As Laura Ling and Euna Lee celebrated their freedom and thanked Bill Clinton for his rescue mission on Wednesday, harrowing details of their ordeal as North Korean prisoners emerged. They didn't have to break rocks, just eat them.
Prison food was rice peppered with rocks. They were held in isolation from each other, gripped by fear that they would be shipped to one of the infamous hard-labor gulags in Kim Jong Il's Communist state.
"The past 140 days have been the most difficult, heart-wrenching time of our lives," Ling said, choking back sobs just moments after the two journalists were reunited with their families.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Monday, August 3, 2009
The Economist: Whats ails the Arabs
WHAT ails the Arabs? The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) this week published the fifth in a series of hard-hitting reports on the state of the Arab world. It makes depressing reading. The Arabs are a dynamic and inventive people whose long and proud history includes fabulous contributions to art, culture, science and, of course, religion. The score of modern Arab states, on the other hand, have been impressive mainly for their consistent record of failure.
They have, for a start, failed to make their people free: six Arab countries have an outright ban on political parties and the rest restrict them slyly. They have failed to make their people rich: despite their oil, the UN reports that about two out of five people in the Arab world live on $2 or less a day. They have failed to keep their people safe: the report argues that overpowerful internal security forces often turn the Arab state into a menace to its own people. And they are about to fail their young people. The UNDP reckons the Arab world must create 50m new jobs by 2020 to accommodate a growing, youthful workforce—virtually impossible on present trends.
See the full Economist article entitled "The Arab World Awaking from its Sleep". It is enough to make you sad considering the Arabs were once the leaders of the civilized world, with a rich and glorious history of contributions to the human race.
They have, for a start, failed to make their people free: six Arab countries have an outright ban on political parties and the rest restrict them slyly. They have failed to make their people rich: despite their oil, the UN reports that about two out of five people in the Arab world live on $2 or less a day. They have failed to keep their people safe: the report argues that overpowerful internal security forces often turn the Arab state into a menace to its own people. And they are about to fail their young people. The UNDP reckons the Arab world must create 50m new jobs by 2020 to accommodate a growing, youthful workforce—virtually impossible on present trends.
See the full Economist article entitled "The Arab World Awaking from its Sleep". It is enough to make you sad considering the Arabs were once the leaders of the civilized world, with a rich and glorious history of contributions to the human race.
55 MPH Speed Limit Is Unenforceable and Counterproductive
What a stupid idea. We have better cars, better roads, better laws, better everything except maybe drivers, so the solution to lower the road deaths toll is to drop the national speed limit? Who was the idiot on speed who thought this one up? Laws should lessen interference with traffic, not add another bottleneck. Motorist compliance with the 55 mph limit was always problematical and became more so as time progressed. Ticketing binges, threatened financial sanctions, relentless PR, and increased fines and penalties failed to stem noncompliance. Despite increasing noncompliance and increased highway speeds, fatality rates continued to decline, contradicting the folklore that higher speed limits and higher speeds result in more serious accidents.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Another kind of community policing
Strathclyde Police in Scotland is donating a puppy to help sniff out cancer and other medical conditions. Copper, a nine week old cocker spaniel, will be gifted to Cancer and Bio-detection Dogs, which trains dogs to detect the scent of cancer from urine samples. They can also be trained to help people with diabetes by picking up the odour of changes in insulin levels before alerting owners to potential hypoglycaemic attacks.
Copper was born as part of the Force’s puppy breeding programme and will begin her new life with the Buckinghamshire-based charity today, Thursday June 25, 2009. She is one of a litter of seven playful and inquisitive pups from top canine cop Izzy. All are playful and inquisitive, and while her six brothers and sisters will be placed with puppy walkers until they begin training at 12 months, Copper will train as a bio-detection dog. Awesome!
Copper was born as part of the Force’s puppy breeding programme and will begin her new life with the Buckinghamshire-based charity today, Thursday June 25, 2009. She is one of a litter of seven playful and inquisitive pups from top canine cop Izzy. All are playful and inquisitive, and while her six brothers and sisters will be placed with puppy walkers until they begin training at 12 months, Copper will train as a bio-detection dog. Awesome!
Gentleman Giant, Sir Bobby Robson, Dies
English football's leading figures paid tribute to Sir Bobby Robson on Friday after the former England coach lost his long battle with cancer. Robson passed away aged 76 at his family home on Friday morning, and his death brought an immediate outpouring of love and respect from the football community.
England manager Fabio Capello said: "Sir Bobby was a wonderful man, a real gentleman. To manage the England national team for so long was a remarkable achievement and we all remember how close he came to leading England to the World Cup final in Italy."
"His spirit and courage was incredible. To fight cancer so many times really showed the strength of the man. All the time we spoke over a cup of coffee with his close family, his passion for football shone through. He loved the game and was extremely proud of his country and the north-east region."
Former England manager Glenn Hoddle, who played under Robson at the 1986 World Cup, told Sky Sports News: "It's devastating. Our feelings and thoughts go out to Bobby's family. Obviously for everybody in the football world it's a very, very sad day. "He's the closest we've come to winning the World Cup since 1966 (and they may have if a certain Diego Maradona hadn't blatantly cheated and the officials ostrich-like ignored it) that's how good Bobby was.
England manager Fabio Capello said: "Sir Bobby was a wonderful man, a real gentleman. To manage the England national team for so long was a remarkable achievement and we all remember how close he came to leading England to the World Cup final in Italy."
"His spirit and courage was incredible. To fight cancer so many times really showed the strength of the man. All the time we spoke over a cup of coffee with his close family, his passion for football shone through. He loved the game and was extremely proud of his country and the north-east region."
Former England manager Glenn Hoddle, who played under Robson at the 1986 World Cup, told Sky Sports News: "It's devastating. Our feelings and thoughts go out to Bobby's family. Obviously for everybody in the football world it's a very, very sad day. "He's the closest we've come to winning the World Cup since 1966 (and they may have if a certain Diego Maradona hadn't blatantly cheated and the officials ostrich-like ignored it) that's how good Bobby was.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Bond... Vlad Bond
Vladimir Putin has dived to the bottom of the world's deepest lake in Siberia, aboard a mini-submarine. The Russian prime minister descended 1,400m (4,600ft) in a four-and-a-half hour mission to inspect crystals containing natural gas.Mr Putin, a former KGB spy, said it was a very special feeling and he had not seen anything like it before. The mission is likely to add to the 56-year-old's carefully cultivated image as a man of action.
However, as he emerged after the dive, Mr Putin quickly played down reporters' suggestions that his next challenge would be to travel in space. "There is enough work on earth," he said. Being the prime minister of one of the world's most influential countries obviously has its privileges!
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Eagles coach dead at 68
Jim Johnson, the Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator died today after battling a cancerous tumour on his spine. He was the heart and soul of the team I follow and will be sorely missed. All of a sudden a promising season ahead has a very black cloud directly before it. We fans will miss you Jimmy. Thank you for being the best and giving us your best.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Thankful for Pioneers
Enjoying the Pioneer Day holidays in Utah over the weekend, I have been thinking about the Mormon pioneers who trekked through, snow, wind, fierce sunshine and mud across the western plains of the United States in the middle of the 19th century. Theirs was a story of great sacrifice, poverty and greater faith. Of dead children buried along the trail, great thirst and walking hundreds and hundreds of miles. I am grateful for their courage.
The fact fact is, I am thankful for any of our pioneers, those who had the fortitude to not believe that mankind had already gone higher, faster, deeper, further or longer than was possible. I am thinking of Amelia Earhardt, Christopher Columbus, Ferdinand Magellan, Henry the Navigator, Roald Amundsen, Joan of Arc, and many others. Those who have, and continue, to defy the odds and win. Without them our world would be a far grayer place, without the desire to stretch and lead.
I am thinking of Chuck Yeager who broke the sound barrier the the experimental jet, the X-15. Much of the scientific thought at the time believed that the aircraft would break up and he would be killed. Yeager proved them wrong. I am thinking of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay not paying any attention to all the failures and deaths that had littered the landscape of Mt. Everest until they triumphed.
The fact fact is, I am thankful for any of our pioneers, those who had the fortitude to not believe that mankind had already gone higher, faster, deeper, further or longer than was possible. I am thinking of Amelia Earhardt, Christopher Columbus, Ferdinand Magellan, Henry the Navigator, Roald Amundsen, Joan of Arc, and many others. Those who have, and continue, to defy the odds and win. Without them our world would be a far grayer place, without the desire to stretch and lead.
I am thinking of Chuck Yeager who broke the sound barrier the the experimental jet, the X-15. Much of the scientific thought at the time believed that the aircraft would break up and he would be killed. Yeager proved them wrong. I am thinking of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay not paying any attention to all the failures and deaths that had littered the landscape of Mt. Everest until they triumphed.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Boks beat my Blacks
Jacque Fourie scored a late try as world champions South Africa opened their Tri-Nations campaign with a 28-19 victory over holders New Zealand in Bloemfontein on Saturday.
Fourie raced down the right touchline for a 72nd-minute try to clinch the win while Morne Steyn completed the scoring with an angled penalty from halfway with just two minutes remaining.
With the win the Springboks regain the world No. 1 spot from New Zealand.
Fake officer tries to stop real officer
Oakland, California police say a man impersonating a police officer tried to pull over a real undercover officer and was arrested.
Police say 21-year-old Antonio Fernandez Martinez of Oakland was arrested Wednesday in the Fruitvale district after trying to pull over an unmarked police vehicle. Martinez was driving a Ford Crown Victoria outfitted with flashing lights, a microphone and speakers.
Martinez, a convicted car thief, will have his felony probation revoked and could face a prison term. The officer, Jim Beere, says Martinez probably thought he'd be an easy mark to rob.
BUSTED... WHAT A DORK!
