Lately I’ve been taking an interest in reading articles online. The source varies like The New York Times, Linkedin and a range of blogs.

What interests me most is the wide range of opinions, which often tell another story and give a wider picture of thinking and perception in the readers’ minds.

Let me you give an example or two.

The first was a promotional video put out by an American society promoting a ‘World without Hate’ philosophy. Running with it was  a song by John Lennon, ‘Let it be let it be.’ Photo’s included Martin Luther King and others who gave their lives for the cause they believed in.

I thought the video was well balanced, told its message fairly, and many of the comments agreed and thought it was promoting a good concept. But the article came under fire for several reasons; 1) for using John Lennon’s song (permission was sought and received); 2) some thought it a disgrace to mention Martin Luther King in this concept; and 3) immigration – some commenters completely raved on about it. I saw no mention of immigration in the video and was hard pressed to understand where their thinking was coming from.

Another New York Times article talked the pros and cons of investing in renewable energy for vehicle running. The article received over 130 comments. Basically there were  two schools of thought; those who argued that America has an abundance of oil and gas so why bother; and those who argued that solar power panels only work in some areas so how was the problem of charging batteries elsewhere going to be resolved?

Solar energy panel

What surprised me most was that out of 130 comments, no-one mentioned what research and development of solar energy could do for the future.

Imagine if you can, a solar panel far more advanced than today’s units. One that won’t require recharging; one that’s built into the roof as part of the vehicle and that will also act as its own battery.

Impossible you say!

Well, think back 10- 15 years when the iPhone and iPod; and digital cameras and recorders were mere pipe dreams – at least to those of us who were not involved in this type of research and development; and that is most of us.

Who would have thought that you could expand a picture on a screen by simply widening it with a spread of the fingers?

Nothing is impossible; given time, imagination is destined to become reality.

Just think for a moment – if the vehicles on our roads were not ejecting poisonous fumes into the atmosphere, polluting the air that we breathe – how much healthier our cities would be. Perhaps that alone is worth the investment.

Resources online blogs

The vote in the United Nations General Assembly on the upgrade of the status of the Palestine Liberation Organization, commonly known as “Palestine”, reveals more than anything else the moral bankruptcy of Europe. While, on the one hand, the attitude of many European countries towards Israel has moved in the direction of open hostility since the early 1970s it seems, on the other hand, a significant change that more than half of the European Union members i.e. 14 countries, chose many of the most brutal regimes in the world like North Korea, Iran or Syria as their allies instead od Israel and the United States.

Another worrisome fact was that 12 more European countries decided to abstain from the vote, as if they weren’t able to make up their minds, incapable to decide whether to grant Mahmoud Abbas more privileges at the United Nations or not. how, for example, was it possible for one of the allegedly closest allies of Israel in Europe, Germany, to switch its position only hours before the vote from ‘No’ to ‘We don’t know’? How was it possible that Germany couldn’t come to a decision on this vital issue?

Only the small  Czech Republic had the courage to stand up and say ‘No to Abbas’s UN face. The same country that was abandoned by Europe in the 1930s and handed over to Nazi Germany stood by Israel’s side without wavering. The Czech government obviously understood what was at stake, that once again there was an international roundup going on. This time the victim was not Czechoslovakia but the Jewish state. Unlike the rest of the world, the Czech Republic takes the lessons from history seriously: in the face of injustice and evil one must not remain silent.

To understand why the Czech Republic voted as it did, it helps to take into consideration one of the most important books by the former president of the Czech Republic Vaclav Havel, called “Living the Truth”. There, Havel elaborated on the idea of truth as the most important value in order to stay human in a totalitarian society. Havel wrote: “Living within the lie can constitutes the system only if it is universal. The principle must embrace and permeate everything. There are no terms whatsoever on which it can co-exist with living within the truth, and therefore everyone who steps out of line denies it in principle and threatens it in its entirety.

At the General Assembly the Czechs stepped out of the European line of indifference and accompliceship , and thereby threatened the Palestinian-European alliance against Israel. Of course, the Czech Republic’s political weight is invaluable. they made it clear that there is a difference between ‘No’ and ‘Abstain”, and there certainly is a difference between ‘No’ and ‘Yes’ in the case of Abbas’s UN bid. Right now, it is not clear that Havel’s words would eventually help dismantle the communist dictatorship in Czechoslovakia.

Furthermore, the brave decision by the Czech government revealed the total lack of morality and the backbone in the other European capitals. The continent that witnessed and participated in the German genocide against European Jews once again turned a blind eye to injustice committed against Jews.

The General Assembly in it’s last session adopted 21 resolutions concerning Israel  and only 4 on the rest of the world combined. No European diplomat dared to speak out against this bias at the UN. Not one of the European countries which on a regular basis claim to be interested in a lasting peace in the Middle East voiced it’s opposition when the chairman of the PLO, Mahmoud Abbas, spread his vicious lies about Israel.

He called Israel a “racist and colonialist” state compared it with South African Apartheid and blatantly told the General Assembly that Israel had conducted “ethic cleansing” against the Palestinians and continues to do so. European diplomats sat there and in some cases even applauded Abbas’s vitriolic speech. and they did so because they lack the moral compass, they don’t care whether Israel exists or not, although they wouldn’t say so in public.

In Europe where a post-modern ideology of relativity of historical facts and moral values has taken over, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that those receive acclaim who shout the loudest and spread the most fantastic lies.

Given this situation it seems as is the Jewish state and the Jews have lost a cold-hearted Europe.

But one shouldn’t take the example of the Czech Republic and it’s 8 fellow dissenters for granted. In a world and an age of lies, it is incredibly daring to speak the truth, and one should keep in mind the national motto of the Czech Republic: “Pravda vitezi” or “Truth prevails”

The writer is a doctoral candidate in philosophy, writing on the Jewish-American philosopher Horace M. Kallen. He is a frequent contributor to the German blog “Die Achse des Guten” (www.achgut.com ) Article taken from ‘Israel & Christians’ Today New Zealand Feb 2013 www.c4israel.org www.whyisrael.org

Everyone at some stage or other gets fed up with the work they are doing, or the people they work with.

The unfortunate ones may have an awful employer or a troublesome employee. Either way, it can be a difficult situation to extract from. School students may consider their teachers unfriendly or worse still, not good teachers. So what is the answer? What can a person do to create the lifestyle they want?

As a past employer I wanted five things from my staff.

→           Be good ambassadors for the company’s image

→           Be reliable

→           Be honest

→           Do a good professional job

→           And be helpful and courteous towards our clients

If they failed consistently in any of these areas, they were encouraged to seek other employment opportunities.

For my part I wanted staff to enjoy the work and I did this by having a good attitude towards them. I wanted them to be happy working for my company, I really did. I paid and rewarded them well and treated them as equals. To me they were part of the company, I was no more important than they and, for the most part, I was very fortunate with the people I hired.

Unfortunately, we do not live in a perfect world. Employees and employers do not always work out together. Sometimes a person simply has to move on.

I personally believe that all of us, employer and employee alike, are entitled to enjoy the hours we spend doing our job and, if we don’t, then we need to consider either moving on or, if you are the employer, moving the employee on.

This was rarely a problem for me, I was fortunate with 95% of my staff, but I know for many employers it can be both costly and stressful. In this country, employers need to follow an explicit set of rules before actually laying a staff member off but still it can backfire if an employee decides to sue for unfair dismissal.

In an instance like this, my advice would be to avoid that situation at all costs. It is far better to dampen any bad feelings and try to come to a mutual and amicable end of the road with the employee.

Life is too short not to enjoy it

In http://creatinglifestyle.com   we discuss the endless opportunities and possibilities that surround us all. My wife and I were fortunate in 2012 to visit Israel and I found it incredible that so much originally barren and desolate land has been turned thousands of hectares of high producing crops. Most would have looked at that land and dismissed it as worthless

Masada Israel

but the Israeli people saw an opportunity and brought the land to life. Sure, it would have been very hard work and a huge investment over many years, but they kept at it and made it their own. Having seen it for myself, I hold great admiration for these masters of irrigation.

Israels Oasis

Opportunities are everywhere

We know that, just like the millions of radio, mobile, and TV signals that are constantly passing through the atmosphere. We can’t see them or feel them and subsequently don’t know which direction they are heading, but my mobile, my radio, my laptop and my TV can pick up those signals. I just have to turn the appliance on.

Opportunities are like that – you can’t see them until you tune into them, and part of that tuning in is to be constantly searching and investigating possibilities. By subscribing to our newsletter you will receive one or two emails a month, pointing out numerous opportunities, tips, and ideas on how to go about creating a new lifestyle for yourself.

Simply sign into the subscribe box in the top right hand corner and you will receive a welcome letter then emails outlining all the newest opportunities we have come across and researched for you.

video with Deepak Chopra MD

More often than not this blog is used for articles relating to Israel amd its purpose is to create some sort of balance with the media whose reporting, I fear, tends towards  anti Israel.

Today’s article is instead about  books of the `How to’ genre from the creating lifestyle series, short but packed with helpful tips and ideas for people seeking assistance on a number of subjects. These books form part of the  http://creatinglifestyle.com site whose main purpose is to provide  information on a whole range of lifestyle activities.

To start it off, let me give you an idea of what each booklet has to offer.

The first to be published, by the author A. Rose, is called:    How to Write something interesting 

How to Write something interesting

Rather a catchy title, I thought. To give a brief description, I’ll short-circuit and use the same as on the Amazon site from where it can be purchased.
Description: The aim of this book is to get you, the reader, writing – now. Learning the finer points of putting together a well-crafted piece of prose can come later, after you have achieved a written piece in a diary, a letter to the editor, a personal blog, or a short story and have decided that yes, you definitely want to write some more.
Call it a practice run if you like.

We have had a few reviews on this booklet. Here are some:

This short book is exactly what it reveals in the introduction. It isn’t pretentious or convoluted, just an honest assessment of the tools we all need to begin writing. So easy to read, it’s as if Ms. Rose was giving me this advice in person. Worth the price!

The next two booklets have not had enough time to have reviews, I’m sure they will soon.

Next to be published:

How to Succeed on a Shoestring by Mike C. Smith

How to Succeed on a Shoestring

One of the aims at Creatinglifestyle is not to make things expensive for our readers, and this booklet give tips and ideas that are within budget for many of our readers on how to be successful in whatever field you choose to go to. I found that as I required more information about SEO’s, backlinks, setting up web sites etc that the cost can sky rocket and I ended up paying many more hundreds of dollars than I should have. This booklet gives you tips and ideas that avoid many of these costs.
As with all our creatinglifestyle series, it’s only available as an e-book through Amazon

Direct link to purchase this book : How to Succeed on a Shoestring

The most recent in the creating lifestyle series is:

How to Find a Hobby and Make Money by Mike C. smith

How to Find a Hobby and Make Money

The title tells it all. Why this topic? Well, I think it’s a timely one. We are still in a recession and many people are feeling the pinch.
For those who have been made redundant, have retired early, are otherwise unemployed, or just wanting to earn some extra money, this booklet gives you ideas on making money from the things you like doing best, your hobbies. Following its pointers should also increase your confidence and self esteem.

Direct Link to purchase How to Find a Hobby and Make Money

Jonathan S. Tobin | @tobincommentary
11.11.2012 – 11:15 AM

Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas said today he wasn’t backing down from his plan to try and get the United Nations to recognize an independent state without it first having to make peace with Israel. Abbas believes that if the UN General Assembly votes in the coming months to recognize the PA as a nonmember observer state — an upgrade from its current status — it will give him more leverage with the United States as well as make it easier for the Palestinians to harass the Jewish state in forums like the International Criminal Court. But the leaders of the real independent Palestinian state aren’t interested in helping Abbas get a make believe one.

More than 80 rockets were fired from Gaza into southern Israel over the weekend as Hamas unleashed a barrage that wounded several Israelis and damaged buildings in Sderot and the Sha’ar Hanegev area. The motive for the escalation from the normal volume of fire over the border (more than 600 missiles have been fired at Israel from Gaza in 2012 up until Saturday) from the Hamas-run enclave is a matter of speculation. But the most logical explanation is a desire on the part of the terrorist group that exercises sovereignty in Gaza to remind the world that it is they, and not Abbas and his Fatah, that are in control of events. This latest surge in terror from the place that is an independent Palestinian state in all but name also is a heads-up to even those inclined to be sympathetic to the Palestinian cause of the nature of that state and what would happen if they had the same freedom of action in the West Bank alongside Israel’s main population centers.

One of the main reasons the PA’s first attempt to get UN recognition failed last year — why the so-called “diplomatic tsunami” never materialized — was the understanding even on the part of Israel’s critics that such a move was rendered impossible by the fragmented nature of Palestinian politics. Abbas not only doesn’t control Gaza, the government there is, for all intents and purposes, the sovereign over the area. Even if Israel withdrew tomorrow from the West Bank, it would mean the corrupt and incompetent Fatah ran part of a state of “Palestine” while Hamas ruled another with an iron fist. That is a formula for chaos and more violence, not independence.

Despite off-and-on negotiations for a unity government, Hamas is carefully biding its time as it plots an eventual West Bank takeover. It certainly has no interest in seeing Abbas, who is currently serving the eighth year of a four-year presidential term, win a victory at the UN. The recent surge in terror attacks on Israeli targets serves to bolster Hamas’s popularity since in the upside-down world of Palestinian politics, parties gain ground by violence against Israel and the Jews rather than doing something for their own people. But it also helps to undercut Abbas’s pretensions to leadership over a unified people seeking redress at the UN.

Some may wonder whether Hamas terrorism, like the recent kind words directed at former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert by Abbas, are intended to influence the January elections in the Jewish state. That’s doubtful, but even if true it is a futile gesture. The vast majority of Israelis long ago gave up on the Palestinians. They understand that a sea change will have to take place in their political culture before a leader or a party willing to actually end the conflict with Israel can be produced. That’s why the notion that Olmert or anyone else could put together a coalition to defeat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by running on a platform seeking to revive the peace process is about as likely as Fatah and Hamas competing peacefully in a democratic election and then working together to ease the plight of their people

The reality of life in southern Israel is brutal and will, no doubt, create more pressure on Netanyahu to eventually act decisively to clip the wings of the growing military threat in Gaza. The Iron Dome anti-missile system has had some limited successes, such as the interception this weekend of rockets heading for the cities of Beersheba and Ashkelon. But the towns along the border like Sderot are still getting pasted. Above all, the near-daily assault from Gaza brings home to Israelis the real meaning of Palestinian independence.

Topics: Fatah, Gaza, Hamas, Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian Authority, Palestinian statehood

Recently I had the good fortune to visit Israel, something I’ve wanted to do for many years. This year I finally got around to it.

We all experience unexpected moments from time to time and, for my wife and me, it started at Heathrow Airport. Most airlines servicing Heathrow can be seen in one long row in Departures but, for the Israel EL AL airline we went down a long corridor with police fully armed at the checkpoint. When we reached the end we were greeted by friendly security people in plain clothes who asked a number of questions before allowing us to proceed to the check-in counter. I have to admit, the high level of security certainly gave me confidence in the airline. On board the we experienced excellent and friendly service and the flight was smooth.

Our tour began in Tel Aviv, a very modern western style city of high-rise buildings, great shopping, great night life and lovely beaches.

Tel Aviv Israel

The weather was gloriously sunny and warm and our hotel first class.

From Tel Aviv we moved onto Caesarea, exploring several ancient crusader sites before travelling on to Haifa in the north, a distance of about 90km from Tel Aviv. The history and places of interest in this region are well worth the visit. From Haifa we moved on to Nazareth to see the village and Temples of Jesus’ time and after this on to Tiberias. The following day we took a boat trip out on the Sea of Galilee. It was early morning on a fine day and the whole experience was one of immense peace and beauty. Before we returned to shore the crew taught us an ancient Jewish dance which was one great workout.

A highlight of the tour, and one not to be missed, was a visit to Masada where 2000 years ago the Romans spent four years trying to conquer 960 Jews who had holed upin the fortress. By the time the Romans eventually got over the walls all 960 Jews had committed suicide rather than be taken prisoner, murdered or used  in the arena for Roman entertainment. (Peter O’Toole played the Roman General Flavius Silva in a 1981  TV series.  Prior to thie the Romans had ransacked Jerusalem, killing over a million Jews and taking many into captivity (read The Dove Keepers by Anna Hoffman).

Masada Israel

Moving south we reached Jericho then onto the Dead Sea for an afternoon float where the water’s salt content is ten times more than normal sea water. Take my advice, take some rubber footwear to wear in the water, the salt crystals are killing on the feet, like stepping on broken class. I was surprised at how big the Dead Sea was and its salts and minerals have a  substantial commercial value, providing soaps, perfumes and other body treatments besides use in agriculture.

The next day we visited the capital of Israel, Jerusalem,

Jerusalem

where we spent a couple of days. The history is overwhelming with so many historic places to visit. The old city is made up of four quarters – Christian, Muslim, Armenian and Jewish and strolling through their markets is a wonderful experience.

During this time we took a side trip to Bethlehem, which is controlled by the Palestinian authorities. Here we visited the birthplace of Christ

Soldiers praying over the tomb of King David

and other ancient buildings, some dating back more than two thousand years.

Day 8 saw us heading back to Tel Aviv to catch our plane out to Athens.

We were surprised at how safe we felt the whole time we were in Israel. The people were    business-like but friendly and it was overall an exciting and wonderful experience. The roads were excellent, hotels some of the best we’ve experienced and the food, well you have to try as many different dishes as you can. I loved it.

Our weather was perfect and we can’t wait to go again. I highly recommend putting a tour of Israel on your trip list.

• JPost.com
• Diplomacy and Politics

By HERB KEINON, REUTERS, JPOST.COM STAFF