Random Thoughts

In a world of heightened violence and chaos, how much of our individual woes actually matter? Perhaps the thought of impending global economic disaster is our best antidote to self pity and self imposed prison. Rather than hold ourselves hostage to our negative thoughts and unpleasant emotions, we can lift up our troubles to our God Almighty, ask Him to take care of them and then turn around and seize every opportunity for happiness, triumph and success.
It might feel like the weight of the world is upon us but if we shift our focus on ourselves to the person next to us, a next door neighbor, a homeless man or woman or a nation caught in a revolution with all the bloodletting and persecution of those who chose to stand by their principles, chances are we would realize just how lucky we have been.
Truly, there are a million others who have seen suffering like no other. Take the case of this young boy. Only eleven years old, Ali el-Sayed of Houla, Syria, witnessed violence in its most gruesome form. He was in the midst of it all, the brutal shooting of his family, his father and oldest brother first, then his mother, and his six-year-old brother. Faced with the extreme risk of getting killed himself, Ali rolled on the floor, covered himself with his brother’s blood and played dead. He tried his best to control his shaking as he got shot at but was missed; thank God.
Now orphaned and the only survivor in his family’s massacre, Ali becomes the face of atrocities, summary executions and carnage beyond belief in Syria. A massacre of some 108 people in Houla, most of them women and innocent children shocked the world to the point that 13 Western nations, among them, the Unites States, Britain, France, Canada, Germany, Italy, Spain, Australia, Turkey and Bulgaria not only condemned who they believed to be the perpetrator, Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, but also took a more provocative step of expelling Syrian envoys from their countries.
Leaders of these free world denounced Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as the murderer of his people despite his claims that the heinous crime was perpetrated by some terrorist gangs. Furthermore, U.N. peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous, whose monitors are in Syria, pointed to the work of the Syrian government as many of the victims were killed by artillery shells and others died of knife wounds, most likely pointing to the shabbihas, who are the local militia.
Meanwhile, Philippines maintains a “strategic silence” over massacre in Syria in order to protect the remaining 8,000-plus Filipino workers there, who, despite the Philippine government’s offer of repatriation, refused to leave.
A fellow Filipino American in need
James Mejia, a Cebuano in his mid forties, lies in Westlake Hospital awaiting his final moment. Given only two to three months to live by his doctor, James relies on his one and only relative for moral support, his wife, Josephine, also known as Jojo. Without a job, financial means or transportation, Jojo felt the world crushing down on her. Thanks to the appeal of NaFFAA Chair, Ed Navarra, who emailed us the Mejias’ plight. Some people have responded by sending in their donation, while others assisted them with their application for Medicaid and facilitating James’ transfer from Manor Care in Westmont to Westlake Hospital in Melrose Park. Thanks to the teamwork of Brian and Lolita Ranchero of VIP Home Health and Hospice, who assisted Jojo and drove for her to get her application filled out properly and turned in to the Public Aid office. Anyone who wishes to help this couple in whatever way can contact Jojo at 1-630-864-0092.
From his Saudi prison, death row inmate, Dondon Lanuza continues to beg you for his life
Dondon’s plea for help never fails to show up in my emails each morning. But without additional funds to send to his account, I have stopped communicating with him. It pains me to think that despite our efforts to help in raising the blood money he needs to be spared from beheading, the needed amount didn’t come through. There’s only so much we can do… Asking for donations from friends who have been generous in the past isn’t always an easy thing to do. I fear the backlash and the thought that they might dread getting emails or calls from me anymore, thinking I’m about to hit them with another request for donation for this and that cause… But even in this very difficult economic time, we give our own share, too, each time we ask friends for donation to these causes.
To donate: By Pay Pal, www.helpDondon.com
By check: LOIDA N. LEWIS FBO DONDON LANUZA Metrobank Branch NY *Account # 16048420 *Swift Code: MBTCUS33
Global economic collapse and the next Great Depression
The grim foreboding of global economic collapse have been written and talked about by every financial guru and economist known to us. They pointed to the obvious trend among hundreds of prominent bankers who have resigned over the past six months. They warned, too, that the 9 largest U.S. banks have a total of 228.72 trillion dollars of exposure to derivatives, approximately 3 times the size of the entire global economy. “The financial crisis of 2008 was only a warm up act for what is coming,” economists said. Many governments have since sunk much deeper into debt and the entire global financial system is more unstable and vulnerable than ever before.
Predictions of the next Great Depression are imminent as in the following statements from the economists’ blog:
Major economies all over Europe continue to implode, the IMF is warning that the eurozone could actually break up and there are signs of trouble at major banks all over the planet. Unfortunately, it looks like the period of relative stability that global financial markets have been enjoying is about to come to an end. A whole host of problems that have been festering just below the surface are starting to manifest, and we are beginning to see the ingredients for a “perfect storm” start to come together. The greatest global debt bubble in human history is showing signs that it is getting ready to burst, and when that happens the consequences are going to be absolutely horrific. Hopefully we still have at least a little bit more time before the global financial system implodes, but at this point it doesn’t look like anything is going to be able to stop the chaos that is on the horizon.
Are we prepared to deal with a far more serious economic depression when it’s finally here? Probably not…