new modem

did you catch it? did you catch it?

fine, so this is a day or two late but Barack Hussein Obama is now no. 44. Leader of the free world and all that. I'm not American, nor do I usually want to be, considering what the country has been through the past decade or so (can you say Bush?), but since this guy clinched the Democratic nomination I have had to grudgingly admire (and envy) Americans for the mobility their society affords to its best and brightest.


On to more pedestrian topics, CNY is around the corner. I can already feel its fiery breath in my skull as the heat takes over. Why does it never/ hardly ever rain during Chinese New Year? Did the astrologers who set the date manipulate the weather so to add to the suffering of celebrants? I've been reading too much sci-fi. I've read almost everything else in the bookcase and it is unfortunately addictive. No hidden meanings or moral preachings, pure entertainment. Much like watching E! but with no epilepsy-inducing flashes. I digress. CNY. Right. Anyway the whole thing must be messing with my head and twiddling with the little knobs which control my internal soundtrack. To give me Damien Rice. Not even new stuff, but the 2003 album. Freak. Depressing stuff.

You know that strange sensation where it feels like a lot of time has passed or a lot of things have happened in a short period of time but you can't actually place your finger on what has happened and you can't even say if anything has happened but you feel as if it has? I'm sure there's a phrase for it, but I don't know what it is.

[back in 5-6 days]

pax?

Israel has declared a cease-fire. Now, I've been rethinking my position on the conflict - although I do not condone the severity of the war waged by the Israelies, I do understand their reasoning.
more after lunch

day 4-5

This just in: an accident?


and Toro tried to drink my coffee again

day 3-4

to wake up to more news of the Israelies intent on bombing the life out of Hamas (and any tiny unlikely reservoirs of good-will the cease-fire created) and marshalling the rest of the Mid East (maybe not Egypt) against them. Can you say disproportionate retaliation? And of course, international condemnation means nothing to Israel since big brother is standing behind it.
Several things to think about:-
i. the obvious humanitarian crisis - access to already limited medical supplies and basic goods, thanks to the blockade in place prior to the most recent raids compounded by the bombing of the Gaza-Egypt tunnels
ii. more regional instability - not just Israel-Arab, but also Sunni-Shiite
iii. Hamas' status & future - not just as terrorist organization but also an arguably legitimate government
iv. WTH, Olmert and Barak? Is this a way to redirect internal politicking to an external enemy - Feb 2009 elections
v. UN Security Council and the UN as a whole - its actual capacity to broker peace and exert influence in the shadow of the US (again)

Ugh, I should stop monitoring the news.