Iraq War: (Mission Accomplished?) Just not yet...

Some days back, while waiting to watch the The Daily Show with Jon Stewart on CNN, i happened to catch a riveting CNN special called, "On Assignment: Month of Mayhem". The show is a documentary by Michael Holmes telling his account and stories when he was assigned to cover the Iraq War for a month from January 9. On arriving there in 10 minutes he would do a special report of an ongoing battle on the streets. That really, tells what the whole thing is about.
"The situation in Iraq is starting to get better", that's what is being said nowadays. But the condition is still far from positive. The statistics till now are very much disturbing. With an average of 2000 people being killed every month,the picture is yet from being rosy. And among all the fighting that is already taking place in the country, instances of Sectarian violence does not help at all. The war was not supposed to last this long or inflict damages of this magnitude both to the country and the people fighting for it. It seems everyone is involved in this war now, someway or the other.
"On Assignment: Month of Mayhem", showed the war from the perspective of the reporters working in really morbid condition just to give us some idea what is really happening there. And what we see is far from pleasing. I could tell of all the horrific details that has now become a daily part of the Iraqis. Tortured and mutilated bodies thrown in the streets have become normal and grieving widows and family members identifying the sometimes unrecognizable cadavers is the truth every Iraqi hopes they dont have to be a part of. It may sound macabre of all the details but thats the undeniable truth. The only thing that we could actually do is understand the seriousness of the situation and raise our voices against the atrocities. With body counts rising every day, the people there are getting something they never bargained for.
While i was mentioning the gruesome situation in Iraq, a friend of mine could not take it anymore and remarked that, "sometimes indifference is happiness". I just wonder, how much of that statement holds true?? Is ignorance really bliss ?

World Press Freedom Day

So today is World Press Freedom Day...like all the ".isms" around, its hard remembering all the Days. There's most probably 365 similar Days or even more. But since blogging has become an influential press tool and since i blog and respect press freedom and i just found out about it watching the news and since i have nothing else to write (not that i dont consider this important, its important all right!!!) i dedicate this post to all the people in the world working towards creating a knowledge based society full of serious news and some light stuff along the way with other stuffs for everybody.
Unfortunately, as i found out, Nepal ranks about 7th in the list of countries with least degree of press freedom(might be some old data). The ranking created by Reporters Without Borders is based on surveys about direct attacks on journalists and the media as well as other indirect sources of pressure against the free press. I guess, the last time when this issue was raised to its height was during the royal takeover and the Janaandolan periods where i believe blogging was taken up widely for letting the people know the real truth. Not knowing the full extent of this issue i cannot comment much about it. But, from what i do know, Nepali journalism has still a long way to go before it reaches its maximum potential and that too without any hindrances that would prevent truthful and hard edged journalism.
With the various conflicts in the Middle East region, Journalist have become most prone to attacks and dangers in the recent years. Various kidnappings and even executions take place almost everyday. Right now the fate of BBC journalist Allan Johnston is still unknown for such a long time. The killing of Daniel Pearl some years back was a huge blow to Journalism and clearly showed the risks scribes are facing. The press has a huge value in our everyday lives. Although today is just another Days in our calendar, we should all work together for better press liberties and rights. Even though you may not be a journalist or even close to working in the line, it would be very nice of you to just acknowledge their works and responsibilities and maybe even help in any way possible.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights indicates: "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media regardless of frontiers"
More about Press Freedom or Journalism

Can a boy and a girl just be friends ?

This is one question which in course of time many people have to face or already have faced... I myself having faced it already and after knowing what the truth is, I would like to shed some light upon it in the exact words of Harry(Billy Crystal):

They can't be friends...unless both of them are involved with other people. Then they can. This is an amendment to the earlier rule. If the two people are in relationships, the pressure of possible involvement is lifted. That doesn't work either. Because what happens then is the person you're involved with can't understand why you need to be friends with the person you're just friends with, like it means something is missing from the relationship and wanted to go outside to get it. Then when you say, 'No, no, no, no, it's not true, nothing is missing from the relationship,' the person you're involved with then accuses you of being secretly attracted to the person you're just friends with, which you probably are...I mean, come on, who the hell are we kidding, let's face it...which brings us back to the earlier rule before the amendment, which is men and women can't be friends.

Kapish!

What do you think of it ?

Happy Loktantra Day

I was oblivious to the political situation in Nepal not so long, and i still dont consider myself fully literate in this matter. But nowadays i have made it a point to gain new ideas and thoughts on this matter as much as i can. Today, brought happiness in many people or at least that is what it seemed. Its been already one year since the king handed down all his powers unwillingly to be left as a commoner. There definitely have been changes, some sound positively good while other may not quite make an impact. The ongoing war being over was the cause of the major excitement. The decade long war had caused huge loss not only i the number of people killed but also its role in throwing off of the developing path.

Nepal now has almost freed itself of the obstacle that had been hindering its way in the path of development. The only thing now is that the politicians must deliver on the promise that they have made. Although, in the past that could not be banked upon, its time for them to change their course just like we did and come up with some productive and definitive work that will go along a long way.

There are still places in Nepal where roads are just being made and the first cars are rolling their way. Only some time back the sight of the people celebrating just because they got to see a vehicle in their life for the first time was really heart warming. Nepal with its extremities faces a difficult situation to balance the need of all its people. The city dwellers may be asking for something completely different some people in the rural areas arent even aware of.

This time around, even a pessimistic person like me sees a gleam of hope , a hope that maybe things will be different. This time around the lives that were lost for freedom and development will not be forgotten and we will definitively strive for a better future. The future looks promising lets just hope we are not driven of course once again and we reach our destination swiftly and make this country of ours a much better place to live in. Jai Nepal.

Risk

In life theres always this risk factor that comes into play......the more greater the risk the more sweet the result turns out to be or at least we hope it turns out that way. I dont know the last time i took risk in any way........proposed someone that was way outta my league; nah, dont recall any, went for something against the wishes my family or anyone dear; not that i can recall off..........no wonder sometimes i feel im just living a monotonous cyclic life with no thrills nor any spills , not that i would prefer any. But, anyways, its high time ive risked somethin, its time i tried something different , its time i truly even amaze myself..........dont want my life to be somethin like this............

Virginia Tech Massacre: RIP!

Some days ago another date that would be blacklisted in the international calendar forever, April 16 2007 the day of the Virginia Tech Massacre. Although, schhol shootings are not an isolated event in the US, but this time it created quite some buzz with the number of lives that was lost and the manner in which the lives were taken. The man who decided to play god, Cho Seung-hui, Korean born legal alien of Virginia, first killed two people and then after writing his reason for his acts in a 8 page long note, went on from one classroom to another just shooting anyone in his path, which left 30 dead and 16 in the hospital wounded.
There have been numerous accounts of school shootings, fatal and non-fatal, all around the world. But, the only country which has at least one fatal shooting each and every year is that of America. Maybe due to the leniency of Gun Control Laws or due to the popular gun culture that is portrayed there, the killings never seem to cease. The Columbine High School Massacre, started the media frenzy over high school shootouts, where 2 boys killed twelve students and a teacher, as well as wounded twenty-four others, before committing suicide themselves. That was the third biggest killings right after the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre and the 1966 University of Texas massacre.
Its always the same case over and over again, people citing their loneliness and the societies impact on them decide to become gun crazed maniacs. But, is that only the case? Media and general public have blamed movies, bands, music, and almost everything as the main cause of these kind of shootings. But whatever may be the case, its times like these, that people come close and help each other out in hard times. Heroes emerge out of the chaos and community further strenghtens in hard times. I hope there will be some silver lining to this tragedy and the people that lost their loved ones will find strength and hope in their loses. May this kind of remorseful tragedy never strike anywhere.

Downs Syndrome Day

Today is DOwns Syndrome Day, 21st March, some time back i didnt know that and most people here still know that. Many people have hard time coming to grasp what Downs is all about and untill that is cleared out its very hard to move forward.
So let us be aware and try to give people with Downs a chance, RECENT ARTICLE IN vow MAGAZINE

Downs

Was at my sisters place yesterday, talking about the upcoming program on 21st March about Down Syndrome on the International Down Syndrome Day. Am supposed to be the MC but haven't been able to clearly think how to manage the stuff. Have to work on that.
There is really no statistics and information about the numbers or any thing that could define its condition in Nepal. I think what she has started may go on to help a lot of people still reluctant to hide the fact that they have a baby suffering from Downs. Even though Down Syndrome Association of Nepal has still a long way to go, to come up with ways to help the many people suffering from Downs, its initiative is well worthy of a praise.
My cousin is in many ways a typical 7 years old, he plays all the time and is normal in all the sense except for the fact he i suffering from Downs. Downs itself is not a disease that is contracted or that can be seen beforehand or even cured but is a genetic variation that can cause so much trouble and pain not only to the person suffering from it but also it brings some sort of grief for the people who care about those suffering from Downs. But Downs should not be taken as a handicap, this is one fact that many people fail to realize and in turn destroy the lives of some innocent. People suffering from Downs ca lead a normal life and go on to settle down and live happily after. Sure, it may take more time than a normal person to accomplish all that but IT WILL HAPPEN!! If people only knew that this thing can be tackled and can be overcome than that would probably make so many peoples' life better and truly give them what they rightfully deserve.