Pictures not words

Photo curtsey of Olle Johansson, sweden

Photo curtsey of Stephanie Peray,US

Photo curtsey of Steve Sack

Photo curtsey of Olle Johansson, sweden

Photo curtsey of Thomas Boldt, Canada

Overshadowed or overlooked?

The talk of the week is the crisis in Lebanon and the UN peacekeeping troops that have been killed. We have all been following the events closely because any issues in the middle east affects the price of oil and ultimately our pockets.
However in the past week there have been other development across the world that also require our attention but our 'fair and balanced' news media have ignored this. On the 17th of july there was another tsunami in Indonesia which so far has claimed over 670 lives (more than the death toll of the middle east crisis) but are we bothered? Do we know about it? A simple online search couldn't find any story covering the event past the 23rd of july. In December 2004 when the tsunami hit we had blanked cover of the unfolding events for weeks however now that we don't have as many foreign tourists in Indonesia, suddenly the story is not newsworthy? For updates on events see here.
Another story worth noting is the developments in Somalia, the supposed battle ground for the proxy war between Ethiopia and Eritrea. The Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) that are ruling the capital, Mogadishu have aborted talks with the government in Baidoa and Ethiopia seems to be muscling it way into Somalia to support the government. For more on this story see here and more on the UIC here.
Do any of these stories bother us? No because it doesn't affect our daily lives. Should we only be worried out events that affect us directly?

Instincts

As I came off the bus today on my way home with a few of the regular commuters, I noticed a young girl about 14, standing on the pavement (curb) about to cross the road. Upon further investigation I noticed she had a white cane indicating she was blind. My obvious instinct as well as that of others who came off was to rush off to her and try to help her cross the street. She was trying to cross on a curve where even the sighted can get caught out with cars speeding round the bend. We all crowded round her each with questions ...Where are you going? Where are your parents or minder? Are you ready to cross the street? One could see she was getting visibly confused with all the strange voices and questions a she turned her head from side to side trying to work out where people where. This went on for about 30 sec but seemed much longer when her minder called from further down the road "Its okay, Its okay". She then explained to us that the girl was actually training to cross the street on her own, getting use to listening for cars and estimating how far they were away and we had just ruined it.
I came away from the situation thinking that we all try to do that in life...try to help someone because we think we know better...we think because people are disabled they need our help for everything. We try to rush to other peoples help but not consider what they need? Do we think about what help they need rather than what help we think they need. The girl didn't need our help in crossing the street, she was learning to do that on her own such that when we are not there she can continue life without relying on anyone.

Spellings

Yesterday one of the newspapers reported that one of the top schools in England had introduced spelling tests for A- level students ( High school). This was after the school reportedly saw students who couldn't spell basic words or punctuate sentences yet still those students passed English at GCSEs with A grades.
Whereas the paper went on to speculate that exams have moved on to testing other things and so the basics are ignored , I feel the answer is much simpler than that. Technology that we use today is making life so simple that we are actually not learning anything. Microsoft word and other programs where you type in text all have built in spell checkers such that you never need to learn how to spell. Whether its an essay or an email you never need to pick up a dictionary to find out how to spell words so can we really blame this current generation for not knowing how to spell?
Back in the day when we wrote letters by hand and handed in hand written assignments the use of the dictionary was more widespread but nowadays you dont need one its all done for you and thus you don't learn anything.
So as we push for things to be simpler to use and engage, let us not forget that making things simpler does not really benefit us in term our learning.

Middle East Chaos

Once again the middle east is in chaos. The Israeli army, Hamas and Hezbollah are in a three way tussle over the captured Israeli soldiers and the Palestinians, Lebanese and Israeli civilians are all caught up in the tussle with deaths fast pushing the 500 mark.
The blame game is being played to the earnest with the international community adding its own sometimes biased view to the table.
At the end it boils down to human nature. Each of us hold beliefs dear to us as a result of our environment, culture and upbringing that influences our decisions and actions. And as such when those beliefs are threatened we have to react to protect the things that are dear to us.
So as we watch the events unfold and we try to understand and help if we can, we should first stop and think of our beliefs and how we would react if they were threatened. Perhaps we may not take the drastic actions we are seeing but we would do something to defend our beliefs...

Natwest 3

The case of the Natwest 3 has the nation united in one voice in declaring that there is something wrong with the whole extradition system. To me this case make a mockery of the whole idea of nationalism. We elect governments so they can protect us as citizen and not just to give us up to other countries that still practice the death penalty and torture prisoners yet criticise other countries of human right violations. Whereas on the one hand we have refugees, failed asylum seekers and other undesirables of other nations roam the streets of Britain because we cannot seem to put in place the correct legislation to make sure these people are tracked whilst they are here and then deported; on the other we are allowing other countries (well the US) to extradite UK citizens on charges which were not even committed on US soil.
Now I am not going to comment on whether they (Natwest 3) are guilty or not because I don't know enough of the case but what I know is that if we can't extradite US citizen here to answer to crimes committedt hen the US should have no right to do the same to UK citizens.
When the Iraq war just broke out and there were charges from the press and commentators that Tony Blair was George W Bush's lap dog I dismissed this as wild speculation and overreaction but this case has proved to me that Britain under Blair is on a one way street and Britain is not at the end of that street. It stinks of hypocrisy where in Iraq all crimes committed by UK soldiers are prosecuted back here in the UK on home soil and not in Iraqi courts but once again big mr us of a get s his wickey way again. Shame on you Tony and the mps that voted this legislated into law.
See reports on the case here, here and here.

Role models

I recently read a revealing article in ZEST magazine (July edition) about the recent trend where clothing retailers are labeling larger clothing with a smaller size tag such that women who feel self conscious about their weight would be a happier. According to their research self conscious women tend to buy clothes according to size and not how it fits. No wonder we are increasing seeing fashion disasters and wonder to ourselves what was he/she thinking.
I noticed that our Keira Knightley was a bit skinny in this article okay okay petite but though nothing of it as she was never a big girl. So imagine my surprise when I opened the morning papers yesterday and noted that she was looking sickly thin in a Gucci dress that really did not do well to complement her. But what took the cake was this morning papers where Keira spoke out after the papers noted her extensive weight loss saying that she was not anorexic. Adding that she has experience with her grandmother and great grandmother suffering from anorexia.
Now Im not saying she is or she isn't but she looks sickly thin. I mean I look at starving Kenyans and Ethiopians that are suffering from the famine and they look more healthy than her, so for me there is something wrong and needs addressing. As the new, up and coming actress that people especially young girls will ultimately look up to she has to set a better example.
I was even more livid reading the article as our Keira now hates the though of girls seeing her as a role model. Shouldn't she have though about that before choosing a career that thrusts her in the lime light? Shouldn't someone have mentioned to her that being a role model is not a choice. We are all roles models whether as parents, elder brother, mentor at work, aunt, celebrity or grandfather there is always someone that looks up to us and a such we ought to behave responsibly.
So Keira wake up and smell the coffee you do have a responsibility, after all we pay for your expensive lifestyle by going to see your movies.

Photo courtesy of REUTERS / Phil Noble (BRITAIN)

Changing colours

A recent discovery in the rainforested heart of Borneo revealed a snake with the ability to change its colour. Researchers from Germany and the US discovered the water snake's chameleon-like behaviour by accident when they put it into a dark bucket. Whereas half of the world is complaining about the extinction of certain animals we should welcome the discovery of new species abiet a venomous one. We should also make sure that our appetite for IKEA furniture and other forest derived products such as medicines doesn't lead to the extinction of any animals. The WWF recently highlighted the need to preserve our forest especially on Borneo where a lot of healing plants can be found.It also causes one to think about how we evolve over our lifetime modifying our behaviours and attitudes to constantly changing situations. How we take on different roles to adapt to society to fit in with its norms.

An obvious solution?

At the annual Global Travel and tourism summit held recently it was revealed the the US's share of the international travel has fallen by 35% since 1992. Apparently the secretary of homeland security Michael Chertoff said that the US has to distinguish between "our large number of friends and small number of enemies". Following this the Pew Global attitudes report notes that those in Britain with a "favourable opinion" of the US has fallen from 83% in 2000 to 56% in 2006.
Didn't someone mention to these americans that making comments not in the spirt of harmony at the United Nations and then treating every visitor like a criminal forcing them to strip at airports is just not the way to welcome people into your home?

Accepting defeat

So once again England crashes out of the world cup through penalities. Sven, the out going coach gets all the blame never mind the fact that the team didnt play well during their games or Wayne Rooney's moment of insanity reduced the chances of a win. Yeah the coach is partially responsible but the players are the ones out there on the field.
But isnt this just another england tactic where we hype up our teams/players so much that they can never deliver? How many times have we put our hopes in the cricket team or tiger tim and they havent delivered? Isn't it about time we took a step back and reviewed sports within schools and funding for sport activities for our youths such that we can develop the talent to maturity? And or have pools of sports personality such that we dont see the same old faces but new ones to challenge the old?