It was a "Nilo" Day...

I was reading my "Monitor Mix" blog today and noticed something strange. Instead of Brownstein talking about music, she was talking about reality television! She is an excellent NPR Blog resource (one of my links below under "Blogging" - The Soundtrack of My Dreams) for lyrics, genres, new stuff, and the occasional humorous comment about life in general, but today it was The Bachelor that caught my eye. She interviewed a producer, anonymously, and even thought it confirmed what I already knew, I was fasinated by it. You might be, as well. The most disturbing thing is that I enjoyed reading about the show. My roommate, Nilo, likes to watch the most recent one, London Calling, and I've been sucked in to watch (2) episodes at some point last month. It strikes me as odd that there are people who don't mind being watched on-camera seeking the love of their life. Yea. Right. Please make sure to note the comment by one of the interview answers that contestants are not on the show for purely innocent reasons. No kidding. I hate the paradox of reality telivision - the name itself is a lie.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/monitormix/2008/04/the_bachelor_1.html

Israel's 60th Anniversary

Today is Israel's 60th anniversary and I wonder, how do Israels feel about this celebration? How do Palestinians feel? It reminds me of so many battles - the struggle between the Southerners and the Union toops during the American civil war, the battle for independence by so many small African countries trying to finally stake their claim after years as European colonies. Who are these people that suffer for that small bit of independence they've been yearning after? For the small piece of land they want to say they belong to? It seems to put things into perspective for me. Who is to say the U.S. deserved to win the war? What if we were just another dot on the map and controlled even today by Great Britain. This, at least, causes me to sympathize with the Palestinians and the Israeli Peoples, searching for a place to call home and will never be completely safe until the ethnic battle is settled and there is peace. And I'm not sure how excited I feel that the U.S. is taking side when there are obvious human atrocities committed on both sides of this battlefield.

Israel's 60thAP is reporting: "President Bush on Wednesday opened a celebratory visit to Israel ... 'We consider the Holy Land a very special place, and we consider the Israeli people our close friends,' Bush said. ... The Palestinians are marking the 60th anniversary of the 'nakba,' or catastrophe..."ALICE ROTHCHILD, dkar@rcn.com, http://alicerothchild.com Currently in Washington, D.C., Rothchild is author of the new book "Broken Promises, Broken Dreams: Stories of Jewish and Palestinian Trauma and Resilience." She is active with Jewish Voice for Peace. Her piece "The Other Side of Israel's Birth" appears in today's Baltimore Sun: "As Israel celebrates its 60th anniversary ... I wonder what would happen if this tragedy, al Nakba, were to be publicly recognized alongside the Israeli victory. Perhaps taking the risk of acknowledging the pain of the 'other' and seeing 'the enemy' as a real person is how peace is ultimately made." http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.nakba14may14,0,6220379.story Rothchild said today: "The stance of the major party presidential candidates is a testament to how powerful the pro-Israeli lobby is."
SALMAN ABU SITTA, info@plands.org, http://www.plands.orgSAMAR ASSAD, sassad@palestinecenter.org, http://palestinecenter.org Founder and president of the Palestine Land Society based in London, Salman Abu Sitta is editor of "The Atlas of Palestine." He will be arriving in the U.S. on Wednesday evening. He said today: "The 60th anniversary of al Nakba -- that is, the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians -- and the creation of Israel on the ruins of Palestine shows that wars, occupation, brutal force and racist policies will not bring peace to the Holy Land. It is only justice based on international law that will bring it. That can be achieved by reversing ethnic cleansing and allowing the Palestinian refugees to return home. There is no legal or practical reason to prevent that except Israel's intransigence." Abu Sitta will speak at the Palestine Center in Washington, D.C. on Thursday at noon. Assad is executive director of the Palestine Center.

Devestation in Burma

How would you feel if your family was trapped in the middle of a land torn apart by a cyclone and you didn't know if they were alive or dead? Or, if help would even come? This is what is happening to many families in Rangoon. A cyclone has hit the area and the government will not release how many are already dead and the number of injured. Aid is having trouble even getting to the places it needs to, and in some cases, the problem is that aid organizations and workers are being sent to any destination, which is easy to get to. Some places may be not be reached for days or longer. Read more about it here. It is horrible to think some who may be alive may not live to survive because we cannot reach the people in time with food and medicine. Prayers are certainly needed.

http://www.theworld.org/?q=node/17797

Birthday Blog --If I'm Really 27, How Come the Starbucks Guy...

--If I'm Really 27, How Come the Starbucks Guy... Says I remind him of his sister's best friend (Mind you - when she was in High School) . I know I should probably be happy. After all, who honestly thinks I look my age these days? Not many people I know --Thankfully, I act my age some of the time. I better not take that too seriously, either. But, is it really a compliment to be that young? After all, if I want to pursue law, I wonder if this 5'2" figure will command any sort of presence when negotiating or demanding documents or presence in a courtroom. It doesn't help that I'm reminded of my height and other things by my family constantly -- My sisters are much taller than me and remind me all the time what it is like to be a kid. They just love to be corny. Would you have guessed by the strange picture of the three of us above? Couldn't tell, right? I'm sure it is a blessing to be around such a "y0ung" group -- all of the time. It will prolong getting old and staying young in my heart. What a cliche!

Okay, So I had a great time. Happy Birthday to Me.

Add This To Your Life

Melancholy as is. If there was a mix tape with my name on it for today's Monday, the title would be "Dreary Colour." Clouds make me angry. It might not be the clouds. Nothing Too Good There...