Pakistan

Getting a late start on stitching today.  Spent the morning and afternoon finalizing and printing the design for next month's handkerchiefs.  I can't believe that December is only 6 hours away.  

I've been stewing over the news articles from this morning, racking my brain to figure out what today's design should be.  There were two articles on the Mumbai attacks, specifically about the increasing tension on the already tenuous relationship between Pakistan and India.  I ran across this interesting tidbit on the etymology of "Pakistan" on the BBC website:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/south_asia/2002/india_pakistan/timeline/1947.stm

"The name was formulated from: P for Punjab, A for the Afghanis of the north-west frontier, K for Kashmir, S for Sind and Tan denoting Baluchistan. The word also means land of the pure in Urdu."

Emoticon

Cyber Bully

The Megan Meier story nearly broke my heart when I first heard about her tragic suicide.  From what I remember of adolescence, teasing and bullying was the norm amongst peers.  No one was spared.  But when an adult does it to an impressionable youth, I feel it is another matter entirely. Lori Drew was convicted of three misdemeanor counts of computer fraud, sending shockwaves amongst the cyber community in regard to the protection of free and anonymous use of the internet.  

:_(

Imageless

Surely and truly a black Friday in the metaphoric sense.  Terrorist attacks in Mumbai finally ended after 2 days of violence.  Over 150 innocent lives taken including a father and daughter, Alan and Naomi Scherr, from Virginia.  

On the domestic front, a 34 year old temporary Wal-Mart employee was trampled to death in the opening rush of shoppers and two men shot each other to death in a Southern California Toys"R"Us.  

Black Friday

Today is Black Friday.  Traditionally, the day after Thanksgiving when people go out full force to scour the shopping deals.  "Black Friday" has always sounded ominous to my ears, like a day of impending doom.  But, to tell you the truth, I'd much rather take a mall full of soccer moms armed with shopping bags than the craziness that is happening in Mumbai.  Attacks continued on a Jewish Center last night.  It takes so much time and energy to hate.  So sad, so stupid, so useless.  

Deccan Mujahedeen

A group called the Deccan Mujahadeen has taken responsibility for the terrorist attacks in Mumbai. 

Happy Thanksgiving

Turkey Day is here and I have much to be thankful for.  

On a separate note, current events this morning are dominated by...

the terrorist attacks in Mumbai:

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/11/27/mumbai.witnesses/

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/11/27/mumbai.world.reaction/

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/11/27/asia/27group-NYT.php

protests in Bangkok which has shut down all air travel to and from Thailand:

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aHmqrmid8M8Y&refer=home

bombing in Kabul:

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/11/27/asia/afghan.php

Seeing Pink

I Touch Myself

Breast Self-Exam..... something I probably should do on a more regular basis.  

Multiple Listings Service

Today's monogram comes from a service that is vital to anyone in the real estate business.  I wasn't able to finish the white picket fence.  1.5 pickets short.

Real Estate Woes

Every time I read anything about the housing crisis, I am immediately transported back to my days as a loan processor.  It's a very strange feeling imagining myself back in my old office, surrounded by piles and drawers of loan files, phone ringing, e-mails piling up, documents waiting to be faxed, boss yelling in my ear, going home at 9-10 pm knowing I would have to come in early the next morning to do it all over again.  As much stress that was inherent to that job, there were moments that I genuinely enjoyed.  Every once and a while I would close a deal for a new, first-time, homeowner.  Most of the time these individuals would put their hard earned savings as down payment knowing that most of their earned income would go towards their monthly payments leaving little or nothing for luxuries.  In these cases, the idea and security felt by owning property was worth the sacrifices- truly and surely, it was the white-picket fence ideal in action.  I wonder if these borrowers are in still in their homes.  I hope they are. 

The D Word

One Night in Bangkok

Political unrest in Bangkok.  Protesting is spearheaded by the People's Alliance for Democracy.  

Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation

APEC meeting wrapped up in Lima yesterday.  President Bush was in attendance.  Updated articles are reporting a unified commitment to fix the economic crisis within 18 months. 

Day 62

Day 61

Lots of Activity

I stitched all night at a gathering of friends.  Festivities lasted beyond midnight and documentation did not occur.  I will photograph yesterday's hanky tonight and post two tonight. 

Sometimes it really is fascinating to wake up and discover all the things that are going on in the world.  Top 5 for today:

1. Florida Student Commits Suicide in Front of Webcam- eFluxMedia @ 7:29am (Disturbing and tragic)
2. Jimmy Carter Barred from Zimbabwe- New York Times @ 7:28am (Laughable and predictable)
3. Obama Seeks to Create 2.5m Jobs-BBC News @7:27am (Hopeful and skeptical)
4. Clinton 'will accept state post'- BCC News @ 7:25am (Excited and wary)
5. US Missiles Striking Terror into Pakistani Militants- guardian.co.uk @ 7:13am (Typical and typical)

Just by reading the news, I've already experience an entire gamut of emotions.  

The Capitol Dome

Yesterday I used the Capitol Building as the image on the daily handkerchief.  This morning's most interesting article highlights the possible shifts in congressional power.  No doubt, the 111th congress will play as an integral role in getting this nation back on track.  

Greenbacks

The numbers involved in this mess is staggering.  I'm waiting to see where and who the funds are allocated to and how long they will actually last.  

TARP Funds Diverted?

Big Three Automakers: GM, Ford, Chrysler beg congress for TARP funds and leave with nothing.  

From the article:

GM, the biggest U.S. automaker, said Nov. 7 it may run short of the $11 billion minimum cash it needs to pay its bills each month by the end of this year and will fall ``significantly'' short of that level by the middle of next year.

and....

The GM CEO got $14.4 million in compensation in 2007, including a salary of $1.56 million. Mulally received $21.7 million for 2007, including $2 million in salary.

We are definitely a nation of debt.  With all my student loans, I am also currently in the red.  Maybe I could apply for TARP funds or better yet, maybe one of the Big Three CEOs could finance a starving artist.  

How Do You Yahoo?

Yahoo!!!!

Shares swing upward for internet giant, Yahoo, as the CEO, Jerry Yang, announces his resignation.  Good news for investors.  I've always found the ways of the market a little odd.  An announcement here, a sacking there, a Fed Reserve meeting and you got yourself some movement in the numbers- all based speculation.  

Take Stock

Confession for the day.....  I didn't finish the handkerchief last night, so I woke up this morning to embroider the last stitches on the image.  I couldn't help myself.  The image looked so forlorn unfinished.  

It's been a busy morning so far.  In between stitching, I was bust with another one of my obsessions,  cooking.  I prepared two platters of baked ziti for my professor's baby shower.  I haven't been cooking as much since I started this project.

Double Down

Hewlett Packard stock up 11% on the Dow Jones Industrial Average after reporting that it would beat fourth quarter and year-end targets.  24 of the 30 "Blue Chip" companies on the DJI are also on the rise.  

California.

How?

Proposition 8

I'm a little embarrassed about my home state of California regarding Proposition 8 (same-sex marriage ban).  A protest in my current state of residence occurred on the 15th.

November 16, 2008 Hanky

NYC

Just got back from a day trip to New York City.  I will photograph and post today's handkerchief in the morning.  

Getting Beyond Girl Power

Rumors

Hillary might be back in the White House as Secretary of State of Obama's cabinet.  What are the chances that this will actually happen?

Security and Co-operation

Russia Backs Off Alaska....

...and refocuses on Poland.  French President Nicolas Sarkozy does not approve and is calling for a security summit under the OSCE (The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe). Cue in Governor Palin breathing a sigh of relief.   

T.A.R.P

Troubled Asset Relief Program is a little troubled itself.  Four of the five articles this morning centered around the direness of global economies.  All of the articles mentioned TARP.  

November 12, 2008

Never Ending Conflict

Violence erupts near the Israeli border.  Israeli Defence Force soldiers shoot down four Hamas gunmen.  More Dead and five months of peace, broken.   I've always thought the IDF was interesting in that both men AND women are required to serve once they reach the age of 18. It is a sharp contrast to US military service where recruitment is a necessity to keep the numbers up.  In high school I remember being subjected to a standardized test given by the local army recruitment office.  The test was made out to be mandatory and who knows what they have done with the data.  I didn't realize the significance of it until later in life, but I look back now and realize the predatory nature of the act.  Recruitment tactics have even gotten more savvy. Ads and commercials are so fantastical and video game-esque.... definitely geared towards today's youngsters.  What a different world this would be if only war and killing existed in a computer monitor.  

Need a Penny, Take a Penny.......

....Need two pennies, get a job.  Or, just charge it.

Circuit City Woes

My family bought our first sound system from Circuit City.  It had a 6 CD changer that I thought was pretty sweet.  Those were better times for the electronics super store who just secured a $1.1 billion credit line from Bank of America to buy more time.  The credit line was secured to help pay for merchandise and pay salaries.  

Here are some stats from the article:

• $119 million owed to Hewlett-Packard
• $116 million owed to Samsung Electronics
• Closing 155 stores
• Layoff of 20% of 43,000 employees

The holiday season just around the corner.  We will see if people decide to splurge or save this year.  

Nyaminyami

Kubva Zambezi Kusvika Limpopo

From The Zambezi to The Limpopo....  Zimbabwe in the news again.  I guess no one is surprised that a power sharing deal couldn't be worked out but I'm still grasping onto hope that things can only get better.  It has been 8 years since I left and not a day goes by where I don't spend a a few moments reminiscing about my time there.  This morning's article made be think about the Nyaminyami- God of the Zambeizi River- a half snake, half fish (some say crocodile) creature.  Carved soap stone statues and amulets can be found on most roadside craft stands.  The one I bought on a trip to Victoria Falls is one of my most treasured possessions.  I'm glad I was able to experience the Zimbabwe before things went terribly wrong.  With any luck, the next time I return, life there will be good again. 

Just for fun, here is a link to the Zimbabwean National Anthem.  Every morning before classes began, everyone would sing the anthem and say the Lord's Prayer.  I've never been able to remember the Lord's Prayer, but the melody to the anthem is burned into my memory.  

Social Networks on Politics

Obama Facebook user stats: 2.4 million users

McCain Facebook user stats: 624,000 users

I remember first joining Friendster 2003, then MySpace in 2004.  I made a Facebook profile just last year.  I don't use my Friendster or MySpace account anymore and barely have time to play around with Facebook.  It seems about time for a new social networking fad.  Twitter seems like it might be the next one to catch on.  We've come a long way as far as the internets are concerned.  It feels like yesterday when I sent my first e-mail and had my first IM- that was less than 10 years ago during my freshman year of undergrad when things were still running in MS-DOS. 

La Promesse

Infiltrating the Internets

Interesting article/editorial this morning on the mastery of internet resources as used by the GOP and Obama camp.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/07/sanchez.technology/

From now on, winning a Presidential election and effective use of web-based campaign techniques will go hand in hand.

November 8, 2008 Handkerchief

Yesterday's hanky features a story on the collapse of a Haitian school house named La Promesse.  Tragic.  Photo to follow.

Show Me the Euros

More Rate Cutting

In an attempt to revive the economy, central banks around the world (US, Britain, Japan, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Denmark, and South Korea) have cut rates.  In addition, the 15 country member European Central Bank has also cut rates.  ECB President, Jean-Claude Trichet, declined to rule out further reductions.  Interest rates are now below the level of inflation and rumored to go even lower.  Full article here.  How low can you go?

S.A.D.

As a California native, I always believed that Seasonal Affective Disorder was somewhat of a myth.  And then.... I moved to Boston and experienced an actual changing of the seasons and my first New England Winter.  I'm going on my third Winter and I can honestly say that there is always a huge hit of melancholia when the weather changes.  When I get in a funk, there are only a handful of things that are guaranteed to make me smile- the image motif on today's hanky is one of those things.  

For full effect, here is a video from the Great Tube of You:

All the Leaves....

...have turned yellow on the tree outside my bedroom window and some have begun to turn brown.  I am in awe of Fall.  

Beautiful Day

Today's vibe was remarkably different from the post election day 2004. I remember the overwhelming shame and disappointment people felt when Bush won. But today, people on the streets seemed genuinely happy.

Yes We Did!

First headline on the google news feed: "World Celebrates Barack Obama Victory".  When I went to bed last night, I had a perfect image of today's handkerchief.  

Yes we can.  Yes we will.

Results

Obama wins the presidency... Now the real work begins.

Here is today's handkerchief:

And here is yesterday's photo, taken just before my battery died.  Luckily my eyes were open and I don't look like a schmuck.

Ohio came through this time.

Seeing Stars

I nearly went cross-eyed stitching the 50 stars on today's design.  One hour to midnight and it looks like I'm not going to get this one finished.  But I can accept failure because election results look favorable.  Polls have closed in California and Obama is on the brink of becoming the next President of the United States of America.  What a landmark event.  Let's get this country back on track.  

No Surprises Please

Election Day.  No surprise that 3 of the 5 news articles are about the presidential election.  I'm hoping for the best and preparing myself for the worst.  Heartbreak's a bitch and this one has the potential for therapy written all over it.  

One of the greatest songs ever recorded to start off this election morning.....

Denied

My camera battery died in the middle of shooting today's photo.  So, lieu of documentation of the hanky I offer two of my favorite "ohio" songs and one that a friend sent me after reading my morning post.  Photo to follow. 

Click Here

OH Ohio

Ohio getting some NJ love from The Boss.  The battle will end tomorrow.  I have never been so petrified about the worst case scenario.  

Movement for Multi-Party Democracy

Election results for the Zambian President was very close... another contested presidency for the books.  I can't help but feel a sense of foreboding for the upcoming US election.  

The eagle is from the Zambian flag.  While I was stitching I was thinking to myself what a powerful and REALLY overused symbol.  Does this imagery still have the same resonance?  

Zim Zum Zambia

Two stories on Zambia today:

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601116&sid=assXY5QsppiE&refer=africa

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7704859.stm

Being Zimbabwe's neighbor to the north, many of my fellow Peace Corps volunteers would go to Lake Kariba for holiday.  Our medical officer would warn people not to swim in the lake because of the risk of getting bilharzia (caused by this parasitic worm), but inevitably people could not resist the clear blue water.  Luckily, everyone came away unscathed. 

Dia de los Muertos

My roommates and I are hosting a Day of Dead Party... hence the get up.  I tried really hard to finish the hanky before everyone arrived, but was unsuccessful.  I am blogging while people are enjoying festivities outside my door.

The hummingbird imagery is for my grandmother whose Chinese name is in reference to a bird. At her funeral services there was a little hummingbird hovering in the air just beyond where all her family and friends were gathered for the internment.  I noticed it from the corner of my eye and watched it suspended over the crowd for what seemed like 5 minutes but was probably only 30 seconds.  The hummingbird was most likely there because of the floral arrangements, but I like to believe it was my grandmother saying her last goodbyes.    

All Clogged Up

I've been battling an oncoming cold for the past couple of days.  This morning I woke up with most of my respiratory system congested.  I'm fighting the urge to crawl back into bed.  I'm also trying to convince myself that stitching will take my mind off things.  

Today is also Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead,  traditionally celebrated in Mexico to honor family members who have passed on.  The news stories that appeared this morning left me wanting.  So, in the spirit of Dia de los Muertos, my handkerchief will be in honor of my paternal Grandmother, Lee Shee Go.  Today's monogram will stand for a real person.