Loss and Gain: Bilbo Baggins

A brilliant description of loss and gain happened to Bilbo Baggins in the Hobbit by JRR Tolkien:

"The Bagginses have lived in the neighbourhood of The Hill ... and people considered them very respectable, ... because they never had any adventures or did anything unexpected ... This is a story of how a Baggins had an adventure, and found himself doing and saying things altogether unexpected. He may have lost the neighbours' respect, but he gained -- well, you will see whether he gained anything in the end."

Meaning of slience

Silence ... symbol of a person's strength to listen

Silence ... symbol of a person's failure to speak out

Silence ... symbol of a collective's strength to accept its mistake

Silence ... symbol of a collective's failure to do the right thing

Terribly ordinary

"terribly ordinary", is that a good thing?

On a terribly ordinary day, something good or bad happen to someone. If it is a good thing, we often think that this is not a terribly ordinary day, it is a special day. If it is a bad thing, we often think why such calamity happens on such a terribly ordinary day.

Things that Matter: Robert Kennedy Speech on Gross National Product

"Too much and too long, we seem to have surrendered community excellence and community values in the mere accumulation of material things. Our gross national product ... if we should judge America (replace by any country) by that - counts air pollution and cigarette advertising, and ambulances to clear our highways of carnage. It counts special locks for our doors and the jails for those who break them. It counts the destruction of our redwoods and the loss of our natural wonder in chaotic sprawl. ... and the television programs which glorify violence in order to sell toys to our children.

"Yet the gross national product does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education, or the joy of their play. It does not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages; the intelligence of our public debate or the integrity of our public officials. It measures neither our wit nor our courage; neither our wisdom nor our learning; neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country; it measures everything, in short, except that which makes life worthwhile. ...

Ten Perfections

Living one's life .... working toward perfection of renunciation

Living one's life .... working toward perfection of perseverance

Living one's life .... working toward perfection of loving kindness

Living one's life .... working toward perfection of resolution

Living one's life .... working toward perfection of wisdom

Living one's life .... working toward perfection of moral practice

Living one's life .... working toward perfection of forbearance

Living one's life .... working toward perfection of equanimity

Living one's life .... working toward perfection of truth

Living one's life .... working toward perfection of giving

Being here and now

Being here but not now ... dreaming about the future not yet now

Being here but not now ... dredging up things from the past

Being here and now ... accepting the past and not thinking about the future

Being here and now ... living in the moment... the current moment

The right thing to do: Gerald J. Arpey

Recently, American Airlines filed for bankruptcy protection and its CEO, Gerald J. Arpey, decided to call it quit even the board wants him to stay Why?

A recent op-ed article in the New York Times praised Arpey for his decision.

Arpey argued that he cannot ignore the implications of bankruptcy filing and lead American Airlines because ... "out of a belief that bankruptcy was morally wrong, and that he could not, in good conscience, lead an organization that followed this familiar path".

The article goes on to explain the human implications of bankruptcy filing:
"Since Congress deregulated the industry, it has been common for airlines to claim bankruptcy and regroup under the temporary shelter provided by Chapter 11. Continental filed in 1983 and 1990, United in 2002, US Airways in 2002 and 2004, and Delta and Northwest in 2005. In each situation, bankruptcy gave the airlines the chance to cancel their debt, get rid of responsibility for employee pensions and renegotiate more favorable contracts with labor unions."