Another Year Gone...Yeay!!!

Well another year of my life has gone by, and so far things have been good. I'm pretty happy with it. It hasn't always been hunky dory and had its low points as well as the high ones. But then that's what life is all about isn't it? It won't be exciting if your high all the time, and I believe it's the low points of life that makes us stronger. I always try to live by the motto "No Regrets". Shit happens and you deal with it. It's not an easy thing to do all the time, but so far I’ve somehow managed it. :D About the future I have no bloody clue. What will happen will happen he he…

I know some people like to wallow in the past, thing about the things they've done, or should've done, shouldn't have done etc, but what’s the point in that? Thinking about it isn’t' going to bring back the past. I say move on people.

I don't get why some people have a problem with growing old. It's part of life. I know some people who lie about their age and pretend to be younger than they are, and it goes for guys as well as girls :D, and I’m not talking about people in their forties, but people in their late twenties who doesn’t like to admit it. Sheeezz what’s up with that? Do they think that you’ll have to stop having fun when they grow older? Man people are weird.

Anyways enough of this boring stuff…Adios and Cheers to you all!!!

Desert Island Music Mix

I’ve been tagged again. This time by Theena for five albums I would take if I was marooned in a deserted island. Well first of all five ain’t enough. Second I’m going mostly by artists’ coz in most of their albums there are songs that I like and songs that I done like. Anyway this list is bound to change as time goes by :D (Except #1)

#1. Guns n’ Roses – Ok ok may not be everyone’s taste but, this is like my pick-me-upper. Whenever I’m down in the dumps, put on some G n R and by the time the first track is over I’m back to my old self, ready to kick some ass. These guys will never get off the list

#2. Bond – As far as instrumental stuff goes, these four gals are my current favorites. They do things with a string quartet you would only dream of ;)

#3. K T Turnstall – Another one of my current favorites. Just a reminder that sometimes unplugged stuff are better.

#4. Cranberries – Another excellent product of the Irish. The haunting voice of Dolores O’Riordan is enough to gimme goosebumps :D

#5. Korn – Just to evenly round things off I’ll add in some Korn to the mix.

Well there’s more on the list but I guess these will have to do if I’m forced only to take five albums. Who is this evil creature who decided that you’ll be only allowed 5 eh?

In spite of being hated for doing this :D I’m going to tag these fellow bloggers. No there’s no obligation for you to accept it…

Harshadewa
Lady Divine
Mia
The Jester – I know he’s going to nuke me now :D
And last but not least… Darwin

Couldn’t really think of a title… :)

I mentioned in a post earlier this year that the “Company” I was working for “supposedly” went bust and closed down shop, kicking all us employees out. Well some good news has happened at last. They’ve finally agreed to a settlement.

Initially they put forward two options. 1. They settle due salaries and the employees agree not to sue. Or 2. The employees take the company to court. Well considering how long a court case can drag out, a majority of the employees agreed for option one. It’s basically they pay the due salaries and the employees agree not to sue their pants off.

I was only there for 8 months so I’m not that bothered about it. Well I’m bothered by it, but on the other hand what happened happened. Nothings going to change it so I say forget about it and move on. Luckily I’ve found another job and I’ve moved on and so have most of the others. Credit for the management for the work they did in getting job placements for the employees. However for people who have been with the company for long does feel something I guess.

One of the best things about the place was that I got to know some great people. For me not working with them is the saddest part of it. It was great to meet most of them again after a long time yesterday.

A handful of people tirelessly worked to make this settlement a reality so I must say a very big, big thank you to all of them.

Cheers to you all!!!

Yet Another Twisted Rhyme…

Georgie Porgie, puddin' and pie,
Kissed the girls and made them cry.
They all ganged up and made a wail
And sent the lawmen on his tail

Gorgie Porgie ran like hell
To the ranks of an outlaw he fell
The men of law came out in hordes
Come and catch me, he dared them all

High and low, near and far
They searched for him night and day
All hidey holes with a fine-toothed comb
No stone unturned all across the world

Search they may every nook and cranny
Hide nor hair could they find of this laddie
Always ahead of the chasing law
He made a fool out of all who dared

But alas his luck ran out at last
A cruel joke played by fate
Men of the law soon came knocking
To drag him back to give him a kicking

People rejoiced when the good news came
Georgie Porgie was a menace no more
Celebrations rang all across the town
Their little girls were safe once more

They dragged him into court upstate
To pass judgment and seal his fate
The mean old judge grinned with pleasure
And thus passed judgment on our little gangster

Georgie Porgie you've been a bad boy
You kissed them girls and made ‘em cry
For your evil deeds you must suffer
Hung from the noose till you’re a goner

Thus ends the saga of Georgie Porgie
A perverted little boy who made girls cry
When he should have stayed at home
Eating puddin and pie all day long



[All characters appearing in this post are purely fictional. Any resemblance to individuals living or dead is coincidental…and not my problem]

Children under Threat

There is a very informative article on this month’s issue of the Readers Digest about the expansion of the child sex industry in Asia. I know this is not a new thing and there probably have been many discussions and post about it, but you just feel sad to think that it’s not getting any better.

According to a report put out by the Asia Foundation in 2006, there are an estimated 20, 000 children sexually exploited in Cambodia. In Philippines the number they estimate is around 100,000. In India the numbers are up a staggering 500,000. Unfortunately our little paradise doesn’t fare well either. According to the following article in Lanka Library - (Sri Lanka has 40,000 child prostitutes), the NCPA , quoting UNICEF and ILO reports says, there are about 40,000 child prostitutes in the country. In addition, they estimate that there are over 100,000 children working as domestic aids.

The RD article sites three developments that have contributed to the current trend:

Greater demand for child sex from Asian men
Indifference among lawmakers and enforcers
Widespread corruption

Some people would say that they are driven by poverty, but I don’t think you can use poverty as an excuse. No matter how poor you are you can’t justify selling your child as a sex slave. Those are the people who should be shot first. These types of situations where the parents are involved maybe a small percentage, but they do exist. In most other cases the parents have no knowledge of the fact. Unscrupulous criminals may take advantage of the poverty and ignorance of the parents and take the children, promising them a bright future and all the riches. Unfortunately they end up in a brothel somewhere and the parents never hear from their children again. The worse case scenario is when the children are kidnapped right off the roads.

I sincerely hope that the SL authorities are doing something to solve this problem. I know it’s not going to be easy or will happen in a day or so, but working on it is the important thing. There maybe independent groups and NGO’s working on it, but they can’t do it alone, mainly because they can’t enforce the laws or punish the guilty. That is the job of the authorities. They need to take a much tougher stance on these activities.

In my opinion the following things can be done:

Tougher penalties for offenders: This includes pedophiles and all those who support these activities.

Educate the people: Sometimes people really don’t know about these things. Especially poor parents should be made knowledgeable about the danger of sending their children away. Not only the parents, but older children should also be educated in these things. In the same way, educate people involved in the tourism industry as well.

Help the poor children: Educating the people is not going to solve their problems. If the parents can’t feed the children they might have to take drastic measures to keep them from starving. Children of poor families could be given some sort of aid, a monthly pension sort of. However their should also be a strict monitoring system in place to make sure the children are the ones who get the benefit and it’s not spent on the fathers booze. Where do we get the money? You might ask. Well if you kick out half the cabinet, there’d be plenty left over.

Support the people who do something: The government should give more support to the independent groups and NGO’s who are already working on these problems. Maybe like a special citizen’s arrest type of authority, for them to conduct raids and arrest suspects. But again there should be a strict monitoring process implemented.

More private sector involvement: Especially organizations and people related to the tourism industry should get involved in this. Currently there is a program called “Zero tolerance’ for child sex tourism“.

Provide adequate care and help for children saved: Children who are sexually exploited can have severe emotional damage and psychological problems. There should be a proper way to help them deal with it and adjust back to normal life. Ensure that they don’t fall into the same hole as before. The general populace should also learn not to judge them and not treat them like outcasts. It only makes matters worse.

I’m not an expert on this subject so I don’t have much information on it. Some of these things are probably being done already. I salute all those people who are working on these problems and who are making a difference in the world.

I don’t understand how people can treat children this way. This is not a problem limited to Asia, it’s a global problem. The problem is there in all countries to some extent. Humans are supposed to be the civilized ones, but some of them act worse than animals. I guess all of it has to do with psychology, which I have no clue about.

The following are some articles you might find interesting.

RD – Suffer the Children (you need to register to read the full article, and yes it’s free)
Lanka Library - Sri Lanka has 40,000 child prostitutes
Lanka Library - Action plan against child sex tourism
UNICEF - Sri Lanka campaign promotes ‘zero tolerance’ for child sex tourism

As I said my knowledge in this is limited, so please feel free to enlighten me…

Be gentle with the young.
Juvenal (55 AD - 127 AD)

Children might or might not be a blessing, but to create them and then fail them was surely damnation.
Lois McMaster Bujold, "Barrayar", 1991

Fun on Two Wheels

I’m hovering on cloud nine these days coz I just bought me very own motorcycle. Yipikayea…

It’s a dream come true coz I’ve been a bike nut since I was a kid. I think it started after watching the TV series "Renegade" with Lorenzo Lamas, if anybody remembers that. Watched it mostly because of the bike I think (and the cute chick of course :D). It gave my first introduction to the world of the Harley’s. Well mine ain’t a Harley, but its as close as I can get :D.

There’s something wild and exiting about riding a two wheeler, unlike four wheelers. I really can’t explain what it is, so don’t ask me to. It could be the added element of danger and risk factor. There are only a few pieces of metal and rubber between you and the hard top of the road. An angry wild beast is under your control and you have to make it do what you want. The power and the speed is enough to get your adrenalin rush. There’s nothing like it. You feel you’re more tuned in with the road and the environment. I guess it’s because you have to have a higher level of concentration and be more alert while riding. Unlike a four wheeler, one false move and you’ll be kissing the tarmac. The worse case would be you’ll be singing with the Devils (or the Angels, depending on which side you root for).

Cities aren’t the best place to get the best out of your beast. Too much bloody traffic. You have to get it to a nice open stretch of road and then you can really fly. Unleash the full force and get the max out of it.

Small confession to make though, I maybe a bike nut, but I know jack shit about the mechanical stuff. It’s the riding part that gets to me. In hopes changing this, I’m slowly doing some research and reading up on the mechanical stuff. Hopefully will become and expert in the (very )distant future :D.

I don’t know how long I will be able to do all this, looking at the way petrol prices are going up. I’d be less than broke pretty soon, but till then I’m going to cruise the badlands, with the wind on my face and not a care in the world…

Cheers!!!



Four wheels move the body. Two wheels move the soul.
-Author Unknown

Most motorcycle problems are caused by the nut that connects the handlebars to the saddle.
-Author Unknown

Only a biker knows why a dog sticks his head out of a car window.
-Author Unknown

It takes more love to share the saddle than it does to share the bed.
-Author Unknown

7 Random Facts about My Self

Well I’ve been tagged by Lady Divine to write up 7 random facts about me self. Hmmm… what to say?

Oh well here goes

1. I am a loner – Well not the psycho type hiding out in a cabin somewhere deep inside a forest, shooting at people (although it does sound appealing…). True, I’m not a people person. They annoy and irritate me. Not that big on socializing, but I don’t actively shun the social life either. Occasional wild mad parties I don’t mind, but not frequently. I don’t have a lot of friends, but a few very good ones. They know who they are. Very bad at having relationships, mainly because I’m a selfish bastard he he…

2. I like to take life easy – Don’t mistake that for laziness, when working on something I give it a 110%, but rest of the time I like to take it easy. No point in worrying about things which are out of your control is there? I have a loose idea of fate. I like to believe that fate is not a strict authoritarian. It gives us a whole bag load of choices and the outcome depends on the decisions we take. When things just don’t go the way you want, you just have to believe that it happened for a good reason. Beats worrying about it and a lot less stressful.

3. I’m a cat person – I like all animals, including dogs, but given the choice between a dog and cat, I’d choose the kitty in a flash. Why do I like them? I guess it’s their independent nature, a lot like me. A free spirit, who doesn’t like to be bound to anything. And there’s definitely something evil about those furry little critters.

4. I like watching cartoons and reading comics – A very big fan of Bugs Bunny and the Looney Toones Gang. Bugsy, Slyvester, Daffy, Porky and of course who could forget Foghorn Leghorn. “Ah say…Now look here son, listen to me when Ah ma talking to you”. Still love them and will keep on watching till my dying day, no matter what people say. Also a very big fan of Garfield. Hmm… must write a separate post about these important individuals.

5. Coffee addict – weeell not that much, but cant function properly in the morning without a cup. Usually have about 5 cups a day. I shouldn’t say this, seeing that Tea is our #1 export and all that, but not a big fan of Tea.

6. I love good food and I love cooking – It’s a hobby and it’s great. I don’t know about other people, but it’s like a stress buster. (the cooking I mean, and no I don’t stuff myself with food)

7. I enjoy the simple things in life – A good book and some good music and I’m more than happy. Add to that a sizzling barbeque and a bottle of Vodka and I’m in Heaven.

Well I guess that’s about it…

Since I’m supposed to tag seven other bloggers, I’d like to call upon Harshadewa, Leisel, Pissu Perera, Mia, The Jester, Darwin & Rhythmic to do the honors.

Cheers people!