The Power of Technology

Today I was reunited with friends whom I haven't seen in 15 years. I found them on Facebook, the controversial social networking site. With the help of this web site, I was allowed a glimpse in my past, my childhood, and was provided with endless opportunities. There I sat, writing ecstatically, holding my breath, letting the sweet emotions overcome me completely. The people that meant so much reappeared like they were never gone. I was given another chance to cherish their friendship. It is another one of those surprises that life prepares for you. Without the invention of a website like Facebook, I would never have had the opportunity to talk to my childhood friends again. My heart is full today. And I'm smiling.

Spring Is Here

What a beautiful morning I woke up to today! The sun rays were piercing through the windows of my bedroom and I felt a pleasant warmth brush my cheek. I stretched and slowly made my way out of the bed. It is mornings like this that I enjoy savouring and taking the time to fully absorb the peace and quietness that I lack so often. It is on days like this that I realize how lucky I am to be alive and to be able to use all my senses to experience life. It is on days like this that I simply want to sit on top of a hill and look down on Earth's magical world, smell the freshly cut grass, and watch life's play come alive. Sadly, it was time to dress up and continue my journey to a less-than-perfect place called work.

Kosovo Independence

Can the old Federal Republic of Yugoslavia be broken up any further? First it was Slovenia that decided to split in 1991, then Croatia, Bosnia and Hertzegovina, Macedonia, and finally Montenegro in 2006. Fine, let them be on their own if they believe independence will bring them prosperity. I wish nothing but success to those countries. But what's Kosovo, a region in the south of Serbia, got to gain from proclaiming independence? Not to mention that according to the international law, it is illegal to self-proclaim independence and all the countries in the world who are supporting their decision are also going against this law (U.S, U.K, France, Italy, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, etc.).

While I understand that the majority of the Kosovo population consists of Albanians and only a fraction of Serbs, and that ethnic violence is a daily occurrence, proclaiming independence is not going to solve this problem. All that the Albanians got out of this spectacle is a chance to call Kosovo their own, even though Kosovo was a part of Serbia since the medieval times. In addition, Russia will never admit Kosovo into the U.N. because they don't recognize it as a nation. So what does Kosovo get out of this?

It's worth mentioning that the U.S. was the first country to recognize Kosovo as an independent nation. And why wouldn't they when Kosovo is located on an important geographical position? This was a strategic move on the part of the U.S. to be closer to the middle east. Check out their position in Poland and Czech Republic and it will be plain to see on the map why Kosovo is just another place for the Americans to settle in. Lets not be ignorant. Does the U.S. government really care about the Albanians in Kosovo? The answer is NO. What they care about is expansion and gaining geopolitical power to ultimately rule the world.

The reason Kosovo independence should never have happened is that now all the states in the world that are on shaky terms in their respective countries will demand the same (Otessia in Georgia, Northern Cypress, Kashmir in India, Chechnya in Russia, Quebec in Canada, Northern Ireland, Basquia in Spain, regions in Venezuela and Brazil and so on). The bottom line is that the international law has been broken and with certain countries accepting this, it is only a matter of time when the next law will be broken and when the next World War will start. It's high time for the U.S. to stay out of other countries' business and mind their own. They've got enough problems as it is.

Helpdesk Headache

What is one thing that screws up my day beyond repair? Calling the Helpdesk, that's what. It takes me 15 seconds to know how the call is going to end and whether I will be satisfied in the end. Working on the Helpdesk myself for the last 7 years, I am familiar with all the wrong doings and what the analysts should avoid. So when I pick up that phone and someone who barely speaks English answers and keeps asking for my information and putting me on hold and bouncing me around, I become extremely frustrated, to say the least. I don't mind the fact that English is the second language for a lot of the analysts. I like to think of myself as a very open person. But, and this is a big BUT, when the guy or the girl on the other end can't even form sentences or keeps repeating what I say, then it's clear they don't belong in that role! If it really proves cost effective to have someone from India or Brazil or China or Czech Republic answer customers' calls, the companies should put more effort into training people with heavy accents. It's all about the customer service after all. And another thing - these people really need to care about helping others. If they don't have a desire to help the person calling, why bother pick up the phone? I would much rather not be provided with a solution if the agent is willing to assist and is trying everything he/she can and is taking ownership, than having the agent resolve the problem but be curt and unprofessional or only provide a fraction of the solution. Just today I called the Linksys support. Never mind that I had to punch in 10 different numbers on the menu and wait 30 minutes for someone to pick up, but the woman told me "try this link, it should be easy enough to follow instructions, if you experience problems call us back and provide this reference number." I felt like punching her in the head, but instead I told her I waited half an hour and would she mind staying on the line to help me. She just repeated that it should be easy to fix if I follow instructions. After thanking her curtly, I wanted to throw the phone over the balcony. Why don't people care anymore? Where did human civility go? Don't companies realize that the success of their business depends on providing customer value? I wish I could say good things about the Helpdesk but most of my experiences have been negative.

Invisible Children

The movie "Invisible Children" has left an incredibly strong impression on me. The children of Northern Uganda are to this day still being kidnapped by military aggressors who train them to kill their own people.

*** Thinking Out Loud ***
Sometimes I wonder if civility plays any role in today's world. Where is the end to killings? Maybe it is the sensitivity in me that speaks, but if you have agression against agression, people will only become more upset and the war will sadly continue. Wars are useless and usually do not accomplish anything.
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My heart goes out to those poor families and to boys who can't sleep at night for fear of being killed. These children have no childhood. It was taken away from them by force, as everything else. One of the last lines in the movie is by a young boy, aged around 10, who says something similar to this, "I hope that people will not forget about us." It was so heart-breaking to see the plea from this boy that I had to donate and spread the word. I made a promise to myself not to forget about them.

Can you do the same?

For more info and to see the movie, visit:http://www.invisiblechildren.com/home.php

Thanks all.