Years ago when I was traveling in Israel we
stopped at the Dead Sea and did the Dead Sea float. That is, we put our bathing suits on and trundled into the muck and
down to the smelly shore, where we waded out a ways and then lay back and floated in the Dead Sea’s very salty water.
The water is so salty, in fact, that the density of the water is higher than regular water. Higher, in fact, than most
of your body. And so you seem to magically float high in the water at the Dead Sea. Well, these kinds of experiences
may be coming to an end. According to
this piece, the Dead Sea may be dying. This gross (face it, it is) little body of water this has been central to
civilization for 10,000 years is evaporating at such a pace that scientists say it is falling by a meter in depth every
year. So, either is better rain there, or you should get your ticket to Israel now and get your float in before there
ain’t no more Dead Sea to float in.
Borat’s Troubles
I meant to post about this Ali G/Borat business when I first heard the news, but must have gotten preoccupied with
something else. The fact is, though, this is really funny when you think about it. Absurd and funny.
Some of you probably know the character of Borat, played by Sacha Baron Cohen as part of the Ali G show. Cohen, who
also plays the goofy, intentionally ignorant HipHip impresario Ali G is being sued by the Kazakh government for
portraying them as sexist, racist, stupid louts who sing songs like “throw the Jew down the well” (or, wait, was that
the Stones? Oh well, nevermind). Of course, nothing helps spread slanderous and offensive (and, you have to
admit, pretty damn funny) comments better than publicity. And so what was kind of a minor comedic phenomenon, has
gained international prominence. Cohen, who is Jewish, has responded to the Kazakh efforts by
assuming the character of Borat and saying: “I like to state, I have no connection with Mr Cohen and fully support my
government’s position to sue this Jew.” What a crazy crazy world.
Africa Panos
Always on the lookout for excellent panoramic photos, I just discovered a bunch this morning
that took my breath away. Shot in Africa, this series takes a wonderful documentarian look at disease and daily life in
Africa. They are superb. Really. I mean, here we are on the day before our great feast, when families give thanks, but
also stuff themselves with food, while, as hackneyed as it sounds, people ARE starving elsewhere. Take
a look at these panos, and give a little more thanks.
Global Voices Online
I’ve been monitoring
Global Voices Online for a few months now, and am constantly
impressed by the informative blogs they bring to my attention. It was announced yesterday that GVO won an award for
Best English Language Journalistic Blog
by Deutsche Welle so I thought now was a good time to tell you more about what they are doing, if you don’t yet
know about them. Global Voices Online is a non-profit global citizens’ media project, sponsored by the Berkman Center
for Internet and Society at the Harvard Law School. The blog acts as a guide to the most interesting conversations and
ideas appearing around the world on other blogs or podcasts and posts links to these websites on a daily basis. Browse
their Global Roundup Archive to get a sense of the
type of information they gather — links to news and commentary on blogs in Senegal, Kenya, Estonia, Oman, Burma and
countless other places. It’s an excellent alternative news resource that world travelers can turn to for first hand
accounts of politics, economics and culture in countries that often don’t receive adequate coverage by mainstream
media.
Cultural Survival
Yesterday I received a newsletter in the mail from
Cultural Survival, a non-profit based in Cambridge, MA that works to
promote the “rights, voices and visions of indigenous peoples.” I first became aware of the organization when friends
of mine asked for donations to CS in lieu of wedding presents. I made a contribution and have been following the work
of this group ever since. Advocacy organizations like this are a great resource for travelers, providing education and
outreach opportunities to learn more about the issues affecting native people in places like
Guatemala,
Kenya and
Mongolia. They have several publications that report on current
news regarding fair trade, endangered languages, access to technology and environmental degradation. If you travel to
any of the countries where they do advocacy work, consider making a donation or becoming a member.