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Archive | May 4, 2014
May 4, 2014  

The Buddhist ‘All-in-One’ Mega-Holiday, ‘Vesak’ (or Wesak), A Major Extravaganza In Sri Lanka, Is On Wednesday, May 14, 2014 — May Full Moon.

Anura Guruge, June 8, 2013.
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by Anura Guruge

Related posts:
>> 2013 Vesak post — May 16, 2013.

 ++++ See Category ‘Sri Lanka’ or search on ‘Sri Lanka’ & ‘Buddhism’  for other related posts >>>>

‘Vesak‘ (also ‘Wesak‘) is the Buddhist equivalent of ‘Christmas‘, ‘Good Friday‘ and the ‘Pentecost‘ all rolled into one; i.e., three separate holy days celebrated on the same day — viz. the Full Moon day of May. So, per the Buddhist tradition, Buddha, i.e., Gautama Buddha, was born, attained enlightenment (meaning that he worked out that life was but suffering and the way to escape that was to reach the state of nirvana) and died on a Full Moon day in May — obviously years apart. Since full moons do not occur on the same day each month these three events would have occurred on different days — upto 3 weeks apart. Given that the Full Moon is as good a marker of events as any Buddhists over the centuries have been celebrating these three holy days on the Full Moon — though I don’t think many appreciate that the actual dates of these events have changed over the last 2,500 years.

I still can’t makeup my mind whether the Buddha was being considerate or selfish in rolling these three major holy days into one. But it sure makes for one heck of a holiday — especially in Sri Lanka. I will over the next few days try and do some other posts. But this is just to get us going for 2014.

YouTube video of Vesak 2013 in Sri Lanka — which is quite a SIGHT. Please watch and be amazed.

z_spe350

Sri Lanka ‘Sunday Observer’ coverage. Click to access.

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May 4, 2014  

German Siemens With Its Shady Reputation Should NOT Be THE Major Sponsor Of Disney Epcot!

Click to ENLARGE. Use link at left for yesterday’s ‘overview’ post.

Anura Guruge, June 8, 2013.…..
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by Anura Guruge

Related posts:
 >> 5 days at Disney World
 >> — May 3, 2014.
 ++++  Search on ‘Disney’
or check Category ‘Disney’
for other Disney related posts >>>>

I don’t think I could be accused of being wrong if I assert that Disney World is an epitome of ‘Americanism‘ and that Disney World stands for all that is right, glorious and magical about being American.

Disney, quite rightly, goes to great lengths to promote its Americanism and twice during our sojourn through the Magic Kingdom I heard commentary, accurate at that, of Walt’s patriotism and his indelible love of American Life.

So, I was shocked to the core, saddened and distressed when we visited Disney World Epcot and found the the iconic Globe, ‘Spaceship Earth‘ that deals with the evolution of human communications and the Nighttime illumination cum fireworks spectacular, ‘IllumiNations’, is sponsored and FEATURES, German, scandal-ridden Siemens!

That is NOT right.

To me that was a resounding slap in the face.

Yes, I am sure that 93% of those visiting Epcot will not even notice because Siemens has little to NO name or brand recognition in the U.S.

Let me please throw some names at you: IBM, Intel, Cisco, Apple, Microsoft, Google, Facebook, GE, Honeywell. Now lets add Siemens to that mix. Does it even compare?

WTF?

Click to read about the despicable, 12-year sponsorship deal with Epcot.

Click to read about the despicable, 12-year sponsorship deal with Epcot.

I take umbrage to this sponsorship deal on 4 points:

1. Siemens, at best, is a 2nd-tier ‘technology’ company; it is an engineering entity not known for innovation and is NOT in the same league as megastars like IBM, Cisco, Intel, Apple, Google …

2. Having been actively involved in ‘communications’ since 1974 I cringed going through the ‘Spaceship Earth’ exhibit BECAUSE Siemens was NEVER a big player in communications, and as such when we got to 1970s and the ‘modern era’ of electronic communications we had to endure generic displays of computers and networks because Siemens is NOT a player and never was.

3. Siemens is very much a German company known for its tight collaboration with the Nazis — even thought to be responsible for building gas ovens!

4. Siemens is plagued by corruption!

It is NOT a wholesome company, à la IBM or any of the U.S. biggies, that YOU want associated with Disney.

Here are some exhibits:

siemenswiki

Wikipedia entry for Siemens DOMINATED by the CONTROVERSIES.

siemensnazi

Click to access original … Google ‘Siemens and Nazi’ to be FLOORED!

siemensbribery

Siemens is synonymous with BRIBERY and corruption. Click to access ‘New York Times’ coverage or Google ‘Siemens and bribery’ to be SHOCKED!

OF COURSE, there had to have been BRIBERY!
Siemens wouldn’t know how to conduct business otherwise.
So who was bribed at Disney?

I am calling upon the ‘Feds’ in the broadest terms to PLEASE investigate.

I would like a Congressional Hearing on this PLEASE.

This is not right.

Leaving Epcot, after the fireworks on Thursday night, I saw ‘Siemens’ projected on the Globe.
I nearly choked.
As far as I am concerned they might as well have projected a swastika!
This is WRONG. This is scandalous.
This is so Un-American. This is so Un-Disney.
I am sure Walt, in his frozen state, would still agree with me.

The Disney contract must have an ‘unwholesome’ clause.
Now that they have been convicted in 2008 …
use that clause to pull out of this despicable sponsorship. 

Please help me put this right.

I want Epcot to be sponsored by the likes of IBM, Intel, Cisco, Microsoft, Apple, Google, Facebook, eBay …

Is that unreasonable?

Click the IMAGES to ENLARGE.

Anura Guruge, June 8, 2013.
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.by Anura Guruge

AudreyHepburn2014gdthLast Google Doodle:
 ≡ ≡ ≡ ≡ Check CATEGORY ‘Google Doodle’ for other posts —>>> (sidebar)


Click to access 'The Collective'.

Click to access ‘The Collective’.

∼ ∼ ∼ ∼ ∼ ∼ ∼ ∼ ∼ ∼ ∼ ∼ ∼ ∼ ∼ ∼ 

Click to access Wikipedia entry.

Click to access Wikipedia entry.

∼ ∼ ∼ ∼ ∼ ∼ ∼ ∼ ∼ ∼ ∼ ∼ ∼ ∼ ∼ ∼ 

Click to ENLARGE.

Click to ENLARGE.

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