HALF A MILLIONAIRE

As naked as one can be

I have no pride left in me,

All but selflessness

You stab my heart

One that bleeds no blood,

Only love

And still I must carry on

You rain me with stones

And still I must carry on

Forever,

I carry your pain

So, keep on stumbling,

For I know that’s what you do

And I carry on

Take my life,

So for always you will have it

Or, acquaint me with death

So for always it will comfort you

My life will give you wisdom

And my death will give you strength

So you must carry on

Like I do

And I do it for you

All from the heart

One that bleeds no blood

Only love.

I knew of your existence

So, I longed for your coming

The moment we met

I knew it was true

That love was always there

In my heart, but buried

Finally, awoken by your cry

In your presence, I felt ashamed

To be men,

And like all,

I am full of flaws

And weaknesses that I had ignored

Justified,

And kept for so long,

But I had shed them before I held you

And I know that men are mocking

With beliefs that I only want

Diamonds and gold,

But they are blinded

By those flaws and weaknesses,

Like mine,

Which taken away, however,

Eternally, by your laughters,

Angelic life,

And I so love you that I will fight

To rid men of their flaws and weaknesses

And to fill their hearts with love,

The same warmth I felt with you

I promise to give you a better world

Where men love,

And reject killing

Where men care for angels,

Just like you!

It is snowing and cold. Everyone hurries to get home because it is Christmas Eve, so no one seems to care for what she has to say. She has tried desperately to sell some matches, but her basket is still full. And, it becomes heavier at the end of the day when darkness takes over because she has not put anything in her stomach after the slice of bread given to her by her mother in the morning before leaving the house. The cobblestone streets are quieter. She is tired of chasing after them and asking them to buy her matches. She just wants to go home and lie down in her grandmother’s lap under her favorite blanket. As she walks by a house, through a large window, she sees kids playing with their grandparents while their mother and father are putting foods on the dining table. The roasted chicken makes her stomach growl. Those hot potatoes look tasty as well. Her breath fogs up the window’s glass, and as she uses her left hand to wipe it, she realizes that it is numb. She places the basket on the ground and sits on her heels. She takes off her gloves, and she lights the first match. She feels warmer for a few seconds. She lights another. In the sparkling light, she sees her grandmother’s smiling face greeting her at the door. Her younger siblings circle her. Suddenly, they disappear and everything returns to darkness and cold. She quickly lights another to keep them with her. Her father picks her up in his arms and kisses her cheek. Her mother takes off her coat. She feels loved. 

The next morning, they find a body of a little girl, covered in the snow, lying in front of the window of the house, surrounded by burned matches. “Poor girl, she tried to warm herself up with these small matches.” They cry. However, they do not know that it is her happiest Christmas Eve

The above story is not mine. Unfortunately, I can’t remember its title or the name of the author. I read it when I was a teenager. It changed my life. The little girl is my match. She warms up my soul when life is tough. She gives me the strength to live my life to the fullest each day. I have nothing to give the world, so I want to share this match with everyone. Please pass it on.

For many, rain is boring and depressing, but I always enjoy it. When I was a kid, I liked to come outside in the morning after a long rainy night because I loved to be the first person to smell the fresh air. I listened to birds chirping in the trees. I looked for dedicated ants starting their day under fallen leaves on the ground. I felt at peace. I felt as though my garden was all that I needed because it was life. It was a world. Or, at least, it was my world.

On December 12, 2009, from Baghdad, according to Reuters, Statoil, a Norwegian company, in partnership with Lukoil, a Russian oil giant, won the bid for Iraq’s supergiant West Qurna Phase II oilfield (www.reuters.com). These nations did not support the war. Also, Chinese and French oil companies are working very hard to snap up their shares of the cake. They, too, opposed the war. Exxon Mobil, an American company, won a deal for the supergiant West Qurna Phase I. It shows that the U.S. is not the only nation benefiting from the Iraq war in terms of oil. It is a “free” market competition. What about the deaths of thousands innocent Iraqis? I just want to make it clear that I am not mentioning the deaths of soldiers in this article because they are considered combatants. However, just for one sentence, I respect all the soldiers because they are the ones who have the courage and honor (soldiers’ courage and honor, not defined by you and me, Monday quarterbacks) to do what they are told, knowing that there are people around the world who will mock them for being “stupid”.

Let us get back to the deaths of innocent Iraqis. I am saddened by their deaths, but I do not know what to do. I know that I cannot bring them back. I know that their blood will be in the gas tank of my car, but I do not know what to do. Russia, China, France and Norway will bring home some cash from Iraq which will be used hopefully to create jobs for Russian, Chinese, French and Norwegian peoples. So, when a Russian (Chinese, French, or Norwegian) worker brings home a paycheck after a hardworking day, he or she should be aware that there is some blood on it, too.

On the positive side, I know that the Iraqi people will have ”a new chance” to rebuild their lives, and I hope that their leaders will make the right decisions for them. For me, I will continue to enjoy my morning after a rainy night because I know that life is more fun after the rain. And, I choose to accept both death and life. And, I will dream for eternal peace. However, I will not hastily condemn a war.

During his tour of Europe, President Obama pledged to a large crowd in Prague that America would work together with Russia to reduce its nuclear arsenal, and the speech won him the Nobel Peace prize. The goal is to cut nuclear warheads to between 1,700 and 2,200 by 2012. On November 25, 2009, Iranian President Ahmadinejad, at the opposite end, vowed to enrich more uranium and continue to pursue his nuclear ambition. Why doesn’t Iran feel safe even though America is signaling to the world that she desires peace?

Let us look at the number one more time. By 2012, we will “only” have about 2,200 nuclear warheads (not including the unlisted or concealed weapons!). That is not a lot (!). In my opinion, the denuclearization plan between the U.S. and Russia is meaningless because it does not guarantee peace. Even if all nations agree to completely rid this world of nuclear weapons, America still has thousands of tanks, planes, submarines and other bombs. America is still in control. And, this is the reason why Iran and other weaker nations want to have nuclear weapons. They fully understand that they will never be able to match up directly with America. Therefore, they just want to have enough nuclear warheads to protect themselves. Let us use Iran as an example. Ahmadinejad knows that he is being cornered by the international community because Russia is no longer on his side. Tactically, Iran is surrounded by American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. He knows that if he makes one wrong move that gives the U.S. a reason to attack, the game will be over. He has to continue playing the “delay” card because he knows the U.N. is nothing but a theatrical show. He is also letting the U.S. know that “if you attack me, I will retaliate on your friend, Israel.” The questions are: Did President Obama really mean “peace” when he announced America’s nuclear reduction plan? Or, did he do it to gain Russia’s favor and to further isolate Iran?

In my honest opinion, it is hypocritical of us to try to convince others to stop pursuing nuclear capability when we, Americans, never stop developing new weaponry. On the contrary, I suggest that we should allow everyone to have nuclear weapons because when we all have them, we will never have the courage to use them on each other. Perhaps, we will appreciate each other more, and we will learn to live together. I know that it does not sound right, but I don’t think we have a choice because I know that we are selfish creatures. Although self-preservation is the force that pushes our species forward, but it can also destroy us when we are unable to celebrate our differences. In conclusion, with or without nuclear weapons, we can “never” rid this world of “wars” because we are depleting our planet’s natural resources. And, eventually and sadly, we will kill each other to survive. Homo sapiens, the ugliest living things ever walk the earth.

History shows that every empire has an end, and I believe that American domination on the international stage has been weakened by China. And, although the Asian giant is still about 100 years behind the U.S., it will catch up and eventually take the lead in the long run because:

1. The growing pain that China is currently bearing is exactly the same pain which the U.S. had to go through during its industrial revolution period. However, China saves a lot of time and money on scientific research, which the U.S. and other nations have done.  

2. China is America’s largest creditor. And, personally, I don’t believe in “good debt” because debt weakens our nation. Many argue that the debt is small compared to the national GDP and that America can still handle it. In my opinion, it is the most ridiculous and irresponsible excuse. When we are in debt, our voice is no longer the strongest, and it shows during President Obama’s tour of Asia.

3. America is not being led by strong leadership, and I am not just blaming it on President Obama. I am calling out everyone in Washington DC. Turn on the TV and we can see how they fight each other for political gain. They do not really care for the American people. Most of them care about personal legacy and their own pockets.  

4. Chinese leaders are tough-minded. They learn from the collapse of the Soviet Union, so they are slowly reforming their country. Of course, many in the Western world have been criticizing China’s human rights record for years, but the Chinese leaders never give in. They hear the complaints, and they solve the problems behind closed doors. They are not afraid of external influence because they know that the problems are theirs and that no one can tell them what to do. We all must remember that China is not the United States of America. It has thousands years of history. Its society is governed by a different set of values. We, Americans, should be more careful and sensitive when we attempt to introduce our democracy to others.

5. On the other hand, President Obama is trying really hard to please the world because he believes that America’s image has been destroyed by the previous administration. In my opinion, it is a waste of time. Why do we have to care so much about what others think of us? I believe that his first priority is to create jobs for Americans. Why did he have to tour Asia during this time? I listened to his speech in Tokyo, and, as always, it sounded really good. He told the world what he would do to fix America. However, the speech would have been more meaningful if he had actually succeeded in fixing America’s problems, in my opinion. If I were him, I would have stayed home and worked tirelessly to create jobs for Americans. And, I would have let the results speak for me.  

6. We, Americans, complain about everything because we never feel satisfied with what we have. We borrow money against our house to purchase things that we do not really need. Now, we want free healthcare when the national unemployment is over 10%. However, we must remember that nothing is “free” in life. How will we fund for universal healthcare? If we print more money, the value of the dollar will go down even more. If we finance the cost of healthcare by borrowing from China, how will we pay it back?

7. China has the largest labor force, and everyone wants to improve their livelihood. Therefore, they all are willing to work hard. Americans on the other hand always demand a higher standard of living, so the cost of doing business in America is higher. Thus, jobs will leave our shores. Bankers, engineers and doctors will do fine, but those without high education will struggle to find work. The gap between the rich and poor will widen. The poor can no longer afford the things that they used to. Frustration and anger will peak, and riots will break out.

Although the momentum is on China’s side, the Asian country will be facing many serious problems in the future that can potentially hurt it. For example, environmental pollution is slowly killing the Chinese people. After having tasted the fruit of their labor, they will begin to seek political freedom and democracy, which can lead to unrest. However, in my opinion, learning from the mistakes made by the Soviet Union and the U.S., the Chinese leaders are ready for these challenges. They will continue to rake in the money by doing business with the West, but at the same time they will keep a tight grip on their people. Regardless if we like it or not, it is their country, and they have the right to do whatever they want to do. Most importantly, we must remember to keep our mouth shut because China has a leash of debt around our neck.

The New York Yankees are champions, again. They have done it twenty seven times. However, it amazes me when I realize that most of my friends at work and many others hate the Yankees. And, when I ask them for the reason why they harbor so much hatred for the baseball club, I receive the most absurd answer–”because they have so much money and win all the times”. I do recognize that there is some truth in the answer. However, I do not believe that money is the only factor that helps them win “all the times”. There must be something special about the organization. Personally, I believe that the Yankees’ constant success is the byproduct of effective management and leadership. And, therefore, instead of hating the winners, we all must love them, study them and become like them. So, why don’t people like the Yankees?

I would like to share a personal story before I attempt to answer the above question. I grew up in a communist country where I was taught to hate the United States of America because it was an evil empire that only wanted to conquer and destroy its neighbors. However, the truth was that my home country was poor because the communist leaders were corrupt and uneducated. They did not care for the people. They just wanted to fill up their pockets with the people’s sweat and blood. When I came to America, I began to see the light. After I had learned more about the game, I understood why the U.S. was the winning team. Capitalism, freedom to compete, encourages creativity because each individual wants to win and harvest the fruit of his labor. On the other hand, communism is just a stupid idea because it suggests that everyone works and shares the fruit. In the beginning, the communist comrades work and share. However, after awhile, they start to question the system because they see that there are many who do not work as hard but still enjoy the same fruit. Therefore, eventually, everyone will stop and the system breaks down. When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, I was so happy because it proved to me that I had understood the game. The sad thing is that communism is still ruling my home country because the communist comrades still refuse to change. They are holding on to their power because they still have empty pockets which they plan to fill up with the people’s bones and skulls.

Sometimes, we see others succeed, but we still stubbornly refuse to accept the fact that they are better than us because we know that we are weaker and afraid that we can never become like them even if we try. Many of us hate the Yankees because we know that our favorite team can never become like the New York Yankees. Perhaps, some of us want to defect and become Yankee fans, but we are afraid that others will label us as “traitors”. Therefore, we force ourselves to like our losing team by lying to ourselves–”it is ok because I am a true fan”. We choose to enjoy the pain and humiliation of defeat every year while the Yankees fans are celebrating.

For those who hate the U.S., please look at your own government. Are the leaders of your country corrupt? Perhaps, they are the evil individuals who take away your food and shelter. If you still hate the U.S., please study harder or become smarter to help your country compete with us. If you still hate the U.S. and do not know what to do, I would like to suggest that, first, you learn from us and then you use that knowledge to beat us. If you are still stubborn and refusing to understand, I would like to offer this simple analogy: Imagine that you are running a marathon and the U.S. is the leader. You must gather your strength and courage to beat the U.S. because you know in your heart that the U.S. will not slow down to let you win. The U.S. will always go after the gold medal even though it has won it many times. It competes because it constantly wants to advance human civilization.

The physician: I have spent twelve years in high school, four years for undergraduate study, four years in medical school and two years in residency, so I have the right to charge you whatever I want. My student loans total about $300,000, so I have the right to charge you whatever I want. This clinic costs me thousands to operate, so I have the right to charge you whatever I want. My malpractice insurance costs me about $100,000 per year, so I have the right to charge you whatever I want. If I make a mistake, you can take me to court. And, probably, you will be awarded millions. I did have passion when I was in school. But, in the real world, I must protect myself. And, I have the right to make a lot of money because I am a licensed professional. Not everyone can do what I do. You pay a high price to see me because I am one of the best. That is how capitalism works. You can seek another doctor if you want to save some money.

The patient: (silent)

The insurance company: If you read section IV, Part 3, Paragraph (i), Point (a), it tells you that your condition is not covered by your current plan because it is classified as a pre-existing disease, meaning you had had it for years before you bought our product. We understand that you possibly did not know about it. Or, perhaps, you did know about the disease but lied to us when you purchased our product. Honestly, had you told us about your condition, I am assuming that if you had known, we would not have sold our product to you in the first place anyway. Sorry, we are in this business to make a profit. 

The patient: That is ridiculous. I have been paying a very high premium. And, now, when I need it most, you deny to take care of me. Honest to God, I did not know anything about the condition. I am not a doctor, you know. But, the reason I buy insurance is to protect me in a situation like this one. Is there anything that I can do? Can I appeal?

The insurance company: We have to charge you a high premium to cover our costs. Again, we are a publicly traded company, so we must make a profit. Also, when you have time, take a look at your bill, last month you had a cataract surgery on your left eye, your doctor charged us ten thousands dollars. There are doctors out there who are very greedy and dishonest. They overcharged us. And, many of them even charge money for procedures that they do not perform. To answer your question, I do not know exactly how the appealing process works, but I will be glad to find out. Can I call you back in a few days?

The patient (confused and lost): Yes, please. Bye now.

President Obama: I am deeply sorry to hear your story. I know that many others are facing the same problem as you are. I want everyone to have health coverage because I believe that it is one of the fundamental rights promised to us and that is that we all have the right to pursue “happiness”. To be happy, we must feel secured about our job, our family, our retirement, our health, etc. My idea is to insert into our current healthcare system a public option that is more affordable and most importantly covers all members and their dependents without the pre-existing condition bull, please excuse my language. But, there are many cowboys and hotshots in Congress who oppose my plan because they think it will cost too much money to run. They are afraid that the government will fail because everything the government touches turns into cow dung. I just want to do it because we have been waiting for too long. So many have been suffering. Let us use tax payers’ money to take care of tax payers. I know the line will be long when you go to the hospital, but at least you know you will receive care. The doctors might not be the best and brightest, but they would be good enough to get the job done. I know that many will abuse the system to steal money from tax payers. But, hey, no system is perfect. I will fix it as I go. I hope I will be re-elected because there are so many things that I want to do for you. And, I need more than four years. And, I need your support to bring changes to America. I promise you that.

The patient (smiled and felt comforted): Thank you.

My personal opinion

I support the public option because my heart tells me that it is the right thing to do. I am willing to pay higher taxes to take care of my less fortunate neighbors. I am not trying to be a hero. Simply, I just believe that because life is short, we all need to be less greedy and more compassionate. However, I will not stop fighting to become wealthy because although money cannot buy happiness, it can buy me a lot of time. And, time is what I value the most.

About a month ago, I turned my house upside down and still could not locate my cell phone. I used my wife’s to call myself in hope that I would hear it ring, but I got the voicemail box, instead. Finally, I found it in my car, out of battery. I had not touched it for more than three weeks. It revealed to me that if I had been able to live without it for almost a month, then, perhaps, I did not really need it. I communicated my discovery to my wife, and she concurred. She suggested that we should switch to a prepay plan to save some money. I researched on the prepay concept. And, together, my wife and I, happily, entered the stone age. 

When I told my friends–lovers of Apple iphone, Palm Pre and BlackBerry–that I had changed my phone plan to prepay, they replied with silence. Then, they all laughed when one said, “you did the right thing because no one was calling you anyway.” They were right. I looked around the cafetaria, and everyone seemed to have a toy in one hand and a fork in the other. Some were checking their stock portfolio. Some were opening emails. Some were reading the news. I felt so insignificant. I felt as though I was the only person who had nothing to worry about. I was just glad that my name was not Fred Flintstone. Did I oversimplify my life?

Prepay Options:

1) Unlimited Calling Plan: This plan charges three dollars (”Daily Access Fee”) when one uses one’s phone. For the entire day, after paying the $3 fee, all domestic calls (including U.S. territories) are free. We do not choose this plan because we are not phone-talkers.

2) Mobile to Mobile Plan: The Daily Access Fee (DAF) is one dollar when one first uses one’s phone. For the entire day, one can make “unlimited” mobile to mobile calls. For example, if we pick this plan, my wife and I can talk to each other on the phone the entire day for free after we have paid the $1 DAF because we both use the same phone company (mobile to mobile). If I call my brother and he uses another phone company (not mobile to mobile), then I will be charged 10 cents per minute (a flat rate). We do not choose this plan because we do not use our phones that much.

3) Simple Rate Plan: This plan does not charge the Daily Access Fee. One pays a flat rate of 25 cents per minute when one uses one’s phone. We pick this plan because it is simple. However, the bad thing about this plan is that if I call my wife on her cell phone, each of us will be charged 25 cents per minute separately. So, instead of talking to each other on our cell phones, our strategy is to use our landline phone as much as we can. Why do we still have a landline phone? We have been using it mostly for international calls.

How much do we save? Each of us fills up our own account with one hundred dollars (good for a year). Let us say that if eleven months have passed and each of us has only spent $80, do we lose $20? The answer is “no”. However, if we want to keep the $20 leftover, we must continue to add more money. Each of us can add $100 more to our respective account, and the total amount will become $120, which will be good for another year. One does not have to add $100 for the whole year. Alternatively, one can choose to add $15 per month, or $75 for nine months, and the key thing to remember is that one must continue adding money to keep the leftover money from the previous period alive. The phone company’s strategy is to force the participants to use up their money as quickly as possible. However, we believe that we can still gain from playing this game because our goal is to only spend a total of $200 in one year. And, if we adhere to our game plan, we can save about $760 per year because our current phone bill is about $80 per month. How much is $760? Annually, we pay approximately the same amount for our electricity. We can use it to invest or pay down debt.

Honestly, I did not want to switch to prepay because I thought that the saving would be minimal. However, my wife was right when she said, “saving is saving no matter how small”. I realized that it is not just about how much one can save, but it is more about building a mentality that focuses on saving. I have a plan to become wealthy, and I must execute it. I have to take small steps in the beginning. And, I believe that the ending of this journey will be much easier. I have so much fun playing this game because I am aware of the fact that I can “never” lose.

Baseball is not my favorite sport, but I like its history. The game’s greatest player is Babe Ruth, who in 1927 handed out 60 homeruns or 14% of all homeruns hit in the American League that year. To match this percentage, a player in the modern era would have to hit 340 homeruns in a season. In 2001, Barry Bonds set the single-season record for homeruns with 73 amid the steroid scandal. I am not in a position to judge Barry Bonds and his record. However, I would like to point out that ”steroid” has forced me to divide the history of baseball into two parts: 1) Baseball in its originality and 2) Baseball in the steroid era. Many argue that steroid is acceptable because everyone uses it and that steroid cannot make everyone to become Barry Bonds. For example, I myself cannot even swing the bat although I am on steroid. Personally, I believe that all athletes must resist the temptation to use performance-enhancing substances because they must recognize that sport represents our species’ competitive spirit. We must compete on our own potential without having to resort to dishonesty or any form of cheating that will give us an unfair advantage over our opponents.

On October 9, 2009, the Norwegian Nobel Committee put Mr. Barack Obama on a “steroid” fasttrack to winning the prestigious award, the Nobel Peace Prize. The Nobel Prize is prestigious because it has been used to honor those human beings (or organizations that) who have worked tirelessly for decades to make this world a better place. More importantly, I want to point out that the Nobel Prize winners make it prestigious–not Norway, not Sweden, not Nobel. We all know that in actuality Mr. Obama has not done anything but talking and promising. Many argue that the prize will motivate him to keep his promises. Truly, I find this argument very insulting to the past winners and to Mr. Obama himself. First, the winners change the world because they choose to do so, not because they want to win the award. In my opinion, they are so compassionate about their work that they don’t even have time to think about the award. Perhaps, they don’t even care about the award. For example, a scientist is about to discover a way to turn water into a useful source of energy. And, he knows that his discovery will greatly benefit our world (his true intention) and that regardless if he wants it or not he will be the most famous human being on the planet. Does it matter if he is awarded the Nobel Prize? Second, let us assume that Mr. Obama will change the world in the next few years. Will Norway win the Nobel Prize for pushing Mr. Obama to do something for the world? What if Mr. Obama has true intention to make the world a better place and he will succeed in doing it in the near future, this hasty award will take away our chance to celebrate his success. My point is that what are we Americans to celebrate about now when our president wins the Nobel Peace Prize? Or, shall we delay the celebration until we see the results? Will the celebration still be joyful and meaningful?

In my opinion, Norway made a big mistake when it irresponsibly handed out the award to Mr. Obama because the action ruined the image of the award. It should only be given to one who has a track record of doing ”great” deeds for this world. Talking about doing good is wonderful but not enough. The award would have been more celebrated by the world had Norway waited for the results. Besides the “to motivate him to do good” excuse, why did Norway do it?

Many speculate that Norway just wanted to humiliate Mr. Bush because he waged wars against other nations. How can one promote peace by humiliating someone else? Let us assume that this speculation is true. Do you think that the action will affect Mr. Bush? His father, Mr. Bush, Sr., was also the president of the United States. The Bush family has its own tradition and values. Do you think that they really need Norway to approve of their actions? When one is elected to be the leader of a country, one has to do what one believes to be right for one’s country. Of course, one can always argue that war is never good, but what if war or conflict is just a part of life. When resources are scarce, nations compete. One day, when the world runs out of oil, Russia will probably conquer Norway for its oil, disregarding the Nobel Peace Prize.

My own speculation is that Norway just wanted to signal to the terrorists that it is a peace loving country to protect its citizens from harm. Basically, Norway knows that it does not have the capability to defend itself militarily, so it resorts to promoting peace to protect its territory and people. Unfortunately, in the real world, nations compete, and sometimes the strong bully the weak. Personally, I have great love for Norway. However, I am worried for her because the terrorists will exploit her weakness.

Although I know that dishonesty exists in sports, I still love them because they represent true competition. In the 2006 FIFA Football World Cup, the United States tied Italy (1-1) on June 17, 2006 at Fritz-Walter Stadium, Germany. I was so proud of the American team because we fought hard. Personally, the result did not matter to me because I wanted to see my national team fight to win. I wanted to see them work hard to achieve their goal. We did not win that game, but I felt inspired by the national team. I believe that if one wants to hit a baseball out of the ball park, one must do it on one’s own power,  without assistance from steroid. I believe that if Mr. Obama is destined to be mankind’s greatest leader, then we must let the results speak for him, without extra motivation or assistance from an award.

Reference: www.wikipedia.org; www.baberuthcentral.com; soccernet.espn.go.com