First, this arrived:

120_0049

I right away giddily snapped up pics of these:

IMG_2205


CRW_2195


IMG_2209

Pardon the amateurish photos. This is my first time to use a DSLR so I'm still at the birth pains stages.

By the way, those are the tiny flaglets that will be pierced into the cupcakes. It was fun making these. I topped each toothpick with a plastic bead after seeing projects of these in other blogs.

Today is wrapping up and finishing touches day. I still need to print out photos and signages for the shower party tomorrow as well start crafting the pom-poms and paper flowers for table decor.

Tomorrow! Yikes!

A drastic change of topic at this point- have you heard of the massacre in Maguindanao province in Southern Philippines? (more info here and if you're up to it, you can see aftermath photos here). Election in the Philippines have always been bloody, but nothing like this. There are no words to describe this incident as the death toll continues to rise.

I make it a point not to talk about work and politics in this blog. I chew too much of these already in my job and I want my blogging to be a de-stresser and not an extension of my work.

But in honor of my fellow journalists who died in the line of duty in Maguindanao, I am making an exception and would like to publicly condemn the brutality that left more than 15 journalists dead. I take their deaths personally because I could have easily been one of them on my way to cover a news event.

More than 50 bodies have already been recovered and most of them are women, who according to reports have been raped before they were killed.

Their bodies, along with the vehicles they were riding in, were all buried in an attempt to wipe out evidence of the mass murders, to make it look like the victims just disappeared without a trace.

The arrogance and calculating coldness behind this barbarism astounds me. That someone, a human being, can actually think and plan this out, and the fact that 100 other persons carried out this plan to cold-bloodedly kill more than 50 people in one instance horrify me. These men were reportedly ordered to not spare a life and kill everyone, men, women and children.

Of the 100 armed men who carried out this atrocity, not one of them tried to stop the violence from happening. I cannot and I don't think I ever will be able to wrap my mind around that fact.

They are not men. They are not human beings. They are not even animals.

58 bullet-ridden bodies, of which 37 were journalists and 16 were women and 100 armed men. These are numbers that will never be forgotten.

Dear, dear Lord, have mercy on us.








6 croaks:

Pom says:
at: November 27, 2009 at 3:34 PM said...

Oh my. I followed the link to read the story and some more. Can't even put my thoughts into words. My deepest condolences to the victims' families, members of the press, and people of the Philippines. I don't believe in taking lives of others, period.

PaMam says:
at: November 28, 2009 at 9:50 AM said...

So sad to hear that..

Wish you can move on..cheer you up.

Simply Sarah says:
at: November 29, 2009 at 2:09 AM said...

my goodness, the violence never ends. Tragic, horrible, disgusting...

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and the links about this event. Ugh... just no more words to describe this.

Love the camera though... I want one! I got to borrow my girlfriends Rebel while she went to Italy with my point and shoot and I loved how clear the pics came out.

Joy says:
at: November 29, 2009 at 5:49 AM said...

My heart goes out to the families impacted and to the whole country that has been rocked to the core. What a heartbreaking tragedy. Absolutely devastating.
Thank you for sharing.

Unknown says:
at: November 29, 2009 at 8:21 AM said...

@Pom- With the local and international press that this incident is getting, I'm confident the wheels of justice will turn fast this time.

@Pa Mam- Thanks, sweetie! It will take a long time for the whole country I think to be able to move on, but there's no other way to go now from here but move on.

#Simply Sarah- the murders are indescribable. It's the kind of stuff you think only happens in movies. Love the cam so much too! I can't stop playing with it. I still need to work on the focus as I'm still getting a feel of the lens but this cam rocks! You should get one for yourself :-)

@Joy- Just had to share it. It was too horrible and I feel too moved that I just had to shout it out in the only way I know how.

Thank you all ladies! I'm having a hangover right now from the best bridal shower I been to ever (haha)last night. Going back to bed. See you again when I'm hangover-free...

Ari says:
at: November 29, 2009 at 5:29 PM said...

I had heard about this massacre in the Italian breaking news and I'm stunned that all this horrific violence was unleashed during a normal political campaign.
About the journalists, it's a shame but they had been often a target (in Central and South America, during several wars and I can't forget Iraq and Afghanistan). They're so important to defend freedom and democracy. I hope that in this case the people liable will be punished.
Ciao, Ari