Friday, July 22, 2011

Whose Responsibility Is It Anyway?


This past week, while watching AC360 one evening, I was reminded of the case of a woman who fell into a fountain while walking in a shopping mall and texting at the same time. When it first hit the web, the incident made it on Anderson Cooper’s RidicuList and as a part of a RidicuList classics, the video was shown again this week. The story made it on the RidicuList not because a woman fell into a fountain but because the woman found herself a lawyer and decided to sue the store because, as she claims, no one came to help her when she fell. What?!? If you watch the video (see below), as a shrewd observer, you will notice that the woman immediately gets up and out of the fountain. And anyway, what should've security done? Stop her and tell her to please not text while walking? I am sure she would have appreciated that... Yes, it is embarrassing, but she should just own up to her actions and move on. Instead, she decides to start giving interviews so now everyone with a TV or a computer knows who she is. It was her fault she fell to begin with and it is now her fault everyone knows that she was the one to fall. So if her premise is that she is suing for humiliation, I sure hope she doesn't win as in my opinion, she is the one responsible.

The video reminds me of similar cases such as the woman suing for burning herself with hot coffee and the guy suing that his bike did not come with a warning that he, the buyer, must turn his light on when riding during the night! Not only these two sued; they won…millions of dollars…
Thanks to such wonderful people, we now live in a time of ridiculous warnings on all products to prevent people not from injuring themselves but from coming back and suing the company producing the products. 

The major issue here is that for some reason many people in Western societies have lost their ability to assume responsibility for their own actions. It is always someone else’s fault. It is the world that owes them and it is the world that is to blame for the fact that they fall into fountains while texting or getting hit by a car while riding a bike, at night, with no lights on. Such people must live blissful lives as they no longer have brains to think rationally and critically with in order to avoid injuring themselves in ridiculous ways. Most importantly, if they do encounter an unfortunate incident, they can still sleep soundly as the incident was most certainly not their fault. 



- Krasi

Monday, July 18, 2011

To Catch A Dollar

Have you guys heard of microfinance? Microfinance awards microloans to impoverished people to help them get out of poverty. Impoverished people lack collateral, an essential requirement for a loan from large banks. According to the behemoth financial institutions, these people are risky ventures and so do not get loans. Makes sense, right? Well here's the clincher: microloans have a repayment rate of 97%. Not so risky after all, eh?

Rather than throwing money at the problem, microloans aim to give people the means to lift themselves out of poverty. Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus founded Grameen, the first modern microcredit organization. You can follow his efforts and learn more about Grameen by watching To Catch A Dollar.





Organizations like Grameen get the money for the loans from donations. Grameen then handles the process of finding and awarding the loans. Kiva, another microloan organization, makes the person donating the financier. You get to choose who to donate to. Whichever institution you go through, you have a direct hand in improving someone's life in a sustainable manner. 'Teach a man to fish...' right?

What do you think? Have you heard of microfinance? Have you ever participated in microfinance? Would you consider it?

Resources:

Grameen

Kiva


- A

Saturday, July 16, 2011

National Dance Day


So you think you can dance? Then you should certainly show us your mad skills by participating in this year’s National Dance Day on July 30. This is the second year the official celebration will be recognized and thousands of people are expected to join. Will one of them be you? 

The celebration was proposed last year and carried out by the people behind my favorite show of all times So You Think You can Dance. The idea is to urge people to join in on the fun and become active. What a better way to get in shape than to enjoy music and dance? This year, some of the judges from the show have created three dance routines – beginner, intermediate, and advanced – and anyone interested can learn them and post a video on the website or join the judges in participating Six Flags across the country. Or you can just start your own dance crew and hit the streets on July 30 wherever you are:).  I have posted the routines below so please, don’t be shy and get to dancing!

Everybody Dance


Intermediate/Intensive




Master 




 - Krasi

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Changes Part Deux


Following up on a previous post by A. (Changes), I think it’s about time that I share my upcoming move details. Yes, H-town is about to lose both of us and that’s just sad. Not for us, though! 

If you haven’t guessed it yet, I am a little bit interested in human rights and specifically the fight against the trafficking in persons. I now believe I have found the perfect location to allow me to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to become an expert in that field and to join actively the fight against human trafficking. In addition, I will have unlimited access to natural areas where hiking and climbing can occur every weekend if I’d like. That location is University of Denver and specifically, the Josef Korbel School of International Studies. The Human Trafficking Clinic and the Alpine Club are calling my name and I just couldn’t say no!

Needless to say, I am super thrilled about the upcoming changes in location and field. There is anxiety, of course, but I am mostly excited about the move. The twenty-some-hour drive will be quite the experience, especially since I am completing it all by myself, but I am going to plan several scenic rest stops so shouldn’t be that bad, right? Right??? 

Now here's something to be jealous about:): Rocky Mountain National Park

 - Krasi

Monday, July 4, 2011

Independence, yes; for all, not quite so.


On the day when millions of Americans celebrate their independence, I, instead, am thinking of the millions of people who are as far from living independent lives as they could be. These are the modern-day slaves, abused, exploited, and enslaved, working to produce what we, the ones who still have a choice, buy and use on an everyday basis. Having a choice, however, implies that we also have the choice not to buy products made from slaves. While perusing the Anti-Slavery International (the oldest human rights organization, founded in 1839!) website earlier today, I came across a great visualization of products made from slaves around the globe. Interested in educating yourself on what could be the result of slave labour so that you choose not to purchase it? Here is your chance: Products of Slavery

While many products are made by people who are paid nothing, there are luckily some made by former slaves. The purchase of such products supports those former slaves in their endeavor to provide normal livelihood to their families. Personally, I have several birthdays to attend this month and I certainly would be looking into buying some of those products. Enjoy: Made by Survivors.  

 - Krasi

Friday, July 1, 2011

Changes

As I've alluded to previously, there has been a lot going on over here at C.Salad central. I'm movin folks! Where to? Raleigh, NC! You see, the reason I was there earlier this year was for an interview for a doctoral program. In case you're wondering, yes, I got in. I do trust your deductive reasoning skills enough that you would have figured that out...{she's moving to Raleigh, went there for an interview...[lightbulb] she got in!} but wanted to make it clear just in case you're having an off day.

I'll be leaving late July and let me tell you, moving across the country (Texas -> NC) is no joke! So much to think about and I have felt overwhelmed the past two months hence my irregular posting here. Well the time is drawing nearer and I've procured an apartment and have decided I will drive there WITHOUT a trailer {I hate you Uhaul for not renting out trailer hitches anymore. Why the heck would I want to BUY a trailer hitch for my lil' ole Corolla?!!!}

So I don't know what I'm not looking forward to more: the 1200 mile trip with my family (5 of us total) or the 1200 mile trip with my family.

So that's really not my family but I can't help but think of this movie when I think of the trip. The top caption measures my sentiments exactly.


Or maybe its being matched up with a roommate. You know how hard it is to not be snarky when the apartment company tells you how they match up roommates? Did I mention I'm a counselor? The sentence 'can I please provide your company with a valid, reliable personality match test to use' almost came out of my mouth but since I don't want them to hate me (yet) I shut it. According to Krasi, I need to set the ground rules on day one so I'll be practicing my 'I mean business' and 'Don't you dare eat my dark chocolate almond butter' looks for the next month.

Any tips for a gal moving across the country? Dealing with a roommate I don't get to pick? And why does this keep running through my head:



- A