Archive for iunie 2009
Ruth Madoff Speaks…
by Mike Krumboltz,
Monday, June 29, 2009
It’s no secret that Bernie Madoff doesn’t have many friends right now. In fact, newspapers can’t seem to write his name without describing him as „disgraced.” But what might come as a surprise is that his wife, Ruth, may be even more of a social pariah—not for what she’s done, but rather for her silence regarding her husband’s tremendous fall from grace.
Mrs. Madoff is aware of the brewing rage directed toward her. On Monday, she released a statement after her husband was sentenced to a staggering 150 years in prison. The statement acknowledged that her silence may have been interpreted as „indifference or lack of sympathy for the victims of my husband Bernie’s crime.” However, Mrs. Madoff writes that this is „exactly the opposite of the truth.” She continues, „Not a day goes by when I don’t ache over the stories that I have heard and read.”
Still, while Mrs. Madoff hasn’t been charged with any crime whatsoever, there are still those who believe it’s open season on the Manhattanite. The New York Post recently published an article reporting that Mrs. Madoff was spotted riding a New York subway. Upon being recognized, Mrs. Madoff, obviously annoyed, asked the Post photographer if she was „having fun embarrassing [her]—and ruining [her] life.”
But that wasn’t the first public awkward moment suffered by Mrs. Madoff. Earlier this month, The New York Times reported that her hair salon, where she used to receive highlights every six weeks, told her not to return. The Times reports that Mrs. Madoff „is viewed as an unrepentant beneficiary of ill-gotten wealth, a petite and well-dressed embodiment of the collective, bloated greed that helped topple the stock market and the housing industry.” Whether or not the public scorn is justified seems to be beside the point.
For whatever it’s worth (probably not much to the victims of her husband’s fraud), Mrs. Madoff has given up her claim to millions of dollars in joint assets. According to an agreement with United States prosecutors, Ruth will be left with $2.5 million. Sounds like a lot of money, but The Wall Street Journal reports that Mrs. Madoff may „still face claims” from government agencies like the SEC and trustees that are liquidating Bernie’s assets.
Assuming she invests with a non-crook and isn’t hit with more claims, Mrs. Madoff can expect to earn about $125,000 per year on her $2.5 million settlement. Adjusting to life on a fixed income will require a significant change in lifestyle. Still, that’s a problem that many of her husband’s victims would surely love to have…
Philosophical views of humility…
Kant is among the first philosophers to view conception of humility as „that meta-attitude which constitutes the moral agent’s proper perspective on himself as a dependent and corrupt but capable and dignified rational agent”. Kant’s notion of humility is that humility is a virtue, and indeed a central virtue.
Mahatma Gandhi is attributed as suggesting that attempting to sustain truth without humility is doomed to cause it to become instead an „arrogant caricature” of truth.
Some other schools of thought, such as Ayn Rand’s Objectivism, have seen self-abasement as antithetical to morality.
Humility is considered an important virtue in taoism. The following quote describes how a wise person should see his accomplishments, according to the Tao Te Ching (77.4)
- [a wise person] acts without claiming the results as his; he achieves his merit and does not rest (arrogantly) in it: – he does not wish to display his superiority.
Nietzsche wrote of humility (not to speak of patience, wisdom, and any other virtue lauded widely by the masses) as a weakness, a false virtue which concealed the frailties and hidden crookedness in its holder.
His idealized ubermensch would be more apt to roam around unfettered by pretensions of humility, proud of his stature and power, but not reveling idly in it, and certainly not displaying hubris…
Humility in Islam…
In the Qur’an, Arabic words conveying the meaning of „humility” are used. Among these are „tawadu’ ” and „khoshou’ „:
„Before thee We sent messengers to many nations, and We afflicted the nations with suffering and adversity, that they call Allah in humility. When the suffering reached them from Us, why then did they not call Allah in humility? On the contrary, their hearts became hardened, and Satan made their sinful acts seem alluring to them.” (Al-Anaam 6:42-43)
„Successful indeed are the believers, those who humble themselves in their prayers.” (Al-Muminoon 23:1-2). „Has not the time arrived for the believers that their hearts in all humility should engage in the remembrance of Allah and of the Truth which has been revealed to them.”(Al-Hadid 57:16)
Humility In Sikhism…
Humility is a deep aspect of Sikhism preached as Nimrata. According to Sikhism All have to bow in humility before God. The fruit of humility is intuitive peace and pleasure. With Humility they continue to meditate on the Lord, the Treasure of excellence. The God-conscious being is steeped in humility. One whose heart is mercifully blessed with abiding humility. Sikhism deal Humility as begging bowl before the god. Guru Nanak, First Guru Of Sikhism said,
Make contentment your ear-rings, humility your begging bowl, and meditation the ashes you apply to your body.(Page 4,Guru Granth Sahib)
Listening and believing with love and humility in your mind (Page 6,Guru Granth Sahib).
In the realm of humility, the Word is Beauty.(Page 8,Guru Granth Sahib).
Modesty, humility and intuitive understanding are my mother-in-law and father-in-law (Page 152,Guru Granth Sahib).
There are many more aspects covered in Guru Granth Sahib on Humility which Sikh Gurus taught to the world…
Humility in Christianity…
This article incorporates text from the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913.
St. Thomas Aquinas
Catholic texts view humility as annexed to the cardinal virtue of temperance. It is viewed as a potential part of temperance because temperance includes all those virtues that refrain or express the inordinate movements of our desires or appetites.
Humility is defined as, „A quality by which a person considering his own defects has a humble opinion of himself and willingly submits himself to God and to others for God’s sake.” St. Bernard defines it as, „A virtue by which a man knowing himself as he truly is, abases himself. Jesus Christ is the ultimate definition of Humility.”
St. Thomas Aquinas, a 13th century philosopher and theologian in the Scholastic tradition, defines humility similarly as „the virtue of humility” that „consists in keeping oneself within one’s own bounds, not reaching out to things above one, but submitting to one’s superior” (Summa Contra Gent., bk. IV, ch. lv, tr. Joseph Rickaby).
Humility is said to be the foundation of the spiritual edifice and inferior only to faith. However, humility is considered the first virtue inasmuch as it removes the obstacles to faith. It removes pride and makes a man subject to and a fit recipient of grace; according to the words of St. James, „God resisteth the proud, and giveth his grace to the humble” (James 4:6).
„True humility” is distinctly different from „false humility” ” which consists of deprecating one’s own sanctity, gifts, talents, and accomplishments for the sake of receiving praise or adulation from other, as personified by Uriah Heep. In this context legitimate humility comprises the following behaviors and attitudes
- submission to God and legitimate authority;
- recognition of the virtues and talents that others possess, particularly those which surpass one’s own, and giving due honor and, when required, obeisance;
- recognition of the limits of one’s talents, ability, or authority; and, not reaching for that which is beyond one’s grasp.
As illustrated in the person of Moses, who leads the nation of Hebrews out of slavery in Egypt and to the “Promised Land”, humility is a sign of Godly strength and purpose, not weakness. Of this great leader, the Bible states, “(For Moses was a man exceeding meek above all men that dwelt upon earth)” (Numbers 12:3, Douay-Rheims Bible).
The vices opposed to humility are: (A) pride (by reason or defect). (B) a too great obsequiousness or abjection of oneself; this would be considered an excess of humility,and could easily be derogatory to a man’s office or holy character; or it might serve only to pamper pride in others, by unworthy flattery, which would occasion their sins of tyranny, arbitrariness, and arrogance. The virtue of humility may not be practiced in any external way which would occasion vices in others.
Amongst the benefits of humility described in the Bible are honor, wisdom, eternal life, unity, rewards in heaven and others. In the Bible, an exhortation to humility is found in Philippians 2:1-17:
- „If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of charity, if any society of the spirit, if any bowels of commiseration: Fulfill ye my joy, that you may be of one mind, having the same charity, being of one accord, agreeing in sentiment. Let nothing be done through contention, neither by vain glory: but in humility, let each esteem others better than themselves: Each one not considering the things that are his own, but those that are other men’s. For let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men, and in habit found as a man. He humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross. For which cause God also hath exalted him, and hath given him a name which is above all names: That in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth: And that every tongue should confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father. Wherefore, my dearly beloved, (as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but much more now in my absence,) with fear and trembling work out your salvation. For it is God who worketh in you, both to will and to accomplish, according to his good will. And do ye all things without murmurings and hesitations; That you may be blameless, and sincere children of God, without reproof, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation; among whom you shine as lights in the world. Holding forth the word of life to my glory in the day of Christ, because I have not run in vain, nor laboured in vain. Yea, and if I be made a victim upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice, and congratulate with you all.” Philippians 2:1-17 Douay-Rheims Bible).
Also in 1 Peter 2:23, concerning Jesus Christ’s behavior in general and submission to unjust torture and execution in particular: „Who, when he was reviled, did not revile: when he suffered, he threatened not: but delivered himself to him that judged him justly.” (1 Peter 2:23 Douay-Rheims Bible)
Humility in Buddhism…
In Buddhism, humility is equivalent to a concern of how to be liberated from the sufferings of life and the vexations of the human mind. The ultimate aim is to achieve a state of enlightenment through meditation and other spiritual practices. Humility can also result from achieving the liberation of Nirvana.
When one experiences the ultimate Emptiness and non-self, one is free from suffering, vexations, and all illusions of self-deception. Humility, compassion, and wisdom characterize this state of enlightenment.
Chan (Zen) Master Li Yuansong states that enlightenment can come only after humility – the wisdom of realizing one’s own ignorance, insignificance, and lowliness, without which one cannot see the truth…
Humility…
The term „humility” is derived from the Latin word „humilis”, which is translated not only as humble but also alternatively as „low”, or „from the earth”, and „humus”, humid, which in the past it was believed that emotions, diseases, and depressions were caused by imbalances of body waters.
Because the concept of humility addresses intrinsic self-worth, it is emphasized in the realm of religious practice and ethics where the motion is often made more precise and extensive. Humility as a religious or spiritual virtue is different from the act of humiliation or shaming though the former may follow as a consequence of the latter.
Associated Press – 42 minutes ago
FILE – In this Aug. 29, 1993 file photo, pop singer Michael Jackson performs during his ‘Dangerous’ concert in National Stadium, Singapore. (AP Photo/C.F. Tham, file)Associated Press LOS ANGELES – Michael Jackson, the sensationally gifted child star who rose to become the „King of Pop” and the biggest celebrity in the world only to fall from his throne in a freakish series of scandals, died Thursday. He was 50. Jackson died at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. Ed Winter, the assistant chief coroner for Los Angeles County, confirmed his office had been notified of the death and would handle the investigation.
The circumstances of Jackson’s death were not immediately clear. Jackson was not breathing when Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics responded to a call at his Los Angeles home about 12:30 p.m., Capt. Steve Ruda told the Los Angeles Times. The paramedics performed CPR and took him to the hospital, Ruda told the newspaper.
Jackson’s death brought a tragic end to a long, bizarre, sometimes farcical decline from his peak in the 1980s, when he was popular music’s premier all-around performer, a uniter of black and white music who shattered the race barrier on MTV, dominated the charts and dazzled even more on stage.
His 1982 album „Thriller” – which included the blockbuster hits „Beat It,” „Billie Jean” and „Thriller” – is the best-selling album of all time, with an estimated 50 million copies sold worldwide.
The public first knew him in the late 1960s, when as a boy he was the precocious, spinning lead singer of the Jackson 5, the music group he formed with his four older brothers. Among their No. 1 hits were „I Want You Back,” „ABC,” and „I’ll Be There.”
He was perhaps the most exciting performer of his generation, known for his feverish, crotch-grabbing dance moves and his high-pitched voice punctuated with squeals and titters. His single sequined glove, tight, military-style jacket and aviator sunglasses were trademarks second only to his ever-changing, surgically altered appearance.
„For Michael to be taken away from us so suddenly at such a young age, I just don’t have the words,” said Quincy Jones, who produced „Thriller.” „He was the consummate entertainer and his contributions and legacy will be felt upon the world forever. I’ve lost my little brother today, and part of my soul has gone with him.”
Jackson ranked alongside Elvis Presley and the Beatles as the biggest pop sensations of all time. He united two of music’s biggest names when he was briefly married to Presley’s daughter, Lisa Marie, and Jackson’s death immediately evoked that of Presley himself, who died at age 42 in 1977.
As years went by, Jackson became an increasingly freakish figure – a middle-aged man-child weirdly out of touch with grown-up life. His skin became lighter, his nose narrower, and he spoke in a breathy, girlish voice. He surrounded himself with children at his Neverland ranch, often wore a germ mask while traveling and kept a pet chimpanzee named Bubbles as one of his closest companions.
„It seemed to me that his internal essence was at war with the norms of the world. It’s as if he was trying to defy gravity,” said Michael Levine, a Hollywood publicist who represented Jackson in the early 1990s. He called Jackson a „disciple of P.T. Barnum” and said the star appeared fragile at the time but was „much more cunning and shrewd about the industry than anyone knew.”
Jackson caused a furor in 2002 when he playfully dangled his infant son, Prince Michael II, over a hotel balcony in Berlin while a throng of fans watched from below.
In 2005, he was cleared of charges he molested a 13-year-old cancer survivor at Neverland in 2003. He had been accused of plying the boy with alcohol and groping him, and of engaging in strange and inappropriate behavior with other children.
The case followed years of rumors about Jackson and young boys. In a TV documentary, he had acknowledged sharing his bed with children, a practice he described as sweet and not at all sexual.
Despite the acquittal, the lurid allegations that came out in court took a fearsome toll on his career and image, and he fell into serious financial trouble.
Jackson was preparing for what was to be his greatest comeback: He was scheduled for an unprecedented 50 shows at a London arena, with the first set for July 13. He was in rehearsals in Los Angeles for the concert, an extravaganza that was to capture the classic Jackson magic: showstopping dance moves, elaborate staging and throbbing dance beats.
Singer Dionne Warwick said: „Michael was a friend and undoubtedly one of the world’s greatest entertainers that I fortunately had the pleasure of working with. … We have lost an icon in our industry.”
Hundreds of people gathered outside the hospital as word of his death spread. The emergency entrance at the UCLA Medical Center, which is near Jackson’s rented home, was roped off with police tape.
„Ladies and gentlemen, Michael Jackson has just died,” a woman boarding a Manhattan bus called out, shortly after the news was announced. Immediately many riders reached for their cell phones.
So many people wanted to verify the early reports of Jackson’s death that the computers running Google‘s news section interpreted the fusillade of „Michael Jackson” requests as an automated attack for about half an hour Thursday evening.
In New York’s Times Square, a low groan went up in the crowd when a screen flashed that Jackson had died, and people began relaying the news to friends by cell phone.
„No joke. King of Pop is no more. Wow,” Michael Harris, 36, of New York City, read from a text message a friend sent to his telephone. „It’s like when Kennedy was assassinated. I will always remember being in Times Square when Michael Jackson died.”
___
Associated Press Writers Derrik J. Lang in Los Angeles and Virginia Byrne, Nekesa Mumbi Moody and Jocelyn Noveck in New York contributed to this report.
Andrei D.MITUCA
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Insomniile lui Andrei Свири́дов MITUCA... 