Give peace a chance!

THU, FEBRUARY 18, 2016 BY THE MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR LEAVE A COMMENT

IN MY OPINION
Klaus Doring

I am a real peace-loving person. I am always looking for peaceful solutions. I support peace conferences and peace talks. Living at peace and freedom – a desire of millions of people worldwide. Making one’s peace with the world – also a desire of millions of people worldwide!

Reality looks very different as we all know. But yesterday’s Munich deal in Germany represents a glimmer of hope for Syria. The deal for a cessation of hostilities is vague but also the best hope to end the carnage in Syria. Regardless of whether the agreement becomes reality, one country has shown its strength, commented German National Television columnist Michael Knigge.

Major powers, led by the United States and Russia, agreed to end hostilities in Syria and allow humanitarian access to besieged areas of the country. But, as diplomats said whether the deal holds is still wide open.

Going into the Syria talks, US Secretary of State John Kerry had demanded an immediate ceasefire while his German colleague Frank-Walter Steinmeier had hoped for a breakthrough. What come out of the negotiations, which lasted far longer than expected, was neither. Instead the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) agreed to humanitarian access to besieged areas this week and to work out “modalities” for a “nationwide cessation of hostilities” within one week. The latter is the job of a newly formed task force jointly led by United States and Russia.

If this sounds rather vague, that is because it is. The details of how all of this is supposed to happen within such a short time are still sketchy at best. As is the term “cessation of hostilities,” a much less defined concept than ceasefire, as Kerry him-self acknowledged, says also Michael Knigge, who covers transatlantic relations.

The big remaining problem is when – and if Russia – will halt its airstrikes, for instance those taking place around Aleppo. An end to bombing will prove to be a key condition to allowing humanitarian aid to be delivered to suffering civilian populations around the country. What’s more, even if this deal can be translated into reality on the ground, it does not mean, as we have seen in the Ukraine conflict, that it will hold for long or that a sustainable political solution will be reached. In addition, an end of hostilities simply freezes the conflict – and the current power constellation on the ground. That’s an unsavory prospect considering not only Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad but also most other actors in the country.

But even having said all that, the tenuous agreement reached Friday is still the best and only deal around when it comes to trying to end the carnage in Syria. Given the current geopolitical circumstances surrounding the Syrian conflict – with a reluctant US providing ample space that an assertive Russia has been eager to fill – the deal hammered out in a late night session looks like the most realistic option for success.

Whether what has been put on paper will become reality, one party has already scored a big point in Munich: Russia. By co-chairing the task force on ending hostilities together with Washington, the Kremlin has achieved what it has always wanted, namely being perceived as an equal to the United States on the international stage, at least when it comes to Syria. Judging from the outcome of the talks, Washington has accepted that status. Let’s hope for the sake of the Syrian people that it is a price worth paying.

Give peace a chance! Let’s give each other freedom from war, disturbance, or hostilities! Reflect for a moment. Matthew 5:19 says,       “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God!”

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Email: doringklaus@ gmail.com or follow me in Facebook or Twitter or visitwww.germanexpatin thephilippines.blogspot.com or www.klausdorings classicalmusic.blogspot.com.

How much longer…?

WED, FEBRUARY 10, 2016 BY THE MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR LEAVE A COMMENT

IN MY OPINION
Klaus Doring

How much longer will You forget me, Lord?

During many times of darkness when I thought again, that the whole world is against me, I opened my Bible. Suddenly I found Psalm 13, also entitled a Prayer for Help: “How much longer will You forget me, Lord?”

I was born on a Sunday in 1953 – a so-called “Sunday-Child”. There are sayings that those kind of people will have a life of great success without problems, worries and trials. This is – excuse me! – nonsense!

I also experience difficult, problematic and questionable times, where I am really loosing all my strength to get down to work on those problems. Life’s path becomes narrow. Fears grow: it’s enough, it’s enough!

I still feel, how I started becoming awkward and jerky. I struggled against everybody around me. I was reluctant against the good ideas of others. I felt driven into a corner. I started to hurt and insult people in my surroundings with arrogance and unqualified comments. Everything became and become a problem and my voice bellows and my groans grow louder.

But admittedly, groans lighten our burden. For even a short moment only, I do feel how my inner life and inside pressure ease off. But sometimes, more trials and problems overwhelm our families and ourselves: illness, death-threats, bankruptcy, war at the working-place, efforts to give us a bad name, intrigues ….

“How much longer will You forget me, Lord?” We stop groaning. We shout already to God, especially if nobody in our surroundings likes to listen to us anymore. If we are deep in fix, God must have forgotten us already, right? A terrible situation! We see faces of those people, who show us hostility.

But I also experienced how God put me into life’s “re-conversion plant” and freshened me up: Little but meaningful and important cares suddenly happened. After a hot and stressful day and a refreshing thunderstorm, let’s enjoy the following night. The person, who insulted us, suddenly apologized. The illness wiped out.

“You prepare a banquet for me, where all my enemies can see me!” (Psalm 23:5). I am glad, because I really don’t know about more and new spitefulness through my next “enemy on duty” in future. I actually really don’t want to know it. I learned that negativism blocks life and its plans.

But I know Psalm 23. I read it every time while having a problem. Psalm 23 should be printed in everyone’s heart, mind and soul!

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Email: doringklaus @gmail.com or follow me in Facebook or Twitter or visit www.germanexpatinthephilippines.blog spot.com or www.klausdoringsclassicalmusic. blogspot.com.

Europe’s future

SAT, FEBRUARY 6, 2016 BY THE MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR LEAVE A COMMENT

In My Opinion
Klaus Doring

Europe’s future? Europe’s economical future? World’s future? Global economical future? Don’t get me wrong, please. But, if Europe is going down – somehow… .In example, let’s talk about the next question mark: a possible Brexit – an exit of Great Britain from Europe. Are really all eggs in one basket?

British Prime Minister Cameron and the head of the EU Commission Juncker met on Friday (yesterday, I am writing this piece on Saturday, January 30, 2016!) to talk about a possible deal with the UK. Do they have enough to prevent a Brexit? An analysis by Max Hofmann in Brussels.

German TV-commen-tator in Brussels Max Hofmann hit the nail in saying whatever the final text submitted to the leaders at the EU summit on February 18 will look like, it needs to be bullet-proof in a number of ways. It needs to convince Britons that it’s worth saying ‘Yes’ in a referendum later this year and remain part of the EU. It needs to convince other member states that they’re not selling the soul of the European Union to keep the UK in it and it needs to withstand anticipated legal onslaughts in the coming years.

Let’s ask the question, what Britain will definitely get. Four ‘baskets’ will be part of a possible deal and the first three were never seen as a real problem:

– No disadvantages for non-euro member. Cameron wants to make sure that EU countries that don’t use the Euro as their currency aren’t at a disadvantage compared to those that do. This seems to be a rather theoretical request because EU officials feel strongly that at the moment there is no discrimination towards non-euro countries.

– Making the EU more competitive. This is something many member states and the commission have laid claim to already. So the UK is preaching to the converted.

– Exempting the UK from being part of an ‘ever closer union’. Again, this is a question of wording. Although the ‘ever closer union’ is a founding principle of the EU, the UK already has so many exceptions and opt-outs that no one really expects a level of EU integration similar to that of Germany or Belgium.

The fourth ‘basket’ is where David Cameron has all his eggs and also the most controversial one – as Max Hofmann voiced out. Cameron wants to restrict access to certain social benefits to people who arrive in the UK. This includes citizens from all across the European Union. But one of the core principles of the EU is that legislation in one member state cannot discriminate against people from another.

According to reports, the proposal that commission experts have worked out give Cameron much of what he wants without legally violating that principle:

– Making the restriction a temporary one. The UK government has always sought to strip new arrivals of social benefits for a limited time only. Cameron has asked for four years and that’s what he might get.

– Justifying the restriction with the urgency of the situation. In order for this to have a chance in court, Britain would need to argue that immigration is putting too excessive a strain on its social system. Depending on exact definitions of “excessive,” the UK might have the data to make this case.

I am pretty sure, that there are still things, what Britain probably won’t get: The four year mechanism described above are like a trump card the UK can only play once. So if they activated it in 2017 it could be applied until 2021, similar to an emergency brake. After that all EU citizens get the same social benefits as Britons again. By all accounts the EU wants to stay in control. This would mean that the UK can’t just decide to pull the emergency brake, but it most likely has to engage in a process. The assessment whether the requirements are met to restrict social benefits for citizens of other member states would probably lie with the Commission, and the European Council would give the final green light. That’s a bitter pill to swallow for Cameron, but it’s a comparatively small one.

And, what role does German Chancellor Angela Merkel play? Is she ready to compromise to keep the UK in the EU

Would other member states accept this? German Chancellor Merkel has repeatedly said that freedom of movement within the EU is not negotiable. The deal described formally doesn’t restrict that freedom, but Cameron’s hope, of course, is that the restriction of social benefits will keep migrants from coming to the UK. So Merkel can probably agree to this, especially given that she is ready to compromise on many issues to keep the UK in the EU, says Max Hofmann. And, I must confess: I strongly agree with him.

Europe – quo vadis?

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Email: doringklaus@ gmail.com or follow me in Facebook or Twitter or visitwww.germanexpatinthephilippines.blogspot.com or www.klausdoringsclassicalmusic. blogspot.com.

New Year resolutions

TUE, JANUARY 12, 2016 BY THE MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR LEAVE A COMMENT

IN MY OPINION
Klaus Doring

We could spend all year living healthier, more productive lives, so why do we only decide to make the change at the start of the year? Why do we all make (and break) New Year resolutions?

Many of us will start 2016 with resolutions – to get fit, learn a new skill, eat differently. If we really want to do these things, why did we wait until an arbitrary date which marks nothing more important than a timekeeping convention? British psychologist Tom Stafford asked this. And not only he. The answer tells us something important about the psychology of motivation, and about what popular theories of self-control miss out.

While celebrating during New Year’s night, my family an friends found out, that what we want isn’t really straightforward. At bedtime you might want to get up early and go for a run, but when your alarm goes off you find you actually want a lie-in. When exam day comes around you might want to be the kind of person who spent the afternoons studying, but on each of those afternoons you instead wanted to hang out with your friends.

You could see these contradictions as failures of our self-control: impulses for temporary pleasures manage to somehow override our longer-term interests. One fashionable theory of self-control, proposed by Roy Baumeister at Florida State University, is the ‘ego-depletion’ account. This theory states that self-control is like a muscle. This means you can exhaust it in the short-term – meaning that every temptation you resist makes it more likely that you’ll yield to the next temptation, even if it is a temptation to do something entirely different.

A corollary of the ‘like a muscle’ theory is that in the long term, you can strengthen your will-power with practice. So, for example, Baumeister found that people who were assigned two weeks of trying to keep their back straight whenever possible showed improved willpower when asked back into the lab.

But, and more importantly, that theory doesn’t give an explanation why we wait for New Year’s Day to begin exerting our self-control. If your willpower is a muscle, you should start building it up as soon as possible, rather than wait for an arbitrary date.

Another explanation may answer these questions, although it isn’t as fashionable as ego-depletion. George Ainslie’s book ‘Breakdown of Will’ puts forward a theory of the self and self-control which uses game theory to explain why we have trouble with our impulses, and why our attempts to control them take the form they do. The virgin page of a new calendar marks a clean break between the old and new you – a psychological boundary that may help you keep your resolutions (Credit: Getty Images).

And, so to speak with Tom Stafford again, Ainslie gives us an answer to why our resolutions start on 1 January. The date is completely arbitrary, but it provides a clean line between our old and new selves. The practical upshot of the theory is that if you make a resolution, you should formulate it so that at every point in time it is absolutely clear whether you are sticking to it or not. The clear lines are arbitrary, but they help the truce between our competing interests hold.

Good luck for your 2016 resolutions!

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Email: doringklaus@ gmail.com  or follow me in Facebook or Twitter or visitwww.germanex patinthephilippines.blogspot.com  or www.klausdoringsclassical music.blogspot.com.

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White Christmas – white winters?

MON, DECEMBER 28, 2015 BY THE MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR LEAVE A COMMENT

IN MY OPINION
KLAUS DORING

We all know the difference between enjoying a white Christmas or white winters. With record-breaking temperatures around the world this winter, the people in my home country Germany but also neighboring Austria and Switzerland – known for winter wonderland tourism – are really missing white winters. Surely, it reflects on the absurdity of negotiating a global temperature. Who of us could be in another opinion?

I remember well my first winter in Germany still being a little boy: it was cold, so cold. Breath away taking cold. Living in the deep at the time, I was astounded to see people skiing along the forest path on the stretch of park I typically biked through to get downtown. Winter during my childhood, was also harsh. Even my Filipina wife experienced and established her own personal limit below 0 degrees Celsius for bike-riding or even travelling around.

Both of us were enchanted with how snow transformed the drab surroundings into a “winter wonderland.” One of my friends in Berlin had become a sledding enthusiast – she had so much fun, that I bought myself a used sled that spring at a flea market. Once upon a time: Christmas is over, but the snow hasn’t come again.

Let’s talk about the world. Globally, this “winter” had been the warmest on record until this year. Of course, winter is not yet over, but what can we expect more? And next year could continue to break records – because the planet is warming. Since pre-industrial times, average global temperature has increased by about a degree Celsius. Not a good thing, indeed. Staying in the Philippines for good since 17 years now, I observed this not good thing even here.

Some people might point out that warmer winters – especially in central Europe – are a boon. Less people will die due to extreme cold, and the growing season is longer. Global warming looks likely to make grape cultivation – and thus wine production – possible in Scandinavia, for example.

Although there might be a few bright spots resulting from global warming, the big picture does not look good. As past years have already indicated, climate change is resulting in more severe storms, heavy flooding, and prolonged heat and dry periods.

This harms ecosystems, and systems we humans depend on: food production, water supply, healthy oceans.

As climate change marches on, around the world – and also in Europe – we will ever more directly feel the results of this massive experiment that humans are conducting with the Earth. As I mentioned before: winter sports have also taken a hit due to this year’s warm winter. Sure, while covering the climate summit in Paris, at one point I was struck with the absurdity: How can people negotiate the temperature of the planet? Many were pleased with the stated 1.5-degree goal that came out of the Paris Agreement. But just imagine: If what we are seeing now is 1 degree, what will another half degree be like?

Be mad at me. Call me a pessimist. But, negotiating the climate is not only absurd, it’s astoe undingly arrogant.Innumerable species and human lives hang in the balance. If the global community were to truly take responsibility, we’d stop burning fossil fuels this very moment. And here in the Philippines the uncounted fires of our neighbors because of non-existing waste management … ! Maybe someday I will relate to my grandchildren what snow was like. Maybe my complaint is premature – maybe the weather will swing into the other direction, and we’ll have massive blizzards. In summer perhaps. Maybe Greenland’s ice sheet melt-off will plunge Europe into a new Ice Age, as some predict. As we all know: we’re talking now about climate CHANGES… .

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Email: doringklaus@gmail.com or follow me in Facebook or Twitter or visitwww.germanexpatinthephilippines.blogspot.com or www.klausdoringsclassicalmusic.blogspot.com.

Christmas and vacation

TUE, DECEMBER 15, 2015 BY THE MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR LEAVE A COMMENT

IN MY OPINION
Klaus Doring

Several years ago, MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR‘s Editorial stated it very clear: “During the Christmas holidays, we tend to be caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season, that we sometimes forget the essence of Christmas. We even remove Christ from the word Christmas reducing it to X’mas or substituting it with a name of a product or a shopping center.”

Yes, guys, honestly, that’s it…! I really don’t enjoy received “XMAS GREETINGS”….

I am glad looking forward to a two weeks vacation “between the years” – meaning to say between December 23 and January 7. No teaching at University of Southeastern Philippines, although most students wish to be prepared for their January exam in Manila. I might also send a very few office hours in my agency.

A rest from some occupation, business and other stressful activities is waiting for me. Strictly speaking, vacation concerns those who are in school or studying in colleges and universities. “Furlough” would be the appropriate term….

Christmas and vacation: Speaking about myself – I want to bring back Christ to the holiday season and indeed wish to share my blessings with the less fortunate. One of the best-known religious poems is “The Hound of Heaven” written by Francis Thompson, who tried to run away from God. He wanted to have a vacation from God. In reality it is Thompson’s own life. His poem shows clearly the fact in this world that we can have a vacation from physical and mental activities, but never from God.

As I stated before: according to the book of Genesis, after God created the universe in six days. He rested on the seventh day. In other words, He took a vacation. So if God rested after working for some period of time, there is no reason why man, who is finite and limited in his physical strength, should not take a vacation.

Vacation is freedom or release from tension or pressure of work. And, believe me, I learned already from my students, that they will enjoy Christmas and vacation. Many of us feel tired and weak. We are stressed, overwhelmed, depressed and worried about the future – the enumeration, in any order whatever, could be incessant.

Relaxation, meditation, and reinvigoration are badly needed for most of us nowadays. Life, affected by the “burnout syndrome” needs to be animated with energy and strengths.

Yes, Christmas has always been equated with all these worldly ways. Sure, there is indeed nothing wrong with this. Let’s don’t only focus on non-stop merrymaking and countless gifts. Let’s take a break, and let’s try to imagine and enjoy the real meaning of Christmas. Merry Christmas again to everyone – also from this corner….

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Email: doringklaus @gmail.com or follow me in Facebook or Twitter or visit www.germanexpatin the philippines.blogspot. com or www.klausdorings classicalmusic.blogspot.com.

Facebook: boon or ban?

MON, NOVEMBER 30, 2015 BY THE MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR LEAVE A COMMENT

IN MY OPINION

KLAUS DORING

I have asked this question already many times in several columns.

Right at this moment, another case from my home country Germany is in the news. “Facebook must ban abusive content” , says German Justice Minister Maas. And he is so very right. Heiko Maas wants Facebook to better enforce its community standards to rein in abusive users. Given the recent rise in anti-migrant and xenophobic posts, he has called for a meeting with Facebook’s European managers.

In an open letter seen by German daily “Tagesspiegel,” which he links to on his Twitter account, Maas tells Facebook that “we need to talk.”

In the letter, which he sent to Facebook’s European head office in Dublin as well as to its German subsidiary, he says the social media site’s community standards needed to be more efficient and transparent.

In the wake of the recent openly xenophobic and hateful attacks on and protests at refugee camps in Germany, Maas said that the Justice Ministry had received many complaints about abusive content not being banned on Facebook.

Often, users get a message saying that the posts they reported did not violate Facebook’s community standards without giving any further explanation “even in very obvious cases,” according to Maas. Since most of us are in Facebook, I am sure, everybody got such messages after reporting something.

Maas also says this standard response had become a “farce” and that users were struggling to understand why Facebook is quick to ban nudity, for example, referring to its community standards, but often fails to ban xenophobic and racist posts.

The implementation of its community standards, Maas says in his letter, “can apparently not be relied on, even though many posts contain comments that constitute the criminal offense of incitement to hatred.” He reminds Facebook that it is legally obliged to delete illegal posts.

Maas emphasizes that his demands do not go against freedom of speech. “But the Internet is not a lawless space where racist abuse and illegal posts can be allowed to flourish.” He stressed that there can be no “misunderstood tole-rance,” and that Facebook urgently needed to enforce its existing rules and assess whether further measures are needed.

In recent months, Germany has seen tens of thousands of refugees and migrants arrive at its borders, with many communities struggling to provide adequate care and shelter. There have been persistent protests and attacks from far-right groups, often coordinated on sites such as Facebook. The attacks drew widespread criticism from polticians, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel calling the incidents “despicable and shameful.”

And here we are: in reponse to Maas’ letter, a spokeswoman for Facebook said they were taking the justice minister’s position seriously, but did not confirm that they would meet with him. I am speechless. And many others too … !

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Email: doringklaus@gmail.com or follow me in Facebook (!) or Twitter or visit www.germanexpatinthephilippines.blogspot.com or www.klausdoringsclassicalmusic.blogspot.com .

Bad days

THU, NOVEMBER 26, 2015 BY THE MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR LEAVE A COMMENT

IN MY OPINION
KLAUS DORING

Well, one of my expatriate friends here in the Philippines admired the “Five Tibetans Monks”. I mean – not the personalities… . Every morning, my friend does these exercises entitled “Five Tibetans Monks”. Since my friend started with that, he hasn’t become sick any more. He also felt mentally balanced. I can’t guarantee it. He kept on swearing it to me.

Another (German) friend, meanwhile 75 years “young” can’t enjoy his breakfast without first jogging for an hour or even more starting at 5 a.m. If he’s not able to practice it, he becomes moody, intolerable, aggressive and frustrated. Bad days…!

Others have to swim three times a day. Good for those, who have a swimming pool or live near a beach or sea shore.

I love a glass of red wine (don’t get me wrong: I said ONE glass!), a good book (what ever that means for you, my dear reader!), and relaxing (old!) classical music. So, each one of us is looking for his or her special ways on being comfortable.

But, some of our dear fellow creatures can’t really get some peace. They heave a sigh and utter a groan all day long! The Five Tibetans Monks have been blurred. Jogging is unhealthy; green tea is putting out and forces ill-feeling; swimming in a pool supports logical ring worms! Heaven forbid!

I’m sure, my red wine is never digestible and instead reading a good book while listening relaxing music weigh heavily upon our minds.

A couple of years ago I met an expatriate who loved to swing a pendulum to and fro. Billy occupied himself with astrology and the esoteric. I will never forget one of his first questions regarding my birth time. He warned me immediately: “Days followed by full moon periods are very bad for you!” This was something new for me. To be honest, I really don’t care about such stuff. Sorry! I messed up with Billy. Sayang! He was a really good friend.

I traveled a lot. I stayed in more than 60 countries. I experienced in some Western countries, that travel agencies recommended trips to Mexico for “Leos” or to Turkey for “Capricorns”. I went to both countries and didn’t feel anything wrong or bad. I estimated roughly, which dramatic misjudgements, accidents, and sickness outbreaks or losses have happened in my life during days followed by full moon periods.

Which day is today? I always write most of my columns for this daily and my websites on Saturdays. It’s really a great day. Joking apart: allow me to quote Th. Campell (Lochiel’s Warning), “Coming events cast their shadows before”. Bad days for most all places on this globe and its people right now. “Mourning becomes Elektra!” – as E.O. Neill entitled his drama stage play…. But, we should never stop praying for peace!

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Comments, suggestions, questions? Email me: doringklaus@gmail.com or follow me in Facebook or Twitter or visit www.german expatinthephilippines.blogspot. com or www.klausdorings classicalmusic.blogspot.com.

Just a loan

WED, NOVEMBER 4, 2015 BY THE MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR LEAVE A COMMENT

IN MY OPINION
Klaus Doring

Sweet words are easy to say; nice things are easy to buy; but good people are different to find. Life ends, when you stop dreaming; hope ends, when you stop believing; friendship stops, when you stop sharing. A good friend of mine sent me this quotation. I commented back: So very true and very well said!

Our life is borrowed – from God. No rental charges are collected from us. Many of us have forgotten this and live life at his fullest. Our life is equal to a book from a library that lends one. But how insatiable and unbearable are we in disdainful acting towards life and therefore to ourselves? Remember: life is just a loan!

Life seems to be nothing, just being ready to riddle one with bullets. Life seems to be nothing, just being broken through the indifference and unreliable and immoral behavior. Life seems to be nothing for those people who don’t understand cries from the heart of other people around them – cries for their hearts and families, for justice and for many other things.

Life with all its ups and downs, is just a loan, but for many of our fellow creatures it just seems to be nonsense to be littered like dump. And, if people try to survive, especially during these days, and if they just experienced (once more!) indifference, arrogance, ignorance or cheating by whomever – they will give up!

I can assure you that every one of us can at first help in prayers and, in reading the bible. “Proverbs” is probably the most down-to-earth book in the bible. Its teachings prepare you for the daily life, the street and the market place, but not for the schoolroom. The book offers warm pieces of advice you get; practical guidance for making your way on earth. Proverbs co-vers any kinds of questions you might have right now. Any-body can relate to the generalities of Proverbs, because this book simply tells how life works most of the time.

While writing this piece, I observed that more and more people struggle through life: tired, hopeless, experiencing their rock-bottoms, believing in fallacious “people” around them. I also observed a lot of people living a thief life, as if it it has been giving them without limitation.

“Let’s enjoy every single loophole in law!” What a sad and fatal attraction!

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Email: doringklaus@gmail. com or follow me in Facebook or Twitter or visit www.germanexpatinthe philippines.blogspot.com or www .klausdoringsclassicialmusic.blogspot.com .

What could be a Christmas gift?

TUE, OCTOBER 20, 2015 BY THE MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR LEAVE A COMMENT

IN MY OPINION
Klaus Doring

Gift gi-ving and receiving and Christ-mas simply but surely go together. Many times it’s incurring our indig-nation. Ma-ny of us defer the most important decision during the most jolliest season of the year. What is the best Christmas gift for our loved ones??? Is it really an important decision, or does it delete the real meaning of Christmas? I am sure, many of us know the real answer.

The giving spirit of the holiday season seems to fade in the light of necessary obligations and finances, along the painful dilemma of giving gifts to those who want to buy for as opposed to those for whom you should buy!

Let’s think about it: To whom are we obligated at Christmas: our boss, our cousins, our parents, our partner or our children and friends as well? What about the children? Should they give presents to people other than family mem-bers? How about the innumerable large families especially in the Philippines, because of economics, resort to name drawing process at Christmas.

For me firstly Christ-mas is spirit. You can always find ways to give gifts without expenses. The most well known and always remembered gift is to do to someone like giving time. In my family we do this mostly during the season holidays.

But if I look more around, mmh, sad to say, that “time as gift” doesn’t satisfy most of all.Well, it’s okay. There are so many ways to use your mind in terms of giving someone other things than putting Peso or Dollar notes. I am sure you know, that home made gifts can be also a very good idea….

Sure, there is etiquette of gift giving at Christmas and also other occasions. Homemade gifts are most appropriate especially as Christmas gifts, according to Stuart E. Jacobson, book author of “The Art of Giving”. Allow me to quote Jacob-son, “Home-made gifts are won-derful. A gift of imagi-nation, a gift of creativity, a gift, that shows (also!) time was put into it. A created time is a wonderful present.”

When considering a homemade gift, instead of tumbling through crowded shopping malls (as I tried again yesterday!) and getting a headache (I really got!)! While stumbling from one mall to the next, I found out again, that the real and whole essence of giving a gift is to bring pleasure to the person receiving it. Jacobson says in his book, “Homemade gifts are also ideal for children to give as presents. Kids can create things because they have unique imagination. Children should feel free to give something to anyone they spend a lot of time with. No monetary value should be placed on what a child should give to someone.”

Very well said. I am just afraid, that it seems more or less impossible nowadays in these modern times….

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You can email me: doringklaus@gmail.com or follow me in Facebook or Twitter or visit www.germanexpatinthe philippines.blogspot.com or www.klausdorings classicalmusic.blogspot.com.

Refugees

Mindanao Daily Mirror:

Refugees

Dead Roads

Re-published Editorial MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR dated April 3, 2014 with friendly permission of Publisher Marietta Siongco

"Acting Mayor Paolo Duterte has pointed out one of the problems Davao City has that has been making traffic congestion a growing problem. There are some roads, he said, that have become unused and unusable because a number of people have put up permanent structures on them, including homes and businesses. These settlers, he said, have taken over public roads that could otherwise have been used for what they were built for: access of vehicles. Instead, the roads - built with taxpayers' money - have become settlements and even parking lots, benefitting only a few. And in the case of these roads, many of those who have settler are not the stereotypical urban poor who are forced to squat out of poverty but those who have the means to put up real houses. Some are rich enough to rent out the structures they build.

The obvious response should be demolish these structures for being patently illegal. They are built on public land that everyone should enjoy but are beeing kept from the people by a few who are not even in dire need. This, in fact, ist what the acting mayor said he would do, and in this, we agree. Traffic congestion is indeed a growing problem in Davao City, and any relief, no matter how small is welcome. Paolo spoke of at least two areas in downtown Davao, but we are sure there are many other roads that need to be cleared of illegal settlers.

The problem, of course, is that the settlers will not want to move and will fight for their supposed right to stay in these areas. This is where the political will of the city government will be tested. Unlike urban poor informal settlers who often have no choice on where they live and must, by law, be afforded every form of assistance so they can move to their own land, the settlers in question here can well afford to live elsewhere. The government must reclaim these "dead" roads and keep private individuals from keeping public lands to themselves."

For Our Own Protection

Re-published Editorial MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR dated March 15, 2014 with friendly permission of Publisher Marietta Siongco.

"Is martial law back? Yes, but only in Davao City and only during the Araw ng Davao celebration. That means checkpoints all over, heightened police and military alert and thousands of force multipliers employed to secure the city against those with evil minds and criminal intent. Wait, there's more, also no backpacks, no big bags that could conceal a potential weapon and no parking of vehicles along strategic routes.

This was stressed by Davao City Mayor Rodrigo  himself during a command conference with police and military officials. 'It would be as strict as martial law, said Duterte, 'but it is for the protection of the community.'

So why not just scrap the whole Araw ng Davao frenzied preparation for the city's 77th anniversary foundation, one sarcastic observer asked. A preposterous idea, of course. Everything, has been set in motion and the festivities must go on as planned. Too bad, Duterte had gone on a leave of absence from March 13 to April 4 to recharge his batteries and to relieve whatever pain wracks his body.

Meanwhile, Davaoenos have to grin and bear the hassles of a martial-like rule. Anyway, the ultra strict security measures will only last until March 16, Sunday. And it is all being implemented for our own protection.

Who's racist?

Editorial MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR from Saturday, October 5, 2013 with friendly permission by Marietta F. Siongco, publisher and editor-in-chief

"A lot of Filipinos were incensed at the Facebook post of a certain "Devina Dediva" who had expressed incredulity that a candidate from a coun try where "filthy maids" come from could win the Miss World crown. Racist, Devina Dediva was called, and rightly so: her remarks certainly betrayed a mind that is narrow and uneducated, one that cannot look beyond a few feet from her own nose to see that the world does not in fact revolve around her. Her myopic view is that Filipinas are maids who clean toilets, quite forgetting the fact that cleaning toilets is an honorable job. That such one would win an international beauty title was simply incomprehensible to her.

But as abhorrent as Devina Dediva's comments were, we must as Filipinos take this as an opportunity to look at ourselves and see if we are not guilty of the same kind of racism. If we were to be really honest, we would say that yes, Filipinos can be as cruelly racist as Devina Dediva, and perhaps even more so. We are, after all, a country that values skin color above all oher physical traits: dark skin is considered unattractive, as shown by the numerous skin whitening products being sold and advertised. Dark-skinned people are made fun of, turned into laughing stocks and derided in public. Actors with screen names like Whitney Houston and Mang Tem-i become butts of jokes on television and the movies, and no one thinks there is anything wrong with it.

A recent incident also showed how racist we can be. Last August, the Philippines came close to winning the FIBA Asia Championship, beaten only by Iran in the final game. What came after the game was positively embarrassing: Filipinos took to social networking sites to call the Iranian players all sorts of names based on their nationality, how they looked, and even how they supposedly smelled. A country that thinks nothing of doing this does not deserve to protest when a foreigner derides us."

The Sound of Music - The Musical - IN DAVAO

P

In 1930's Austria, a young woman named Maria is failing miserably in her attempts to become a nun. When the Navy captain Georg Von Trapp writes to the convent asking for a governess that can handle his seven mischievous children, Maria is given the job. The Captain's wife is dead, and he is often away, and runs the household as strictly as he does the ships he sails on. The children are unhappy and resentful of the governesses that their father keeps hiring, and have managed to run each of them off one by one. When Maria arrives, she is initially met with the same hostility, but her kindness, understanding, and sense of fun soon draws them to her and brings some much-needed joy into all their lives -- including the Captain's. Eventually he and Maria find themselves falling in love, even though Georg is already engaged to a Baroness and Maria is still a postulant. The romance makes them both start questioning the decisions they have made... 

INDIGENT CHILDREN EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE, INC.

ICEA OERFORMING ARTS

in cooperation with

CATHOLIC WOMEN'S LEAGUE - ARCHDIOCESE OF DAVAO

presents

A NIGHT ON BROADWAY FEATURING

THE SOUND OF MUSIC

February 9, 2013, Saturday at 7:30 PM CAP Auditorium, Anda Street, Davao City,

For more information and ticket reservations please call:

MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR, publisher Marietta F. Siongco, 082 - 2275716 or 082 - 2224595 and all MERCO outlets.

Tickets: 500, 300 and 200 Pesos.

To Err is Human - To Forgive is Divine

The British poet Alexander Pope (1688-1744) created this saying. And, in my opinion, he is so very right.

In our daily life struggles we also pass innumerable periods of splendid isolation and act, as William Shakespeare said  "Thoughts are Free" by hurting and insulting relatives, friends, and colleagues. Many times we err, and, even we know it, we don't care. BAHAL SILA...

We pray and ask for forgiveness. And, we are so sure of having our complementary ticket in our pockets and pouches. Nobody is perfect - sure! Me too! Yes, I confess! But that's no excuse for broken promises.]

How many times do we commit a mistake? How many times are we mistaken, or get astray? How many times to we sin?

How often do we catch ourselves being roving, wandering and acting eccentric, changeable capricious and not dependable? Or, how many people in our surroundings do we meet daily, who err terrible on their decisions? 

To err is human, sure - but not if we err wilfully, intentionally or if legal premeditation is done. But, the second part of this column is much more important: forgiveness...

(To be continued!)

(Re-post of my column IN MY OPINION in MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR from November 16, 2012.)

MEN DON'T CRY?

This is a re-post of my column IN MY OPINION from September 7, 2012 in MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR with friendly permission of my publisher Miss Marietta Siongco.

Since I was a little boy, my whole family and our neighbors liked to hammer into my mind and heart the slogan:"Boys (men) don't cry!" Many incidents happened in my life as a young boy. Later too. Up to now - after reaching the second half of my life. Incidents with oppressed and held back tears and emotions... .

I made a complete fool, when, when I tried to satisfy my inquotable thirst and insatiable hunger as a young boy by penetrating the closed kitchen of our neighbour. A terrible good hiding followed together with the comment: "Don't cry or you'll never become a real man!" Bursting into tears (BAHALA NA - SO WHAT!), I didn't understand, why a boy should bear the pain of trashing but knowing during the same time that he might never become a real man! What an untenbale mug's game!

I never became a whipping boy or fan of brawl and fight because I always tried  to search for ways, not to cry. "You'll never become a real man, because a real man knows how to fight without bursting into tears." Longing I did watch the girls in our neighborhood, who always had been allowed to cry because of any non-important thing or trifling matter.

My thirst of knowledge let me start travelling around the world (and, also to the Philippines!), when I became 18. I learned that this silly custom seemed to exist more or less world-wide. In different Asian countries I learned the nonsense (sorry!) parents explaining their sons, "If you'll not stop crying, you might become a gay!"

Step by step I experienced myself many examples, incidents or reasons when I didn't care any more fortunately about my tears and emotions. A special place with a good or bad remembrance can make me cry. Salt dissolves in water like emotions in tears:  an unjustified treatment, arrogance and ignorance from people around me, a heartfelt condolence, a rejected or non-returned love or friendship, a very special song, a very touching situation or speech, being choked with emotions - but ALSO crying because of happiness or never expected gratitude... .

Are all these privileges only allowed for females? Are males only robots with hearts of stone? Objection my dear fellow creatures!

When I stayed in Israel long time ago: An Israelian solder lost his his right arm during a (nonsensical!) battle at the Golan Heights - and, this wounded soldier started crying! Of course, why not? After my stay in Japan (YMCA family exchange), the other of one of my families in Kyoto couldn't hold his tears, when time came to say "Sayonara". Sure, why not? In South Africa I became a sudden witness of a burial, because an original inhabitant family lost a child because of starving to death. The mother cried much.

Allow me to cry what ever the reason might be. Even, if it is because I help cutting onions and garlic for lunch... .

Absurd

(Re-post of the Editorial of MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR from August 21, 2012 with friendly permission of the Publisher and Editor in Chief Mrs. Marietta Siongco.)

Senator Vicente "Tito" Sotto, or at least his chief-of-staff, Hector Villacorta, have unwittingly given the go-signal for everyone in the Philippines to take everything in the internet and using it in any way possible without having to attribute the source - indeed, we can now even claim the words, pictures, music, and other creations of other people as our own without fear of being taken to court. This scenario has come out after Villacorta, in explaining Sotto's apparent plagiarism of blogger Sarah Pope, said Philippine law still regard the Internet as public domain and that no liabilities should be raised when information was taken from this source.

This means Filipino students from now on can copy-paste any work taken from the Internet and use it for their term paper, theme writing, essays, and other school work and not be scolded by their teachers. Online publications can take any article, photograph, art work, music - literally anything - from any online source and publish it without having to pay the artists, or even inform them. And yes, government officials can swipe the research of other people and use them for their own purposes, without having to do their own work and without even having to verify if the research is accurate.

if that scenario sounds absurd to you, that's because it is. In the irst place, it is not true what Villacorta said: we do have the Intellectual Property Code o the Philippines, officially known as Republic Act No. 8293, which holds that copyright is automatically given for creative works. While the Internet is not explicitly mentioned, the fact is that blog posts - or any other material on the Internet - are owned by their creators and as such much not be appropriated without attribution. Any use of the material without proper citation is tantamount to stealing. Everyone knows that - except, apparently, for Sotto and his people.

 

Year of Disasters

Editorial (Friday 30, 2011) Mindanao Daily Mirror - with friendly permission by publisher and editor-in-chief "Tita" Marietta Siongco... .

"Year 2011 will exit to history tomorrow as the year of disasters for our country. Of the many typhoons that hit the Philippines this year. Ondoy and Sendong caused the heaviest damage in this supposed "tropical paradise" in terms of lives lost and number of families left homeless. Internationally, 2011 is considered "Record Year for Bad Weather".

Hopefully, Sendong which was not even considered a typhoon by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Administration (PAGASA) but only categorized as a "storm" spoiled the Christmas session as it devastated many areas with just a little over a week before Christmas Day. The Yuletide season is considered the joyous time of the year, especially by Filipinos who celebrate Christmas the longest in the world.

Hardest hit by Sendong was Northern Mindanao, particularly the neighboring cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan.  The combined death toll of the two cities reached over a thousand with still hundreds of missing. And just at the year was about to end, several areas  in Eastern and Southern Mindanao were hit by flash floods caused by heavy rains, incuding Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Compostela Valley in the Davao region and Bukidnon. Even nearby Tagum City was not spared by the storm wrath.

With just a few days before New Year, the town of Kapalong in Davao del Norte and Valencia City in Bukidnon were inundated by floodwaters. According to the MINDANEWS report which the  MIRROR carried in its front page yesteray, 10 out of 11 barangays in Valencia City were flooded with floodwaters rising up to four meters high in many homes, displacing no less than 1,150 families.

A heartening development in the wake of tragedy that hit Northern Mindanao a week or so before Christmas Day is that many provinces and cities in the country donated food, clothing, blankets, thousands of bottles of water and other relief materials to the flood victims in CdO and Iligan worth 2 million pesos, plus 1 million in cash.

And just the other day, the Jesuits in Cagayan de Oro donated a five-hectare land as relocation site for the Sendong victims in the so-called "city of the golden friendship".

CONFUSED

(Today's Editorial of Mindanao Daily Mirror - with friendly permission of my publisher and editor-in-chief 'Tita" Marietta Siongco.)

What is with us?

We pretend to defend decency in public office, yet we condone abominations like a midnight appointment. We mouth motherhood statements about the blight of corruption, yet we whine about bold measures aimed at weeding out the crooks. We purport allegiance to the Constitution, yet we use, nay misuse, the same sacred instrument to compromise earnest efforts to better our society. We say one thing, yet mean another.

This sums up our pathetic national discourse over the last months. For how explain the rank inanities favoring such a widely discredited figure aas Chief Justice Renato Corona? What must we make for the throng that lapped up his street language late last week, clinging to his post as if he were the High Court itself, and taking the President, no less, to task as a -take note- dictator?

How else explain the public statements of such bodies and individuals like the IBP (which cavalierly invoked the constitutional principle of separation of powers, as if any of those institutional powers were beyond criticism), Sen. Joker Arroyo (who, not unlike, of all people, Sen. Bongbong Marcos, critized the Chief's Justice's impeachment at the House), former Sen. Nene Pimentel (who said he wasn't happy with the swift impeachment process), and confessed GMA friend Fr. Eliseo Mercado (Mindanao's very own peace advocate who painfully noted that Gloria Arroyo was being "demonized as if she were the personification of evil.")

Are we missing something?

... .

We're a confused people - unworthy of, or desperate for, principled, modern leadership.