Tuesday 13 May 2014

To one who fell



To one who fell

why do they say he fell in the war
as if he'd tripped over his rifle 
or pack 

had gone to his knees 
in the mud 
and struggled back to his feet 

a moment
in the course of his work
when he fell 

for no reason 
other than 
weary

and weak 
and was raised again 
by some hands 

why do they say he fell in the war 
when they saw he was killed 
that he lies

in the mud
never to rise 



Monday 12 May 2014

Press Freedom 2014


Austria's bearded man-woman singer Conchita Wurst now dubbed the "Queen of Austria" was the winner of the 2014 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest held in Denmark at the weekend. 

The UK finished 17th.

In the Reporters Without Borders press freedom index for 2014 the honours went to Finland.

The UK finished 33rd.  

Reporters Without Borders looked at press freedom in 180 countries. Perhaps your country is listed in the selection here; and if so are you happy with the performance?  

1. Finland
2. Holland
3.Norway
12. Austria
14. Germany
16. Ireland 
19. Poland
26. Uruguay

Reporters without Borders 2014: UK - abysmal.
33. UK
38. El Salvador
46. USA
54. Serbia
59. Japan 
78. Armenia
91. Kuwait 
96. Israel 
106. Lebanon
118. UAE
128. Afghanistan
138. Palestine
143. Ethiopia
159. Egypt
164. Saudi Arabia
175. China
180. Eritrea



Thursday 8 May 2014

haikushima


or the spider as whistleblower



      spider       web
             the  writing 
          on the wall             confusing



Spiders on marijuana or benzedrine are able to construct much better webs than this one. Spiders on caffeine or chloral hydrate construct disorganized webs not unsimilar to this Fukushima example. Doctor Timothy Mousseau of South Carolina University has been to Fukushima 10 times and is alarmed by the extent of animal deformities and the 50% decrease in bird and insect populations. 




It's a Goal!


Colin Jackson's goal: to get the world running


Monday 5 May 2014

Last Man Running . . .


Lemawerk Ketema is running for those who can't

The young man tentatively touching the wild boar at the Lainzer Tiergarten Information Centre is my friend Lema. He is from Ethiopia. He ran in Austria to raise money for charity yesterday. He achieved something unique and remarkable. The following links will take you to the Wings for Life World Run. The first takes a few seconds to upload.


or


or 



Saturday 3 May 2014

History Lesson


Otto Wagner Church overlooks a clinic (now a museum)  at Vienna's Spiegelgrund
where hundreds of children were examined as part of a Nazi euthanasia programme 

The Reich Post Bus known as the 'Gekrat' belonged to the Public Hospital
Transport Company which was in truth a department of the 'Office of the
Führer'  detailed to transport patients to the gassing establishments

Hartheim, north-east of Salzburg, is where selected children  were
transported by bus under a pretense, only to be murdered on arrival

Today the garden below the Otto Wagner Church contains 772 candles

Murdered

Murdered

Murdered

Dr. Rudolf Lonauer (R) seen here in the bosom of his family. From 1940
to 1945 Lonauer was the director of the extermination facility Hartheim.
In 1945 he committed suicide along with other family members. 

Friday 2 May 2014

The Ball is a Banana




A trio of Bayern Munich footballers appeared in this morning's paper. The photo (below) shows each of them eating  a banana. 

The footballers are protesting against racism in football, and in particular racist chants, that is to say 'monkey noises', from a section of  so-called football fans, as well as instances of racism on the field of play. 


Racism has no place in football or anywhere else for that matter.

And so, today I'm also joining the cause. I'm saying: I'm an African too. And if you really think about it you will soon realize that we all are.


Bayern trio: Boateng, Dante and Alaba

Soccer's World Cup will get underway in Brazil in just one month. Players of all nationalities and skin tones will naturally be in the mix. I wish all the teams and their fans a trouble-free and enjoyable event. 

Footnote: Barcelona star Alves ate a banana which had been thrown at  him during a match against Villareal and thus began what I am dubbing the ball is a banana movement.


Austria's Holland and Kamara going bananas!

Pele - the top banana!

Thursday 1 May 2014

Anemones





a breezy day 
this first of may 
and on parade 
in dress of white 
upon the field
the waving daughters 
of the wind 
delightful 
sight for natural man
and eager brides
they make to tempt 
 the green and gold 
the armoured 
beetle
close