I Love Bangladeshis!

While looking at some pictures of flooding in Bangladesh, I was drawn to a few things that I saw in the photos.  Even though the situation was dire and lives were lost, the people in the photos never let it show on their faces.  They stopped whatever they were doing, waist high in muddy water, to muster smiles and even a wave.   I am not sure if this was due to the fact that flooding is a part of life there or not.   This is a country that is the most prone to tornadoes, floods and cyclones than any other in the world.  here are some photos that I collected on the web that show the lack of hopelessness on these poor people’s faces.  I love Bangladeshis.

Check out the umbrellas. Up to their necks in dirty flood water but seemingly intent on not getting rained on.

Look how unruffled she is. Posing for a photo while partially submerged. I love Bangladesh!

Do they look worried? Of course not.

Flood? What flood? Come on, just take the pic.

They were never like this in New Orleans. Look at the smiles in the face of disaster. Oh and the umbrella.

Through flood waters the students happily go to school. Growing up, my primary school was closed if it drizzled too hard.

What great people!  It seems as though disasters have taught Bangladeshis the true meaning of happiness.   You almost want to scream, “Get out of the dirty water!  There’s a flood around you!  Aren’t you concerned?.”  No, the water can bury their houses and crops but apparently it cannot bury their determination.

Now even though they are smiling, please don’t slight the plight in this country.  They do need help. Lots of it,  so let’s remember them in our prayers.   Maybe send some umbrellas?

Kids bullying turns monitor into millionaire.

In case you were sleeping or doing whatever and missed it, a bus monitor was bullied by a group of middle school students and the video was posted on the internet.  Watch here.  It was a sick and disgusting display of children gone wrong.  Totally unacceptable and should never happen anywhere and to anyone.   Many people were touched by the video and it prompted a fund to be set up to raise money to send the monitor, Karen Klien, on a well-deserved vacation.   So far, donations have reached over $650,000.

Well, what kind of  blogger would I be if I do not put in my two cents worth?  What do I think of the matter?   I  commented sometime last week that Karen was obviously in the wrong line of work.  Correct me if I’m wrong but isn’t it the bus monitor’s duty to crack down on this kind of behavior on the bus?  What if they were bullying another kid instead? What would have been her reaction?  Apparently, she told the news that she has a hearing problem and didn’t hear much of the taunts.  Thank goodness and bless  her heart.  She didn’t need to hear some or any of those taunts anyways.  But if she couldn’t hear most of the insults, would she have heard them if they were directed at another kid on the bus?  See where I’m coming from?

Now about the money.  Money soothes everything, right?  Wrong.  The problem is still not addressed.  Yes, she might have a nice vacation somewhere but how about the bullies?  Would they find another victim to prey upon? Is this it? Sending money to a victim of bullying does not send a lesson to the perpetrators.  It does nothing to ease the pain of the other faceless victims around the world.  So I am not really sure that giving almost a million dollars to Karen Klein was the right thing to do.  I realize it was probably a knee jerk reaction to a video showing a sweet woman being bullied.  I do agree with sending her a plane ticket to a destination of her choice.   As I stated earlier, in my view, it is the job of a bus monitor to address any unacceptable behavior on a school bus.  If a group of school kids were to bully a police officer, would you be inclined to send financial aid?  If not, why not? Because they are paid to deal with this sort of thing, right? Bullying is bullying though, no matter the age or sex or job description of the victim.

I know this take would not be too popular but I would not be sincere and fair to myself if I pretended that I felt the opposite.  Saying this, as a parent of kids that I love dearly and also having an autistic brother,  I am against any and all acts of bullying whether against children or adults who are incapable of defending themselves.  We as a society, should do as much as we can to fight this plague.

Instead of giving Karen Klein $650,000, wouldn’t it make more sense to donate it to Anti-Bullying Programs? Awareness? Bus Monitor Training?   Bullies Rehab? Now that’s what I’m talking about.

Karen Klein, God bless you and I am sorry you had to go through that.

Just my take.

Related articles

• Don’t Take That Money, Bullied Bus Lady (gawker.com)
• Carrie Goldman: Bullying on the Bus: Solutions and Analysis (huffingtonpost.com)
• Should Bullied Bus Monitor Keep All Her “Vacation” Money? Man Behind The Donation Campaign Weighs In! (AUDIO) (radio.foxnews.com)
• http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-buzz/karen-klein-fund-raises-nearly-650-000-where-202028566.html

But is it art?

Yoko’s Latest Art Exhibit

Yoko Ono, wife of famous Beatle John Lennon, is a renowned artist.  Well so they would have me believe.  Her art is being shown at some prestigious gallery in London.  Her latest is three neat piles of dirt.  Yes, I did say dirt, of the plain old variety.

Ok, I am being a bit harsh, I am sorry.  It wasn’t just the three piles of dirt, there was also a poster with the words, ‘War is over’.   There!  Yoko Ono’s masterpiece!  Well I’ll be damned! The things they call art these days.  My poor art teacher would be turning over in her grave right now if she was dead.  Wait, is she dead? Who was my art teacher anyways?

Did I also mention that one of Yoko’s past masterpieces is a green apple resting, quite comfortably I might add, on a plexiglass box?  Yes, just an ordinary, plain apple relaxing on a box.  I should quit with the colorful descriptions as they do make them sound artistic.  The skill! What extricate positioning!  Oh and if you are wondering, when the apple rots, it is simply replaced by another green apple.  Eat  your hearts out you would-be artists out there.  If artistic abilities were food, Yoko would be the epitome of a starving artist.

To be fair, Yoko Ono is not the only so-called artist churning out masterpieces that look like something your toddler accidentally made.  No sir, there are countless others.  Some even get grants from the government.

This was a few years ago, right here in Winnipeg:

A Manitoba artist receives $15,000 from the Canada Council to string up dead rabbits

The discovery of 12 decomposing, maggot-ridden rabbits dangling from trees might arouse suspicions in some observers’ minds that a sadist had too much time on his hands. Nevertheless, such a macabre display has attracted hundreds of visitors to the St. Norbert Arts and Culture Centre (SNACC) near Winnipeg. Moreover, the display, entitled “Monstrance,” was made possible with support from the Canada Council for the Arts, which gave 42-year-old Winnipeg artist Diana Thorneycroft a $15,000 grant in June. The exhibit allegedly examines humanity’s reverence for carnality.

Now on that note, I am beginning to entertain the thought of showing off my own lack of artistic prowess.  I am a bit twisted and can come up with some masterpieces of my own.  A flat tire lying on a bed of roses?  Maybe a pair of broken glasses on a pile of manure?  How contemporary does that sound?  (I really have no clue what contemporary art is but I am a fast learner).  I am sure I could conjure up something to tease the taste buds of the art world.  I might even be able to secure a government grant.  Stay tuned.

To be fairer, maybe it’s me that have a problem recognizing art for what it is.  Maybe I am raw and uncultured. In that case, this is just my take.

Adidas Slave Shoes

Making the rounds on the news, Twitter and other social media is the story that Adidas is planning to market shoes that has a shackle-like attachment, dubbed ‘shackle shoes’.

The big issue with this is that critics are crying foul over the choice of decor.  Apparently, to some of us, this conjures up painful memories of our slave ancestors working in the fields with shackles on their feet.  I must be a bit slow because at first glance, that’s not the picture I got.  I saw an ugly pair of shoes that would look silly on any wearer’s feet.  I bet I could have looked at them for 24 hours and still not make the slavery connection but I never said I was very bright.

Coincidentally, Mr. T of  ’The A-Team’ fame, recently made it known in his book that his famous gold chains were worn to represent the chains of bondage black people wore during slavery.  Apparently, someone forgot to let him know that his chains evoke painful and best-unforgotten memories.  I pity the fool who tries.

Adidas’ shackle shoes, Mr. T’s big links or whatever emblems that supposedly evoke buried memories, somehow does not work on me.   Blatant racism does. Injustice against blacks does.  Seeing Mr. T’s gold does not bring me pain-filled memories of my ancestor struggling under the sun while tethered by chains of bondage.  Am I a cold-hearted human? Do I need help? Or maybe like I said, I’m just not smart enough to connect the dots?  You tell me.

If anything, stuff like this makes me proud. I see a shoe with shackles and if it makes me remember slavery, then I will remember where we came from and look at Obama and see where we are.  I will urge Adidas and Nike and whoever else, to keep reminding us where we came from and the struggles that we endured.  I will feel no pain because my ancestors felt enough pain.

We can’t allow ourselves to get perturbed by images and objects that have seemingly have some remote connections to history, no matter how painful.  If I did that, I would be boycotting all material made from cotton for isn’t that where it all started?

It’s only a shoe and coincidentally, it’s also only my take.

 

 

Related articles

• Adidas criticized for ‘shackles’ sneakers, denies link to slavery (thelook.today.msnbc.msn.com)
• Adidas Slammed for Launching Slave Shoes With Shackles Around the Ankles (shoppingblog.com)
• Adidas pulls shackle sneaker after slavery controversy (abc4.com)
• Controversy over new Adidas ‘slave shackle’ basketball shoe (offthebench.nbcsports.com)
• Adidas’ New Shoes Seem Pretty Racist (buzzfeed.com)

The Lord's Prayer with a unique twist

Reblogged from Musings Of A Daddy:

I really love this:

"Our Father Who Art In Heaven.

Yes?

Don't interrupt me. I'm praying.

But -- you called ME!

Called you?
No, I didn't call you..
I'm praying.
Our Father who art in Heaven.

There -- you did it again!

Did what?

Called ME.
You said,
"Our Father who art in Heaven"
Well, here I am..
What's on your mind?

Read more… 891 more words

I just had to reblog, especially since I have been blogging on The Lord's Prayer lately

Related articles

• Lead us not into temptation...we can get there on our own. (myvuze.wordpress.com)
• And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us... (myvuze.wordpress.com)
• Gentle Answers #3: Unbelieving Prayer? (genref.wordpress.com)

Breaking News: Top Terrorist Dead. Again!

Hello! Hello! It’s me you idiot! Of course I’m not dead!

With the daily news reporting of another top Al-Qaeda operative killed, I am apt to asked, “Wait a minute, how many leaders does this network have?”  Prior to killing of enemy number one, Osama Bin Laden, there were leaders killed almost weekly.  After Osama, it is still continuing.  These  top terrorist are usually in the top two.  With so much cooks in the kitchen, how could any group operate effectively? So my question is, ‘Who are being killed and by this time, how many of us are still paying attention?”  The only attention I will be paying to this farce of a war is to the news that our soldiers are coming home.  ASAP before Al-Qaeda replaces their top terrorist.

Just me and my take again. Pay no attention, oh nevermind, you already read it.

Related articles

• Former CIA Agent Claims Americans Did Not Kill Bin Laden (socyberty.com)
• Another top terrorist dead!
• Bring our boys home!

Lead us not into temptation…we can get there on our own.

Lord’s Prayer rock, detail (Photo credit: jessamyn)

I recently blogged about the impact of the line from The Lord’s Prayer,  ’Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.’   Read here.  I blogged about how we say it loosely and never really think of how it is applied in our lives.   Another such line that I think is bloggable is the line ‘Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from all evil’.

In The Lord’s Prayer, we are asking God not to lead us into temptation but since we go there all on our own,  this makes me wonder if we are actually saying, Lord, you don’t have to come with me as I go down the road of temptation.  You stay back here while I dabble for a bit.  Hey, but be sure to stay in the getaway car so you could deliver me from the evil that I encounter.  

So if we pray to God not to lead us into temptation, who is responsible for leading us into the daily temptations we allow ourselves to succumb to?  Not HIM because I doubt he finds any delight in taking his children by the hands and leading them into any form of temptation.  He was mad when Adam and Eve allowed themselves to be tempted in the garden so that would confirm this.   Hmm….so maybe we are the culprit.  We wade into temptation all on our own, sometimes a bit too happily.    Maybe we just don’t want him around to see us enjoying the evil fruit but we sure want him around to forgive us after, right?

Lord, deliver us from the evils that tempt us.

Related articles

• And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us… (myvuze.wordpress.com)
• Do you Mean it? (phillipbrande.wordpress.com)
• Jesus’ Temptation & Our Own (pastorreeder.wordpress.com)
• “Teach Us How to…Live”, An Early Church Fathers Take on “The Lord’s Prayer III (notforitchingears.com)
• I can’t say the Lord’s Prayer (bbressman.wordpress.com)
• The Lord’s Prayer – An Adaptation (godspace.wordpress.com)

Son, don’t listen to your daddy

Kenyan, my 3-year old son, takes his soccer games seriously, as he does any sport he chose to play.  While his easily distracted teammates wander around the field, Kenyan stays focused on the game.  Even when he’s sitting out he still chose to sit and watch his team play and cheers them on.  Not coincidentally, he is one of the better player on the team and scores an average of 6 goals a game.  This blog however, is not about his soccer exploits.

After clapping his first couple goals, I usually keep a low profile and encourage him to involve his team by passing the ball.  Most of the kids play a one-on-five game and plays against their team so this is hard to instill at that age.   Fortunately, he seems to get the idea and I high-five him for making passes as much as scoring goals.

Yesterday he started his shift by netting two quick strikes.  After the third goal he actually started passing off to his teammates, even giving up scoring opportunities.  He did not score another goal for the rest of the game.  Unfortunately, I don’t think his team did either.

Just before he got on the field for the last shift of the game,  I experienced a sudden bout of  selfishness and without thinking, said to Kenyan, ‘This is your last shift, go out there and score a few goals, don’t bother to pass the ball, just go!’  Yes, I did say that.  I don’t know what came over me and as soon as I said it, I felt disappointed in myself.  Thank goodness I have instilled values in my son and he had retained them.  Kenyan turned, looked at me in dismay as though he couldn’t believe I actually said that.  ”Daddy, they are on my team, I have to pass to them.”

Yes, that’s all it took.  A nice gentle rebuke from my 3-year old to nudge me in sensibility.  Yes son, you are right.  Don’t listen to what daddy just said, go out there and play with your team.

Isn’t it awesome when your kid uses the life lesson you taught him to bring you back on track?  Even as parents, we are not above rebuke.

Note:  Now don’t go all ‘awww’ as this is the same kid who just yesterday, yelled ‘Mikhail, you suck!’  at his brother’s soccer game after Mikhail missed the ball on an easy goal attempt.

Related articles

• Kids’ Soccer Season (caramieandtheboyz.wordpress.com)
• Lindell is ‘that kid’ yelling on the sidelines (bangordailynews.com)