bringing you a dose of stupid news

i woke up early to try and look at my team's assignment, but they are late. so i looked at bbc news instead. found some stupid stupid stuff.

Man marries dog to ward of curse.

Man marries 15 year-old daughter and knocks her up (while still being married to his regular wife) becaus Allah told him to do so. Angry villagers who failed to get the courts to do something, almost kill him for insest.

This is the country where I'll be going to in two weeks. I think it would be an interesting kind of tourism to do "news tourism". Like, take a camera, and go to India, and find these people and take pictures of them and interview them. Like, what were you thinking, and why? And how silly!

 

Happy Halloween
Topic: readings
I am a bit stressed out and procrastinating online, as you can see. Today is Halloween and we had 0 trick-or-treaters which makes me sad. I started the day by re-memorizing (my pathetic Halloween tradition) The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe. As my command of the English language improved, I understood the poem more and more. Prior to taking my English speech coaching, I was daunted by the difficult poem. You may not think it is difficult, but if you try to read it well, it is not an easy one, trust me. Now that I am not struggling with the language part or the reading of it any longer, I can actually move into the realm of analysis. So, here goes my musing about this. Even if you actually know me, you will find this incredibly weird.Here's a refresher on the poemOnce upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
`'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door -
Only this, and nothing more.'

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow; - vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow - sorrow for the lost Lenore -
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels named Lenore -
Nameless here for evermore.

And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me - filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating
`'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door -
Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door; -
This it is, and nothing more,'

Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
`Sir,' said I, `or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you' - here I opened wide the door; -
Darkness there, and nothing more.

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before
But the silence was unbroken, and the darkness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, `Lenore!'
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, `Lenore!'
Merely this and nothing more.

Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,
Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.
`Surely,' said I, `surely that is something at my window lattice;
Let me see then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore -
Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore; -
'Tis the wind and nothing more!'

Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore.
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;
But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door -
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door -
Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
`Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou,' I said, `art sure no craven.
Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the nightly shore -
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!'
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'

Much I marveled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,
Though its answer little meaning - little relevancy bore;
For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door -
Bird or beast above the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
With such name as `Nevermore.'

But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only,
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
Nothing further then he uttered - not a feather then he fluttered -
Till I scarcely more than muttered `Other friends have flown before -
On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before.'
Then the bird said, `Nevermore.'

Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
`Doubtless,' said I, `what it utters is its only stock and store,
Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful disaster
Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore -
Till the dirges of his hope that melancholy burden bore
Of "Never-nevermore."'

But the raven still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird and bust and door;
Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore -
What this grim, ungainly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore
Meant in croaking `Nevermore.'

This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core;
This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o'er,
But whose velvet violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o'er,
She shall press, ah, nevermore!

Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer
Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.
`Wretch,' I cried, `thy God hath lent thee - by these angels he has sent thee
Respite - respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore!
Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe, and forget this lost Lenore!'
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'

`Prophet!' said I, `thing of evil! - prophet still, if bird or devil! -
Whether tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted -
On this home by horror haunted - tell me truly, I implore -
Is there - is there balm in Gilead? - tell me - tell me, I implore!'
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'

`Prophet!' said I, `thing of evil! - prophet still, if bird or devil!
By that Heaven that bends above us - by that God we both adore -
Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,
It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels named Lenore -
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden, whom the angels named Lenore?'
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'

`Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!' I shrieked upstarting -
`Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!
Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
Leave my loneliness unbroken! - quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!'
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'

And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,
And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted - nevermore! 

Now, here is a random blog that I surfed: http://kevinlovespam.blogspot.com/

 Here, Kevin, the writer of the blog, quotes out of the bible: "Broken by God’s Kindness…

Meditations on 2 Sam 7:18-29

David sat before the Lord, broken, awed, silent and overwhelmed until he could hold his joy in God and happy tears back no more… “Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and said, "Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord GOD. You have spoken also of your servant's house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord GOD! And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord GOD! Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it.” (7:18-21)"

 

I always take a humanistic view of the bible when I read any versions of it. I look at it as a book. I tried to have it "live for me" as many religious people say it lives for them, but that doesn't work for me. But I do think it is a very good, interesting, and important piece of literature.

So, here is the point: the comparison between the depth of emotion portrayed in the bible and in Poe's poem.

In Poe's poem, the main character is trying to forget Lenore, but can't. When the raven first enters, after the narrator regains his composure, he is overjoyed. He is smiling because the raven brought a respite from his sorrow. And then he realizes that really, the raven is just there to have the narrator lose all hope to ever see even so much as the ghost of Lenore and to stop drying to not think about her/not be able to put her out of his mind ever again, making him arrive at an even worse, a much more, utterly more hopeless state, due to the full realization of it, then he was before the raven came.

Anyway, the narrator's experience is the opposite of David. He is first happy and then he becomes broken and saddened.

Both show the author's immense understanding of a very complex emotion. Poe does it in a short poem and I think that's great. Also, the whole concept is really really twisted, so now I like the poem even more, evermore.

 

AnthonyAnderson is a loser
Topic: Day to Day

Dear Anthony Anderson, of Haterpool, England, you are a loser and a dick and so are all your loser friends. I hope you get what you deserve in prison.

love,

I

This is what my taxes pay for?
Topic: America the Beautiful

This story touched my heart. It is about a man who let his dog shoot him because he forgot to put the safety on his gun. He had to be airlifted by helicopters and stuff. I ask you, who pays for such stuff? Probably my federal or state taxes! I am so tired of hearing how many stupid things people do. I once dated a guy whose brother shot him in the head with a pellet gun by accident. This happens in rural areas all the time, apparently.

In other news, man bites police dog and police officer! Specifically, he almost pulls The Tyson on the dog.

Why I woke up at 5:30 to get some work done and am now surfing bbc news, and blogging about it, I don't know. I think it's stress.

flickr break
Topic: web stuff

so many gems on flickr.

Today I found this incredible slide show

Ok, back to work.

in the news
Topic: web stuff

Reading news.google.com world news was depressing today.

• more terror attacks
• more volcanos about to errupt and people in the surrounding area don't want to depart.

But then there are interesting news:

• Gorbachev started his own party
• 3 out of the 25 or so stories on the page were about Apple
• And, an elderly lady took a hammer to a call center of ComCast when she couldn't get service! My hero! Especially after it's been proven that ComCast meddles with user traffic in order to control it.

 

Tears for Marion
Topic: America the Beautiful
Tears stand in my eyes this day as Marion Jones, one of my favorite US athletes, pleads guilty to taking performance enhancement drugs and lying about it, during Olympics. It's unclear who is to blame 100%, her, or her coach, or both, but that doesn't really matter, does it? What matters is the dissapointment that this brings. The fact of it is, she didn't win fair and sqare. She cheated. And I watched her "win" in awe and admiration, thinking of her when doing my workouts, that if she can achieve her goals, then I can achieve mine. Athletes are one of the groups of people I turn to for inspiration, and this is very dissapointing. First a shock as Landis is stripped of the Tour De France (Tour De France!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! how shocking!!!!) title. Now Jones and the Olympics. Some of my favorite athletes. This hurts.

Only in America... does a man take another man to court for a custody hearing over an amputated leg.
Topic: America the Beautiful
A man sues another man for joint custody of the man's amputated leg, after the man accidentally sells it in a smoker. No lie.

busy equals... (rant)

-not really having time to blog

-not having time to do anything but eat @ your desk, 1 or 2 meals a day

-not having time to do much but work 12-16 hours a day on the weekdays, and 5-10 hours on the weekends. And I'm talking about, sitting down and working, nonstop, maybe with 1-2 toilet breaks lasting 5 minutes. Not chatting on the phone, not reading news articles on line, not doing horoscopes or reading personal emails, or browsing the web. I mean, working, multitasking, doing projects while on 2 conference calls at the same time, kind of working. Do do do. Deliver deliver deliver. prioritizing between 5-10 deadlines every single day. Not just working on 1 project at a time, with lulls in between, but working your ass off, every single minute, that kind of working. And when you are done, you just get to go to sleep so that you can wake up and do it again. With no "rewarding yourself".

-not getting more then 6 hours of sleep on average a night for 6 months

-being on the road all the time for work - not for fun

-doing conference calls every day on the weekend

-at the same time as all of the above, having to find at least 2 hours to take care of sick pets or husbands a day, every day.

-not having time to take time off when you are sick or when you've gone through surgery

-not really having time to blog

-not having time to see/call/write to friends and family

-not wanting to plan anything because you'd not look forward to it when the time came because of all the stuff you actually HAVE to do

-only seeing 2 movies in 2007 so far

-watching less then 10 hours of TV in 2007 so far

-not having time to study anything including, martial arts, japanese, or anything else

-having new floors and windows and water filter and air conditioner installed while all of the above

-having 2 surgeries while above is happening

-having to console coworkers through losing loved ones or for work stress

-not having time to work out but once a week

-not having time for haircut in 9 months

-missing countless invitations from friends to various parties and events which don't even sound fun anymore because now fun=whenever that time comes when you don't have to do all of the above because you must

-having conference calls with India at 6am and at 10pm every single friggin day

-having to deal with the needs of your condo association at the same time as all of the above

-dealing with crisises that friends and family are having while going through all of the above

-still making time to see one friend a week (rationing it out so that it is sustainable)

-having to pick up supplies, prescriptions, dealing with financials, broken phone lines, getting estimates from 8 closet vendors, and groceries.

-no time for cooking anything, drawing anything, making anything, or getting to any "rainy day" projects like putting up art in the house or finishing up picking out furniture. No time to sit down and just relax. Being stressed out about reading a book for an hour and then feeling guilty about doing it afterwards.

That, my friends, is what busy really is. I'm busy. I'll be like this for another 3-6 months while my company goes through another growth spurt. I'll be under this rock till then. And if you are mad at me for not being around, then I just wish that you never get how busy I am right now, from personal experience, cuz i promise, you won't like it.  Last week, I probably spent less then 10 hours on: personal grooming, eating, reading, responding to personal email or phone calls other then that of my immediate family, and cleaning. I can't even make time to clean out the fridge or to put stuff back from the floor re-do yet. I have 0 days off this year. I'm cranky.

Evil only exists in peoples' hearts
Topic: Day to Day

Some interesting stories are in the news today, among them, this one, about Anna Goeldi, the last person executed for witchcraft in Europe. Some people thought that, since the court proceedings were recorded, and since there was clearly a miscarriage of justice, it can be proven that she was falsely accused, so it would be good to exonerate her. However, the people and politicians in the town of Glarus, Switzerland, where the execution under the cover of the law happened, did not agree, and would prefer to forget the past.

What would it be to them, to exonerate a woman who was wrongly accused 200 years ago? Well, I think it's because the children of these people are still around today, not many generations removed as yet. I am sure those people feel this would reflect badly on their past, and since they've been historically a family of inheriting their position in power and government leadership, this would possibly not help them in the polls. The people who accused her of whitchcraft after she threatened to tell about the fact that they either had an affair with her or, possibly after they raped her. And the problem is, I think those people (last name was Tschudi, also known as Judy or Juday in the US,) are ancestors to many people in the very small community - very common name there today. The house still stands where she was possibly raped. And according to wikipedia, my hunch seems very palusable.