The Google Toilet

To Hell With Afrikaans !

(Source: Google)

"Each generation must, out of relative obscurity, discover its mission, fulfill it, or betray it."
- Frantz Fanon

The Soweto Uprising, also known as "June 16", was a series of student-led protests in South Africa that began on the morning of June 16, 1976. Students from many Soweto schools began to protest in response to the introduction of Afrikaans as the medium of instruction in local schools. An estimated 20 000 students took part in the protests. 

The accounts of how many people died vary from 200 to 600 ,with Reuters news agency currently reporting there were "more than 500" fatalities in the 1976 riots . The original government figure claimed only 23 students were killed. The number of wounded was estimated to be over a thousand men, women, and children. it was later found that most of the wounds recieved by the protestors where in the back clearly indicating that the majority of the victims where running away.

The Rift Widens

There I was, standing on the east African shore, pondering piracy and wondering if climate change and the natural disasters elsewhere in the world had anything to do with the unusual rough seas and exceptionally high tide, when I heard the beep signalling a message on my phone. My thoughts, staying with natural disasters, twisted slightly:

You've heard the old adage: If a tree falls in a forest and no one hears it, does it still make a sound . . .
Now I wonder if a natural disaster happens in Africa, and CNN is not there to report it, is it still newsworthy?
Apparently not. Of course the news power houses will argue that they are restricted from reporting from Eritrea, as the government has stringent regulatory measures for foreigners and reporters but the fact of the matter is that Eritrea was struck by a series of Quakes this past weekend, the highest apparently being close to 6 on the richter. The seismic activity triggered the eruption of a previously dormant volcano in the Rift Valley, named Nabro that has been spewing ash up to 13 metres high and most air traffic in east Africa and the Arabian peninsula has been affected.

This hasn't made news probably because it isn't a Chilean disaster affecting Caucasian new zealanders or an Icelandic unpronouceable freak show landing traffic in Europe.
No, this is just some pathetic pariah spoiler state that is more like a wart in the side of Americas darling Ethiopia. Oh but wait! Poor Hillary has to cut short her trip to Addis! And there I was thinking someone actually cared if some Habashis and Afaris are displaced or if flights can't land in Asmara or take off from entebbe? (for ignorant American reader, these are places in Africa, yes it's a big ass continent larger than your supersize me MacD's)
This is Africa, sub species dont deserve the same coverage as the fairer race! As it is, these monkeys breed like rabbits! Besides, we weren't planning a summer safari in Africa this year anyway!

My Pet...

(Picture: google)

The snow leopard (Uncia uncia or Panthera uncia) is native to the mountain ranges of South & Central Asia. They live between 3,000 and 5,500 metres above sea level in the rocky mountain ranges of Central Asia. Their secretive nature means that their exact numbers are unknown, but it has been estimated that between 3,500 and 7,000 snow leopards exist in the wild. Snow leopards cannot roar.

The World's Greatest...(Z's Exam Anthem)

Let's pretend....

... that the proposed resolution that the P3 (USA, France & UK) are pushing for to "protect   
    civilians" in Syria isn't a repeat of the "all necessary measures" Libya resolution (1973)

... that Israel isn't the real drafter of the resolution 

... that this isn't a way to take out Assad and take over Al Sham

... that the crusades ever ended

... that Israel gave up on the idea of river to river (from nile to euphrates)

... that the resolution on Syria is not really about Palestinian statehood

Fulani Women Of West Africa

                                            

(Picture Source: Google)

The Bureaucratisation Of Numbers

Last week while watching the kick off to the extremely, impotent Bosnian Butcher war tribunals and leaving aside the shock and horror I felt at the fact that, Mladic - who is due to stand trial on charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity for his key role in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre and other atrocities during the war in Bosnia- will continue to receive his monthly pension payments. It appears that the world pays for bad behaviour. Thus far he has pocketed about $72000 and counting. I guess Justice is a word better served to the poor and the non- European.

I got to thinking about the news in general and how one cannot help but wonder whether news watchers are sadists. We’re like those old aunties that press away at their little electronic tasbeeh counters the only difference being that we aren’t counting prayers. Or maybe we’re more like vampires (and here I don’t mean the effeminate high fashion meets Gucci model pasty white, Twilight types but the blood and gore thirsty monster types).

We seem to love counting the dead, the tortured, the raped and the wounded and the higher the numbers the better. Even as you read this, stories of the mass rapes in the Congo are making news editors drool even though the rest of the fighting and displacement has had dismal coverage in the global media.

The tragedy of course is that we never seem to go beyond the numbers to the fact that every digit represents an actual LIFE. Its history, hopes, dreams, love stories and its undone and unsaid. Apparently some philosopher’s already thought of this (man these guys leave nothing unnamed), it’s called the bureaucratisation of numbers*.

So no matter what the struggle or the circumstances were and no matter who you were or what you believed in, the only thing that will matter in the end is the number your corpse gets... a fitting memorial don't you think?

*Hannah Arendt (October 14, 1906 – December 4, 1975)

The Berkutchi Of Kyrgyzstan

(Picture:fuckyeahinternational.tumblr.com)

Every year in late August, Kyrgyzstan natives hold a hunting festival to revere the golden eagle. Eagle trainers known as “Berkutchi” are highly respected. Golden eagles play a vital role in aiding hunters and shepherds, as eagles control the foxes that hunt flocks.

Never Be Daunted...