Bipartisan Attack on International Humanitarian Law

http://www.fpif.org/fpiftxt/6549

In a stunning blow against international law and human rights, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a resolution on Tuesday attacking the report of the United Nations Human Rights Council's fact-finding mission on the Gaza conflict. The report was authored by the well-respected South African jurist Richard Goldstone and three other noted authorities on international humanitarian law, who had been widely praised for taking leadership in previous investigations of war crimes in Rwanda, Darfur, the former Yugoslavia, and elsewhere. Since this report documented apparent war crimes by a key U.S. ally, however, Congress has taken the unprecedented action of passing a resolution condemning it. Perhaps most ominously, the resolution also endorses Israel's right to attack Syria and Iran on the grounds that they are "state sponsors of terrorism."

The principal co-sponsors of the resolution (HR 867), which passed on a 344-36 vote, included two powerful Democrats: House Foreign Relations Committee chairman Howard Berman (D-CA) and Middle East subcommittee chairman Gary Ackerman (D-NY). Democratic majority leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) successfully pushed Democrats to support the resolution by a more than 6:1 margin, despite the risk of alienating the party's liberal pro-human rights base less than a year before critical midterm elections.

YOU KNOW YOU ARE GETTING OLD WHEN??

Everything hurts and what doesn't hurt, doesn't work.
The gleam in your eyes is from the sun hitting your bifocals.
You feel like the night after, and you haven't been anywhere.
Your little black book contains only names ending in M.D.
You get winded playing chess.
Your children begin to look middle aged.
You're still chasing women but can't remember why.
A dripping faucet causes an uncontrollable bladder urge.
You know all the answers, but nobody asks you the questions.
You look forward to a dull evening.
You walk with your head high trying to get used to your bifocals.
Your favorite part of the newspaper is "25 Years Ago Today..."
You turn out the light for economic reasons rather than romantic ones.
You sit in a rocking chair and can't get it going.
Your knees buckle and your belt won't.
You regret all those mistakes resisting temptation.
After painting the town red, you have to take a long rest before applying a second coat.
Dialing long distance wears you out.
You're startled the first time you are addressed as an old timer.
You just can't stand people who are intolerant.
You burn the midnight oil until 9 PM.
Your back goes out more often than you do.
Your pacemaker makes the garage door go up when you watch a pretty girl go by.
The little grey haired lady you help across the street is your wife.
You have too much room in the house and not enough room in the medicine cabinet.
You sink your teeth into a steak and they stay there.

Happy Thanksgiving day dear American friends

  

Happy Thanksgiving day,
enjoy this day in LOVE & PEACE & HAPPINESS
with all you dear...
...and be thankful for all what the LIFE had given to you
and to your dears :)
Maria

Be Thankful


Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire.
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?
Be thankful when you don't know something,
for it gives you the opportunity to learn.


Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.
Be thankful for your limitations,
because they give you opportunities for improvement.
Be thankful for each new challenge,
because it will build your strength and character.


Be thankful for your mistakes. They will teach you valuable lessons.
Be thankful when you're tired and weary,
because it means you've made a difference.


It's easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who
are also thankful for the setbacks.
Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles,
and they can become your blessings.

By Author Unknown

Seeking the Truth

Have you ever felt
yourself somehow
drifted in and out,
of the doubts with
the world, its values,
which mostly in lies,
illusions based are.
Maybe you wish again
long forgotten taste
of "Truth" recognise,
maybe it meant nothing
you could put finger on,
but the "Truth" is here,
subtle and hidden
beyond false words,
you feel it is here
and seek the words
how to describe it...
If you plunge down,
down inside yourself,
something small, pure
you will find there,
what able is
by its inner sense,
the "Truth" recognize
(even you often stumble over it...).

(c)shipka

Hana Hegerova - Boze muj ja chci zpet

1.Stařičký autobus zastaví podle přání,

vystoupím, tam kde ves první zdi začíná,

v chaloupkách voní vřes, kostelík vížku sklání,

do stráně těžký vůz koníček táhnout má.



®:Slunce po okraj a straně samy vřes

a teď se duše kaj, a v srdci tíhu nes,

tak tady je můj kraj, tak to je moje mladí,

tak to je domov můj, tak to je domov můj.



Já žila hodně snů a poznala jsem svět,

už je to hodně dnů, už je to hodně let,

co vítr všechno smět a zůstala jen touha,

bože můj, já chci zpět, bože můj, já chci zpět.



2.Přes hory kamení, že světu plných bouří,

zarostlou pěšinkou po špičkách přicházím,

s dušičkou malinkou, koukám, jestli se kouří,

z našeho stavení a nevím jestli smím.



®:Já nevím, jestli smím, jít jako kdysi dál,

já vím, já dobře vím, že život nečekal,

že dveře, které znáš, po letech starým klíčem

jen těžko otvíráš, jen těžko otvíráš,

já žila hodně snů a poznala jsem svět,

kde deset prázdných dnů je tisíc marných let,

když vítr všechno smět a zůstala jen touha,

bože můj, já chci zpět, bože můj, já chci zpět.

See-saw

Like a see-saw
the life is...
once up you are,
once again
fall down.
Once rises up
into the most
bright highness,
afterward
throws down
fully on a bottom.
Ah! why, why...?
what yesterday
was promised,
already today
cannot be
seriously taken?
All wonderful,
what yesterday
happened,
can be today
only bitterly
bemoaned.
It maybe belong
to our lives,
nothing´s necessary
much gravely to take...
instead of empty,
deceptive words,
own inner voice
listen to....

(c)shipka

How to Be the Biggest Fan and Best Critic of the Person You Love

Learning how to simultaneously show love and offer constructive criticism is crucial to developing and maintaining a healthy and authentic relationship. Personal growth expert Mike Robbins offers tips on how to successfully achieve both.
He once  saw  perform a re-commitment ceremony for a married couple a few years back and as he had wrote: " it blew him away".
  The administrator of ceremony looked at the husband and said, "Your job is to be her biggest fan and her greatest critic for the purpose of her spiritual development." ..later he turned to the wife and said the same thing to her about him.


What it means to be a real fan

Being a real fan of someone means that we focus on what we appreciate about them. It means we look for the good in them and are willing to let them know these things in a loving and generous way. It's essential that we acknowledge them without agenda, or because we want something in return.

Acknowledgments with an agenda are manipulations, not acts of true appreciation. Being a real fan of someone else is about celebrating them, recognizing their value, believing in them and reminding them of their greatness.

What it means to be a conscious critic

Being a conscious critic of someone else means that we're willing to say things that might be scary or may even potentially hurt their feelings, but we kindly do so anyway because we're interested in having a relationship with true depth, trust and authenticity. Being a conscious critic is not about being critical or judgmental, which can be hurtful and harmful to others and to us, but about being able to share things that get in between ourselves and other people. It's also about giving them feedback that can help them be the best possible version of themselves. There is a slippery slope for many of us on either side of this equation. However, think of the most meaningful and important relationships you've ever had in your life. You'll notice that having the freedom to give and receive critical feedback in a productive, positive and kind way is almost always an essential part of that relationship.

Ideas for implementing the techniques into your life
Here are a few things you can think about and practice to become a real fan and a conscious critic of the important people in your life:

1) Use Your Relationship GPS: Many of us have GPS navigation in our cars or on our phones to keep us from getting lost. However, whenever we find ourselves lost in our relationships or lost in our ability to appreciate people around us, we can use "Acknowledgment GPS." In this case, GPS stands for "genuine, personal and specific." Whenever we acknowledge someone, we want it to be genuine, to come from our heart and mean what we say. We also want it to be personal, to appreciate something about them and leave them feeling appreciated. Lastly, we want it to be specific, to identify a specific quality they have, or something that they've done, and describe how it specifically impacts us or makes our life better.

2) Clear Your "Withholds": A withhold is a hurt or resentment you've been holding onto regarding another person, yet you haven't shared it with them. This can happen with anyone in your life—a spouse, friend, family member or co-worker. To clear your withhold, one person says to the other person, "There's something I've withheld from you." The other person responds by saying, "Okay, would you like to tell me?" Then the first person expresses their "withhold" with as much honesty, vulnerability and responsibility as possible (i.e. using "I" statements, owning their feelings, etc.). The other person's job is to listen with as much openness as possible, not to react and to say "thank you" when the first person is done. It's best to do this back and forth until both people have shared all of their withholds with each other. When you're done, one or both of you may want to talk about some of the things that were said, but that isn't always necessary. This is not about debate or someone being right or wrong. This is about being able to share how you're feeling and releasing it, as well as giving the other person some important feedback in the process.

3) Ask For What You Want: It's essential that we ask people in our lives for the specific kind of appreciation and feedback that we want from them, and how we like to receive it. The clearer we are about what we want from the people around us, and the more willing we are to find out what they want, the more likely we are to have authentic and mutually beneficial relationships. I've gotten myself into trouble when I assume to know how people want to be acknowledged or what works for them in terms of receiving feedback. Not everyone is like us, as hard as that is for some of us to realize, so we have to negotiate this personally and specifically in each relationship so that we can honor people's needs, desires and personalities.

Have fun with this and be kind to yourself and others as you engage in this process of being a real fan and a conscious critic. While this is an essential aspect of deepening and enhancing our relationships, it is also something that most of us truly want, even if it may make us a little uncomfortable. It can be tricky and scary for most of us, so just be aware of this dynamic and have compassion for yourself and those around you.
Where in your life and relationships could you deepen your ability to be a fan and/or a critic of someone important, for the purpose of their personal development? Share your thoughts, action ideas and insights.


author :
Mike Robbins is a best-selling author, sought-after motivational keynote speaker and personal growth expert who works with people and groups of all kinds. Robbins is the author of the best-selling books Focus on the Good Stuff and Be Yourself: Everyone Else Is Already Taken. He and his work have been featured on ABC News, in Forbes, Ladies Home Journal, Self and many others.

source: http://oprah.com