Today, as I go about my tasks, I’ll think about: How often do I have the kind of day when I feel I hold the world on a string? The moment I feel this way is the moment when I am most in control of the events in my life: most in control of what I am doing, most in control in my relationships with others.
When I was a university student, possibly the most common political slogan I remember was Free Nelson Mandela. Apartheid was a South African policy since before I was born and Nelson Mandela was imprisoned in 1962 I was six. I would see my 34th birthday before Mandela would walk free again.
And in that same year Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest in Myanmar. The placards and posters now read Free Aung San Suu Kyi. It is way past time that she be again free.
When the Elders meet in South Africa on Monday to begin marking the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, one of their number will not be in attendance.
The international trouble-shooting team of world-renowned figures – including Nelson Mandela and Mary Robinson – will use its substantial collective experience to tackle global crises. Yet one figure – who has campaigned tirelessly for human rights – will be unable to add her expertise.
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi remains under house arrest in Myanmar (formerly Burma), where she has been for 12 of the past 18 years.
Here we are, 59 years after, on the eve of celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and too little has changed.
How do you think the world ought to mark this milestone?
I’m constantly tossing interesting websites into what I call my blogpile. Some of them find their way here in the form of regular posts, but more often than not they languish and get buried deeper in the pile. The end result is that I have to go back and do a bit of shoveling. Today’s item is How coffee played a role in the American Civil War.
Part of being a good citizen of the blogosphere is visiting, reading and, most importantly, taking the time to leave a comment on other’s blogs. It’s all about the conversation. In the interest of setting an example I’ve decided to link to those blog posts that have compelled me to leave a comment.
Doug Traversa: The massive snows of the winter led to equally massive melting of snow in the spring. As a result of all this runoff, Hamid”s house was slowly sliding down the mountainside it was situated on. Apparently the walls were starting to separate, and the mud brick wall that surrounded his yard was also suffering damage. I questioned him about…
A few days ago I read a story about a woman shopping in Tower City who was instructed that she couldn’t have the hood of her jacket up. I can’t find the original story (anyone out there remember it?) and I’m still looking, but when I saw this story in the London Times my first thought was: watch out Tower City.
They look less like hoodies than “burqas for the boys”. A jacket that conceals the head and face, leaving two “goggle-slots” to see through, is becoming the latest fashion craze to hit the streets.
The intimidating look has been borrowed from Italian couture, where it was created in the 1980s in homage to the protective gear worn by drivers in the Mille Miglia, the endurance race which started in the 1920s.
Police and community groups are concerned that the “goggle jackets” will become the next uniform of Asbo culture.
Brian Paddick, a former senior officer at the Metropolitan police and now a London mayoral candidate, said: “The trouble in society is not just crime but the fear of crime, and this new jacket is enough to give anyone a shiver down their spine.”
The Italian version of the jackets still sells at about £600 in the West End store of CP Company, an Italian couture brand. But this season high street brands like Projekts NYC are selling them for £50. They mostly come in dark colours.
At Arrival, a clothes shop in South Shields, Tyne & Wear, owner Marc Chapman cannot keep up with demand. “I must have sold about 40 jackets in the past fortnight,” he said.
“Even girls are coming in to buy them, although this is a men”s store.”
How paranoid are you?
Kiriakou said he now has mixed feelings about the use of waterboarding. He said that he thinks the technique provided a crucial break to the CIA and probably helped prevent attacks, but that he is now convinced that waterboarding is torture, and “Americans are better than that.” “Maybe that’s inconsistent, but that’s how I feel,” he said. “It was an ugly little episode that was perhaps necessary at that time. But we’ve moved beyond that.” John Kiriakou
I could never bring myself to forward all the email jokes, cartoons and other Internet comedy that land in my inbox. But then I started posting the ones my dad sends me. Judging from my comments and emails, my dad has become one of my greatest blogging assets. So for your morning blog chuckle I present: From My Dad.
Six retired Floridians were playing poker in the condo clubhouse when Meyerwitz loses $500 on a single hand, clutches his chest, and drops dead at the table.
Showing respect for their fallen comrade, the other five continue playing standi ng up.
Finklestien looks around and asks, “So, who’s gonna tell his wife?”
They cut the cards. Goldberg picks the two of clubs and has to carry the news.
They tell him to be discreet, be gentle, don’t make a bad situation any worse.
“Discreet? I’m the most discreet person you’ll ever meet. Discretion is my middle name. Leave it to me.”
Goldberg goes over to the Meyerwitz apartment and knocks on the door.
The wife answers thru the door and asks what he wants?
Goldberg declares: “Your husband just lost $500 in a poker game and is afraid to come home.”
“Tell him to drop dead!” yells the wife.
“I’ll go tell him.” says Goldberg
A century ago Ireland was a nation still fighting for self-determination and freedom. Today, after winning its independence, Ireland, as a free and democratic nation, has become a haven with open its door for people from all over the world fleeing military dictators and oppression like that in Myanmar.
From The Irish Times:
A second group of refugees from Burma have begun a new life in Co Mayo under a UN refugee resettlement programme.
Some 45 men, women and children have now joined 52 other refugees who arrived in mid-September. The latest group will be accommodated for eight weeks in an orientation centre in Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo before being permanently resettled in Castlebar.
The refugees have been living in the Ban Don Yang camp on the Burma/Thai border for the past ten years. They were recommended for inclusion in the Government’s resettlement programme by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Ireland is only one of six European countries that participates in the initiative. Burma’s military regime came under the international spotlight in September after it attempted to clamp down on massive pro-democracy marches led by Buddhist monks.
[I’m amazed at how difficult it has been to find a list of the five other countries. I’ve spent nearly 20 minutes searching on the net with no luck. JH]
The Integration Unit in the Department of Justice said resettlement is considered only as a last resort when all other options for these refugees have been considered.
“Most refugees hope to return to their country of origin to rebuild their lives and when that option is not available their second preferred option is to rebuild their lives in familiar surroundings in another country in the region,” a spokesman said.
Department of Justice officials travelled to the Burma/Thai border in June to meet the refugees and organise their travel plans. Last year 180 Iranian Kurds arrived from a refugee camp in Jordan and were resettled successfully in Sligo, Carrick-on-Shannon and Mullingar.
If everyone were able to flee military dictators, what would the dictators do?
My name is Jeff Hess and I’m a biblioholic. I own hundreds of books. Not valuable books, mostly Science Fiction paperbacks and text books, tomes rescued by the bag from library book sales. A few years ago, in the interest of not burying myself, I began reading more books from the library and taking notes. My electronic chapbook was born.
This is a passage I copied from A Poetry Handbook: a Prose Guide to Understanding and Writing Poetry. by Mary Oliver
Semivowel are consonants that can be imperfectly sounded without a vowel so that at the end of a syllable they may be protracted. As l, n and z in al, an and az. The semivowels are f, h, j, l, m, n, r, s, v, w, x, y, z and c and g soft. But w or y at the end of a syllable are vowels.
And the sound of c, f, g, h , j, s or x can be protracted only as an aspirate, or strong breath. Four of the semivowels – l, m, n and r – are termed liquids, on account of the fluency of their sounds. Four other semivowels – v, w, y and z – are likewise more vocal than the aspirates.
Today, as I go about my tasks, I’ll think about: In your early-morning planning period, concentrate on the evidence of the efficacy of faith. There are four kinds of evidence. Apply them in your early-morning planning period to secure the essential assurance you need for goal achievement:
Think of achievements in the past that relate to your goals.
Imagine yourself performing the steps needed to achieve your goal.
Identify with a successful model.
Seek additional affirmation from a power higher than yourself. p. 161-4
What follows is not light morning reading. For some reason that I am not sure of, this story had landed in my blogpile, but I knew that it needed the exposure of my Myanmar posts. South eastern Asia have different standards than we in the United States and Europe, but when the generals profit, I have no problem being in the opposition.
From The Guardian:
This is a side of life the Burmese military junta might prefer you did not see: girls who appear to be 13 and 14 years old paraded in front of customers at a nightclub where a beauty contest thinly veils child prostitution. Tottering in stiletto heels and miniskirts, young teenage girls criss-crossed the dance-floor as part of a nightly “modelling” show at the Asia Entertainment City nightclub on a recent evening in Rangoon.
Some girls stared at the floor while others tugged self-consciously on short hemlines, stretching the flimsy material a few centimetres longer as they catwalked awkwardly to the accompaniment of blasting hip-hop music.
Watching these young entertainers of the “Cherry-Sexy Girls” model groups were a few male customers, and a far larger crowd of Burmese sex workers, mostly in their late teens and early 20s, who sat at low tables in the darkness of the club.
Escorting several girls to a nearby table of young men, a waiter said the show was not so much modelling as marketing. “All the models are available,” the waiter said, adding that the youngest girls ask $100 (£48.50) to spend a night with a customer, while the older girls and young women in the audience could be bargained down for a lot less.
[Snip…]
It would seem that prostitution is one of the few things the Burmese military, fresh from its recent crushing of pro-democracy demonstrations by Buddhist monks, is still willing to tolerate.
What are you willing to tolerate?
I’m constantly tossing interesting websites into what I call my blogpile. Some of them find their way here in the form of regular posts, but more often than not they languish and get buried deeper in the pile. The end result is that I have to go back and do a bit of shoveling. Today’s item is A geriatric assault on Italy’s bloggers.
To celebrate the festival of fried foods known as Hanukkah, we had a few friends over last night for a dinner party. The theme: eight days, eight friends, eight courses. Each course containing a singularly seasonally appropriate ingredient: olive oil.
Herewith the Iron Chef Millman’s Chanukah feast menu:
Appetizer: potato latkes three-ways:
with matjes herring and shiso leaf;
with apple-ginger compote and hot pepper preserve;
with creme fraiche and trout roe
Soup: salsify soup with mushroom-leek kreplach and truffle oil
Salad: fennel and arugula salad with preserved lemon and white anchovies
Primo: risotto with gorgonzola and red pears, garnished with fried sage and an olive oil ice cube
Intermezzo: apple and celery granita topped with wasabi and olive oil and garnished with a gooseberry
Secondo: tuna steak poached in olive oil and fritto misto of endive and broccoli rabe
Cheese: array of Spanish and French cheeses served with a variety of olive oils, Marcona almonds, and dried fruit
Dessert: orange, almond and olive oil cake with olive oil ice cream
Recipes available as always upon request. Noah Millman
Soldierswife: Today I was reading a book that brought back some memories of Husband’s deployment. It was talking about soldiers going to the showers after an explosion near the base had woken everyone up. I remember A.S.* telling me how he would shower every few days. I would joke with him about how gross that sounded. And he would assure me he…
A week from Wednesday I’m looking forward to getting together with my Cleveland blogbuddies at the monthly Blogger MeetUp (or blopup, as one friend refers to it) at the Arabica on E. 185th. But before I do, I’ll be swinging by the Steelyard Commons Wal-Mart for a candle light vigil sponsored by Jobs With Justice.
We believe Wal-Mart, as America’s largest private Employer, has a moral responsibility to raise the standard for its’ workers, customers, communities and America.
In addition, the seemingly endless recalls of dangerous made-in-China products raise serious questions about Wal-Mart’s cozy relationship with China.
Join Cleveland Jobs With Justice along with members of the community, religious leaders, faith groups, labor, workers, allies and supporters in sending Wal-Mart a strong message to become a responsible employer!
4:30 Wednesday, December 19 at the Steelyard Commons Wal-Mart, 3400 Steelyard Drive, Cleveland. Meet in the parking lot of Home Depot around 4:15 p.m.
For more information contact Mike Martino (UFCW Local 880) at 800-241-5930
Will I see you there?
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