A Colombian friend of mine sent this to me about Indian Spirituality. Though these are great as principles, I wanted to add my thoughts, so read on…

The First Principle states:

 “Whomsoever you encounter is the right one”

This means that no one comes into our life by chance. Everyone who is around us, anyone with whom we interact, represents something, whether to teach us something or to help us improve a current situation.

The Second Principle states:

 “Whatever happened is the only thing that could have happened”

Nothing, absolutely nothing of that which we experienced could have been any other way. Not even in the least important detail. There is no “If only I had done that differently…, then it would have been different…”. No. What happened is the only thing that could have taken place and must have taken place for us to learn our lesson in order to move forward. Every single situation in life, which we encounter, is absolutely perfect, even when it defies our understanding and our ego.

The Third Principle states:

 “Each moment in which something begins is the right moment”

Everything begins at exactly the right moment, neither earlier nor later. When we are ready for it, for that something new in our life, it is there, ready to begin.

This is the Fourth Principle, the final one: 

 “What is over, is over”

It is that simple. When something in our life ends, it helps our evolution. That is why, enriched by the recent experience, it is better to let go and move on.

It is no coincidence that you are reading this, but it strikes a certain chord in you. In my analysis these are based of Karma, an Indian philosophy.  Intelligent design.   Karma.  Maybe!!

Here are my thoughts...

Yeah, sure I am happy, always, even at times when objectively I shouldn’t be. What is so annoying about those four laws is that they are just not true. You can play this game of "what if"??

What I have trouble is “the wrong place”. Who knows? Sometimes the wrong place is the wrong place. Sometimes the wrong place turns out to be a good place. Sometimes the right place turns out to be just so much misfortune. 

Also “What is over, is over”, it is completely wrong. Sometimes we can resurrect the things that are over, because it is up to us.. Many times it is just a misunderstanding or miscommunication that causes the problem, just because of that you cannot leave it on luck or destiny, because you have the power to change things.

We the humans use our intellect in order to make us feel better/justify our existence, our decisions, and the things we cannot explain we say "that's how the things should be" or "god made it this way".

I believe sometimes we have control on our lives and sometimes we do not, and not because....but because of circumstances such as government, laws, etc. 

I hope that "Whatever happened is the only thing that could have happened" is because I had some say in it.

Life’s a bitch and then you die. If somewhere along the way you meet some good folk and wring some enjoyment out of your time here then you win. Regardless how many toys and money you have. But it’s best to be civil and treat others the way you’d like to be treated…Peace!!

Jobs one of the world’s greatest human beings died after battling with cancer for the past several years of his life.  Steve Jobs’ is considered as one of the great entrepreneurs of our lifetime; during his lifetime he gave us innovative products like iMac, iPod, iPhone, iTunes, iPad, and characters like Woody, Buzz, Nemo and Carl.

From dropout to success, he did all by following a simple mantra – Focus and Simplicity… A Zen priciple..

He was a fan of Beatles and dropped out of college to make a pilgrimage to India in 1973 in search of enlightenment. He visited Neem Karoli Baba at his Kainchi Ashram. He returned home to California, complete with a shaved head and traditional Indian clothing and a philosophy that may have shaped much of his corporate values. He was often seen walking barefoot in his trademark blue jeans around the office.

Calligraphy, Spirituality, and Zen embodied in all his products. The Irony of his inventions is that the simplicity of the products he has provided has made generations of enslaved users...

I just wanted to share few of my favorite quotes from Jobs.

• You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards.
• The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything.
• You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers……So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.
• Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.
• Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life.
• Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish

• I was worth over $1,000,000 when I was 23, and over $10,000,000 when I was 24, and over $100,000,000 when I was 25, and it wasn’t that important because I never did it for the money.
• Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.
• Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations.
• It's not the customer's job to know what they want.
• Simple can be harder than complex, you have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple….But it's worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.

Here are some amazing Portraits by Charis Tsevis..

Vienna (Wien) this year was rated as a best city in the world to live based on many characteristics. This made me decide to check out what the report was all about. So we headed to Vienna to spend a month among locals and see what the city had to offer. So we hopped on Austrian Airlines from Cairo and got into Vienna on May 3rd.  Rented an apartment in the 4th district about a block from St. Charles's Church (German: Karlskirche).

Mercer ranks Vienna No. 1 for having the world's highest quality of life, and particularly notes the city's harmonious political and social environment. In just 10 years Vienna has turned its fortune with decisive leadership and an eye on the future.

Vienna is alive with its architecture from the past, harmony between old and new, a contrast of styles and materials and so varied from its magnificent Baroque buildings to Art Nouveau to the latest architecture. It has over 100 museums, over 27 castles and more than 150 palaces. Utmost attention has been paid to preserve its past by blending the new. The city is extremely well connected with its public transportation with underground metro, trams, buses, taxi and bicycle network.

Urban planner in Vienna decided to create an environmentally friendly (no exhaust fumes, no noise and green) and health conscious mode of transportation to keep its public fit by providing a vast bicycle network of 1,200 kilometers. The "City Bikes Wien” (www.citybikewien.at) is among the most modern free city bike systems worldwide. There are more than 60 bike stations, open 24 hours day, seven days a week. Once you register you can use any bike for up to one hour free of charge and drop them off to any bike stations. All this has made the City of Vienna decide to raise the share of bicycles in overall traffic to eight percent. Coming from America, with our utter dependence on automobiles, this was a total surprise, during our entire stay we did not rely on driving.

Vienna is the world’s capital of music with every type of music imaginable form classical, opera, musicals, dance, pop, rock, electronica, jazz & more. City is brimming with its outdoor festivals, free events for its public, and these are happening almost weekly. The city has a very art centric policies which encourages its youth to stay away from the crime.

All across the city we encountered musical, recreational and sports activities. On almost all public squares young and the old people alike were out with their picnic baskets, wines and beers. But there was no police presence. They allowed their public to enjoy outdoor activities at day and night without being threatened by law enforcement.

During our entire stay we hardly saw any police or law enforcement officers, unlike in the United States. 

We walked a lot around Vienna, and were surprised to see access to grocery markets. Every block there was at least one grocery market which in turn takes our reliability on driving. Also we did not come across too many super/hyper markets, instead many local pop and mom stores. I believe this is a great way to spread the wealth and keep it within the community instead of sending it all to the big fat cats and corporations.

During our stay we had to use their health care system (without insurance) and were pleasantly surprised to find the accessibility and cost of care.

By talking to the locals we learned that they love this moment in their history and they are very satisfied where there are compared to the global problems. They do not give a pass to their politicians, by being educated they demand better from their politicians.

Currently Austria boasts one the best economies in the world with unemployment at just 3.8%. Our politicians instead of just providing lip-service could learn something from their political leaders and create an “America-first agenda” and help its faltering economy. For this our public needs to demand better results from our leaders and from our government.

Goa is truly a paradise for me! I have spent the last 2 months here relaxing among swaying palms, coconut groves and basking in the soft sandy beaches. Having travelled to many beaches around the world, Goa still holds a special place in my heart.

I know I am home at Goa with its familiar coconut trees lined narrow roads, the  quaint Portuguese villas  and churches that dot the pristine landscape, the rustic beach shacks, the bustling  flea markets and village fish mongers  and the unhurried pace that add to its irresistible charm.

Yesterday, we spent the entire afternoon at Sarnabatim, a secluded beach not populated by many tourists. The endearing quality of Goan beaches are its makeshift shacks that line the white stretches of amazing beaches, found nowhere else in the world. The shacks utilize recyclable local materials like coconut fronds, ropes and tree trunks. The temperature of the sea with its splashing waves was ideal for an afternoon frolicking in the azure waters.  After a lovely swim, we relaxed with a book and beer on the cane lounge chairs at Anthy’s beach shack to watch the sun go down. I cherish this moment every time, watching the sun set against this gorgeous backdrop of glistening waters, as it transforms me to a different world away from all the humdrum of the daily grind.

Sarnabatim, Goa

I was invited to a Communion by a friend of mine near the town of El Jardin. Four (Girlzy, Paula, Mary and me) of us took a taxi early morning of December 11, 2010 and headed to El Jardin. The taxi driver, Felipe, was a very interesting fun loving character. Felipe and Girlzy kept us entertained all the way to El Jardin. The road to El Jardin was treacherous, because of all the rain and derrumbe (slides). We stopped by at a restaurant for breakfast on a nearby mountain town. The breakfast was a usual Colombian fare with arepas, choritzo, queso and coffee. After 3.5 hours we arrived at El Jardin.

December 11-13, 2010

Jardin is a typical Antioquian Paisa Pueblo nestled in a valley of the Western Andes. The town has only around 20,000 inhabitants, a central plaza with a beautiful church, and narrow streets with colorful houses surrounding beautiful courtyards. The church dominated the square with its neogothic style and blends in perfectly with the materials used to build it with hard rocks from a nearby river. Plaza area contains trendy cafes, bars, restaurants, small hotels and many vendors. We went to Paula’s relatives’ house and all of us stayed there. The house had a great courtyard with lots of flowers and herbal garden with an amazing view of the surrounding mountains. Her aunt and their family were great hosts, and for lunch they had prepared a traditional Colombian dish named Sancocho which contains plantains, yucca, potatoes, and meatballs (in many areas meatballs are substituted for chicken, pork or beef). After lunch we decided to walk around the town and also went to some of her other relative’s houses. At 3pm we had to attend the Communion, so we took a rickshaw (these were Indian auto rickshaws with "Made In India" sticker and instructions in Hindi) and went to the church, it was a very simple celebration which lasted for about an hour.

After the communion, we decided to walk outside the town, with Paula’s mom. She showed where she grew up and the surrounding areas were awesome with coffee, plantains, beans and sugarcane plantations on the mountains. Just few minutes’ walk from Jardin we saw peacocks, beautiful flowers, and amazing mountains.

Later they had the fiesta (party) for the entire family and friends in a bar and restaurant close to the house. This was a fun experience with a Colombian family, and I was the first foreigner they ever had. We just sat around the table drinking beers, rum and aqurdiente (traditional Colombian liquor) and listening to great music. Earlier part of the evening the party was mainly for the kids, and later for the adults. After the kids were gone, dinner was served, and dancing started. This was really fun, and the party lasted till 2 am in the morning. After that I decided to go back to bed but all others went to a bar near the plaza.

Next day got up early and went to the plaza with Girly and Paula looking for an internet café to call India. After about 2 hours finally got connection and called India to wish Shammi. In the meantime sat around the plaza and had bunuelos and coffee. Later took a cable car and went up the mountain, Alto de las Flores. From here the vista was simply breathtaking with the view of the complete town and surrounding mountains. Sat here and had a cup of coffee overlooking the coffee plantations and took lots of pictures. Later while walking around the town few Paula’s cousins stopped me and offered aquardiente and of course I could not say no and had few shots with all of them. Later on the other side of the town took another cable car and went to see the vista from another mountain. This side had a river with the views on the other side of the town. When we reached the top, we sat in a restaurant listening and dancing to the Colombian music. This was an un-forgetful experience. There are many things to see and do around the town like caves, waterfalls, and hiking but we did not have enough time.

Later we took a bus and headed back to Medellin.

Apple filed a suit last Friday where Samsung's Galaxy tablets come under fire. Claiming that Samsung's phones and tablets infringe its own patents, Apple is seeking for compensation and injunctions that will damage Samsung's tablet line.

Here they (Apple) go again. Apple’s iPad is the pioneer of bringing tablets to the masses but that does not give them a right to control what other companies can do. In my humble opinion there is only so much you can do with Tablets due to its nature. I feel that Apple doesn't have a potential case, Apple is using its monopoly to crush the competition.

I love Apple products but Apple needs to stop this madness, and just concentrate on bringing great products into the market and let the end-user decide.

This is based on a true story that happened recently in Karnataka, India. 

A rich business man (Mr. Greed) saw a dead black cat in his living room while vacationing in his farm-house with his family. Mr. Greed immediately called his Poojari (priest) about this event. Two priests, Mr. Harichandra and Mr. Georgeappa, came promptly to the farm-house and saw the cat and identified it as a male cat. They advised Mr. Greed, since the cat was male; he had to conduct the Pooja (offering a worship to God) at the premises to cleanse all the women of the house. The Pooja had to be set in a private setting and the women naked. If he did not conduct the Pooja, then another male would come and take over his business and wealth. The first Pooja date was set on a Wednesday at 12:01 pm because this was an auspicious time.

On Wednesday all the arrangements were done for the Pooja, and the priests came on time and the Pooja proceedings started. Mr. Greed with no hesitation sent his wife completely naked for the Pooja and ceremony was completed. After the Pooja, priests mentioned that both Mr. Greed’s daughters need to be cleansed too. The Muhurat (auspicious time) for the next Pooja was selected as Friday 11:42 AM. On Friday, like previous Pooja the ceremony started and Mr. Greed sent his two daughters (18 years and 19 years old) naked for the Pooja. During the Pooja, the 18 year old daughter started screaming, and everyone in the house came in to the Pooja room. The girls complained that the two priests Mr. Harichandra and Mr. Georgeappa, had touched them inappropriately in their private parts. Later the mother also mentioned that she was molested. The priests were beaten up and the police were called. Upon further investigation it was determined that there are 30 pending cases against the priests with similar behavior. 

Moral of the story: A greedy money hungry business man is willing to sell his wife and daughters in the name of blind faith, religion and money. And the priests have found a nice loophole in the name of religion and lust. 

Story: Sense of Sarcasm Linked to Right Brain, Evolution - A University of California scientist recently discovered that the ability to use and understand sarcasm happens on the right side of the brain and served a purpose in the evolution of human beings. 

Sarcasm serves as a link to human evolution, WOW, what a concept.  With the media and political correctness sarcasm has no place in our society. Everyone has to be from the same mold, belonging to the same class, similar thinking’s, same iPOds, no more questioning, agree to the higher being (GOD), or to the corporate structure. 

Do not believe in the hype from our soulless government, corporations, and religious leaders. If we were more Cynical then we would have questioned our government. With the fear that they (Bush and his cronies) fed us about Saddam Hussein- weapons of mass-destruction, linking Iraq and al Qaeda, and the best of all Bush’s own words, the attack can happen “…on any given day.”, meaning the threat was imminent. We believed this propaganda. Our media which uses our airways to profit, failed to do their job, and instead of being more inquisitive and dig deeper into the issues, just blindly believed Bush administration and the neo- conservatives propaganda. We cannot just blame the media; we have to blame ourselves too. American people were unable to accept that our President, the most powerful man in the world, could lie to us . If we were more cynical about our government we may not have rushed to the Iraq war. 

Corporations want us to be of the same mold like a ‘Sheep’, so we can be obedient and without questioning do as they say, and follow everyone else blindly. The sheep represent the lowest class of the social system, the proletariat. They are oblivious and exploited, ‘only dimly aware of a certain unease in the air’, as so eloquently Roger Waters wrote in the song “Sheep” from Animals. We believe in the hype and advertisements. Everything is revolved around Buy Buy and Buy. While we were under attack Bush did nothing to mobilize public opinion to accept the sacrifices that war implies instead asked us to “Go shopping” and with Recession Looming, our government tells America To ‘Go Shopping More’.

Religion scares us with hell and heaven and easily manipulates us, so we would be unaware when they take us to the slaughterhouse.

What happened to the individual? I thought America was built on individualism, free thinking, and progressive people. It is time that people become more Cynical, think for themselves and questions everyone and everything. 

Let’s not buy into the hype, and be dummies – we can leave that for Creationists. By using our brain we may help the Evolutionary process and in turn save ourselves. 

So what?  I mean really, who cares? Oh for God's sake. You don’t have anything better to do that read this column? Get off this computer and “Go Shopping and help the Economy” for Christ sake!!

American Empire is a term referring to the political, economic, military and cultural influence of the United States. The sources and proponents of this concept range from liberal theorists opposed to what they take to be aggressive U.S. policy, to neo-conservatives who believe the U.S. must embrace an imperial role.

But there is no denying of US’s role as an Imperial power around the world and its desire to be an “Empire” which is very transparent with US foreign policies. This policy began with our thirst for foreign oil, from Franklin Roosevelt’s 1945 deal with King Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia, over throwing of democratically elected Iranian government of Mohammed Mosaddeq in 1953 by CIA, George Bush Sr. first Iraq war, US Corporations bullying others around the world, and to the infamous never ending current Iraq invasion.

I say lets boastfully embrace this idea of an “Empire” and move forward. The term “Empire” does not have to mean the same thing as under British or European empires. With all our knowledge, smarts, and as the world’s only superpower we can use this enormous empire like power to improve and solve problems around the globe.

Instead of improving humanity, neo-conservatives, and our dim-witted president has decided to kill and maim so many of our brave troops and wasted close to trillion of our hard earned dollars for our obsession with oil as can be seen by recent NY Times article, published on June 19, 2008 – “Deals With Iraq Are Set to Bring Oil Giants Back”. “Where Four Western oil companies (Exxon Mobil, Shell, Total and BP) are in the final stages of negotiations this month on NO BID contracts that will return them to Iraq, 36 years after losing their oil concession to nationalization as Saddam Hussein rose to power”

Moises Saman for The New York Times

Oil fields in the Iraqi province of Basra. Iraq produces about 2.5 million barrels of oil per day

After all the excuses given before, such as “Weapons of Mass Destruction”, “Harboring terrorists”, “Al-Qaeda in Iraq”, “Bringing democracy to middle east”, and on and on. We now know why Bush and his Oil allies went to war in Iraq. “OIL”

After all the killing and pain, are we better of today than 8 years ago. Let’s see, Gas is at all time high – over $4.00 a gallon, economy in recession, mortgage crisis, wealth gap increasing between and rich and poor, approximately 50 million people with no health insurance, our standing in the world at all time low, rise of the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China), and finally our dollar at all time low.

We as a country can do far better; we are great people with good heart and souls. Some of the souls of our republican or democratic friends may be corrupted but we can save or heal them. I say kick all the bum’s out of Washington and bring new blood back. For that we need younger generation to be involved in politics, understand what their rights are and take this country back.

Background. I supported Bush for his first term. He ran as a Uniter (I wish his slogan said ‘Dumbass’) and I believed him. I am not ashamed to say that I made a mistake, he fooled me. But I learned and did not support him his second term. But my countrymen let me down, and reelected the Idiot. This has set this country back ages and we cannot afford that with the third term of Bush with McCain.

McCain is an old timer with no new ideas, copying every idea from Senator Obama’s campaign. McCain even ripped off Obama's slogan and logo. He took Obama’s "Change You Can Believe In" and altered it into "A Leader You Can Believe In." How lame do you have be to do that. With his millions of campaign dollars, (of course Cindy’s millions), he could not hire somebody for innovative campaign ideas. If he and his campaign lack simple campaign ideas how is he going to run this country?

I say no to 4 more years of neo-conservative ideas, Bush, McCain and yes to Obama. We as people are at the cross roads and this is our chance to “Save This Empire”