synergy's blog

So, communism...

The world trouble with 99% of the population is that... from the beggar to the UN.... So there is a lot of consulting opportunity on that matter and that is dvd's job....sharing which can also mean many things..... Robin hood taking from sheriff to distribute to the poor.....adopting and supporting poor children, ........ giving sweets away, i.e. our money to charity...... Community is the word. In community living we share alike but it has its weaknesses like unmotivating individualism therefore suppress inspiration which blocks creativity because individualism requires incentive and if one cannot increase equity then the motivation is lacking unless lots of us are born to give ...... But that is not the real world where people want to acquire, rule, conquer and display their wares.... That is the drive. that is why in most part of west, there is freedom of individualism to express, invent, create, propagate

SO communism has its good and the less good (not bad)…

Communism is called for in china and Mao did a great job because he saw china going to pieces and the poor became poorer and foreigners were grabbing china like the Manchu, Japanese, Europeans, British and all trying to colonize china. If china wasn't such a huge country, it would have been swallowed. On top of that there were locals leveraging on those foreigners for their own equity. The British tried to destroy china by intoxicating 1/5 of the world with opium

So Mao bite the bullet and many followed. was amassing huge debts and Chinese were humiliated. So Mao shut the door from 49 till late 75 or thereabout. That blackout period was good. It restored family and society values and brought in community living and patriotism. on the technology front china forwent innovation etc. but now it had to leapfrog e.g. from twisted copper pair to 7 micro satellites therefore bypassing fiber optics, and that was a huge national savings. ....... from telex to internet...and now its the world's largest netizen by 2008, from no export to now the world's factory warehouse. ...... but leapfrogging has its pains as social values are once again unchecked and had not progressed as much as its economic powerhouse status..... President Hu has begun bringing that back more of that by spreading out development into the hinterland of the 900m ppl in agriculture, and enriching lives outside the rich coastal cities..... and on that score...the brand of china communism has progressed into socialism for the people and country... now had the presidents of US think about spreading of wealth, there may be less poor but it would also mean not inspiring world class leaders like BGates, WarrenB, SJobs, Flanigal, MFriedman, Juran, etc etc. During these 50 years US has produced more of these people than the world put together. It provided a platform for individualism but the platform also brought tore down family values.... perhaps its time for a new brand of government but that can only rise from the people.

communicating? communism?

Sometimes I just feel like communicating -- don't you? Not discussing, not debating, not looking for any very improbable truth. Just communicating. That does not imply understanding, it's just about sharing.

The word communication -- like the word communism -- comes from Latin communis, and look, it's fascinating: the first meaning of communis is "nice, sweet", and its second meaning is "shared by many". So let's share a sweet thing between all of us...

Communication

I saw a beggar, he was standing there on his wooden crutch
He said to me, "You must not ask for so much".
And a pretty woman leaning in a darken door,
She cried out to me, "Hey, why not ask for a little bit more?"

These four lines* stage briefly two very different characters: a limping beggar and a pretty woman. They have said it all. That's the story of the whole wide world...

 

What A Difference A Day Makes

This song has been stuck in my mind for two weeks. It's alway a pleasant feeling when one finds the person who can make a difference a day:-)

What a difference a day made

What a Diff'rence a Day Makes!

Dinah Washington

Twenty-four little hours
Brought the sun and the flowers
Where there used to be rain

My yesterday was blue, dear
Today Im part of you, dear
My lonely nights are through, dear
Since you said you were mine

What a difference a day makes
Theres a rainbow before me
Skies above cant be stormy
Since that moment of bliss, that thrilling kiss

Its heaven when you find romance on your menu
What a difference a day made
And the difference is you

What a difference a day makes

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: Best of Dinah Washington

Dinah Washington

 
Theres a rainbow before me
Skies above cant be stormy
Since that moment of bliss, that thrilling kiss

Its heaven when you find romance on your menu
What a difference a day made
And the difference is you

Words & Music by Maria Grever & Stanley Adams
Recorded by Dinah Washington, 1959

The Leopard, Tiger, Scorpion, and Frog

The leopard cannot shed its’ spot, nor the tiger it’s stripes. Nor can the scorpion help but sting the frog, though it hurts himself and the frog that chose to help him cross the river.

What do all these stories teach us?

They are lessons about “nature”. We can pretend they don’t exist and resist our nature, but inevitably, our nature will affect us.

A tiger can fight its nature, but it will be the predator he is eventually. And as hard as a leopard might try to remove its’ spots, they remain.

When it comes to human nature, men and women are just as bound to their gender differences in perception and the biology of what they find attractive.

The strong ones are aware of their natural tendencies and learn to control them. The fatalist either follows their urges blindly or follows them slavishly. The innocent and naive, caught in their fantasies and youth, try hopelessly to prove love conquers all only to be frustrated.

In the end, men will seek what looks attractive and young, and women will seek excitement, strength, and status. Men will follow their lust and women their feelings. Men will lie, cheat, and steal for copulation. Women will cheat, deceive, and seduce for romance. It is our nature.

Can we control it? Yes, but not if we remain ignorant to who and what we are.

Society has controlled our unbound natures for centuries. Social norms, civility, loyalty, marriage --- these are all ways to recognize yet control the biological urges that, if allowed to run in chaos, would make us no more than the animals.

We see the consequences of breaking those controls, losing self control, and falling back completely into those urges in our society: adultery, emotional pain, pornography, hookers, strippers, infidelity, divorce…

Beyond the justifications, the religious and ethical arguments, and the anger lays the truth. The fact remains that with less control of our “natural tendencies”, commitment and monogamy are difficult at best and impossible at worse.

This isn’t a statement of what is right or wrong, though there is definitely a dimension of good and evil here. This is simply a statement of reality.

We are the scorpion and the frog at the same time. We, as men and women, hurt those that love us…and love those that will hurt us. This is what it means to live without the controls on our nature.

Social Lies

Let's talk about how we never have anything to talk about. I think it's about time.

I have a theory. There is less to most relationships than we think.

Obligation follows commitment. Where, exactly, does commitment begin anyway? Does it occur to anyone, ever, that obligation usually assumes the place of those things that brought you together in the first place?

I know where it ends and how, like a thinning thread giving way. When it snaps, it breaks quietly, in an exasperated sigh, the rolling of eyes, or a forced smile that actually feels painful after a while to the person wearing it.

Nobody benefits from the benefit of the doubt if it's continually being extended. The 'nicest' people in the world always have the least to say and the most enthusiasm to say it. Don't sedate me with idle chit-chat. Don't patronize me. Don't keep telling me what I already know. I will leave.

I'm always aware of the moment sneaking away while I'm tied up by dutiful kindness to people who need the comforts of the mundane more than I do. Think about it, please. We can meet every day for 20 minutes and still learn nothing about each other.

Hi. How r u? I'm fine, how r u? I'm good, thanks. That's great. Good to see you again. Yeah, same here. So how's day? You know me; work work work study study study. Haha, yep, me too. It's getting so cold here. Yeah, it's snowing again. So how's day? Same old same old, hehe. Ha ha, yeah same here too. Blah blah blah blah blah.

I have a lot to say and nobody, really, to tell it to. That's why this journal is so valuable to me. Nobody is as close to me as they think they are, because, despite all I write here, I'm usually nicer than I need to be and sorry for it later. I'm as programmed as anyone else, but how do entire relationships get stuck in this unbreakable pattern, claiming to be about something, but rarely venturing beyond the entranceway?

I didn't join up for this. I didn't take your hand so you could lead me to the garden of small talk and gossip. I've known you long enough. Read that however you will. There are things on my mind and in my heart that truly excite me, mesmerize and fascinate me. I've learned by now that you won't follow me there. Every time I took your hand and tried, you politely pulled back. You changed the subject.

And I sighed. And I rolled my eyes. And I kept that dooming, damning smile on my face.

I'm about to change the subject.

Does Life Has a Price??

Last night, I watched a special documentary on Iraq on PBS. It talked about the civilian hired to escort the delivery of materials between different parts in the city of Baghdad.

There are currently about 25,000 security contractors in Iraq. They are providing security for the convoys that bring in raw materials and daily necessities for military bases around the country, or escorting government officials or any VIP. They are heavily equipped, and have bullet proof vehicles, specially designed trucks with bullet piercing machine gun. The bottom of the vehicles also protected again EID bombs.

The contractors roughly make 650 US dollars per day and may be more if they have special skills. There are expert estimate that the US government spending ten of billions on the private security. Perhaps the US government justify the money was well spent, because it can reduce the number of US troops causality, and the politician will take less heat.

In that documentary, they showed the security team was ambushed and four of them were killed and two of the charred bodies were hung from a bridge in Fallujah. Life at what price?

A Different Path

For the past month I've been under a veil of incredible underlying sorrow. Wondering and doubting. Now that it’s been confronted and confirmed, I think it will lift soon. "Honesty" can be cruel, so it is better that I just accept it and move on with my life along a different path. Beginning again with the clay new will be hard. But if I work at it, I can shape out new friendships and a lasting relationship.

 

I can choose then to waste my time fearing the unknown or embrace the chance to find Nirvana. Either way, I am happy with whom I am and the choices I make. I think I've found a solution in compromise. Things may not happen as quickly as I want them too. I'm just the kinda person who knows what he wants right away. And it's not a bad thing to be more cautious as well.

Red Wine Pears

Just that I had this yesterday at the dinner party made by my colleague friend – Ceren ~ she made it by herself ~ really tasty!!!

-Pears, peel and code and cute in half, 1-2 for 2 people
-White sugar and water 2:1 (2 tea spoons sugar: 1 tea spoons water) cook more if you like sweet
-Red wine of any kind
-Cinnamon stick or Vanilla bean, 1

How to:
-Cook sugar and water in a pan till turn golden, don't wait to turn brown or it will be bitter.
-Remove from heat and put pears in, roll till the whole pear got cover.
-Pour in red wine, about 1/2 way to the pears, cook in low-middle heat. Keep spoon the wine over the pears till wine bubble up and dry off a bit.
-Put cinnamon/vanilla to cook for a while in low heat, watch out the sugar burn.
-Serve with ice-cream or cream or a bit of chocolate chips~
Enjoy~~

Something Happens

The Story of Our Lives
-------------------------

I was born

I lived

Something happened

I died.

=======================================

In the story of my life, there is only one part I have any control over....the something that happens in this life.

I had no control over my birth, where I was born, or who my parents were. I cannot prevent my death, though the events of my life may have some connection to how and when but it cannot be controlled or prevented in its due time. I cannot even prevent the living of this life, though some may chose to end it in desperation through suicide.

What can I control, at least partly? The something that happens while I live on this earth.

A Fight That Cannot Be Won

Is it worth the effort to put up a fight when it cannot be won?

Some say they have no regrets when they have fought the "good fight", but would they do the same if their loss was known ahead of time?

I say yes, when it is a matter of right and wrong. Evil has to be resisted. It is true that the only defense against evil or tyranny is good and those that stand up for it.

I'm not referring to the Iraq War here, but it does bear out an analogy....should we always judge if standing up for something is right simply by if the effort "succeeded"?

Remember to consider the consequences if evil is allowed to go unopposed. Like a monster or a bully or a childish/selfish person, they would try again and again. There are some things and "beings" in this world that only learn to reconsider their next act of evil, immorality, or rudeness if they were slapped when they stuck their hands in the cookie jar and crossed the line of decency...and found someone was willing to stand up and oppose their actions....remember, some people in this world lack integrity and only understand the consequences of punishment and negative reinforcement (and sometimes force in the case of police, wars, and military action to offset criminals, encroachments on national borders, and tyrants)....sad but true.

In these cases, success doesn't always mean victory. Even if the resistance or war is lost, we need to remember the resistance itself serves to make the unethical person, group, or nation think about whether their evil actions are worth the price.

Good is the only deterrent and defense against evil.

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke