ON THIS DAY : THE FALL’S PEEL SESSIONS #13
2 hours ago
Saturday, 5 June 2010
Why does 'go play outside' sound crazy?
"Why would you want to put children in harm's way?" That, put simply (and minus a lot of the yelling), is what I have been asked on 10 TV shows, 31 radio interviews, and an avalanche of blogs for about a week now – ever since I declared last Saturday "Take our children to the park … and leave them there" day.
I'd come up with the idea as a way for neighbourhood children (including mine) to meet each other, and even be forced to entertain themselves. Try it for half an hour, I'd suggested, just to break the ice. I said it was for ages seven or eight and up, because seven is the age kids walk to school, by themselves, in most of the world.
As one mom wrote to my blog, after sending her eight-year-old to the local playground: "He made up a few games and played in the sandbox, which he hasn't done in years, partly because I hate the sandbox, ha. He had a great time, wore a watch so he'd know when to come back, and was walking back up the hill exactly when he said he would be."
That seems such a nice, normal thing for a boy to do on a sunny day that I am dismayed it is considered radical, even dangerous. So let me state: actually, I don't want to put children in harm's way, any more than our parents wanted to put us in harm's way when they sent us outside. Violent crime is going down. Over in the UK, it plummeted 43% from 1995 to 2005-06. Here in America, it's lower today than it was in the 70s and 80s, back when most of us were told by our sane, loving parents: "It's a beautiful day. Get out!"
What has made those words sound so crazy today – at least when not followed by, "and I'll be watching you the whole time, with snacks, bottled water, Purell, sunscreen, the police on speed dial and your dental records with me, just in case"? It's because we have been force-fed a media diet of "You and your loved ones are in terrible danger from (fill in the blank)" for about a generation.
On Thursday, as I was waiting to go on one of the morning news shows, an ad came on TV: "Is your makeup dangerous? Find out today, on Dr Oz!" Cut to video of the doctor pointing to a lipstick and uttering words such as "bacteria" and "germs". I later checked my emails and up came the Yahoo home page: "Five serious dangers at the office." Apparently, if you wake up, put on lipstick and walk into the office, you've already put yourself in serious peril, twice. And that's before we put children into the mix.
The stories that sell are the scary ones, which is why we keep hearing about the dangers to kids posed by food (choking), formula (additives), nappies (chemicals), blankets (smothering), toys (phthalate), school yards (bullies), playgrounds (injury), bedding (fumes), playmates (racism), books (leaded print), shopping carts (bacteria), car seats (asphyxiation), strollers (amputation), and dirt (dirt). Hard to remember that our kids are, all told, pretty safe! When I was born, four times more children died in infancy than now. When my parents were born, we had yet to eradicate polio. Or Hitler.
It almost seems that, the safer our society becomes, the more we feel compelled to ramp up the fears about unlikely dangers. Which brings us to the one that made "Park" day so controversial. Parents are worried their children will be kidnapped the moment they turn their backs. That's understandable, because it's a crime we see every day on TV – often the same crime, shown over and over, because it is ratings gold.
But how common is it really? Warwick Cairns, author of How to Live Dangerously, crunched the numbers, and now asks: If, for some strange reason, you actually wanted your child to be kidnapped, how long would we have to leave him outside, unattended, in England, for that to be statistically likely to happen?
About 600,000 years.
It doesn't matter that those are about the same odds as death by lightning. All that matters to the media is scaring us. Result? We keep our kids inside. We stay there too. Then we turn on the TV and look! "Up next: is your toothbrush dangerous?"
Let me guess.
Lenore Skenazy @'The Guardian'
Carlo Van de Roer's 'Aura' photography
Christelle Imperial De Castro 2008
Martynka Wawrzyniak 2008
Richard Kern and
Martynka Wawrzyniak 2008
@'The Portrait Machine'
The Polaroid AuraCam 6000 was designed in the 1970s and does something done by no other camera: it captures its subjects’ psychic auras on film. Carlo Van de Roer got a hold of the rare device and took a series of photos.
The Polaroid AuraCam 6000 was designed in the 1970s and does something done by no other camera: it captures its subjects’ psychic auras on film. Carlo Van de Roer got a hold of the rare device and took a series of photos.
(via) 'Disinfo'
Rafa Benitez leaves Liverpool as a legend so could critics please stop rewriting history?
Some very interesting points in this article especially this:
"Ah, they say, but Torres apart, he only signed sub-standard dross and ended up with a shockingly-weak squad. Really?
Liverpool are sending 12 players (13 if you count Milan Jovanovic whose Bosman signing is going through) to the World Cup. Or an entire team: Reina, Carragher, Agger, Skrtel, Johnson, Babel, Gerrard, Mascherano, Rodriguez, Kuyt, Torres. Subs: Kyrgiakos, Jovanovic.
Eleven Chelsea players flew out to South Africa, the same number as Arsenal, and Manchester United sent eight. Does that look like he’s left Anfield bare of talent?..."
'Variations' (Tracklisting)
Songs with * are new recordings featuring Michio Kurihara on second guitar.
1. -Introduction- (Edit) / from “Akuma no Uta-”
2. Korosu / from “Heavy Rocks”*
3. PINK / from “PINK”
4. Woman on the Screen / from “PINK”
5. Yesterday Morning- / from -Mabuta no Ura-
6. Rainbow- / from “Rainbow” Boris with Michio Kurihara *
7. a bao a qu / from Mabuta no Ura-*
8. Statement- / from “SMILE”
9. My Neighbor Satan- / from “SMILE”
10.Floor Shaker / from 7inch Single “Statement”
11. Naki Kyoku- / from “Akuma no Uta-”*
12. 1970 / from “Heavy Rocks”*
13. -Farewell- (Full Length) / from “PINK”
2. Korosu / from “Heavy Rocks”*
3. PINK / from “PINK”
4. Woman on the Screen / from “PINK”
5. Yesterday Morning- / from -Mabuta no Ura-
6. Rainbow- / from “Rainbow” Boris with Michio Kurihara *
7. a bao a qu / from Mabuta no Ura-*
8. Statement- / from “SMILE”
9. My Neighbor Satan- / from “SMILE”
10.Floor Shaker / from 7inch Single “Statement”
11. Naki Kyoku- / from “Akuma no Uta-”*
12. 1970 / from “Heavy Rocks”*
13. -Farewell- (Full Length) / from “PINK”
Engineers defend World Cup football amid criticism
The engineers who have designed the official football for the 2010 World Cup have hit back at criticism of their ball by some players.
Fabio Capello said his players gave the new ball bad reviews, with some players saying it moves too quickly.
And goalkeepers have claimed the new Jabulani ball is difficult to handle.
But engineers at Loughbrough University claim that their tests show it is the most "consistent" football ever manufactured.
The football that former England international Geoff Hurst belted into the goal in the 1966 World Cup final was made from 18 pieces of leather, stitched together and fastened with laces.
The new World Cup football is made from just eight pieces of shaped synthetic material glued tightly together.
The result - for the first time in football history, say the manufacturers - is an undistorted, perfectly spherical ball.
But some players say it moves too quickly, and a number of goalkeepers say it is difficult to handle.
The engineers who helped design the ball, called the Jabulani, say it should be the most consistent football ever made.
Dr Andy Harland at Loughborough University used a robot to kick the ball.
His set up is able to reproduce corners, free kicks, passes and shots on goal - even more reliably than David Beckham.
"Fundamentally, what we are trying to achieve is a ball that is very consistent that allows the very best players in the world to express their skills," he says.
"So we're not looking for a ball that behaves unpredictably which would benefit a player that's not skilful. We want a ball that is very consistent that allows the best players to shine."
His robot tests, which were supported by the ball's manufacturer Adidas, showed that the Jabulani was better than previous World Cup balls. It flew through the air more smoothly and hit its targets more reliably.
Dr Harland's colleagues used a wind tunnel to aerodynamically design the grooves on its surface, which guide the ball as it flies through the air.
In the past, their positions have been determined by the ball's natural seams but the Jabulani doesn't have any seams so, according to Dr Martin Passmore of Loughborough University, engineers can put the grooves where they like.
"What we've tried to do with the inclusion of grooves," he explained, "is to make sure that the ball looks much more symmetrical in flight, so it flies in a much more controlled way and gives the control back to the player to get it to do what they want to do."
Young boys at the Kingston-Upon-Thames Little League say the new ball is "awesome".
But it's too expensive for their coach and one of the league's organisers, Andrew Standford.
His practice footballs cost £5 and match balls retail for £15. By comparison, the Jabulani costs more than £60.
For Mr Standford, the production of a new ball is as much about marketing as it is about improving the quality of footballs.
"Every new World Cup, there's a new football out and each time it seems a little bit more expensive. It does feel good and it does play well but it is expensive for what's just a football."
But researchers at Loughborough University say the ball is well worth the price. The gripes by some players, he says, are possibly a result of some of the World Cup venues being located at high altitudes in South Africa, rather than any problem with the ball.
At higher altitudes, the air is thinner and so the ball moves faster. Dr Passmore thinks that the players will soon get used to the conditions. So has he helped to create the perfect ball?
"I don't know if there's such a thing as a perfect ball. And I don't think it's entirely clear what you'd want from a perfect ball. Maybe a perfect ball would be one that I could use to score the winning goal in the World Cup."
Pallab Ghosh @'BBC'
The World Cup Balls
1930 - 2010
Irish ship the Rachel Corrie is due to arrive in Gaza
The Irish aid ship, MV Rachel Corrie, is expected to arrive in Gazan territorial waters at about 0900 local time (0600 BST) on Saturday.
Israel's foreign minister has said it will not be allowed to dock there and so far the crew have had no communication with the Israeli navy.
Nine activists died on Monday when Israeli commandos stormed another vessel in the convoy.
Nobel Laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire is on board the Rachel Corrie.
On Friday night the Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Micheal Martin said he had reached agreement with the Israeli government to allow the vessel dock in the Israeli port of Ashdod, but it is believed that the activists declined the offer.
On Friday, crew member Jenny Graham said they remained determined to dock in Gaza: "We will have no part in a deal that involves us legitimising the siege of Gaza."
"With regard to the suggestion that we have been negotiating with Israel about docking in Ashdod, again this is untrue.
"The Israelis have not been in contact with us. We remain as committed as ever to getting our 1,000 tonnes of aid and supplies to the people of Gaza," she said.
On Friday the Northern Ireland Assembly held an emergency debate to discuss Israel's storming of the aid flotilla bound for Gaza.
MLAs debated a motion calling on Israel to end the blockade and allow safe passage for the Irish ship, Rachel Corrie.
The debate ended after a petition of concern was presented by Unionists. A vote will be taken on Monday.
Determined
The emergency debate was supported by at least 30 MLAs, the number required before the assembly can be recalled in this way.
Gerry McHugh, who was one of the two Independent Assembly members who had forced the debate, said.
"A great many Israelis want peace, but it is the inconsiderate actions of the present government, seemingly determined to pursue a path of confrontation which is making this prospect more distant.
"We know from our own history that dialogue and discussion leads to a more sustainable and advantageous outcome in the long run," Mr McHugh added.
"If there is any part of the world that can show how compromise can change hearts and minds, it is here."
However, the DUP's William Irwin said it was "nothing more than a publicity stunt".
"The situation in Gaza was raised in the assembly chamber on Tuesday and there is absolutely no need for another separate debate to be called on a day when the assembly is not even sitting," he said.
"At a time when we are facing massive cuts in public spending there are a huge range of more important issues which should be concerning public representatives in Northern Ireland."
Nine civilian activists were killed after armed forces boarded the largest vessel carrying aid to the Gaza Strip on Monday.
The activists were attempting to defy a blockade imposed by Israel after the Islamist movement Hamas took power in Gaza in 2007.
Organisers of the flotilla said at least 30 people were wounded in the incident. Israel says 10 of its soldiers were injured, one seriously.
Israel had repeatedly said it would stop the boats, calling the campaign a "provocation intended to delegitimise Israel".
It said it allows about 15,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid into Gaza every week.
Arizona School Demands Black & Latino Students’ Faces On Mural Be Changed To White
This is America, in 2010, and there’s a dozen more states and endless white-trash municipalities ready to Officially Adopt this same Official Racist Insanity.
From the Arizona Republic:A group of artists has been asked to lighten the faces of children depicted in a giant public mural at a Prescott school. The project’s leader says he was ordered to lighten the skin tone after complaints about the children’s ethnicity ….
R.E. Wall, director of Prescott’s Downtown Mural Project, said he and other artists were subjected to slurs from motorists as they worked on the painting at one of the town’s most prominent intersections.
“We consistently, for two months, had people shouting racial slander from their cars,” Wall said. “We had children painting with us, and here come these yells of (epithet for Blacks) and (epithet for Hispanics).”
The children depicted on the mural, as we mentioned before but feel compelled to repeat, are little kids who go to the school — “a K-5 school with 380 students and the highest ethnic mix of any school in Prescott. Wall said thousands of town residents volunteered or donated to the project.”
And these children, for the past several months as this happy mural encouraging “green transportation” was being painted by local artists, have been treated to the city of Prescott’s finest citizens driving by and yelling “Nigger” and “Spic” at this school wall painted with pictures of the children who attend the school. And this has been encouraged by a city councilman, Steve Blair, who uses his local radio talk show to rile up these people and demand the mural be destroyed.
And now the faces are being painted white, “because of the controversy.”
Remember where you were, when you could still laugh about teabaggers and racists and Arizonans, because funny time is almost over. If the unemployment keeps up — one in five adult white males has no job and will never have a job again — and people keep walking away from their stucco heaps they can’t afford and the states and cities and counties and towns keep passing their aggressive racist laws to rile up the trash even more, shit’s going to very soon become very bad, and whether it’s the National Guard having wars in the Sunbelt Exurbs against armies of crazy old white people who are finally using their hundreds of millions of guns, or whole Latino neighborhoods burned to the ground the way the Klan used to burn down black neighborhoods a century ago, we are in for a long dark night and no light-colored paint is going to fix that. [AZCentral via Wonkette operative AZW88]
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
