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By all means, marry. If you get a good wife, you’ll become happy; if you get a bad one, you’ll become a philosopher. – Socrates quote

Sometimes reality has a way of sneaking up and biting us in the ass. And when the dam bursts, all you can do is swim. The world of pretend is a cage, not a cocoon. We can only lie to ourselves for so long. We are tired, we are scared, denying it doesn’t change the truth. Sooner or later we have to put aside our denial and face the world. Head on, guns blazing. De Nile. It’s not just a river in Egypt, it’s a freakin’ ocean. So how do you keep from drowning in it? – Meredith Baxter quote

If addiction is judged by how long a dumb animal will sit pressing a lever to get a “fix” of something, to its own detriment, then I would conclude that netnews is far more addictive than cocaine. -  Rob Stampfli quote

Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names – John Fitzgerald Kennedy quote

I’ve learned that no matter how good a friend someone is, they’re going to hurt you every once in awhile and you must forgive them for that.

Fast for Fear of Choking (You can’t refuse to do the thing you need to just because there is a slight chance to fail.) – Chinese Proverb quote

I may have my pride, but my pride does not have me.

A stiff apology is a second insult… The injured party does not want to be compensated because he has been wronged; he wants to be healed because he has been hurt. – G. K. Chesterton quote

Never ruin an apology with an excuse. Kimberly Johnson quote

I’ve never known any human being, high or humble, who ever regretted, when nearing life’s end, having done kindly deeds. But I have known more than one millionaire who became haunted by the realization that they had led selfish lives. – Barry C. Forbes quote

You can bend it and twist it… You can misuse and abuse it… But even God cannot change the Truth. – Michale Levy

Judge a person by their questions, rather than their answers. – Voltaire

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. – George Santayana

The coward calls the brave man rash, the rash man calls him a coward.

Try and fail, but don’t fail to try. How long should you try? Until.

One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure its worth watching.

Nobody can hurt me without my permission. Mahatma Gandhi

My wisdom comes from my own personal experiences, my knowledge from the experiences of others; if it were the other way around I couldn’t trust myself. – Antoinette Forsythe

When thought becomes excessively painful, action is the finest remedy. – Salman Rushdie

We think too small. Like the frog at the bottom of the well. He thinks the sky is only as big as the top of the well. If he surfaced, he would have an entirely different view. — Mao Tse-Tung

For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief. -Ecclesiastes

Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You cannot uneducate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore. We have seen the future, and the future is ours. Cesar Chavez

Love is a decision – not an emotion.

Before enlightenment – chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment – chop wood, carry water. Zen Buddhist Proverb

Arguing with a fool proves there are two. Doris M. Smith

Men soon the faults of others learn. A few their virtues, too, find out. But is there one I have a doubt; Who can his own defects discern? Sanskrit Proverb

Then you will have success if you are careful to observe the decrees and laws that the LORD gave Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged. 1 Chronicles 22:13

No one ever choked to death swallowing his pride

Are you not ashamed of caring so much for the making of money and for fame and prestige, when you neither think nor care about wisdom and truth and the improvement of your soul? Socrates

Image Credit: Philosophers Club by Thomas Hawk,  Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

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Via the media we have all witnessed the horrendous and tragic earthquake that has recently trampled over Haiti. The damage is so extensive that it is only a matter of time before a ‘state of emergency is declared’. Countries from all over the world have pledged millions towards the relief effort and on a local level, people throughout the world are organizing funding drives and the wealthy are pledging thousands to millions of dollars. Red Cross FEMA the military and other rescue organizations are already on the scene and more are expected to arrive. Haiti has received assistance that could total billions (between the years 2007-2010);  Prime Minister Obama has now pledged 100 million dollars to help them.

If I were in Haiti and/or had family and friends therein, I would pray that the world would hear our cries and come to our rescue by any means necessary. I would be thankful to all those who came to help without even knowing us. I would be thrilled to know that enough money has been received to assist us in rebuilding our land; put our lives back in order.

This has not been the case for the Haitian people and I cannot understand why.  So I have to ask: What did Haiti do with all the money? Should the governments of the receiving countries be trusted with such large sums of money? Is there any accountability process in place for all funds given and received?

I believe we are all responsible for each other; we are all one body of people scattered across the globe; I believe that there is no such thing as “there is nothing that I can do for you.” If I have half a loaf of bread, it is my responsibility to feed everyone in my family first. If my neighbour then knocks on my door and tells me he’s hungry, it is my responsibility to share my slice with him. If as he leaves he passes a homeless man it is his responsibility to share his slice with him and so on.

With that being said, why are so many governments sending millions of dollars that should be used to take care of their own people FIRST? America has yet to complete the rebuilding required from Hurricane Katrina and other disasters. It has yet to clean up low-income neighbourhoods and make homelessness and poverty a thing of the past. It has yet to rescue all families that have recently lost their homes to foreclosures or that are facing foreclosures; look at what 100 million dollars could have done for Americans!

When you donate, please, use an organization that is known to be financially responsible; ensure that your money is being used for what you intended; all donors and intended recipients have a right to said process.

I will continue to pray for the people of Haiti.

Written by Antoinette Forsythe Copyright © All Rights Reserved, Image Credit: Wow – thank you! by Salvation Army USA West Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License, Hurricane Katrina by au_tiger01, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License.