Hong Kong and The Elderly Underground Army

A tourist visiting here has no reason to think about the plight of the elderly here and why should they, but it is quite possible they will take pictures of what seems like an army of very elderly people (both male and female) scavenging for cardboard boxes and going through rubbish bins for empty bottles and cans and wonder about this subject whilst they are here. After all this is the jewel of Asia, not some third world cesspit.

Hong Kong is a rich city, financially and yet we never seem to really take care of our elderly, I am talking Government assistance here by the way and honestly it was quite hard to wade through articles / reports etc which were in typical Government style ie totally incomprehensible, to get the basic facts.

What you probably do not know is that we do not have a mandatory retirement age here even though anyone over the age of 60 is entitled to old age allowances from the Government, many people continue to work well past 65, 70 and even 80.

A lot of this is pride, the Chinese are extremely proud and hardworking people, traits I have long admired but the fact is Hong Kong is a very expensive place to live, which is why we still have many people living in abject poverty.

According to statistics in late 2010, there were 688,000 people over the age of 60 receiving some form of Government assistance which ranges from Hong Kong $1,000 (US$128) to Hong Kong $2,590 (US $332) per month and yet it has been estimated that 350,000 of these people live in poverty and this is despite the fact that many also receive financial support from their children on top of the Government allowance, the Government also asks that people under 70 have to prove by way of an assets and means test that they are eligible for the allowance and many choose not to fill in the forms which would entitle them to higher allowances... confused yet?

The result is that we have a veritable army of pensioners scouring the streets for cardboard and other recyclable items to earn on average around Hong Kong $50 (US$6.50) to Hong Kong $100 (US$13) per day back breaking work for a pittance - The Government should be ashamed of itself and COULD DO BETTER, particularly when you consider that in 2010 Tourists spent over Hong Kong $200 Billion! (US$25.70 Billion) in Hong Kong which is serious money, you would have thought that some of this money would be given back to the Hong Kong people, particularly the elderly... or is it the Hong Kong Government considers the elderly army a tourist attraction?

I'm Jamie Lloyd and I have lived in Hong Kong for 35 years. I am a personal tour guide, I post articles about Hong Kong daily on my website, for an informative and sometimes amusing take on Hong Kong, visit my site daily Bringing Hong Kong to the World one day at a time - website - http://j3tourshk.com/ twitter - j3tourshongkong

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Hope for a More Secure Future: Young People Affected by HIV and AIDS in Uganda

The Scene

The consequences of civil war, extreme poverty and the persistent prevalence of HIV/AIDS have left the people of the northern Uganda to face formidable life challenges. As the country recovers from the war, enjoying 4 years of peace, the return of tens of thousands from internally displaced persons camps has exacerbated the challenges facing the already struggling region.

The HIV/AIDS prevalence of 7.7% in the region is accompanied by limited services, including health and education. Compounding this is the fact that nearly 40% of children and youth are orphans - either due to war or AIDS. Caregivers for orphaned children often lack the necessary income to pay school related fees (i.e. educational supplies and uniforms). This denies them their right to an education and can be a contributing factor to their long-term marginalization and a threat to their overall wellbeing. Teenaged orphans are often burdened with the responsibility of caring for their younger siblings and even their elder, ill relatives. The burdens on the lives of these youth are such that they are often unable to gain sufficient income to meet their individual needs or the needs of their family.

Amon Jennifer, age 21.

Jennifer remembers the year her mother died. It was 1993, and her mother was sick with HIV. She can't remember exactly when her father died, because she was too young. Jennifer, now 21 years old, is living with HIV. She was born HIV+, as was her only brother, who passed away a year before their mother.

After the death of her brother and mother, Jennifer moved from her home in Pader District, Northern Uganda, to Kampala, where she was taken under the care of her aunt. However, her aunt struggled to afford her school fees, forcing Jennifer to drop out of school just after beginning her first year of secondary school.

And then again, the very virus that infects Jennifer and claimed the lives of her father, mother and brother, would enter their lives again. Jennifer's aunt learned that she too was HIV positive.
In the face of more hardship, Jennifer began working in order to support herself and her aunt by selling crafts and working in a biscuit making factory. Despite her best efforts, there was not enough money for food or medication. Under the physical and emotional stress, Jennifer herself started to fall very sick and was eventually unable to work.

Jennifer's story took a positive turn when a concerned neighbour, a member of the Needy Support Center, a local community organizations, found that Jennifer had fallen very ill and encouraged her to join the organization, so that she could get support from other members of the community who were HIV positive.

Jennifer now works in a salon thanks to successfully completing a vocational training course in hair dressing. With her new skills, Jennifer is building her experience as a hair dresser and enjoying her new found profession. Through her continued membership with the Needy Support Centre, she is also continuing to get the care and support she needs to live positively with HIV.

The Needy Support Centre is a Ugandan partner of CAP AIDS and is supported through CAP AIDS' programmatic focus on supporting young people affected by HIV&AIDS to obtain the care, support and training they need to rebuild their lives.

The Canada Africa Partnership on AIDS (CAP/AIDS), is a Canadian Charity working in partnership with African Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) on the front lines to resist, survive and overcome the HIV&AIDS epidemic. CAP/AIDS' strategy is to engage small, carefully selected, African community-based organizations, and to work together to implement projects that best respond to the unique needs and priorities of their communities. CAP/AIDS develops partnerships and provides resources that enable African CBOs to reduce the spread of HIV&AIDS; provide relief, treatment, and comfort to people living with HIV&AIDS and to help orphans, families and communities to cope with the effects of AIDS with an emphasis on supporting economic opportunities for HIV&AIDS affected households. Since 2003, CAP/AIDS has supported more than fifteen grassroots CBOs, in five African countries, namely, Ethiopia, Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda. http://www.capaids.org

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The Plan to Capture Bin Laden

"A wise man learns more from his enemies, than a fool does from his friends"

Baltasar Gracian

While details of Osama bin Laden's capture are sketchy, one thing that is clear is that the U.S. military executed a nearly flawless raid with pinpoint precision.

For me, the most interesting revelation this week was that the CIA had intelligence about bin Laden's Islamabad hideout as early as August of last year. The intelligence was seemingly developed over years of digging, prodding and fact finding, which eventually yielded a tip about one of his handlers.

While the bravery of the team that struck the compound is absolute and unquestioned, we should be equally impressed with the methodical approach exhibited by our military command, who demonstrated remarkable patience and fortitude. It seems that every detail of the strike was planned meticulously. With the lives of American soldiers at risk, no detail was left to chance.

Strategy and tactics are born out of military doctrine, and the ability of operatives to plan their attack preciously, and execute flawlessly should give us pause. The operation lends credence to the notion that any strategy is only as good as that tactics that support it, and that execution of bad strategy can yield devastating results. It is often necessary to have a well thought out contingency plan in the event of a calamity, such as a helicopter being caught in a "vortex".

Both strategy and tactics are reliant on good information, and to act prematurely without knowing the facts will often generate a less than desirable outcome. As Stephen Covey points out, part of our time we spend planning, and part of it reacting. The greater the time we invest in planning, the less total energy we must expend. Whether it is in the military or business, the cost of a failed strategy can be high.

Once strategies (which is best defined as which battles should be fought) are determined, an organization must develop core competencies and resources to support them. While the US of A may have taken a hit in recent years, we still have the finest technology and training in the world, and our enemies should still be weary of that lethal combination.

The Wall Street Journal reported that that CIA Chief Leon Panetta thought that there was a "60% chance" that bin Laden was actually present in the compound. Clearly, the decision to strike took guts. Intelligence officials and the military developed the best information available, planned the attack and took a calculated risk. For that, our nation is eternally grateful. We should run our businesses with a similar level of preparedness.

Marc Emmer is President of Optimize Inc. ( www.optimizeinc.net ), and is an accomplished author, speaker and consultant specializing in strategic planning, performance management and human capital. Marc is sought after by CEO's as an expert in strategy and implementation of The Balanced Scorecard. Marc can be reached at marc@optimizeinc.net

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Syria, Iran, and Other Terrorist Regimes: Why They Will Soon Be Deposed

Syrian security forces killed at least 70 protestors Friday, and the death toll could reach 100, in one of the bloodiest days since the start of an eleven-week revolt against the authoritarian rule of President Bashar al-Assad. But the Syrian regime's brutality has not slowed the protests. In fact, tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets in defiance of security forces' efforts to crush the uprising.

On Monday, anti-regime dissidents took control of the Northwest portion of Syria and killed 120 security officers in the process. In fact, the Washington Post reported that "a swath of villages" in that area are now "outside government control".

Things are beginning to spin out of control for terroristic President Assad. This is not a good sign for him or for the Iranian regime. If protestors bring down Assad, the opposition movement in Iran will be emboldened, preparing for the eventual deposing of Ahmadinejad-which, in turn, will prepare for the end-times treaty.

Las Vegas odds say that Bashar al-Assad, terrorist demon of Syria, will not last. The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) assessment is in agreement with Las Vegas; for, according to the assessment of the Israeli military intelligence, the Assad regime will succumb to Syrian protests.

This is because Assad has lost his legitimacy in the eyes of the Syrians by responding with gross brutality to the protestors. (A recent report indicated that more than 1,200 protestors have been killed by Syrian "security" forces.) One incident stands out in which a thirteen-year-old boy was brutally and grotesquely tortured, finally dying from the assault.

Unfortunately, the Obama administration continues to hold onto the fanciful idea that it will be able to work with Assad, whom administration officials have called a "reformer". This week Secretary of State Hillary Clinton declared that Assad's legitimacy had "nearly run out". "Nearly" run out?! Added to this statement, the Secretary of State dreamed "hope" that "the Syrian government will end the brutality and begin a transition to real democracy". However, as a recent New York Times editorial expressed, arguments that Assad is the best hope for reform and stability have lost all credibility.

It is not just that the depraved Syrian regime might go down; it is that it MUST go down. Why? As David Brooks of the New York Times wrote this past week, there will not be peace in the Middle East "so long as depraved regimes are part of the picture." This would include, not just the Assad regime of Syria, but also Hamas, the Gaddafi regime of Libya, and the current Iranian regime.

There is a strong connection between three of these ruling entities-the Assad regime, Hamas, and the Ahmadinejad (of Iran) government. For example, if the Assad regime is overthrown, it would be a blow to Iran, as Syria serves as Iran's puppet bordering Israel; but the regime's upending would also embolden Iranian protestors, creating real problems for Ahmadinejad. Since Hamas is supported by both Syria and Iran, the toppling of either of those ruling powers will adversely affect the Palestinian terrorist group.

The Syrian protestors see this connection, which is why they have turned against Iran, as well as against Hizbullah (the terrorist entity that essentially controls Lebanon), two allies of the current Syrian regime. The more Assad brutalizes the protestors, the greater will be the anger across the Middle East, not only toward Assad, but also toward Iran, Hizbullah, and Hamas.

Because the Bible predicts there will be an end-times treaty with Israel that will produce the global assessment of "peace and security," each of these "depraved regimes" will be deposed in the near future. With such depraved regimes in the picture, neither the treaty is possible nor is the appearance of "peace and security". Thus, all terrorist regimes in the Middle East will be upended to make way for the end-times treaty with Israel.

Since the terrorist entities of the Assad regime, the Ahmadinejad government, Hamas, and Hizbullah will all be brought down-in order to prepare for the end-times treaty and "peace and security"-perhaps we are now seeing the preparation for their demise. Keep an eye on the Middle East; but, more importantly, if you are a believer in Jesus Christ, keep looking up!

Doctoral work, Phoenix Seminary; Th.M., New Testament Greek, Dallas Theological Seminary; B.A., English, University of Northern Iowa

Author; Conference Speaker

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Terrorists With Chemical and Biological Rockets and Missiles - Oh, That's Just Great

While everyone is worried about Tom Clancy's "Sum of All Fears" or nuclear weapons in the hands of terrorists, perhaps we ought to consider the problems of WMD. Anyone who has ever read any of Bill Gertz's books or has an ear to the railroad track in the intelligence community knows that Hezbollah has re-loaded and has 10s of thousands of rockets, and some advanced missiles ready for their next attack on Israel.

Of course, if you start putting two-and-two together things seem a lot worse than they actually are right now, and no, I am not talking about the Full-Eclipse of the moon, which is said to trigger Earthquakes either.

There was an interesting piece recently on Front Page Magazine Online posted I believe on June 15, 2011 titled; "Jihadist Missile Crisis" by Frank Crimi the article noted some comments by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates that;

"Hezbollah possessed chemical and biological weapons. The news comes as the IDF contends they have 50,000 missiles and rockets now. In April 2011 Libyan rebels had ransacked chemical weapons storage depots in and around the Libyan city of Benghazi. There they obtained at least 2,000 artillery shells carrying mustard gas and 1,200 nerve gas shells, which they sold to both Hezbollah and Hamas. Not surprisingly, Iran was believed to be the broker of the deal."

Okay so, obviously it is not my desire to get anyone's pants in a tizzy, or freak you out by showing you a certain Congressman's "package" online, but this issue with Hezbollah is a tad bit more important that what Paris Hilton's little dog had for breakfast or if Charlie Sheen is coming back to the big screen anytime soon.

And as if Israel doesn't have enough challenges right now with their Syrian border issues, Hezbollah is now commanding the political venue in Lebanon as well. And jihadists are infiltrating the border of Egypt into the Gaza Strip, but not a lot of people are looking there, as right now everyone is worried about Syria killing its own people in the protests and uprisings as they did a few decades ago (the Hama Massacre of February 1982 estimates 10,000 to 20,000 people killed), and although no one thinks it will get that bad, it could.

Even Turkey has spoken out now, as people from the North too are trying to flee the country. Things are so close to total loss of control, well, it's not all that funny really. And yes, it is good to have the comic relief in the US media with stuff that really doesn't matter, as pathetic as some of those stories are, but, there are some very serious issues happening, and it could very easily get way out of hand quick. Please consider all this.

Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank. Lance Winslow believes writing 23,777 articles by 7 PM on June 27, 2011 is going to be difficult because all the letters on his keyboard are now worn off now..

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