The Whateverlah Blog

Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering…

One man’s life, no matter what a scumbag he was, for justice? On a personal level, if it works for you, great. In the bigger picture, the jubilation is rather misplaced. I’ve tried so, so hard in the hours after hearing the news to put myself in the shoes of those celebrating, trying to understand why this is something good. Thankfully, I saw some dissenting remarks on FB and Twitter so I feel secure in knowing that I’ve not gone nuts.

Grave dancing, on either side, remains grave dancing. It gives me no measure of happiness or closure for the horrors that took place ten years ago.

So what now?

the wiser I grow, the less I speak

It’s official that I think most iPhone 4 users are as annoying as the RAZR owners of yore. If I see you on the street and you’re busy on your iPhone 4, if I see you at a restaurant and you’re showing off your apps and that fancy touch screen, I’m going to judge you – that you lack personality, are sheep and, most ironic of all, cannot really “think different”.

Let’s just be clear that the device itself is not the object of my unwarranted disdain. It’s the user, the wannabe user:

But there’s always a silver lining and that’s Damn You, autocorrect!, providing endless hours of laughs when I tire of LOLcats.

….because, I really am that lazy and, judging by my FB statuses, apparently a very boring person to boot.

January
Henin makes winning return to tennis
Hey librarians – if you have access to the Kirkus Review I need a favour. Hit me back. kthxbai
Way to stay classy Malaysia. Way to stay classy.
Don’t go, Pete!
Mike Riley? Come. ON.
Coach Kiffin!
does not get tennis coverage in Kuwait. *sigh*
watching Aussie Open highlights online. Just. Not. The. Same.
Jets over Colts
It was a good day for bananafish…
COME ON YOU DAMN BELGIAN
going on 3 hours now; if the honking does not cease I will murder someone

February
You’re more fickle than a tween, Facebook.
feels like poo
WTF Monroe County Community School Corporation??? You can’t do away with ALL your elementary and middle school librarians! GOSH!
????
Do we want our schools to be accredited? Read the comment I make below, from the state’s accreditation policy. A snow day is a perfect time to take 5 minutes and drop the board a line asking them to postpone this hasty decision in favor of a wiser, more informed choice.
Hey Bloomington! Don’t forget tonight’s school board meeting, 7 pm @ BHSS.
MCCSC’s board, you’ve made me sad.

March
I want a cowboy hat. And I want to go on a road trip. Singing Dancing Queen in the car on southbound 5 as it crests over San Fernando Valley optional.
London calling!!!!!!!!!!

April
Today is an effin gorgeous day in London
GO BUTLER!
gleeeeeeeeeee
Bartlet for America
So let me get this straight, FB. You will not let me put my information up unless it’s somehow linked to a page? GFY. kthxbai.
Way to go, Arizona.
Watching Ronnie O play at the Crucible. Can’t believe it’s been a year since the last world championship!

May
Why Are You Worrying About You-Know-Who? You Should Be Worrying About U-NO-POO, the Constipation Sensation That’s Gripping the Nation!!!
When I grow up I wanna be a cool librarian.
DC 2010 is a go!
Special shout out to Quadrant peeps graduating today,
Webber.. wins… woo!
Professional existential crisis in three… two… one…
Uh, okay.
Martin Gardner, 1914 – 2010.
still has work on her mind. Big6big6big6big6big6666666666666

June
is really pleased to see green. ‘sup Kay EL?
2.5 hours to kickoff!
Have to say the Germany v Costa Rica match back in 06 was more thrilling.
Dear Big 10 conference, my suggestions for a new name: The Dairy Dozen, No Ocean 12, or Kate Plus 12. Pac 10, you’re next.
wearing my spain jersey!
Love being back in a country that loves its bookstores. Next step – love libraries?
is in Washington DC. Holla!!!!!
is completely wiped out. sorry to be missing the festivities tonight.
will be at the convention center all day. Please find me and say hello.
One more day to go but what I’ve learnt from conferencing can be summed up by Vanilla Ice – stop, collaborate and listen!
COME ON KIM!!!!

July
ALA website hurts my head.
OMG, Pinkberry is opening at Marina Mall!!
I’m lovin’ it!

August
is still Down Under-ing.
Dumpling making day in the house. Approximately five of you are totally jealous of this.
It’s a mosque; not Dr Evil’s next secret lair. Unwad your panties. I’m not being facetious.
Went to MPH bookstore today only to find “Mockingjay” is not yet released in Msia. Nooooooo

September
Restore truthiness, America!
Selamat hari raya Aidilfitri.
Dear Coach Kiffin, can we please stop messing with the 2-point conversion when Pac 10 play starts? Okthxbai.
loves weekends and needs it to be longer.
alt + ctrl + del

October
While one USC creates an upset, the other USC upsets my stomach.
jealous of those of you at the rally.
What the hell FOX Sports Middle East?? #1 Oregon is playing and I get Big 12 and ACC football?

November
Vote!
Deepavali!
I hate your tiny fonts
I got fat over Aidiladha aka Eid and I don’t even celebrate it; next up: Thanksgiving, Christmas and general nomming time while home for holidays. Alamak!!
is just… thankful. Even with this danged cold.
Beat. The Bruins. *insert victory sign here*

December
who woulda though the most exciting match this year is Kuwait vs Saudi Arabia…
GOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
Dear KL folks, I will be around beginning Dec 17th for a couple weeks. Let’s mamak, ok?
Malaysia!
after multiple fails, finally, maybe going to watch HP7 today.

Apparently I should be writing more often. Problem is my life is consumed with work. I don’t blog about work. When not at work I do a whole lot of nothing and nothing isn’t very exciting to blog about.

I turned 30 last month with very little fanfare. Truth is, I don’t even know the last time I found my age to be a significant marker of anything. However, that could possibly be attributed to my appalling short term memory degradation.

Apropos of nothing, have I mentioned how freaking cute Glee is?

Might blog again before years end.

But not much inspiration for fatuity that extends beyond 140 characters.

I’m going to let Jon Stewart and John Oliver say it for me.

Honest to god, I don’t know why today of all days I got so worked up over the verbal fraces for the proposed mosque near Ground Zero. But it’s gotten to the point where I really want to physically bonk people in the head… and that’s bad.

While the rest of the world go frothing at the mouth about it, I was actually capable of minding my own business while on the inside I’m thinking, “Why are these people so OUT OF THEIR FUCKING MINDS?”.

But not today. Today I feel all kinds of geram towards idiocy. You see, unlike say, the aid flotilla to Gaza, it’s hard to take a centrist stance on this one when one side makes arguments that holds water as well as a colander can. I’m not here to make nuanced rebuttals against them. This is my attempt at expelling all my geram-ness into words because I really cannot tahan the horrifyingly bigoted and unreasoned reasonings that I’ve heard anymore.

Mostly, I feel like this: >___<

People are ready to jettison civility and rationality when confronted with a problem that is larger than them and is too complex to solve, in place they find the lowest common denominator — and I do mean lowest — by inciting fear, and anger, and maligning the ‘other’. In this case, because they hurt you, you have to hurt others, right? It’s like a case from Criminal Minds gone macro, PTSD for the masses.

Those who perished on 9/11 cannot be honoured by hate, and to see their memories being thrown around in the name of veiled and outright racism is more profane than dancing on their graves.