On the Prowl For Christmas Week-End 2015.......

I had the pleasure and privilege to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with my Family.  It reminded me of all the blessings Providence has bestwoed upon me..

As the team @ #Outsiders got back to work, it was interesting there were some "snipets" of hope I saw reports of the Indian Prime Minister "dropping by" to see the Pakistani Prime Minister as our team daily during The #India Watch hashtage about repeated border violations: 

    

It was also quite amazing Earlier tonight, a "thought 4 the week" on this weekend was released on #Outsiders.  The themes of Love, Unity and ideas are some of the things I hope we can pursue in 2016 especially embracing the poetry of Ibn Arabia in light of all that we've been witness to in our World.    

I have also been fascinated by China as well.    China's challenges is also of concern as the Economy continues to slow, the Environment continues to be a profound challenge and the related social fissures will be one of the challenges I look forward to the team's research and reflections here in #Outsiders in 2016.      The beauty of china was evident though as epitomized by this image from Shanghai:

Before I went dark on the "Grid" for Christmas Day, I shared this I received this that underscores the sentiments as we look to a new year which I wanted to conclude my thoughts with:   

“May your light rest in our hearts,
And remind us that you are the eternal star.”

“Let us dream of a world without any more violence –
A world of justice and hope.
Let us each give a hand to our neighbor…
As a symbol of peace and brotherhood.”

“Give us strength.
Fill us with love that we might love and be loved.
Let this be our prayer.”

~ Carol Bayer Sager and David Foster

Brief Thoughts On This Christmas Eve 2015

As the team was putting the finishing touches on Christmas Greetings throughout the Network, I ran across this that I could not help but share this from the Peanuts Gang: 

I also had attended Saddleback Church's Christmas Service at its' Dana Point Campus earlier tonight.   I realized there is a reason Pastor Rick is as beloved as he is.  It was an atmosphere of love, laughter, joy and happiness as he shared the challenges and the embraces of faith.     He talked about the fears that Mary, Joseph, The Shepherd, Herod and Zachariah faced  It was just fascinating to be witness to.

There is truly a lot to be thankful for as we embrace 2016.   I have "put my foot down" literally so that the team takes a well deserved few days as we go dark throughout our network.  I hope the musical selections are of interest as they are released throughout the various channels of the #Outsider Network.     As I finished off these thoughts, I saw this from the Publisher of the "Nooner" which is quite a gift for all Beatles fans--although I warn you that the link for John Lennon's Happy Xmas is very hard to watch:

HAPPY X-MAS!  2:01am tomorow morning, you'll be able to listen the entire Beatles music catalog for the first time on streaming sites.

As I finished off final rounds, I saw this on my personal facebook page:

Each and everyone of us has the ability and the responsibility to change the world for the better #Ubuntu #Humanity www.mandeladay.com
Posted by Nelson Mandela Foundation on Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Wishing all a Fab Holiday!!!

Winding Down 2015: On Our World, #Outsiders & Other Thoughts

Today was a day that was quite a day throughout #Outsiders as we are going dark.  Although I had put my foot down for all to take some time, the work continued and it was surprising the interesting work that was released throughout the network that I supported and facilitated.   

It has been a challenging year.   One of the highlights for me, though, was joining the BBC Newsday program last week as Newsday traveled the United States to get a firing line perspective on Iranian Americans in the aftermath of all that has been going on with San Bernardino and its' aftermath.   One of the team members put together excerpts of it: 

Here is a clip from the show when w/the crew around Westwood Blvd: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03cg240

This is a clip from when we spoke about Donald Trump and the rise of Islamophobia: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03cg3cd

As I was reflecting upon this, I ran across this from one of the greatest Iranians, Amir Kabir.  For those who do not know who he is, he served as Prime Minister under the Qajar King Nasir Din Shah and was ordered assassinated by him.     This thought from him depicts the profound challenges faced as a result of the influence of religion and the loss of reason in Iran.    

A rough translation is:  Iran fell behind when it stopped thinking, stopped exploring, stopped analyzing, stopped being bold and using simple logic and common sense.    As I saw the challenges around the Middle East and listened to Dr. Milani's talk at the Commonwealth Club (featured in the Education Channel), it was quite chilling and tough to listen to.

As part of my own on-going research in support of @DailyOutsider, I caught up on episodes of the Voice of America's Farsi Service Last Page.    The host, Mehdi Felllahati, does a fantastic job to showcase the true reality of the Islamic Republic.   In one of the episodes, one of his guests, the Scholar and Journalist Akbar Ganji, reflected upon the hollow and mythical nature of Shiism and how the development ensued in large measure thanks to the influence of Zorostanianism.   Beyond that, what I found especially shocking was that the 11th Imam did not even have a child and that this whole mythical sense that a 12th Imam is coming to save us all was just conceived as a result of political and economic rivalries--which has persisted in Iran today in a major way due to the very nature of corruption prevalent in the Country.   The Faith of Islam will continue to be strong--no question.   Many--including Sheikh Hamza Yousef--are spearheading a renaissance in the faith that has to persist that I look forward to researching further during the new year.        As I look forward to building on this and reflecting upon it, I was reminded of another colonial legacy thanks to the talk by Dr. Milani:  the term Middle East.    It will be one of the new year resolutions for us to ban the use.

The team has also been hard at work finalizing the Social Media rounds and I have tried to keep up with them (and  yes at times have been virtually breathless!!!).   What I saw on the New York Times captured the essence of our World as we bid farewell to it:   

The Year in Pictures 2015

Sergey Ponomarev for The New York Times

A selection of the year's most riveting photographs.

This month was also a month that was quite a trying month on a number of personal fronts as I remembered my paternal grandmother who passed away 25 years ago this month.      It was during one of the darkest days that I caught a Movie that was as pivotal in laying the groundwork for DailyOutsider and beyond and that movie was Invictus.       I decided to purchase it for my Amazon Movie Library and as God Bless Africa plays in the background, it was the poem Invictus itself that truly left an impression as it reminded us all:

I am the master of My Faith

I am the Captain of My Soul

This is as I took heart in this--as I wish all a wonderful joyous season and a fantastic 2016: 
“If we had no winter,
the spring would not be so pleasant:
if we did not sometimes taste of adversity,
prosperity would not be so welcome.”

~ Anne Bradstreet