getting away with rape
i’ve read about roman polanski when the film he directed, the pianist, was released in 2002.
much was said about the film, the actor and mr polanski, the director.
he was convicted of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor (13 years old) in 1977. he fled to france to escape the charges and is currently under arrest in switzerland.
it’s interesting how the rich and famous can get away with rape.
chance upon a debate on the new yorks times on this issue.
it’s hard to imagine that there are double standards for something as serious as rape. does being an artist makes your crime more forgivable?
strange world we live in.
i am the hand that heals all mankind
i saw this video on mtv when i was on study leave last nov/dec. the video made me paused midway through my mcspicy meal because it was so inspiring, provoking and mind blowing. i had goosebumps watching it. i was so humbled and grateful for everything that i had suddenly. i felt so small. i was so moved by the compassionate acts that people were doing around the world.
i wanted to get out of my seat and go out and do something for the world but at that time, i could only finished my meal, switched off the tv and go back to studying.
that video was at the back of my head all these while. it’s just unfortunate that the daily humdrum of life tend to overshadow everything else in life.
i desperately need to do something for the world.
i shall go read up on the organisations featured in the video because that was what i told myself to do after watching the video in dec 2008. it’s almost been a year and i haven’t done a single thing yet!
i have been listening to this song lately and the chorus jumps out at me because it reminds me of lately.
What about now?
What about today?
What if you’re making me all that I was meant to be?
What if our love, it never went away?
What if it’s lost behind words we could never find?
Baby, before it’s too late,
What about now?
Now that we’re here,
Now that we’ve come this far,
Just hold on.
There is nothing to fear,
For I am right beside you.
For all my life,
I am yours.
the blue nile gorge
http://www.canyonsworldwide.com/africa/pages/canyonlandsOfEthiopia.htm
gorgeous!
i read bruce kirkby’s rafting adventure in the blue nile gorge in reader digest. an extract of his book “dolphin’s tooth” was published in RD asia.
isn’t it nice to be an adventurer?
swine flu
i coughed a couple of times at watsons today and a young lady turned around to look at me. this reminded me of the SARS period because the whole bus stared at me while i was trying my damnest to suppress a hugely irritating cough.
at least, they didn’t chase me out of the shop or kick me out of the bus.
truly heartbreaking
Former ‘Power Rangers’ Actor Sentenced to Death in Yacht Killings
29 years old.
3 murders.
drug dealer dad.
abandoned by mum.
why do people do the things they do.
just how much choice or will does one have in choosing to be good in such dire circumstances? it is not as easy to right so many wrongs.
things might be different if he had better parents, better childhood and better influences.
3 less murders, 1 less death sentence and a lot less grieving souls.
First Lady of France
i really like carla bruni sarkozy. interesting, elegant, beautiful and quirky.
michelle obama touches the queen!
hahaha. this is so amusing.
the new york magazine, daily intel
Meeting the Queen is a complicated thing. You have to curtsy, you can’t extend a hand before she extends hers, you can’t pick up food before she does, and you definitely, most certainly, never, ever are allowed to attempt to hug or kiss her. Which is why it caused quite the hilarious stir yesterday across the pond when Her Royal Highness half-embraced Michelle Obama. Nearly the entire nation simultaneously snarfed their English Breakfast. And then, the unthinkable happened: Michelle hugged her back.A breathless eyewitness explains to the Daily Mail:
“There was a bit of a bottleneck as all of the leaders filed out so the Queen started chatting to Michelle Obama. She appeared to look up at her and make a comment about how tall she was. As she did, she put her arm around Mrs Obama and rested her gloved hand on the small of her back. Almost simultaneously, Mrs Obama put her arm around the Queen’s shoulders rather more firmly. The pair then looked at their feet and appeared to be discussing their shoes. The Queen then dropped her arm and, a few seconds later, Michelle did the same. The entire exchange lasted around eight to ten seconds but was absolutely extraordinary.
It is believed to be the first time in the 57 years of her reign that Elizabeth of England has ever performed such a gesture. It is against protocol to touch the Queen unless she touches you first.Earlier in the day, the Queen and her husband, Prince Phillip, gave the First Couple their traditional gift of a signed, silver-framed portrait of themselves. The Obamas responded by presenting the Queen with an iPod programmed with some of his speeches, a video of her last visit to the the United States, show tunes (her favorite) and also an extremely rare playbill signed by Richard Rodgers. Prince Phillip, after hearing about Obama’s morning of meetings with Asian continental leaders, cracked: “How could you tell them apart?” Which, in retrospect, might be why his wife later felt it necessary to make such a colossal gesture of friendliness to the wife of America’s first minority president. But still!
UPDATE: An earlier version of this post referred to Elizabeth II as the Queen of England, much to commenters’ dismay. We regret the error, and from now on will only refer to her by her proper title: Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the Seas Queen, Defender of the Faith, Duchess of Edinburgh, Countess of Merioneth, Baroness Greenwich, Duke of Lancaster, Lord of Mann, Duke of Normandy, Sovereign of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Sovereign of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, Sovereign of the Most Illustrious Order of Saint Patrick, Sovereign of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Sovereign of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, Sovereign of the Distinguished Service Order, Sovereign of the Imperial Service Order, Sovereign of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of India, Sovereign of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire, Sovereign of the Order of British India, Sovereign of the Indian Order of Merit, Sovereign of the Order of Burma, Sovereign of the Royal Order of Victoria and Albert, Sovereign of the Royal Family Order of King Edward VII, Sovereign of the Order of Mercy, Sovereign of the Order of Merit, Sovereign of the Order of the Companions of Honour, Sovereign of the Royal Victorian Order, Sovereign of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem.
6 degrees of separation
mumbai. terrorist attacks. 59 hours of mayhem. 200 dead.
tragic indeed.
before yesterday, the tragic event just seemed too far away from me to feel anything more than what the average reader of tragic news would feel.
that is before my sister told me her RD’s best friend died in the mumbai attacks.
that is before my sister told me some of her colleagues friends are still missing.
that is before my sister told us that her friend managed to escape from mayhem.
that is before my dad told me that the hubby of the late ms lo used to be tutored by my mum.
suddenly, it feels so close to home.
life can be so cruel sometimes.
obama.
http://flickr.com/photos/barackobamadotcom/sets/72157608716313371/
i am not an american.
i didn’t follow the US elections.
i used to root for hilary because i like the idea of having a woman president but it was a judgement made by personal preferences and not because i know what each them is fighting and standing for.
when it came down to just obama and mccain, i naturally veered towards the democrats and obama slowly won me over with his….eloquence and his sincerity.
memories fade
I forgot about the tragedy of september 11, until I saw it on the news today. ;(
don’t believe what you see in the news
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20080809/tap-lifestyle-singapore-society-wheel-fe-06f3cb7.html
a certain someone i know knows the man behind the flyer and this story is just a cover up for the mistake they realised after launching the flyer.
hur hur.
don’t sue me. i didn’t say anything.
