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Anthropology class today told of a story where a little pygmy... As the story goes, the pygmy was kidnapped from his people for use by the White-normal-sized-people as a display probably in a sort of freak show or museum to showcase the unnatural, most likely for the sake of entertainment...
Bad as it may sound, things only got worse from there... roughly about this point, we start wondering if we really are human beings at all... well, apparently the pygmy was first placed in a museum for display... but was later moved to the local zoo, and there exhibited with the monkeys, and having a chimpanzee as a 'cell mate'.
Upon protests from other probably saner human beings, the pygmy was granted the 'privilege' of roaming the zoo freely during the day but had to return to confinement at night. Well, long story short, he was later shifted to a childcare facility for African Children and upon hearing that he would never return to his homeland again, he ended his life by shooting himself in the heart with a revolver...
This was when my thoughts started taking over...
Frankly, i don't blame the dude... circumstances pushed him to the limits... putting myself in his shoes, i would probably have done almost the same things, though perhaps my vengeance would be mustered against those who put me in this plight in the first place and not towards myself...
The lesson continued... and it was mentioned that the pygmy was roughly 4 feet 11 inches in height...
It was at this point that i was rudely awakened from my thoughts by the oh-so-familiar voice of Mr Chelliah... stating, in all authority... " Hey, isn't that roughly around your height..?"
I hate to admit it, but he's right... this was when my lecturer added " Anyone below five feet is a pygmy"... So i left class with one eyebrow raised above the other... either in annoyance or something similar...
Do i look like a pygmy to you??!!
So... the long-anticipated Beijing Olympics have finally begun, receiving the nearly undivided attention of the world's majority, regardless of their country of origin... However, while many continue singing praises at what an awesome job China is doing as the host-country of the 2008 Olympics, a minority have actually realized that there is more at stake at the Beijing 2008 Olympics than just medals...
While many have regarded the Opening Ceremony as an excellent and most spectacular performance, they remain blinded to the fact that there were those who found it to be a very disappointing event... not because it lacked any element in the sense of entertainment, but rather, because their importance was being overlooked... Such is the case of the poor little girl Yang Peiyi..
To cut a long story short, Yang Peiyi is an extremely talented seven year old girl who was selected to perform the song "ode to the motherland" at the aforementioned opening ceremony. However, she was soon replaced by the oh-so-adorable Lin Miaoke ( that unforgettable little girl in the red dress who was SEEN singing at the opening ceremony) because of the simple fact that Lin was prettier than she. Although Yang Peiyi had undeniable talent, she was disallowed from appearing at the ceremony because she just didn't happen to be the prettiest creature on Earth... Instead, the organizers would rather allow Lin Miaoke to LIP-SYNC to the song which was sung by Peiyi, and with that, gain international recognition, admiration and general credit. (Original Article here)
The very fact that China would do such a thing, moreover to an innocent child, is not only disheartening, but invokes anger. Think what such actions would do to their already marred reputation. More than that, think what effect this event would have on the poor child... In short.. China has MANY issues which they need to deal with...
Moving on, i would like to comment further on other 'issues' which have been revealed against China at this stage...
In the full spirit of the Olympic Games, China has stated over and over again that they intend to the Champions of Beijing 2008. Well, the truth of this statement is easily demonstrated by the extents which they are willing to go to in order to bring home the Gold... This includes... an entire regime of training, schedules, practices and of course, their secret weapon... CHEATING!! Whoops.. Did i say Cheating?? Yes.. I did... An extremely prominent example of this little tactic of theirs paying off (well, at the moment at least) would be by observing the Womens' Gymnastics competition... in which, as we all know, China bagged the Gold...
Okay.... anyone who watched the event would realize that China was represented by scrawny little children... Olympic rules clearly state that every member of the team needed to be at least sixteen years of age in order for the games to be fair. This is not an unreasonable request at it would seem quite blatant that as gymnasts, age would never be on their side, particularly in terms of weight, flexibility and so on... therefore, having underaged members on the team would prove to be an unfair advantage which should not be given to any of the teams. However, this appeared to be the case in Beijing 2008. What amazes me is that the gymnasts were legitimately backed up by proof of their age which came in the form of passports. Messed up? You tell me... It's nearly impossible for some of those girls to be any older than 14... common sense tells us this... judging by body physique and also their facial features ( such as commented by Fox news, one is probably changing from baby teeth to her adult sets). Also, the very fact that people were able to uncover other documentations of their 'actual ages' elsewhere ( including those which "Magically vanished upon discovery" leads us to raise an eyebrow at the bullshit China is pulling and the fact that they probably take the rest of the world for mere Fools... yes, very well done, China... ( original article here ) More articles on the topic.. USATODAY
and Newsday and Times
So, take a closer look and THEN tell me what an awesome job you think China is doing now... as the saying goes... Looks MOST DEFINITELY are deceiving...
Well, today i decided to visit my good old blog... only to find that a certain Mr Chelliah had 'tagged' me in what seemed like a never-ending game of tag... Unusually though, and perhaps out of shear boredom and good-will, I decided I'd humour him and go along with the tagging game... who knows, perhaps it would make me less of a bore... so... here goes...
Instructions: Remove 1 question from below, and add in your personal question, make it a total of 20 questions, then tag 8 people in your list, list them out at the end of this post. Notify them in their chat box that he/she has been tagged.
1. At what age do you wish to marry?
I would approximate it to be somewhere roughly ten years from now... at which point, hopefully, i would have established a stable foundation in terms of work and living arrangements and by which time, i would also have ironed out any kinks in what would appear to be a relationship worth committing to by marriage.
2. What is your most favourite thing to do?
To spend time with those who understand me... especially my closest friends... the activity involved wouldn't really matter much at all.. it's who i spend time with which really takes the cake. Just being around people i'm comfortable with would be enough to lighten just about any mood.
3. If you have a close close close friend since childhood who loves to take away whatever you like, including guys/girls, and he/she always wins, will you still consider him/her your friend?
First off, i would have to smugly remark that someone up there must really love him soooo much if he was truly capable of doing all that... but getting back to the issue at hand, no, this person would no longer be a friend of mine. I'd rather lose a so-called friend than be hypocritical in keeping him a friend while smoldering over his 'issues' to myself (and perhaps others) in his absence just for old times' sake.
4. What would you give up in return to eat all you want in the world and not get fat ?
erm.. at first i thought of giving up my singing voice.. but then.. i don't think i could survive without it... and i think that goes for everything else too... these are the things which make me me... and so... i'd rather not be able to eat all that much and still remain plain old me...
5. If you can have 1 dream to come true, what would it be?
To live my life in a way which is worth living by my own eyes... it may not seem like much to anyone on the outside... but i don't really mind, as long as i feel that i've spent my lifetime well, i may die in peace...
6. Do you believe you can survive without money?
well, put simply.. we live in a material world... as much as we insist that we are merely living IN the world and are not OF the world, we would still have to play by its rules... so.. money is essential... as much as i would like to say 'love makes the world go round', we are all familiar with the ever-more-truthful variation : Money makes the world go round. So, when asked if i could possibly survive without money, my answers is simple: No, not in a world such as this. Although i do not bow to riches in any way, even i am forced to admit that there is simply no way to survive without money. To survive on minimal amounts of money is possible, but to survive with the complete absence of money is impossible.
7. What are you afraid to lose the most?
Myself... haha... i know this sounds selfish and all... but... this is what i mean... i am me, and i'm quite happy being me, flaws, faults and all. Someone once told me that the moment i change any part of myself, i would no longer be me. I guess this made me realize just how special i must be if God had created me to be this way; and personally, i'm thankful for who i am. I may not be perfect.. nay... far from it... but i know God had his reasons for creating this little creation of his, and i intend to live it out. ^^V
8. What do you feel like doing, right now?
haha.. the same thing i feel like doing with nearly every bit of my free time.... snuggle under my comforter, with the right degree of darkness and the perfect temperature and get some good-old shuteye. yes, i'm a lazy creature... ^^
9. If there's someone that you love, would you confess to him/her?
Well, i guess i would... but.. here's the catch though.. i'd do it eventually... once i'm certain that i've come out from under the heading "INFATUATION" and into the real deal... i don't exactly want to make any rushed judgments in such matters...
10. List out 3 good points of the person who tagged you.
Haha... yes.. Mr Chelliah... alright, sir.. here goes.. Firstly, i love the way he keeps his cool even in the most absurd of situations. Although visibly pissed, i admire how he manages to keep his head on and focus on what needs to be done... Secondly, I also admire his acid-spitting ability... muahahaha.. simply put... his words pack a mean punch, topped off with a hint of intelligent sarcasm... the recipe for a fight well fought and always a worthy opponent... lastly... i admire his tolerance... which is more than what i can say for myself... it's wonderful that he's actually able to work with people who obviously annoy the hell out of him and not let it affect his work in any way... and also, much unlike me, stifle the temptation of bite a couple of heads off... overall... he's one good fella... ^^
11. What are the requirements that you wish from your other half?
He needs to be independent, to be able to think for himself instead of clinging on to me whenever the rains come... although i don't mind supporting him in every matter, complete dependence on me is a big no-no.. i'm looking for an equal partner, not an orphaned child. Other than that, his love for me should be one that is true, pure and withstands the test of time. In this sense, infatuations just wouldn't make the cut... and i need him to be able to look deep into our futures and understand it.. only then can we make the most of our abilities and weaknesses and function wholly as a unit. Lastly... it would be great if he could make me laugh... and a certain degree of stubbornness is admirable... he shouldn't change himself to please me or anyone else... i just want him to be him...
12. What is the thing that will make you think he/she is bad?
There are two things which i abhor the most... One is him being soooo selfish that he believes the world revolves around his self-righteousness and that we should all bow and worship and sacrifice in his name... Two... is one who takes material pleasures so seriously that happiness is sacrificed to riches. I cannot live with someone like that.
13. What is your ambition?
To fulfill God's purpose for me.. which i have yet to discover.. >.<
14. Is anyone really perfect?
No one is perfect... no one save God can truly say that he is a picture of perfection. Everyone has their flaws... it's a matter of whether we find them acceptable or not... as much as i would like to say that my true love would be perfect.. i guess that has never been what it's about... it's more about finding an imperfect person, and learning to see him perfectly... that, is true love...
15. If you had a choice to be rich or happy, which one would you pick ?
I would choose happiness... though it's quite obvious that one does actually influence the other to a certain extent. However, i could live without 'inexhaustible wealth', but i guess i could never live in a world starved of happiness...
16. If you have a chance, which part of your character you would like to change?
haha... change.. i have no idea... there are many things which other people would love to change about me.. but i kinda like me the way i am... i may be unstable and insane at times, but hey, things will work out in the end... just a little faith and trust will go a long way...
17. Who is the person that you can share all your problems with?
the very good people who God had blessed me enough to know and love. These are the few souls who i really trust... and i'm glad to say that they haven't given any reason to do otherwise...
18. How do you see yourself in 10 years time?
In 10 years time... i have no idea.. i'm not much of a far thinker..i prefer taking things as they come.. >.<
19. If someone had found a path to immortality to be bestowed upon you in exchange for one of your abilities, would you take it, and what would you sacrifice for it?
Okay, this is my question.. and i would like to show where i stand... to me, this life is a cruel, sad, miserable place... but, it is also temporary.. i await the Lord's promise land.. and therefore, the riches of the world and anything else it could possibly offer me could not sway me into taking immortality... to put it in a more Miki-ish manner, Life sucks.. so why extend the stay?
20. If you were to get involved in a Charity Organisation, which one would it be and why?
Definitely the SPCA... i have a weakness.. >.< i seem to prefer the animals over the human race... to me, it's really simple... let's put it this way... the animals need all the human love and care that they can get their hands on... they don't know what they're getting themselves into, they don't have the capability to understand what's going on and what they should do about it. Now let's take the human race into consideration... these beings have been blessed with the capability to think unlike any other creature and have actually been given the capability to get themselves out of messes and most ruts if they had half the gumption to do it... Now don't come telling me about those starving kids in Africa and all that... i agree that they're an innocent bunch of chaps born into a cruel world and all that jazz... but.. let's take a look at their parents... If they didn't reproduce like rats, perhaps we wouldn't have a starvation problem in the first place?? In this sense, ABSTINENCE ROCKS!! when already faced with a situation where resources are barely making the limit for survival, which one of your senses tells you to copulate like rats?? This, i don't get... so anyone kind enough to clarify??
Alright.. there you go.. i'm done... so.. now, i tag...
Adrian
Lo Jhun Haw
Wong Ken Hong
Frank Tan
Jess
Pheobe
Tim
Tzyy Shan
Browsing the usual online newspaper articles, i came across a certain article which caught my attention; an article regarding how a certain Korean institution had decided to clone a woman's dying pet... much to her delight...
This entire article made me think simply of how strange the world we live in actually is... from one woman wanting so much to 'recover' a dying pet to an institution who had probably invested ample amounts of money and time into things such as cloning... while both regard this matter as something to probably be proud of, i can very well say that from where i stand, the practice of creating clones is an unnatural one and no good will come out of this act of playing God in the long run.
Attached is the article for your consideration: Cloning Dogs 01
For what it's worth, i personally feel that this woman should learn to let go of things... the phrase extracted from her interview in the video attached, whereby she stated "... and I heard the most beautiful words in the English Language : I can clone your dog" really sickened me to an extent... I would not deny that perhaps her pet was indeed close to her heart and had done so much good for her that he left an impression in her life, but to clone him? I feel that this takes matters way too far... And for further correction, someone should kindly rectify this woman's statement regarding "... we provide the body and God provides the soul..." that firstly, dogs do NOT have souls as they are animals... and that secondly, if this WERE human beings that were being cloned, does anyone really think that God would bless such 'creatures' with a soul??
It is one thing to engage in the human ways of meddling with God's work, but it is another to think of it as an issue that would bring forth so much good and to be so proud of it as to dedicated newspaper reports and the like to it under the heading of "scientific advancement". The line between what a human should be allowed to do or disallowed from doing should be clear... for this is a definite overstepping of boundaries.
Man has given numerous excuses justifying cloning from organ transplants all the way to a solution for world hunger; yet, these are mere efforts to mask the sinister side of the engagements of the human race in such unforgiving territory... for now, man has satisfied himself with cloning animals... this is a beginning to story to which there may be no end. As one thing leads to another, the cheap horror movies featuring clones such as Resident Evil and the 6th Day may become a reality all too soon. As far as ethics go, this has gone way out of hand.
Conclusively, it is my 'humble' opinion that no good would ever come out of man playing God. To put it simply, let He who is superior commence the works to whose hands authority hath been given. Now, the question that remains is a simple one...
"Are we to imply that we are, in any way, superior to God in doing what had always been His to do?"
