Focus

I have always found it hard to focus, whether it's at work, studying, or even reading a book to its end - mostly non-fiction books or school material.

Most projects and ideas I had, I didnt finish or gave up on before even starting.

Lack of focus, no concentration, inability to stay "on the ball". My life has been rulled by these issues.

It went on like this for years. Try as I did, with academics, I didnt have the stamina, or patience to study for long, and things I did understand in the classroom didn't hold from day to day.

Never had the patience to sit and do homework for too long. And that is a real dumper when it comes to university studies.. (or any studies, come to think of it)

Last friday, I went and did a test for ADD/ADHD called T.O.V.A

As the test had shown, and as I already figured, it seems I have some form of ADD.

It's good in my eyes, this diagnostic, since it explains my history, as well as offers several routes for treatment and addressing of the problems I had and still have.

It opens a whole range of possibilities to me, leaving me with the decision - what and if I should do something with this knowledge.

This time I can no longer chalk it all down to lazyness, or lack of interest, or anything else. It all comes down to me.

Olympics

Beijing Olympics just ended. It was an impressive demonstration of power and money and human physical abilities.

I never actually followed the games, aside from being happy or sad for my countrymen when they succeeded or failed.

The games this year put a spotlight on china - good thing or a bad thing - depends on how you look at it. It showed the strengths of this giant nation and also its shortcomings in some other areas - such as human rights.

A lot of animosity came about - from alligations as to possible drug abuse by the jamaican runner to loser discontent and lack of sportsmanship from the american teams as well as others.

It was a spectacular and difficult (if not impossible) to top effort. For that china deserves hats off.

Now London 2012 is the next place of events - and everyone wonders how they will pull it off.

How will things be? only time will tell.

Fighting WindMills

After fifteen years at the same bank, I decided to take initiative and fight at least one of the wrongs.

One thing among the many that this bank (and since it's the largest one in Israel, most of the rest as well) is inflicting on its customers, or money cows..

The thing I'm fighting is the fact that once you have money in your checking account, you get no interest for it. When you have a debt to the bank, you'll pay a handsome interest, but when the bank enjoys your balance, you see not even a penny (or agora, as the case may be).

I already contacted my bank - their response was that this is how things are. Naturally this is not a viable answer.

So, I'm using other channels. Bank of Israel, and various other institutions and offices that may have the power to change this wrong doing.

I am hopefull, but I also know this is a long howl run. It won't be over in a couple of months. But the banks should re-grasp the notion that they are here to serve US and not vice versa.

As soon as I gather enough paper/email trail, I'll start publishing it online and try to get the media to delve and follow this. The more noise I generate, the more chance I have to be heard and supported.

The amounts involved in this are staggering. estimations run upto 100 billion shekels a year (about 27 billion USD) from the interest they (all the israeli banks) gather from our money.

Wish me luck! :)

Nostalgy: The X-Files Returns

10 Years ago, X-Files ended with the screening of the movie "Fight the Future"

After 9 seasons ,the acclaimed tv series went off the screen and slowly off the minds of countless fans to tv oblivion. Or so we thought.

When the motion picture came out, there were intentions (as I recall) to produce a series of movies that will stretch and thicken the plot further. These intentions did not hold for long, as the movie did not do too well in the theatres, and after the termination of the tv series, there seemed to be no point in producing any other movies.

However, now came the second movie of "The X-Files". I read that David Duchovny himself pushed for the production of this installment, even though the show has been dead for so long, and the first movie was not a big success.

So I went to see it last night with my girlfriend. We were 4-5 people in a small movie hall (the smallest one in the multiplex).

Personally I enjoyed this movie. It was different than what I remembered of the show as well as the previous movie. But since the plot takes place 10 years after the last movie, it makes sense. People change, and mulder & scully changed a lot.

This movie, as a deviation from the main x-files theme, was not about Aliens in any way. It still managed to convey a interesting suspense-filled plot and an emotional ending.

There were too many emotional, drama dialogues between mulder & scully to my preference, but all in all, I liked the development that took place over the years.

I guess I missed The X-files just as much as Mulder did :)

Money Money Money

Every once in a while, me, and now my girlfriend too, like to imagine what it would be like when we get rich.

What kind of things we would buy, which places we would visit, how we'll act upon becoming rich and how else it would affect our lives.

I realised This "what if" game is pretty common after asking around.

People always like to go on dreaming about things they wish to attain.

How many of these people actually take the dream from the mind and turn it into a reality?

Not many it seems.. and why not?

Is it really that difficult to become rich? or is it the risk taking that most people rather avoid?

Maybe the reason is that the easiest thing is to dream, and on the other hand, elbow grease and running around and doing hard work and sometimes going on a limb without being sure of the actual consequences is what keeps most people away from that pot of gold at the foot of the rainbow..

You read everyday about rich people. They buy this, they go there, they seem so distant when in reality they're quite regular folks. Most of them anyways.

Another thing is that people don't really like rich people. Or maybe it's just in my country. Being rich here seems to be a good reason to be apologetic and to be looked at with suspicion and distrust.

If they donate - it's probably for tax benefits or to push something to do with their hidden agenda. If they don't donate - they're evil scrooges that do not deserve a second pittying glance.

However, if you ask any average Joe or Jane on the street (Alon or Noa in Israel) if they rather be poor, average or rich in income, the answer is always clear. They (and us) all want to be rich.

How do you want to spend your life? rich or poor? does poorness makes for a better person? does money instantly makes for a less moral one?

Food for thought.

Stomach Aches

I don't know about you, but my stomach aches quite often.
Things I try to soothe it include tea, milk, rubbing, toilet, and avoiding constipation inducing foods.
Still, sometimes it just remains as it is, and I'm left with the simple task of riding it over.
Another way to allow the stomach to function better (ingestion-wise) is to practice sports. I suspect that my lack of sport-practicing contributes to my ill-feeling.
I keep telling myself I'll do something about it, and of course I keep postponing it again and again.
My self-discipline needs boosting in the way of a coach/trainer. My last trainer closed shop for lack of students (Krav-Maga) and difficulties finding a venue to practice at.
Instead of finding alternative sports, I just let things stay as they are. Bad choice of course.
How does one develop self-discipline if one has lost it so many years ago?
Food for thought.