BOOK III : Psalms 73-89 1A psalm of Asaph. Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold.
3 For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. [a]
5 They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills.
6 Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence.
7 From their callous hearts comes iniquity [b] ; the evil conceits of their minds know no limits.
8 They scoff, and speak with malice; in their arrogance they threaten oppression.
9 Their mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth.
10 Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance. [c]
11 They say, "How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?"
12 This is what the wicked are like— always carefree, they increase in wealth.
13 Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence.
14 All day long I have been plagued; I have been punished every morning.
15 If I had said, "I will speak thus," I would have betrayed your children.
16 When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me
17 till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.
18 Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin.
19 How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors!
20 As a dream when one awakes, so when you arise, O Lord, you will despise them as fantasies.
21 When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered,
22 I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you.
23 Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
27 Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
28 But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Monday, January 29, 2007
Friends
Recently, I am struck by a fact how much I am popular here. If I say so, there may be those feeling slightly jealous, but I have to admit that there aren't really much to feel envy about dispite my gratefulness to those who are considerable and kind enough to think of me and invite me over to their gatherings. But I would have to mention that things are the most enjoyable when they are under your control. Even if the offered are the best cheese cakes in town, it may be turned into painful tasks of elimination when they are given more than you can consume. All the information and acquaintances that I have encounter last two years here and more before then have become accumulated over certain period of time, and I feel things are slipping away from my grips. As a result, I miss events that I make mistakes due to a lack of thoughts and deep consideration caused by pressured time limits, and I disappoint those who I shouldn't because I just don't have much energy left to smile and sensitively respond their kind attentions. When they happen, there aren't much for me to do except for pardoning myself to them and trying to give them reasonable comments, which are most likely, "sorry, I couldn't find any time to fit that into my schedule."!!! How conventional this sounds like.
Friday night, after making several phone calls to friends only to find out that I was the only one who didn't have a "special plan" for the night, I rather reluntantly made up my mind to spend some valuable time with Vicky and give some amusement to my neighbors. I went out with Vicky, my hand holding a string tied to her who's still wearing a Santa costume and tiny shoes in her four tiny feet walking and running around the neighborhood for all night.
Saturday, as a result of a carefully laid week-long plan, the youngest uncle and his wife, as well as Emily arrived home for dinner. You see, the best tactic to maintain one's social life when he/she is in the busiest state of mind is to have a gathering that everybody you need to see is all attending so that you don't have to arrange another meeting. Thanks to the laborings provided by cooperative works from my family members, we all had some valuable time together while having a tea time at home and later going out for dinner. It was a rather awkward meeting since all but Emily, my sister, and I could only speak Korean, there, conversations went on in a slightly different time zone because I couldn't eat the dinner and interpret at the same time. After dinner, Emily decided to stay the night at my place and we watched "the Night Banquet," a newly released Chinese Holliwood film until our eye lids allowed us to stay awake.
Sunday morning started with teeny-weeny screams here and there of my house, realizing I was late for church and so way my sister, Vicky cleared her throat as a morning ritual, mother shouted out calling for a breakfast, etc. (For God's sake, it was a Sunday morning~!!) I had no option but wildly waking Emily up, which obviously made her rather uncomfortable. well,,, a woman gotta do what a woman gotta do.... On our way to the town where her home and my church are located, we could have some peace to discuss the next presidential election in the US, in particular one of the rising Democrat candidate, Sen. Obama, and found handsome portion of our political thoughts are actually sharing the same but still found differences therein.
Then, in the church, my sister was Baptized, which was not planned. Witnessing someone baptized was some experience. Her face seemed glowing with joy and overwhelmingly emotional, and everybody greeted her being reborn as a Christian. I felt truly happy that I could be there near my sis, and could get to congratulate her.
Additionally, Byul, a friend of mine who I gave my word that I would help her out when she moves called me that she decided to move "last night," and asked me if I could come over. For christ~! that was supposed to be a weekend when people usually take a rest and recharge themselves for another week ahead. Since I always try to convince others that I am a woman of my words, I had no option but to take a cab and rush for Byul's house to help her. So several hours of laborings, I could finally be able to free myself from all the engagements of the day, and then I heard my coocoo clock hit the midnight. good lord~! Another day was gone without even realizing it!
Here I am, feeling soakingly tired, and finding myself nodding head and forcefully shaking it to get back to consciousness at my suffocating desk surrounded with stacked files, opening another new week.
Friday night, after making several phone calls to friends only to find out that I was the only one who didn't have a "special plan" for the night, I rather reluntantly made up my mind to spend some valuable time with Vicky and give some amusement to my neighbors. I went out with Vicky, my hand holding a string tied to her who's still wearing a Santa costume and tiny shoes in her four tiny feet walking and running around the neighborhood for all night.
Saturday, as a result of a carefully laid week-long plan, the youngest uncle and his wife, as well as Emily arrived home for dinner. You see, the best tactic to maintain one's social life when he/she is in the busiest state of mind is to have a gathering that everybody you need to see is all attending so that you don't have to arrange another meeting. Thanks to the laborings provided by cooperative works from my family members, we all had some valuable time together while having a tea time at home and later going out for dinner. It was a rather awkward meeting since all but Emily, my sister, and I could only speak Korean, there, conversations went on in a slightly different time zone because I couldn't eat the dinner and interpret at the same time. After dinner, Emily decided to stay the night at my place and we watched "the Night Banquet," a newly released Chinese Holliwood film until our eye lids allowed us to stay awake.
Sunday morning started with teeny-weeny screams here and there of my house, realizing I was late for church and so way my sister, Vicky cleared her throat as a morning ritual, mother shouted out calling for a breakfast, etc. (For God's sake, it was a Sunday morning~!!) I had no option but wildly waking Emily up, which obviously made her rather uncomfortable. well,,, a woman gotta do what a woman gotta do.... On our way to the town where her home and my church are located, we could have some peace to discuss the next presidential election in the US, in particular one of the rising Democrat candidate, Sen. Obama, and found handsome portion of our political thoughts are actually sharing the same but still found differences therein.
Then, in the church, my sister was Baptized, which was not planned. Witnessing someone baptized was some experience. Her face seemed glowing with joy and overwhelmingly emotional, and everybody greeted her being reborn as a Christian. I felt truly happy that I could be there near my sis, and could get to congratulate her.
Additionally, Byul, a friend of mine who I gave my word that I would help her out when she moves called me that she decided to move "last night," and asked me if I could come over. For christ~! that was supposed to be a weekend when people usually take a rest and recharge themselves for another week ahead. Since I always try to convince others that I am a woman of my words, I had no option but to take a cab and rush for Byul's house to help her. So several hours of laborings, I could finally be able to free myself from all the engagements of the day, and then I heard my coocoo clock hit the midnight. good lord~! Another day was gone without even realizing it!
Here I am, feeling soakingly tired, and finding myself nodding head and forcefully shaking it to get back to consciousness at my suffocating desk surrounded with stacked files, opening another new week.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Here, Thang speaks out, AGAIN!
Good sir, what's your penis size? Do tell, I pray thee!
Today I was invited to give a 1-hour speech in a small town in southern Yamagata about the importance of exchange activities and cross-cultural understanding.I dont think they liked what i had to say so much. One of the revealing comments i got at the end was: you really talked with your honne (real feeling; as opposed to tatemae, which is the facade that masks what you really think and what you usually show people), didnt you?!... Yeah, that's me! What else can i say at such honneistique comment?They probably werent warm to idea that exchange activities are important but it shouldnt stop there (could be taken as "you are not doing enough!"), to have real cross-cultural understanding you not only acknowledge the other but you also have to accept. Tolerance doesnt mean you keep people at arm's length, it's about inclusiveness. One of the examples that I used was: it is important to help train new comers to japan in terms of seeking employment, but it is useless when after receiving all sorts of trainings they still couldnt find a job because companies wouldnt hire them because they are not japanese. ... etc... But i think the last drop in the bucket was my personal example: my family moved to canada, where i spent about half of my life, and i am standing here speaking to you as a canadian. had my family moved to japan instead, i dont think i can stand here and say i speak to you as a japanese.My talk was not about bashing Japan at all. I wasnt in the mood today! I was making efforts at being constructive. But by pointing out the not so inclusiveness of japanese society and hinting that though the exchange activities that they do are necessary, they stop short of real understanding and acceptance, i had crossed the line of going too far with my honne. That said, the speech was given at an inauguration gathering for the town's new international exchange association! If there were a place to speak the truth about cross-cultural understanding and what needs to be done, it sure was the one. At least, this way it provoked their thoughts as to what they really want to accomplish with the new association, i hope.Another interesting, bizarre thing was the Yamagata Newspaper guy who interviewed me. Ok, if you were him, what sort of questions would you devote the majority of your interviewing time on? what's the content of your speech? what are the main points that you would like to impart? why do you think they are important? you see, those would be the questions that i would dwell upon.the yamagata newspaper man? he spent about 80% of the time asking me:what is the name of the town you were born in? (to which i said: i was born in a small town in the mekong delta)what is the name of the city you are from? (a small city in the middle of canada)how old are you? can you tell me your date of birth? (i am 26, and i dont think my birthday is that important. to which he replied: but your birthday isnt tomorrow and you are not turning 27 anytime soon, right? !!! wow!!! hey, can you blame the guy for trying to get the number correctly and be precise? i dont know about you but i use an entirely different set of judgement when encountering a 27-year old person than a 26 one. oh, and dont even mention the 25!)where do you live in yamagata city? yup. i am not kidding. he really did ask me for the name of my current residing district!the entire time i was thinking, you gotta be kidding me? i was beyond amazed at this time, but i was quite entertained. boy, some quality journalism we got here, i caught myself amusing.I was expecting him to ask my for my penis size so that i can show off. But, sadly, he didnt! He probably knows already that vietnamese men have a reputation as raging stallions. Have to check the paper tomorrow to make sure that he doesnt fail to mention that important fact.
Today I was invited to give a 1-hour speech in a small town in southern Yamagata about the importance of exchange activities and cross-cultural understanding.I dont think they liked what i had to say so much. One of the revealing comments i got at the end was: you really talked with your honne (real feeling; as opposed to tatemae, which is the facade that masks what you really think and what you usually show people), didnt you?!... Yeah, that's me! What else can i say at such honneistique comment?They probably werent warm to idea that exchange activities are important but it shouldnt stop there (could be taken as "you are not doing enough!"), to have real cross-cultural understanding you not only acknowledge the other but you also have to accept. Tolerance doesnt mean you keep people at arm's length, it's about inclusiveness. One of the examples that I used was: it is important to help train new comers to japan in terms of seeking employment, but it is useless when after receiving all sorts of trainings they still couldnt find a job because companies wouldnt hire them because they are not japanese. ... etc... But i think the last drop in the bucket was my personal example: my family moved to canada, where i spent about half of my life, and i am standing here speaking to you as a canadian. had my family moved to japan instead, i dont think i can stand here and say i speak to you as a japanese.My talk was not about bashing Japan at all. I wasnt in the mood today! I was making efforts at being constructive. But by pointing out the not so inclusiveness of japanese society and hinting that though the exchange activities that they do are necessary, they stop short of real understanding and acceptance, i had crossed the line of going too far with my honne. That said, the speech was given at an inauguration gathering for the town's new international exchange association! If there were a place to speak the truth about cross-cultural understanding and what needs to be done, it sure was the one. At least, this way it provoked their thoughts as to what they really want to accomplish with the new association, i hope.Another interesting, bizarre thing was the Yamagata Newspaper guy who interviewed me. Ok, if you were him, what sort of questions would you devote the majority of your interviewing time on? what's the content of your speech? what are the main points that you would like to impart? why do you think they are important? you see, those would be the questions that i would dwell upon.the yamagata newspaper man? he spent about 80% of the time asking me:what is the name of the town you were born in? (to which i said: i was born in a small town in the mekong delta)what is the name of the city you are from? (a small city in the middle of canada)how old are you? can you tell me your date of birth? (i am 26, and i dont think my birthday is that important. to which he replied: but your birthday isnt tomorrow and you are not turning 27 anytime soon, right? !!! wow!!! hey, can you blame the guy for trying to get the number correctly and be precise? i dont know about you but i use an entirely different set of judgement when encountering a 27-year old person than a 26 one. oh, and dont even mention the 25!)where do you live in yamagata city? yup. i am not kidding. he really did ask me for the name of my current residing district!the entire time i was thinking, you gotta be kidding me? i was beyond amazed at this time, but i was quite entertained. boy, some quality journalism we got here, i caught myself amusing.I was expecting him to ask my for my penis size so that i can show off. But, sadly, he didnt! He probably knows already that vietnamese men have a reputation as raging stallions. Have to check the paper tomorrow to make sure that he doesnt fail to mention that important fact.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Vicious cycle of killing
The truth: Those who live by swords, die by swords.
You would be very surprised how often people underestimate this truth and forget about numerous historical evidences supporting it, thereby following easier ways of using forces to submit those who have different ideas. There are just so many of them laid everywhere that the swords/forces someone used came back to them with just enough blows to stike them down completely. But why are people making the same mistakes over and over again, disregarding those who are telling the truth as being naive?
Not even leaving much time to argue about the given sentence to Hussein, his execution was carried out in such a hurry. And this time, his half-brother had shared the same fate with his deceased brother. Apparently, he tried to appeal to the international community by sending a letter to the newly appointed Secretary-general of the United Nations, the supposedly supreme body to defend the fundamental right to life. Whether the Secretary-general received it or not is unclear, and probably will remain unclear for the time being. But regardless whether we can prove an international community could've been able to intervene the situation or not, which it should've, it just is wrong to terminate lives, not to mention taking lives without sufficient legitimate procedures. I have encountered with cautious articles and writings containing there was the US behind the scene letting or urging the hasty execution of two Iraqi fugitives, which seemed to be very persuasive argument. In addition, some writings of the speculations on reasons that the UN seemed relatively silent when those capital punishments were carried out as well as the first press encountering of the new seceretary-general also did attract my attention. The Secretary-general later claimed it was a simple misunderstanding to interpret his words as the many media did initially through his Madam. Spokeperson who was shown up and all wrapped up with explanatory statements to settle the situation. Giving a distance to the matter by indicating that the execution of death penalty remains on the sole sovereign right wasn't a mistake made during a transition period of a minister of one nation to a head of the UN. I see this very well planned move for long-trained professional diplomat having a thiry something years of experiences in the field. By doing so, he successfully managed to leave all the blames to Iraq for the consequences of Hussein's execution, quietly follow "advices" from the US, and at the same time, by adjusting his comments as misinterpretation of media, he also managed to accord his code along with the fundamental belief and his predeccesor's belief on the matter.
Well, it is absolutely understandable that it is crucial to have good cooperative relationship with the most powerful member of the institution in order to draw out better consequences from many upcoming complicated agendas. However, should the founding ideals of the UN give its priority to maintaining good relations with the superpower? Is this a part of his resolution to reform the organization?
You would be very surprised how often people underestimate this truth and forget about numerous historical evidences supporting it, thereby following easier ways of using forces to submit those who have different ideas. There are just so many of them laid everywhere that the swords/forces someone used came back to them with just enough blows to stike them down completely. But why are people making the same mistakes over and over again, disregarding those who are telling the truth as being naive?
Not even leaving much time to argue about the given sentence to Hussein, his execution was carried out in such a hurry. And this time, his half-brother had shared the same fate with his deceased brother. Apparently, he tried to appeal to the international community by sending a letter to the newly appointed Secretary-general of the United Nations, the supposedly supreme body to defend the fundamental right to life. Whether the Secretary-general received it or not is unclear, and probably will remain unclear for the time being. But regardless whether we can prove an international community could've been able to intervene the situation or not, which it should've, it just is wrong to terminate lives, not to mention taking lives without sufficient legitimate procedures. I have encountered with cautious articles and writings containing there was the US behind the scene letting or urging the hasty execution of two Iraqi fugitives, which seemed to be very persuasive argument. In addition, some writings of the speculations on reasons that the UN seemed relatively silent when those capital punishments were carried out as well as the first press encountering of the new seceretary-general also did attract my attention. The Secretary-general later claimed it was a simple misunderstanding to interpret his words as the many media did initially through his Madam. Spokeperson who was shown up and all wrapped up with explanatory statements to settle the situation. Giving a distance to the matter by indicating that the execution of death penalty remains on the sole sovereign right wasn't a mistake made during a transition period of a minister of one nation to a head of the UN. I see this very well planned move for long-trained professional diplomat having a thiry something years of experiences in the field. By doing so, he successfully managed to leave all the blames to Iraq for the consequences of Hussein's execution, quietly follow "advices" from the US, and at the same time, by adjusting his comments as misinterpretation of media, he also managed to accord his code along with the fundamental belief and his predeccesor's belief on the matter.
Well, it is absolutely understandable that it is crucial to have good cooperative relationship with the most powerful member of the institution in order to draw out better consequences from many upcoming complicated agendas. However, should the founding ideals of the UN give its priority to maintaining good relations with the superpower? Is this a part of his resolution to reform the organization?
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Obama's Statement on forming the Presidential Exploratory Committee
Presidential campaigns are already getting heated both in the United States and Korea. Rather sensational political luke from a minor group of black community of the US, Senator. Barrack Obama officially made it clear just now that he will form the Presidential Exploratory Committee to run for the next presidency of the nation, and this apprarently drew a lot of attention within and outside of the country, not to mention that imposed great threat to Ms. Clinton who is most likely the strongest rival for the inner party election for the prestigious position. Mr. Obama may be slightly lack of political career compared to his competitors within/outside of his own party, but certainly, his star seems rising up higher than any others at the moment, and I, personally, would like to see someone like him who's from one of us, someone who understands the value of minority and appreciate the harmony between opposing parties instead of repressing the opposite voices and stubbornly sticking to only agenda. And deliberately raising out-of-dated religios, money.
Dear Friend,
Watch Barack's statement on forming a Presidential Exploratory Committee
As you may know, over the last few months I have been thinking hard about my plans for 2008. Running for the presidency is a profound decision - a decision no one should make on the basis of media hype or personal ambition alone - and so before I committed myself and my family to this race, I wanted to be sure that this was right for us and, more importantly, right for the country.
I certainly didn't expect to find myself in this position a year ago. But as I've spoken to many of you in my travels across the states these past months; as I've read your emails and read your letters; I've been struck by how hungry we all are for a different kind of politics.
So I've spent some time thinking about how I could best advance the cause of change and progress that we so desperately need.
The decisions that have been made in Washington these past six years, and the problems that have been ignored, have put our country in a precarious place. Our economy is changing rapidly, and that means profound changes for working people. Many of you have shared with me your stories about skyrocketing health care bills, the pensions you've lost and your struggles to pay for college for your kids. Our continued dependence on oil has put our security and our very planet at risk. And we're still mired in a tragic and costly war that should have never been waged.
But challenging as they are, it's not the magnitude of our problems that concerns me the most. It's the smallness of our politics. America's faced big problems before. But today, our leaders in Washington seem incapable of working together in a practical, common sense way. Politics has become so bitter and partisan, so gummed up by money and influence, that we can't tackle the big problems that demand solutions.
And that's what we have to change first.
We have to change our politics, and come together around our common interests and concerns as Americans.
This won't happen by itself. A change in our politics can only come from you; from people across our country who believe there's a better way and are willing to work for it.
Years ago, as a community organizer in Chicago, I learned that meaningful change always begins at the grassroots, and that engaged citizens working together can accomplish extraordinary things.
So even in the midst of the enormous challenges we face today, I have great faith and hope about the future - because I believe in you.
And that's why I wanted to tell you first that I'll be filing papers today to create a presidential exploratory committee. For the next several weeks, I am going to talk with people from around the country, listening and learning more about the challenges we face as a nation, the opportunities that lie before us, and the role that a presidential campaign might play in bringing our country together. And on February 10th, at the end of these decisions and in my home state of Illinois, I'll share my plans with my friends, neighbors and fellow Americans.
In the meantime, I want to thank all of you for your time, your suggestions, your encouragement and your prayers. And I look forward to continuing our conversation in the weeks and months to come.
Sincerely, U.S. Senator Barack Obama
Dear Friend,
Watch Barack's statement on forming a Presidential Exploratory Committee
As you may know, over the last few months I have been thinking hard about my plans for 2008. Running for the presidency is a profound decision - a decision no one should make on the basis of media hype or personal ambition alone - and so before I committed myself and my family to this race, I wanted to be sure that this was right for us and, more importantly, right for the country.
I certainly didn't expect to find myself in this position a year ago. But as I've spoken to many of you in my travels across the states these past months; as I've read your emails and read your letters; I've been struck by how hungry we all are for a different kind of politics.
So I've spent some time thinking about how I could best advance the cause of change and progress that we so desperately need.
The decisions that have been made in Washington these past six years, and the problems that have been ignored, have put our country in a precarious place. Our economy is changing rapidly, and that means profound changes for working people. Many of you have shared with me your stories about skyrocketing health care bills, the pensions you've lost and your struggles to pay for college for your kids. Our continued dependence on oil has put our security and our very planet at risk. And we're still mired in a tragic and costly war that should have never been waged.
But challenging as they are, it's not the magnitude of our problems that concerns me the most. It's the smallness of our politics. America's faced big problems before. But today, our leaders in Washington seem incapable of working together in a practical, common sense way. Politics has become so bitter and partisan, so gummed up by money and influence, that we can't tackle the big problems that demand solutions.
And that's what we have to change first.
We have to change our politics, and come together around our common interests and concerns as Americans.
This won't happen by itself. A change in our politics can only come from you; from people across our country who believe there's a better way and are willing to work for it.
Years ago, as a community organizer in Chicago, I learned that meaningful change always begins at the grassroots, and that engaged citizens working together can accomplish extraordinary things.
So even in the midst of the enormous challenges we face today, I have great faith and hope about the future - because I believe in you.
And that's why I wanted to tell you first that I'll be filing papers today to create a presidential exploratory committee. For the next several weeks, I am going to talk with people from around the country, listening and learning more about the challenges we face as a nation, the opportunities that lie before us, and the role that a presidential campaign might play in bringing our country together. And on February 10th, at the end of these decisions and in my home state of Illinois, I'll share my plans with my friends, neighbors and fellow Americans.
In the meantime, I want to thank all of you for your time, your suggestions, your encouragement and your prayers. And I look forward to continuing our conversation in the weeks and months to come.
Sincerely, U.S. Senator Barack Obama
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Conquering drowsiness.
Every now and then, we suffer from this unbearable drowsiness when we're in the busiest state of mind. Let's face it, we all experience when there are million files sitting on your desk for you to look at, ticking deadlines approaching every second, and your least favorite boss with fat belly and bold hair sniffing around and keep pestering you. What do we do? eye lids are the heaviest subject of all at the moment, and no matter how hard you try, they don't seem to have any more strength to curl themselves back up again. Here are what I do.
1. Go find a secure place you can meditate (?) for some good minutes. This is the best if you can afford, and its effectiveness guaranteed.
2. Prepare a bundle of can coffees or if your company has a coffee maker, constantly move your arse between your seat and the coffee maker. Now most importantly, drink them up as Homer Simpson drinks his beer, but avoid drooling if possible. In this case, be prepared for some shakiness on your limbs, b..zzzzziness on head, and insomniac nites.
3. Scribbling something on your journal. You may be astonished later for the unknown geniusness of yours that you haven't even acknowledged before. But don't expect too much, since most of them probably are just pieces of shit.
4. Annoy your colleagues, they will probably shake you up with their hidden artillery such as a poisonous acupuncture needles, toxic spits, or if you're lucky some extra volumn of work. Hallelujah!
5. Last but not least, go and bark at your boss. He/she will bless you with so many splendid things!
I hope you all have a wonderful day!
From Alexa with love.
1. Go find a secure place you can meditate (?) for some good minutes. This is the best if you can afford, and its effectiveness guaranteed.
2. Prepare a bundle of can coffees or if your company has a coffee maker, constantly move your arse between your seat and the coffee maker. Now most importantly, drink them up as Homer Simpson drinks his beer, but avoid drooling if possible. In this case, be prepared for some shakiness on your limbs, b..zzzzziness on head, and insomniac nites.
3. Scribbling something on your journal. You may be astonished later for the unknown geniusness of yours that you haven't even acknowledged before. But don't expect too much, since most of them probably are just pieces of shit.
4. Annoy your colleagues, they will probably shake you up with their hidden artillery such as a poisonous acupuncture needles, toxic spits, or if you're lucky some extra volumn of work. Hallelujah!
5. Last but not least, go and bark at your boss. He/she will bless you with so many splendid things!
I hope you all have a wonderful day!
From Alexa with love.
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Think of me.
Think of me,
Think of me fondly,
When we've said goodbye.
Remember me once in a while
Please promise me you'll try.
When you find that, once again,
You long to take your heart
Back and be free -
If you ever find a moment,
Spare a thought for me...
We never said our love was evergreen,
Or as unchanging as the sea
But if you can still remember,
Stop and think of me...
Think of all the things
We've shared and seen -
Don't think about the things
Which might have been...
Think of me,
Think of me waking, silent and resigned.
Imagine me, trying too hard
To put you from my mind.
Recall those days,
Look back on all those times,
Think of the things we'll never do -
There will never be a day, When I won´t think of you...
-Andrew Lloyd Webber-
Think of me fondly,
When we've said goodbye.
Remember me once in a while
Please promise me you'll try.
When you find that, once again,
You long to take your heart
Back and be free -
If you ever find a moment,
Spare a thought for me...
We never said our love was evergreen,
Or as unchanging as the sea
But if you can still remember,
Stop and think of me...
Think of all the things
We've shared and seen -
Don't think about the things
Which might have been...
Think of me,
Think of me waking, silent and resigned.
Imagine me, trying too hard
To put you from my mind.
Recall those days,
Look back on all those times,
Think of the things we'll never do -
There will never be a day, When I won´t think of you...
-Andrew Lloyd Webber-
Can you see where the US and the UN are heading? (2)
January 3, 2007
New U.N. Chief Invites Controversy by Declining to Oppose Hussein Execution
By JULIA PRESTON
UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 2 — On his first day of work as secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, the mild-spoken South Korean diplomat who had suggested he would bring new caution to the post, invited controversy by declining to criticize the death penalty applied to Saddam Hussein.
Mr. Ban commented on the execution of Mr. Hussein just after entering United Nations headquarters on Tuesday morning to start his job.
“Saddam Hussein was responsible for committing heinous crimes and unspeakable atrocities against the Iraqi people,” Mr. Ban said in response to questions from a crush of reporters outside the Security Council’s chambers. “We should never forget the victims of his crimes, “ he said.
“The issue of capital punishment is for each and every member state to decide,” he added.
“While I am firmly against impunity, I also hope the members of the international community should pay due regard to all aspects of international humanitarian laws.”
Mr. Ban’s remarks appeared to contradict bedrock United Nations policy opposing the death penalty on human rights grounds.
He seemed to have tripped in his effort to tread lightly on the political views of the many United Nations members.
The remarks also seemed to show that Mr. Ban, who was South Korea’s foreign minister when he was chosen in October as secretary general, had not completed the transition from representing his country to leading the United Nations.
Michèle Montas, Mr. Ban’s spokeswoman, said the death penalty was legal in South Korea.
On Dec. 30, hours after Mr. Hussein was hanged, the United Nations special representative for Iraq, Ashraf Qazi, said in Baghdad that although the United Nations “understands the desire for justice felt by many Iraqis,” it could not support the execution.
“Based on the principle of respect for the right to life,” Mr. Qazi said, “the United Nations remains opposed to capital punishment, even in the case of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.”
Ms. Montas, whose first day on the job also was Tuesday, said Mr. Ban had not intended to change United Nations policy, but had added his own “nuance.” Mr. Hussein was hanged in a hasty execution at dawn on Dec. 30, in a chamber where many Iraqis had been killed under his brutal rule.
In public comments before his first meeting with United Nations staff, Mr. Ban said, “We have to show the international community that we are ready and eager to change.” He said the organization had faced “harsh and sometimes unfair criticism,” and acknowledged that “staff morale has plummeted.” But he said United Nations workers must be ready to “multitask” and to move frequently from armchair jobs at headquarters in New York into the field.
“My watchword will be meritocracy,” he said, in words that should be well received by the Bush administration, which backed Mr. Ban to succeed Kofi Annan, who served two five-year terms, in part because of Mr. Ban’s pledges to streamline the United Nations bureaucracy.
In veiled words, Mr. Ban seemed to hint that he would not overreach his power, but that he expected cooperation from the United States. Speaking of the many crises facing the organization, he said, “Not a single person, including the secretary general of the United Nations; not a single country, however strong, powerful, resourceful, maybe, can address this.”
New U.N. Chief Invites Controversy by Declining to Oppose Hussein Execution
By JULIA PRESTON
UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 2 — On his first day of work as secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, the mild-spoken South Korean diplomat who had suggested he would bring new caution to the post, invited controversy by declining to criticize the death penalty applied to Saddam Hussein.
Mr. Ban commented on the execution of Mr. Hussein just after entering United Nations headquarters on Tuesday morning to start his job.
“Saddam Hussein was responsible for committing heinous crimes and unspeakable atrocities against the Iraqi people,” Mr. Ban said in response to questions from a crush of reporters outside the Security Council’s chambers. “We should never forget the victims of his crimes, “ he said.
“The issue of capital punishment is for each and every member state to decide,” he added.
“While I am firmly against impunity, I also hope the members of the international community should pay due regard to all aspects of international humanitarian laws.”
Mr. Ban’s remarks appeared to contradict bedrock United Nations policy opposing the death penalty on human rights grounds.
He seemed to have tripped in his effort to tread lightly on the political views of the many United Nations members.
The remarks also seemed to show that Mr. Ban, who was South Korea’s foreign minister when he was chosen in October as secretary general, had not completed the transition from representing his country to leading the United Nations.
Michèle Montas, Mr. Ban’s spokeswoman, said the death penalty was legal in South Korea.
On Dec. 30, hours after Mr. Hussein was hanged, the United Nations special representative for Iraq, Ashraf Qazi, said in Baghdad that although the United Nations “understands the desire for justice felt by many Iraqis,” it could not support the execution.
“Based on the principle of respect for the right to life,” Mr. Qazi said, “the United Nations remains opposed to capital punishment, even in the case of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.”
Ms. Montas, whose first day on the job also was Tuesday, said Mr. Ban had not intended to change United Nations policy, but had added his own “nuance.” Mr. Hussein was hanged in a hasty execution at dawn on Dec. 30, in a chamber where many Iraqis had been killed under his brutal rule.
In public comments before his first meeting with United Nations staff, Mr. Ban said, “We have to show the international community that we are ready and eager to change.” He said the organization had faced “harsh and sometimes unfair criticism,” and acknowledged that “staff morale has plummeted.” But he said United Nations workers must be ready to “multitask” and to move frequently from armchair jobs at headquarters in New York into the field.
“My watchword will be meritocracy,” he said, in words that should be well received by the Bush administration, which backed Mr. Ban to succeed Kofi Annan, who served two five-year terms, in part because of Mr. Ban’s pledges to streamline the United Nations bureaucracy.
In veiled words, Mr. Ban seemed to hint that he would not overreach his power, but that he expected cooperation from the United States. Speaking of the many crises facing the organization, he said, “Not a single person, including the secretary general of the United Nations; not a single country, however strong, powerful, resourceful, maybe, can address this.”
Can you see where the US and the UN are heading? (1)
US striving to step out of the pithole.
<美, 후세인 문제서 '발 빼기'>(종합 2보)<<백악관 언급내용 보완>>알-말리키 총리 '희생양' 될 듯(워싱턴.두바이=연합뉴스) 김병수 강훈상 특파원 = 사담 후세인 전(前) 이라크 대통령의 교수형 장면을 휴대전화로 찍은 생생한 동영상 유포 파장이 커지는 등 '후세인 후유증'이 증폭되는 가운데 미국이 후세인 문제에서 눈에 띄게 거리 두기를 시도하고 있다. 불공정한 후세인 재판과정과 조기 사형집행 문제를 사실상 배후 조종했다는 비난을 받고 있는 미국이 종파 간 폭력사태의 새로운 시한폭탄이 된 후세인 문제에 대해 '우리는 전혀 관여하지 않았다'는 입장을 취하고 있는 것. 후세인 처형 뒤 벌어지는 모든 갈등과 충돌의 책임을 은근히 누리 알-말리키 이라크 총리에게 떠넘기는 형국이다. 문제가 되고 있는 이른바 후세인 처형 동영상 유포에 대해 이라크 정부가 조사에 착수했다고 하자 백악관 토니 스노 대변인은 "이라크는 주권국가며 이라크 정부는 그들이 적절하다고 판단한 바를 행하고 있다"고 말했다. 잘마이 칼릴자드 이라크 주재 미국 대사가 후세인 사형 집행일을 이슬람의 최대 명절인 희생제가 지난 뒤로 2주 정도 미룰 것을 이라크 정부에 요청했다는 '비하인드 스토리'가 뒤늦게 흘러 나오는 것도 같은 맥락이다. 이어 이라크 주둔 미군 대변인 윌리엄 칼드웰 소장은 3일 미군은 이번 후세인의 교수형에 아무런 역할을 하지 않았으며 만약에 관여했다면 '다른 방식'으로 처리했을 것이라고 밝혔다. 칼드웰 소장은 "만약 사형시점에 미국이 실질적인 책임을 지고 있었다면 우리는 다르게 일을 처리했을 것"이라며 "미군은 휴대전화 소지를 포함해 사형 집행에 관한 모든 보안 대책을 이라크 정부에 넘기고 철수했다"고 강조했다. 예상을 뒤엎은 조기사형 뿐 아니라 문제의 동영상 유포 등 처형 과정에서 드러난, 여러 허술한 집행절차와 정치적 편향성에 쏟아지는 비난에서 발을 빼자는 계산이다. 그는 이어 이번 후세인의 사형 뒤 환멸을 느끼고 있는 수니파도 돌아봐야 한다며 포용적인 제스처까지 내비쳤다. 미국은 이렇게 가장 민감한 문제로 떠오른 후세인 처형에 서서히 발을 뺌으로써 더는 이라크 폭력사태에 대한 책임을 지지 않으면서 이라크 문제를 조기 종결하려는 절차로 풀이된다. 후세인 처형 직후 일어나는 모든 이라크 문제는 이라크가 스스로 해결해야 하며 알-말리키 정부가 이 책임을 져야 한다는 것이다. 알-말리키 총리의 퇴진설이 솔솔 나오는 것도 이 때문이다. 알-말리키 총리가 미국 대신 짐을 지고 자진 사퇴해 주기를 미국 정부는 내심 바라고 있을 공산이 크다. 한편, 후세인 전 대통령 처형 및 처형과정에 대한 비판이 거세지고 있는 것과 관련, 백악관은 이라크 주둔 미군당국 및 이라크 대사가 후세인 처형을 전후해 이미 `우려'를 표명한 점을 언급하며 구체적인 언급을 회피했다. 스콧 스탠즐 백악관 부대변인은 이날 브리핑에서 이라크 미군 대변인인 칼드웰 소장과 이라크 주재 유엔 대사가 '우려'를 표명한 점을 상기시킨 뒤 "부시 대통령의 관심 초점은 사법적 처리과정과 앞으로 일을 처리해 가는 방법"이라고만 밝혔다. 스탠즐 부대변인은 또 수니파 등 후세인 지지세력으로부터 강한 반발을 사고 있는, 휴대폰으로 촬영된 후세인 처형장면 동영상을 부시 대통령이 봤느냐는 질문에 "보지 않았다"면서 "대통령의 관심의 초점이 아니기 때문"이라고 덧붙였다.
<美, 후세인 문제서 '발 빼기'>(종합 2보)<<백악관 언급내용 보완>>알-말리키 총리 '희생양' 될 듯(워싱턴.두바이=연합뉴스) 김병수 강훈상 특파원 = 사담 후세인 전(前) 이라크 대통령의 교수형 장면을 휴대전화로 찍은 생생한 동영상 유포 파장이 커지는 등 '후세인 후유증'이 증폭되는 가운데 미국이 후세인 문제에서 눈에 띄게 거리 두기를 시도하고 있다. 불공정한 후세인 재판과정과 조기 사형집행 문제를 사실상 배후 조종했다는 비난을 받고 있는 미국이 종파 간 폭력사태의 새로운 시한폭탄이 된 후세인 문제에 대해 '우리는 전혀 관여하지 않았다'는 입장을 취하고 있는 것. 후세인 처형 뒤 벌어지는 모든 갈등과 충돌의 책임을 은근히 누리 알-말리키 이라크 총리에게 떠넘기는 형국이다. 문제가 되고 있는 이른바 후세인 처형 동영상 유포에 대해 이라크 정부가 조사에 착수했다고 하자 백악관 토니 스노 대변인은 "이라크는 주권국가며 이라크 정부는 그들이 적절하다고 판단한 바를 행하고 있다"고 말했다. 잘마이 칼릴자드 이라크 주재 미국 대사가 후세인 사형 집행일을 이슬람의 최대 명절인 희생제가 지난 뒤로 2주 정도 미룰 것을 이라크 정부에 요청했다는 '비하인드 스토리'가 뒤늦게 흘러 나오는 것도 같은 맥락이다. 이어 이라크 주둔 미군 대변인 윌리엄 칼드웰 소장은 3일 미군은 이번 후세인의 교수형에 아무런 역할을 하지 않았으며 만약에 관여했다면 '다른 방식'으로 처리했을 것이라고 밝혔다. 칼드웰 소장은 "만약 사형시점에 미국이 실질적인 책임을 지고 있었다면 우리는 다르게 일을 처리했을 것"이라며 "미군은 휴대전화 소지를 포함해 사형 집행에 관한 모든 보안 대책을 이라크 정부에 넘기고 철수했다"고 강조했다. 예상을 뒤엎은 조기사형 뿐 아니라 문제의 동영상 유포 등 처형 과정에서 드러난, 여러 허술한 집행절차와 정치적 편향성에 쏟아지는 비난에서 발을 빼자는 계산이다. 그는 이어 이번 후세인의 사형 뒤 환멸을 느끼고 있는 수니파도 돌아봐야 한다며 포용적인 제스처까지 내비쳤다. 미국은 이렇게 가장 민감한 문제로 떠오른 후세인 처형에 서서히 발을 뺌으로써 더는 이라크 폭력사태에 대한 책임을 지지 않으면서 이라크 문제를 조기 종결하려는 절차로 풀이된다. 후세인 처형 직후 일어나는 모든 이라크 문제는 이라크가 스스로 해결해야 하며 알-말리키 정부가 이 책임을 져야 한다는 것이다. 알-말리키 총리의 퇴진설이 솔솔 나오는 것도 이 때문이다. 알-말리키 총리가 미국 대신 짐을 지고 자진 사퇴해 주기를 미국 정부는 내심 바라고 있을 공산이 크다. 한편, 후세인 전 대통령 처형 및 처형과정에 대한 비판이 거세지고 있는 것과 관련, 백악관은 이라크 주둔 미군당국 및 이라크 대사가 후세인 처형을 전후해 이미 `우려'를 표명한 점을 언급하며 구체적인 언급을 회피했다. 스콧 스탠즐 백악관 부대변인은 이날 브리핑에서 이라크 미군 대변인인 칼드웰 소장과 이라크 주재 유엔 대사가 '우려'를 표명한 점을 상기시킨 뒤 "부시 대통령의 관심 초점은 사법적 처리과정과 앞으로 일을 처리해 가는 방법"이라고만 밝혔다. 스탠즐 부대변인은 또 수니파 등 후세인 지지세력으로부터 강한 반발을 사고 있는, 휴대폰으로 촬영된 후세인 처형장면 동영상을 부시 대통령이 봤느냐는 질문에 "보지 않았다"면서 "대통령의 관심의 초점이 아니기 때문"이라고 덧붙였다.
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