The Bear, Lion and Tiger Gang
The Middle East Imbroglio: Selective Outrage & Morality
What was the Muslim response to release of the United Nation’s report on the civil war in Syria condemning it as the greatest human tragedy in decades? A deafening silence! The displacement of 6 million people, the creation of 2 million refugees and the deaths of 200,000 civilians in the space of 3 years did not rate a mention.
This flagrant hypocrisy does not relate solely to Syria’s heinous crimes but also to the whole of the Middle East. What has been the Arab response to the genocidal actions of the ISIS forces against the Iraqi Yazidi Sect. In fact why has Adam Habib, a vocal support of the Palestinian cause, not issued a sharp rebuke to Abu Bakr al-Bagdahi’s forces for the mayhem, death & destruction caused by their forces against a peace-loving Sunni sect. It was left to the “hated imperialist” American air force to prevent the ultimate slaughter of the Yazidis in their mountain fastnesses.
Cute Animal Photographs
To me all animals especially young ones are cute. This set of photographs showcases young animals demanding and receiving TLC. How one can abuse animals is beyond me.
How does one Handle the Loss of a Loved One especially a Child?
Heaven forbid that I would have to lose a child especially one who is still very young. How would I cope with it? Hopefully I will not react like this mother on 702 Talk Radio.
This topic is one that most of us do not even dwell on for a second as if the maxim “out of sight out of mind” would automatically apply. Perhaps one is forced to contemplate this eventually if one reads about this occurring. Aside from the fact that it is the death of a child, one cannot possibly imagine what those other parents are enduring. By imagine I mean to be in their shoes and not some bystander or some passer-by.
The Extent of China’s Pollution Problem in Pictures
Rampant growth without a commensurate focus on pollution control and standards has rapidly created the sobriquet, The Dirtiest Country on the Earth. The Olympics in Beijing in 2008 highlighted the extent of the problem albeit only one aspect thereof: smog.
Economic growth does come at a cost. Being the most populous country on earth, even the upliftment of 300 million people from penury into the middle class has scared the countryside. Imagine what will happen when the next billion people become middle class with aspirations for cars and household appliances. Without urgent changes such as pollution standards and the use of renewable energy, an imminent catastrophe will befall China and ultimately the world. China burns around half the world’s coal, reaching 3.8 billion tons in 2011.
The main picture highlights the fact that air pollution has become so problematic that school and work closures due to smog are a regular occurrence in major cities.
First it was Malema’s “Kill for Zuma”, now the ANC’s “Kill Malema”
Instead of the “over-exuberant youth” that the ANC labelled the uncouth ANCYL Leader, Malema has now become enemy #1 for the ANC. The ANC’s true colours are revealed in the spat between itself and the EFF about bringing Parliament into disrepute.
Among the multitude of mendacious traits of the ANC such as having a culture of impunity, is that they define their opponents not as rivals but as the enemy. I contend that it is this milieu that is at the root of such repugnant comments that Malema made whilst head of the ANCYL.
D-Day: Then and Now
D-Day was the largest military operation ever in history. Maybe this is not true as regards the sheer number of men involved but more so in terms of the amount of equipment: ships, tanks and aircraft. Not only that but the area into which these forces were operating was a mere 70kms as compared with 1500kms on the Eastern Front.
This was the Second Front that the Russians had been demanding since 1942. Whereas the Americans and the British understood that a naval landing into the heart of German controlled France would result in a titanic struggle which if unsuccessful would set back the Allies plans for the ultimate defeat of the Germans by years, if not forever.
Can a Tarot Card Reader Answer a Troubling Question?
In the terminal stages of breast cancer, my mother-in-law was placed in a hospice. Barely two days later, she was dead. Was there any nefarious reason for her precipitous demise?
Before I commence the blog, may I make an admission? Neither am I religious nor am I spiritualist. In fact, those that know me will attest to the fact that my views are diametrically opposed to such beliefs being both an atheist and profoundly sceptical of spiritual forces.
Vintage Cuba prior to Castro’s Ascendance to Power
This series of photographs by Ramiro Fernandez entitled Cuba Then highlights the cosmopolitan character of pre Castro’s austere Cuba. From an undemocratic dictatorship with a teeming mass of illiterate unemployed fun-loving people, Castro effectively transformed Cuba into an undemocratic socialist dictatorship under his personal control and a dour shackled people. The teeming mass were provided with low paying jobs with no promotion prospects and no chance of freedom.
Pedestrian Crossings in China
