Wednesday, January 26, 2011

YJ Draiman officially running for mayor of LA - 2013

YJ Draiman officially running for mayor of LA - 2013


Press release – January 25, 2011



YJ Draiman officially running for mayor of LA - 2013
"I want to fight for a better future for all the people of Los Angeles, and that's why today I'm announcing my candidacy for mayor," Draiman said.
I decided to run for Mayor of Los Angeles. Before I could make that commitment, I needed to free up the time required to do the job right.  Therefore, I decided to devote full time to the job of Mayor.
I am motivated by the wish to serve the Los Angeles community and protect our quality of life.  I have the skill, experience, long time community involvement and personal commitment to lead the city.  I will work hard to preserve residents’ priorities and the city’s coffers, during the difficult financial times ahead.  Some of my more specific goals are encouraging economic vitality, preserving and improving the City infrastructure, protecting the quality of our neighborhoods, supporting our open space and bicycle trails programs, working with the Neighborhood Councils and the Chamber to encourage local, innovative green businesses, and proper Urban Planning for Los Angeles, among others.
I previously ran for City Council in District 12.
I decided that to do the job right I must run for Mayor.
I am an Energy/Utility Auditor/Consultant for over 20 years.
I am married to a darling wife, we have two grown children – my oldest son is David Draiman a famous Rock Star with a Band by the name Disturbed, my younger son is a Psychologist doing research.
I am looking forward to being elected and serving the people of the City of Los Angeles.
We must work together as a cohesive force to improve our city.
“Transparency and accountability is my motto”

YJ Draiman for Mayor – 2013
WEB:  http://www.yjdraimanformayor.org/
Y.J. "Jay" Draiman. - Candidate for Mayor of Los Angeles 



YJ Draiman who ran last year for councilmen at District 12 in Los Angeles,
Draiman has formally filed paper to run for Mayor of Los Angeles – March 5, 2013.

Y.J. "Jay" Draiman. - Candidate for Mayor of Los Angeles
Draiman is an Energy Efficiency Advocate and the lead elected official with the goal of Energy Conservation for the Northridge East Neighborhood Council - NENC, from Northridge, California. Draiman is also the liaison between the NENC and LADWP. Draiman is known for his advancement of implementing Energy efficiency, Renewable energy and Water conservation in the Los Angeles Area. Draiman is promoting the theme of Made in America, bringing back Los Angeles's industrial base, increase employment and reduce government with fiscal responsibility. Draiman ran for Los Angeles City Council in 2010. A recent ambitious goal by Draiman is to create in Los Angeles an innovative renewable energy zone approach which will create 200,000+ new jobs with billions in investments over the next 5-10 years.
Draiman is a former Real Estate developer with over 20 year’s experience. Draiman has extensive experience in the deregulation of Utilities and implementing energy and water conservation.
In January 1996 Draiman was asked to run for U.S. Senate, but He declined.
Draiman is currently working on his PHD in energy conservation.



                  Draiman for Mayor of Los Angeles 2013

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Landscaping For Energy Efficiency


Landscaping For Energy Efficiency

Are you looking for cost-effective yet eye-pleasing ways to lower your energy bills? Planting trees, shrubs, vines, grasses, and hedges could be the answer. In fact, landscaping is your best long-term investment for reducing heating and cooling costs, while also bringing other improvements to your community. (Not to mention the curb appeal and beauty it adds)
A well-designed landscape will:
* Cut your summer and winter energy costs dramatically.
* Protect your home from winter wind and summer sun.
* Reduce consumption of water, pesticides, and fuel for landscaping and lawn maintenance.
* Help control noise and air pollution.

Landscaping Saves Money Year-Round
Carefully positioned trees can save up to 25% of a household’s energy consumption for heating and cooling. Computer models devised by the U.S. Department of Energy predict that the proper placement of only three trees will save an average household between $300 and $600 and more in energy costs annually.
During Hot weather
You may have noticed the coolness of parks and wooded areas compared to the temperature of nearby city streets. Shading and evapo-transpiration (the process by which a plant actively moves and releases water vapor) from trees can reduce surrounding air temperatures as much as 9 degrees F (5 degrees C).
Because cool air settles near the ground, air temperatures directly under trees can be as much as 25 degrees F (14 degrees C) cooler than air temperatures above nearby blacktop. Studies by the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory found summer daytime air temperatures to be 3 degrees F to 6 degrees F (2 degrees C to 3 degrees C) cooler in tree- shaded neighborhoods than in treeless areas.
A well-planned landscape can reduce an un-shaded home's summer air-conditioning costs by 15% to 50%. One Pennsylvania study reported air-conditioning savings of as much as 75% for small mobile homes.
During cold weather and wind
You may be familiar with wind chill. If the outside temperature is 10 degrees F (-12 degrees C) and the wind speed is 20 miles per hour (32 kilometers per hour), the wind chill is -24 degrees F (-31 degrees C). Trees, fences, or geographical features can be used as windbreaks to shield your house from the wind.
A study in South Dakota windbreaks to the north, west, and east of houses cut fuel consumption by an average of 40%. Houses with windbreaks placed only on the windward side (the side from which the wind is coming) averaged 25% less fuel consumption than similar but unprotected homes. If you live in a windy climate, your well-planned landscape can reduce your winter heating bills by approximately one-third.

Compiled by: YJ Draiman

PS

Greening your rooftops
The benefits of grassy rooftops are manifold - they reduce heat, clean the air, improve biodiversity and are relatively affordable
Rooftops are arguably the area with the greatest potential of all urban spaces for creating a higher environmental quality of life. A green roof or living roof is a roof covered with a dense mat of growing plants. Most people are familiar with the turf roofs used for centuries in Iceland; green roofs (developed in Germany in the 60s and 70s), essentially adopt the idea of turf roofs but instead of using mostly grasses, they employ drought- resistant plants appropriate to the tough conditions on a roof top. At its most basic, a waterproof membrane is installed on the roof, which is then covered with 8-15cm of soil and planted with low-growing succulents and alpine plants.
Techniques have become more sophisticated over the years and nowadays water-holding natural fibro panels are available, which give seeds or young plants good anchorage and ensure efficient water supply. The effect of green roofs can be astonishingly beautiful, especially when the plants start to flower. Succulents such as stonecrops and houseleeks are often the plants of choice because they can tolerate hot, dry conditions.
The benefits of a green roof are significant for both the environment and the purse.
  • Green roofs can greatly reduce the' heat island' effect by cooling and humidifying the surroundings through evaporation of moisture. A heat-trapping building removes a natural space from the environment but a green roof can compensate for concreted (sealed) land and improve biodiversity in the city.
  • Green roofs 'scrub' the air clean. The texture of the plants captures dust and particles of pollution in the air. In this way they get filtered out and bound within the soil, where they are broken down and even reabsorbed as fertilizer (this must be the ultimate in recycling).
  • Roof vegetation absorbs rainfall and helps reduce need for costly drainage systems at ground level. In high density areas like Athens where there is little green space for storm water to percolate into the soil, storage tanks and other forms of storm water management are structurally and economically not very viable. Green roofs have a high applicability to such urban zones where ground green space is in short supply.
  • Green roofs provide structural protection often extending the life of a normal roof two or more times over. Protecting structures from hail damage, UV rays and temperature fluctuations, a green roof also offers fire protection.
  • Green roofs insulate, cooling buildings in summer and reducing heat loss in winter. Researchers believe the attendant cost savings are very promising.
  • Vegetation absorbs sound, so noise pollution is reduced.

If God, for a second, forgot what I have become and granted me a little bit more of life, I would use it to the best of my ability.


If God, for a second, forgot what I have become and granted me a little bit more of life, I would use it to the best of my ability.
I wouldn't possibly, say everything that is in my mind, but I would be more thoughtful of all I say…I would give merit to things not for what they are worth, but for what they mean to express..

I would sleep less, I would dream more, because I know that for
every minute that we close our eyes, we waste 60 seconds of light.
I would walk while others stop; I would awake while others sleep.

If God would give me a little bit more of life, I would dress in a simple manner, and I would place myself in front of the sun, leaving not only my body, but my soul naked at its mercy….

To all , I would say how mistaken they are when they think that they stop falling in love when they grow old, without knowing that they grow old when they stop falling in love….

I would give wings to children, but I would leave it to them to learn how to fly by themselves.

To old people I would say that death doesn't arrive when they grow old, but with forgetfulness.

I have learned so much with you all, I have learned that everybody wants to live on top of the mountain, without knowing that true
happiness is obtained in the journey taken & the form used to reach the top of the hill.

I have learned that when a newborn baby holds, with its little hand, his father's finger, it has trapped him for the rest of his life.
I have learned that a man has the right and obligation to look down at another man, only when that man needs help to get up from the ground..

Say always what you feel, not what you think. If I knew that today is the last time that that I am going to see you asleep, I would hug you with all my strength and I would pray to the Lord to let me be the
guardian angel of your soul….

If I knew that these are the last moments to see you, I would say "I love you".

There is always tomorrow, and life gives us another opportunity to do things right, but in case I am wrong, and today is all that is left to me, I would love to tell you how much I love you & that I will never forget you.

Tomorrow is never guaranteed to anyone, young or old. Today could be the last time to see your loved ones, which is why you mustn't wait; do it today, in case tomorrow never arrives. I am sure you will be sorry you wasted the opportunity today to give a smile, a hug, a kiss, and that you were too busy to grant them their last wish.

Keep your loved ones near you; tell them in their ears and to their faces how much you need them and love them. Love them and treat them well; take your time to tell them "I am sorry";" forgive me"," please“, "thank you", and all those loving words you know!

Nobody will know you for your secret thought. Ask the Lord for wisdom and strength to express them.

Show your friends and loved ones how important they are to you.
Send this letter to those you love. If you don't do it today...tomorrow will be like yesterday, and if you never do it, it doesn't matter, either, the moment to do it is NOW…




What is permanent happiness?

What is the source of happiness in life? Is it money and wealth? Success or victory? Satisfaction? Desire? A wife or a Husband? Children? Family affection? TV? Sex? Power and Respect? Fame?
All these can give temporary happiness. If all these things were truly a source of happiness, they would give equivalent happiness to everyone. The happiness a person experiences from these temporary states turns into an experience of unhappiness when they are absent or in excess. Everyone is in search of happiness, but without having decided what real happiness is. Hence, one needs to find happiness that is permanent and that which is not dependent upon anything. ‘Happiness should be such that it is never followed by misery.’ Seek this kind of happiness. 
What is permanent happiness?
It is the happiness that comes naturally; you do not have to make any effort to acquire it and it remains permanently. Once attained, there is no pain or misery. Hence, true happiness is only that which is eternal and once you attain it, no one can take it away from you.
In fact, you will not have to look too far. The bliss of eternal happiness is within you. Your real Self is an abode of bliss and yet people are looking for happiness in temporary worldly things.
How can we achieve permanent happiness?
We can achieve permanent happiness only after attaining Self-realization. 
Happiness can be achieved by knowing your true self.  The true Self is a natural state, its state is eternal and bliss is its intrinsic property.
To know your true Self, you will need a meditate trainer; the one who is enlightened and is in permanent bliss. The meditate, through whose grace, happiness is pouring out for the entire world.  He has the power to enlighten anyone who seeks it.
In just one hour, meditates grace takes away all your unhappiness. His science of meditates (short-cut path to Self-realization), can permanently establish you in your real Self, thereby replacing unhappiness by giving you permanent happiness. Thousands are currently experiencing the bliss of their own Self, despite living a worldly life. Meditate used to say “Ask from me whatever you want, I will grant you that. However, ask judiciously. Ask for something that will never leave you. Do not ask for temporary things. Ask for eternal happiness”.
After receiving Self-realization, your worldly life will run smoother and you will experience peace from within; a sense of inner stillness and peace which keeps on increasing even when you are facing adverse worldly circumstances.

Little girl and her father were crossing a bridge.


Little girl and her father were crossing a bridge.

The father was kind of scared so he asked his little daughter,
“Sweetheart, please hold my hand so that you don’t fall into the river.”
The little girl said, “No, Dad. You hold my hand.”
“What’s the difference?” Asked the puzzled father.
“There’s a big difference,” replied the little girl.

“If I hold your hand, and something happens to me.
Chances are that I may let you hand go.
But if you hold my hand, I know for sure that no matter what happens,
You will never let my hand go.”

In any relationship, the essence of trust is not in the blind, but in the bond.

So hold the hand of the person who loves you rather than expecting them to hold yours….

This message is too short… but carries a lot of Feelings.

The deterioration of family values R4


The deterioration of family values R4

 
Since World War 2 when women were encouraged to join the work force en mass, to replace the men who went to war and keep the economy and the war effort going.
 
There has been a deterioration of family values and a breakdown of the family unit, a trend where a mother was not at home to take care of her children, monitor their behavior, help with the homework and discipline when and where necessary.
 
The advancement in technology has harmed family values. The Media and Television has totally destroyed any comprehension of values in our society.
 
The lack of discipline and total disregard for authority and respect is clear to anyone who has watched the past 50 years and seen our society’s values deteriorate.
 
One example alone is that 50 years ago a teacher was happy to go to school to teach, a teacher was respected and looked up-to, a teacher could discipline.  Today teachers fear for their lives they are petrified by their students, discipline is restricted both to teachers and parents alike.
 
This scenario caries on to other social interactions of society today, and the situation is getting worse and worse every year.
 
You will notice that many families who come from other countries have a very strong family values, tradition, good education, respect and the children excel in their studies. That is because they have not had the chance to be influenced by our overly liberal society.
 
The education of our children begins at home and continues in school – the parents and the school must take a proactive approach to teach our children values and respect.
 
In today’s society a teacher is not permitted to discipline a student, the teachers will be sued, not to mention that teachers fears for their safety.
 
Parents in today’s society are also restricted as to how to discipline their children; in many cases parents are getting sued. In many cases children would never dream of treating their parents with such disrespect 50 years ago. Today some parents are afraid of their own children.
 
Abuse has been and will be with society to eternity that does not give society the right to prohibit discipline; a few acts of abuse should not cause society to prohibit proper discipline.
 
When an individual or individuals utilize a vehicle to commit a crime cause the death of others, does society prohibit vehicles altogether, no, a vehicle is very important for our everyday life.
 
Well, the discipline of our children by parents and teachers is extremely important for our society and the preservation of humanity.
It seems that our society is so busy chasing the dollar, fame and glory, that anything goes all values goes out the window. We should be an example of honesty, integrity and respect to our children.

Are Americans patriotic and proud enough to defend, protect and bring family values back to America? Is America ready to fight for honesty integrity and justice in our society, eliminate corruption and fraud, waste and self serving programs?

Re-invigorate our economy and decrease our dependence on foreign economies and resources.

 
YJ Draiman, Northridge, CA.
 
PS
 
Tell me and I will forget
Show me and I may remember
Involve me and I will understand.
– Chinese Proverb.
We all want health, happiness, prosperity and life

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS


THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS
A happy life? Isn't that what we all want? So, presumably, we have a clear idea of what happiness is. Surely it's obvious, you may say: happiness is having everything you want. And since what you want costs money, it would follow that money is the password to happiness. So the happy man must be the one who earns the most money: the brilliant businessman, the top executive, the go-getter. Surely he's got all it takes for a happy life. What else is there? At any rate, that is what the successful people of this world tell us. They praise ambition up to the skies, and how they look down on the lazy one (good-for-nothing) who seems to lack this quality.
But if we are to go into this matter properly, we had better ask ourselves whether we have ever actually seen a happy man. If we ask other people whether they have ever met or seen happy people, they are sure to answer, "Of course we have." And we may be inclined to think the same way ourselves. Of course--we tell ourselves-- there may be rich people who are unhappy, but in the main, surely, riches and happiness are identical.
Anyway, these people look happy enough. When we see their palatial homes, their dinner parties, their servants, their chauffeured limousines, their pockets lined with money and precious stones, we are forced to conclude that--unless disaster strikes--they are the happy ones.
But this answer would be extremely superficial. If we want to go into the matter systematically, there is only one way to do it. We must go among people and ask them about themselves. It is no good asking one person about the other; we must ask each one how he himself really feels; then we might get closer to the truth. What do we find?

ASKING THE PEOPLE

Let us start by asking the rich--those who have more money than they know what to do with, who live in mansions and travel in the most expensive cars. What do they tell us if we can get them to talk with complete honesty and frankness? When it comes to the point, they will all let out the secret: they are not happy. They may have achieved wealth and riches in a strictly limited and limiting sense, but when it comes to happiness--they are still very far away.
Jealousies and lusts disturb their peace of mind; domestic troubles are rife; their wives are bored, their spoiled children grow away from them; their sons are insolent, their daughters rebel; they suffer endless troubles of this sort. And don't think that these troubles are incidental. Nothing of the kind; all of them develop from the situation of affluence itself. "No one dies with half his desires fulfilled''; so, dissatisfaction and frustration are the lot of even the richest person. We won't find happiness here.
Let us try asking others. Perhaps the middle-income bracket? These people generally work very hard and long hours for their money. Let's find out from them if they have somehow hit on the secret of happiness. But when we investigate, we find something very surprising.
They work hard all their lives, often getting stomach ulcers in the process, but they never seem to find time to enjoy their money. During their working years, they are always busy preparing for happiness. However, when their working life is over, they find they are too old; the zest has gone out of life, and they cannot enjoy their leisure. They did nothing in their lives but work and, without a day's work to do; they can hardly find any point in living. So when are they happy? Never.
Perhaps we'll find happiness if we go further down the social scale. Let's ask the workers. They work hard day by day, and sometimes nights, for their weekly wages. But they are never satisfied because they feel that they are getting a raw deal; they are missing out on all the good things of life. They feel they are being exploited by the rich. They--the workers--produce the wealth, but they are not allowed to enjoy it. Others rob them of the fruit of their labors. Is this happiness?
Surely not.

Where, then, do we find happiness in this world of ours? This was our question, and we found no answer. It seems we can hear only an echo resounding from all the world--"A happy life? There is no such thing!" This would seem to be an established conclusion, confirmed and re-confirmed whichever way we look at the problem.

FINDING A REMEDY

But then we have to ask: Why should God have created such a great and wonderful world so that everybody in it, everybody without exception, should live in misery and anguish? This cannot be the case either. There must be a way out. There must be some way of repairing this terrible misfortune which has befallen the whole of mankind. We must search for the remedy; we must find the key to happiness. We can be sure that God, the source of all goodness, must have provided the world with a way to happiness; it is only up to us to find it. But before we can find the remedy, we shall have to diagnose the disease. What is this epidemic disease, of world proportions, that robs us of all happiness in life?
The Bible, have already told us the answer. It is stated clearly, "Jealousy, lust and status-seeking remove man from the world." (1) The world, as God made it, is a happy one. It is we who have removed ourselves from the world of happiness to the world of suffering by means of these three evil desires. So we only have to run away from jealousy, lust and prestige--that is, to banish them from our hearts--in order to transform the world into one brimming over with happiness from end to end. Then, we will find that we shall not only have happiness, we shall have riches, too.
The Bible say: "Who is rich? He who rejoices in his portion." (3) They do not say that he is also rich; they do not say he is very rich; they simply say "He is rich"--period! The fact is that one who is not satisfied with his portion in life-- whatever it may be--is not only not happy; he is not rich. In material terms he may have millions in the bank, but he is not rich; he is poor.
What does being poor mean? It means not having what you need. If a person wants and needs something that he does not have, he is poor, however much he may have in the bank. We shall find, in fact, that the so-called "rich" man is much worse off than the "poor" one because his ambitions and needs are so much greater.
The poor man's needs are easily satisfied, but the rich man's desires and prestige-seeking are never gratified; they can never be gratified, because satisfying one need only leads to the next, ad infinitum. If we look at each of them as he sees himself--not as the poor man views the rich--we shall see that they are both very badly off; they both live miserable and frustrated lives; but, if anything, it is the "rich" man who is worse off than the "poor." But the one who has conquered his lusts, who makes do with a minimum and is happy with his lot--the one who needs nothing that he does not have--he is the rich man. No one else in the world is rich but he.

DIRECTING ONE'S AMBITIONS

Who is this man? Let us take a closer look at him. We said he has banished desires and ambitions from his heart. Does that mean that he is a weak-kneed person, without energy, without "drive"? Is that what we call life? Is he like an old man, with no goals, no desires, with all his vital energy spent? Could this be what we mean by a happy life?
No! Certainly not! Nothing could be further from the truth. What we mean is this:
There is no happiness in the world in material things; there is. Only happiness in spiritual concerns. The one who enjoys a rich spiritual life is happy. There is no other kind of happiness in existence.
We see this in individuals who understand Bible. Those fortunate people who devote their whole mind and desire, enthusiasm and ambition, to the pursuit of Bible and wisdom--they experience what true happiness means in this world. We are not talking about the world to come; we are talking about this world--here and now. Of course, there is no happiness without goals, drive, and ambition; indeed, these things are life itself. But it all depends on what the goals are; to what ends the drive and ambition are directed.
Happiness is when the goals are attainable, when they depend on no one else for their fulfillment, when they are independent of those self-frustrating urges called jealousy and status-seeking. When can that be? Only when the ambition flows from love of Bible, love of wisdom, love of admonishment -- the desire for true ethical living.
This kind of ambition can be realized by ourselves alone. The more energy, the more drive, we put into attaining these goals, and the happier we shall be. We shall be the happy ones of this world. This is the meaning of the Bible, "This is the way of Bible: You will eat bread and salt and drink water by the measure and make the floor your bed--and labor in the Bible"--that is, if you are ready to do all this because of your tremendous enthusiasm for Bible; if all the things that the world holds dear mean nothing to you because the only thing that matters to you is your progress in Bible, then--"happy are you in this world." (4) You are the happy one in this world; you, and nobody else. This is the Bible-truth about happiness.






Ultimate Happiness

As in every thing else you are the source of all your attributes of emotions! It is just like you are a tree and the emotions are your fruit. The quality of the tree will determine the quality of its fruit. The quality of your happiness will depend on the quality of your actualized humanness which is the real you. It is the fully developed potential in you that can experience pure happiness. And I am talking of a person as in the fully actualized humanness potential.


'The value of a human being is
not judged by what one says, nor is it judged by what one does, it is
judged by what one actually becomes.' It took me some time to
understand this statement which means to speak well is good, to do
well is better and to become good is best. For one may speak good to
impress others or out of fear etc., to do good one may do it for some
ulterior motive like vanity. In the case of teaching positive
psychology one does good to become happy and feel good. So the purpose
of doing good is selfish, even if the act itself is selfless. This
still creates some background guilt as doing premeditated acts of
goodness for selfish motives takes the selflessness out of the act.
By becoming good to the core your whole life, every minute of it,
all that you say, all that you do everything is pure selfless
goodness. You no longer need to indulge in single acts of kindness
to feel good. You become the very embodiment of pure happiness.

Positive psychology education is a better step in the right direction.
As doing good, even with a selfish motive is better than not doing
any good at all. However becoming selfless is an altogether different
matter. Since time immemorial the ultimate aim of education has
been self mastery, where the self is selfless - the pure
person (being). Where the person knows, understands and becomes the
pure self without the self being hidden in any layers of a self
image. It’s like holding an apple in your hand and tasting it verses
looking at an apple in the
mirror and believing that the image is the real thing.

According to my hypothesis as there are four levels of the mind there
are four levels of perceived self’s as follows:
a) Premature self image (-2) where the self feels omnipotent and
omnipresent. As in 'I am everything all others are nothing' this self
image manifests in dictators, tyrants, criminals etc.
b) Immature self image (-1) where the self feels confused between
omnipotence and helplessness. As in 'I am not the best today but I
will be and I deserve the best.' This self image manifests itself in
corrupt people.
c) Mature self image (+1) where the self feels confident and equal to
the best but where the self is first and every one else is second
though equally important. This self image manifests itself in the
significant section of law abiding citizens who never the less
struggle for more and more of everything.
d) Super mature self (+2) (note there is no image at this level of the
mind) where the self feels humble. Where the person feels everyone
else as one family irrespective of caste or creed etc. The self feels
every one else as number 1 and his own self as second. At this stage
the person knows, understands and is his pure self. A selfless
person who loves and respects everyone equally and places his own
interests below that of others. All his acts are selfless. His
happiness stems from living a pure guilt free life.
Thus my definition of self falls within the paradigm of science. A
self that can be defined in numbers- +2! Our true self is the one
that is perceived by the super mature level of the mind.

Notice there is no talk of self mastery in this article. The problem
remains that mainstream education still stays away from defining the
self. As the self is still cloaked in mystery as in 'the self is
immortal', 'the self is the same in everybody', 'the self is part of
God etc. No wonder science cannot define the self within the paradigm
of science and so rather than define the self and create education
for self mastery, mainstream education has scaled down the goals to
mere well being and happiness through single acts of selflessness
even though this act is for selfish means and it creates a tainted
happiness.

A significant section goes through life with a restlessness that we
cannot understand. In the Sufi tradition it is said that God created
the universe because God was a hidden treasure and He wanted to be
known. Perhaps we are indeed made in the image of God. Our true self
remains hidden under a layer of brain washed self image. The true
self perhaps wants to make itself aware and be known.
It is the restlessness of the true hidden self that we feel so
restless. It’s like an iceberg. We look at the portion above the water
and smoothen out the rough portions that we can see. We even try to
push around the top. The top shakes and even moves a little. And the
portion below continues to function unknown, cloaked and un-mastered.
Not surprisingly we go through life struggling and striving. The
sweat and tears are ours; the agenda belongs to the below the radar
mind and our self image.

THE ULTIMATE HAPPINESS THAT EVERY INDIVIDUAL CAN REALISTICALLY ASPIRE TO IS CREATED BY BEING AT THE APEX OF ONES EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE.BY BECOMING WISE.

Water is the source of life - treasure it! R5.


Water is the source of life - treasure it! R5.
Water is the source of all life on earth. It touches every area of our lives. Without it, we could not thrive — we could not even survive.

Sustainability – “We strive to meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.
We should discourage wastefulness and misuse, and promote efficiency and conservation.
"Conservation is really the cheapest source of supply,"
For the benefit of mankind, maintain the quality of life and preserve the peace and tranquility of world population.  Water resources must be preserved - to sustain humanity.  We must eliminate wasteful utilization of water, conserve our water sources and implement rigid conservation methods. We should utilize solar and or other source of renewable energy to operate desalinization projects from the oceans. Utilize renewable energy sources to purify and transport the water to its final destination.  As world population increases the scarcity of water will become a cause for conflict, unless we take steps now to develop other sources of water for drinking, rainwater harvesting – storm-water and gray-water utilization. Designing of landscaping that uses minimal amount of water. 
"With power shortages and a water scarcity a constant threat across the West, it's time to look at water and energy in a new way,"                                     
To preserve the future generations sustainability, we should look into urban farming – vertical farming. The term "urban farming" may conjure up a community garden where locals grow a few heads of lettuce. But some academics envision something quite different for the increasingly hungry world of the 21st century: a vertical farm that will do for agriculture what the skyscraper did for office space. Greenhouse giant: By stacking floors full of produce, a vertical farm could rake in $18 million a year.
YJ Draiman, Energy, Telecom and water conservation consultant
December 31, 2010
PS.

Hydro dynamics: forget oil. Sharing freshwater equitably poses political conundrums as explosive and far-reaching as global climate change. 
Quoted from other sources
Anyone who has ever stood on a beach and looked out into the vast expanse of an ocean knows that there is a lot of water on this planet. In fact, 70 percent of the Earth's surface is covered by water. It may seem like water is all around us, but safe, clean, reliable drinking water is not a cease­less resource. The problems facing drinking water range from failing infrastructure, to climate change, to insufficient supplies.

Personal Conservation
Preserving our water resources is not a job for water industry professionals alone. We all have a vested interest in ensuring that water remains safe, af­fordable and available. Therefore, each individual American has a responsibility to monitor and control their water use, There are many simple ways for people to reduce excess water use, lower water bills and protect the environment, espe­cially in die spring and summer months, Beyond the standard constraints of watering the lawn only when neces­sary and washing car wisely by using soap and a bucket of water, some steps include: draining water lines to outside faucets, disconnecting hoses, shutting off outdoor water sources during cold weather and running a small trickle of water on whiter nights to prevent pipe from freezing.
Conclusion
Water supply management is an issue that affects us all. It may not be apparent to every citizen today, but with climate change and population shifts transforming the United States, it soon will be. Effective solutions need to be put into place today before we are faced with a water crisis. A focus on careful planning, treatments, innova­tions and conservation measures will help to create stability for long-term water management. Commitment to keeping water at the top of the list for communities and citizens will better prepare us for whatever the future of water holds.

WATER!
The indispensable source of life-without water there would be no industry, no agriculture and, most importantly of all, no life. In dry parts of the world this essential commodity is even more precious. Almost all human actions involve water from taking a shower to reading a newspaper to driving a car or simply eating a sandwich - almost everything we do or touch is somehow related to this precious treasure.  We ask that you stop and think how you use water and what you can do to conserve this essential natural resource.
*Water, beliefs and customs,
*Water as a vehicle of the economy,
*Water, source of art and life, irrigation and cultivation.
The people have decided to act to try and develop a real awareness program on the theme of water preservation and distribution in an attempt to help maintain the original purity of rivers and streams.
In many parts of the world water sources and wells are not equally distributed. Water as a source of life can also be at the source of conflict.
Whether we live in India, Iceland or the Atlas… we have always tried to trap and tame water. Dams, pumps, canals, water treatment centers; there are so many different ways to exploit this resource that we often forget how fragile this unique and essential treasure actually is.
Unfortunately, many of the things we do every day can harm our water. That’s why all people and government should be working with municipalities, farmers, business leaders and developers just like you to take action to protect our water and clean it up.
Small changes can make a big difference. This guide outlines practical things we can all do to preserve and protect our water. We all need to be part of the solution.
Concentrated Solar Power, which requires no solar panels at all. It works by concentrating sunlight onto a small pipe using cheap parabolic reflectors. The pipe contains a liquid that’s heated to very high temperatures by the sun and drives a steam boiler that rotates a turbine to generate electricity (much like nuclear power plants, but without the nuclear waste). It’s cheap, low-tech, and far more affordable than solar power. Plus, it can be built in practically any desert, so it doesn’t take up valuable land. As another bonus, when CSP operations are built near the ocean, they can desalinate ocean water as a side effect, providing fresh water for irrigation to grow food. This is the only renewable energy technology I know of that can produce cheap energy, fresh water and crop irrigation all at the same time. Plus, it has no emissions, no toxic chemicals, no nuclear waste and very little environmental impact..
“You can’t escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today” - Abraham Lincoln said it.
“That man is richest whose pleasures are the cheapest” –       Henry David Thoreau.
“To waste, to destroy, our natural resources, to skin and exhaust the land instead of using it so as to increase its usefulness, will result in undermining in the days of our children the very prosperity which we ought by right to hand down to them amplified and developed” – Theodore Roosevelt.
“When the ‘study of the household’ (ecology) and the ‘management of the household’ (economics) can be merged, and when ethics can be extended to include ‘environmental’ as well as human values, then we can be optimistic about the future of mankind. Accordingly, bringing together these three E’s is the ultimate holism and the great challenge for our future” – Eugene Odum.

Water, it’s been said, is the "oil of the 21st century" -- a commodity whose availability and quality may be subject to both known and unknown influences. For companies, that poses significant risks, and many companies are making water a strategic issue, creating water management plans that include efficiency and conservation as well as contingency plans should water become less available or more costly. Many firms are examining their products, policies, and processes through the lens of a world in which the availability of water becomes a constraint to doing business.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Rebuilding Trust in Our Government

  1. Rebuilding Trust in Our Government
    One of Americas statesmen stated “government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.” His presidency ushered in an era of disdain for government and a widespread cynicism that government could be effective in addressing our challenges.
    Today, as we confront a crisis that has shaken confidence in our financial system and economy, we have an opportunity to restore public trust and confidence in the legitimate role of government. Indeed, to effectively tackle our economic challenges and to implement the reforms we need in our healthcare, education, energy, and environmental policies, our government will need to garner strong public support.
    However, rebuilding public trust will not happen in the face of a pervasive perception that government is not transparent and accountable, cronyism is rampant, and public officials are more interested in helping themselves than in serving the public good.
    Taking strong, swift, and decisive action to address abuses and begin to rebuild public trust should be the first priority for our city, state and federal government in the new legislative session.
    Create a Task Force on Public Integrity with a mission to develop a comprehensive proposal for ethics and lobbying reform in our city and state. Which addresses reforms in three areas: (1) strengthening enforcement of ethics, campaign finance, and lobbying laws; (2) strengthening civil and criminal penalties for abuses; and (3) improving awareness and education for public officials.
    Reinforce honesty, integrity and transparency by government officials as the core requirement to be and stay in office, any violations of these core tenets will cause the removal of the public official and the loss of “all benefits” retroactive.
    While the many of our elected officials and government employees are honest, dedicated public servants, the actions of a few create a dark cloud over all.
    Taking strong, swift, and decisive action to address these abuses and begin to rebuild public trust should be the first priority for our city, state and federal government in the new legislative session.
    Compiled by: YJ Draiman