Both my Politics thesis and my Religion thesis have to do with debt in Africa, and I can't help but wonder if we didn't make these poor countries pay their debt over and over again in the name of 'economic responsibility' and 'prevention of the slippery slope of debt cancellation' if they would have more money and resources to protect and treat people who fall victim to this disease.
I know someone with AIDS, and I can't help but wonder how his life would be different if he was from Soweta, South Africa instead of Baltimore, Maryland. Would he even still be alive today?
AIDS is treatable. We the West have the resources and technology to treat this disease. Yet, we don't allow low-cost medications to be developed for these countries because we bow to the call of the pharmaceutical industry's bottom line. Is a CEO's vaction to Cape Town more important than the entire nation of South Africa or Zambia's health and life?
"Never tell a young person that anything cannot be done. God may have been waiting centuries for someone ignorant enough of the impossible to do that very thing."
--John Andrew Holmes
There is a box of Ho-Hos. You can take one package out and it contains two chocolaty roll-ups. Now, here's the question --
Is each package a Ho-Ho - which means that each of the little rolls would be a Ho *OR* is each little roll called a Ho-Ho and so it is a package of Ho-Hos?
The United States will provide proof to the public that Saddam Hussein's sons Uday and Qusay were killed in a fiery battle at a Mosul mansion, the top US commander in Iraq said Wednesday.
Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez told a news conference that dental records, X-rays, and four former senior figures from the Hussein regime helped establish certainty that the two sons were killed in the four-hour gunbattle.
Sanchez said that the coalition would provide proof "in due time" to the Iraqi people that Uday and Qusay, second only to their father in power in the ousted regime, were dead.
The US commander defended the decision to kill the suspects hiding in the house, saying they had repeatedly fired on troops trying to enter the fortified second floor of the palatial villa.
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Good. I was hoping that they would pursue dental records instead of just the Ace of Diamonds happy words. Maybe now I can stop hearing 'the sky is falling, the sky is falling' over and over in my head *lol*
The US is reporting the they are 'certain' that Uday and Qusay Hussein were killed in Mosul, Iraq earlier today (ABCNews Report). They say that they have people who have confirmed that they are not body doubles, but the DNA tests aren't in.
This is probably just nitpicking from a polisci student who watches too much news but, if the DNA tests aren't in yet, how are they 'certain'? And truthfully, where are they getting the DNA to test against? I don't know if Iraq keeps blood tests and dental records. So again, how can they be 'certain'?
Maybe this is all stemming from the previous 'certainty' over Iraq purchasing Uranium from Niger, as was so eloquently stated in the State of the Union address in January. Don't feed me crap, because the people are going to find out. And you can't expect everyone to take the blame for what you should've said was uncertain, Mr. President. You are ultimately responsible for what you say... not your scriptwriters, not the CIA, not MI-6 or Tony Blair, not George Tennet, not Condy Rice, not the public overreacting... you.
So now I feel almost Chicken Little - esque. I want to believe those two are dead but... Are you Certain that you're Certain? Why should I believe it this time?
Pirates of the Carribean was wonderful. It's good for a laugh and I just love pirates all together. One of my guitly pleasures, mateys.
So, I found a new yarn for the very belated birthday gift (henceforth referred to as the VBBG). It's soft and thinner than what I was using before, and I found it in a wonderful shade of burgundy. I'm excited. I think I'll have to make one for myself after I finish this one.
On this topic, I really wish that I was better at crochet than I actually am. I taught myself a few weeks ago, and I know you can't be just fantastic at anything after just a couple of weeks, but one of the other guards at the pool also crochets and she does wonderful work. We were working on scarves at the same time. Her fingers move faster and with such accuracy that it just makes my head spin.
I was reading in Poise's blog about her making an afghan for the homeless, and I would love to do something like that. But, I just have to horrible idea of how it would turn out - missed stitches and the like. I wonder if it would be possible to donate scarves... would that be as needed?
Another day off. This is quite surprising... considering usually I go 9-10 days without even a single day off. I can't say that I'm not enjoying it - although we'll see what my tune is when I get my paycheck next week.
I'm excited. I'm going to see Pirates of the Carribean tonight. Everyone who's seen it who I've talked to has really enjoyed it. And I'm never one to turn down anything Depp.
I'm working on a new scarf. It's burgundy and soft - two of my favorite things! But, I cannot keep this one. It's a gift. A very belated birthday gift, but the original gift I was working on just didn't turn out as well as I would like for it to have been. I'm kind of nervous giving this friend something that I've actually made because she (and her entire family) are really crafty and I don't want it to be seen as... subpar, I guess. We'll just have to see.
