Thoughts. About life. About people. About those little things in life that take a huge place in our life. Sometimes wisdom. Perhaps not. But no matter what, life is good, worth living and fighting for.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Auction: The True Spirit of Capitalism
This Leica camera was manufactured in 1923 in only 250,000 units. It was sold at an auction in Vienna on May 28, 2011 for the astronomical price of 1,320,000 Euros or US$ 1.9 millon, making it the most expensive camera sold in an auction. The buyer is an Asian, collector of cameras.
An auction represents one of the true spirits of capitalism, together with the stock market. It simply reflects the law of supply and demand. For the majority of people, this camera has absolutly no value whatsoever except for the person who wants to pay for it.
The same amazing principle applys for the stock market. The capitalization of Facebook is over US$ 83 billion and while the market value of Google is over US$ 192 billion. Who would have thought 20 years ago, before the birth of the internet, that intangible assets such as Facebook and Google websites would be worth that much? Value is in the eye of the beholder, indeed ....
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Squash ! Maybe the best competitive sports activity man has invented...
What do affluent, healthy women and men enjoy doing together ?
Hint: it starts with an S...
Squash!
I started playing squash 25 years ago. Now I play squash three times a week for about 30-40 minutes each time. I am not losing weight at all (for that I have to eat less) but I know it is good for my heart. Have you noticed that, in the end, most people die because their heart stops beating?
In the link below, I have edited some video footage of me and my coach playing squash....
Squash provides an excellent cardiovascular workout. In one hour of squash, a player may expend approximately 600 to 1000 calories which is significantly more than most other sports and over 70% more than either general tennis or racquetball. The sport also provides a good upper and lower body workout by utilising both the legs to run around the court and the arms and torso to swing the racquet. In 2003, Forbes rated squash as the number one healthiest sport to play.
According to the World Squash Federation, as of June 2009, there were 49,908 squash courts in the world, with 188 countries and territories having at least one court. England had the greatest number at 8,500. The other countries with more than 1,000 courts, in descending order by number were Germany, Egypt, the United States of America, Australia, South Africa, Canada, Malaysia, France, the Netherlands, and Spain.
As of June 2009, there were players from nineteen countries in the top fifty of the men's world rankings, with Egypt and England leading with eleven each. The women's world rankings featured players from sixteen countries, led by England with eleven.
Squash is played throughout the world, and is similar to tennis in skills and fitness requirements, but the principal limitation has always been the difficulty in observing the sport as a spectator, either in person or on television. The ball travels so quickly that television audiences are hard-pressed to follow the action, even though some tournaments have attempted to remedy the problem by using a specially coated ball for increased visibility. To maximise the viewing audience at tournaments, promoters often use an all-glass court that is designed to permit spectators to be seated around all four walls but is specially tinted so as not to distract the players. Because of these viewer restrictions, professional squash players earn vastly less than their counterparts in the tennis world.
Hint: it starts with an S...
Squash!
I started playing squash 25 years ago. Now I play squash three times a week for about 30-40 minutes each time. I am not losing weight at all (for that I have to eat less) but I know it is good for my heart. Have you noticed that, in the end, most people die because their heart stops beating?
In the link below, I have edited some video footage of me and my coach playing squash....
Squash provides an excellent cardiovascular workout. In one hour of squash, a player may expend approximately 600 to 1000 calories which is significantly more than most other sports and over 70% more than either general tennis or racquetball. The sport also provides a good upper and lower body workout by utilising both the legs to run around the court and the arms and torso to swing the racquet. In 2003, Forbes rated squash as the number one healthiest sport to play.
According to the World Squash Federation, as of June 2009, there were 49,908 squash courts in the world, with 188 countries and territories having at least one court. England had the greatest number at 8,500. The other countries with more than 1,000 courts, in descending order by number were Germany, Egypt, the United States of America, Australia, South Africa, Canada, Malaysia, France, the Netherlands, and Spain.
As of June 2009, there were players from nineteen countries in the top fifty of the men's world rankings, with Egypt and England leading with eleven each. The women's world rankings featured players from sixteen countries, led by England with eleven.
Squash is played throughout the world, and is similar to tennis in skills and fitness requirements, but the principal limitation has always been the difficulty in observing the sport as a spectator, either in person or on television. The ball travels so quickly that television audiences are hard-pressed to follow the action, even though some tournaments have attempted to remedy the problem by using a specially coated ball for increased visibility. To maximise the viewing audience at tournaments, promoters often use an all-glass court that is designed to permit spectators to be seated around all four walls but is specially tinted so as not to distract the players. Because of these viewer restrictions, professional squash players earn vastly less than their counterparts in the tennis world.
There is another kind of Squash....Vegetable or Fruit?
Even though most people identify squash with vegetables, from a botanical standpoint, they're considered fruits because they contain the seeds of the plant. Squash are divided into two categories -- summer and winter squash.
Squash, along with corn and beans, are believed to have originated in Mexico and Central America where they were eaten 7,500 years ago. American Indians shared many varieties of squash with the European settlers, who took the seeds back to their countries. Today, squash and pumpkins are grown all over the world, and are wildly popular in many Eastern European countries.
Squash, along with corn and beans, are believed to have originated in Mexico and Central America where they were eaten 7,500 years ago. American Indians shared many varieties of squash with the European settlers, who took the seeds back to their countries. Today, squash and pumpkins are grown all over the world, and are wildly popular in many Eastern European countries.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Celine Dion and Elvis Presley ? Welcome to the digital age !
On April 25th 2007, television history was made when Celine Dion brought back and sang with the dead. She and Elvis Presley duet the song If I Can Dream. Elvis is digitally placed onto the stage, shadow and all, to make this a stunningly spectacular show!Enjoy the show, in HD as always...
Celine Dion and Josh Groban singing "The Prayer"
According to Sony Music Entertainment, the Canadian artist Celine Dion has sold more than 200 million albums worldwide and is the only female artist to have two singles that have sold more than a million copies in the United Kingdom. In 2007, Josh Groban he was charted as the number one best selling artist in the United States with over 21 million records in this country.
Enjoy the show, in HD format as always...
Enjoy the show, in HD format as always...
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
My Happiness and Success philosophy
My Happiness and Success Philosophy
You may live a happy life but not a successful one in the eyes of the people around you. On the same token, you can be very successful but totally unhappy with your life. Personally, I never heard of happy people committing suicide. But the suicides of successful people (top movie stars, billionnaires, or other big shots) do not surprise anybody anymore.
Happiness is rather a subjective and qualitative state of the mind while Success can be more objective and quantified with common measures. And success is mostly related to one's career or economic activity, to the level of income one is earning or the level of fame one has achieved in the pursuit of their career.
On the other hand, happiness is mostly based on one's personal life after the day work is over. Of course, you can get an immense satisfaction from the success of your work or your career for a while but don't forget that you will sooner or later abandon your work or career whether you want it or not (unless you are an artist or a writer or any other job you have total control). So happiness derived from work is just a supplement, sometimes an important one, I have to admit, but nevertheless fragile and temporary. You need to have a more basic, stable source of happiness to counter the adversities that may show up in your life.
Happiness comes from your mind. In other words, it's up to you!
Happiness and Real Life
For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. But there was always some obstacles in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, or a debt to be paid.
Then life would begin.
At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were "my life". This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness.
Happiness is the way.
So, stop waiting until you finish school, until you go back to school, until you lose ten pounds, until you gain ten pounds, until you get married, until you have kids, until your kids leave the house, until you start work, until you retire, until you get married, until you get divorced, until Friday night, until Sunday morning, until you get a nicer car or home, until you go to on a nice vacation, until you car or home is paid off, until spring, until summer, until fall, until winter, until you're off welfare, until you die, until you're born again to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy. If not now, when?
Our life will always be filled with challenges. It's best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway.
Happiness is a journey not a destination.
Happiness Strategy
1. Dont worry, choose happy
2. Cultivate gratitude
3. Foster forgiveness
4. Counteract negative thoughts and feelings
5. Foster friendship
6. Engage in some meaningful activities
Secrets of Happy Families
1. Enjoy each other: parents come home and the kids are happy to see them and when the kids come home, the parents are happy to see them.
2. Swap stories: something to share with your kids.
3. Put the marriage first: set a real example of love
4. Break bread together: families that eat together, stay together. It’s that simple. Family dinners are essential. It’s a time to connect.
5. Play together: have one or two unifying activities that the family does together.
6. Put Family before Friends
7. Limit children’s after-school activities: if your kids grow up not knowing how to ballet, they will be OK. Create your own after-school activities as a family. Take your kids rollerblading or swimming after school as a family.
8. Build and Honor Rituals: they can be unique to your own family such as a weekly dining out or movie watching at the theater. Rituals tend to bring family members close together because they are repeated over time.
9. Keep your voices down: talk to your kids, give them strict rules, and punish them when neccessary, but don’t lose control and yell.
10. Never fight in front of the kids
11. Don’t work too much: prioritize your kids.
12. Encourage sibling harmony.
13. Have private jokes
14. Communicate
Happiness again
"Happiness is a choice. Choose to be happy today! You don’t have to wait for everything to be perfectly straightened out in your family or with your business, or for all your problems to be solved. You don’t have to forgo happiness until you lose weight, break an unhealthy habit, or accomplish all your goals. No, God wants you to be happy right where you are, right now.
You might as well choose to be happy and enjoy your life! When you do that, not only will you feel better, but your faith will cause God to show up and work wonders in your life.
If you’re always waiting for some events to make you happy, you’re going to spend your whole lifetime waiting. Something will always be “not quite right” in your life. You will always find some reason not to be happy. No other person can ultimately make you happy. You must learn to be happy within yourself. Life may not have turned out exactly like you’d hoped, but you must make a decision that you’re going to make the most of that situation. Learn to be happy in spite of your circumstances."
Pastor Joel Osteen
You may live a happy life but not a successful one in the eyes of the people around you. On the same token, you can be very successful but totally unhappy with your life. Personally, I never heard of happy people committing suicide. But the suicides of successful people (top movie stars, billionnaires, or other big shots) do not surprise anybody anymore.
Happiness is rather a subjective and qualitative state of the mind while Success can be more objective and quantified with common measures. And success is mostly related to one's career or economic activity, to the level of income one is earning or the level of fame one has achieved in the pursuit of their career.
On the other hand, happiness is mostly based on one's personal life after the day work is over. Of course, you can get an immense satisfaction from the success of your work or your career for a while but don't forget that you will sooner or later abandon your work or career whether you want it or not (unless you are an artist or a writer or any other job you have total control). So happiness derived from work is just a supplement, sometimes an important one, I have to admit, but nevertheless fragile and temporary. You need to have a more basic, stable source of happiness to counter the adversities that may show up in your life.
Happiness comes from your mind. In other words, it's up to you!
World Happiness Survey - Bangladesh The Happiest Nation!!
Research led by London School of Economics professors into the link between personal spending power and the perceived quality of life has conclusively proved that money can buy everything but happiness. The 2005 study revealed that people in Bangladesh,one of the poorest countries in the world, derive far more happiness from their small incomes than, for example, the British (32nd on the list) do from their relatively large bank balances. In fact, people in most rich countries including Austria, Netherlands, Switzerland, Canada, Japan and others are much more unhappier than their poorer counterparts in countries like the Dominican Republic and Armenia....
Happiness and Real Life
For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. But there was always some obstacles in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, or a debt to be paid.
Then life would begin.
At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were "my life". This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness.
Happiness is the way.
So, stop waiting until you finish school, until you go back to school, until you lose ten pounds, until you gain ten pounds, until you get married, until you have kids, until your kids leave the house, until you start work, until you retire, until you get married, until you get divorced, until Friday night, until Sunday morning, until you get a nicer car or home, until you go to on a nice vacation, until you car or home is paid off, until spring, until summer, until fall, until winter, until you're off welfare, until you die, until you're born again to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy. If not now, when?
Our life will always be filled with challenges. It's best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway.
Happiness is a journey not a destination.
Happiness Strategy
1. Dont worry, choose happy
2. Cultivate gratitude
3. Foster forgiveness
4. Counteract negative thoughts and feelings
5. Foster friendship
6. Engage in some meaningful activities
Secrets of Happy Families
1. Enjoy each other: parents come home and the kids are happy to see them and when the kids come home, the parents are happy to see them.
2. Swap stories: something to share with your kids.
3. Put the marriage first: set a real example of love
4. Break bread together: families that eat together, stay together. It’s that simple. Family dinners are essential. It’s a time to connect.
5. Play together: have one or two unifying activities that the family does together.
6. Put Family before Friends
7. Limit children’s after-school activities: if your kids grow up not knowing how to ballet, they will be OK. Create your own after-school activities as a family. Take your kids rollerblading or swimming after school as a family.
8. Build and Honor Rituals: they can be unique to your own family such as a weekly dining out or movie watching at the theater. Rituals tend to bring family members close together because they are repeated over time.
9. Keep your voices down: talk to your kids, give them strict rules, and punish them when neccessary, but don’t lose control and yell.
10. Never fight in front of the kids
11. Don’t work too much: prioritize your kids.
12. Encourage sibling harmony.
13. Have private jokes
14. Communicate
Happiness again
"Happiness is a choice. Choose to be happy today! You don’t have to wait for everything to be perfectly straightened out in your family or with your business, or for all your problems to be solved. You don’t have to forgo happiness until you lose weight, break an unhealthy habit, or accomplish all your goals. No, God wants you to be happy right where you are, right now.
You might as well choose to be happy and enjoy your life! When you do that, not only will you feel better, but your faith will cause God to show up and work wonders in your life.
If you’re always waiting for some events to make you happy, you’re going to spend your whole lifetime waiting. Something will always be “not quite right” in your life. You will always find some reason not to be happy. No other person can ultimately make you happy. You must learn to be happy within yourself. Life may not have turned out exactly like you’d hoped, but you must make a decision that you’re going to make the most of that situation. Learn to be happy in spite of your circumstances."
Pastor Joel Osteen
Monday, May 2, 2011
Rule of Law comes first. Democracy is possible after that.
The Rule of Law in action.
In this photo, Washington DC mayor is being arrested by DC police for his participation in an unauthorized gathering two weeks ago. He is being handcuffed and the content of his pockets are being removed and put into a plastic bag. A symbolic image of a true democracy based of the Rule of Law. Not many countries in the world, including South Korea, can afford this kind of action.
Rule of Law is an important means to realize human rights and democracy. It is one of the key elements of good governance, defining how public affairs should be managed in a country. Good governance and the rule of law enable the State to ensure peaceful coexistence among all social groups, a secure and decent quality of life, and to realise human rights for all.
The law is one of the key instruments of the State in its exercise of power. The rule of law defines and legitimises the behaviour of State authorities and their relationship with citizens.
Non-discrimination and equality before the law (laws at all levels treat citizens equally and refrain from discriminating against certain groups) is one of the key element of the Rule of Law.
Some time ago, an English journalist made the following interesting comment, to which I tend to agree, about democracy in South Korea:
"The problem with South Korean democracy is the fact that it was born before the Rule of Law".
Some time ago, an English journalist made the following interesting comment, to which I tend to agree, about democracy in South Korea:
"The problem with South Korean democracy is the fact that it was born before the Rule of Law".
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