just another depressing event that affects the fabric of the world

My lame attempt at being philosophical aside, I'm a bit sad about the news of the Yale graduate student, Annie Le, whose missing person status has turned into a homicide case. I was casually following the case and I was hoping that she was just missing but, well, police discovered her body in the building she was last seen in.

From what's been reported in the news, I can't seem to fathom why anyone would want to harm her. But god only knows the motivation behind a gruesome act like murder. It's made particularly sad as she was due to celebrate her wedding today.

Sigh. It's confounding how in one week, what should have been some of the happiest days of her life, ended up the way it did. I pray that they catch the person who did this.

this just affirms it

I KNEW MY FEAR OF THEM WAS JUSTIFIED AND COMPLETELY RATIONAL!!!!! "Monster Crocodile" Bites Girl's Head Off! SEE! They are abominable creatures. And it's an unprovoked attack. And seriously, how sick that it ate/bit off just the head and left the rest of the body intact, so to speak. UUGGHHH! I'm just so disgusted and sorry for the poor lil girl.

But really, all this is simply another turn of fate and act of God, whatever the motivations might be! I guess if you believe in any religion, or any higher being for that matter, these are the kind of things that you wonder why it happens but have to understand that it is just part of a bigger picture. It's gruesome and horrible but so are many other things in life and not everything can be rosy. I guess in some ways I believe there needs to be a bad to all the good, the yin yang concept. It's just sad.....

today we celebrate.....International Women's Day!

How awesome is it that there is a day dedicated to celebrating women! It is a perk if you were born the fairer sex, ESPECIALLY if you live/work in a country that recognizes it as a national holiday!

This year, International Women's Day, falls on a Sunday so the day off is moved to Monday hence I get a 3-day weekend to begin my celebration of all things womanly. Ok, the holiday is a bonus, there is an importance to International Women's Day. Here's some information on this UN approved day, courtesy of internationalwomensday.com:

"International Women's Day (IWD) is marked on March 8 every year. It is a major day of global celebration for the economic, political and social achievements of women.

Started as a political event, the holiday blended in the culture of many countries (primarily Russia and the countries of former Soviet bloc). In some celebrations, the day lost its political flavour, and became simply an occasion for men to express their love to the women around them in a way somewhat similar to Mother's Day and St Valentine's Day mixed together. In others, however, the political and human rights theme as designated by the United Nations runs strong, and political and social awareness of the struggles of women worldwide are brought out and examined in a hopeful manner.

The IWD is also celebrated as the first spring holiday, as in the listed countries the first day of March is considered the first day of the spring season. Although March 8 is designated as the official date for International Women's Day, hundreds of events occur not just on this day but throughout March."

The site also explains that every year, a global theme is chosen.

"Organisations, governments and women's groups around the world choose different themes each year that reflect global and local gender issues.

Some years have seen global IWD themes honoured around the world, while in other years groups have preferred to 'localise' their own themes to make them more specific and relevant."

For the year 2009, the global theme is "Women and men united to end violence against women and girls". This is an ongoing common issue suffered by women all over the world and considering that there has been a high-profile case of domestic abuse that has taken the world news by storm, it does not discriminate.

On a lighter note, in some countries, this day is observed by men giving the women in their lives - mothers, wives, girlfriends, daughters, colleagues, etc., flowers and small gifts, as mentioned above. I love the fact that for this holiday I don't have to be in a relationship nor a mother to receive gifts from men. And the fact that this holiday does not have any religious connatations is a boon, one thing that makes me uncomfortable wth V-Day. Yesterday, as I was meeting up with my team for a day out, I received a sundae treat from my colleagues as an early International Women's Day gift. Thanks guys! They are sweet like that. What can I say, I like me a celebration like that :)

historical world events in my lifetime

In my 20-plus years, I've lived through quite a few significant world changing events. Notably, the devastating tsunami of '04, terrifying hurricane katrina, 9/11, the gulf war, the war on terror, Princess Di's and Mother Teresa's passings, Benazir Bhutto's assassination, horrific earthquakes both in China and Indonesia and so much more. When I look back, most of these world landscape changing events are simply awful, my mind can't seem to wrap itself around nor bear its magnitude. Death and destruction is depressing. So it's with a full heart that I join in with everyone this morning in celebrating a historical world event that rings great joyful significance all around the world, the inauguration of America's 44th President, Barack Obama.

This is positive history-making. I believe this is a progression considering the country's past (the slavery, KKK, the LA race riots, Mexican border issues, Ellis Island and the Mayflower, all persons who fought for racial ambiguity) but does this mean that as a nation, America is finally united? That question is difficult to answer. The new president is not a miracle worker, he is simply a man on a mission to implement positive change. Let's not get ahead of ourselves and pin too unrealistic hopes on the man. Change will also not come speedily, it'll take time but I believe the world as a whole is giving their support to Barack Obama to turn things around for the US.

For the last couple of years, the world over has lost their respect for the self-proclaimed last remaining superpower, confidence and relations eroded by many decisions made by the previous administration as it went on to bully its way (and policies) in places I personally hold they have no right. But that is all, hopefully, behind us. In his inauguration speech, the newly instated president mentions it is....."time for remaking America".....it is that time indeed.

On a wholly unrelated and superficial note, I just wanted to give a happy birthday shout out to Linkin Park drummer Rob Bourdon, may you keep on drumming and entertaining for many years to come. Isn't it cool that he will always remember his thirtieth birthday as the day America swore in the first Black president. The day he turned thirty was a personal milestone for him and a gigantic moon landing milestone for his country. There, managed to tie the 2 events together.....I can be crafty if I want to :D

UPDATE:
For some inexplicable reason, each time I read a news item on the changes being put into motion by Barack Obama and his team, I start getting all emo with some kind of here-comes-the-knight-in-shining-armour type feelings and my eyes well up. I have no idea why it's affecting me like this. I know he probably will make decisions that people don't agree on and that his 'reign', realistically, will not be entirely smooth sailing. It's just each time I see his images and read about his plans I just get all.....hopeful, I guess. I don't know how else to describe it. It's really freaking me out!

today we celebrate a.....

Happy International Human Rights Day! Yes, today is the day to celebrate the universal human right: to live and to do so peacefully. This day was declared to raise awareness of human rights and of those who are deprived of these rights.

A lil explanation, courtesy of Wikipedia (accuracy of information not guaranteed).......

"The date was chosen to honour the United Nations General Assembly's adoption and proclamation, on 10 December 1948, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the first global enunciation of human rights. The commemoration was established in 1950, when the General Assembly invited all states and interested organizations to celebrate the day as they saw fit."

Anyway, for as long as we have and will occupy this earth, there are many still out there who do not have access to the most basic of human rights such as clean water, food and shelter. Hopefully, we can all do our own small part, contribute to make a small difference. One way to do this is through the World Food Programme Feed Bag which is a product of the United Nations World Food Programme, and was designed to raise awareness and funds for hungry children. Each FEED bag sold (USD60) will provide a school year of meals for one child in need and give them the hope of an education and a regular meal.

Ok, off my soap box now. On to more frivolousness :)

tragic how consumerism has gotten the better of humanity

Black Friday has come and gone but besides the usual news of injuries acquired fighting for rock-bottom priced items, it was reported a Wal-Mart employee in Valley Stream, NY was trampled to death in a stampede at the entrance where 'customers' (I use the term lightly) broke the glass doors in an all-too-true MAD rush to shop.

Now, my first impression of stampedes are gazelles, rhinos or elephants in the safari wilderness trampling a Nat Geo photographer OR in a more urban setting, a participant in the bull run in Pamplona, Spain falling down and getting bull hoofs all over him. I did not expect to open the paper and read about a store employee getting 'murdered' by a bunch of savage shoppers. Is the price of human life so low now that it is equal to that as USD24.99 bedsheet, no matter what the thread count is or even if its egyptian cotton?

This man, Jdimytai Damour, who was a temporary staff employed by Wal-Mart to cope with the holiday crowd, perhaps hoping to earn a little extra cash during this time of supposed thanks-giving, was overpowered by the crazy people whom had been waiting outside the store as he and other employees attempted to unlock the doors at 5 a.m. Reports say that a line began forming outside the store at 9 p.m. Thursday and that, by 5 in the morning Friday, there were as many as 2,000 customers outside. There's a video which shows about a dozen people knocked to the ground as the doors were opened and the crowd surged, breaking the doors. Other Wal-Mart employees and Nassau County police that tried to give Damour first aid were jostled by these 'customers' still running into the store whom continued unaware of any untoward incidence. When the store attempted to shut down to allow for police investigations, shoppers actually said that they had waited so long and had still not bought the things they came for and continued right on shopping.

What is it that makes people act like uneducated savages? I'm saying this because the incident occured at a Wal-Mart in a county which is not considered to be a rural backwater hick town (not trying to perpetuate a stereotype, just simply running along with a theme everyone understands) where the people frequenting the store know the norms of living in a civilized society. So how does it that Wal-Mart's super saving, slashed prices, rock-bottom sale reduced these people into the 'Lord of The Flies' type monsters that they were? Now, there's talk of blaming Wal-Mart's successful thwarts at unionizing their workers for this, agreeably, avoidable incident and so on and so forth but please, let's also hold accountable the, according to the NY Times, 'shrieking mob' that trampled the 34-year old man to death. You buying into the mob mentality does not make you less responsible for taking a man's life. But I foresee people getting off scot free, if it's not due to lack of evidence, they'll surely plead temporary insanity and that's even if they are charged at all. It is America after all.

a wave of change

Wow...wow.....wow! Three wows does not really cover it but I don't want to repeat myself. I never thought I'd personally get to be around on the day (as in alive for history in the making stuff) but I am and it has happened. Simply an outstandingly positive growth in civilization for all involved.

On another note of positivity, Democracy has spoken, loudly I might add. The '08 election has proven that it prevails and is still relevant despite everything the outgoing administration has put, not only America, but also the world through. As a citizen of the world, I can only say I am as excited as the next person being able to bear witness in the ushering of this new era of leadership. Personally, I don't expect miracles but I'm sure, like everyone else who is an invested citizen, am hoping to see positive change on all fronts. Bring on January 20, 2009!