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random person - Anse Lazio, Seychelles (31-Dec-11)

season’s greeting from old spice.

basically.

LAST Friday, I took part in an unusual meeting in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad.

The meeting had been organized so that Pashtun tribal elders who lived along the Pakistani-Afghan frontier could meet with Westerners for the first time to offer their perspectives on the shadowy drone war being waged by the Central Intelligence Agency in their region. Twenty men came to air their views; some brought their young sons along to experience this rare interaction with Americans. In all, 60 villagers made the journey.

The meeting was organized as a traditional jirga. In Pashtun culture, a jirga acts as both a parliament and a courtroom: it is the time-honored way in which Pashtuns have tried to establish rules and settle differences amicably with those who they feel have wronged them.

On the night before the meeting, we had a dinner, to break the ice. During the meal, I met a boy named Tariq Aziz. He was 16. As we ate, the stern, bearded faces all around me slowly melted into smiles. Tariq smiled much sooner; he was too young to boast much facial hair, and too young to have learned to hate.

The next day, the jirga lasted several hours. I had a translator, but the gist of each man’s speech was clear. American drones would circle their homes all day before unleashing Hellfire missiles, often in the dark hours between midnight and dawn. Death lurked everywhere around them.

When it was my turn to speak, I mentioned the official American position: that these were precision strikes and no innocent civilian had been killed in 15 months. My comment was met with snorts of derision.

I told the elders that the only way to convince the American people of their suffering was to accumulate physical proof that civilians had been killed. Three of the men, at considerable personal risk, had collected the detritus of half a dozen missiles; they had taken 100 pictures of the carnage.

In one instance, they matched missile fragments with a photograph of a dead child, killed in August 2010 during the C.I.A.’s period of supposed infallibility. This made their grievances much more tangible.

Collecting evidence is a dangerous business. The drones are not the only enemy. The Pakistani military has sealed the area off from journalists, so the truth is hard to come by. One man investigating drone strikes that killed civilians was captured by the Taliban and held for 63 days on suspicion of spying for the United States.

At the end of the day, Tariq stepped forward. He volunteered to gather proof if it would help to protect his family from future harm. We told him to think about it some more before moving forward; if he carried a camera he might attract the hostility of the extremists.

But the militants never had the chance to harm him. On Monday, he was killed by a C.I.A. drone strike, along with his 12-year-old cousin, Waheed Khan. The two of them had been dispatched, with Tariq driving, to pick up their aunt and bring her home to the village of Norak, when their short lives were ended by a Hellfire missile.

My mistake had been to see the drone war in Waziristan in terms of abstract legal theory — as a blatantly illegal invasion of Pakistan’s sovereignty, akin to President Richard M. Nixon’s bombing of Cambodia in 1970.

But now, the issue has suddenly become very real and personal. Tariq was a good kid, and courageous. My warm hand recently touched his in friendship; yet, within three days, his would be cold in death, the rigor mortis inflicted by my government.

And Tariq’s extended family, so recently hoping to be our allies for peace, has now been ripped apart by an American missile — most likely making any effort we make at reconciliation futile.

Clive Stafford Smith, an American lawyer, is the director of Reprieve, an organization that advocates for prisoners’ rights.

endangered species

another brick in the wall.

nice.

my mom’s reply is in green, and it was super cute, cuz she called me later in teh evening mentioning how her eyes wouldnt stop watering and she had to walk out of the meeting to get a grip on herself 0_o <3

and then there’s always artemis reminding mom she shouldn’t be facebooking at work. if only artemis would stop BBMing during her exams :P

my family is full of looney tunes. <3 alhamdolillah.

part 1 of the must watch documentary.

not to be confused with domestic cats.

they’ve listed 139 things (one’s a repeat), of which i didnt agree with 18 items, so i skipped them. im an 86.8% good person on my list, and 75.5% according to theirs. the original is worth a read, even if you dont have time to read my collection.

Achieved:

1. Smile when you make eye contact with someone. – Check
2. Hold the door open for the person behind you. - Check
3. Send a hand-written thank you card to someone who assisted you with something. - Check
4. Clean out all your old clothes and donate them to someone in need. - Check
5. Give a compliment about a waiter, waitress, sales clerk, etc. to his or her manager. Or write a nice note to or about your waiter or waitress on the back of your bill. – Check
6. Compliment a stranger’s appearance. Flatter them. - Check (weirdo!)
7. Connect like minds. Introduce two friends or colleagues who you feel have something to gain from each other. – Check (bombed every time so far, will continue to do so )
8. Be a courteous driver. Let people merge in front of you. - check
9. Donate blood. – check
10. Spend time with children and greet the world with wide-eyed wonder. – check
11. Notice and appreciate the positive side of things and share this appreciation with others. – check
12. Share your talents with someone. - check
13. Think, speak and act in a loving manner. – check
14. [was not done. cant be bothered to renumber everything]
15. Introduce yourself. Make new colleagues, classmates, etc. feel welcome. - check
16. Inspire others online. (Check out Makes Me Think.) - check (soooo… are you guys inspired yet?)
17. Treat everyone with the same level of respect you’d give to your grandfather. – check
18. Give everyone the same level of patience you’d have with your baby sister. - check (though if you were to ask my baby sister, everyone else gets more patience than she does. #Sadbuttrue)
19. Appreciate people the way they are. – check
20. Share your lunch or a snack with someone who doesn’t have one. – check
21. Put some change in an expired parking meter. - check (here I just pass on my relatively unused ticket to people)
22. Check up on someone who looks lonely. – check
23. Tell your boss, teacher or professor that he or she is doing a great job and that you appreciate what they’ve taught you. – check
24. On a hot day, buy someone something cold to drink. On a cold day, get them something warm. – check
25. If you overhear that it’s someone’s birthday, go out of your way to wish them a happy one. - check
26. Ask someone for their opinion or advice. – check
27. Bring cookies or bagels to work for everyone. – check
28. Tip waiters and waitresses well when they deserve it. - check.
29. Leave a thank-you note for the office janitors. They’ve been thanked, but not with a note
30. Help bag your own groceries at the checkout counter. - check
31. Offer your seat to someone when there aren’t any left. - check
32. Let someone with only a few items cut you in line at the grocery store. - check
33. Wave to a kid in the car next to you. - check
34. Spread good news. – check
35. Repeat something nice you heard about someone else. - check
36. Remember people’s names and address them accordingly. – check (must make an effort to remember the names of their kids and wives/hubbies. Damn. Means I gotta start making notes on people)
37. Replace what you’ve used. For example, fill up the copier or printer with paper after you’re done using it. - check
38. Share your umbrella on a rainy day. – lol. check
39. Listen intently to people’s stories without trying to fix everything. - check
40. Call a stranger’s attention to a beautiful sunset or full moon. (Check out What Money Cannot Buy.) - check
41. Give words of encouragement toward someone’s dream, no matter how big or small it is. - check
42. Ask someone who enjoys cooking for one of their recipes. – check
43. Let someone else eat the last slice of pizza or cake. - check
44. Give someone a copy of a book that once helped you, that you think could help them. - check
45. Stop and buy a drink from a kid’s lemonade stand. – check.(or something similar to encourage entrepreneurship)
46. Help someone get your parking space in a crowded parking lot when you’re leaving. – check
47. Ask someone you see every now and then if they’ve lost weight. - check
48. Do a little something extra to make someone else’s life easier. - check
49. Use all the manners you learned in Kindergarten. - what?
50. Give without expecting to get back. – check
51. Encourage others to do one unanticipated kind or helpful act at least once a week. - check
52. Babysit for couples or single parents who don’t get out much so they can have some time alone. - check
53. Boost the morale of someone close to you by telling them what you love about them. – check
54. Hug a friend. Let them know how important they are. - check
55. Shop at your local charity thrift store. The money you spend there helps others. - check
56. Leave an encouraging or positive comment on a stranger’s blog. - check
57. If someone you love really likes something (a meal, a favor, etc.) give it to them when they least expect it. - check
58. Observe everyone without judging. – check
59. Say “Please” and “Thank you.” - check
60. Let go of anger. For instance, if somebody accidentally cuts you off in traffic, just let it go. - check
61. Don’t be so serious all the time.- check
62. Treat every small interaction with another person as an opportunity to make a positive impact in both your lives. - check
63. Greed, anger and ignorance. Avoid all three. – check
64. Speak the truth. - check (though this is a double edged sword. Use wisely)
65. Help others learn to be independent. - check
66. Give people the space they need. – check
67. Lend your shoulder to cry on. – check
68. Acknowledge people for a job well done. - check
69. Offer encouragement after a failure. - check
70. Tell a good joke. - check (at least I used to be able to… “what’s the difference between a pakistani and an african? 5 more minutes in the oven”)
71. Show others the magic in ordinary moments. – check
72. Express your gratitude to those who make your life easier. – check
73. Tell someone you love them. – check
74. Wave to your neighbors. - check (waved to the hottie this morning. Hadn’t seen him in a while. <3)
75. Send a letter, email, tweet, or text message out of the blue to someone who would appreciate it. – check
76. Open car doors for your passengers. – check
77. Donate books to a library, daycare center or school. NOOOOOO! Though I’ve done it in the past.
78. Share great food recipes. - check, even though I don’t cook
79. Help a kid with their homework. - check
80. Round up a few loose coins and put them in the next charity box you see. - check
81. Pay for the person in line behind you. – check
82. Do something unexpected that will inspire people and shake them out of a bad mood. – check I’m sure I’ve done this time and time again. I hate seeing people around me sulk.
83. Be a designated driver. - check
84. [removed to item 6 in "not happening"]
85. Offer someone a piece of gum or candy instead of waiting for them to ask. – check
86. Donate things you no longer use to those in need. - check
87. Don’t smoke. But if you must, don’t smoke near others. - check
88. Generate money for the charity of your choice. - check
89. Create places and things for others to enjoy. Like decorating your house for the holidays or creating a piece of art. - check
90. Send a check to your favorite charity. - check
91. Stop for a person waiting to cross the street. - check (do it all the time. Except the times I don’t do it)
92. Support independent artists and musicians by purchasing books and albums that aren’t yet in the mainstream. - check
93. Forgive a debt if you’re able. – check (it also relates to give without expecting back)
94. Recommend friends to local businesses who might appreciate their services. - check
95. See the world as you wish it to be. – check
96. Make something for someone. Bake an extra batch of cookies, draw a picture, brew an extra cup of coffee, and give it to someone for no reason other than to see them smile. - check
97. Take the time to teach someone a skill you know. - check
98. Help someone get active. There’s a coworker or acquaintance in your life who wants to get healthy, but needs a helping hand. Offer to go walking or running together or join a gym together. – check
99. Become a mentor or tutor. - check
100. Adopt an animal. – check
101. Contribute time, ideas, or a listening ear to other people’s passions. - check
102. Accept people just the way they are. – check
103. If you see a couple taking a self-pic, offer to take the picture for them. - check
104. Help the weary shopper in front of you who needs that extra two or three cents to avoid breaking a 20-dollar bill. - check
105. Come to the rescue. If you realize someone is sick, bring them some hot tea, etc. - check (soup)
106. Stand up for your beliefs without flaunting them. - check
107. Make yourself available and approachable. – check. Also, meh. This isn’t always a good idea, again, use wisely to avoid exploitation

(total count 105)

To do:

1. Live each moment with enthusiasm. I used to do that, hence the blog. Haven’t been enthused in a while. Need to live again.
2. Send flowers to someone. I know just who :)
3. Eliminate the words ‘hate,’ ‘can’t,’ and ‘won’t’ from your vocabulary. Almost there.
4. Leave encouraging post-it notes in a library books and other random places. (Read Operation Beautiful .) hmm. Can be attempted. but I notice the UAE lacks a sense of humour about these things.
5. Plant beautiful flowers in places where others can appreciate them. Ah yes. Item #59 on list of things to do.
6. Stop to help. The next time you see someone pulled over with a flat tire, or in need of assistance, stop and ask how you can help. Except with my skills, I know I will only get in the way.
7. Search through your cabinets for a few cans of food you’ll probably never use and donate them. Ok. If people want Doritos and catfood. Sure.
8. Clean the house for someone you know who is too busy to keep on top of it. That would be me, for G. noted.
9. Volunteer at a children’s hospital or nursing home. On the list.
10. Look for ways to save a few extra bucks a month and then donate it to a good cause. Doable.

Not happening:

1. Forgive someone. Isn’t that God’s job?
2. Believe in yourself with all of your heart. The universe will notice. Say what? What’re you smokin’ bro?
3. Be a part of something you believe in. Those around you will notice your enthusiasm. Are you gay?
4. Adopt a soldier, inmate or someone who is down on their luck as a pen pal. I hardly respond to my emails man, you’re killing me…
5. Create a care package and send it to an active duty military unit. I could think about it, but I could also think about a lot of other things.
6. Volunteer your time to a suicide hotline center. - Bad idea