Shouts From Down Under

At Entitlement station waiting for the train of happiness.

Wouldn't it be great to buy ...

The happiness kit

String to hold it all together when everything is falling apart

A marble for those days when you're sure you've lost yours

5 cents so you'll never be completely broke

An eraser to make those little mistakes go away

A rubber band to help you stretch beyond your limits

A sweet to remind you that someone cares about you

A smile to brighten your day



Happiness isn't a destination or country, and it's not everything.

Some things are more important than happiness. Sometimes happiness has to be put aside when we are required to put ourselves out for others, move out of our comfort zone and reach out, show that we care above all else.

That we love other humans, no matter what.

A desperate letter of appeal here, and this is something everyone should hear and read on this planet. The fear of the unknown, and how evil can take advantage of misinformation, and pit brother against brother.

http://svetlana-panina.livejournal.com/472713.html

Dear Kiev!
Svetlana Panina
svetlana_panina
February 24th, 21:33
Dear capital of Ukraine! I do not know who to ask in person. Especially, do not know to whom I refer in Russian. So I appeal to all those who understand me. I understand the Ukrainian language, I speak the state language at a sufficient level to watch the news on Channel 5 and file a tax return. But when I'm nervous, I speak the language, who heard from birth. So, now I'm worried. Now a little less than when people were dying on the Maidan. Then my heart just torn apart. Then again, it was torn to pieces - in Simferopol when saying goodbye to the guys from the "Berkut" dead on Independence. And no one remembered the guy from Kerch, who died on the other side of the barricades and dozens killed except him. And now, my dear Kiev, you know about the barricades. And believe in renewing Ukraine. And it does not understand, how can you not want to go to a brighter future? And this strange wonder Crimeans who "came to separate." And now I will tell you dear Kiev that occurs in the Crimea, who does not speak Ukrainian. Not only speaks, but also not really understand. Yes, twenty years of independence could be to learn the state language. But this did not happen. Because you, my dear Kiev, this is not particularly helped. We speak, read, watch performances, listen to songs - in Russian. Studying in schools and colleges 20 years of independence - in Russian. On the whole great peninsula we have one (or two?) School, where classes are taught in Ukrainian language. And yes, some schools have separate classes, where the study subjects in Ukrainian (class 1 to parallel, although ethnic Ukrainians in Crimea 40 per cent). And maybe our children will better understand what is at stake in public documents and statements by politicians. But here's the parents of our children (ie most of us, Crimean) and our own parents (now retired) did not understand what was going on those few channels where you can hear the truth. Because this truth sounds in a language they do not understand. But in a language which is understood in the Crimea all say things that make you, dear Kiev, ears rolled tube. Did you know that Crimeans right now, on this night, sit at home and fear for their children? Because waiting for the Nazis to the west of Ukraine, who will come and blow up the monuments to Lenin and will beat for St. George ribbon. You funny, dear Kiev? And I do not. Because many of the Crimean acquaintances whom I always suspected high intelligence and ability to think analytically, write now in contact with each other phrases like "enemy occupation", "the Nazis came to power," and "it was necessary to shoot these maydanutyh right and left." I have just returned from the village of Gold Field. It is a village in the Crimea - devastated for years of independence all and sundry. Once it was a rich village, founded by settlers from western Ukraine. Now, my dear Kiev, the remains of these immigrants are afraid to blurt out the word in Ukrainian. Because call fascist and who knows what will. Sitting at home, afraid for their children have grown up. But the Crimean village of Lenine, today recalls the Nazi occupation and those who helped her. And incidentally defends his monument to Lenin. Because it is not just a monument, because village called "Lenin". In honor of the village monument! Only memory of ancestors who could afford monument. Material object and historic. Yesterday some idiot poured monument something. Paint that is ... Well, poured and poured. Detained amounted to an act of disorderly conduct. The guy swore that to any groups belonged. Hush up and forget? Monument okay? Int. But people are also watching the news. A Russian language spoken there - fascists go to the Crimea. Go to demolish your monuments, your children forcibly Ukrainise, Russian-speaking infringe your rights. Begin to ask - what rights have been violated in the village of Lenine except human, which has lost all Ukraine? No one will remember. But why think that? Do not! And so, today running up to the monument to Lenin and all the people come to defend the concrete Lenin. Cossacks rode flags waving. Men came running from children "Bendera" protect. Only "Bendera" on holiday did not come. Obviously just did not know that there is so distant village Lenin, that there is even a monument to survivors and to scrap it has not taken away. I do not know what it was now over. Maybe people and went already. Or maybe muzzle beat each other. People, if the enemy does not see a long, begins each other as enemies to suspect ... TV who speaks understandable language Crimeans, he calls the enemy directly. The enemy - it's you, my dear Kiev. So, just so you know, and was not surprised. And you have to hard, very hard. First, try to stop blaming us separatism. We fright what did not lash out. And we are scared, we have a very good, very frightened qualitatively. We are scared to two sides. TV talking in plain language sowing enmity and evil, promises an end to all Russian in Crimea, and indeed the end of everything. But, my dear Kiev when you hope for understanding and do not talk to us Crimeans understandable language, you also sow enmity. You want to be understood. But do not do that until a single step in order to be understood. 'll have to accept that a lot of Russian in Crimea. Have to accept that people here do not really understand what's really going on. Have to accept that people are scared to the fact that behind every corner imagining enemy. And somehow have to take this into account. Calm, explain lay on the shelves. And do it all in plain language most Crimeans. Many, many times. Maybe then Crimea realize that you, dear Kiev, want peace. You're not gonna bring the power of populists, you grinning theatrical statements skeptical woman with a scythe, that you are ready for a dialogue with every citizen of Ukraine. I and many of my friends in the Crimea understand you, my dear Kiev. But I want you to understand my hundreds of thousands of frightened neighbors. And finally, you are no longer afraid. Threat. Answer about the language law of asheenaforever , bear here for useful.

That is quite a chunk of text to read, and rearrange where it the translation has muddled the grammar, but you get the jist of it.

Here's something from today's Euromaidan Facebook posts.

I'm thrilled that there is a brotherhood emerging across Russia and Ukraine.
Will we see something never before witnessed? A turning towards being united as...

HUMANS!

"We love Russia.
We love Ukraine.
We don't love Putin and Yanukovych"

I have news for you people there. Every country is packed full of ordinary people who just want to get on with earning money to buy groceries for their wife and kids, want to go to school, want to get on with a peaceable life believing in whatever god or not they want to, leading a life of their choosing.

People really want to get on with it, and are very sick and tired of corrupt people in power RULING them.

I see a warning signal in all of this. We cannot dismiss all law and order. There has to be restraint, and boundaries, even for the most gentle and cooperative humans.
Humans have spirit, ambition, creativity, inventiveness and passions.
Not all of these attributes keep within acceptable bounds.
There will always be criminals. There will always be someone who is greedy.

And along with all of it, there needs to be a balance between the features of Socialism, communism and democracy. I feel there are good points and bad about every system, and perhaps a hybrid is the answer.

This is something everyone should work on, a practical hybrid set of laws for running each country, where locals have their input and say, laws can be made or unmade, corruption can be prevented.

There needs to be the stability and security that socialism has, and yet, a scope for incentive, for people to want to excel, for those who are above average not to be dictated to and pulled down to those who don't have that ability, or don't want to use it.

Freedom combined with voluntary boundaries, coupled with communication, understanding and cooperation.

Humankind speaking a universal language of love.

It says in the bible that we cannot live by bread alone; the rest of the verse is as important as the first part, but that's up to you to find it for yourself.

Happiness will never come unless the basics in the human heart, and lives, are settled first. These things are more important than happiness.

But happiness should never be sought through entitlement.

Happiness will never truly come at the expense, or by the control, of other humans.

When you look in the mirror, what do you see? Someone you can never reach, but whom you love.

Now look around. Who do you see? People you CAN reach, but whom you may not love.

No one can get into a mirror, but our fellow man isn't in a mirror. He / she is in the same world as us.

It just requires communication, and love.

When we write, we can create pieces of happiness that aren't going to do anything unless they are read.

Here's a water trough at our local Riding for the Disabled Association, (horses and carts with supervision for disabled children etc).



Remember the saying? There's even horses in the distance in this photo.

It's the same if we cook up a nice meal, make it attractive and all that stuff. But we can't make people eat it.



I think happiness, love, getting along with one another on this planet is the same.

You cannot force people to do that.


Sparky