tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4880232165167082862024-03-14T07:17:41.817-07:00Witchin' the Boreal Lights, the Clear Cold Nights and Horizon Forevermaplesugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12465602653208478348noreply@blogger.comBlogger1205125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488023216516708286.post-18587482480029942852011-04-10T18:47:00.000-07:002011-04-10T19:15:26.184-07:00Seeker Cassand that was the story of cassia mertyree<br />the man for whom a pipe a song and a cheer<br />was little enough thanks, you can see<br />for this fine silken woman dipped daubs <br />of white gooseberry face paint<br />o'er the crown of the light bringers<br />recievers! men, women and children<br />wore its supple heft<br />you could see it all coming, if you were deft<br />freedom! the sweet breath of fortune<br />the lovely laugh, the apple tree<br />the dance over the frozen, vivid snow<br />the careful track in the night<br />forever followed, tracked, hunted<br />smelled and scented<br />its hot note coloured on the dusky air<br />tantalizingmaplesugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12465602653208478348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488023216516708286.post-2142180392597885632011-03-08T17:50:00.000-08:002011-03-08T17:53:53.076-08:00These descriptions, of two sweet beaches to visit in Queensland, Australia, seem like lovely places to visit. <br /><br /><strong>Broken River, Queensland</strong><br /><br />The locals reckon Broken River in Eungella National Park is the best place ''on the planet'' to see platypus in the wild. Pronounced yun-gulla and meaning Land of the Clouds, it's a 90-kilometre drive west of Mackay and its perennially mist-shrouded and forest-clad mountains contain Australia's longest and oldest stretch of subtropical rainforest. But the main reason most people come to Eungella is to see the platypus at Broken River.<br /><br />Several viewing platforms are strung along the river near the picnic area, or you can, as we did, simply find a comfortable rock and perch for as long as you like. In 30 minutes we chalked up an amazing 16 sightings of the elusive monotreme and while some may have been making a repeat appearance, I wasn't about to quibble. It really is one of the best places in Australia to go if you want to see wild platypus.<br /><br />Where to stay: Broken River Mountain Resort, Eungella Dam Road, Eungella, (07) 4958 4000, brokenrivermr.com.au.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><strong>Chillagoe Caves, Queensland</strong><br /><br />The glitzy show caves of the southern states may get all the publicity and draw the crowds but there are more than 600 limestone caves in the Chillagoe area, three hours' drive west of Cairns. There are five caves open for viewing, each one unique. The Royal Arch is the biggest, a series of 13 chambers spread along a 1.5-kilometre passage, with roots from trees and patches of light reaching into the caves and lots of bending and squeezing through tight passages. The smaller Donna Cave, accessed by a long steep stairway, is the prettiest, with dozens of magnificent limestone formations.<br /><br />Trezkinn Cave is short - basically a steel catwalk encircling a central mass of limestone - but it also has lots of decorations, including the massive ''chandelier'', a spectacular formation that looks like a mountain of melted wax. There are also two self-guided caves; bring your own torch.<br /><br />Where to stay: Chillagoe Observatory and Eco Lodge, (07) 4094 7155, www.coel.com.aumaplesugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12465602653208478348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488023216516708286.post-20424598306433676992011-03-07T21:47:00.000-08:002011-03-07T21:49:21.164-08:00<span style="font-style:italic;">To have an obstretic fistula is like living a nightmare in many cases. Hiow wonderful that there are people out there looking to eradicate this difficult situation. </span> <br /><br />To celebrate the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day we asked readers to nominate the Australian woman who inspires them the most.<br /><br />When Catherine Hamlin saw Ethiopian women living as outcasts because of a medical condition largely eradicated in the developed world, she knew she had to act.<br /><br />The Sydney-born obstetrician and her husband, Reginald, opened the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital in 1974. Since then, it has treated more than 35,000 women for obstetric fistula, a shocking childbirth injury caused by a long, obstructed labour that can leave a woman incontinent and shunned by her husband, family and community.<br /><br />Dr Hamlin's dedication to restoring the women's dignity and health has inspired many around the world - including our readers. She is one of more than 100 achievers you nominated as Australia's most inspiring women in a tribute we launched last week to mark the centenary of International Women's Day, which is being celebrated today.<br />Advertisement: Story continues below<br />Dr Catherine Hamlin with an Ethiopian woman at the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital.<br /><br />Dr Catherine Hamlin with an Ethiopian woman at the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital. Photo: Kate Geraghty<br /><br />Achievements great and small were acknowledged by the nominations, from Edith Cowan, the first woman elected to an Australian parliament (Western Australia in 1921), to Hazel Hawke, the wife of a former prime minister, to Aboriginal elder Aunty Lorraine Peeters. And, of course, many readers paid tribute to their mothers for their very hands-on role in shaping lives.<br /><br />Dr Hamlin, 87, says she is thankful to have influenced others as it means her work will carry on.<br /><br />"Medicine has made such strides, but still mothers in childbirth are being neglected in huge areas of the world, with tragic results," she says.<br /><br />"We hope those inspired to address and banish this affront to humanity will succeed in their lifetime, ensuring that every mother is assured of a safe delivery and live baby."<br /><br />A reader paid this tribute to Dr Hamlin in her nomination: "She has shown me that an individual can make a real difference to people's lives."<br /><br />Inspiring women to aim for the top<br /><br />While no single woman received an overwhelming majority of reader nominations, those whose names appeared with some frequency included Governor-General Quentin Bryce, Prime Minister Julia Gillard, and feminist and author of The Female Eunuch Germaine Greer.<br /><br />Bryce became Australia's first female head of state in 2008 after a distinguished career as a lawyer, academic and human rights advocate. She is no stranger to the demands and challenges of being a working mother, having raised five children with her husband Michael Bryce.<br /><br />Of the Governor-General, one reader wrote: "I once her heard speak about the difficulties coping with five small children, and working as a lawyer; then I looked at my two small children and my job as a lawyer, and what she has gone on to achieve, and thought 'If she can so it, so can I.' Thanks Quentin, you are an inspiration and my Australian hero."<br /><br />Gold medal winning Olympian Cathy Freeman, Dr Hamlin, gay and lesbian rights campaigner Shelley Argent, Nobel prize winning scientist Elizabeth Blackburn and burns specialist Dr Fiona Wood also received a number of nominations.<br /><br />Shelley Argent has been campaigning for gay and lesbian rights since 1998, after her son told her he was gay. Determined he should have the same rights as her other son, she has worked with bodies such as the Queensland AIDS Council and Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) to promote acceptance and understanding.<br /><br />When told she was seen as an inspiration for others, she was stunned.<br /><br />"What drives me is the love of my son," she says.<br /><br />Minister for the Status of Women Kate Ellis says it is wonderful to see the diversity of women shaping Australia, as reflected in these nominations.<br /><br />"It is because of strong and courageous women like them that young women across [the country] can aspire to hold the highest of offices and achieve the greatest of feats," she says.<br /><br />International Women's Day events are being held throughout Australia this week. For details, see: internationalwomensday.org.au.maplesugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12465602653208478348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488023216516708286.post-71724594991826106882011-03-03T23:04:00.001-08:002011-03-03T23:04:56.537-08:00"I don't think the mission there has been very well articulated. And I think it would help to kind of reframe the way we're thinking about being there and why we're there."<br />-<span style="font-weight:bold;">Matt Damon</span>, on the war in Afghanistan.maplesugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12465602653208478348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488023216516708286.post-42904840464200887062011-03-03T22:08:00.000-08:002011-03-03T22:11:48.973-08:00‘‘When these disasters occur, they affect our friends, family, people we know, people we don’t know,’’ <br />-<span style="font-weight:bold;">David Pocock</span>, <span style="font-weight:bold;">Australian</span> <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">on Cyclone Yasi in Queensland<br />to Fairfax media</span>.maplesugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12465602653208478348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488023216516708286.post-9198855815526945022011-02-22T23:11:00.000-08:002011-02-22T23:12:53.202-08:00Tragedy<em>This was very sad news.</em><br /><br />Fifteen Canterbury TV (CTV) staff are believed to have died when their central Christchurch building collapsed after yesterday's magnitude 6.3 quake, CTV chairman Nick Smith says.<br /><br />Police were "100 per cent sure" there were no survivors in the earthquake-damaged CTV building, today calling off the search for bodies there, shifting their efforts to sites where it was believed people were trapped alive.<br /><br />More than 80 people were believed to be in still in the building, which housed the regional television station, a nursing school and a language school.<br /><br />CTV chairman Nick Smith told NZPA the television channel had 24-25 fulltime staff.<br /><br />"We're working on the assumption that everyone we haven't managed to contact was in the building, and that would number probably 15," he said.<br /><br />"We haven't had anything confirmed, we haven't been given any names, we're just going off our own tally."<br /><br />Mr Smith, business manager and director of Allied Press of Dunedin, which owns the Otago Daily Times, said he had travelled to Christchurch today to support staff.<br /><br />"We're just having a staff get-together with those who have survived. That's the most important thing at the moment," he said.<br /><br />"(They've) lost a lot of friends, a lot of colleagues, a lot of talent and a lot of life-long relationships...<br /><br />"They're not happy. It's very sorrowful."<br /><br />Many of the staff there were in the building when the quake struck and broke down when they told him what had happened. What staff had described to him was "like out of a horror movie", Mr Smith said.<br /><br />"It's just too horrific to think that they got out and...people who were a few yards behind didn't. They didn't know which way to run."<br /><br />Mr Smith's brother, Allied Press of Dunedin chairman and managing director Julian Smith, said the building had withstood the first quake well.<br /><br />"So it seems strange that this whole building should fall down like that," he told NZPA.<br /><br />"Our sympathy goes out to all staff - everybody in Christchurch, for that matter but particularly for the staff of CTV and their families."maplesugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12465602653208478348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488023216516708286.post-71183045281183516862011-02-21T09:15:00.000-08:002011-02-21T09:16:30.525-08:00Der Spiegel <a href="http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,744866,00.html">has an interesting piece on the war in Afghanistan</a>, by Jurgen Todenhofer. Recommended.maplesugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12465602653208478348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488023216516708286.post-32793247893302499072011-02-19T21:12:00.000-08:002011-02-20T14:54:38.756-08:00Richard Atkinson and Jamie Larcombe<em>The following note is for both Richard and Jamie</em>.<br /><br />for <strong>Danielle Kitchen</strong><br />and for <strong>Ross and Kate Atkinson</strong>, <br />and <strong>James Atkinson</strong> and<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">all of Tasmania</span>.<br /><br />*******************************************************************<br />for <strong>Rhiannon Penhall</strong>, <br />and for<br /><strong>Steven and Tricia Larcombe</strong> and<br /><strong>Ann-Marie, Emily and April Larcombe</strong> and<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">all of Kangaroo Island</span>.<br /><br />the heart wells over, and there is sadness and sorrow and the most heartfelt of sympathy.<br /><br />i'm sad your son and brother died alone, in those heart scraped, rugged, fresh blooded mountains, and that never again will he bless your presence with his easy laugh and his infectious potential for kindness. i wish with all my heart that this had never happened to you, and that your Jamie had had a different kind of destiny, and that he had not been swallowed whole into this vast and unremitting shadow. as you cry today, know that people who have never met you have comprehended your sacrifice, and have given themselves, body and soul, so that this moment in time should never take place.maplesugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12465602653208478348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488023216516708286.post-73426063081789176802011-02-15T14:10:00.000-08:002011-02-15T14:26:57.778-08:00Dear Reader,<br /><br />I must say that it is heartening to hear that the Canadian government is actually labeling artificial colours individually in its new guidelines. Now the government must go one step further and eliminate artificial colours altogether, as has been done with a number of the colours in the UK. The latest step on behalf of the government has at least, brought Canada in line with the United Kingdom- but surely the bellwether ought to be Europe, which has eliminated the Southhampton Six colours about two years ago. In Australia, the lobby group Fed Up With Food Additives has been pushing for similar changes to Australian law. Grassroots, populist initiatives to protect and inform the public seem to be crying for inception, and would be a welcome relief to celebrity gossip- indeed, celebrities could more meaningfully become the story by throwing their welcome weight behind such initiatives. <br /><br />If you are interested in labeling GMOs in the United States, please be aware that you can inhabit support behind the Fresh (the movie) team's tireless lobbying on this topic, and that there is also a non-governmental group known as the Campaign, which is behind this project also. It is a story that has the potential to capture the public's imagination in a widespread way, and just think of how much better off your children and their friends will be if it succeeds! It is for them that one hopes individuals will strive for a more wholesome reality.<br /><br />Sincerely yours,<br />NWmaplesugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12465602653208478348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488023216516708286.post-50778829849025843952011-02-15T13:59:00.001-08:002011-02-15T14:05:17.746-08:00DNAism<em>I read a book once where this was the Free World- and people said the writers were paranoid. If you're worried- go back and read Alvin Toffler's Future Shock. </em><br /><br />More than 140 Prince George taxi drivers have been grilled by the RCMP as part of a murder investigation.<br /><br />Most have also given blood samples.<br /><br />P.G. Taxi Manager, Sam Kuuluvainen, said he was contacted several months ago by police officers investigating the killings of Cynthia Maas and Jill Sturchenko.<br /><br />One woman's body was discovered in a Prince George park, the other in a gravel pit. <br /><br />Kuuluvainen told CBC News he complied with an RCMP request to hand over the names and phone numbers of all his cab drivers.<br /><br />"They told me they just wanted to question some of the drivers, see if they knew anything. They ended up calling up every single driver, not only questioning them, but asking them for a DNA sample. I got the idea it wasn't so much questioning as trying to eliminate suspects," he said.<br /><br />Kuuluvainen said all but two complied.<br /><br />"If they didn't immediately give them one [an interview], they were told they'd remain a suspect and a person of interest. A number of our drivers were upset that they were singling out our industry," he said.<br /><br />Kuuluvainen believes all the drivers have been cleared.<br /><br />The RCMP hasn't responded to an interview request from CBC News.<br /><br />This was not the first time homicide investigators have questioned northern B.C. cabbies.<br /><br />Several years ago, after the body of 14-year-old Aielah Saric Auger was found dumped along Highway 16, police seized taxi logbooks and interrogated six drivers.<br /><br /><br /><br />Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/02/15/bc-pg-cabbies.html#socialcomments#ixzz1E4EisoUBmaplesugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12465602653208478348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488023216516708286.post-32028691184353202572011-02-13T17:46:00.000-08:002011-02-14T09:03:00.665-08:00Benediction of Sorrowaafia<br />dew jewels the edge<br />of a mist morning<br />sleep<br /><br />birds<br />wheel about<br />in the gentle dawn<br />the sand rises<br />inviolate<br />shimmering<br /><br />where is<br />aafia?<br /><br />in the distance<br />the far distance<br />the hawkers display<br />little bells<br />articles of faith<br /><br />ringing<br />oh aafia!maplesugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12465602653208478348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488023216516708286.post-58145404766872822602011-02-13T17:07:00.000-08:002011-02-13T17:34:09.188-08:00jezebel<br />the power wild<br />flowed within<br />a spirit childmaplesugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12465602653208478348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488023216516708286.post-31823652637552099082011-02-13T15:52:00.000-08:002011-02-13T16:13:59.097-08:00Netimatiquegamblefox gamblepuss<br />gamblepeyote<br />give me the keys <br />so you'll have a story<br /><br />the great halls of green<br />and bright halls of blue<br />laugh watch and sigh<br />as i give my life for you<br /><br />type it and stripe it <br />and enter it in<br />use the netwerks<br />and surely you'll win<br /><br />internet hinternet<br />forevernetred<br />flashing and crashing<br />with privacy deadmaplesugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12465602653208478348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488023216516708286.post-76117122981208492032011-02-13T15:49:00.000-08:002011-02-13T15:51:24.201-08:00Story of the DayAccording to an article published by Granma newspaper on Saturday, two agents involved in the death of Afghan prisoner Gul Rahman in November 2002 were promoted to important posts within the CIA in the Middle East.<br /><br /><br />Likewise, others who were reprimanded for their participation in the simulation of executions in a secret Polish prison and in the death of an Iraqi prisoner have been readmitted as private contactors.<br /><br /> <br />The radio and television community network Democracy Now affirmed that others involved in similar actions received small sentences or were not punished at all.<br /><br /><br />In one of the most shocking cases, an analyst who contributed to the kidnapping of German citizen Khaled el-Masri was promoted to a high-ranking post in the CIA’s Counterterrorist Center.maplesugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12465602653208478348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488023216516708286.post-27065336451230077942011-02-11T12:18:00.000-08:002011-02-11T19:46:51.210-08:00Project Medicaldoublecyclic acid<br />ichor of arachnid<br />injectible thoracic<br />people people see<br />the mice are turnin' green<br />white medicojuice<br />don't let that pig get loose<br />runnin' runnin' falling<br />electrode must be stalling<br />people people see<br />a ruptured monkey spleen<br />joe and aron wait<br />signs at the gate<br />that say this lab's obscene<br />why are they so mean?maplesugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12465602653208478348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488023216516708286.post-52893108596860659312011-02-10T17:21:00.000-08:002011-02-10T18:11:21.459-08:00At the GreekIn the Greek tonight<br /> The torturers come<br /> And pay their money<br /> One by one<br /><br /> In the Greek tonight<br /> Their wives sob out loud<br /> For great screen love<br /> That is not allowed<br /><br /> Over the Greek tonight<br /> God surrounds<br /> Remembers deaths of babes<br /> And their sound.maplesugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12465602653208478348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488023216516708286.post-78443915357502101952011-02-09T20:00:00.001-08:002011-02-09T20:01:23.371-08:00I swear I thought <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sparkletones">this band was lost to history</a>. Its vinyl, and its <span style="font-style:italic;">unique</span>.maplesugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12465602653208478348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488023216516708286.post-48014587414650438292011-02-09T14:29:00.000-08:002011-02-09T19:55:02.524-08:00The Bees of Paul Revere<span style="font-style:italic;">Can you believe how much I love God right now? And the bees!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">freedom bees livin in honey trees<br />snow sugarin' down and all around<br />fly a kite in afghanistan for peace<br />bright cord blood on sacred ground<br /><br />yeah, yellow bees in honey trees<br />so good to be free<br /><br />drink the syrup taste the gold<br />blessed be god for a new found soul<br /> yellow bees with honey please<br />brother, sho' good to be free<br /><br />yeah, yeah, yeah<br /> my baby bruddah<br />its sure good to be free.</span><br /><br /><br /><br />R.E.M. – Mine Smell Like Honey Lyrics<br /><br />I would dare you, but I know I don’t need to<br />You’re going to do just what you want to<br />You’re going to take the leavings here at the fairground<br />You’re going to sing the praises of your fruit<br /><br />Mine smell like honey, uh!<br />Mine smell like honey, uh!<br />Mine smell like hu, hu, hu, hu, honey, uh!<br /><br />Dig a hole, dig it deeper, deeper!<br />Climb a mountain, climb it steeper, steeper!<br />Dig a hole, dig it deeper, deeper!<br />Track a trail of honey through it all<br /><br />If the end comes faster than we had expected<br />And predictions lead us to the final fall<br />If the flowers crack the grave (grain?) and leave the patterns of the pavement<br />I can hear you shouting over it all<br /><br />Mine smell like honey, uh!<br />Mine smell like honey, uh!<br />Mine smell like hu, hu, hu, hu, honey, uh!<br /><br />Dig a hole, dig it deeper, deeper!<br />Climb a mountain, climb it steeper, steeper!<br />Dig a hole, dig it deeper, deeper!<br />Track a trail of honey through it all<br /><br />Dig a hole, dig it deeper, deeper!<br />Climb a mountain, climb it steeper, steeper!<br />Dig a hole, dig it deeper, deeper!<br />Track a trail of honey through it all<br /><br />You track a trail of honey through it all<br />You track a trail of honey<br /><br />R.E.M. – Mine Smell Like Honey Lyricsmaplesugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12465602653208478348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488023216516708286.post-61397816983369645102011-01-29T16:22:00.001-08:002011-01-29T16:22:49.149-08:00Parents push for foreign language in elementary schools<br /><br />Written by Jake Kara<br />Monday, 17 January 2011 15:00<br /><br />School officials tout the district as a deciding factor for home buyers, but for some parents who "shopped around," the district might fall short of expectations.<br /><br />Follow us on Twitter •Keep up on Facebook<br /><br />For Karen Christiansen, a Darien mother leading the charge to get foreign language incorporated into the elementary curriculum for four years, being bilingual is a must in today's global economy.<br /><br />"I've had every job I've had because I speak Italian," Christiansen, who taught at an international school in Italy and worked as director of international divisions for Tommy Hilfiger, Liz Claiborne and Donna Karan, said.<br /><br />She taught first grade at an international school in Italy, where she said on average her students spoke three languages.<br /><br />When she moved to Darien four years ago, her kids were in pre-school and she was surprised to find Holmes School, where her daughter was soon to enroll, didn't have a foreign language program.<br /><br />She and a few other Darien parents set to work, talking to officials and other parents trying to get a program added three years ago.<br /><br />When elementary foreign language education came up at a school board meeting and one board member questioned whether there was enough support for such a program in town, Christiansen said she knew otherwise.<br /><br />"I know from working in town for years on this that there is a strong interest," she said.<br /><br />She helped to start a petition and within two weeks had about 35 volunteers mobilized, collecting more than 1,700 signatures in favor a foreign language program.<br /><br />"Everywhere I was, the clipboard was," she said. "I loved that document," she said of the battle-torn, rain-smudged pages she carried around collecting signatures. The group collected 1,700 names. "I felt the board got the message at that point."<br /><br />Most people Christiansen met assumed Darien had foreign language, she said.<br /><br />Of the 500 or so names Christiansen collected, she said she only a handful of parents gave reasons against signing the petition.<br /><br />"A couple said it was the budget," she said. Others said they were already working on foreign language studies with their kids outside of school — like Christiansen. Her husband and children speak fluent Danish and she practices Italian with them.<br /><br />The elementary schools started hosting a foreign language program before and after school, but it's paid for by participants, $180 per semester and not a school program.<br /><br />Schools Superintendent Dr. Stephen Falcone, whose children go to school in New Canaan, which has elementary foreign language education, has been receptive, Christiansen said. In November, he presented a plan to the Board of Education to change elementary schedules to a six-day rotation. He even included it in his first budget proposal, presented Tuesday.<br /><br />Whether the program, which calls for five new teachers at $306,645 will survive this budget season is yet to be seen, but Christiansen hopes it does because, she said with a laugh, "I can't do this another year."<br /><br />More info: DarienLanguage.Wordpress.com<br /><br />jkara@darientimes.commaplesugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12465602653208478348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488023216516708286.post-52094405237159560662011-01-26T13:00:00.000-08:002011-01-26T13:32:22.530-08:00Bully ShazamThere really is magic out there, team on those cold prairie nights. All the farming communities out in the midwest are holding anti-bullying initiatives, many of which are being covered in the media every single day now. I loved the fact that Chris Johnson got his message across using actual magic tricks! Its such a wonderful idea, and I'm super juiced <a href="http://www.nwherald.com/2011/01/24/entertainer-shares-anti-bullying-message-through-use-of-magic/a3zonhd/">to share this article on my blog</a>. It really hilighted how massively lucky kids really are to live in Wisconsin. (Unfortunate that its not a larger geography so that even more people would get to dwell there. :) We need the Abracadabra-Make-Your-Own-Racine gold dust, please. Or wuz that Madison? Or even .... Woodstock.) There are, of course, many other communities working on new anti-bullying initiatives across North America and Australia and New Zealand, too.<br /><br />I really think though that working these messages into something fun and interactive is faily sweet for young children. I'm reminded of the Afghan children's circus that was teaching Afghan kids hygiene. It was super exciting to see things like humungous children's toothbrushes and see all of the shy kids giggle in surprise. Plus, some of the kids actually became performers! Now there's a dream come true.maplesugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12465602653208478348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488023216516708286.post-13612907946230849762011-01-26T12:50:00.000-08:002011-01-26T12:57:12.104-08:00SkatengruvenI sort of hesitated to throw down this link into the blog but finally did so because its not new news. I've heard about Skateistan episodically since Oliver Percovich first started it a couple years ago. Its just that now there's a film- Skateistan: four wheels and a board, that is premiering in January at the Santa Barbara Film festival. If I hear more about where to score a copy, I'll let people know- I feel like a lot of skateboarding aficianados would likely be interested in seeing it, especially if they work with youth in skate parks. Ollie down, crew.maplesugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12465602653208478348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488023216516708286.post-61535410093563821942011-01-26T12:09:00.000-08:002011-01-26T12:28:57.966-08:00Vacillations and VaccinationsHeavens, it looks like the world is fair exploding with strange news. Our estimable population of Afghanistan, having barely gotten off its knees in modern times, is now being pulled around by its ears in ever more absurdities.<br /><br /><br />The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi has pledged a hundred million dollars to vaccinate Afghan children. It would be great if there was actually some cash to BUILD something in Afghanistan- Abu Dhabi, is after all, a nation rich in oil and much other material wealth, and all these years people have languished herding goats. People can be forgiven for not actually having thought very much about this region of the world before- its buried in the mountains, covered with snow and ethereal cold, and just generally benighted when it comes to outside access. One positive thing about a war fought by forty-two countries on its terrain is that there could quite possibly be a global reawakening as to this region of the world, the beauty of its people, and its potential. Its overrun by foreign armies and mercenaries, and if anyone is learning about its culture, it is them- and yet many of the soldiers are actually not being listened to when they themselves speak out about civilian casualities and torture within the nation, carried out by their confreres and quite often their masters. Its a sad time to be soldiering in Afghanistan, and its time the world helped them out by giving rise to the voices of those that desperately want to see a sea change in a policies that they have had to give their lifeblood for. It shouldn't be difficult to do- does the world really want to hear the trivial gossip that dominates the news stream today? As one Maritime writer put it- all such and such newspaper reports is that one old woman put a shawl on her head and crossed the road to talk to another old woman. Not to disparage the elderly, or movie stars, but there are REAL stories in Afghanistan. There are men, women and children, who are actually a lot like us. A lot of them are dying, or have died. There are people, who in the words of one traveller have "rights that are a bit of a joke". There is a perserverance that is a testament to the strength of the human spirit. And there is sadness, too, that life has handed them a future that they have had virtually no input in shaping, a destiny that was not theirs to command. And there are some wonderful people who are helping. There are foreign aid workers, there is a foreign press corps, and there are people from all over the world that are regarding this particular region of the world with shock and horror.<br /><br />Things are not always going to be this bad in Afghanistan, of course. But they never should have gotten this way in the first place. And as we focus on how terrible the Afghans are, how "other" they are, how they don't deserve to be heard or to survive, remember this: it could easily have been you. And then do what I do- go out and be a voice that demands that people around you share their good fortune.maplesugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12465602653208478348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488023216516708286.post-91900684077531073832011-01-24T22:26:00.000-08:002011-01-24T22:28:07.206-08:00A lot of people are talking about social media language. <br /><br />I have always told the truth about every single thing that I have said online.<br /><br />Why would anyone not? The truth is crazy enough.maplesugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12465602653208478348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488023216516708286.post-55794208294320771952011-01-19T22:51:00.000-08:002011-01-19T22:54:25.050-08:00<span style="font-style:italic;">The Afghan war continues. Luckily, there is support for withdrawal in Europe- the Dutch are pulling out this year. America, however, needs a nudge. I think we'll see people start to try- this war is totally unjust and beyond horrific. Hang in there, Affy- the momentum is gathering to end this terrible tragedy. This article, by the way, was published today.</span><br /><br />KABUL (Reuters) – Twenty Afghan civilians, including 13 children, were killed by a roadside bomb in southeastern Afghanistan on Wednesday, a senior official said, in the country's deadliest insurgent attack in nearly six months.<br /><br />Violence in Afghanistan is at its worst level since the overthrow of the Taliban by U.S.-backed Afghan forces in late 2001 with record casualties on all sides of the conflict and a raging insurgency that has shown little sign of abating.<br /><br />Ordinary Afghans have taken the brunt of the fighting as they become increasingly caught up in the crossfire.<br /><br />Brigadier General Josef Blotz, senior spokesman for NATO-led forces in Afghanistan, said 13 children and six women were among the dead in Wednesday's attack in Khoshamand district of Paktika, a volatile province south of Kabul, that borders Pakistan.<br /><br />"It is another spike in this brutal Taliban arsenal and tactics and techniques. It is unjustifiable, it is brutal," Blotz said in an interview with Reuters.<br /><br />Earlier reports from Afghan officials said 13 civilians had been killed as they traveled in a motorized rickshaw to the district center for medical treatment. Casualty tolls from such attacks can often increase hours after the incident.<br /><br />The bombing was the bloodiest insurgent attack since July 28 when at least 25 civilians were killed after their bus was hit by a roadside bomb in western Afghanistan.<br /> Complete coverage of Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding on Yahoo! News<br /><br />In the first six months of last year, the deaths of children rose by more than half from the same period of 2009, according to the United Nations. Deaths of women also increased.<br /><br />Afghan President Hamid Karzai condemned the attack calling it "inhumane and un-Islamic."<br /><br />Roadside bombs are by far the deadliest weapon deployed by insurgents and are responsible for most of the casualties among international, Afghan troops as well as civilians.<br /><br />Ordinary Afghans, however, have been hit the hardest. The United Nations said 2,412 civilians were killed and 3,803 others wounded in the first ten months of last year, a 20 percent increase compared to 2009.<br /><br />Dozens of civilians have been killed this month alone.<br /><br />Earlier this month, a suicide bomber killed 17 people, including 16 civilians, inside a public bathhouse in southern Kandahar province.<br /><br />The increased violence around the country has helped to dispel expectations of a winter lull in fighting and military commanders acknowledge militant attacks are up on a year ago.<br /><br />In Gormach district in northern Faryab province, 12insurgents were killed and another six wounded when the homemade bomb they were making, exploded inside a compound overnight, the Interior Ministry said on Wednesday.<br /><br />Four Afghan policemen on patrol were killed when their vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb in southern Zabul province on Tuesday, said Abdul Razziq a senior police official.<br /><br />(Additional reporting by Elyas Wahdat in KHOST and Deborah Lutterbeck in WASHINGTON)<br /><br />(Writing by Hamid Shalizi; Editing by Jonathon Burch and Sanjeev Miglani)maplesugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12465602653208478348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488023216516708286.post-69668098424348057752011-01-19T22:44:00.000-08:002011-01-19T22:47:04.061-08:00<span style="font-style:italic;">This article appeared in Agence France Press today. France has a large number of people that are against the war, according to recent polls. Hopefully, the countries of Europe can come together and enact some pressure to remove troops from this part of the world.<br /></span><br /><br />U.S. may stay in Afghanistan after 2014, Biden says<br /> <br /> <br />By Katherine Haddon, Agence France-Presse January 12, 2011<br /> <br /> <br /><br />The United States is not in Afghanistan to "govern," but will offer support beyond a 2014 security handover if Afghans wanted, visiting U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden told President Hamid Karzai on Tuesday.<br /><br />Speaking after talks with the president in Kabul, Biden said: "We're not leaving if you (Afghans) don't want us to leave."<br /><br />However, he also emphasized that the planned handover of responsibility for security from international troops to Afghan forces in four years, agreed at a NATO summit in November, was on track.<br /><br />"It's not our intention to govern or to nation-build. As President Karzai often points out, this is the responsibility of the Afghan people," Biden told reporters at a news conference.<br /><br />"We stand ready to help you in that effort and we'll continue to stand ready to help you in that effort after 2014."<br /><br />A senior White House official said Biden was not announcing a change in policy.<br /><br />"The vice-president was simply restating for the public what he had said to the president (Karzai), which was that the United States wants an enduring partnership with Afghanistan," the official said.<br /><br />There are about 97,000 United States troops serving in Afghanistan as part of an international force of some 140,000. Limited, conditions-based withdrawals are due to start in July ahead of the scheduled 2014 transition.<br /><br />Biden said Afghanistan was in a "new phase" and insisted that Taliban momentum had been "largely arrested" in key areas such as the southern provinces of Helmand and Kandahar. His comments came despite several recent attacks in the south, seen as the focus of the war, including a suicide bombing at a bath house in Kandahar province last week which killed 17 people.<br /><br />A U.S. official travelling with Biden said the vice-president's trip came at a "pivot point" for the U.S. in Afghanistan, adding it would allow Biden to review progress toward handing responsibility for security to Afghan forces.<br /><br />Biden's trip comes four days after the U.S. announced it was sending an extra 1,400 Marines to southern Afghanistan, seen as the heart of the Taliban insurgency, in a bid to preempt an expected spring offensive in April or May.<br />© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen<br /><br />Read more: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/stay+Afghanistan+after+2014+Biden+says/4095916/story.html#ixzz1BYUqTLJgmaplesugarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12465602653208478348noreply@blogger.com0