“Another fresh new year is here . . .
Another year to live!
To banish worry, doubt, and fear,
To love and laugh and give!

-William Arthur Ward

*img source

2010 was an amazing journey. Expecting great things for 2012.

This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Ps 118:24)

Death is very likely the single best invention of life – Steve Jobs

I woke up today to the sad new that Apple Co-founder Steve Jobs had died. What can one say about this creative genius that has not been said already with the multitudes of tributes all over the Internet?

Remembering hat you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart – Steve Jobs’s Stanford commencement speech 2005

He was a great visionary who’s products changed the face of technology. He leaves a lasting legacy.

The one word that has been coming to my mind all day is IMPACT. We should all strive to make positive impacts on the world that leave us lingering in people’s memories.

Steve Jobs
1955 – 2011

(Posted from my iPhone )

It seems to be that if one has a recruitment related assessment test you should be prepared to give up your whole day and be set to sit around waiting. I mean the human resources department should know how many people they’ve invited on a particular day and know the capacity of their venue. It’s logical; if you don’t have enough space for everyone in one seating it only makes sense to divide the crowd into groups and schedule them to come in at different times.

A lot of HR officials need to go on a time management and scheduling course…seriously.

Journalist: You can pay for this stuff?

Rioter 1: Yea, but why miss a chance to get stuff for free.

Journalist: What about your parents?

Rioter 1: My parents know I’m here, nothing’s gonna happen. I’m not gonna get grounded or shouted at, well I might get shouted at…

Rioter 2: What are they going to do? The prisons are overcrowded, I’ll take the caution, or what are they going to do? Give me an ASBO?

Journalist: Why are you here?

Rioter 1: We’ve come out for money, this is our payback.

Rioter 2: Because everyone’s doing it…

The last response “because everyone’s doing it” is really saddening. A lot of times when I rode the bus to work and there were school children in it I was always disgusted to hear kids of not more than 10 years old using swear words. It was also obvious that most of them had become so materialist, had a sense of entitlement and no regard for authority.

Plenty has gone wrong in society and it is reflecting in the youngsters. I don’t know what it’s like to raise a child and the challenges it brings, but I figure as a parent you can only pass on morals you yourself exhibit and have got. Of course, there are external influences which parents cannot control but I think if more parents set better examples, showed more interest and instilled discipline in their children it would go a long way.

There is a well written. thought-provoking eye witness account of the Salford riots on this site, worth reading. One interesting bit of this account is “…mothers sent small children in to fill shopping bags with food and beer because they are too young to be arrested”. This is when the looting of a Lidl store was being done, this happens to be across the road from where I lived in Salford.

*An ASBO is an Anti-Social Behaviour Order

As I watched the scenes from Greater Manchester, I recognised most of the spots. Sadly, the standoff between youths and police was right in my former neighbourhood in Salford. I could actually see my building in most of the footage.

It’s so sad to see what the youths are doing. It’s a sign that something has gone wrong in the society’s basic unit; the family. The purpose of the original protest has been overshadowed and all focus will rest on the mindless looting and destruction of property.

Today’s writing prompt is: Do you always tell the truth? I might use this some other day because there is a short and long answer to that question, even though I know I should always tell the truth but I’m getting there.

I read this post on the Bookaholic Blog and loved it. We need to highlight the positives in Africa (and highlight that there are several different countries in the continent!). The media would rather look for sensational sad/pathetic stories but we need to show the happiness and joys we experience in our various countries. This does not mean denying the existence of war, famine, poverty, diseases etc but also the world needs to see our smiles.

Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; 

- Matthew 9:37