RIP, Jack Layton. Your passion is an inspiration.
Best. Picture. Ever. Jack Layton and Olivia Chow at Pride Toronto, 2005. Just love this pic. Sums up everything amazing about Jack and Olivia.
Photo Credit: Aaron Harris/Canadian Press
The decline of Asian marriage: Asia’s lonely hearts | The Economist
In some places, rates of non-marriage are especially striking: in Bangkok, 20% of 40-44-year old women are not married; in Tokyo, 21%; among university graduates of that age in Singapore, 27%. So far, the trend has not affected Asia’s two giants, China and India.
Twenty years ago a debate erupted about whether there were specific “Asian values”. Most attention focused on dubious claims by autocrats that democracy was not among them. But a more intriguing, if less noticed, argument was that traditional family values were stronger in Asia than in America and Europe, and that this partly accounted for Asia’s economic success. In the words of Lee Kuan Yew, former prime minister of Singapore and a keen advocate of Asian values, the Chinese family encouraged “scholarship and hard work and thrift and deferment of present enjoyment for future gain”.
Kimchi vegan butter: an entity I never thought would exist.
Kimchi Vegan Butter by Veganbaking.net on Flickr.
“I would like to be president some day, so, no, I have not smoked marijuana. I ate a brownie once. At a party in college. It was intense. It was kind of indescribable, actually. I felt like I was floating. Turns out there wasn’t any pot in the brownie. It was just an insanely good brownie.”
KITTY BOMB IN ARTWORKS = YES.
oh my god oh my god oh my god!!!!!!!!!!!!
heart be still
cat spam.
cat lady forever!
(Source: fauxford)
Just finished this book of essays by Jang Seok-Joo, which contained a series of reflections he wrote each morning during 4 seasons over the course of a year, divided by 4 seasons (ending in spring). Every time I read in Korean, I am struck by just how different it is than English in its penchant for metaphors. Favourite quote (pardon my translation): “poetry must capture a universe in its small plate, and show the eternity in an instant.”
![paradelle:
androphilia:
Tragic Day for Norway; Shameful Day for Journalism | Jadaliyya
by Shiva Balaghi
July 23, 2011
A friend’s status update on FB alerted me that something horrible had happened in Oslo. Horrible things tend to not happen in Oslo, so I immediately turned to the news to learn what was going on. I read a story in the New York Times that squarely pointed to jihadi groups angered at the war in Afghanistan. The expert the Times cited was Will McCants. I checked in on his twitter feed throughout the day, as he allegedly translated an alleged website by the alleged terrorists responsible for the attacks in Norway. Throughout the day, he translated Arabic phrases from a forum about the type of explosives used, car chases through Oslo and arrests, etc. And thus the NYT let the story become one of Muslim terrorists creating the worst destruction on Norway since WWII.
Hitler invaded Norway in April 1940. It was a strategic link to Sweden’s iron ore mines and the Allies’ main supply route to Stalin’s Russia. Once Norway was blocked, Iran was invaded and occupied by Russia to the north and Britain from the east and south to create a land bridge. As Churchill wrote to Stalin, the British and the Russians joined hands across Iran. As it turns out, the worst attack on Norway since Hitler’s invasion was actually carried out by a neo-Nazi. This attack was about Europe’s own ghosts.
The Financial Times was no better. From the start, it reported allegations of Islamic terrorism, continuing with this view well into its evening reporting by which time an arrest had already been made in the case. Briefly discussing possibilities of neo-Nazi terrorism, the FT continued to cite terrorism experts who spoke convincingly of the attack at the youth camp being carried out by “someone willing to sacrifice his life” thereto a Muslim extremist. The FT then devoted considerable space to tracing the history of Islamic terror attacks in Nordic countries since 2005. Other than their anger at Muslim immigrants, the FT left us with little information on who these neo-Nazi groups were and why they’d want to massacre their own brethren.
Judy Woodruff’s interview with a Norwegian journalist that aired on PBS’s Newshour followed a similar scenario. We did learn that “a 32 years old white Norwegian guy [sic]” had been arrested for presumably having carried out the bombings and the shootings.” But no information was provided on the attackers motivations or political affiliation; Woodruff simply doesn’t ask those questions. Who forms the neo-Nazi movement in Norway? What are their party affiliations, their platform? Instead of these pressing questions, she asked about the history of terrorism in Norway that focused the rest of the interview on Norway’s like Sri Lanka, Sudan, Libya, and Afghanistan. As a member of NATO, we are told Norway has “forces in international military operations.” It’s time the US press stop using euphemisms for war. Norway is—as an active member of NATO—at war in Libya and Afghanistan.
But those wars aren’t why the city has a gaping wound in it today. Today a white 32 year old Norwegian detonated a bomb outside the prime minister’s office. He then traveled 45 minutes to the island of Utoya to a youth camp for the country’s Labour Party. Dressed as a police officer, he shot indiscriminately, kicking the wounded to check if they were alive before shooting them dead. Norwegian police said the attack had “catastrophic dimensions.”
In this 24/7 news cycle driven even more mad terror experts who conduct research using google and tweet a mile a minute, journalists should exercise caution. It’s ok to report a breaking news story and provide verifiable information over time. And as consumers of news, we need always exercise caution. The Murdoch fiasco has laid bare how the media can be manipulated for political purposes and financial gain.
As Norwegians sift through the debris, mourn their dead, and get accustomed to a new normal, they will need to conduct an honest national dialogue. Perhaps today the neo-Nazis in Europe count Muslims among the problems that drive their madness. But to a large degree, these right wing extremist views shaped 20th century Europe. It’s time for a European reckoning of its own history of violence that has bled into the present in such painful ways.
Image: A passer-by comforts an injured woman after a powerful explosion rocked central Oslo July 22, 2011. (Reuters)
Just adding: the New York Times top story also includes American counterterrorism sources, citing researchers who’ve said, “If it does turn out to be someone with more political motivations, it shows these groups are learning from what they see from Al Qaeda.” Further,
Terrorism specialists said that even if the authorities ultimately ruled out Islamic terrorism as the cause of Friday’s assaults, other kinds of groups or individuals were mimicking Al Qaeda’s brutality and multiple attacks.
Despite having no evidence, not even reaching evidence, these attacks have had remotely anything to do with Islamic fundamentalism, the otherizing-Islam narrative has not and will not change. Even if the terrorist involved was a neo-Nazi anti-Islamic Norway native.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_los3d7JFV21qb5wbbo1_500.jpg)
Tragic Day for Norway; Shameful Day for Journalism | Jadaliyya
A friend’s status update on FB alerted me that something horrible had happened in Oslo. Horrible things tend to not happen in Oslo, so I immediately turned to the news to learn what was going on. I read a story in the New York Times that squarely pointed to jihadi groups angered at the war in Afghanistan. The expert the Times cited was Will McCants. I checked in on his twitter feed throughout the day, as he allegedly translated an alleged website by the alleged terrorists responsible for the attacks in Norway. Throughout the day, he translated Arabic phrases from a forum about the type of explosives used, car chases through Oslo and arrests, etc. And thus the NYT let the story become one of Muslim terrorists creating the worst destruction on Norway since WWII.
Hitler invaded Norway in April 1940. It was a strategic link to Sweden’s iron ore mines and the Allies’ main supply route to Stalin’s Russia. Once Norway was blocked, Iran was invaded and occupied by Russia to the north and Britain from the east and south to create a land bridge. As Churchill wrote to Stalin, the British and the Russians joined hands across Iran. As it turns out, the worst attack on Norway since Hitler’s invasion was actually carried out by a neo-Nazi. This attack was about Europe’s own ghosts.
The Financial Times was no better. From the start, it reported allegations of Islamic terrorism, continuing with this view well into its evening reporting by which time an arrest had already been made in the case. Briefly discussing possibilities of neo-Nazi terrorism, the FT continued to cite terrorism experts who spoke convincingly of the attack at the youth camp being carried out by “someone willing to sacrifice his life” thereto a Muslim extremist. The FT then devoted considerable space to tracing the history of Islamic terror attacks in Nordic countries since 2005. Other than their anger at Muslim immigrants, the FT left us with little information on who these neo-Nazi groups were and why they’d want to massacre their own brethren.
Judy Woodruff’s interview with a Norwegian journalist that aired on PBS’s Newshour followed a similar scenario. We did learn that “a 32 years old white Norwegian guy [sic]” had been arrested for presumably having carried out the bombings and the shootings.” But no information was provided on the attackers motivations or political affiliation; Woodruff simply doesn’t ask those questions. Who forms the neo-Nazi movement in Norway? What are their party affiliations, their platform? Instead of these pressing questions, she asked about the history of terrorism in Norway that focused the rest of the interview on Norway’s like Sri Lanka, Sudan, Libya, and Afghanistan. As a member of NATO, we are told Norway has “forces in international military operations.” It’s time the US press stop using euphemisms for war. Norway is—as an active member of NATO—at war in Libya and Afghanistan.
But those wars aren’t why the city has a gaping wound in it today. Today a white 32 year old Norwegian detonated a bomb outside the prime minister’s office. He then traveled 45 minutes to the island of Utoya to a youth camp for the country’s Labour Party. Dressed as a police officer, he shot indiscriminately, kicking the wounded to check if they were alive before shooting them dead. Norwegian police said the attack had “catastrophic dimensions.”
In this 24/7 news cycle driven even more mad terror experts who conduct research using google and tweet a mile a minute, journalists should exercise caution. It’s ok to report a breaking news story and provide verifiable information over time. And as consumers of news, we need always exercise caution. The Murdoch fiasco has laid bare how the media can be manipulated for political purposes and financial gain.
As Norwegians sift through the debris, mourn their dead, and get accustomed to a new normal, they will need to conduct an honest national dialogue. Perhaps today the neo-Nazis in Europe count Muslims among the problems that drive their madness. But to a large degree, these right wing extremist views shaped 20th century Europe. It’s time for a European reckoning of its own history of violence that has bled into the present in such painful ways.
Image: A passer-by comforts an injured woman after a powerful explosion rocked central Oslo July 22, 2011. (Reuters)
Just adding: the New York Times top story also includes American counterterrorism sources, citing researchers who’ve said, “If it does turn out to be someone with more political motivations, it shows these groups are learning from what they see from Al Qaeda.” Further,
Terrorism specialists said that even if the authorities ultimately ruled out Islamic terrorism as the cause of Friday’s assaults, other kinds of groups or individuals were mimicking Al Qaeda’s brutality and multiple attacks.
Despite having no evidence, not even reaching evidence, these attacks have had remotely anything to do with Islamic fundamentalism, the otherizing-Islam narrative has not and will not change. Even if the terrorist involved was a neo-Nazi anti-Islamic Norway native.
Montreal, you’re all right. (Taken with picplz.)
