I am blown away that it will be a year ago tomorrow that I first wrote about the plight of women in Congo. Five months later I wrote about what is fueling this war against women. And sadly today, not much has changed. I still think about the women quite often but it wasn’t until I read about Hillary’s past trip there that I knew that I needed to address this very serious issue once again. And because of Hillary, the Congolese women have renewed hope.

When Clinton ignored security advice and flew to Goma, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, her focus on the region’s rape crisis resonated with some of the continent’s most powerless people: women.

It wasn’t just that she was the first top-level American official to go to the epicenter of one of the world’s deadliest wars, nor even the U.S. aid money she promised. It was her reaction to victims’ stories of rape — and the hope that she might do something about it.

The conflict in eastern Congo is a toxic mix of jostling militias, ethnic tensions, greed for resource wealth, a tragic colonial history, a predatory army and opportunistic neighbors. Rape is commonly used as a weapon in this war. Although reliable statistics are difficult to come by, it’s estimated that close to 200,000 women have been raped since the conflict began 13 years ago.

In a recent upsurge in violence, an estimated 3,500 women and girls are estimated to have been raped since the beginning of the year. Men and boys also are increasingly victims of sexual assault.

In America, Clinton might have been portrayed as a bit of a shrew in her sharp reaction to a Congolese student’s question about her husband’s thoughts on an issue — a momentary loss of her usual steely control that got so much media coverage that it became the single moment some people remember about her trip.

But women’s rights activists in eastern Congo weren’t talking about that. They were talking about the tears they saw glistening in her eyes Tuesday as she talked to rape victims and heard their horrendous stories of suffering, including a woman who was raped while pregnant and who lost her baby.

Clinton was so warm and compassionate, activists said, they felt they could almost call her Hillary.

“For the first time in a decade, I have hope again. The message I gave her first of all, as a woman, not as secretary of State, is that a woman can feel the pain all these women feel.”

-Christine Schuler Deschryver, a prominent Congolese activist with the organization VDAY,

Robyn Dixon, Los Angeles Times

(To read the article in its entirety click above)

The Numbers:

1,050,000

Number of Congolese forced to flee their homes in eastern Congo due to violence.

46

The average life expectancy for a woman living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

15,000

The number of pregnant women displaced in eastern Congo due to the escalation in violence over the last 6 months.

1,100

Number of rape cases reported every month.

2

Number of hospitals in eastern Congo that are able to perform surgeries to repair fistula.

1300

Number of Congolese that continue to die each day as a consequence of war.

22

Number of armed groups at the table when ceasefire agreement was brokered in 2008.

1

Number of times women are mentioned in the ceasefire agreement.

0

Number of times the epidemic of sexual violence and rape is mentioned in the ceasefire agreement.

$144,000,000

The estimated profits made each year by armed groups from the trade in eastern Congo’s minerals.

These numbers are horrific. And even more disturbing is the lack of attention in regards to the Congolese women, and lack of available health care in regards to their plight, and recovery. This way of life for these women has got to be put to an end. We, along with Hillary, need to continually push the issue if we are to make a difference in these women’s lives.

“If the U.S. has the will and if they give a very strong warning and say first of all we want to stop the violence, it can have a big impact,” Deschryver said. “I hope that was her aim in coming here. Otherwise in 100 years, we will still be here, beggars depending on other countries.”

-Christine Schuler Deschryver

Still want to learn more about the crisis in Congo?  Click here for the key facts of the casualties of conflict minerals.

It is one thing to be informed of the casualties but as I mentioned,  we must do more to stop the atrocities. Hope For Congo needs our help. If you can give a little, give a little. If you can’t give, one small thing you can do right now, and it only takes a minute, is to  endorse the conflict mineral pledge.

The conflict in eastern Congo, the deadliest in the world since World War II, is being fueled by a multi-million dollar trade in minerals that go into our electronic products from cell phones to digital cameras. The Enough Project has worked with other like-minded groups to create a conflict minerals pledge that commits electronics companies to ensure their products are conflict-free.  We need your help, as consumers of these electronics products, to let the biggest companies know that it matters to us that our purchases don’t fuel this ongoing tragedy.

Readers: Just remember…every time you have to have the latest and greatest in cell phone or computer technology, think about the women, old and yes even the very young, in the Congo….We are indirectly financing armed groups, supporting the war against women, and aiding in rape as a weapon of war. Transparency in regards to the mineral supply chain is a must so that we can make conscious choices when we purchase our electronic devices. Once again, thank you for all you do.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: Your Bad Ass Bitch Editor

For archives dated before January 17, 2008 click on my Blogroll:

or click here: “A Day in the life of…”

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Good Morning.

I like to watch the president’s weekly address on health care reform, because to me it is the most important topic right now for everyone living in the U.S.  Did you see it yet? If not, I’ve posted it below.

When ever I hear the complaint that people are concerned over our government having control of our health care system…when people say, “I don’t want our government making decisions for me”, I ask the question, “Well, who do you think has control now?” If you guessed the insurance companies, you guessed right. And more importantly, Just how well today are the insurance companies taking care of us?

Readers: Think about those questions. I’ll say no more on the subject. However I am not done. This is just a lead in to my topic tomorrow. Stay tuned…

~~~~~~~~~~~~

You and me both ZL!  Have fun chillin’ – so happy for you that your long night was a successful one :)

Hey Al: I don’t know what it is about you, but you’re honesty is so amusing…and I mean that in a good way. You’re naïveté and worldliness in collaboration, forms a certain freshness in the way you verbalize yourself.

Helena:  Bill Maher is so correct. When I heard that comment about medicare my jaw just dropped. It enforces the importance of my questions above. People don’t have any idea just how much control insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies have over them. They need to wake up and start paying attention, and more importantly, put the control of our health back in our own hands.

Thanks to you both Peter and Luman for that bit of Guam History.

Lois:  Thanks for addressing my question. Can you take your comment a bit further when you say, “...when one of the Gods chooses to use the heart, it beats once every seven earth days.” What exactly does that mean? Do you mean emotionally when a God chooses to love? Or the God engages in physical sex every seven earth days, since he appears as man? Or is it just something physical not having to do with love or sex?

Anna: From how Amritha Alladi described the fiestas that happen so often, that you could trip over from one village’s fiesta into the next and wouldn’t know the difference, tells me that I would love Guam as much as Alladi does. It is one of the reasons that I love Bali so much and have wanted to live there 6 months out of the year, if I could. I love the daily celebrations and rituals, and the gathering of the community. I had no idea Guam was like that too. Thank you for sharing with me. I am now seriously considering visiting. :)

Terry: Everyone who reads my blog knows I can speak for myself. But I love that the girls all spoke up, as they like me, have voices that need to be heard.

I find it very interesting how you verbalized your words: “My religion makes me have to say this.” That is a very strong statement. In my opinion, it seems your comment is coming from religion deeply ingrained from a man (his words), and your mouth is a vehicle to get the words out, with your true spirit stuck in the middle without a voice. There is nothing wrong with feeling offended by the photo if you truly are, but I don’t think you are. I think you are wanting to break free from the religious restraints, also told to you by a man, that tells you my photo says, “Michelle is a sex object.”

My advice if you don’t mind me saying so, is to read what Gwen, Linda, Pearl, Sharon, Vicki, Trudy, Cathy and Mindy had to say. I think they all gave some very good advice. And just as well, read what George ( I think it is obvious, you’re not the bigot George:) had to say if you need a man’s opinion which you seem to value more than women.(?) But I don’t think your true spirit does.

I think you wrote in what you wrote to get the reaction that you needed to hear. Perhaps it is what you needed to help break yourself free. If that is the case then stick around, and heed George’s words, “But if you are looking to learn something about the world around you, then close your eyes to the” offending pictures” and get an invaluable education.” (Thank you George for saying those kind words and recognizing the fairness and openness of my blog. ) If George who is a pastor can look past the spicy language and ribald bandage, (I just love that description) and still read and get into the meat of my blog, don’t you think you can get past a little photo Terry?

And Hey Jesse had some wonderful words to add too (Thanks Jesse :)….“life’s beautiful why sweat it?”

Ah…what a great quote to end with…so I will.

Peace out….

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: Your Bad Ass Bitch Editor

For archives dated before January 17, 2008 click on my Blogroll:

or click here: “A Day in the life of…”

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2009

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It is rare that an e-mail from a reader will get to me, but I am always delighted when it does. An anonymous reader requested that I post this article. It is my pleasure who ever you are. I love accomodating my readers whenever I can.

Unfortunately, sometimes the topic is not always delightful. This is one of those. However, delightful or not, it is a must for my blog entry. It is one of great bravery and where this kind of sacrifice more than deserves a mention.

A courageous young Pakastani girl who against the advice of family and friends, driven by her fury, chooses to turn her horrific endeavor into one of empowerment.  Here is the story of Assiya Rafiq.

Assiya Rafiq, right, in front of her mother, Iqbal Mai.

After being kidnapped at the age of 16 by a group of thugs and enduring a year of rapes and beatings, Assiya Rafiq was delivered to the police and thought her problems were over.

Then, she said, four police officers took turns raping her.

The next step for Assiya was obvious: She should commit suicide. That’s the customary escape in rural Pakistan for a raped woman, as the only way to cleanse the disgrace to her entire family.

Instead, Assiya summoned the unimaginable courage to go public and fight back. She is seeking to prosecute both her kidnappers and the police, despite threats against her and her younger sisters. This is a kid who left me awed and biting my lip; this isn’t a tale of victimization but of valor, empowerment and uncommon heroism.

“I decided to prosecute because I don’t want the same thing to happen to anybody else,” she said firmly.

Assiya’s case offers a window into the quotidian corruption and injustice endured by impoverished Pakistanis — leading some to turn to militant Islam.

“When I treat a rape victim, I always advise her not to go to the police,” said Dr. Shershah Syed, the president of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Pakistan. “Because if she does, the police might just rape her again.”

Yet Assiya is also a sign that change is coming. She says she was inspired by Mukhtar Mai, a young woman from this remote village of Meerwala who was gang raped in 2002 on the orders of a village council. Mukhtar prosecuted her attackers and used the compensation money to start a school.

Mukhtar is my hero. Many Times readers who followed her story in past columns of mine have sent her donations through a fund at Mercy Corps, at www.mercycorps.org, and Mukhtar has used the money to open schools, a legal aid program, an ambulance service, a women’s shelter, a telephone hotline — and to help Assiya fight her legal case.

The United States has stood aloof from the ubiquitous injustices in Pakistan, and that’s one reason for cynicism about America here. I’m hoping the Obama administration will make clear that Americans stand shoulder to shoulder with heroines like Mukhtar and Assiya, and with an emerging civil society struggling for law and social justice.

Assiya’s saga began a year ago when a woman who was a family friend sold her to two criminals who had family ties to prominent politicians. Assiya said the two men spent the next year beating and raping her.

The men were implicated in a gold robbery, so they negotiated a deal with the police in the town of Kabirwala, near Khanewal: They handed over Assiya, along with a $625 bribe, in exchange for the police pinning the robbery on the girl.

By Assiya’s account, which I found completely credible, four police officers, including a police chief, took turns beating and raping her — sometimes while she was tied up — over the next two weeks. A female constable obligingly stepped out whenever the men wanted access to Assiya.

Assiya’s family members heard that she was in the police station, and a court granted their petition for her release and sent a bailiff to get her out. The police hid Assiya, she said, and briefly locked up her 10-year-old brother to bully the family into backing off.

The bailiff accepted bribes from both the family and the police, but in the end he freed the girl. Assiya, driven by fury that overcame her shame, told her full story to the magistrate, who ordered a medical exam and an investigation. The medical report confirms that Assiya’s hymen had been broken and that she had abrasions all over her body.

The morning I met Assiya, she said she had just received the latest in a series of threats from the police: Unless she withdraws her charges, they will arrest, rape or kill her — and her two beloved younger sisters.

The family is in hiding. It has lost its livelihood and accumulated $2,500 in debts. Assiya’s two sisters and three brothers have had to drop out of school, and they will find it harder to marry because Assiya is considered “dishonored.” Most of her relatives tell Assiya that she must give in. But she tosses her head and insists that she will prosecute her attackers to spare other girls what she endured.

(For readers who want to help, more information is available on my blog at:www.nytimes.com/ontheground.)

Assiya’s mother, Iqbal Mai, told me that in her despair, she at first had prayed that God should never give daughters to poor families. “But then I changed my mind,” she added, with a hint of pride challenging her fears. “God should give poor people daughters like Assiya who will fight.”

Amen.

By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF

I have read this story now a few times over and I am so blown away by Assiya’s strength and courage to go against all odds, in order to bring about change for other girls, so that they will not have to endure what she has had to.

As a woman living in America I can not imagine this ever happening to me, but that is no excuse for any of us to turn a blind eye to the atrocities that others endure outside of our own little worlds. It may be a difficult read, but ignoring the read does not make the inhumanity disappear.  We no longer can claim, ‘We didn’t know.’

I am so grateful to the reader who sent this to me. This kind of abuse to women in this world, inflicted by men, has got to be brought to light over and over again until the abuse stops. The story is not a pleasant one, nor is the appalling abusive treatment to women around the world uncommon. It is way too common. And the more we read about it, the more fury I feel. I hope that you feel it too, and that it fuels your fire to do something.

~~~~~~~~

Al:  Your way with words can be so refreshing sometimes. You add a light touch that makes a topic easier to look at,  and yet doesn’t take away from the seriousness of it.

Olivia: I liked the way that you stood up to your husband even though you backed down because you didn’t want to ‘upset him’. I say, ‘fuck it. Let him get upset.’ I would be upset if I were you that he deposited such thoughts into the minds of your daughters. However, it seems that they have minds of their own in spite of their fathers racist remarks. I only hope that you are inspiring more of that type of thinking when conversing with your daughters from now on.

Juanita: I am well aware of HFCS, and I make it a point to not buy products that contain it.  But maybe many of my readers are not aware of how bad it is, so thank you for the comment. And thank you for the reminder of the movie  - I have been avoiding seeing it for fear that I won’t want to eat anything except from what I grow on my own. But ignorance will not be blissful in this case. :)

Peace out….

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: Your Bad Ass Bitch Editor

For archives dated before January 17, 2008 click on my Blogroll:

or click here: “A Day in the life of…”

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2009

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Well I guess I’m on a roll with this relationship thing. If I’m going to find good advice for going through the big “D”, I might as well end it in a positive note too, with a new beginning. This article isn’t about divorce, but divorce can be tough…the big “D”- ‘Divorce’ can be big “D” – ‘Difficult’.  This article is all about making it through those difficult times by….

FINDING STRENGTH IN THE FACE OF TRAGEDY

Glance at the front page of any newspaper these days and odds are good you will see the words “hard times.” Our national problems are spawning many personal woes, it’s true, but personal hard times can strike at any point… in your relationships, on the job, with the kids, and, of course, in matters of health. As life coach and Daily Health News frequent contributor Lauren Zander says, “Eventually your number is going to come up — bad stuff happens to everyone.” She is quick to add that while there is much you can do to prevent trouble, some of it is simply the unfolding of life. The challenge, she says, is to accept life’s blows as part of the journey, to learn from them and emerge stronger and wiser, rather than to create unnecessary drama that drags you down a path of misery.

We deal with hard times in several predictable ways. One approach is to cower and complain and use your bad luck to fuel comparisons to the experiences of others: “You think that’s bad, wait till you hear what happened to me!” But no one can possibly judge another’s hard time or determine whose is worse. Your tough time is tough and it is yours. Then there are those who take this concept of ownership too far, says Lauren, wrapping their hardship in a shroud of secrecy — such as the guy who got fired but tells nearly no one, pretending to many in his life that it simply didn’t happen. Or the person who suffers silently as a close family member spirals downward from substance abuse. Attempting to hide a hard time shows you don’t understand the most basic thing about it – everyone gets kicked by life sooner or later. Lauren’s advice is to accept what happens in much the way we accept puberty — as a part of life filled with challenges and all sorts of feelings, including humiliation. We all experienced it and we all understand.

THE UPSIDE OF BAD THINGS

Being open about what is happening in your life offers several specific benefits. First it allows you to demonstrate your attitude toward the matter, and thus signal to others what you would like from them, be it a lot of help or a little. It also helps you process your emotions, far better than stuffing them inside and hoping they’ll stay put. When you’re having marital trouble, for instance, the last thing you might want from a friend is for her to turn into Sally Sunshine, reassuring you earnestly that everything will be just fine… but, on the other hand, you won’t benefit from constant hand-wringing and shrill assessments about how awful it all is. Hard times make people feel separate and isolated from others and, to some degree, from life itself. Try to let people around you know that you don’t want them to over- or under-respond to your struggle. Help them understand how to be supportive.

In fact, the second benefit of sharing bad news is just that — an important opportunity to gather support. Many people secretly crave more attention from friends and loved ones than they get on a day-to-day basis. Ironically, tragedy can open that door, bringing you emotional support you need, which makes you feel loved. Be frank with others that you are devastated by debt, a diagnosis, a divorce… it will tell your friends and family that you need comfort and attention. Keeping matters to yourself will cut you off from what you need most.

FINDING THE WAY

Seen in the rearview mirror, hard times offer the opportunity to see how difficulties in the past have contributed to who you are today. To learn how the patterns and personality you developed over the years has shaped how you react to difficulties, Lauren urges you not to wait for another to hit. Make a list of awful experiences in your life, along with what you did to handle them — for better or for worse. Maybe you demonstrated amazing pluck publicly but consoled yourself each evening with pints of ice cream. Perhaps you shared nasty stories about the lover or boss who spurned you at every opportunity, but then cleaned every closet, lost 10 pounds and went to the gym daily. Or maybe you mostly just sat home and closed off the world. “The crucial thing to explore in this exercise is whether your pattern involved withdrawing… being destructive… or making changes that turned out to be productive. The more you know from your history including the traps you fall into and the ways you strengthen yourself to emerge better from a tough event, the better equipped you are to handle the hard times in the future,” points out Lauren.

For all the pain hard times cause, the truth is they also come bearing a gift… really. Hard times force change. At first you probably won’t like it, says Lauren, but a change — however dumped on you — presents the opportunity to do something different. Look around at those you know who were suddenly faced with loneliness during early retirement who started volunteering and met a whole new group of friends… who lost their home in a fire or flood and took the opportunity, then, to rebuild something they liked even better… or emerged from a painful breakup more capable and independent with a life that is more interesting, exciting and satisfying. And, there are many, many stories of cancer survivors who found an entirely new perspective on life after their diagnosis and treatment.

MAKE A PLAN

When life wallops you, Lauren says it is totally reasonable to throw a pity party and lick your wounds and feel dreadful about what has happened… for a while. (This advice does not pertain to people dealing with the death of a loved one — bereavement is a separate issue and for that Lauren recommends finding one of many excellent bereavement experts to help guide you through.) You need this time to process the event and your feelings. You may even benefit from joining a group with whom you can share your feelings and thoughts if, for example, your teenager is in trouble or a spouse is seriously ill. This can help you to work through feelings faster and more thoroughly, says Lauren. Whether in a group or by yourself, the trap to avoid as you process your pain is blame… be it the world, your genes, your rotten luck or that old standby, other people. Blaming turns people into victims, a true no-win position.

How long you devote to feeling sorry for yourself depends on the harshness of the blow and the reality of your current situation. If money is tight and you just lost your job, you obviously need to get a new one fast. Find people to talk to who will bring a fresh perspective. It is also important to do good things for yourself such as getting out for a long walk or taking a yoga class. “Seek out activities that are healthy and cathartic and will distract you from your problems. This will help re-engage you in what is good about life,” says Lauren.  Now is the time to refer to your list of past challenges… what were the skills you saw in yourself that you can draw on now to move ahead? Did you divert your attention to avoid behavior that would be unproductive? Did you get back on the metaphorical horse and try again? Lauren recommends that her clients use the strength they gained from the past, avoid what didn’t work and learn even more from the current problem. Whatever you do, don’t give up and give in. As Lauren says, “However bad it might seem at the outset, a hard time is yet another chance to rise to the occasion with choices and behavior that will turn you into a hero in your own life.”

Source(s): Lauren Zander, founder and chairman, HandelGroup, a private coaching and corporate consulting company, www.handelgroup.com.

As I read this article, the saying, ‘And this too shall pass’ keeps popping up. And as much as I know this to be true, sometimes it is very frustrating when you find yourself saying, ‘And this too shall pass’….way too many times during the week or even during the day. Enough already!  But kidding aside, there is some good advice here. ‘Accept and learn’…because although ‘And this too shall pass’, whatever just passed might come back and bite you in the ass if you didn’t accept the situation and learn something from it. Remember: “What you resist persists.” Got it? Aren’t you just hating me right now?

************

Mendy: I aims to please – enjoy that little mission. :)

Anna: That artists’ corner sounds awesome. You sure are tapped into ‘la scene’ in Guam. When I make it over to  the island some day I would love for you and Peter to take me around. Hafa Adai.

Thanks too for sharing the article on Presnell. With women being considered and treated as second class citizens in Iran, the double standard that Presnell spoke of, doesn’t surprise me. The women have a huge challenge on their hands.

Brenda:  And there’s attitude behind my talk and shake within my walk too, girl :) Stay tuned for more hot topics.

Janet: Well…I am delighted that your mother turned you on to tune in. Maybe she knew that two-timer of yours was supporting a little on the side – you know mothers and their keen instincts when it comes to their children. I ought to know – my mother taps into it all of the time. I’m sure that you’ll make the right decision for yourself.

Lois & Martha: My pleasure. And thanks for the post on Franken – this is good news! – you too Thomas.

Bobby: Your un-edited townhall post just leaves me stunned. Isn’t it the repugs who get us into debt…you know the ones that claim to be so fiscally responsible, and the dems that pull them out of it EVERY time? Who reads and believes this propaganda?

Hey Zen Lill: I remember when your atty said that to you – we talked about it….’famous last words’ huh? I hope not for your sake, and that you are correct in your thoughts.

Brea:  Me too, thanks. :)

Peace’n out again….

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: Your Bad Ass Bitch Editor

For archives dated before January 17, 2008 click on my Blogroll:

or click here: “A Day in the life of…”

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2009

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…take a look at yourself and make the change.”

Didn’t Michael Jackson say it best?

I love this song…this video. Michael Jackson’s performance of “Man in the Mirror” live at the 1988 Grammy Awards with a Gospel Choir, is one of the most inspiring songs to hear and watch. Michael is magical. I can’t help but be moved to tears. His words are words that speak to me today…words whose meaning is even stronger than they were, when he first blessed us with this amazing and beautiful song. His words have meaning and a message that we all need to listen to, for his words are modern and meaningful….especially now.

Michael.…”You are one of the greatest musicians and entertainers of all time. Your work is genius. You as a person, your music and your moves, move me like no other. I will miss your aliveness, your passion, and your childlike nature that allowed your talent to shine. I will miss you. You are gone but your spirit lives on….”

*************

Readers: I have read all of your comments and I do want to respond. I have some time this morning but I really just want to end it here.  I encourage all of you to listen to Michael’s song. If his words don’t inspire you to make the change, I don’t know what will. Michael’s words have been my mantra for the past 24 hours….I can’t seem to get them out of my mind….and I think that’s a good thing.

Peace & Love: “Live it, Give it!”

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: Your Bad Ass Bitch Editor

For archives dated before January 17, 2008 click on my Blogroll:

or click here: “A Day in the life of…”

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2009

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"