Change!

This note is about the verb "change" and not the noun change (e.g. coins of low denomination, fresh set of clothing, etc. )!

We often talk about the need to change, adapting to change, change of attitude, mind or ways. In all these examples we are talking about self motivated change that in most cases is driven by circumstances that have unfolded in our lives and potentially resulting from emulating people we admire.

A change in our lives may occur either slowly (over the years) or rapidly as a result of a single-event upset. Rate of change will differ from one individual to another and therefore I will leave that statement in its present form rather than attempting to break it down further!

It is a fact of life that as we grow older we will slow down in performing several activities that we were previously able to do. However, because of our changing world and technological innovations, we may also continue to learn new skills and, as a result, we may perform activities which were previously unavailable!

Arguments for and against whether or not change in our lives is preordained has posed itself over the centuries. Whereas I am not sufficiently versed in either religious or philosophical dogma to unequivocally answer that question, my instinct, coupled with my acquired with age logic, prompts me to conclude that, like light, which has a dual nature of wave and particle, change must have a similar duality in nature too.

After all, if all change is preordained, what control do we have over our lives? Whether we believe in a Supreme power or in forces of nature, fairness dictates that we must have a clear choice in many aspects of change in our lives, and, of course, by the same token, you can make your own choice as to what to believe!

Hani Badawi

December 4, 2016

Howling Politicians

When vociferous careless politicians howl out statements in all directions, ultimately some of them are bound to stick. The ones that don't resonate are often forgotten until they reappear and manifest themselves as the ones that pertain to the core of the howler!

Hani Badawi
November 17, 2016

Time for Electoral College Reform?

This round of US presidential elections coughed up 2 unpopular candidates and the one who instilled fear and promoted hateful feelings and divisive ideas won! To determine whether the winner meant to do that out of personal belief or was it a ploy that he used to win the elections, we will have to wait for a few months!

The system of electoral college is in need of major reform but the resistance to change remains in effect because of many reasons, most of which pertain to special interests. 

Begs the question: What is a better system, not only to bring about the success of the better candidate, but to present without exorbitant expenses the best candidates who will propel the country forward?

The simple answer lies in the possibilities of amendments to the US constitution, a constitution that undeniably, to date, remains the best one that was put together by any country in the world. 

The more complex answer lies in economic reforms, ones that will ultimately prevent financial tycoons from muscling their way to the top without the necessary political and ethical qualifications.

Bottom line: We are witnessing a work in progress and another chapter in the history of a great country that, because of it's great potentials and its built-in checks and balances, will, in time, overcome the obstacles that continue to pose themselves from time to time.

Hani Badawi

November 10, 2016

Is The World Changing?

In the ongoing rally by the US presidential contenders to gain people's trust and support, I thought I should reflect a little about the thoughts that go on in my mind. They are thoughts that extend well beyond the scope of the forthcoming US presidential elections. 

I strongly support the notion of patriotic selfless, dedicated non-politicians taking the helm and presiding over the affairs of a nation.

What I have an issue with is when selfish, self serving, pretentious, unscrupulous bullies assume that they are worthy of that position and when sadly they succeed!  

More than two thousand years ago the collapse of the Roman Republic occurred at the hands of military individuals who used their military might to secure political power and prominent leadership positions. It is noteworthy that accumulation of wealth in those days was almost exclusively achieved via gains from spoils of war. It is also noteworthy that history shows that personal ambition and devious manipulation by the political leaders had much to do with the collapse of the Roman Republic!!

Fast forward to the 20th and 21st Century AD (Aka as CE), I wonder if, apart from the tremendous evolution in Science and Technology and diverse ways of accumulating wealth, has the world witnessed a true reform in the methods and ways adopted by those seeking to get to the helm and those who've succeeded in getting there?

Devious rhetoric by politicians and gullibility of the masses over the years seems to indicate that the answer to that last question is a resounding "absolutely not!!!"

So, is the world changing? 

Well, let me put it this way: The world continues to rotate around its axis once a day and revolves around the sun once every 365.25 days without any noticeable change. 

Perhaps the power seekers believe that, like the rotation and revolution of the world, their world is unchangeable. Alas, perhaps in their assumption, they are right too!!!

Hani Badawi
October 2, 2016

A Reflection on Radicalism

When the identity of a country is tainted and/or influenced by radical ideas it reflects a deficiency and weakness in its educational structure and historic awareness. A dearth in economic resources is a byproduct of the above shortcomings and cannot be used as an excuse.

Hani Badawi
September 1, 2016

With Hilary Or Donald Life Will Go On!

If we believe in the power of free elections then we must heed what Plato, the Greek Philosopher (c. 428-348 BCE) intimated many centuries ago: “This City is what it is because our citizens are what they are.”

Even though Plato’s words ring true today, one must reflect on the past and ponder whether “free elections” ever lived-up to its meaning and/or promise!

Fast forward from the days of Plato to the Roman Philosopher Cicero (106-43 BCE) who, in addition to being a philosopher, was a, lawyer, orator and politician. Cicero had a seemingly different view from the one held by Plato about citizens, when he professed: “Nothing is more unreliable than the populace, nothing more obscure than human intentions, nothing more deceptive than the whole electoral system.”

In actuality, the two great philosophers were not in conflict in their thoughts, they only reflected upon what they observed in their respective eras. Needless to say, they were prophetic in their thoughts too.

One thing we can say, apart from the passing of time, nothing much has changed!

Hani Badawi

Sptember 1, 2016

Smoke and Mirrors

Events around the world, as portrayed in the news on TV or any other communication media, seem to indicate an alarming escalation in social and economic chaos, factional strife and general unrest.

I was initially inclined to start my previous paragraph with the word “recently” but upon further deliberation I realized that it would be inappropriate to do so in light of the fact that the preceding phenomena and symptoms have been going on for a very long time. The main difference is that our immediate awareness has been considerably heightened by the diverse communication media channels that have become easily accessible to us during the past decade or two.

Talking about communication, and specifically about the tools of today versus those of yesteryear, some of you may remember some of the Old Western (previously referred to as Cowboy and Indian) movies depicting the olden tools used by Native Americans for communication, namely “Smoke and Mirrors”. These were predominantly used for sending signals of some impending danger and certainly not whimsical tidbits!

Oddly enough, our modern usage of the term “Smoke and Mirrors” has a very different connotation from that which was used by some Native American tribes! As defined in the Cambridge Dictionary: “Something that is described as Smoke and Mirrors is intended to make you believe that something is being done or is true, when it is not”!

Perhaps a live example of today’s “Smoke and Mirrors” can be gleaned anytime we read for or watch speeches delivered by some politicians!

Hani Badawi
August 4, 2016

The time in between

As we grow older time seems to fly faster and that can be partially attributed to the law of ratios. At the age of 10, one additional year represents 10% of one's life whereas at the age of 50, one additional year represents 2% of the years previously lived and that percentage dwindles as one gets older.

Many other factors contribute to the apparently faster speed of time and, I hasten to add, these factors are not explainable by Einstein's Special Relativity Theory!

This note, however, is not meant to address the reasons behind the previously mentioned apparent faster speed of time but rather what happens to the time in between the years especially in as far as human contact is concerned.

As time elapses our contact with those who may have been very close to us like our parents, siblings, relatives, school friends, etc., with whom once upon a time we may have had daily contact, starts to diminish with time to the point that sometimes we lose contact with some of them!

It is often the case that we may only once in a long while see or talk to those who were once very close to us. It is interesting that, in some of these cases, in our mind, the time in between seems to have been in suspended animation such that when we reunite we can almost continue old conversations without any hesitation as if the time had never elapsed! This is in sharp contrast to the "flying time" concept!

Fortunately our ability to stitch the ending of a period of contact to the beginning of the next period of encounter (in other words the time in between) with a close person buffers us from some of the realities that otherwise we would have to process, digest and contend with. Imagine, as time passes, and with our expanding circle of contacts, if we had to stay in touch with all the old and new friends on a daily basis how much time we would have left for dealing with our lives! Needless to say what repercussions this would have on our anxiety level!

Social networks are now offering us a medium for shortening the afore mentioned "time in between", however, if not managed properly, it can lead us to suffer from elevated anxiety.

I like to conclude this note with the following words by Aesop (620-560 BCE): "A crust eaten in peace is better than a banquet partaken in anxiety."

Hani Badawi
July 17, 2016

Thoughts on Human Communication

In this modern era where communication is enabled through various channels and means, it is almost impossible not to find people with whom you had previously lost contact.

I, for one, derive a tremendous pleasure from re-linking with friends and family with whom contact was dormant for years!

It is mind boggling how quickly time flies and I quote here W. Somerset Maugham's words from his short story "The Bum":
"Time, because it is so fleeting, time, because it is beyond recall, is the most precious of human goods, and to squander it is the most delicate form of dissipation in which man can indulge".

Needless to say, I feel very fortunate for having made so many new friends through the same channels and means that re-linked me to my long lost friends!

You make my life worth living and I love you all 😀.
Hani Badawi
June 17, 2016

Sunny and Cloudy Days

Today I woke up to a fairly cloudy morning following an overnight heavy rainfall here in Beijing.  Rain is always welcome as it clears the air and the pollution typically drops to manageable levels to make breathing safe again!

Thinking to myself, a cloudy day in the wake of a heavy rainfall night heralds more rain, definitely good news!

Prompts me to think again, how often do we welcome cloudy days?

Do we ever have songs or poems about cloudy days?

On the contrary, in our minds we associate cloudy days with gloomy feelings.  Cloudy implies somber, overcast, dismal, dull, mucky, etc. all having negative connotations.

My mind races again and prompts me to think: Apart from my feeling that I and other Beijingers may be happy to wake up to a cloudy day, where else would praiseworthy thoughts be aired about cloudy days? I am sure that under drought conditions and desert living, cloudy days will bring renewed hope of rain and better days ahead.

Let’s balance the above against the impact of waking up to a Sunny day!  Perhaps it is a universally agreed upon notion that Sunny implies fine, brilliant, pleasant, radiant, etc. and Sunday is that day off where we are expected to have a “Sunny” day!

In all languages the Sun and Sunny days are praised in many refrains and the examples are too many to list here.

Upon researching clouds and cloudy days in as far as songs and poems of praise are concerned, I found out, as expected, that there are only a few and far between worthy of mention.  

Clouds are upset and are sending us the following message:
 “How can you say that you are on “cloud nine” when you’re happy, develop advanced computing and call it “cloud computing” and yet continue to associate us with gloom and doom?”!!!!

Remember, every cloud has a silver lining after all!

Hani Badawi,
June 30, 2016

What is more important, Democracy or Good Governance?

There is evidently some ambiguity in both terms, and there are no clear cut metrics that would enable us to unequivocally answer that question.

What we do have are results of different aspects of life in different nations whether they define themselves as "democratic", "socialist" or "communist" and under diverse forms of rules such as "republics" or "monarchies". I have intentionally used parentheses for the above definitions to reflect that within each there are wide ranges of variables which are too large to cover in this note.  Quoting Aristotle (384 - 322 BCE): "The worst form of inequality is to try to make unequal things equal".

Yesterday (or today depending on where you are in the world), July 1 commemorated the 95th Anniversary of the formation of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and also the 149th birthday of Canada. Congratulations are in order to those 2 nations whose progress over the years is phenomenal in spite of the difference in their ideologies and forms of rule!

Hani Badawi
July 1, 2016

Ducks, Geese and Terrorism

 If it looks like a duck, moves and swims like a duck, quacks like a duck, it must be a duck and, I add, certainly not a goose!

By the same token, if any group, by whatever name it chooses to label itself, behaves like a terrorist group (TG) and acts like a TG, then it must be a TG and not an organization!

We, and any media resources, instead of referring to any TG as the "so and so group" should refer to it as the TG that calls itself the "so and so group"!

In my opinion, if we refer to any group by the "so and so group" name that it has labeled itself, then we are endorsing its legitimacy!!

The world is in a dire need of a true and unified eradication of terrorists by all the names that any have chosen to brand themselves.

Eradication of these groups is a tall order and can only be achieved if and only if the eradicators pluck courage and accept that there is a cost of achieving their goal. Slogans and condemnation are simply postures and are not effective in achieving the world peace that the vast majority of people would like to enjoy.

Religion has been used as a crutch over the centuries and has ultimately led to many reforms to eliminate many misconceptions and misinterpretation of the supreme words and/or teachings.

Reforms must continue to evolve otherwise the world will go to hell in a hand basket and our goose will be cooked!!!

Hani Badawi
July 6, 2016

When Bullies Take Center Stage

It is an undeniable fact that we encounter bullies from our early school days and throughout the rest of our lives.

It is interesting to note that many of these bullies, through their manipulative bullying tactics, successfully make their way into society and often reach high places.

They outwardly seem to garner supporters but I pose the question: Is it their charm or fear of their venom that supporters rally around them?

Characteristics of bullies are diverse in nature and have been a topic of study, discussion, essays, books, etc. over the ages and yet treatment and cures have not been too forthcoming!

I guess you may have surmised where my note is leading to!

Yes, Politicians! I hasten to add that I do not want to single out any particular one by name or nation, but here are the metrics that you may wish to use to identify who fits the bill and who doesn’t.

Does he/she exhibit the following negative features?
• Blackmailing
• Use of foul language
• Hatemongering
• Spreading rumors
• Manipulating
And yet exhibit the following positive features:
• Superficially charming
• Assertive
• Competitive
• Intelligent

When I used the foregoing criteria to determine which politician fits the bill, I found out that it’s difficult to find any who don’t!!!!

Hani Badawi

May 13, 2016

The “isms” in our lives!

We encounter many “isms” in our lives to span our lifetimes many times over! These isms manifest themselves in many tones, circumstances, environments, moods, beliefs, leanings, etc. to name but a few!

Take optimism, pessimism and realism for example. A few will argue that these lie on the same spectrum covering from one extreme (optimism) to the other (pessimism). I argue that realism does not fall on the same spectrum and that each of these extremes has their own mini-spectrum! You can have extreme, moderate and slight pessimism or optimism but you cannot apply that to realism!

Other isms that fall into the same category as realism, i.e. they do not conform to having degrees or, in other words, they either exist or not, include: racism, fascism, nepotism, radicalism, sexism, anarchism, humanism, individualism, etc… They belong to the same notion as “You can’t be half pregnant!!!”.

Subscribing to an “ism” does not mean that it cannot be changed. Politicians do it all the time!! Perhaps when it occurs we should refer to it as “wasm”!!!
_______________________________________________
P.S. “ism” as defined in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary: a belief, attitude, style, etc., that is referred to by a word that ends in the suffix -ism

Hani Badawi

May 10, 2016

Stress Me Not!

Many moons ago, when I was growing up I learned about the superstitious approach of conducting my own, so called, “fortune telling” by plucking the petals of a flower and alternately uttering the words "love me" followed by "love me not" and relying on the last plucked petal to predict which of these will seal my fortune!

As I grew older and came to terms with the fact that this was only a game of chance and hope, I, nevertheless, continued to model other life alternatives in a similar gamely fashion, knowing that, although they are just games, this process does have merits in allowing me to review the different facets associated with any challenging situation.

In light of the above, I am sure you will agree that stress plays a prominent role in our lives and is therefore worthy of consideration and thus prompts me to address the title of this note "Stress Me Not!"

This phrase, unlike my childhood flower petal plucking game, signifies several connotations, and I list below the ones that readily come to mind:

Prayer: Lord, I beseech You to make my life comfortable and I beg You to Stress Me Not!

Threat: Challenged by circumstances that are imposed by social, business or financial factors, using that phrase followed by "or else" carries the threat implication that it is intended for!

Plea: When the going gets tough in relationships and when arguments become difficult to resolve, one may resort to saying Please, Stress Me Not because I am at the end of my tether!

Question: How many times have I told you to Stress Me Not?

Command: I order you to Stress Me Not!

Reflecting on the above, and, in as far as stress is concerned, I pray that, in the adult equivalent of the petal plucking game, the “Stress Me” option never presents itself in any of its varied connotations to any of you!

Hani Badawi

April 14, 2016

Reading, Writing and Making History

Whether we like it or not we are all students of history (family, national, international, sports, music, science, economics, etc.). Our levels though will vary depending on our, desire, interest and aptitude in learning about days gone by.

Some students will keep personal memoirs which may be read by a select few, some will commit events to memory and verbally relate them to their inner circle of friends and family and some more advanced students will write essays or books in areas of interest to them to be shared by a yet larger audience of students.


It is a no brainier that, to write history it is mandatory that one be well read and versed in the discipline of interest to oneself. Conveying history accurately though is a subject of another discussion that is beyond the scope of this article!

Moving on to the topic of "making history", I think most of you will agree that the path towards that end, whether followed deliberately or not, is very intriguing and is worthy of deeper analysis.

Like reading and writing history, making history can take many forms and shapes. It is more likely than not, that out of one's personal experience and passion combined with reading and writing history, that a few will end up in making (either good or bad) history! Written books or current events are replete with examples of those who have attained fame or infamy!

Strange as it may be, disciples of those who have made good or bad history continue to carry banners in writing and in action too that, more than likely, leads to factions, cults, ideologies, resolutions, etc. that ultimately continue to add reasons for world unrest and wars.

I would be remiss if I do not address the role of religion and politics in our world strife! The former is often misinterpreted and misused and the latter often relies on the misinterpretation and misuse aspects for their own personal benefits!

The saga has been with us for ages, and, alas, the saga continues!!!!


Hani Badawi
April 9, 2016

Seeking Solutions: Random and Scattered Thoughts

The act of social or any other form of reform is worthless if accountability is not enforced.

Dedication implies selflessness whereas selflessness doesn't necessarily imply dedication.

Determination requires dedication and vice versa. They are two inseparable partners.

Mankind has not developed at the same pace as technological evolution. Will it ever catch up?

Governments often govern their own interests and not the welfare of the state. Their effectiveness is measured by the economic stability and respect (not fear) of the law and order and NOT by the votes they garnered.


Hani Badawi 

February 28, 2016

Trump or Slump

Many are wondering, many are awe stricken and many are jubilant about Donald Trump's progress so far in this early phase of the Republican Party campaign in preparation for the US 2016 Presidential election.

Although it is too early to draw any conclusions as to who will ultimately be the winner, Republican, Democrat, Male, Female, etc., there is one thing that I can say for sure. Apart from the US I do not know of any other country that offers opportunities for almost anyone to attain their dreams. I say almost because I know you will quickly retort: "Ah, how about influence of money?". Indeed, you would be right in your retort, but, show me the perfect country and I will show you the way to ultimate happiness!!

Hani Badawi

February 14, 2016

Comfort Level, Emotions, Social Barriers and Dreams

Does one's comfort level take precedence over following one's emotions?

Can one's emotions help in overcoming social barriers?

Can social barriers stifle one's dreams?
Can one's emotions pave the path for realizing one's dreams?

As there are no norms to any of the above mentioned criteria, imagine yourself trying to answer any of these questions at different phases of your life.

Perhaps, as is the case with trying to find an answer to a complex dilemma, the answer to any or all of the above is: "It depends"!!!

Hani Badawi

February 15, 2016