Reminiscence, anyone?
2008 is coming to an end. There's a mere four days left before we leave this year behind and keep our fingers crossed behind our backs while we kiss our partners at midnight, hoping to move into a year that would be easier than the last.
A lot of things have happened over the course of this year, most notably in the second half. Not all of them have been good. Infact, some of them have been downright terrible. Keep in mind that I haven't avidly followed all the news in the first half of the year, and that I'm not very deeply into politics. The following is my opinions on some of the highlights and lowlights of 2008.
(They're not really in a chronological order.)
Lowlights:
-The entire world's moving into the greatest recession since the Great Depression. Yes, recessions do occur every couple of years, but this one has been moving slowly but surely down the line toward a depression. The finance companies have been pulling their old tricks out of their proverbial hats- lowering interest rates, implementing tax cuts, sure-fire tricks that helped in the past, but not so much this year. How did this start, then? A lot of fingers point toward the same man that has been blamed for nearly everything that goes wrong in this world- George W. Bush. After all, it was his country's refusal to finance the failing Lehman Brother's company that perfectly coincided with the beginning of this recession in September. It might have probably his fault to a certain degree; he has been responsible for a lot of terrible things, and most of America is glad to see him go. Which brings me to my next topic.
-Barack Obama. Why is this in the lowlights, you ask? Yes, he's being viewed as hope for the falling country. Their own personal guardian angel. The first African-American president of the United States of America, surely that classifies as hope? Hope that old American attitudes are finally changing?
Barack Obama has been elected into office at one of the worst possible times in history; at a time when America is facing an enormous financial crisis. Obama maintains that it is impossible to bring about change so quickly- and he is right in saying that. I'm sure he'll try his best, but the people of the world have placed such a high expectation on his shoulders, that it is inevitable that he will come up short. Then, when the people have been let down, he will be criticised for his efforts. After all, they weren't expecting much from him! They only wanted him to play God! The sad truth is, you can't change these ingrained attitudes in a matter of days. Life is a blame game and Barack Obama is going to be the guinea pig.
The first African-American president of the United States of America- I defy you to tell me that Barack Obama will not be assassinated for that very reason. A large number of people may have voted for him, but a large number of people also did not. Many white people are still under the impression that they are superior, and in their eyes, Barack Obama is one of the worst things to happen to America.
He's in this section because I hurt for him. He has potential and the will to do something. He's clearly someone who's thinking with his head and making the right decisions- he's even wanting to help with climate change. He's got a family and an amazing chance at a spectacular life, should he come through with his plans- but because of his colour, he's forever going to be on a hit-list that will inevitably result in his death.
And when he dies, the world will mourn.
-It seems political trouble has been omnipresent throughout the past year, from riots in Tibet to wars in Somalia, the rulers of the countries are finally being exposed for what they really are- fat pigs looking for power. Robert Mugawe is high on this list of people. While the people of Zimbabwe suffer from outbreaks of cholera and live in conditions unsuitable for the most hardened of us, he sits atop his throne, basking in his power, refusing to relinquish it to anyone regardless of the suffering of the people he professes to love and care for. He disgusts me. My heart goes out to the suffering people of his country. This is a man that deserves to die, and that no one has helped to do that yet is utterly shocking.
-India-Pakistan relationships have once again been stuck into a deep-freezer after the recent attacks on the Taj Mahal hotel that have been linked back to an Islamist terrorist group. More than a hundred people died over a terrifying three days, and even as I type this, the wounds in the hearts of many grieving families are still raw and painful. Good people died; people with families, careers, friends; innocent people who had not been expecting it; police officers that died fighting the terrorists- sure, they were fat, corrupt pigs, but I ask myself if they really deserved it, and the answer is always a very strong 'no'. Apart from being one of the biggest terrorist attacks in 15 years, it has destroyed any hope of peace between the Indian and Pakistani governments, with war looming dangerously over the heads of both nuclear weapons-armed countries.
It also brings painfully to light the poor state of our present government. How did these people get into the country? With a bribe, no doubt. Apart from having to deal with an increasing terrorist threat, the government has to face the fact that they were indirectly responsible for the death of all those people.
I have tried to love my country, I have tried to accept it for what it was- but I can't. Apart from not welcoming change, my people are not willing to change, even if it means the death of them all.
Even then… that little voice still insists they don't deserve to.
-The world also lost some great talent and people this past year. The three deaths that touched me the most were:
Heath Ledger's- his role in The Dark Knight as the Joker has had people talking about it all year. His death was untimely and devastating. He is sure to be showered with nominations and award at the Oscar's soon and this goes a little way for people to feel he might be happy, wherever he is now.
Michael Crichton- I saw this one on the news and I've never felt a pang of hurt at the death of someone I didn't know before that day. Crichton was one of the greatest writer's I've ever read and his books were legendary. He will forever be remembered and always missed.
Highlights:
-Bush got shoe'd. Enough said.
-Barack Obama's election speech. It's probably the best speech I've ever heard, second only to Bill Pullman's in Independence Day.
-One of the things I've really liked this year is the growing belief that the 'perfect body' is not one that belongs on a celebrity. Yes, it is still quite common among women of all ages to this day, but it has been changing. Most magazines are no longer trying to get their readers to go on fad diets, but rather addressing ways in which to come to terms with your body or tone it with healthier, more beneficial ways. This is incredibly heartening. I'm tired of teenage girls, and much older women as well, comparing their bodies to Paris Hilton's and being disappointed with the way they look. I've failed to see how they can find people like Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan even the slightest bit attractive. I mean, come on, they don't have an ounce of beauty and they look like walking skeletons. They've had a hundred surgeries on twenty different places in their body until they're more silicone than flesh. Those boobs? They're not real. Your boobs? They are. And they're a lot better. No one will care if you're overweight if you love yourself no matter what. Love the way you are, and if you don't, make a conscious effort to try. Yes, I do understand that at 90 kilos, you're a walking heart attack, but rather than giving up on food completely or binging after watching some anorexic model strut her (non-existent) stuff on TV and getting depressed later, get off your bloody couch and go work out. You don't have to spend a hundred dollars on gym memberships or fancy machines, even going for a walk helps.
Nobody is perfect, because there is no exact definition of perfect. You're only as perfect as you think you are. And if you think being overweight or not as good-looking as :eyeroll: 'Paris Hilton' means you're never going to find a man, you're deluded. There's someone out there for everyone. Infact, a lot of men get off on love handles. If the person you're going to be with deserves to be with you, his/her idea of perfect will be exactly what you look like.
(That became a bit of a rant, didn't it?)
This is exactly what we've been slowly moving towards. Women starting to accept their bodies and their looks. Atleast, definitely in this country. It's another reason I love being here. I'm glad that when I look at someone that I can think 'damn, that's hot', rather than 'do you think she'll snap like a twig'?
On a more general note-
15 great good movies that released in 2008 (in no particular order):
(keep in mind that I haven't watched a lot in theatres this year, and a lot of great movies haven't released here yet)
1) The Incredible Hulk
2) The Dark Knight
3) Iron Man
4) I Am Legend
5) Hancock
6) The Strangers
7) The Day the Earth Stood Still
8) Cloverfield
9) Eagle Eye
10) RocknRolla
11) WALL-E
12) Untraceable
13) Vantage Point
14) Superhero Movie
15) Death Race
15 movies I would have liked/would like to see this year/in the next four days/the coming year when they will actually release (in no particular order):
1) Quarantine
2) Saw V
3) Burn After Reading
4) Yes Man
5) Bolt
6) Seven Pounds
7) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
8) Transporter 3
9) Nights in Rodanthe
10) Tropic Thunder
11) Twilight
12) Mamma Mia!
13) The Midnight Meat Train
14) Australia
15) Soul Men
A lot of things have happened over the course of this year, most notably in the second half. Not all of them have been good. Infact, some of them have been downright terrible. Keep in mind that I haven't avidly followed all the news in the first half of the year, and that I'm not very deeply into politics. The following is my opinions on some of the highlights and lowlights of 2008.
(They're not really in a chronological order.)
Lowlights:
-The entire world's moving into the greatest recession since the Great Depression. Yes, recessions do occur every couple of years, but this one has been moving slowly but surely down the line toward a depression. The finance companies have been pulling their old tricks out of their proverbial hats- lowering interest rates, implementing tax cuts, sure-fire tricks that helped in the past, but not so much this year. How did this start, then? A lot of fingers point toward the same man that has been blamed for nearly everything that goes wrong in this world- George W. Bush. After all, it was his country's refusal to finance the failing Lehman Brother's company that perfectly coincided with the beginning of this recession in September. It might have probably his fault to a certain degree; he has been responsible for a lot of terrible things, and most of America is glad to see him go. Which brings me to my next topic.
-Barack Obama. Why is this in the lowlights, you ask? Yes, he's being viewed as hope for the falling country. Their own personal guardian angel. The first African-American president of the United States of America, surely that classifies as hope? Hope that old American attitudes are finally changing?
Barack Obama has been elected into office at one of the worst possible times in history; at a time when America is facing an enormous financial crisis. Obama maintains that it is impossible to bring about change so quickly- and he is right in saying that. I'm sure he'll try his best, but the people of the world have placed such a high expectation on his shoulders, that it is inevitable that he will come up short. Then, when the people have been let down, he will be criticised for his efforts. After all, they weren't expecting much from him! They only wanted him to play God! The sad truth is, you can't change these ingrained attitudes in a matter of days. Life is a blame game and Barack Obama is going to be the guinea pig.
The first African-American president of the United States of America- I defy you to tell me that Barack Obama will not be assassinated for that very reason. A large number of people may have voted for him, but a large number of people also did not. Many white people are still under the impression that they are superior, and in their eyes, Barack Obama is one of the worst things to happen to America.
He's in this section because I hurt for him. He has potential and the will to do something. He's clearly someone who's thinking with his head and making the right decisions- he's even wanting to help with climate change. He's got a family and an amazing chance at a spectacular life, should he come through with his plans- but because of his colour, he's forever going to be on a hit-list that will inevitably result in his death.
And when he dies, the world will mourn.
-It seems political trouble has been omnipresent throughout the past year, from riots in Tibet to wars in Somalia, the rulers of the countries are finally being exposed for what they really are- fat pigs looking for power. Robert Mugawe is high on this list of people. While the people of Zimbabwe suffer from outbreaks of cholera and live in conditions unsuitable for the most hardened of us, he sits atop his throne, basking in his power, refusing to relinquish it to anyone regardless of the suffering of the people he professes to love and care for. He disgusts me. My heart goes out to the suffering people of his country. This is a man that deserves to die, and that no one has helped to do that yet is utterly shocking.
-India-Pakistan relationships have once again been stuck into a deep-freezer after the recent attacks on the Taj Mahal hotel that have been linked back to an Islamist terrorist group. More than a hundred people died over a terrifying three days, and even as I type this, the wounds in the hearts of many grieving families are still raw and painful. Good people died; people with families, careers, friends; innocent people who had not been expecting it; police officers that died fighting the terrorists- sure, they were fat, corrupt pigs, but I ask myself if they really deserved it, and the answer is always a very strong 'no'. Apart from being one of the biggest terrorist attacks in 15 years, it has destroyed any hope of peace between the Indian and Pakistani governments, with war looming dangerously over the heads of both nuclear weapons-armed countries.
It also brings painfully to light the poor state of our present government. How did these people get into the country? With a bribe, no doubt. Apart from having to deal with an increasing terrorist threat, the government has to face the fact that they were indirectly responsible for the death of all those people.
I have tried to love my country, I have tried to accept it for what it was- but I can't. Apart from not welcoming change, my people are not willing to change, even if it means the death of them all.
Even then… that little voice still insists they don't deserve to.
-The world also lost some great talent and people this past year. The three deaths that touched me the most were:
Heath Ledger's- his role in The Dark Knight as the Joker has had people talking about it all year. His death was untimely and devastating. He is sure to be showered with nominations and award at the Oscar's soon and this goes a little way for people to feel he might be happy, wherever he is now.
Michael Crichton- I saw this one on the news and I've never felt a pang of hurt at the death of someone I didn't know before that day. Crichton was one of the greatest writer's I've ever read and his books were legendary. He will forever be remembered and always missed.
Highlights:
-Bush got shoe'd. Enough said.
-Barack Obama's election speech. It's probably the best speech I've ever heard, second only to Bill Pullman's in Independence Day.
-One of the things I've really liked this year is the growing belief that the 'perfect body' is not one that belongs on a celebrity. Yes, it is still quite common among women of all ages to this day, but it has been changing. Most magazines are no longer trying to get their readers to go on fad diets, but rather addressing ways in which to come to terms with your body or tone it with healthier, more beneficial ways. This is incredibly heartening. I'm tired of teenage girls, and much older women as well, comparing their bodies to Paris Hilton's and being disappointed with the way they look. I've failed to see how they can find people like Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan even the slightest bit attractive. I mean, come on, they don't have an ounce of beauty and they look like walking skeletons. They've had a hundred surgeries on twenty different places in their body until they're more silicone than flesh. Those boobs? They're not real. Your boobs? They are. And they're a lot better. No one will care if you're overweight if you love yourself no matter what. Love the way you are, and if you don't, make a conscious effort to try. Yes, I do understand that at 90 kilos, you're a walking heart attack, but rather than giving up on food completely or binging after watching some anorexic model strut her (non-existent) stuff on TV and getting depressed later, get off your bloody couch and go work out. You don't have to spend a hundred dollars on gym memberships or fancy machines, even going for a walk helps.
Nobody is perfect, because there is no exact definition of perfect. You're only as perfect as you think you are. And if you think being overweight or not as good-looking as :eyeroll: 'Paris Hilton' means you're never going to find a man, you're deluded. There's someone out there for everyone. Infact, a lot of men get off on love handles. If the person you're going to be with deserves to be with you, his/her idea of perfect will be exactly what you look like.
(That became a bit of a rant, didn't it?)
This is exactly what we've been slowly moving towards. Women starting to accept their bodies and their looks. Atleast, definitely in this country. It's another reason I love being here. I'm glad that when I look at someone that I can think 'damn, that's hot', rather than 'do you think she'll snap like a twig'?
On a more general note-
15 great good movies that released in 2008 (in no particular order):
(keep in mind that I haven't watched a lot in theatres this year, and a lot of great movies haven't released here yet)
1) The Incredible Hulk
2) The Dark Knight
3) Iron Man
4) I Am Legend
5) Hancock
6) The Strangers
7) The Day the Earth Stood Still
8) Cloverfield
9) Eagle Eye
10) RocknRolla
11) WALL-E
12) Untraceable
13) Vantage Point
14) Superhero Movie
15) Death Race
15 movies I would have liked/would like to see this year/in the next four days/the coming year when they will actually release (in no particular order):
1) Quarantine
2) Saw V
3) Burn After Reading
4) Yes Man
5) Bolt
6) Seven Pounds
7) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
8) Transporter 3
9) Nights in Rodanthe
10) Tropic Thunder
11) Twilight
12) Mamma Mia!
13) The Midnight Meat Train
14) Australia
15) Soul Men