Ok, I have to admit that I’ve been having a bit of blogger’s block the past few days or so. I attribute this to two primary factors: (1) My life has been pretty boring in that it’s mainly consisted of going to class (when it hasn’t been cancelled…and that’s all I have to say about that), pretending to write essays and such, going to public lectures that all tend to resemble each other after a while from an irreverent blogger perspective (I mean, how many times can I make fun of people for phrasing their question in the form of a monologue, for example? Who am I kidding…that never gets less funny), applying to jobs I won’t get, and perfecting my personal version of Poker Face (obviously), and (2) The non-boring parts fall into three main categories, (a) mildly funny stuff that doesn’t make sense if you’re not here, (b) very funny stuff that I really can’t write about for fear that the people involved might by chance read the blog, or (c) really fun activities (like the dinner party we went to on Sunday) that go so perfectly that they provide no blog fodder. (By the way, how’s that for a sentence…I suspect the punctuation is highly suspect? Yeah, I’m easily entertained right now.) Oh yeah…I guess I could add one more category to the last part…(d) very bizarre and grotesque displays of public affection in pubs that I would skewer relentlessly except that I have the strong suspicion…disputed by Michelle but supported by other key parties…that said exhibitionists were mentally impaired. (A highly specific category perhaps…but there you have it.) Much more awesomeness after the jump...
- I don’t get all the hate for the Black Eyed Peas halftime performance at the Super Bowl. I mean, it wasn’t Prince or anything…but what is? Sure, they don’t really sound that great live…they never do, so you really shouldn’t expect anything different…but the production and effects were pretty darn good. And Usher was pretty awesome as well. Everybody is just too critical.
- Who else is super excited about the Oscars this year?!? Less than 3 weeks away, baby! Too bad it airs at like 1 am British Time…gonna be a long night.
- Attended the Humanitarian Centre Annual Lecture tonight. Here is my extremely boring and rather paltry summary that I am tentatively planning to post to the illustrious Cambridge Development Studies Blog…pending approval from my editor. Needless to say, my main goal for such postings is to avoid looking stupid…hence I tend to avoid saying much of anything. And I refrain from using any references to Snoop Dogg…no matter how awesome they might be…sad.
Masood ul-Mulk, CEO of the Pakistani NGO Sarhad Rural Support Program (SRSP), was the featured speaker at the Humanitarian Centre’s Annual Lecture on Monday night hosted by Emmanuel College.
Mr. ul-Mulk gave a passionate and inspiring presentation that highlighted the challenges that NGOs face when working in complex and troubled countries and regions. SRSP is quite an impressive organization, not least because it very much operates and exists at the grassroots, local level. Mr. ul-Mulk outlined several key strategies that have helped SRSP succeed, namely: (1) Becoming intimately acquainted with and seeking to work within the complexities of diverse communities, (2) Working with the military and avoiding unnecessary conflict, and (3) Focusing on doing what needs to be done…and actually doing it. This last strategy might seem rather obvious, but as Mr. ul-Mulk pointed out, it seems that many NGOs, especially those that operate on the international level, get too bogged down with jargon and procedure often at the expense of tangible action.
Another thing that struck me about the presentation was just how unfortunate it is that organizations such as SRSP so often operate with little recognition from mainstream media. How different might people’s perceptions of Pakistan be if they had the chance to see more of the country and its people than simply war and natural disaster?
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