7788.- In Memory of Dr. Richard Teo (1972 - 2012)

Malaysia belongs to Jesus!

Below is the transcript of the talk of Dr. Richard Teo, who is a 40-year-old millionaire and cosmetic surgeon with a stage-4 lung cancer but selflessly came to share with the D1 class his life experience on 19-Jan-2012. He has just passed away few days ago on 18 October 2012.

Hi good morning to all of you. My voice is a bit hoarse, so please bear with me. I thought I'll just introduce myself. My name is Richard, I'm a medical doctor. And I thought I'll just share some thoughts of my life. It's my pleasure to be invited by prof. Hopefully, it can get you thinking about how... as you pursue this.. embarking on your training to become dental surgeons, to think about other things as well.
Since young, I am a typical product of today's society. Relatively successful product that society requires.. From young, I came from a below average family. I was told by the media... and people around me that happiness is about success. And that success is about being wealthy. With this mind-set, I've always be extremely competitive, since I was young.
Not only do I need to go to the top school, I need to have success in all fields. Uniform groups, track, everything. I needed to get trophies, needed to be successful, I needed to have colours award, national colours award, everything. So I was highly competitive since young. I went on to medical school, graduated as a doctor. Some of you may know that within the medical faculty, ophthalmology is one of the most highly sought after specialities. So I went after that as well. I was given a traineeship in ophthalmology, I was also given a research scholarship by NUS to develop lasers to treat the eye.
So in the process, I was given 2 patents, one for the medical devices, and another for the lasers. And you know what, all this academic achievements did not bring me any wealth. So once I completed my bond with MOH, I decided that this is taking too long, the training in eye surgery is just taking too long. And there's lots of money to be made in the private sector. If you're aware, in the last few years, there is this rise in aesthetic medicine. Tons of money to be made there. So I decided, well, enough of staying in institution, it's time to leave. So I quit my training halfway and I went on to set up my aesthetic clinic... in town, together with a day surgery centre.
You know the irony is that people do not make heroes out average GP (general practitioner), family physicians. They don't. They make heroes out of people who are rich and famous. People who are not happy to pay $20 to see a GP, the same person have no qualms paying ten thousand dollars for a liposuction, 15 thousand dollars for a breast augmentation, and so on and so forth. So it's a no brainer isn't? Why do you want to be a gp? Become an aesthetic physician. So instead of healing the sick and ill, I decided that I'll become a glorified beautician. So, business was good, very good. It started off with waiting of one week, then became 3weeks, then one month, then 2 months, then 3 months. I was overwhelmed; there were just too many patients. Vanities are fantastic business. I employed one doctor, the second doctor, the 3rd doctor, the 4th doctor. And within the 1st year, we're already raking in millions. Just the 1st year. But never is enough because I was so obsessed with it. I started to expand into Indonesia to get all the rich Indonesian tai-tais who wouldn't blink an eye to have a procedure done. So life was really good.
So what do I do with the spare cash. How do I spend my weekends? Typically, I'll have car club gatherings. I take out my track car, with spare cash I got myself a track car. We have car club gatherings. We'll go up to Sepang in Malaysia. We'll go for car racing. And it was my life. With other spare cash, what do i do? I get myself a Ferrari. At that time, the 458 wasn't out, it's just a spider convertible, 430. This is a friend of mine, a schoolmate who is a forex trader, a banker. So he got a red one, he was wanting all along a red one, I was getting the silver one.
So what do I do after getting a car? It's time to buy a house, to build our own bungalows. So we go around looking for a land to build our own bungalows, we went around hunting. So how do i live my life? Well, we all think we have to mix around with the rich and famous. This is one of the Miss Universe. So we hang around with the beautiful, rich and famous. This by the way is an internet founder. So this is how we spend our lives, with dining and all the restaurants and Michelin Chefs you know.
So I reach a point in life that I got everything for my life. I was at the pinnacle of my career and all. That's me one year ago in the gym and I thought I was like, having everything under control and reaching the pinnacle.
Well, I was wrong. I didn't have everything under control. About last year March, I started to develop backache in the middle of nowhere. I thought maybe it was all the heavy squats I was doing. So I went to SGH, saw my classmate to do an MRI, to make sure it's not a slipped disc or anything. And that evening, he called me up and said that we found bone marrow replacement in your spine. I said, sorry what does that mean? I mean I know what it means, but I couldn't accept that. I was like “Are you serious?” I was still running around going to the gym you know. But we had more scans the next day, PET scans - positrons emission scans, they found that actually I have stage 4 terminal lung cancer. I was like "Whoa where did that come from?” It has already spread to the brain, the spine, the liver and the adrenals. And you know one moment I was there, totally thinking that I have everything under control, thinking that I've reached the pinnacle of my life. But the next moment, I have just lost it.
This is a CT scan of the lungs itself. If you look at it, every single dot there is a tumour. We call this miliaries tumour. And in fact, I have tens of thousands of them in the lungs. So, I was told that even with chemotherapy, that I'll have about 3-4months at most. Did my life come crushing on, of course it did, who wouldn't? I went into depression, of course, severe depression and I thought I had everything.
See the irony is that all these things that I have, the success, the trophies, my cars, my house and all. I thought that brought me happiness. But i was feeling really down, having severe depression. Having all these thoughts of my possessions, they brought me no joy. The thought of... You know, I can hug my Ferrari to sleep, no... No, it is not going to happen. It brought not a single comfort during my last ten months. And I thought they were, but they were not true happiness. But it wasn't. What really brought me joy in the last ten months was interaction with people, my loved ones, friends, people who genuinely care about me, they laugh and cry with me, and they are able to identify the pain and suffering I was going through. That brought joy to me, happiness. None of the things I have, all the possessions, and I thought those were supposed to bring me happiness. But it didn't, because if it did, I would have felt happy think about it, when I was feeling most down..
You know the classical Chinese New Year that is coming up. In the past, what do I do? Well, I will usually drive my flashy car to do my rounds, visit my relatives, to show it off to my friends. And I thought that was joy, you know. I thought that was really joy. But do you really think that my relatives and friends, whom some of them have difficulty trying to make ends meet, that will truly share the joy with me? Seeing me driving my flashy car and showing off to them? No, no way. They won’t be sharing joy with me. They were having problems trying to make ends meet, taking public transport. In fact i think, what I have done is more like you know, making them envious, jealous of all I have. In fact, sometimes even hatred.
Those are what we call objects of envy. I have them, I show them off to them and I feel it can fill my own pride and ego. That didn't bring any joy to these people, to my friends and relatives, and I thought they were real joy.
Well, let me just share another story with you. You know when I was about your age, I stayed in king Edward VII hall. I had this friend whom I thought was strange. Her name is Jennifer, we're still good friends. And as I walk along the path, she would, if she sees a snail, she would actually pick up the snail and put it along the grass patch. I was like why do you need to do that? Why dirty your hands? It’s just a snail. The truth is she could feel for the snail. The thought of being crushed to death is real to her, but to me it's just a snail. If you can't get out of the pathway of humans then you deserve to be crushed, it’s part of evolution isn't it? What an irony isn't it?
There I was being trained as a doctor, to be compassionate, to be able to empathise; but I couldn't. As a house officer, I graduated from medical school, posted to the oncology department at NUH. And, every day, every other day I witness death in the cancer department. When I see how they suffered, I see all the pain they went through. I see all the morphine they have to press every few minutes just to relieve their pain. I see them struggling with their oxygen breathing their last breath and all. But it was just a job. When I went to clinic every day, to the wards every day, take blood, give the medication but was the patient real to me? They weren't real to me. It was just a job, I do it, I get out of the ward, I can't wait to get home, I do my own stuff.
Was the pain, was the suffering the patients went through real? No. Of course I know all the medical terms to describe how they feel, all the suffering they went through. But in truth, I did not know how they feel, not until I became a patient. It is until now; I truly understand how they feel. And, if you ask me, would I have been a very different doctor if I were to re-live my life now, I can tell you yes I will. Because I truly understand how the patients feel now. And sometimes, you have to learn it the hard way.
Even as you start just your first year, and you embark this journey to become dental surgeons, let me just challenge you on two fronts.
Inevitably, all of you here will start to go into private practice. You will start to accumulate wealth. I can guarantee you. Just doing an implant can bring you thousands of dollars, it's fantastic money. And actually there is nothing wrong with being successful, with being rich or wealthy, absolutely nothing wrong. The only trouble is that a lot of us like myself couldn't handle it.
Why do I say that? Because when I start to accumulate, the more I have, the more I want. The more I wanted, the more obsessed I became. Like what I showed you earlier on, all I can was basically to get more possessions, to reach the pinnacle of what society did to us, of what society wants us to be. I became so obsessed that nothing else really mattered to me. Patients were just a source of income, and I tried to squeeze every single cent out of these patients.
A lot of times we forget, whom we are supposed to be serving. We become so lost that we serve nobody else but just ourselves. That was what happened to me. Whether it is in the medical, the dental fraternity, I can tell you, right now in the private practice, sometimes we just advise patients on treatment that is not indicated. Grey areas. And even though it is not necessary, we kind of advocate it. Even at this point, I know who are my friends and who genuinely cared for me and who are the ones who try to make money out of me by selling me "hope". We kind of lose our moral compass along the way. Because we just want to make money.
Worse, I can tell you, over the last few years, we bad mouth our fellow colleagues, our fellow competitors in the industry. We have no qualms about it. So if we can put them down to give ourselves an advantage, we do it. And that's what happening right now, medical, dental everywhere. My challenge to you is not to lose that moral compass. I learnt it the hard way, I hope you don't ever have to do it.
Secondly, a lot of us will start to get numb to our patients as we start to practise. Whether is it government hospitals, private practice, I can tell you when I was in the hospital, with stacks of patient folders, I can't wait to get rid of those folders as soon as possible; I can't wait to get patients out of my consultation room as soon as possible because there is just so many, and that's a reality. Because it becomes a job, a very routine job. And this is just part of it. Do I truly know how the patient feels back then? No, I don't. The fears and anxiety and all, do I truly understand what they are going through? I don't, not until when this happens to me and I think that is one of the biggest flaws in our system.
We’re being trained to be healthcare providers, professional, and all and yet we don't know how exactly they feel. I'm not asking you to get involved emotionally, I don't think that is professional but do we actually make a real effort to understand their pain and all? Most of us won’t, alright, I can assure you. So don't lose it, my challenge to you is to always be able to put yourself in your patient's shoes.
Because the pain, the anxiety, the fear are very real even though it's not real to you, it's real to them. So don't lose it and you know, right now I'm in the midst of my 5th cycle of my chemotherapy. I can tell you it’s a terrible feeling. Chemotherapy is one of those things that you don't wish even your enemies to go through because it's just suffering, lousy feeling, throwing out, you don't even know if you can retain your meals or not. Terrible feeling! And even with whatever little energy now I have, I try to reach out to other cancer patients because I truly understand what pain and suffering is like. But it's kind of little too late and too little.
You guys have a bright future ahead of you with all the resource and energy, so I’m going to challenge you to go beyond your immediate patients. To understand that there are people out there who are truly in pain, truly in hardship. Don’t get the idea that only poor people suffer. It is not true. A lot of these poor people do not have much in the first place, they are easily contented. for all you know they are happier than you and me but there are out there, people who are suffering mentally, physically, hardship, emotionally, financially and so on and so forth, and they are real. We choose to ignore them or we just don't want to know that they exist.
So do think about it alright, even as you go on to become professionals and dental surgeons and all. That you can reach out to these people who are in need. Whatever you do can make a large difference to them. I'm now at the receiving end so I know how it feels, someone who genuinely care for you, encourage and all. It makes a lot of difference to me. That’s what happens after treatment. I had a treatment recently, but I’ll leave this for another day. A lot of things happened along the way, that's why I am still able to talk to you today.
I'll just end of with this quote here, it's from this book called Tuesdays with Morris, and some of you may have read it. Everyone knows that they are going to die; every one of us knows that. The truth is, none of us believe it because if we did, we will do things differently. When I faced death, when I had to, I stripped myself off all stuff totally and I focused only on what is essential. The irony is that a lot of times, only when we learn how to die then we learn how to live. I know it sounds very morbid for this morning but it's the truth, this is what I’m going through.
Don’t let society tell you how to live. Don’t let the media tell you what you're supposed to do. Those things happened to me. And I led this life thinking that these are going to bring me happiness. I hope that you will think about it and decide for yourself how you want to live your own life. Not according to what other people tell you to do, and you have to decide whether you want to serve yourself, whether you are going to make a difference in somebody else's life. Because true happiness doesn't come from serving yourself. I thought it was but it didn't turn out that way.
Also most importantly, I think true joy comes from knowing God. Not knowing about God – I mean, you can read the bible and know about God – but knowing God personally; getting a relationship with God. I think that’s the most important. That’s what I’ve learnt.
So if I were to sum it up, I’d say that the earlier we sort out the priorities in our lives, the better it is. Don’t be like me – I had no other way. I had to learn it through the hard way. I had to come back to God to thank Him for this opportunity because I’ve had 3 major accidents in my past – car accidents. You know, these sports car accidents – I was always speeding , but somehow I always came out alive, even with the car almost being overturned. And I wouldn’t have had a chance. Who knows, I don’t know where else I’d be going to! Even though I was baptised it was just a show, but the fact that this has happened, it gave me a chance to come back to God.
Few things I’d learnt though:
1. Trust in the Lord your God with all your heart – this is so important.
2. Is to love and serve others, not just ourselves.
There is nothing wrong with being rich or wealthy. I think it’s absolutely alright, cos God has blessed. So many people are blessed with good wealth, but the trouble is I think a lot of us can’t handle it. The more we have, the more we want. I’ve gone through it, the deeper the hole we dig, the more we get sucked into it, so much so that we worship wealth and lose focus. Instead of worshipping God, we worship wealth. It’s just a human instinct. It’s just so difficult to get out of it.
We are all professionals, and when we go into private practise, we start to build up our wealth – inevitably. So my thought are, when you start to build up wealth and when the opportunity comes, do remember that all these things don’t belong to us. We don’t really own it nor have rights to this wealth. It’s actually God’s gift to us. Remember that it’s more important to further His Kingdom rather than to further ourselves.
Anyway I think that I’ve gone through it, and I know that wealth without God is empty. It is more important that you fill up the wealth, as you build it up subsequently, as professionals and all, you need to fill it up with the wealth of God.
(Please share his photo and words with others) —Posted By Rich Wong. ♥

Y, ahora en español, ¿que nos queda de esto que leemos? Somos minucias en el espacio infinito del Señor, solo eso somos… será por eso que perdemos nuestra muy fútil vida dispersándonos en tonterías, ocupando nuestra mente en todo lo que no nos es productivo? Dios nos da siempre oportunidades y al perderlas, desaprovecharlas, le echamos las culpas a todas las demás personas…Dios también nos dio esa alternativa para mantener en algo nuestra cordura… Lastima que con esa alternativa desperdiciamos la oportunidad de aprender de nuestros errores… en el caso de hoy, se nos da la oportunidad de aprender en el ojo ajeno, viendo como en el propio ojo fue tardío el descubrimiento. Gracias al Dr. Richard Teo  nos llega esta andanada de felicidad que, ojala, nos sirva para ver de otra forma el mundo.

7787.- Compañeros de Camino

En la primavera de este año tuve la oportunidad de hacer el Camino de Santiago y, como evento especial, continué hacia Muxía  y Fisterre y , para felicidad de este caminante, me vi acompañado por cinco maravillosas personas a quienes me aproxime en Negreira (las dos parejas) y en el tramo final hacia Muxía ( Maime). Cree uno ingenuamente que se comporta bien  cumpliendo con todas las reglas de sociabilización y promete recordar los nombres, las fechas aniversarias, las direcciones de correos, la menudencia de esos momentos que tanto llenan nuestras vidas de caminantes. En lo tocante a direcciones, presumimos de haber escrito, entregado y recalcado sin fin de veces nuestra sacrosanta dirección;  el tiempo nos da la realidad cuando las buenas amistades nos reclaman los errores en lo escrito, la inoperancia de los datos, el olvido…  Nos pasamos el tiempo pensando en lo que pudo ser el detalle inoportuno de ultima hora que molestó a nuestros amigos.. finalmente, los recuerdos se agolpan en nuestra mente... felices momentos compartidos entre cansancio, sudor, ganas de comer, sueño… El otro detalle es la gente de la Casa Manolo, el Señor José, Alejandro, María y Ramón, Walf, Evaristo, Néstor, la gente de Hosvol… y paremos de contar porque hemos de tener en cuenta al Dr. Aloise, habitual compañero quien se adueña de los recuerdos…

 

Camino 2012 (becece@cantv.net) VER PRESENTACIÓN DESCARGAR TODO

7788.- El judío Andaluz

Un judío andaluz está bebiendo en un bar de Almería.

Recibe una llamada en su celular...

Atiende y al minuto, una sonrisa de oreja a oreja se dibuja en su cara… Ordena una ronda de bebidas para todo el mundo en el bar y anuncia lleno de orgullo:

-¡Mi mujer ha parido un bebé de 11 kilos!

Nadie puede creer que un recién nacido pueda pesar 11 kilos ... pero bueno ... se lo preguntan, y el tipo responde:

-Es la media en Andalucía, tíos. Como he dicho, mi niño es un típico bebé andalú de la colectividá.

Las felicitaciones le llueven de todos los que están cerca y se oyeron muchas exclamaciones de ¡¡GUAU!!

Una mujer incluso se desmaya debido a dolores empáticos.

Dos semanas más tarde el tipo vuelve al bar.

El camarero dice:

-Usted es el padre del niño que pesó 11 kilos al nacer, ¿no? ... Todo el mundo ha estado haciendo apuestas sobre cuán grande sería en dos semanas.

Le íbamos a llamar por telefono ... así que, ya que está aquí, díganos, ¿cuánto pesa ahora?.

El orgulloso padre responde "ocho kilos".

-Pero ¿qué ha sucedido? El bebé ya pesaba 11 kilos el día que nació.. ¿cómo es que ha perdido tanto peso?.

El padre se toma pausadamente un sorbo, se seca los labios en la manga, se inclina hacia el camarero y orgullosamente le dice:

-Lo hemo' circuncidao.

7787.- El hilo de la verdad.

The Facelift

A woman decides to have a facelift for her 50th birthday. She spend $5,000 and feels pretty good about the results. On her way home, she stops at a news stand to buy a newspaper. Before leaving, she says to the clerk, "I hope you don't mind my asking, but how old do you think I am?"
"About 32," is the reply.
"Nope! I'm exactly 50," the woman says happily.
A little while later she goes into McDonald's and asks the counter girl the very same question. The girl replies, "I guess about 29."
The woman replies, "Nope I'm 50."
Now she's feeling really good about herself. She stops in a drug store on her way down the street. She goes up to the counter to get some mints and asks the clerk this burning question. The clerk responds, "Oh, I'd say 30."
Again she proudly responds, "I am 50, but thank you."
While waiting for the bus to go home, she asks an old man waiting next to her the same question.
He replies, "Lady, I'm 78 and my eye sight is going. Although, when I was young, there was a sure way to tell how old a woman was. It sounds very forward, but it requires you to let me put my hands under your bra. Then, and only then can I tell you EXACTLY how old you are."
They wait in silence on the empty street until curiosity gets the best of her. She finally blurts out, "What the hell, go ahead."
He slips both of his hands under her blouse and begins to feel around very slowly and carefully. He bounces and weighs each breast...He gently pinches each nipple. He pushes her breasts together and rubs them against each other.
After a couple of minutes of this, she says, "Okay, okay...How old am I?"
He completes one last squeeze of her breasts, removes his hands, and says, "Madam, you are 50."
Stunned and amazed, the woman says, "That was incredible, how could you tell?'
The old man says, "promise you won't get mad?"
"I promise I won't." she says.
"I was behind you in line at McDonald's."

7784.- ¡Epa pana! Chávez se va

THAYS PEÑALVER| EL UNIVERSAL

jueves 25 de octubre de 2012 12:00 AM

Hola. De nuevo es contigo. Sé que sigues pensando en irte de Venezuela. Es natural, pero quiero que observes, que mientras tú y muchos de tus amigos barajan las opciones y posibilidades, el Instituto de Estadísticas de España acaba de explicar que un millón de chamos como tú, se marcharon de ese país porque sentían que no tenían futuro de nuevo en su historia. Si hace 5 años yo te hubiera dicho que 1 de cada 3 jóvenes italianos estaría desempleado y que muchos se marcharían a África a trabajar, que de cada 10 trabajos que se perderían, 8 estarían ocupados por chamos como tú en España o que en Grecia volverían al trueque como moneda. ¿Qué habrías pensado?
Si ves el periódico (ABC de España 02/01/2002) verás cómo millones de jóvenes se agolparon en Europa cuando llegó el euro. En Irlanda "el país Milagro de la UE" a su Banco Central no se le ocurrió mejor idea que ofrecer champaña a cada ciudadano y Grecia, fue el primero que se desbordó a utilizar el euro. No pasaron 10 años y esa misma gente que se agolpó a beber en los bancos, y que ocupaba los mejores lugares en felicidad del mundo está hoy en las plazas exigiendo salir del euro, mientras sus abuelos que emigraron hace 50 años, ven a sus nietos marcharse.
No faltará quien te diga algo así: "sí, hay crisis. Pero no tiene precio caminar a las 2 de la mañana sin que te pase nada". Verás, el problema de esas frases es que "sí tiene precio" y no me refiero a dejar tu país, familia y amigos. Se trata de otro precio que ellos no conocen, es el precio que han pagado los jóvenes de esas sociedades organizándose y trabajando políticamente para alcanzar ese bienestar, solo que los que dicen esas frases no lo pagaron, se fueron y hoy usufructúan "el trabajo político de otros jóvenes" y lo presentan como algo "que no tiene precio".
Te digo que fueron los jóvenes chilenos los que se organizaron para levantar a Chile y esos sí tuvieron un feroz dictador, míralos hoy. Fueron los jóvenes alemanes los que reconstruyeron Alemania, ¡míralos! y los jóvenes estadounidenses los que llevaron a ese país a ser lo que es. Ellos dijeron: ¡no me voy! y mira lo difícil que la tuvieron. Fíjate cuál es la diferencia, en una encuesta (generation opportunity) dos tercios de los jóvenes estadounidenses piensan que su futuro es terrible y que van a tener que posponer "el sueño americano", ¿Sabes cuál es su secreto? Que la misma encuesta sostiene que ese 66% de jóvenes entre los 18 y 29 años "tiene ideas de cómo organizarse para salir de la crisis" sigue ese principio alemán, chileno o estadounidense, ten ideas, organízate.
Por eso llegó tu momento. O te vas a usufructuar el trabajo de esos jóvenes o haces lo que hicieron esos jóvenes. Llegó el momento de organizarte con los tuyos para "politizar la política" (devolverle su contenido) porque quienes te vendieron la antipolítica, el antisistema, el odio a los partidos y más recientemente "la indignación", fueron precisamente quienes vieron que comenzabas a interesarte en ella y sabían que si tú y muchos como tú, se interesaban demasiado los ibas a desplazar. Esa es la razón por la que los verdaderos políticos, son una raza casi extinta en muchos países y han sido sustituidos por burócratas mediocres. Así es que: ¡ponte pilas! no te indignes, dígnate a actuar, desplázalos.
Sobre Venezuela te digo que es un tremendo país. Está entre los 30 más grandes del mundo (de casi 300 países), es parte del 10% de los mejores. Mira esta lectura, Chávez tuvo un inicio con 56% de los votos, un auge en 2000 con 59%, llegó al 2006 con casi el 63% de los votos y comenzó su declinación cayendo al 54% en 2011. Pero mira lo que pasó, hasta 2006 a Chávez le habían ingresado apenas 200 mil millones de dólares y no se endeudó ni un centavo (BCV). Y de esa elección para acá ha tenido que vender hasta sus muebles, le entraron 550 mil millones, casi triplica la deuda externa, devaluó el 100% para gastar más, inventó el Estado misionero y con la mayor bonanza petrolera el 55% de los votantes no votaron por él y el 45% lo hizo en contra. Nada menos que el 90% de los industriales, al 85% de la clase media y al 80% de los estudiantes universitarios lo adversan. Con todo y las misiones bajó 7 puntos en votos y digan lo que digan, el "Partido Único" solo agrupa a un 30% de los votantes, cuya mayoría se fundamenta en el empleo público y los cheques-beca. Un apoyo efímero, que no querría jamás un buen político.
Si me permites dos consejos adicionales: deja el miedo, deja de pensar que los problemas no tienen solución, si hablas hoy con los jóvenes en Bogotá, te dirán que la inseguridad se resuelve y el precio es darle cara a la política. El otro, deja de hablar de Chávez, es el pasado, trátalo como tal. Dale su lugar en la historia, porque ya es historia. Chávez no es el futuro, el futuro eres tú. Pase lo que pase, en los próximos 3 años se activará un mecanismo electoral presidencial, si le das cara a la política, todo cambiará, te juro que Chávez se va, pero depende únicamente de ti.
tpenalver@me.com

7783.- Asamblea Legislativa del Estado Mérida. CLEM

BASURA!!

Sin duda que la basura y su recolección ha sido el dique ante el cual se han reventado las cualidades de los ciudadanos electos para representarnos en esa cámara legislativa. No han podido con el problema. Hemos de asumir que como compatriotas honestos, que deben ser, han de presentarse ante la ciudadanía del Estado Mérida  y demostrarle con hechos que han, al menos, tratado de solucionar el problema que tenemos en la ciudad. No caben aquí respuestas a medias. La única respuesta que se espera es que la BASURA se esta disponiendo en forma regular y en las condiciones optimas para la ciudad. Ha sido la única vez que se han enfrentado a una situación que los deja mal parados pues la basura sigue en la calle y no se ve una salida real, decente, lógica, para la ciudad. Tampoco caben las excusas políticas pues el compromiso de los legisladores es con el pueblo que los eligió, no con la tolda política que los propuso. Tampoco es respuesta posible el que ese problema no es de la Cámara puesto que su función es precisamente esa, producir en forma colegiada soluciones a problemas del presente y del futuro previsto.

Han demostrado que el compromiso es con ellos mismos, que ellos están por encima de los ciudadanos de Mérida. Me imagino que si tenemos elecciones para la nueva Cámara, allí, en ese momento se verá que es lo que pensamos los ciudadanos, si las elecciones fuesen hoy, no tendrían la menor posibilidad de triunfo. Aquí no caben las distancias, todos caen en la misma lista.

Les ganó LA BASURA!!

7782.- Escribir 300 palabras

La costumbre de levantarse en la madrugada para redactar unas 500 palabras cada día, derivada de la otrora usual costumbre de levantarse a esa hora para preparar las clases del día y de la semana va cambiando de tono. Cambiar de tono es algo natural en la vida, no se puede pretender que nos mantengamos felices todo el tiempo, así no es la vida… Así lo entendemos, ascensos y descensos en todo, pretendiendo siempre mantenernos por sobre un cierto nivel donde conservemos la cordura y por ende tomemos decisiones acertadas para cuanto se nos presente.

Anteriormente, durante esas maravillosas horas del amanecer podíamos escuchar música criolla sin connotaciones políticas… que maravilla!! Hoy en día tenemos que escuchar las peroratas pseudo políticas a toda hora y cualquier cosa tiene la presunción que es importantemente política. Al no existir democracia en el país todos los demócratas nos vemos en la circunstancia de tener que conformarnos con nuestra propia conciencia como interlocutor ante la andanada de esclavitud que emana de la “nueva sociedad” que no ha tenido la oportunidad de conocer otros caminos. Este primer enunciado: no hay democracia, es un primer guanteo en este combate. Ya estamos acostumbrados a que “democracia” sea un concepto cerrado, limitado, minimizado y que se pretenda que sea nada mas que un mendrugo que cae de la mesa de los “funcionarios” cuando  “nos permiten” teorizar dentro de lo que ellos están activando. O sea que podemos hablar de matices dentro del orden establecido, socialismo, social democracia, social cristianismo, ultra izquierda, izquierda light, movimientos comuneros, izquierda armada, etc.. Cualquier otra forma de ver el mundo no existe.

El párrafo inicial nos habla de ascensos y descensos… Tal como en La Vida es Sueño: ”…Soñé que en otro estado mas lisonjero me vi, de estas cadenas librado…” Nacido en la década del 40 otros mundos vi y me fueron mas abiertos que esta pila de deshechos que estamos obligados a digerir.

Que nos dice la Teoría Política?

La democracia, es el aquel sistema de gobierno, en el cual la soberanía del poder reside y está sustentada, en el pueblo. Es éste, por medio de elecciones directas o indirectas, quien elige las principales autoridades del país. Asimismo, es el pueblo, quien puede cambiar o ratificar a estas mismas autoridades, en las siguientes elecciones populares. Por este motivo los griegos hablaban de la democracia, como el gobierno del pueblo; de hecho este es su significado literal.

Es así, como se puede conformar una democracia directa, donde el pueblo es quien toma todas las decisiones ejecutivas y legislativas, o la democracia representativa, donde el pueblo por medio de votación popular escoge las autoridades que representarán a la ciudadanía, en la toma de decisiones.

 

Pero: A medida que los gobernantes han hecho uso del dinero del pueblo para inculcar sus ideas de la política, han ido estableciendo las matrices culturales para hacer desaparecer las ideas que le son adversas, sin importar el porque de la adversidad. Allí es donde cambia el concepto de Democracia pues la decisión popular se convierte en una “Patente de Corso” que le permite a la “autoridad” hacer lo que le venga en gana, es decir, designándole Dictador.

Una sociedad democrática de dictadores. Esto es lo que tenemos actualmente.

¿Sera eso lo que nos conviene?

 ¿Valdrá la pena pensar en una democracia DIRECTA donde eliminemos las “autoridades”?

560 palabras

7781.- El despertar…

La familia Silva perdió toda la materia prima de su negocio de repostería

La familia Silva trata de rescatar algunos objetos de valor KISAÍ MENDOZA

DALYLA DENNERY
EL UNIVERSAL

Martes 23 de octubre de 2012  12:00 AM

Deudas, una casa vacía y dolor les dejó a Adriana Silva y a su familia el paso del río de lodo que inundó toda su casa ubicada en la Alta Florida.
Ahora se pregunta "¿Cómo empezar de nuevo? Nosotros ya no somos unos muchachos".
Para Adriana, una de las cosas más difíciles que le ha tocado sortear es asimilar que, en efecto, se perdió todo. "Me resistía a creer que fuera así, pero los muebles de madera se empezaron a partir. No hubo más remedio que empezar a botarlos, hemos sacado tres camiones llenos de cosas, de nuestra vida", dijo mientras a duras penas contenía las lágrimas.
En la entrada de la casa se observan apilados montones de ropa llena de barro. Ya el televisor, colchones, mesas y otros muebles se los había llevado el servicio de aseo. Dentro de la casa solo queda el olor a humedad que dejó la inundación.
Desde el viernes pasado duerme junto a su hija y nieto en una cama improvisada de toallas y edredones sobre puestos que le han facilitado amigos.
Perdió también el negocio de repostería que llevaba junto a su hija desde su casa. "Había pedido dos créditos por doscientos mil bolívares y lo había invertido en materia prima y los setenta paquetes llenos de materiales se los llevó el pantano. Ahora no sé cómo haré para responder por ese dinero".
Ese negocio era el sustento de toda la familia.
La historia de los Silva también se la llevó la corriente. Ya no hay videos, ni documentos; solo quedan unas fotos que lograron recuperar entre la tierra, aunque afirma que "los recuerdos se llevan en la mente".
Adriana considera que el camino para regresar a la normalidad no será sencillo porque "no es fácil surgir en este país, la capacidad adquisitiva es muy poca", sentenció.
En la quinta de enfrente la mayor pérdida fue una de las mascotas. Un loro que tenía diez años con la familia Pinto se ahogó con el barro.
Al momento de la anegación en la casa solo se encontraba la hija de los Pinto con un bebé de cuatro meses que se refugiaron en el piso de arriba y no pudieron salvar al animal. "Solo me quedó la jaula, es lo que más me duele, porque lo material lo podemos recuperar".

7780.- Armas VS. Mujeres (Advantages)

#10 - You can trade an old 44 for a new 22.
#9 - You can keep one gun at home and have another for when you're on the road.
#8 - If you admire a friend's gun and tell him so, he will probably let you try it out a few times.
#7 - Your primary gun doesn't mind if you keep another gun for a backup.
#6 - Your gun will stay with you even if you run out of ammo.
#5 - A gun doesn't take up a lot of closet space.
#4 - Guns function normally every day of the month.
#3 - A gun doesn't ask, "Do these new grips make me look fat?"
#2 - A gun doesn't mind if you go to sleep after you use it.
LAST BUT NOT THE LEAST
#1 - You can buy a silencer for a gun

7779.- Lee que algo queda…

De esto dirían en francés, que esta hecho “para engañar al enemigo”.

En el  Aeropuerto de Schipol en Amsterdam, los baños están impecables. Los azulejos están absolutamente limpios, especialmente en las juntas. Sin embargo, nadie lo nota. ¿Por qué? Debido a que cada urinario tiene una mosca y eso es en lo que todos reparan: Pero una mirada más cercana revela que esta no es una mosca verdadera, está  integrada al diseño del urinario de cerámica en un punto estratégico. Las investigaciones en este campo han demostrado que los hombres tratan de acertar a la mosca al orinar y eso reduce las salpicaduras en los bordes y afuera en un 80%. Da que pensar ... Esto es lo que pomposamente se llama control de procesos.