Having spent the last month on call and squashing in preparation for dreary exams where possible, it’s been admittedly hard to keep up what’s happened in the world.
Though it’s possible to generalize the experience and not be too off the mark, right?
-Political upheaval somewhere.
-An accident– tragic in it’s preventability or because of the number of lives claimed (I know, even one life is tragic…but you can’t deny numbers are always quoted).
-A celebrity doing something infamous or getting bashed. Or dying.
-An act of terrorism.
-Something that’s just been proved to be good for your health. Or bad.
It was still worthwhile to look through though. And while finding items under the above categories might be discouraging, the added randomness of what people do adds an element of hope to this thing called life.
Here are a bunch of articles on the New York Times website that caught my eye this morning.
The Legacy of 18 days in Tahrir square
Even in my isolated state it was hard not to be aware of what was happening in Egypt. TV images were hard to escape. The fuss made over American journalists being roughed up by protestors. Scenes of battles between the protestors and pro-Mubarak forces. And the eventual stepping down of Hosni Mubarak after 30 years of repression.
What’s interesting is how this seems to have sparked off protests in other parts of the Arab world.
Pearl Roundabout, in Manama, saw Bahrainis adopt their own version of the uprising in Tahrir square. The Bahraini army opened fire at protestors of the regimen under King Hamad. And the army withdrew. Only to be replaced by riot police who also fired at protestors?
More recently the uprising in Libya that Gaddafi’s trying to stamp out. And again in Tripoli the army opened fire on civilian protestors.
Now, maybe I missed it but this didn’t happen in Egypt did it?
Even in China, winds of change seem to blow….with calls over various media routes to a ‘Jasmine Revolution’ and the anticipatory ‘amp’ed up police presence.
Anyone else thinking of phrases like ‘the domino effect’ and ‘change begets change’? And perhaps a moment to think about how precious freedom really is.
And now I’m going to move on before wondering what freedom really means. But perhaps it’s worth discussing later seeing as people are prepared to lay down their lives for it. And the question whether we really do live in freedom? Later.
The Siren Song of the Bath Toy
Now this is joyously random. Or at least it seems random to me.
A former teacher turned writer, Donovan Hohn, wrote a book inspired by the ‘Duck Armada’ fable. Apparently in 1992, a container ship sailing south of the Aleutians lost part of its cargo as it took a roll in the seas.
The lost cargo being 7200 packs of bathtub toys.
Each pack including a yellow rubber duck.
His book being titled ‘Moby-Duck’.
I love it. How can you not?!
His research for the book has taken him to Alaska where beachcombers have for more than fifteen years raked in the rubber duckies that floated ashore, to Hawaii to visit a floating garbage patch and to the Pearl River Delta in China where the lost toys were originally made under the name ‘Floatees’.
I don’t know for sure but I think I’m going to read that book. If for nothing else because I haven’t yet read Moby Dick and this sounds less onerous.
Perry Moore, Author of Book About Gay Super hero, Dies at 39
Mr.Moore, apart from feeling strongly about the need for positive portrayal of gay superheroes also was the executive producer of all three Narnia movies that have come out so far.
He was found unconscious in his apartment in Greenwich Village.
“But Mr.Moore, who was gay, had a more personal mission; although he was glad that comic books had been introducing gay superheroes for some time, he wanted to see them in a better light.”
He wrote a book called “Hero” about a gay superhero called Thom Creed.
Portrait of Spy Agency leaves Much in Shadow
James Hart Dyke was commissioned to spend a year following and sketching M16 agents in the field. The United Kingdom’s M16, also known as the Secret Intelligence Services recently observed centenary celebrations in 2009 as the ‘western world’s longest continuously operational intelligence’.
Are you thinking what I’m thinking? Is there one that’s run for longer in the non-Western world?? Or am I being tangential again.
Anyway, his work apparently still manages to preserve secrecy and anonymity while portraying M16 agents at work.
The paintings sport titles such as “Spy passes by” , “Agent giving information to SIS officer”, “Being followed.Africa.” “Ice Breaker”.
The painting that seemed to be a favorite at his exhibition is called “Waiting in the Hotel Room” and depicts an agent lingering tensely at the hotel room window.
I find it exciting….but then I want to be a secret agent. Yeah, I said it. Does it mean I can’t be one anymore?
Warm Nights, Cold Noses
OK, I love this article and submit it for consideration to those concerned as proof that I should have a dog. Or a pig.
A study by the CDC approximated that between 14-62% (?) of the 165 million dogs and cats in the United States sleep in beds with humans. The physical contact with “an unconditionally loving animal is an emotional balm”. Anyone else ready to fess up to feeling destroyed at the scene in I am Legend when the dog died in Will Smith’s arms? Or when Marley died? OK, tangential…I get it.
So maybe I won’t get a pig.
Though a teensy 16 pound pig…doesn’t that pull at your heart strings just a little bit? I don't know...I just loved Piglet the best. Or was it Eyore?
But I can understand the logic behind all of this. For the 6 years I lived in Bangalore my dog Pepe always slept in my bed. And it was the most comforting thing ever. Four years later and I still haven’t gotten used to him not being around. And I miss it…even the times I woke up dreaming I was drowning just to find his lip flap covering my nose. Or the times he jumped on my stomach in an attempt fuelled by unrestrained joy to find out who was at the door.
I respectfully reassert that I need another dog.
There are more but I’m tired of writing. Gasp. Yes, I’m a wimpy blogger.
I guess what I want to say is, sure, sometimes we know what we’re going to find in the news. Different places and people fitting into the same general ‘slots’ of news. But don’t tell me it isn’t possible to find hope in these stories. Because if you don’t, you miss what these people are doing. There’s sadness for sure in some of these stories. But there’s also a hint at the uncontrollable, irrepressible force of life. That’s reason for hope is it not?
