My New Sticky Thread!™

Saibaidee. Welcome! :)

....To my dark place.






And this is a Lao Gurl's blog.

Respect it.



Translation: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. Word.






YAY!



I continued to stare into her eyes, feeling that I'd finally gotten my first real glimpse into her soul. I saw in that one word where she ranked herself among her own priorities. Unlike most humans, her own needs were far down the list. She was selfless.

I do love all of my friends dearly. I do appreciate your friendship, and the time you take to comment here.

This list will be updated on a periodical basis.

But for the moment, here's a list of some of my fav quotes:

If narcissism and delusions of grandeur were news, we'd all be on the front page

I got so many questions running up inside my mind. Life is long but it isn't enough time, to answer all the questions I got inside my mind. - Jovanotti</b>

Are you in the dark place? Yeah.

You want to know why, I'm so unfocused, so ordinary? You wanna know what happened to me? You.

I'm not dark and twisty. And if I am, it's because I live my life under a banner of avoidance. I avoid. I'm an avoider. - Meredith Grey

There is usually nothing wrong with compromise in a situation, but compromising yourself in a situation is another story completely

Revolutionaries don't fear execution. The death of my physical constitution, is just the beginning of spiritual evolution. God will reincarnate me as revolution

They Feed Us Genetically Modified Garbage So I Repetitively Reload The Cartridge -Immortal Technique


I lived my dreams today, I lived it yesterday, and I'll be living yours tomorrow - The Libertines

These thoughts I must not think of; dreams I can't make sense of; I need you to tell me it's ok. - Editors

Don't be thinkin' that us Asians ain't gonna get you. Since the killing fields, you don't know what we have been through.

>:)

He who learns must suffer. And even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget, falls drop by drop upon the heart. Until in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom to us through the awful grace of God - R.F.K, Aeschylus


-----With more to come!

We're grown ups, when did that happen? How do we make it stop?

- Meredith Grey

I know, it's been forever and a day since I updated my LJ. I've just been busy with life.

School is getting better, I pulled up my grades in my Italian and politics class. I need to join more clubs though. I've been feeling depressed as of late, and I need to make new friends, and get out more in order to amend that.

Learning Italian is a pain, but it'll be worth it. I've pretty much made up my mind that when I do study abroad, I'll head to Italy. I just like the country so much; maybe it's because - to take a cue from Lacan and his syntax here - that I view the culture through an anamorphic lense, but it just seems much more fascinating than the American/Anglo culture I'm currently immersed in.

Mom and I have gotten past another passive-aggressive phase. I did man up and apologise to her, though I wish I could take back some of the things I have said.

As for comics I'm reading: I've just decided to reduce my comics haul to: a few Bat Titles (though the fact that Judd Winick is going to be on the main Bat Book makes me want to vomit) Wonder Woman, Secret Six (I just love Gail's writing) and anything featuring Helena Bertinelli and Carol Danvers. I might branch out and read Teen Titans, Outsiders, and Fantastic Four, but we'll see.

I have already dropped Trinity (it's too boring) and I'm going to drop JLA. I love Dwayne McDuffie, but the "Driving Ms. Daisy" remark that Vixen made to Jon Stewart in the last issue was in poor taste. I'm just not feeling the book now, and I need to save money.

My birthday was on the 27th of March. It was a relatively pleasant and quiet day, though I regret the fact that I didn't get to go to the Crawdad restaurant like I wanted to. I'm 25 now, and I've resolved to make the most of the rest of my twenties.

In the words of Rihanna: Live Your Life.

On another note, here are two songs I really like atm:




Here's a link to the translated lyrics.

I love the song. It's about being young, in love, and full of promise.

And this song:




I'm a bit embarrassed to admit I like it, as I usually frown upon admitting to Top 40 fare. But it is addicting, and nice to dance to after you've a few Red Bull and vodkas.

So that's it for now. I'll catch up with you more later.

Racism, as we know it, is a result of the Enlightenment. The Enlightenment marked an intellectual shift defined by an enthusiasm for organizing and understanding the world through secular reason.

This shift coincided with a geopolitical expansion that made Europeans far more cognizant of human differences throughout the world. It also drove people to categorize the diversity of life on Earth, especially in the arrangement of human difference.

Unfortunately, the need to 'categorize' had unintended effects, such as giving way to psudo-science which tried to prove how one race is 'superior' to the other; it reinforced the 'us against them' distinction amongst some by placing an emphasis on the distinctions amongst the races.

I tend to agree with the notion that race is a social construct.

There has been an attempt to classify race as a form of taxonomy, but that has run into several problems:

1) The various degrees of overlap (or lack of it) required to establish different groups.

2) The meaningful or required levels of divergence which would legitimize distinguishing subspecies.

3) The corollary requirement that the taxonomic schema have predictive
value.

( Classification, identification and systematics, are not the same.  )

( From )

And I know that it's an uphill battle, but it's one I'll continue to be apart of, no matter how much it may frustrate me, and wear me out.

I've been doing some thinking. Again:

OHCHR

In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:

(a) Killing members of the group;

(b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;

(c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;

(d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;

(e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.

Article 3

The following acts shall be punishable:

(a) Genocide;

(b) Conspiracy to commit genocide;

(c) Direct and public incitement to commit genocide;

(d ) Attempt to commit genocide;

(e) Complicity in genocide.

So what's happening to the "jungle Hmong"* in Laos is a form of genocide.

*It should be noted that the "jungle Hmong" comprise a small percentage of Laos Hmong population, which is estimated to be around 450,000.

It should also be noted that Laos is a victim of genocide as well; during the wars of the late Sixties, and early Seventies, the United States dropped over 3 million tons of bombs on us, and both the Americans and the Soviets sponsored a war that took the lives of around 350,000 people.

Non-state actors - such as rebel opposition groups, local militias and warlords, as well as vigilante and civil defence groups - can be equally, as guilty as genocide (see Sudan for example.)

So the 'insurgents' who (as noted here) shoot Buddhist monks or plot to overthrow a government, are just as guilty as the official, state actors, according to the aforementioned Article III.

I want to get all nit-picky here and say the word "genocide" may be used too broadly, and can be used in the incorrect context. But when a spade is a spade, and the facts are undeniable, you can't call it otherwise.

I guess a lot of state and independent parties are guilty of acts of genocide. The sad thing is, some states are criticised more severely than others, due to the fact that they lack wealth and significant geo-political influence.

And even more sad is the fact that most of the parties who engage in acts of "genocide" will never be held to account for their crimes.

It's official:

Veronica Mars movie is a-go!

http://www.ifmagazine.com/new.asp?article=7452

OMFGOMFGOMFG lljklfmdfml YAY!

Having turned 16 the year the New Millennium dawned, I suddenly feel a nostalgia for the things I loved during my teen years.

( Which is strange, considering how much I hated being a teenager. )

So there you have it. My little nostalgia trip down memory lane. Take the piss outta me if you want, but, as disposable and inane as these remnants of pop culture may be, they also carry with them a sentimental value; of when things were (seemingly) fresh and new, and when I wasn't burdened with the adult responsibilities, and knowledge I have now.

Israel's actions on the Gaza strip have made me think about the "proportionality" of casualties of war.

( And as a former Catholic )

All of this has led to the current mess we have now. And none of this mess can be justified, and it will take a long time for the wounds - inflicted by both sides - to heal.

The problem is that the first casualty of war is our humanity & our respect for human lives and the manner in which we do not think twice while looking at those pictures of dead people; that for me is the greatest problem with this conflict - Hugo

I'm of the opinion that torture does not work. It does not (always) prevent terrorism or procure valid, and useful information.

It is possible to imagine a situation in which a particular form of torture - one that is duly limited, and has oversight - actually has beneficial net effects; that is, it may accomplish the stated goals the proponents of it claim it will. If that were the case, than the pain inflicted is far outweighed by the benefits.

But the scenarios stated above are rarely, if ever, empirically true.

Jean Maria Arrigo (Phd, former APA Interrogation Task Force member) once presented three increasingly realistic models of how torture interrogation leads to truth: the animal instinct model, the cognitive failure model, and the data processing model.

These models expose the rational, mid level, social processes that lead to breakdowns in key institutions like health care, biomedical research, the police, judiciary, military, and the government.

The more damaging social consequences of systematic torture interrogation evolve from institutional dynamics that are independent of the original rationale. Further, a legal, regulated programme cannot eliminate the use of rogue torture interrogation services, because they still serve to circumvent procedural restraints on any official programmes, which sanction the acts.

That is why the actual causal mechanism of torture interrogation in curtailing terrorism must be elucidated, rather than presumed.

Causal models of how torture leads to procured evidence are based on policy studies demonstrating the quintessential element of the programmes design, and implementations of it are based on a (presumably) "sound" causal model, relating input to output.

Two of the three different models:

1. Animal Instinct Model:

In order to escape pain or death, the subject complies with the demands of the torturer. The model fails when the physiological damage impairs the victims ability to convey the truth, and the torturers cannot control the subjects’ interpretation of pain.

Prototypical Interrogation Scenarios:

"Ticking bomb":

Subjects divulge their plans under a sufficient amount torture.

Special Institutional Requirements:

Assistance of medical practitioners, before, during, and after torture sessions.

2. Cognitive Failure Model:

The physiological and psychological stress of torture renders the subject mentally incompetent to muster deception or to maintain his own interpretations of pain. The model fails due to time delays, and the torturers’ inability to distinguish truth from deceit, or delirium.

Fanatics, Martyrs, and Heroes:

Subjects are resistant to coercion by means of pain or threat. What then do you do when the crazy person you're trying to secure information from does not give in? How far - or low - will you go?

Torture may provoke an ordinary subject to yield data (both true and false) on an opportunistic basis. The model fails when the analysts are overwhelmed by data; torture may also have an unintended effect, as it may motivate people to join terrorist groups, in response to hearing of, or being on the receiving end of harsh treatment.

There is also the argument that torture is inseparable from other methods; it is one tactic that may be used, amongst many, in a hit or miss approach. But the argument falters upon the revelation that biases and ulterior motives of the ones instigating the acts of torture may invalidate results, or torture tactics may end up empowering competing entities; by degrading and breaking one "bad" element, you may leave a void that will end up being occupied by an equally as bad - or much worse - entity.

Those who believe in an objective morality reject torture on the grounds that it is "intrinsically" wrong. Those who do not believe in an objective morality, on the other hand, oppose torture by preferring to focus on rules, practices, and entire moral codes, rather than concrete acts; that we should adopt whatever rules, practices or moral codes maximize the good when generally adhered to, and then act in accordance with these 'codes'.

Since only rare cases of torture maximize the good, these theorists would adopt a rule that prohibits torture.

I for one, believe that human rights rest on a sense of the dignity, and the worth of a person.

Part of Kant's humanity principal entails that we treat all people as ends in themselves, as having humanity, and never merely as "means" (as in "means" to be used in teleological gain); it calls on us to reflect on what kind of people we would be if we did not do so.

So the question then becomes: What kind of person do I become if I treat someone as nothing more than a means to my own end? It's not a stretch to say that, by doing so, I would be exiling myself from the realm of humanity.

As was said by a poster on another website: When any country engages in torture, even in self-defense, it makes itself an outlaw state; an outlaw from both international law and the realm of ends.

We should never sink to the level of "wrong doing" we are trying to prevent in order to achieve our stated goals.

In other words? Don't become a monster, in order to defeat a monster.

( Since I like having my ego (as well as other parts of my body ;) stroked, I've decided to compile some of my greatest hits. )

=p

In that moment you realise that something you thought would always be there will die, like everything else. ~ Editors

( Answer: By writing about it. )




It's just a moment, this time will pass.

Do it, or else I'll send her to your house...Trust me, you don't want whiny, annoying, self righteous Izzie over at your house lecturing you about how all animals are God's creatures and shouldn't be killed (unless of course, they happen to be your fiancee.)


And this song by the Italian artist Fabrizio Moro reflects the way I feel today, and has me pumped up:

Pensa (Think)

There were men of which pages have been written
Notes on a life of immeasurable bravery
Irreplaceable because they denounced
The most corrupt systems too often ignored
Men or angels sent to the earth to fight a war
Of feuds and of families scattered as so many balls
On an island of blood that among so many wonders
Between lemons and seashells… massacre sons and daughters
Of a generation forced not to look
To speak in a whisper
To put out the light
To comment with silence
Every bullet in the air
Every body in a ditch

There were men that little by little
Have left a mark with courage and with commitment
With devotion against an organized institution
Our thing…your thing… what is yours?
It’s ours…the freedom to speak
That our eyes were made to watch
The mouth to speak, the ears listen
Not only music not only music*
The head turns and adjusts the aim, be clever
At times condemning at times forgiving
Simply

Think before firing
Think before speaking and judging
Try to think
Think that you can decide
Wait a moment
Only a moment more
With your head between your hands

There were men that died young
But they were aware that their ideas
Would last for centuries as important words
Unbroken and real as little miracles
Ideas of equality ideas of education
Against every man that exercises oppression
Against every one against a weaker one
Against he who buries his conscience in the cement

Think before firing
Think before speaking and judging
Try to think
Think that you can decide
Wait a moment
Only a moment more
With your head between your hands

There were men that continued
Although everything around was burning
Because in the end this life has no meaning
If you fear a bomb or a pointed gun
Men passed and a song passes
But no one will ever be able to stop the belief
That justice is not only an illusion

Think before firing
Think before speaking and judging
Try to think
Think that you can decide
Wait a moment
Only a moment more
With your head between your hands
Think

* When Fabrizio speaks of music not just being "music", he means that music can become more than a disposable commodity in our lives. It can become filled with sentimental value, and become a particular snapshot of a moment in time, invoking memories - good or bad - of days gone by. Its power and its beauty lies in its ability to release our emotions vicariously, often articulating the way we feel better than we can, and in its ability to stir the soul; and even make us think.

At least that's my interpretation of it. ;)

But nothing matches the sentimental value of knowing that you were apart of making history. ♥

The freedom to speak is ours. Let's exercise it.

Nuovo singolo, Alla Mia Eta.

I'll have to admit, that at first, I didn't think too highly of the song. To me, it seemed highly derivative of "Tarantola D'Africa" (the first single off of Nessuno E' Solo).

Not only that, but I was hoping that it would be more R'n'B, along the lines of TZN's earlier work.

But after listening to it again, I must say that I am now, officially, in love with the song. The song starts off with Ferro's voice gliding in over the sound of a gently strummed electric guitar, and a tinkling piano. His voice glides in, much like a specter that carries with it the memories - and the full weight - of the past.

The drums and the bass kick in 41 seconds into the song, till it builds up to the rocking chorus. The crescendo comes during the bridge, where it builds up, spurned on by the passion that emanates in Ferro's voice; till it gently lets you down, and you're back where you started. Ferro's voice then trails off, leaving with you the lingering memories of the melody, and events that have transpired over the course of your life.

The climax is thrilling, as it seems to insinuate that - and is a metaphor for - after your highest highs (and lowest lows), in the end, you come crashing down. And when the odds are against you, all you have is yourself to rely on, and to reflect with.

So this song wins, not just because it demonstrates Ferro's strength as a producer, and in his musical arrangements; but in his ability to write unusually deep lyrics, where he explores subjects that most other singers (or hell, most musicians nowadays) won't even touch with a ten foot pole.

It's very Townsend-esque (circa Who By Numbers).

And it's why I love Tiziano Ferro.

Lyrics:

( At My Age )

(Note: The lyrics in parantheses are ones that I added, in order to clarify the meaning of the lyrics for those who speak English.)

Happy birthday, mom.

I love you dearly. Words cannot describe your awesomeness, or how grateful I am that God blessed me with you.

I love your depression and I love your double chin
I love 'most everything that you bring to this offering

I know I've been a liar and I know I've been a fool
I hope we didn't break yet, but I'm glad we broke the rules
My cave is deep now, yet your light is shining through
I cover my eyes, still all I see is you

Oh I know that I left you in places of despair
Oh I know that I love you, so please throw down your hair
At night I trip without you, and hope I don't wake up
'Cause waking up without you is like drinking from an empty cup

The power of words.

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about it.

( Here's an excerpt from a paper I wrote for my linguistics class on the subject: )



Music: Suede, Mos Def and Talib Kweli. Because all of them have a way with words. ;)

So I did actually venture out of the house - to the cinema, and shell out nine dollars (movie prices in the state of California! Bah!) for two films that I wanted to see.

(  Here is my review of one of them: )

And here's my song for this review:




One of the few, good songs that joke of a group Babyshambles has recorded!

And lord, someone needs to deliver Batman from his misery.

(Oh please let that be me....)