Response from Iranian President - Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Here are my free flow thoughts as the President of Iran responds...this is not always verbatim, but captures the essence of his speech as I understood it...live and direct...I think he did a great job. I was left impressed with how he handled the situation and the fact that he came across as a logical, and personable speaker, despite all of the negative hype. Kudos to him. He had a slow start, but quite a powerful finish.

Note: Blue text represents thoughts from Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, some verbatim, some capturing the essence of what he said.
--------------------------

Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad felt it was not necessary before the speech was even given for Bollinger to come in with a series of claims. He felt the text read was an insult to information and the audience. Everyone should be able to talk, so the truth can be revealed. Bollinger took up the time I was allocated to speak, but that is fine by me. Many insults were in the speech, many incorrect claims. Bollinger was affected by the press, the media and the mainstream line.

Piety, faith and wisdom have been spread to all mankind. All the words of the divine prophets, delivered humans from ignorance, negligence, superstition and corrupted ways of thinking. In our culture, science is defined as illumination. The real science is the science that delivers the human being from ignorance.

--------
In the middle of the President's speech, CNN has cut out to Prof. Fawaz Gerges from Sarah Lawrence College. What on earth??? Ok, so what he is saying is heavy on religious themes and sounds a bit canned and not really addressing the main points, but still, does CNN think it makes sense to just cut out from his speech??

I am looking at a split screen, with a picture of the Iranian president speaking on the right (muted) and then a debate between the Sarah Lawrence College Professor and other CNN commentators on the left. Yes, they are more interesting, but is this fair??

Ok, we are back online with Iranian President.
-------------

By using precise scientific methods, they begin onslaught on domestic cultures in other countries. They prepare ground to separate people from spiritual and material possessions. Teaching emulation, stripping people of their identity.

Some big powers create monopolies over science and do not want to see the progress of other societies and nations. They use economic sanctions to prevent other nations...all resulting from their move from human and moral values. They have not been trained to serve mankind. The biggest God-given gift to man is knowledge and science. Science has to combine with the purity of man's spirit, so that scholars can unveil the truth and guide humanity towards a better future. Big powers should not allow mankind to engage in monopolistic activities. Science is a divine gift from God and should be open to everyone and remain pure. Scholars and scientists should rule the world one day and take us towards justice.

My main job is a university instructor. As President, I still teach graduate and PHD courses on a weekly basis. Palestinians have been displaced and killed for 60 years. Innocent women and children are killed by helicopters for 60 years. Women and children tortured, imprisoned for 60 years. I asked two questions two years ago and I received a wave of insults and allegations against me from groups who claimed most to believe in freedom of speech. I will ask those 2 questions again today:

1) Given the Holocaust is a reality, why is there not sufficient research to approach the topic from different perspectives? Why don't we encourage more research on a historical event that has been the cause for many catastrophes during this age? Why are European academics put into prison for this? I believe the Holocaust happened in 1940s not 1930s. We need to find the right period.

2) Should the Palestinian people pay the price for an event that they had nothing to do with? They played no part in this event. It occurred in Europe. Jews, Christian and Muslims live in peace in many parts of the word. Isn't it a crime that 5MM people are displaced for 60 years?

Why should I face insults for asking these questions?

Nuclear Energy

Now, on nuclear energy. The bylaws says there is no pretext or excuse that can prevent member states the rights to explore peaceful nuclear energy. We cooperate with the IAA. They report that Iran's activities are peaceful and they receive open access . Yet 3 selfish powers want to force their word on the Iranian people and deny their rights. We allow inspections. Why should you have the right and we not have it? We want the right for peaceful nuclear energy.

Our nuclear program operates within the framework of law, under the inspection of IAA and are completely peaceful. It is below the 5% level. Solely for providing fuel to power plants. Iran's nuclear issues are political not legal. There are 2 or 3 powers who feel they can monopolize all science and knowledge. They expect Iran to humble itself. If you have created the 5th generation of atomic bombs and are testing them, who are you to question our peaceful activities?

You sanction us, you deny us technology. We want to be independent. You don't give us spare parts for civilian needs, so why should we believe you will give us [... ] for nuclear? We are a peace loving nation.

We love all nations. We are friends with the Jews. Jews get one independent member in the Parliament, despite the fact they are a minority.


Palestinian Conflict
Muslim, Christian and Jewish Palestinians should determine their fate. Nobody should spend 10s of billions of dollars to arm one group. We should give this nation the right to self-determination.


Support for Terrorism
The Iranian nation is a victim of terrorism. 26 years ago, in a terrorist operation, the elected President and Prime Minister of Iran lost their lives in a bomb explosion. A month later 72 members of parliament died from terrorist attacks. All of this carried out by one terrorist group. This group is now operating freely and continues as is under the full support of the US govt. We were the first nation to go against terrorism. We need to address the root causes of terrorism and eradicate the root causes. We are a cultured nation, we do not need to resort to terrorism, we are a victim of terrorism.


Holocaust
Research on a phenomenon is never done. Different perspectives come to light after more research. There is nothing known as absolute. Man wants to approach a topic from different points of view. Especially for an issue that has been the underpinning of so many of the Middle Eastern problems. Why do you want to stop the progress of science and research? Why can't we further explore and research the Holocaust? I am not saying that the Holocaust didn't happen at all. I said granted this happened, what does it have to do with the Palestinian people?

Women
Freedoms in Iran are true freedoms. Women in Iran enjoy the highest levels of freedom. We have two deputy VPs who are women. They are present in biotech, in our govt. It is wrong for some govts, when they disagree with another govt., to spread lies. We have 90% participation in elections, over 1/2 of them are women. How can you say the people are not free?

It is not a crime to be a woman. Women are the best creatures created by God. They are respected in Iran. Families given girls...they are 10 times happier than having a son. Women are respected more than men.

Capital Punishment, Homosexuality
Don't you have capital punishment in the US? In Iran too, there is capital punishment... for illicit drug traffickers, for people who violate the rights of people. Some of these punishments, very few, are carried out in the public eye. In Iran, we don't have homosexuals like in your country. We don't have that in our country. In Iran, we don't have this phenomenon.

9/11 Site Visit
In Iran when you invite a guest, you respect them. This is our tradition, required by our culture. I know American people have that culture as well. I wanted to go to the 9/11 site last year, to show respect, but our plans got extended and they said it would be difficult to go at that late hour. Regretfully some groups had a bad reaction. I want to show sympathy to the 9/11 families. This is my way of showing my respect. How will you manage the world and world affairs if you think this way? This pessimistic approach to a lot of people. This selfishness and self-absorption has to be put aside to allow friendships to grow and move towards peace.

Who was truly involved in 9/11?


Interactions with Other Countries
We announced we are ready to negotiate with all countries. 28 years ago we moved towards democracy away from a dictatorship put in place by Westerners. We want friendly, brotherly ties with all countries, except with the South African apartheid regime (now abolished) and the Zionist regime. We question the way the world is being run and managed today, we don't think it will work. We will negotiate with the US govt too, under fair, just circumstances with mutual respect.


Closing
University faculty and students are officially invited to Iran - to any university you want to visit. We will give you the platform and respect you 100%. Today in our universities we have many discussions like this every day, we welcome it.

Thank you to Columbia University - my deepest gratitude to the faculty and students here. Best of luck to all of you!

History in the Making - Columbia University

I feel chills! I am watching Lee Bollinger, the Columbia University President, speaking about the atrocities conducted within Iran as part of his introduction for the Iranian President. Wow! I cannot wait to hear the response.

Mr. Bollinger actually said, the following...Mr. President, you depict all the signs of a petty dictator. He calls him uneducated, and brazenly provocative. Mr. Bollinger is taking risks. Stating the facts, ugly as they may be, and also using some strong adjectives in reference to the President of Iran.

Mr. Bollinger has a strong closing. He says he doubts the President will have the intellectual courage to respond to his comments. Bollinger is also complimentary of the people of Iran, saying that the President and his fanaticism in no way represents the majority opinion.

This is so exciting! Freedom of speech in action. Oh my gosh!

Iranian President to Speak at Columbia University Shortly!!!

Tune into CNN.

It is now 1:50pm EST on Monday Sept 24, 2007

Tamii & Angel - So Much Love

My sister is getting married to Angel on December 8, 2007. That is the same day that my parents got married.

Check out Tamii & Angel's love story @ http://tamiiandangel.com/.

May God continue to bless you both as you start on this exciting new adventure together!!

Don't Sugarcoat the Past...Learn From It

Long, Lonely Walk: Fifty years ago, as one of the Little Rock Nine, Elizabeth

Eckford marched into history

Little Rock, 50 Years Later

9/24/2007 - Newsweek, Ellis Cose

The image is among the most iconic in civil-rights history: a dignified black girl in a prim, white-and-black dress marches through a hostile mob intent on keeping her from school. Fifty years after it first flashed around the world, that image retains its power—evoking sorrow, even anger, that one so young would face such cruelty. Now a 65-year-old woman, Elizabeth Eckford still bears scars from that long, lonely walk as one of the Little Rock Nine: teenagers charged with integrating that city's finest high school in 1957. "I'm the only one who says I wouldn't do it again," said Eckford in an interview at the Little Rock courthouse where she works as a probation officer.

This month, Little Rock will commemorate the date, 50 years ago, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower sent the 101st Airborne to escort black children to Central High. In that moment, Little Rock became a synonym for hate. After claiming that desegregation would lead to violence, Gov. Orval Faubus ordered the National Guard to keep black children from attending the school. Meanwhile, the black students designated to integrate Central High made plans to enter as a group. Eckford's family had no phone, so she never got the message. She came alone, only to be sent away by Faubus's soldiers and left to the angry mob.

No black child got in on the appointed day. Three weeks later, armed with a judge's order prohibiting Faubus from interfering, the students were spirited in through a side door (the mob was so unruly, however, police decided the Nine could not stay). In the weeks that followed, they endured unrelenting abuse. They never believed the task would be easy, but they had no idea how hellish it would become. Minnijean Brown Trickey was expelled for a fight she didn't start. "If we knew what it was going to be, we would have been too scared to go," says Trickey, who returned to Little Rock after many years away to care for an aged parent. Decades later, Eckford realized she suffered from posttraumatic stress disorder. For years, she could not work. In her current job since 1999, she has found a measure of peace: it has taken "a long time getting there, a long time to talk about the past without crying."

Mostly, the Nine have flourished. Many got advanced degrees. All moved away—for a while, at least—and Little Rock tried to move on. Mayor Mark Stodola says it's time to put the past aside. He says Little Rock never deserved its racist reputation and that "the people who want to continue to look to the past are an impediment to where we want to go for the future." Ralph Brodie, a Central High football player and student-body president at the time of the crisis, says the reputations of many were unfairly tarnished by the actions of a few. Most people at Central were receptive to the black enrollees, he says, yet the world focused on "problem students—25 maybe, a minuscule percentage." The rest "did everything they could to make that schoolyear work," says Brodie, a lawyer and member of Central's 50th Anniversary Commission.

The black students do not remember things that way. "The tone was set by a couple of hundred students engaged in this reign of terror," says Ernest Green, one of the Nine and an executive with Lehman Brothers. "The silence was deafening. We would have appreciated some of them speaking out when all of this harassment was going on." Eckford also dismisses Brodie's point. Those who were silent, she says, are just unwilling to "think of themselves as bad people."

Today, like much of the rest of America, Little Rock grapples with a continuing achievement gap in its schools, economic distress in disproportionately minority neighborhoods and mistrust among competing communities and public officials. Earlier this year Central High student Brandon Love drew a straight line from the past to the present. In an article in the Arkansas Times and elsewhere, he observed that his Advanced Placement classes were overwhelmingly white: "As an African American and the student body president, I have encountered A Tale of Two Centrals ... As the only African American in most of my classes, I experience firsthand what some dismiss as 'subtle' racism," he wrote. Nancy Rousseau, the transplanted New Yorker who is principal at Central, acknowledges that more whites than blacks take AP classes—but she blames differences in preparation and achievement, not discrimination. "That's an issue that we're dealing with, an issue that, unfortunately, is universal," she says. "There are places that are overcoming it, and I want us to be one of them."

The Supreme Court agrees that focusing on past racial wrongs will not yield solutions for the future—as made clear in June by its ruling against voluntary school-desegregation plans. But there is still a point in remembering how we got here, and remembering how determined some people were to keep Americans apart—if only because it reminds us of why it remains so hard for us to come together.

I Saw Her Smile

I entered the Louvre, searching for her. I warmed up on fantastic sculptures and historical paintings from Italy. The anticipation was building. Where was she?

Signed arrows told me she was close. I entered her sanctuary. There. She. Was.

Anticlimax.

Wonderful painting, but the hype was bigger than she was. Then, I remembered her history, the relevance, the fact that she was probably the most famous painting in the world. I allowed myself to experience a moment of awe.

I got up as close as I could and just stared at her. I Saw Her Smile.

Ooops, he did it again

Go, Mattie, Go!

We are loving the franchise!

Try 300

Oh Yeah!!!

Today's Lead Story - Mandela & Bush

Mandela not dead despite embarrassing Bush remark

Saturday September 22, 2007
JOHANNESBURG, (Reuters):

Nelson Mandela is still very much alive despite an embarrassing gaffe by U.S. President George W. Bush, who alluded to the former South African leader's death in an attempt to explain sectarian violence in Iraq.

"It's out there. All we can do is reassure people, especially South Africans, that President Mandela is alive," Achmat Dangor, chief executive officer of the Nelson Mandela Foundation said as Bush's comments received worldwide coverage.

In a speech defending his administration's Iraq policy, Bush said former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's brutality had made it impossible for a unifying leader to emerge and stop the sectarian violence that has engulfed the Middle Eastern nation.

"I heard somebody say, Where's Mandela?' Well, Mandela's dead because Saddam Hussein killed all the Mandelas," Bush, who has a reputation for verbal faux pas, said in a press conference in Washington on Thursday.

Jailed for 27 years for fighting white minority rule, Mandela became South Africa's first black president in 1994. He won a Nobel Peace Prize for preaching racial harmony and guiding the nation peacefully into the post-apartheid era.

References to his death - Mandela is now 89 and increasingly frail - are seen as insensitive in South Africa.

http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20070922/lead/lead3.html

Tuesday with Alan

Event: Alan Greenspan in Conversation with Andrea Mitchell, Tues, Sept. 18, 2007

Event as Advertised

Former Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan, who helped shape the nation’s economic and monetary policy for almost 19 years, talks about the people he met, the issues he faced and the crises he helped manage during five different administrations. Greenspan discusses the world we now live in, with a global capitalist economy that is more flexible, resilient, open, self-directing and fast-changing than ever. Greenspan is the author of a new book, The Age of Turbulence: Adventures in a New World, to be published by The Penguin Press on September 17. He is interviewed in this rare public appearance by the person who knows him best, his wife, Andrea Mitchell, who covers politics and foreign policy for NBC News.

Event as Experienced

Sejal and I had an enjoyable Tuesday night last week. We went to the 92nd Street Y to listen to Alan Greenspan speak about things important to him, as reflected in his "life's work", his new book The Age of Turbulence. Alan was interviewed by his wife Andrea. They both sat in comfortable seats in the middle of the stage, and created an environment where you felt as if you were a special guest invited into their homes for an evening of stimulating conversation.

Alan has a dry sense of humour, which I love. The jokes are often times unexpected. He considers himself to be an introvert, and stated that in some ways being introverted is a pre-requisite for the job of Fed Chairman. Alan gave highlights from his book and also took the opportunity to correct some inaccuracies about himself that have been floating around the press for years. He has a great recollection of history and peppered his conversation with rich details from his past.

His wife, Andrea, did a great job as interviewer. She said she was trying to balance between being a good reporter and saving her marriage, as she pushed Alan on some of the tougher topics. The event lasted for about 1.5 hours, of which about 20 mins. was dedicated to Q&A. I was shocked to see how quickly the time had passed. It was truly an enjoyable night.

Here are some highlights:

*Bill Clinton has a reputation of being late for meetings. This is typically because he becomes engaged in discussions, and hence meetings will run over time, causing a spill on effect for the rest of the day

*Alan felt that Bill Clinton and Richard Nixon were - by far - the smartest US Presidents. They both had an ability to quickly understand complicated topics and spent time to educate themselves on the important concepts. Alan gave an example of Bill Clinton giving a speech on an intricate topic, and for the first 10 or so minutes the teleprompter was showing the incorrect content. Bill was able to expertly ad lib until the teleprompter situation was corrected and then seamlessly switched from ad lib mode back to leveraging the prepared materials

*Richard Nixon was like a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. He was extremely articulate and polished, but could digress oftentimes into a ruffian, using extremely foul language, particularly around those he felt comfortable with. Alan originally felt that the reason there was push back re: releasing the Nixon tapes, was because the Nixon camp did not want to sully his reputation by allowing the public to hear his potty mouth

*Alan intentionally allowed the media to interpret his words in different ways, e.g. on similar topics, The New York Times would represent Alan as having a different stance, than say the Wall Street Journal. Alan did this intentionally, as his comments had significant effect on financial markets - and so if people were not completely clear on what he was saying, this effect was somewhat mitigated

*Alan felt a refreshing freedom when writing his book - finally, he was able to freely express himself, to give opinion/conjecture - without objectively proving every thought and without fear of potential impact

*The Medicare issue is not being addressed by anyone - and the situation is dire. The potential result of the current 'do nothing' attitude is that higher income persons will be saddled with the majority of the costs - in some cases likely paying 100% on co-pays

*Alan said it has been a great experience being married to a reporter :)

I plan to buy the book and hear more from this witty, experienced, and highly-intelligent leader.

Guilt is Painful

I am Intimately Known. I am on His Mind. I am Wonderful.

1 O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.

2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.

3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.

4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.

5 You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?

8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,

10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,"

12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!

18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you.

19 If only you would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!

20 They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name.

21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD, and abhor those who rise up against you?

22 I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 139 For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

Proud of My Sister

Wow!!

My sister, Tessa, is doing an Executive MBA program. She just got a call from one of her professors telling her that her work for one of the financial courses has been some of the best work he has ever seen.

I AM SO PROUD OF MY SISTER - TESSA SMITH!!! Wow!!!! Keep up the great work!!!

God is good.

Keep shining!

Love,

ks

Quote of the Day - Sweet Nothings

When do we graduate from sweet nothings to sweet somethings?

- Keri S. Smith

Good Grief 3

Today's good grief moment brought to you by:

Being patronized and insulted by partners you are paying to do a job

Earlier Good Grief Moments:

http://kerijam.blogspot.com/2007/07/good-grief-2.html

http://kerijam.blogspot.com/2007/07/good-grief.html

Thought for the Day

There's a hole in the bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza,There's a hole in the bucket, dear Liza, a hole.

So fix it dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,So fix it dear Henry, dear Henry, fix it.

With what should I fix it, dear Liza, dear Liza,With what should I fix it, dear Liza, with what?

With straw, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,With straw, dear Henry, dear Henry, with straw.

But the straw is too long, dear Liza, dear Liza,The straw is too long, dear Liza, too long.

So cut it dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,So cut it dear Henry, dear Henry, cut it!

With what should I cut it, dear Liza, dear Liza,With what should I cut it, dear Liza, with what?

Use the hatchet, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,Use the hatchet, dear Henry, the hatchet.

But the hatchet's too dull, dear Liza, dear Liza,The hatchet's too dull, dear Liza, too dull.

So, sharpen it, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,So sharpen it dear Henry, dear Henry, sharpen it!

With what should I sharpen it, dear Liza, dear Liza,With what should I sharpen, dear Liza, with what?

Use the stone, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,Use the stone, dear Henry, dear Henry, the stone.

But the stone is too dry, dear Liza, dear Liza,The stone is too dry, dear Liza, too dry.

So wet it, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,So wet it dear Henry, dear Henry, wet it.

With what should I wet it, dear Liza, dear Liza,With what should I wet it, dear Liza, with what?

With water, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,With water, dear Henry, dear Henry, water.

With what should I carry it, dear Liza, dear Liza,With what should I carry it dear Liza, with what?

Use the bucket dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,Use the bucket, dear Henry, dear Henry, the bucket!

There's a hole in the bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza,There's a hole in the bucket, dear Liza, a hole.

Market

Market

15 Avenue Matignon

75008 Paris

After a long, fruitful day of recruiting, the team went out for a fun dinner in Paris at the Market restaurant. Fun atmosphere, good food, nice location.

Grilling after the Red

Gauchos Grill Restaurant, Damstraat 5, Amsterdam

http://www.gauchosgrill.nl/

After my 10-minute exploration of the Red Light District in Amsterdam, it was time for...you guessed it...a late lunch!

I decided to eat at Gauchos Grill Restaurant - The Ultimate Steak from Argentina. As a pescatarian, I entered not because of the thrill of eating meat (Sorry, Donald! http://kerijam.blogspot.com/2007/07/interview-with-meat-eater.html), but because the restaurant looked classy, clean and was near-by.

The food was pretty good. I enjoyed a leisurely lunch of Ceviche Tiger Prawn & Tuna (appetizer), Fish (can't remember any other details!), Corn on the Cob, French Coffee and Red Wine. Yum!

Yes, I would recommend the restaurant. Not a must-visit, but definitely way above just being edible.

Bateaux Mouches - Cruising the Seine River in Paris

One night in Paris (sounds romantic, right?!), I went down to the Bateaux Mouches pier near the Pont de L'Alma and took the 9:30pm sight-seeing cruise - an hour-long excursion along the Seine River.

The boat was crowded with tourists. We had an automated voice navigating us along the river and providing historical information in French, English, Japanese and Chinese (I think?!). I sat on the upper deck and enjoyed a wonderful view of the city - including the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Louvre Museum, the Orsay Museum and much, much more.

We also cruised past several evening activities along the river: groups of people enjoying dinner with wine, salsa dancing, friends playing instruments seated on blankets near the water, and pockets of people standing on the bridges above the river, gazing out into the beautiful night sky.

I love Paris!!!!

How will this end?

Was I too optimistic here?

http://kerijam.blogspot.com/search/label/britney

September is for Althea

My Mom's Birthday was on Sept. 11. She's so special though that we dedicate the month to her.

Happy Birthday, Mom!!! You are the best.

Lots of love!

Nappy Poo

Feeling the effects of jet lag...must take nap...not able to take nap....must not take nap...mercy me!

Oh, Hi Big Brother...no, I am alert, sir... productive as always, sir!

Seeing Red or Doing Green

Quick - first two things that come to your mind when I say Amsterdam?

I had a few hours to explore the city and the first two that came to my mind were Red Light District and Dope. Of course, of course, the city has much more than that, there's the Anne Frank museum, bicycle tours, etc. - but I did say the first two things.

Red Light District and Dope. Hmmm. Well, given that I still plan to truthfully tell the future kids that "Mama said no", doing the green was not on the list. Giving in to the stereotype for a sec., if while living in Jamaica for so many years I didn't do ganja, why start now? Well, that left seeing the Red. Should I? It is a well-known landmark...ok, I am convinced.

The night before my trip to the Red, a business colleague mentioned that he had explored the district with his wife and daughter. I asked him what life lessons he imparted to his daughter during the trip, and he said that the only life lesson was that if she ever ended up there, something had gone seriously wrong with her life.

At first walking through the district, I felt a bit self-conscious. I would not be trolling through this type of place anywhere else in the world. Does it seem weird for me, a woman, to be walking alone around here? A few glances to the left and right, assured me that I definitely was not standing out - this was tourist central, although you did have the expected shady men grinning in corners. I walked quickly past them.

As part of my exploration, I walked through several narrow alleys and on either side saw girls wearing little to nothing in rooms with glass doors that you could clearly see through - some curtains were drawn closed. Some rooms housed more than one girl, all in suggestive positions. Some girls were eating their lunch, some were chatting to potential customers. In one room a woman customer was walking out. As I walked, I got a catcall or two - don't these guys realize that we on the outside are harder to get?

I also saw a lady on the street going around to each of the rooms, handing out individual white roses, and telling the girls that they were special and loved. All of these sights, combined with a pungent smell of pot! I was there for about 10 mins in total and then decided to leave for more carefree environs.

The extreme nonchalance regarding the Red is something that still stands out in my mind.

Encouragement - Hold On

You gotta hold on for just a little while longer

Just hold on, for a little while longer

You gotta hold on for just a little while longer

And everything's gonna be alright

(excerpt from Christian Spiritual)

de Silveren Spiegel, Amsterdam

http://www.desilverenspiegel.com/

One night in Amsterdam we had a team dinner at de Silveren Spiegel, the self-proclaimed "most famous Dutch restaurant since 1614". We were seated in the private dining hall upstairs and had a pre-fixed menu.

Before dinner, our waiter gave us an overview of the history of the restaurant, including rationale for the architecture and the sloping of the building. The restaurant has a very rich history - it was a popular haunt for German soldiers during the war, but also hid several Jews. There are not many glass windows in the building, because the more glass windows you had, the higher the tariff. Owners typically built houses with deep interiors. The floor upstairs sloped to the left - this was more due to age than anything else. The front of the building slanted forward, it was intentionally constructed this way to enable packages to be lifted up to the upper rooms without destroying the front of the house. You can click on the link above for more details.

We then proceeded to enjoy a wonderful meal, which included warm fish-based pureed soup served in a glass cup with sealed cover (you could use a small spoon to eat or drink directly from the glass), cold cucumber based broth(?) with shrimp, veal and potatoes, fish and potatoes, profiteroles with raspberry sauce and red wine.

All in all the dinner took about 4 hours. Kudos to the team for making it a fun night even though almost everyone had arrived on overnight flights from the US that morning.

Scenes at Cafe' de Flore, Saint - Germain Des Pre's

Lunch at Cafe' de Flore on Saint-Germain Des Pre's, Paris

Cafe de Flore is a historical landmark in Paris. See http://www.cafe-de-flore.com/htma/histo.htm for more details. I had the pleasure of lunching there before I left for New York. I had a great lunch and wonderful time observing....

The Scenes at Cafe de Flore

• Man wearing a pearl necklace


• Barking dog under the table


• Two waiters running up and down narrow, winding staircase


• Artist sketching scenes of restaurant in pen in her notebook


• Under the table exchanges of caresses


• Jamaican reading D.H. Lawrence's "Women in Love"


• Woman in a pearl necklace


• Aristocracy


• Ladies who lunch


• Man on cell phone for long time finally being reprimanded by wife to get off. He wraps up and does hand holding with wife for a while


• Blackberry searches to ensure "crevette" salad was something I could eat


• Patiently waiting for bill - trying not to think of sprint to airport


• Waiter throwing salt on ground - this is after he spilled liquid on floor and wiped up with napkin


• Ladies with ostentatious jewellery


• Dejected barking dog lying under seat with head on paws. After each bark his collar is tugged and he is pulled closer to owner's feet and under the seat


• Lady in ostentatious jewels gazing hard at me - did she know I would write about her on blog? The jewels look good - even though a bit over the top. Good, she stopped looking


• Man with pearl necklace moving even closer to dining partner


• Crowded rooms upstairs and downstairs, bustling waiters, yet leisurely dining atmosphere

Monique, thanks for the recommendation! I had a great time :)

Amsterdam and Paris On Speed

Thank God for a fantastic week, last week!!!

I left for Amsterdam on Sunday night for some important business meetings. The meetings went really well - our diligent, sometimes sleepless preparation, paid off. High FIVE!!!

I was scheduled to return to New York on Wednesday, but was asked to help out with company recruiting in France, so I ended up spending the week in Europe. Ooh la la!

I had never spent any time in Amsterdam or Paris and thanks to timing, I was able to get 24 hours or less of "non-work" time in each location. I will share with you my adventures of sprinting through these great cities - my journeys through Amsterdam and Paris on speed.

More to come...

No Nos at Customs

• Walking slower than 30 mph when you leave the plane, if you don't want to be stuck at the back of the line


• Asking questions of anyone walking at 30mph


• Asking for permission to switch to another line because you are "in a hurry" (5-minute lecture from Custom Officer, interspersed with "everyone is just doing their job", likely to ensue)


• Using cellphone in front of Border Control Officer


• Filling out forms - which were handed out on plane - near the front of line while waiting to be called


• Not having the right amount of grease on your fingertips to enable speedy fingerprinting


• Asking which direction to exit after you have been cleared through the line

What other No Nos exist? Thoughts?

Operating on a Different Level

My soul finds rest in God alone;

my salvation comes from him.

He alone is my rock and my salvation;

he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

How long will you assault a man?

Would all of you throw him down -this leaning wall, this tottering fence?

They fully intend to topple him from his lofty place;

they take delight in lies

With their mouths they bless, but in their hearts they curse

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone;

my hope comes from him.

He alone is my rock and my salvation;

he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

My salvation and my honor depend on God;

he is my mighty rock, my refuge.

Trust in him at all times, O people;

pour out your hearts to him for God is our refuge.

Lowborn men are but a breath,

the highborn are but a lie;

if weighed on a balance, they are nothing;

together they are only a breath.

Do not trust in extortion

or take pride in stolen goods;

though your riches increase,

do not set your heart on them.

One thing God has spoken,

two things have I heard:

that you, O God, are strong

and that you, O Lord, are loving.

Surely you will reward each person

according to what he has done.

~Psalm 62~

Hurricane Watch Aug 2007

God please protect the Caribbean at this time. Hurricane Dean is now at a Category 4. Nuff love to family and friends!

Thought for The Day - Doing the Dishes

Everybody wants to help Save The Earth, but nobody wants to help Mom do the dishes.

- Tom McMahon

Blogging from the Plane

Woke up from my nap on the flight back from Indianapolis to New York to find that we had landed. Good - great to be home. Then I heard that we had landed in Virginia. What exactly happened while I slept???

Word on the street is that we needed to refuel. However, I am here sitting on the runway and conflicting rumours abound. Apparently we have 1) refuelled and no one knows why we are waiting; 2) the person who is supposed to refuel didn't come to work and so apparently we wait indefinitely; 3) we have refuelled, but because of the weather, La Guardia airport is closed and will re-open at some point in the future.

Sensing a potential uproar, the flight attendant just handed us another bag of pretzels. The pilot hesitantly walked to the bathroom and was accosted with: why are we here? when will we leave? we want our mummies...Well, Mr. Pilot is just as lost as we are and said that he is waiting for "management" to tell him what is going on.

Now some passengers are speaking about their rights, while others are cussing to friends on their cells. I think I may be the only one currently online blogging. I must say that after all the grief that my Verizon Wireless card has given me, today it has redeemed itself. Let's see how long it lasts.

I hope I will get home someday. In the meantime I remain calm, and look forward to the next round of pretzels. Oh! the drink cart is coming... I hear the options are ginger ale or ginger ale...

How's your Friday night?

Interesting Moments

Moment 1:
I was on a flight to Indianapolis this week, and one of the passengers boarding the plane said:
"Can we just take any seat?"
The flight attendant responded "Sir, your seat number is on your boarding pass."

Moment 2:
Three types of bathrooms in the Indianapolis airport:
a) Men
b) Women
c) Family (Picture of Man, Woman and child in the middle holding each parent's hand)

Thoughts for the Day - Assorted Motivational Quotes

• When you are tough on yourself, life is going to be infinitely easier on you
• Success is a personal standard - reaching for the highest that is in us - becoming all that we can be
• You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win

~ Zig Ziglar

----------------------------

• Live with passion!

~Tony Robbins

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• When your desires are strong enough you will appear to possess superhuman powers to achieve
• There are no limitations to the mind except those we acknowledge

~ Napoleon Hill

Thought for the Day - Bermuda Triangle

You are the Bermuda Triangle of coherent thought.

~Keri S. Smith

Zebra Value add

Time is Running Out

If you are in Jamaica - please support! Roger Shaw is making waves and he is also a friend :)

Steam Pipe Explosion - Manhattan

What a scare today!

I work near Grand Central Station in NY and this evening we were told to evacuate the building. We were not anxious at all because we get a lot of these fire alarm announcements - none serious. However, this was the first announcement where they said evacuate. The announcer kept repeating the need to leave, even saying "leave immediately, this is an emergency." That definitely got us moving.

We walked down 9 flights of stairs to get outside, and looked up to see clouds and clouds of smoke - it looked as if a building was on fire. The street was in chaos - crowds were outside, people were taking pics, some people were crying, firing engines and police cars were racing to the scene, I even saw some people covered in mud.

I tried to call family but the lines were busy; however, thanks to the Blackberry I was able to get a few emails out. As I was walking and looking, a gentleman asked me what was going on. We chatted for a bit and both commented that this event really brought back memories. Quite scary, moving and confusing.

I understand that one person has died and there are several injuries, but apparently there was no foul play.

Thank God for life. Hope everyone is OK.

Thought for the Day - Keep Trying

If you fail the first time, consider yourself normal and try again.

If you fail a second time, consider yourself special for you have what it takes to succeed.

If you fail a third time, consider yourself extraordinary, for many people would have already given up

~Michelle C. Ustaszeski~

Going for the "Duo" - Part 1

Since we last spoke (see Going for the "Duo" - Part 1/2), I have made good progress re: achieving my goal of completing a duathlon in 2007. Here's the latest update:

Target Date: Changed from Summer 2007 to Fall 2007 (It's too hot in the summer! Also, it's already summer and I need more time to train!). I still need to pick the actual event date

Equipment: Bought the bike, a Specialized Dolce Vita bike for women, which I love. This bicycle is good for triathlon events and can also be used as a road bike. I also purchased a matching helmet, tools to adjust the bike, a spare inner tube, a heart rate monitor and watch

Training: I signed up with Cadence, a center for cycling and multi-sport training, for a 3-month coaching package and was assigned a great coach, Dianna. We have had 3 challenging one-on-ones so far and I will be getting daily training routines this week

I feel great about my accomplishments to date. Stay tuned for Part 2!

Crush on Obama

Check this out:

http://barelypolitical.com/


Watch the Obama girl music video

Interview with a Meat Eater

Donald Walters - Meat Eater

Kingston, Jamaica

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Background & Context
Hello, my name is Keri Smith and I am a pescatarian. That is, a vegetarian who eats seafood. When I share that I am a pescatarian with certain segments of the population - after the "Presbyterian" jokes have run their course, I get shocked looks, shouts of "yuck", and/or pitying comments about how could someone ever survive on that diet. I count myself lucky though, the reaction is even worse for my vegetarian...and dare I say, vegan, brethren. The segment of the population I am referring to? Hard-core meat eaters; they think that ketchup is a vegetable and that a truly satisfying meal must include pork, beef, goat, or chicken - fish does not count.

I am fascinated by these extremely loyal fans of meat and so decided to find out more about their passion for eating animals. The following is an excerpt from my discussion with my friend - Donald Walters - a proud meat eater, hailing from Jamaica.

Interview
----------------------------------------------
Keri: Donald, why do you hate vegetarians?

Donald: Well, I don't hate vegetarians, but I don't like vegetables by themselves. Lettuce, tomato, pickles in a burger...sure

Keri: What did they ever do to you, these vegetables that you hate?

Donald: Guns by themselves cannot do anything to you but it is the person(s) behind them. My mother and father forced me to eat these things. Plus, they taste nasty when eaten alone.

Keri: Guns? Wow! You really have strong feelings about vegetables! Ok, so what is so appealing about meat? Do you have an affinity for blood?

Donald: Well, it just tastes better than "so so" vegetables and I wouldn't say I have an affinity for blood.

Keri: You are right, sorry about that. I also used to eat meat, i.e. until 2002, so no offence - just trying to sensationalize the interview...that appears to be what sells magazines these days :). So, you seem to consider some vegetables to be acceptable. How have these passed the test?

Donald: Yeah, some passed the test if they are boiled or steamed (carrots, cabbage, other leafy things) or taste good in a sandwich.

Keri: Sounds logical. So back to the beginning...you said your parents forced you to eat vegetables...as a relatively new parent yourself, what tactics will you employ with your son, Seth?

Donald: Well, given the statistics that vegetables have more benefits than meat, unfortunately I have to torture him as well, but with a mixture, not full-blown vegetables alone. Plus, I torture myself to eat them when he is around (Hypocritical to the cause...I know...)

Keri: Umm, sounds rough (?!!). Are you passionate about all types of meat?

Donald: No, just a few...oxtail, pork, and I like turkey neck too.

Keri: Ok. Would you be open to lunch or dinner at a vegetarian restaurant?

Donald: Ahhh...not sure...I think so just to tttry and see what is there...if there is anything interesting.

Keri: Wow! I know how much that took out of you. Any final thoughts?

Donald: I never knock vegetarians, in fact vegetables are good for you, it is just that I don't like them...yuk for now.

My Answer to the ?

Q. Who are you when no one else is around?

My Answer:

Sometimes cool
Sometimes confused
Sometimes outrageous
Sometimes someone I do not like
and...

Who I want to be whether or not people are around:
Someone who stays true to her ideals.
Someone who does not dwell on the past.
Someone who is ambitious, confident and humble.
Someone who is happy.
Someone who is adventurous.
Someone who is generous.

What's your answer? (Anonymous or not! *smile*)

The Big 5-0

Keri's Life has reached a major milestone...more than 50 articles posted since January! Congratulations! Happy 5-O!

(Note: In my world, a reason to celebrate is always a good thing! What milestone can I help you to celebrate today?)

Do Not Worry

25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?

26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.

29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.

30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'

32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:25-34

?

Who are you when no one else is around?

Today's Mood: Skateboarder

Freedom!

Adventure!

Risk!

Flying in the wind!