Friday, September 30, 2011

Help rescue bears from the horror of bear baiting

Zidi is about to be attacked by dogs for sport. He's petrified with fear. And he's too weak to stand but that won't stop his owner from dragging him into the hot, dusty arena once again.
In rural Pakistan, up to 2,000 spectators will assemble to watch a tethered and clawless bear set upon by trained fighting dogs.

Soon, he'll tie Zidi to a post and watch as two trained fighting dogs launch a savage attack on him, yanking him to the ground as the crowds cheer for more. Zidi's teeth and claws were pullet out years ago so he is left utterly helpless. The only reason Zidi will be saved from death is so he can be thrown back to the dogs again and again. All in the name of the "sport" of bear baiting.

We can't leave Zidi to endure this. But we can't rescue him from the horrors of bear baiting without your help.

Help WSPA end bear baiting

Working with the Pakistani authorities and the Pakistan Biodiversity Research Centre (PBRC), WSPA is halting an increasing number of bear baiting events.

Your donation will fund our work to continue and help WSPA reach our ultimate goal – to stamp out bear baiting for good.


vicstandp.blogspot.com
http://www.wspa.org.uk/wspaswork/bears/bearbaiting/savagebloodsport.aspx

Wednesday, September 07, 2011

I'm very pissed off with DIGI SUPER LONG LIFE

Or perhaps I should say I'm pissed off with Digi technical/ information centre/ website or whatever.

Reason being I have reloaded a substantial amount of money into my handphone - and when my time's up, I tried to use the Digi Super Long Life. THe problem is, when I tried and failed and failed again, I decided to call the DIgi helpline.

After waiting for a few minutes, I finally get to speak to the DIGI consultant. When I explained my predicament to the consultant, he simply told me, you cannot reload because your account is no longer valid.

I asked him, why would anyone want to reload their account when their account is still valid with that much of money in their account?!!

Then he told me, it's not a reload, it's a service. What a nonsense.

I told him to refer to his DIGI website - super long life is categorized under the "RELOAD" column. He repeated the same thing to me, you cannot use this service because your account is no longer valid.

I did not need to hear that, I knew that my account is not valid even before making that call. My problem is, why can't we reload after our account time's up (expires). And his excuse is, this is not a reload, it's a service. I'm not impressed, at all.

So I see that there's no use of speaking to the consultant. I suggested to him to add to the website - please put it down in your website that,

1. This is not a reload, it is a service.
2. This service is only applicable for accounts which have not expired.

Sunday, September 04, 2011

Walking my dog is fun (though it could have been better!)

I walk my dogs daily. They're mutts. It's a pleasure to walk them - I get to breathe the fresh air, without getting bored (coz they're always up to something), I get to see what's going around my neighbourhood... talk to my neighbours... and just refresh myself.

There is this uncle who's always watering his plants and always wave his hands to me (I don't know his name yet!), there's this uncle who's always gardening.. and there's this rich man who does gardening on his own... there's this uncle who always ask the same question everytime he sees me, "Taken your meal? Me not yet wor... go eat with me la..." and there are these aunties who always spend their evenings walking around the field... this uncle with his barking schnauzer... this neighbour who always let his dogs walk freely around him then go hunting for the dogs when they run away - especially the black intact male. Haha.

However, not everyone who comes my way are pleasant. There are a few who always give the same joking remarks like, "Why keep a mutt??" or "Why you keep two dogs? So free hah you..." or "Hey, I'm planning to make a soup out of your mutt today..."

There are also those whom do not make any noise, but the look in their eyes are just as annoying. Snobbish look, the look like "Hey, hey, don't come near me.. Your dog bites." Even an aunty who keeps a cocker spaniel - she's one of my top annoying neighbour. Everytime we walk our dogs, and we're like 10m from each other she'll flash her glare at me, and shouts, "Hey go walk away! Don't come near my dog!"

Of course, by arguing and justifying myself with her is a total waste of time. After all, my walk with my dog should be a pleasure. Often I'll meet joggers who usually distant themselves and jog away from me/my dogs, or give the "Japanese-eye-look" or the "Don't-get-near-me-look" and jog away. So I'm used to making my dog stay or walk away from joggers when I see them.

Just now when I was walking Kim, I saw a jogger, who puts on this serious mask on his face. As I was pulling Kim away from him, Kim kept rushing toward the jogger, which really annoys me, for I did not want to offend people. What surprised me was, instead of giving those weird looks or running away from me, this jogger actually smiled and laughed and even played with Kim. I was shocked.

I'm sure Kim felt accepted and contented today. As for me, I'm glad there's a rose among the thorns.

Thursday, September 01, 2011

He is the God who sees me.

August 31, 2011
Silent Longings
Sharon Jaynes

Today’s Truth
She (Hagar) gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: ‘You are the God who sees me,’ for she said, ‘I have now seen the One who sees me’ (Genesis 16:13, NIV).

Friend To Friend
Everyone wants to be noticed, to be cared for, to be loved. How my heart breaks with David’s words, “No one cares for my soul” (Psalm 142:4). He is crying out during one of the darkest times in his life and felt all alone in his struggle to survive. We might expect to hear those words from the crowded city streets as men and women scurry about in their power suits off to make the next deal. We wouldn’t be surprised to hear those words from a vagrant huddled under a bridge with all his worldly possessions stuffed in a plastic grocery bag. But would we expect it from the person sitting beside us in the church pew, the co-worker in the next cubicle, or the mother of three next door?

While flying from the east coast to the west coast, I watched an in flight movie, a cleaned up version of What Women Want staringMel Gibson. Mr. Marshal (Mel Gibson) worked at an advertising firm with a host of busy men and women bustling about in their own little self-absorbed worlds. In a strange twist of events, Mr. Marshal is “electrically altered” when he slips in the bathroom and falls into the bathtub, along with a hair dryer. When he regains consciousness after his shocking experience, he has the ability to read women’s minds and hear their thoughts. With his new perceptive powers, he lands a huge Nike advertising account and wins the heart of the leading lady…of course. But there is one poignant sideline of the movie that grabbed my heart.

In the movie, one young nondescript woman in his office had thoughts that stopped Marshal in his tracks. What if I just jumped out the window? Would anyone notice? I could be gone for days and no one would notice…until the files started piling up. Then they’d say, ’Where’s the geek with the glasses who carries the files?’

No one did notice the errand girl who refused to make eye contact with her fellow employees, except Marshal, who could hear her thoughts.

One day, the young women (who we learn is named Erin), doesn’t show up for work?

“Where’s Erin?” Marshal asked as he notices a pile of files sitting on her desk.

“I don’t know,” someone replies. “She didn’t show up for work today.”

Fearing the worst, Marshal locates Erin’s address and dashes out to stop her from ending her life.

Bursting into her apartment Marshal sees a suicide letter lying on the table and his heart sinks. A startled Erin walks into the room.

“Mr. Marshal, what are you doing here?”

“I’m glad I got here before you hurt yourself?” he replied.

“What makes you think I was going to hurt myself?”

“I just sensed it,” he answered.

“Really? You sensed it? That’s not good.”

Then Marshal brilliantly changes course. “The real reason I’m here is to offer you a job. You know we got the Nike account and we were wondering who would be a real spitfire to work on this project…” Marshal offers Erin a job and rescues her from the despair of feeling unwanted, unloved, and unimportant.

I’m not suggesting that you watch the movie. After all, it was a cleaned up airline version. However, I am suggesting that you ponder the situation. I believe that men and women walk past us every day, just like Erin in this movie, who feel that they have no significant purpose in this world. Like Erin, I know that there are many who feel that their sudden disappearance would cause little fanfare or concern. It might be the woman who passes you in the hall at work, the rebellious looking teen who shuffles by you at the mall, or the businessman dashing to his next appointment. It takes so little to let someone know that they are significant. We have the ability to give someone hope by offering a simple word of acknowledgement.

Dr. David Jeremiah wrote, “We are shaped by those who love us or refuse to love us, and by those whom we love or refuse to love” (Dr. David Jeremiah, The Power of Encouragement (Sisters, Oregon: Multnomah, 1997), p. 13) . It is an amazing opportunity given to each of us as we walk through our day to shape and mold those around us with a simple word of encouragement, acknowledgement, or appreciation. The world is crying out for love - a positive word, a tender touch, a morsel of praise. Sometimes a simple “hello” can be a boost to someone starving to be noticed. Many people are so lonely that any token of attention is like a drop of rain on dry parched ground.

Jesus met a woman who felt very insignificant – bone weary and bone dry. As he talked to her by a well, He said, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:13, 14 NIV). Yes, Jesus is the living water that people need. Isn’t it amazing that He allows us to hold the cup - to offer the only drink that will satisfy.

Let’s Pray
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You that you always see me and notice what I’m going through. You know every hair on my head! Help me to never loose sight of the fact that I am very significant in Your eyes. You loved me so much that You gave Your Son, Jesus, so that I might have eternal life with You. I praise Your Holy Name.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen

Now It’s Your Turn