Does a woman have to lead a solitary life in pursuit of success?

Condoleezza Rice, former US Secretary of State, has at the age of 55 never been married. She has no children. She has been romantically linked to only one man, in 1970, and that alledgedly ended because "the relationship would not work on an intellectual level."

Condoleezza Rice was the first woman in the history of the United States to hold the position of National Security Advisor (under the Bush Administration 2001-2005). She was the first black woman, the second African-American (after predecessor Colin Powell) and the second woman (Madeleine Allbright being the first) to hold the office of US Secretary of State (under the Bush Administration 2005-2009).

She was named "Most Powerful Woman in the World" by Forbes magazine in 2004 and 2005, and ranked second on that list in 2006.

In addition, Condoleezza appeared on Time magazine's "World's 100 Most Influential People" list four times. There are only six other people in the world who have made the list that frequently.

Yet if she were to visit my hometown, all people would say is "Shame, she's still not married."

In a world full of women that claim to be so "liberated," a woman's worth is apparently still based on the husband she does or does not have.

Know your status

"Realisation of Human Rights and fundamental freedoms for all is essential to reduce vulnerability to HIV/Aids. Respect for the rights of people living with HIV/Aids drives an effective response." - Declaration of Commitment adopted at the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on HIV/Aids, June 2001 -

It has been said: HIV DOES NOT KILL PEOPLE. PEOPLE KILL PEOPLE. Let me explain:

We have killed each other with our ignorance, our prejudice, and our silence. AIDS is not a distant threat…it is a present danger. It sees no colour, creed, race or religion. It sees not male or female, rich or poor.

We may take refuge in our stereotypes, but we cannot hide there long, because HIV asks only one thing of those it attacks.

Are you human?

YOU cannot cure those with AIDS…but YOU can prevent others from getting it.
Know your status.

The Change You Wish to See

Wow. Change has indeed come to America. Whether it is because of a people's belief in a man, or his words, remains to be seen. The important thing is that change HAS come. And it is not the political change that is important. What's important is the change in people's perceptions of themselves, and what they are able to do, that is important. A change in people's perceptions of the world around them. A change that has come about solely because of one man's powerful use of words. He has succeeded in getting an entire generation to care about things that their parents saw no point to. He has lifted the stain of political apathy that has for many years tarnished the American flag.

Whether he was driven by passion, purpose, people, or a need to create a world in which he could fit in, the point is, he got there. Yes, he has a mammoth task ahead. Yes, he may not achieve all his objectives in his term. Yes, he may disappoint at times, as all humans do. But i believe in his belief. And I thank God that he sent this awe-inspiring man to free minds from their own prison. To free hearts from circumstantial cynicism. And to inspire a generation across nations.

What every woman needs...

Well, it has been a while since I last blogged...but i have been...how do you say..."Finding Myself"...well, my 2008 self, that is.

I, like millions of other people around the world (and if Facebook is the world then 21 989 people exactly), am completely taken with the Legend that is Barney Stinson. Also known as Swarley... to some known only as Barnacle...this literary genius (Barnabus Stinson, author of "The Bro Code") has become something of a hero.

Even though I am female, I have learned many valuable life lessons from this man...who is nothing short of Legen...wait for it...DARY! His many teachings, including the Lameness vs. Relationship graph, have been enlightening, to say the least, and i have found that while I may not have quite reached his level of awesomeness as yet, we have many areas of commonality, Barney and I.

You see, in the eternal search of the perfect guy...one passes over many others that have not been deemed fit to be THE ONE.

I have learnt that most girls simply bypass these guys, not seeing the potential awesomeness of the situation. A woman, you see, has many needs. Emotional needs, physical needs, spiritual needs...these are all real and while each guy may not have ALL the qualities of "The Perfect Guy"...he's bound to have one.

So ladies, never underestimate the power of one...

1 perfect quality x 5 imperfect guys = What every woman needs.

It's simple arithmetic!

PS. The Facebook fanlisting for Barney Stinson, in a few short minutes, is up to 22 008...9...

Welcome to my world of wondering

So, this is me...these are my thoughts, my ponderings...

And today I am wondering why "we laugh and we smile and we play our games of sweet denial?" Every now and then I may drop in little snippets about what's going on in the world that catches my interest...right now it's the whole Dhoni-Deepika-Yuvraj triangle. To be perfectly honest, I'd be really happy if the Yuvraj-Deepika rumours were true. Which begs the question: Why do I care? Why do any of us care about what's going on in the lives of celebrities? It's not like they care about what's going on in the lives of us mere mortals...

I wonder what the obsession is...escapism, maybe?