.

And yet, you're like a self-destructive star,

You'll blow apart into a thousand pieces.

There is no turning back and no detour

At a dead end. All what you've worked for, halted.

Your game's main rule is racing for the cure,

And now that you have won, you're not exalted.

You are aghast. As well as you should be.

Your moral game is at its final round.

You're naked, on the cross for all to see.

There's not a ray of light and not a sound

In your prostrated, empty, thoughtless head,

It feels like days, yet, only passed an hour.

You wait. You only wish is to be dead.

But you're not god, and you don't have the power.

You're paralyzed… But upward from the neck,

Which leaves your body running wild and free.

You're not a human, not a chelo-vek.

You cannot think and no, you cannot see.

Poetry _ Finished - Love, in memoriam

2010-10-13T06:18:00.002-07:00

I loved you for one day, the last day,

I can't say that I'm not regretless

Of this infatuation… but hey,

I loved you, and that's all that matters.

I loved you, but that was last Friday;

Today is a Sunday, it's brighter.

I went back to having it my way,

Un-blinded, thanks to the Almighty.

You showed me the inside of your mind

And you didn't mean to, I'm sure.

It seemed so divinely beforehand -

And it seemed so glacially pure.

But Saturday proved you a vain jerk.

Too bad, such a waste of a weekend.

You're out of me like a Champaign cork

Quickly unscrewed with a slick hand.

I loved you for one day, go figure…

Exalted you while my love lasted.

I loved you, as I pulled the trigger

And my bleeding love flew right past you.

I loved you for 24 hours.

It was one last day of euphoria.

My love seemed so totally ours…

It was only my love, in memoriam.

Poetry - Finished - Forget

2010-10-13T06:18:00.001-07:00

Forget. You're back inside your shelter.

Forget. Erase her from your mind.

Forget her; she'll no longer matter,

Forget and leave it all behind.

Forget. I can't forget. She's there.

Forget. I've no idea how.

Forget. I won't forget, I swear.

Forget. I want her here and now.

Forget. You have a life… the other.

Forget. What's done can't be undone.

Forget. You'll be a wife, a mother.

Forget. I know that she's the one.

Forget. Stop looking for a warning.

Forget. Stop searching for a sign.

Forget. I knew that very morning.

Forget. I thought, "You will be mine."

Forget. Too late, my heart she's stolen.

Forget. "I want…" came from above,

Forget. "…to be yours." And I've fallen.

Forget. Head over hills, in love.

Forget. You've so much life ahead you.

Forget. To love, to fear, to die.

Forget. I really wish I had her.

Forget. I'm nothing but a lie...

Music - Draft - My Song Lyrics - Only With You

2010-10-13T06:17:00.000-07:00

"To be or not" is not the question,

And I would never ask for more;

I fell into a deeper feeling

Then anything I felt before.

Only with you I can think freely.

Only with you I fly so high.

I light on fire when you are near me.

I smile like that because you're mine.

I may sometimes be stubborn, baby,

But then I feel so bad, I swear.

I want to be with you just maybe

A little closer everywhere.

Music - My Song Lyrics - Once in the Bedroom

2010-10-13T06:16:00.000-07:00

She just found out he won't be back tomorrow

She doesn't care; she knows it's all in vain

And once in the bedroom, she forgets her sorrow

Once in the bedroom, she doesn't feel the pain.

She loved his name, it sounded like a river

Deep under there, she kept herself for years

He sailed away and took all he could give her

She was left behind and cried a sea of tears.

He missed her love, she never even told him,

Can you see the rainbow, if you're colorblind?

Now she's far away, her heart unjustly stolen,

She couldn't live her dreams, so she left them all behind.

Poetry - Draft - Mikveh

2010-10-13T06:15:00.002-07:00

Today is your new beginning

Feel spirit of this new day

Which takes you and makes you

A whole new person and leads you along the way.

When warmth of the running water

As pure as the mountain spring

Will touch you forever

It'll change you for years of new ways it will bring.

Take this moment

And save it for any day

When you need it the most

Or you wonder what's next

Remember when you started the way.

Music - My Song Lyrics - No More

2010-10-13T06:15:00.001-07:00

No more

I stare at the door

And I feel like running

After you

I know that it's true

But I am denying

That I do

Have feelings for you

Because I'm sorry for myself

And I keep throwing words with meaning

At the whiteness of the ceiling

But I'm putting on the shelf

Inside the book as old as air

All the words that I have spared

All the words that say I do

Have feelings for you.

Your eyes

Will light with surprise

When you will discover

How I feel

Perhaps it is real

But I can't reveal

That I do

Have feelings for you

Your words

Like heartbreaking chords

I can't think about

Anything but you

I know that it's true

But I'm not allowed

To tell that I do

Have feelings for you.

Poetry - Idea - Knife

2010-10-13T06:12:00.000-07:00

First I open my heart to see what's there

Then I twist you in like a knife

Then to leave you in rather than take you out

Could literally save my life.

Poetry - Finished - A Wedding Vow

2010-10-13T06:11:00.002-07:00

Lean on me…

Trust me…

Follow and don't question!

Sacrifice your patience to get my affection.

Relax and accept

My part in your travel

For now I'm your guidance on a primary level.

Prepare to change

Your image and smile:

You will be converted to fit my lifestyle.

Do not even try

To escape your rebirth.

You'll turn to a clever and useful resource.

I'll make you my pet

(and my favorite toy).

You will satisfy me the way I enjoy.

I'll feed you the chocolates,

My favorite treat.

Prefer something different? Prepare your own meat.

I'll care about you,

I'll buy you a leash.

You will go aside me wherever I wish.

I will make you happy,

Believe me, my dear.

When I take a main role in OUR premiere.

Poetry - FInished - Death of a Fly

2010-10-13T06:11:00.001-07:00

Nobody really cares

When a fly dies.

No one breaks down or swears;

No one sneezes or cries.

Nobody ever mentions

How hard her family strives.

Nobody has intentions

To care for orphan flies.

Even if somebody follows

Her silhouette fall from the skies,

They do not pray in sorrows

To see her wake and rise.

People don't gather around

Rubbing their eyes,

Looking down to the ground

Where the body lies.

Most likely they take a sweeper

Disgusted or cold as ice,

They throw her away with litter

'Cause nobody likes flies.

---- 2000

Poetry - Finished - Nail on the Wall

2010-10-13T06:10:00.001-07:00

A Nail on the Wall

I saw a Nail sticking out of the wall

Framed by a black rectangle of wallpaper

As if a part of the wall were forgotten by the sunlight

Forever.

I looked around for the painting

That used to hang firm for so long

On the place of the black rectangle leaning over that

Steady Nail.

It was nowhere. There was nothing in the room

Besides Silence and Emptiness,

And the time went ahead and the world went round while

I stared.

When I woke up, I asked, "Why are you here,

Bare and bold like this crooked Nail?

Where is your purpose, and how long has it been taken

Away?"

--- 1999

Standup - Finished - The Hardship of Joining the Labor Force

2010-10-13T06:09:00.000-07:00

I wish I could say that I have had considerable work experience. Some people, when asked about their place of work, are embarrassed to say that they have to flip burgers at Bojangles or mow lawns on 55th Street to earn their "pizza money" while in college. I wouldn't be. I'd step ahead, hike my chin up, roll down my eyes, straighten my posture, put a grin on my face, and proudly declare so everybody could hear: "I love my job cleaning up in McDonald's" or "I enjoy making chocolate fudge for Piggly Wiggly." I wish I could say that, and I wouldn't feel a bit uncomfortable or humiliated.

But I've never had a real job. Although I've been trying to get a position at a couple of places, I haven't been lucky enough to make it. Most places avoid hiring inexperienced workers to keep away from inevitable loss and damage that comes along with training workers like me. In my opinion, it is completely unfair because in order to get any job experience, you have to first get a job. I call it a vicious circle of inexperience.

However, I can say I have had interesting experiences trying to get a job. Once, I was put on probation at a Japanese restaurant. The owner of the restaurant, a good friend of my parents, let me work at his place of Oriental gourmet on New Year's Eve. My parents obviously never talk a lot about me outside of our house. They probably never mentioned that I am not allowed to cook at home after I almost burnt the house down simply trying to heat up the vegetable soup. Unfortunately for my parents, I had forgotten to turn off the stove, letting the soup boil until all the water evaporated, and the pan caught on fire. Fortunately for me, I have never had to approach the stove again. They say I am a kitchen monster. Also, they definitely never pointed out my incredible ability to drop everything that happens to be in my unwieldy hands, which is especially displeasing when it comes to my mother's favorite chinaware or an astoundingly fragile and expensive flower vase from Guatemala. They call me gauche, which in my case literally means that I was born with two left hands. In addition, they evidently never did mention the mild form of Attention Deficit Disorder they think I have because I tend to forget or mix up in some way absolutely everything that comes to my attention. They say that what comes in my right ear, goes out of the left (I tried to prove that it wasn't possible after I had taken a biology course. I even poured some water in my right ear to see whether it would come out on the opposite side, but it wouldn't come out at all. I had to jump on my right foot and shake my head for a half an hour to get it out, so don't even try to repeat my so-called experiment. Besides, they still would make that absurd statement every time I'd forget something.) Finally, they certainly never pointed out that no one can read my handwriting, even myself. That just proves the astonishing similarity between my hand and a chicken foot. They say that what comes out on paper naturally reflects what's going on in my head.

The owner of the restaurant, a very kind and always smiling man, Tsuoshi Iwatake (we call him Iwa for short), either had never heard about my exclusive clumsiness or was very desperate for workers because what kind of a loser would want to work on New Year's Eve. Apparently, he thought somebody would, so he asked me. As for me, I was happy to help him out, and I was very excited and worried at the same time about my first day of work. I was determined to do my best not to fall flat on my face and to try to keep the job into the New Year. It would be a great start, and I didn't want to screw it up.

It was explained that my duty was to answer the phone, write down the orders, take them to the kitchen and read them aloud, make out the bills, and check out the customers. I was shown how to operate the cash register, how to close it, and how to count the money at the end of the day. In addition, I could help out by making a salad, taking the drinks to the customers, and putting the crackers on the tables (needless to say, I was trying to avoid that at all costs.) Unsurprisingly for me, most of the information I accumulated during the brief training I had, was either lost in the midst of the occipital and the temporal lobes of my brain, or possibly came out of my left ear (I even started to believe that what my parents said about me was true.) My brain didn't fail me; it just worked as well or as badly as usual.

When the restaurant opened for lunch, I dreaded the first phone call. It was a lady who wanted some kind of the Japanese cuisine masterpiece which name I couldn't make out (I am not very familiar with Japanese words, and she probably wasn't either.) I asked her to repeat it three times, finally found something in the menu that looked like it was what she wanted, and wrote it down. As you would have thought, it wasn't the right item. Not only did Iwa have to cook the cursed dish for the surprised and impatient woman when she got to the restaurant, but he also didn't know what to do with the previous one or with the unfortunate worker, which I was at the moment. I thought he'd make me eat it and pay for it; but to my surprise, he just let me keep working. I wish he hadn't (and he probably does too).

When I proudly handed the first bill I made to the man that was ready to check out, he looked at the bill; then he looked at me; then he looked at the attractive woman he just had lunch with; then he looked at the bill again; and inquired: "Sixty-five dollars and forty-five cents?" (In actuality, Iwa's restaurant is considered to be one of those places where you can have lunch when you don't have a lot of money.) I gasped for air and noticed how rigidly white the ceiling was above my head. I didn't faint just because I don't ever faint (no matter how hard I try). And I am not an escapist; so I said, "Yes, sir." However, I realized that whoever taught me how to use a calculator did a lousy job. Apparently, he didn't want to belittle himself in the eyes of the woman he was with, so he paid. But he put the receipt in his wallet "so he wouldn't forget what it was for." Obviously, he was planning to talk to Iwa about it some time later. (I have never had a chance to find it out because I have never seen Iwa again since that day).

It is needless to count how many times I messed up on people's orders, spilt their drinks, or put the wrong dressing on their salads that day. When the shift ended, I was so tired and miserable that Iwa closed up the cash register for me, fired a short "Senk'u," and called the next day to tell my parents that my help was no longer needed. It wasn't necessary; for nothing in the world would I go back to work at Iwa's restaurant again.

That was my only, and hopefully, the worst work experience by far. As a freshman in college, I tend to think that by the time I graduate, I'll acquire many different abilities that will help me to get a worthwhile job. College is supposed to "get me straight," that is to teach me patience, responsibility, and critical thinking skills. I know that I will make a good worker in the future. I just have to convince an employer.

Poetry - Draft - Clownette

2010-10-13T06:08:00.001-07:00

Life's a theater, and we're all a part

Of this awesome production onstage.

We've been given our lines from the start,

Feigning love, joy, sadness and rage.

Is there any emotion that's real?

If I found it, I'd want to reverse it.

Mine's not totally true or ideal,

But I know, it is totally worth it.

I'm just playing my part, of a clown,

And she's falling deeper and better;

When I try to stop her, she breaks down.

I can't take it, and so I let her.

I'm just here to entertain

Any thought, any sort of a meaning.

An epitome of insane

Is, as long as she loves, keep on living –

In this cruel presumptuous world

Looking down on all that is pure.

To be daring, emotional, bold,

Be so open and non-obscure

In the poetry of truth and emotion

Everlasting, ever-changing,

Life of transience, feelings of motion,

So empathic and so non-avenging.

As long as she loves me, I'm cured

I don't try to do anything stupid,

I'm not scared; I'm not insecure,

So I don't try to mess with the Cupid.

All in all, she's what's left of my heart.

But you know what's so totally strange?

People tend to grow so much further apart

When kept at a closer range.

Music - Song Lyrics - Key to my broken heart

2010-10-13T05:59:00.000-07:00

F Am I disengage the music of my soul

Em To hear your heart beat

I burn my pride,

It turns into charcoal

And slides down to your feet

C G Am Em And in my chest you can see a hole

Right where the arrow hit

My pain would go away with Tylenol,

But sugar makes it sweet.

F G C

CHORUS

G Em Am D All the springs rush to your soul

The melody rushes to the start

You poor thief. All that you stole

Was the key my tainted heart

_________________________

And I don’t want to act silly role

I’m starting to retreat.

I gathered bricks and built a solid wall

To hide under the sheet.

It almost doesn’t scare me at all

And doesn't hurt a bit.

I’m getting used to my relinquished soul

And I’m donating it.

Love and Relationships - Draft - Rant - Love is based on respect

2010-10-13T05:56:00.000-07:00

[7:25:32 PM] Yael: anyway i love u the way you are. at least for now. later we will see.
[7:25:46 PM] Yael: i am looking for a sustainable love, which is mainly based on mutual respect
[7:26:02 PM] Yael: the day i stop respecting my lover, love starts fading away
[7:26:30 PM] Yael: mutual respect is based on growth
[7:26:35 PM] Yael: people have to grow together
[7:26:36 PM] Yuval Tsemach: אם ככה היא כנראה תעלם
[7:26:39 PM] Yael: that's all
[7:26:41 PM] Yael: no
[7:26:53 PM] Yael: why do you think so?
[7:27:01 PM] Yuval Tsemach: הערכה זה משהו שלא תלוי בזמן
[7:27:10 PM] Yael: yes it does
[7:27:17 PM] Yael: some people move forward and some stay the same
[7:27:20 PM] Yael: it's stagnation
[7:27:27 PM] Yael: maybe you will lose respect for me
[7:28:07 PM] Yael: as long as people grow and learn from their mistakes, and learn from each other, they will continue respecting each other
[7:28:17 PM] Yael: it's not a problem if someone makes mistake
[7:28:20 PM] Yael: a mistake
[7:28:23 PM] Yael: even a bad one
[7:28:32 PM] Yael: like loses all of their money in a bad deal or something
[7:28:55 PM] Yael: their partner can still retain respect for them if they have learned and got back on their feet
[7:28:59 PM] Yael: just an example

Love & Relationships - Draft - Rant - Invisible bond

2010-10-13T05:54:00.001-07:00

I felt that something happened last night. Something metaphysical, between me and you. Like a connection, an invisible bond, I felt that maybe it got tighter or stronger. Perhaps. Maybe it was the trust. But I felt something. I don't know what you felt. It could be possible that you felt the opposite. It happens sometimes that people feel the opposite things in moments quite dramatic. But this realization since yesterday has carried me through today and has caused me to blank out and stare at the opposite wall in contemplation. Contemplation of nothing in particular. An unfocused vision of the white wall intersected by strange matrix-like grid in front of my eyes. A meditation-like tingling in the limbs. And no particular thoughts. Very strange.

as for the feelings. i dont know. it's like in a game of snooker. to shoot the ball you have to draw an invisible line continuing your stick toward the ball and into the hole
so i could draw that line through your eyes with my eyes. that's how i felt

and, to be serious for a minute, i have NEVER felt this way before. REAL. like being in between the sky and the earth. feeling the ground under my feet yet being taken so high. REAL HIGH. REAL & HIGH. this is new. and true. true love. life worth living. with you. being. seeing. feeling. and believing. in good. in everlasting spring. blossoming. growing. spreading roots. belonging. feeling home. warmth. embrace. it all started with embrace. that's probably why i fell for you. nothing's better than being in your arms. i love you.

Business - Draft - Failure of VC industry (from TheMarker article)

2010-10-13T05:52:00.000-07:00

· Problems with VC model:

· Too much capital is invested in the VC industry

· Funds invested in low-quality firms

· Such investment reduced the yield for the funds

· Professional issue: the funds recruited managers from high-tech fields and not past entrepreneurs

· VC funds are losing deals to angels that have better relationships with entrepreneurs

· Internet and software companies don’t necessarily need VC funds in order to develop and grow

· In the past decade, the IRR, or the main index for measurement of VC performance, was very low – a one-digit figure, and in some cases was even negative.

· The research by Josh Lerner and William Kerr from Harvard concluded that companies founded by entrepreneurs who receive funding from business angels survive at least 4 years and show better performance.

· The entrepreneurs are not ready to give high equity percentages to the VCs in exchange for moderate or high investment. Israeli funds did not succeed in keeping a high percentage of equity which allows them to keep the high yield they have earned in the previous decade

· At the moment, it has been estimated that the VC industry is only returning about 1.6 times the money invested in it, what’s translated into the annual IRR of 10%

· VC industry is reducing in size; some say that there’s been a 50% reduction in the U.S. In Israel this process has already started: from 70 VC funds in 2000, at the moment, a limited number of the Israeli VC funds remained, among which are Pitango, Genesis, Gemini, Evergreen, JVP and others.

· From 700 VC funds currently active in the US, in 2015 only about 200 are expected to be able to invest funds.

· The main problem of the industry is its ability to provide normal yields for the financial institutions, which are the main source of their funds

· In the current economy, no doubt that in some cases the angels are filling in the roles that in the past were performed by the VCs

· The Internet industry has created a phenomenon, in which the company has the ability to arrive to sales and balance with investment lower than a few hundred thousand dollars.

· Lack of talented engineering workforce stalls the high tech economy in Israel; an investor first and foremost must worry about providing adequate workforce for the venture

· Despite the crisis there is no problem with demand and supply in the VC industry. The innovation has not stopped for a moment; the market penetration has become cheaper and cheaper and many companies are able to commercialize their products relatively fast. However, in order to build large stable companies, a much higher investment is needed, the one normally provided by the VC industry. In this case, it is unclear why the VC industry has not succeeded. Mainly this is the result of an inherent flaw with the industry model. Apparently, the price which the VCs require from the financial institutions in order to ensure the return vis-à-vis the risk of the investment is too high – the price that the financial institutions are not ready to pay any longer.

· Since the VCs are normally the financial intermediary between the investment and the startups, just as the banks are the financial intermediary for small and medium businesses, due to the failure of the VC model, the start-ups ultimately suffer, as well as the whole high-tech market and tens of thousands of people employed by this industry in Israel.

· The long-term solution to the VC problem needs to be a significant change to the VC model, make it more efficient

· The “carry” model of revenue sharing is not sustainable: the VCs need to understand that they are financial intermediaries, and as such rely mainly on the management fees

· Operation of the Israeli VC funds (according to Calpers Reports)

Fund	Year of founding	Yield in 2009	Investment multiple
Carmel 1	2000	6.6%	1.3
Pitango 4	2004	4.2%	1.1
Carmel 2	2005	6.4%	0.9
Gemini 3	2000	-2.2%	0.9
JVP 4	2001	-3.5%	0.8
Carmel 3	2008	-41.2%	0.6
Pitango 3	1999	-6.9%	0.6
Israel Seed	2000	-14.8%	0.5

Poetry - Draft - Translation of Russian Song

2010-10-13T05:51:00.000-07:00

agathe kristi translation

Genius and wisest song, Russiam 1990s. My translation:

Lie down, relax and listen to what I have to say
I hurt enough, but today I'm going away.
Like I said, just calm down and shut your mouth. Oh, well,
This is it, farewell, and go to hell.

Chorus:
I am in your like I'm in war,
And I'm in war like I'm in your...
But I am tired, the battle's done.
I take the wine and home I run.

The battle's done; the fire's out
And nothing's left to be without.
But we still live, and we just might
Be lucky to, in spite.
__________

Pain is pain, doesn't watter what you think of.
Pain is fear, when there's fear, there can be lo love.
Like I said, just calm down and shut your mouth. Oh, well,
This is it, farewell, and go to hell.

Achievement - Draft - My personal goals

2010-10-13T05:25:00.000-07:00

CAREER:

FAMILY:

HOBBIES:

BODY:

Endurance - marathon in two years, half a marathon in November
Current 10K time - 1 hr 10 minutes, planned: under an hour
Swimming - 6 km in under 2.5 hrs
Body image - toned arms, a six-pack
Weight - 68 kg
Size - 38

Politics - Draft - Briggitte Gabriel - Lebanese Christian survivor of Muslim Burgeoning of Christians

2010-10-13T04:09:00.000-07:00

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=140068656022922&ref=mf

Politics - Draft - Can Africa be saved?

2010-10-13T03:58:00.000-07:00

Over 150 women were raped in a Congolese village over a 4-day spree. Can Africa be saved?

A woman born in South Africa has a greater chance of being raped than learning how to read!!!
This is not sensationalism or yellow journalism. One inf four men admitted raping a woman in the previous year
BBC

This goes back to the discussion on who is at fault for Africa's state.

Whether this is the colonialism's fault or the inherent lack of adaptation to the Western culture and values. I read an article written by an African defending the latt...er. Lack of progress combined with guns and power lead to more rape and killing.

As Sam has written before, many of the Africans believe the way to cure HIV is to rape a little baby. Many of them rape adolescents and wait around for a chance for an eligible virgin to show up.

I wonder whether Western efforts could help Africa...

there are some things, which are commonly abhorred by all societies and are understood as such on all levels of intelligence, such as rape and child abuse. Th...is is not a West vs. East issue. In fact, they do it, everywhere in the world, to instill fear because they know just how horrible it is. It IS much more accepted there because there is no law and order and because there is no punishment. And yes, I am saying the moral set is absolute when it comes to a basic right of not wanting to be raped.

Another issue, though, is FGM. A lot of people used the West vs. East argument on that one, but this is just defending ignorance! And barbaric rituals and killing of innocent women (girls). The only reason a girl would not protest this on a physical (not emotional) level is because she does not want to be excoriated from her family or society.
This is a point to consider when it comes to a veil or burqa and how we defend women's right to wear it because they WANT to. The question is who really wants THEM to wear it...

Here's another Africa story that was on CNN today, this time from Nigeria
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/africa/08/25/nigeria.child.witches/index.html?hpt=C1#fbid=AL6Iv4iWzFp&wom=false
This is heart breaking how ignorance causes people to abuse their children adn throw them out of their families. This is inconceivable; reminds me or the Scarlet letter...

Philosophy - Draft - Turning animals into vegetarians

2010-10-13T03:55:00.000-07:00

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/19/the-meat-eaters/
September 19, 2010, 5:35 pm

The Meat Eaters

By JEFF MCMAHAN

Viewed from a distance, the natural world often presents a vista of sublime, majestic placidity. Yet beneath the foliage and hidden from the distant eye, a vast, unceasing slaughter rages. Wherever there is animal life, predators are stalking, chasing, capturing, killing, and devouring their prey. Agonized suffering and violent death are ubiquitous and continuous. This hidden carnage provided one ground for the philosophical pessimism of Schopenhauer, who contended that “one simple test of the claim that the pleasure in the world outweighs the pain…is to compare the feelings of an animal that is devouring another with those of the animal being devoured.”

Strange... why would anyone even consider writing on this?
"Even if we are not morally required to prevent suffering among animals in the wild for which we are not responsible, we do have a moral reason to prevent it." And this is bogus :) T...his is why most modern day philosophers should go find a job!
Did he miss the point that animals could hurt each other without bring carnivorous? The stronger and faster animals will eat all the food! The animals will die from hunger and disease. This is much more disturbing. I repeat, the guy should shave his beard and join the rank of people producing something useful in this world. His last sentence showed the expectation of criticism.

I explained why. It's bogus for humans to butt in and decide they have to change nature because they think the animals are suffering. The animals are suffering much less from being eaten than they would if they had to die from hunger or dis...ease.

[This obviously doesn't apply to humans who grow animals for their consumption. I would not have a problem with eating meat if everyone were to hunt for their food (with bow and arrow, LOL).]

You cannot call this moral. There is no morality in the animal kingdom. It's immoral for humans to assume they know what animals need and to think they can fix the order of the animal kingdom to fit the human understanding of how the world should operate. It's immoral because humans such as the author doesn't understand the alternatives to carnivorous order in nature.

It is interesting of course because it allows you to ponder at things, which you normally discuss (politics and human psychology).

There are a million much more worthy topics for discussion (that don't involve morality and other things we c...annot define in connection to the animal kingdom).

I love articles on simulating human economic behavior (for instance) by employing animal studies. I think animals quite enjoy them too :) Mainly they are used to show how irrational humans are (stupid in plain language). It's interesting to contemplate the differences and similarities between human and animal behavior, too, and the causes for such.

Achievement - Idea - Enjoying the moment vs. fixing the world, or can we do both?

2010-10-13T03:52:00.000-07:00

I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve (or save) the world
and a desire to enjoy (or savor) the world. This makes it hard to plan the
day." E.B. White

feel guilty, always!

Health - Draft - If Vegetarians love animals, why are they eating their food?

2010-10-13T03:51:00.001-07:00

Plus I read that vegetarians have better sex :)

But even if this were true, it's most likely not because of what they eat, but because of the inherent traits that make people become vegetarian: sensitivity to others, empathy, awareness, impo...rtance of health and body, etc.

zatch Didn't Mufasa sum this up definitively in the Lion King? And who here thinks they are wiser than Mufasa?

Mufasa: Everything you see exists together in a delicate balance. As king, you need to understand that balance and respect all the creatures, from the crawling ant to the leaping antelope.
Young Simba: But, Dad, don't we eat t...he antelope?
Mufasa: Yes, Simba, but let me explain. When we die, our bodies become the grass, and the antelope eat the grass. And so we are all connected in the great Circle of Life.

If I take what he says literally, seems that you must eat something or someone in order to be connected in the great Circle of Life. If lions were to stop eating antelope, and say started eating fish, which do not eat grass, would... the antelope become extinct? And could the world possibly collapse?

By the same rationale, I don't eat the antelope, but skip right to the grass. This means, I pretty much leave the antelope out of the circle. So by not eating the antelope, I deny it its purpose in this world and therefore undermine its existence. Wow, this increasingly becomes a convincing argument for eating the poor antelope.

This means that if we all stopped eating the antelope, it would become extinct. It's possible that would happen if there were no predators for the antelope. The population would increase tremendously and eat all of its food. Then it would probably either all die of hunger or go back to manageable size. But then such a population would probably be unable to remain at a steady state. So I am not sure that such world could be sustainable. So someone's gotta eat the antelope, it seems... to let it live...

So this is how it would be in the perfect world. Where people hunt animals. In our case, we grow animals for our food wasting an enormous amount of resources on the way. So Mufasa was right regarding the world of the Lions. But the world of the Lions cannot be applied to the human world without adaptations...

none of these make much sense because we grow both animals and "animal" food for our own consumption. We don't "exterminate" animals for food. (We do in some countries, such as Japan (wales) and we also kill animals for other attributes endangering their species. But that's a different story, unrelated to the conversation on vegetarianism.) The statement above is merely a joke

Society - Idea - Russians drowning while drunk

2010-10-13T03:49:00.000-07:00

CNN reported that about 1,200 Russians have drowned recently, most of them drunk, because of the heat wave. WOW! 49 people died in one day only... Is this true? And is Titanic still considered a tragedy?

Society - Draft - Hareidim making fools out of themselves, again

2010-10-13T03:46:00.000-07:00

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=467011393419&set=a.84519773419.101391.634423419

I'm almost sure that some secular hareidi-hater put together a flier promising spiritual reward if they put veils to avoid seeing stuff on the way to Ukraine. Success! Looking ridiculous. I am wondering why they can't just wear sunglasses instead?? Either they haven't thought about this or they don't want to look too hip :)

A new fashion statement

Reviews - Draft - Movie: Inception

2010-10-13T03:44:00.000-07:00

Inception is a perfectly forgettable film, incapable of teaching anyone any lessons or provoking any new thoughts or ideas. Going in with very low expectations, I found it void of any interesting story line, and even the punch line delivered much too late was completely expected and stripped of any significance. Such a... great disappointment for a film, which was said to have surpassed the Matrix.

I have much better entertainment every night when I go to sleep. I have crazy imagination. When I go to the movies, I expect to be entertained by an interesting plot, stimulating dialogue, etc. - things that used to be presen...t in movies before they invented all the crazy effects. I can create these effects just by closing my eyes. They are just depriving you of the ability to develop an imagination.
It didn't make me think about viewing my own reality because it didn't provide any new ideas. I already have a very unique opinion on how I view my reality

Politics - Draft - How the left academics fall into the trap of causality

2010-10-13T03:40:00.000-07:00

Sam:
Stoler is talking about colonial-like policies of the State of Israel in the Occupied Territories not the State of Israel.

Stoler is one of the greatest scholars in North America. She... and her husband are NYC Jews and she has collaborated many times with TAU.

__

of course you can voice disapproval once you are knowledgeable on the subject and preferably have visited the place. i am not sure it's very easy or safe to visit Congo, but Israel's doors are wide open.

there are a lot of scientists that st...ray away and start pulling for the underdog, just like the rest of the world. Yulia and you have a similar opinion. I wouldn't call the territories occupied, but disputed. And there is no way I would compare colonialism and Israel's policies in the territories . anyway ill read later and comment

The boycotting people are also hypocritical. They use Israeli-made or invented products every day because they are not easy to boycott. If they need an urgent medical treatment, they will even come to Israel to get it if... it were the best place. They boycott Universities because it's easy. They found something painless to boycott. This is all done for show. In general, the idea is if you stop buying specific products thereby reducing the demand, the seller will become weaker and the competitors will take over. So Israel will suffer economically. Would that make Israel treat the Palestinians better and achieve the two-state solution? I doubt it, and probably the opposite will happen. Israel won't be able to donate as much money as it does now. [They are all forgetting the positive images of Israeli surgeons donating their time to operate on Palestinian children and so on. Who else does that for an enemy?]

P.S. I boycott any cosmetic companies that do animal testing, which is actually a lot, so you have to be careful. Dove & Pantene are on the list, Arm & Hammer and a bunch of products I used to use daily. I don't listen to artists that wear fur and I would not be friends with anyone if they did (consider that a warning :)). Part of the reason I do it is because it makes me feel better that I don't contribute to the bad cause. Maybe my refusal to buy these products won't save that many animals, but at least I won't participate. So that's probably how these people feel, and that's why I can sort of relate to that. If they think Israel is an evil machine, they won't buy products from here. Just like I won't buy products from Iran if I can help it.

Politics - Draft - Lieberman voicing his own opinions

2010-10-13T03:38:00.000-07:00

s it acceptable for a Minister to make a statement during a visit to a foreign counterpart and then upon criticism say that it was his personal opinion and not his country's position? is he allowed to voice his opinion when it's in dissonance with the official position??

LIEBERMAN. WHO ELSE. TOLD THAT LEAVING A FEW ARABS IN THE PAL STATE ONCE WE DRAW THE BORDERS IS HIS OWN IDEA

Aliza
Theoretically not at all acceptable, but in practice I think that the likelihood that Lieberman would do this sort of thing is a part of the reason Netanyahu chose him for the job. Hes the bad cop that enables Netanyahu to make a somewhat plausible attempt to position himself as the good cop.

Politics - Draft - Bill Clinton's opinion: Russians are an obstacle to peace

2010-10-13T03:35:00.000-07:00

"Bill Clinton has caused anger in Israel by describing Russian-speaking immigrants to the Jewish state as a significant obstacle to a peace deal with the Palestinians."www.telegraph.co.uk

There is no expansionism. We have lived in this land since forever. You cannot expand in your own land.
Even Clinton did not compare their zeal toward maintaining the land we have to the expansionism of the Soviet Union.
And Clinton is wron...g in regards to the origin of this zeal.
Russians have seen Chechnya. They have seen terrorism. It hits close to home. Even thosewho are hear for tens of years have someone back home, who has been affected. In some parts of Russia terrorism is more real than it is in Israel (post wall). Suicide bombings are happening. And they are even more brutal, targeting school, for instance.
Russians are much less forgiving. They don't believe in any way of peace besides containing the terorists in their territory and subjecting them to harsh conditions (lightly speaking, when it comes to Chechnya). The Russians believe that peace of mind comes with the price.
They don't care about finding the solution for the Palestinians (or care less) as much as they care about their lives. Of course, there are exceptions.
My friend Racheli, who is a lawyer, is planning to found an association of former FSU lawyers for peace.
There are all kinds of Russians. While Clinton is right about their sentiment, he is wrong about its origin and he is wrong about the Russians being the obstacle. If you want to talk about the obstacles, let's talk about the Palestinians and the lack of a real partner for making peace.

Politics - Idea - Stupidity and Ignorance are popular. Why?

2010-10-13T03:32:00.000-07:00

Why are the likes of Sarah Palin and Christine O'Donnel gaining popularity in the US? Is this because they can relate to the less-educated voters and those afflicted by religion and losing common sense? Hopefully, those are a minority.

Actually, I think it is quite the opposite. I think statistically right wing politicians/constituents are less educated than their left-wing counterparts.
Radical ideas and simple ...ways of dealing with things (eg this is against god's will) are typically associated with right wing. i think this goes across cultures.
I just watched a video of this new pretty-girl o donnel character who was thabking sarah palin for support and it just made me laugh. The lady is thanking the size of the state for letting her win - getting to know people personally helps w...in the small minds over. Then she said the was
gonna change quote the homeland of our security unquote. Then she tried to
defend her not caring to get a college degree until the age of 40 and lying about it by saying she was paying off her loans just like most of her constituency while apparently she had to take a course. Anyway, most of her constituents apparently like shallow pretty women who cannot speak well and have unoriginal ideas and are sitting in the goverment tempering with science and human rights in the name of god

Achievement - Draft - A new model of self-development based on the past path of development

2010-10-13T03:26:00.000-07:00

yesterday we went to get gas at the gas station, and there was a football game neaby, so we were stuck in traffic and had to occupy time (my partner and i), so i made up this "luck matrix" to see how much luckier we were in comparison to other people

Matrix - factors (or absence of thereof), which could "screw up the child" (cause them to become unsuccessful, alcoholic, drug addict, pregnant at 14, etc).

Priority 1 - Love and attention of parents - Multiple of 3
Priority 2 - Parents emotional state (includes addictions & compatibility with each other, whether got divorced, etc) - Multiple of 2.5
Priority 3 - IQ of the parents - Multiple of 2
Priority 4 - Economic parameters - Multiple of 1.5
Priority 5 - Health & appearance of the child - Multiple of 1

Each is rated from 1 to 10.

So mine would be:

1. 9*(3) = 27
2. 5*(2.5)=7.5
3. 9*(2)=18
4. 7*(1.5)=10.5
5. 9*1=9

Sum = 72

Total possible: 30+25+20+15+10=100

So I guess I was in the 72th percentile or was luckier than 72% of other kids. I have the necessary parameters for success.

Any parameters that could prevent me from success in ALL domains could lie in the screwed up categories.

In none of the categories I got less than 5. But I need to work on categories 2 and 4.

For a long time I was wasting too much money because I didn't have all the money i wanted growing up. I have developed ways to save money now and spend much less. A lot of work need sot be done still.

In category 4, for some time I struggled with the notion that there could be a person for me for a lifetime (parents got a lot of divorces). So I had a problem ending relationships that i saw as non-working. because i figured, it's not all THAT bad and I could stay there for a few more months. once i realized how much a waste that was, i changed my approach.

I am struggling with various addictions, internet, food, procrastination, etc., most likely genetic. Trying to let go. Most likely stems from stuff running in the family.

Anyone I think such a simple analysis could make a person much humbler about what they have and make them aware of causes of their misfortunes and make it easier work on them.
Score of 72 - you are right, this doesn't exactly mean that I am luckier than 72% of others. I remember Maslow, but not from economics, but from psychology. It's a bit different, but overall addresses the same topic, so I definitely should revisit this. What I remember is that the lower pyramid level addresses basic needs, so a hungry and naked person will not be discussing philosophy with you. There was a LOT of criticism of this model, by the way. Basically, most scientists said that he took the hierarchy "out of his ass," meaning there was little evidence for such :) We need an empirical research to substantiate this theory.

As far as why I ranked health and appearance of the child last. A lot of time children who are sick, but who survive, learn to be strong and are generally more humble and mature than others. I don't view sickness as an advantage, but it is not necessarily a great disadvantage, such as, for instance, alcoholism of parents. As far as appearance, yes, good looking people have an advantage in life and usually have more self confidence, but not the best looking people probably have other quality to adapt to the lack of good looks. It may take them longer to embrace their abilities, as they are not popular, but this doesn't have such a drastic influence on their development in my opinion.

Now, I should probably give to each of my parameters non-linear coefficients. Because extremely good looking people may also suffer, just likely extremely bad looking people. Those in the middle are probably better of than anyone else.
This is true, probably, for most of my domains. Extreme love and warmth may lead to the person's lack of ability to adapt to the outside world, outside of their family.

So my ranking is according to the strength of influence on someone's development. I work negative to positive (estimating the influence of lack of each factor on the person's development. I have found this approach relatively easier to apply, in most situations). So in my opinion, lack of love and warmth early in love may screw the person much more than any other parameters. They may become evil; they may be prone to instant gratification (drug use), they may fail in relationships as they don't love themselves or feel unworthy of love. And so on.

Business - Idea - Intimidating colleagues into doing stupid things

2010-10-13T03:15:00.000-07:00

A colleague called a company I used to work with to get a reference

Health - Idea - No clocks in the house

2010-10-13T03:13:00.001-07:00

Relaxation techniques - making your life relaxing form every - day stress

Reviews - Draft - Book reviews

2010-10-13T03:11:00.000-07:00

Organize in a table with rating [also add video books]

According to alphabet and genre and rating (favorite)

Edward de Bono – How to have a beautiful mind

Even though at first I thought I wish everyone else would have read it then it would be more interesting to argue with them, I have discovered that indeed it was able to give me some tools for conducting my arguments

Dale Carnegie – How to Win Friends & influence people

A true diary of the part-time indian

Krauss – The History of Love

Beat the Ripper

Time to Kill

The last temptation of Christ

David Sedaris – When you are engulfed in Smoke

Pigmallion - Bernard Shaw

100 years of solitude

Bookseller of Kabul

Kite Runner

Reading Lolita in Teheran

Lolita

The picture of Dorian Grey – include quotes

Pigmy

The Road

No country for old men

Alaskan jew story

Purple hibiscus

The half of a rising run

At first I was unwilling to read the second book by the same author

JPOD

Haruki murakami – Kafka on the Shore

Catcher in the Rye

Bus Driver who wanted to play god

My name is read – Turkish

Tony Morrison – Jazz

INCLUDE PHOTO OF EACH BOOK

books I want to read

My name is red

Pride and Prejudice

My kindly ones

The blue mountain

Musicophilia

No country for old men

Standup - Final - In search for an apartment and myself

2008-01-12T16:03:00.000-08:00

I love my apartment. It's one of those underground walk-in closets with a toilet attached to it and a window slightly above the ground that the owner normally advertises as a "furnished and air-conditioned studio in a great central Tel Aviv location with parking, garden and a great view," which, according to the market, is worth paying $600 bucks a month for. "The closet" has apparently seen better times – it used to be part of a three-bedroom unit. With the arrival of a housing boom in Tel Aviv, the unit was split into three apartments and more than tripled the owner's profit because in a "closet" like mine for $600 I finally don't have to share my precious space. You'll say that I actually pay extra for not being able to fit in the roommates. But you're wrong about the roommates, and I'll tell you why. In an apartment like mine, you paid for something you didn't expect, the closer-than-you-think neighbors.

If you have ever lived in Tel Aviv on your own, you may find the following painfully familiar. You come to see this "apartment with a garden" and discover that your garden consists of a few wild bushes obstructing the "great view" from your window located so high up on the wall that you're lucky to see the sunlight if you stand on a high chair. The "parking" is represented by two parking spaces for a community of fifty, and you have to compete with the pensioner's club located in the same building. And take a look at the furniture: a lovely mattress on the floor and a refrigerator of the size that actually fits your diet plans. And of course you take this new living arrangement because it's a steal. You'd be a fool to pass on such a jewel in the center of Tel Aviv for only $600 a month. I mean if you don't live on Dizengoff, it's like living in Be'er Sheva.

But the best feature of your new apartment is yet to be discovered. You have to wait to move in to really get your first taste of it. In case you're wondering, it's the walls of the three-way separated apartment. The best thing is that you almost never feel alone. This is where the commandment of Love Thy Neighbor takes on another meaning.

One of my neighbors is a musician. I like the guy. But I hate his girlfriend. She's a singer. Whenever she doesn't sing, she talks in a screaming fat baby voice. Seriously, she sounds like a hungry two-year-old with turrets. I mean you are laughing now, but if you had to hear it every night… In fact, a little while after the squeaky noise is muted, I hear my neighbor banging his manatee against the wall like he's nailing something. It must have become a routine weightlifting exercise for him. And it must be real love. I mean she must really love him to let him do something like that. Man. Thank G-d after about three minutes the marathon is over. But it's like music to my ear. You know what I mean. I mean, every time I see my neighbor outside with his bigger half, I am cracking up. Of course she's trying to be so cool about it because the three minutes of fame is of course all she would ever get in the center of Tel Aviv.

Of course my friends find this situation very humorous. Once my girlfriend and I walked right in the middle of the daily three-minute escapade. I mean we were just so lucky to come back to my apartment right during the climax of the events. She's a blonde like me, so she quickly responded by a loud, "GET A ROOM!!!" I tried to shut her up with, "But it IS their room!" So you can see how bad it gets. But oh so bitter-sweet.

So on my lucky nights, I try my best to outdo my neighbors, but only if they are in, of course. I put on my best show. I scream and I kick the wall at every opportunity. This competition has lately become very tiring, and I am so close to giving it up. Well, first of all, I had to sign up at a few dating sites and put my mother's picture there. Lying is tiring. But see, I'm an accountant, and she's a retired Playmate. Although appearance plays much lesser role in my profession, if you think about it, both are pretty much the same thing. Being someone's bitch is in my job description, but those who fuck me have me much longer and pay me much less.

Then there are other things that you lose in a sex competition against your neighbor. Last night, for instance, I lost my virginity. Well, I mean the other type of virginity, located in those far-away places that are so hard to shave that I have to hide them from my gynecologist. I do it with Band-Aids. You are laughing now, but have you ever tried it? After countless hours of trial and error, you realize that it's just not meant to be reached with a conventional razor blade. (I hope they put up an instructional video on YouTube). You still don't give up because you've seen some pretty hard evidence of the task being accomplished. Oh gosh, we are so influenced by the fads and societal norms. You have to suffer through all this just to have your digestive system reversed. If they tell you that it's healthy and natural, don't listen. Healthy my ass. It may be healthy for him because he doesn't crap out of his penis.

I learned something today. My neighbor may not realize that, but though my suffering, I have won the competition. I won because I finally realized that there's nothing more important than family. And so I decided to move back with my parents.

Yael Tamar's in-the-works blog

Poetry - Finished - When You Fall Out of Love

Poetry - Finished - My love

Poetry - FInished - Ashamed

Poetry - Draft - Dreams Awake

Poetry - Draft - Train of Thought at a Dead End

Poetry _ Finished - Love, in memoriam

Poetry - Finished - Forget

Music - Draft - My Song Lyrics - Only With You

Music - My Song Lyrics - Once in the Bedroom

Poetry - Draft - Mikveh

Music - My Song Lyrics - No More

Poetry - Idea - Knife

Poetry - Finished - A Wedding Vow

Poetry - FInished - Death of a Fly

Poetry - Finished - Nail on the Wall

Standup - Finished - The Hardship of Joining the Labor Force

Poetry - Draft - Clownette

Music - Song Lyrics - Key to my broken heart

Love and Relationships - Draft - Rant - Love is based on respect

Love & Relationships - Draft - Rant - Invisible bond

Business - Draft - Failure of VC industry (from TheMarker article)

Poetry - Draft - Translation of Russian Song

Achievement - Draft - My personal goals

Politics - Draft - Briggitte Gabriel - Lebanese Christian survivor of Muslim Burgeoning of Christians

Politics - Draft - Can Africa be saved?

Over 150 women were raped in a Congolese village over a 4-day spree. Can Africa be saved?

Philosophy - Draft - Turning animals into vegetarians

The Meat Eaters

Achievement - Idea - Enjoying the moment vs. fixing the world, or can we do both?

I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve (or save) the worldand a desire to enjoy (or savor) the world. This makes it hard to plan theday." E.B. White

Health - Draft - If Vegetarians love animals, why are they eating their food?

Society - Idea - Russians drowning while drunk

CNN reported that about 1,200 Russians have drowned recently, most of them drunk, because of the heat wave. WOW! 49 people died in one day only... Is this true? And is Titanic still considered a tragedy?

Society - Draft - Hareidim making fools out of themselves, again

Reviews - Draft - Movie: Inception

Politics - Draft - How the left academics fall into the trap of causality

Politics - Draft - Lieberman voicing his own opinions

s it acceptable for a Minister to make a statement during a visit to a foreign counterpart and then upon criticism say that it was his personal opinion and not his country's position? is he allowed to voice his opinion when it's in dissonance with the official position??

Politics - Draft - Bill Clinton's opinion: Russians are an obstacle to peace

Politics - Idea - Stupidity and Ignorance are popular. Why?

Why are the likes of Sarah Palin and Christine O'Donnel gaining popularity in the US? Is this because they can relate to the less-educated voters and those afflicted by religion and losing common sense? Hopefully, those are a minority.

Achievement - Draft - A new model of self-development based on the past path of development

Business - Idea - Intimidating colleagues into doing stupid things

Health - Idea - No clocks in the house

Reviews - Draft - Book reviews

Standup - Final - In search for an apartment and myself

I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve (or save) the world
and a desire to enjoy (or savor) the world. This makes it hard to plan the
day." E.B. White