The Mandrake [Published Private Life]

Two days ago, the radio hostess told her audiences that there was a Metro Mini (the city’s public bus) hit by an express train. The train shattered the bus into pieces. The crash was so hard that 6 (some sources said 5, or 9) were dead and that some of them had their bodies’ parts dettached.

And why did it happen? Pretty simple, actually. The bus drove crossing the portal of the railway when it’s already blocking the way because an express train would come. Unfortunately, there was another public vehicle blocking its way. And that, BANG!

This was not the first time we heard and knew such news. We were not surprised anymore. Catastrophy has lost its charm of impressing us and shocking us. Then, I start to wonder: what happened to us? Have we lost our sense of humanity?

Then I start to analyze. First, why did the driver run over the portal? Was he being chased by police? Nope. He hadn’t done anything wrong before. Then, what’s the motivation of risking his life and his passengers’? I bet the economy situation. He wasn’t paid on salary. Rather, he’s paid on the fare he could gain in a day, subject to cut by the owner of the bus and also buying gasoline, etc. And, he probably had family to support.

I’d say the root of the problem is more than just disciplinary action. Why do people violate rules nowadays? Even when breaking the rules could cost their own life? I’d say that people do not trust the guy who made the rules, the laws and the regulations. They have seen corrupted guy got loose easily. They have seen convicted guy being sentenced in jail, yet live a life like a king. To add things ugly, they have to pay the fuel, whose price has been increased like crazy, for daily operations. And that they have to buy their daily needs, whose prices, in effect to the fuel price, have been increased also.

Yet, we’re still reading and looking at this horrible news. Too many have we seen people died. All because of the lousiness of the top people who couldn’t handle the situation. They only REACT to such situation. They are too incompetence to ANTICIPATE the catastrophy. Plane’s been going down, because they use old planes. Crime rate’s been increasing, because they can get away with it. Do we still need the government? All they do is only increasing price, chasing taxes… I can do that. No need a Doctor from some educational institute. Their hands have been tainted with the blood of these people who are helpless in dreaming about a good life.

“The United States comes not to conquer, but to free, to end tyranny“. More or less, that’s what is said on the pole in front of the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. How nice. America comes to free countries which are ruled by tyranny. One of the proof they’ve given is Iraq. We can see now that the former leader of the country is now on trial. He is defenseless. Take that, you tyranny president. But, wait. On what charge did he sent on trial?

Oh, oh, oh,… I remember now. He was accused of possessing Weapon of Mass Destruction (WMD). Yeah, yeah… that’s it. So, did US find it? Until now? Nope. But, they manage to kill insurgents -as well as women and children. And what’s that? Did I see US company drills Iraq oil? Side effect mission?

Okay, so Saddam is now detained for being a tyranny. He killed many innocent people. But, there’s another leader of a country who had done the same thing. Can the US send their own president on trial? I mean, his trooper has been killing people like crazy. Defense attack? Against pebble? They shoot at suspect suicide bomber? Don’t you think they do suicide bombing because they’re there?

The US has been safer since September 11, 2001? What was it like before then? War in the US? Attacks from many countries? Did Iraq attack the US? Pre-emptive attack? So, when I see an ugly guy, I might as well hit him on the face before he hit me? What the…

A new dangerous country is now arising. Iran has declared itself as a nuclear country. Nope. They didn’t declare that they have nuclear weapon. But, with that kind of amount of nuclear, they can swith their nuclear facility into a weapon. Who got annoyed by this? The Tyranny Ender. They’ve been ragingly lobbying the United Nations to put sanction to Iran. Hey, now on what charge? They don’t have the weapon!

Why not put sanction on other country which is obviously in possession of nuclear weapon? Oh, I forgot. The country is the US alliance. Sorry.

So, why bother attacking Iran? The Tyranny Ender needs to settle things in Iraq first. Show some responsibilities. They said that they’re going to end the tyranny. Everything will be safe. Well, I’d say delay stabbing claws in other countries. Delay tyranny ender mission. Show to the world that they are really the world police. That they are just. That they are fair. And that they don’t apply double standard.

Marriage seems to be losing its importance nowadays. I’ve seen married couples divorced leaving children in broken home. I’ve also seen married couples with same sex. Is marriage considered a joke now? Something that you can do instantly and then forget it just like that?

Ironically, I saw this show on The Simpsons, the most famous dysfunctional American family. This specific edition was about marriage. It’s when Marge Simpson was being approached by Moe -the owner of Moe’s bar, where Hommer Simpson likes to hang out and drinks beer. To keep the story short, Marge and Moe were on the plane. I forgot why they were on the plane, but Hommer was speeding on the highway and got pulled over by policemen. Fortunately, they knew Hommer and asked why he was speeding. He said he’s going to save his marriage. So, the policemen helped Hommer and made way for him (romantic, huh?) to the airport.
The story continued to where this one policeman helped Hommer chase the taxiing plane using ladder with wheel. Hommer managed to get on the plane. Don’t ask how. It’s too gross.

Anyway, on the plane, Hommer wanted Marge to go with him. Moe, being a pain in the neck, said that he loved her and that Hommer didn’t know anything about Marge. When asked about her favorite color (or favorite something, I don’t remember) Hommer didn’t know. Moe did. So, Hommer reluctantly went and left them alone in agony.

However, Marge said that she didn’t love Moe. He loved Hommer. So, eventually, Marge was still with Hommer and that she loved him.

So, the moral of the story? Isn’t that obvious? Even if there’s someone else along the way in a marriage, you must stick with your partner.

There’s also this celebrity couples. They’ve been married for 9-10 years. They have 3 children. The oldest son is going to go to Elementary School. The husband is going to divorce his wife on the base that she conducted abortion besides the fact that the husband has undergone vasectomy operation.

What’s going on to this world now? Are these events meant to occur as a joke? So that people who live together can say, “See what happen to married people?” Why can’t they stick together? I think they have lost the basic thing in marriage. In fact, the basic thing for relationship to everyone: TRUST.

Amazing, come to think of it. A dysfunctional family can stick together (I know it’s a movie and that there’s a lot of stake to bet in the business) but in real life couples can’t. Why don’t people think twice before sentencing divorcement? Why can’t they look in the eyes of their couple and see if they can be trusted? Or they don’t their couples well? Even from the beginning? Why can’t they look in the eyes of their children. The children they bring to this world. The children who have no choice of chosing who their parents are and that they have to accept that they have bad parents. Look into their eyes who need the love of mother and father.

Hollywood movies play a role in this, also. Have you been noticing Hollywood movies in which children live with their father or mother only? That their father or mother has divorced or live separately. And that the father or mother visits his/ her children regularly? It seems that Hollywoord tries to teach that it is a normal American family life nowadays.

People must remember that when they got married, God is there and He blesses the marriage. That’s why, although divorcement is allowed, it is not condoned by Him. People need to take marriage seriously and to remember that the keyword for marriage is: TRUST.

I couldn’t help noticing how chaos the traffic situation in this city. If you are a foreigner coming to visit this country, I bet you wouldn’t last 5 minutes on the road. How come?

First, when you cross one-way street, you might look at vehicles coming from, say, your left. But not here, you have to look both ways. Bikers, sometimes public van drive on one-way street in the opposite direction. And, sometimes, they drive at pretty high speed.

Second, you think green light means go. But, the other corner thinks the road is his. So, you step on the gas and you hit the no-brain biker to the ground and he’ll wave his punch in the air to you. That is, if he’s alive. If he doesn’t, or at least lose conciousneess, you better step on the gas to the floor if you want to save your neck from the surrounding people who might want to burn you alive for causing such accident.

Third, you drive on the correct lane. But wait, what’s that? There’s a bike coming to your direction? He doesn’t ride on his lane? You didn’t know? The other lane is jammed. Even bikes can’t go through. So, the bikers and the others that follow have this creative idea: hey, the opposite-direction lane is not jammed, we should ride on that lane. What. You think you can be smart by scolding them? Telling them that what they’re doing is wrong? You’d be surprised of how they respond.

The police? What would you expect them to do? They’re the ones who ride their motorbike on the fast lane where it’s supposed to be for 4-wheelers only. They’re the ones who ride their bike on pay highway where it’s supposed to be for 4-wheelers and more.

Sad as it may seem, I always despise those who cannot respect the law. I myself ride a motorbike. But, I stop at the red lights and start to squeeze the gas on green lights. I don’t ride on the wrong direction lane. But, it seems I’m 1 in a million here. Then this thought comes to me. If everybody does it, what makes something is right? Have I done the right thing? I guess it’s a jungle out there. I see monkeys who like doing things the way they like doing it.