Clipmarks | birdie-brain's Social Issues collection

'Where Was God?' - Refugees Ask

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 11:17:01 GMT

clipped by: birdie-brain
clipper's remarks: the family found a military convoy that helped get them to the convent, which has provided food and medicine to refugees. Thirty tons of supplies have poured into the convent from the Russian Orthodox Church alone.

"We are working around the clock," Mother Nonna said. "We drowned in the flood of refugees."

Recently washed children's clothing is strewn across the railings outside the convent, which functioned as a summer camp for the Communist youth group during the Soviet era and now includes a special rehabilitation center for children who survived the 2004 terrorist siege of a school in nearby Beslan.

Dzara Kumeritova, an assistant at the convent, said that the refugees from South Ossetia all arrived terrified, most of the children too scared to eat for the first day or two.

"Somebody slammed the door and the crowd shivered," she said.

The article continues... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26206516/

Clip Source: www.msnbc.msn.com

Russia - Sarmat Kapisov ran all night through the forest with his family, fleeing the fighting in South Ossetia and headed for the Georgia-Russia border. On his back, the 17-year-old carried his brother, who has cerebral palsy.

The convent director

said thousands have passed through since the bloodshed began one week ago in the pro-Russian separatist province claimed by Georgia

The most difficult thing was to answer their question: Where was God?

she said

100,000 people the U.N. refugee agency says have been uprooted by the conflict, an estimated 30,000 have fled across the border into Russia

twice as many have gone the other direction, toward the Georgian capital

Kapisovs spent days hiding in the basement of their home in South Ossetia

mother and eight children fled. The father and two oldest brothers stayed behind to fight the Georgians alongside the Russian military

The most horrible thing was when the tanks arrived

she said

After walking for a night

Tags: georgia, russia, conflict, refugees, war

Gender Patterns in Friendships - Rannveig Traustadottir

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 05:10:51 GMT

clipped by: birdie-brain
clipper's remarks: the article goes on...

Clip Source: thechp.syr.edu

Women

friendships between women is the willingness to share important feelings, thoughts, experiences, and support

women usually make a deep commitment to their female friends and their friendships usually cover a broad spectrum, while men's friendships tend to be segmented and centered around particular activities

Men

friendships among men have often been romanticized and idealized

typically been described in terms of bravery and physical sacrifice in providing assistance to others

Hardly ever do these historical accounts celebrate interpersonal relationships characterized by closeness and compassion for other men

masculine values have made those kinds of feelings inappropriate and highly suspect

men usually shy away from intimacy and closeness

although men rate their friendship as less intimate than do women, at least in terms of self-disclosure and emotional expressiveness, men's friendships nevertheless serve to buffer stress and reduce depression in the same way that women's friendships do

All is Not Well

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 08:00:49 GMT

clipped by: birdie-brain

Clip Source: www.jamesnachtwey.com

I have been a witness, and these pictures are

my testimony. The events I have recorded should

not be forgotten and must not be repeated.

-James Nachtwey-

Clip Source: www.jamesnachtwey.com

Israel

Clip Source: www.jamesnachtwey.com

West Bank, 2000 - Palestinians fighting the Israeli army.

Clip Source: www.jamesnachtwey.com

New York, 2001 - Collapse of south tower of World Trade Center.

Clip Source: www.jamesnachtwey.com

Rwanda

Clip Source: www.jamesnachtwey.com

Rwanda, 1994 - Survivor of Hutu death camp.

Clip Source: www.jamesnachtwey.com

Zaire, 1994 - Hutu refugees were struck by cholera and buried in mass
graves.

Clip Source: www.jamesnachtwey.com

Zimbabwe, 2000 - In a tuberculosis ward where the great majority of the patients suffer from AIDS.

Clip Source: www.jamesnachtwey.com

South Africa, 2000 - Grandmother cared for young girl affected by HIV.

Clip Source: www.jamesnachtwey.com

South Africa, 2000 - Care giver comforted an AIDS sufferer.

Clip Source: www.jamesnachtwey.com

Northern Ireland, 1981 - Truck hijacked by Catholic demonstrators during the hunger strike of Bobby Sands.

Clip Source: www.jamesnachtwey.com

Nicaragua, 1984 - Contra mortally wounded in jungle warfare.

Clip Source: www.jamesnachtwey.com

I have been a witness, and these pictures are

my testimony. The events I have recorded should

not be forgotten and must not be repeated.

-James Nachtwey-

Too Much Photoshopp-age

Sat, 10 May 2008 10:58:47 GMT

clipped by: birdie-brain
clipper's remarks: I agree

Clip Source: index.uber.com

When Is Too Much Photoshop Wrong?

British and U.S. magazine editors are considering establishing boundaries when it comes to retouching photos, often of celebrities, on their covers and spreads.

By Nat Ives

"Not that it's a bad idea. Photoshop abuse is out of control at magazines, partly because celebrities demand protection from exposure to reality and partly because editors live and die by newsstand sales. An actually ugly Betty just wouldn't be good for anyone's business, even if it might represent something relatable.

In America, however, magazines repeatedly have been embarrassed by a string of revealing incidents. In the biggest blowup last summer, someone responding to a blog's $10,000 bounty leaked a photo of Faith Hill in a Redbook cover shoot -- before substantial retouching erased her crow's-feet, back fat and other human features."

Downward Spiral Into Crime

Sat, 10 May 2008 10:13:32 GMT

clipped by: birdie-brain
clipper's remarks: well that sucks.

Clip Source: poetry.rotten.com

Banksy - Awesome Artist.

Wed, 07 May 2008 10:39:45 GMT

clipped by: birdie-brain
clipper's remarks: I love this guy, his works are awesome.

Clip Source: www.banksy.co.uk

Tags: joseph, banks, graffiti art, pop art, conceptual

Does This Mean I Can Get My Wii in Pink?

Tue, 06 May 2008 07:28:40 GMT

clipped by: birdie-brain

Clip Source: www.feministfinance.com

Nintendo's announcement that it will market Wii Fit as a weight loss tool for women

using fatphobia to sell women stuff they don't need or the cultural obsession with women's

shapes.

Not continuing to engage the already sizeable number of female gamers out there? No Tetris/Yoshi/Dr. Mario/Collapse/Q-bert updates

Just Hey, you! Fat lady! Play our really expensive game! Get less fat! You're too dumb to even notice that you're exercising!

if the Wii Fit add-on is pink and sparkly, I will vomit.

LOLgod

Thu, 01 May 2008 16:06:11 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman

Clip Source: lolgod.blogspot.com

Muslim Adam & Eve

Mental workout 'boosts the brain'

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 23:08:10 GMT

clipped by: kkcapricorn
clipper's remarks:

Even the slower-witted among us can improve mental agility with a few daily brain teasers, a study suggests.

Now we need to figure out how get them to participate.

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

For those who hate crosswords but still fancy shining at work - fear not.

The US-Swiss team behind the research say computer-based tests, which challenge the individual according to ability, may be more effective.

Some 35 volunteers were given daily exercises lasting around 25 minutes, while 35 further participants were spared the "brain boot camp".

The better one did, the harder it became, but when mistakes were made, the computer stopped being so demanding.

When confronted with a series of problems unrelated to the computer tasks, those who had been tested performed better than their untested contemporaries

"The difference was most pronounced in those who had been slower to start with, but the mental ability of everyone who had taken part improved," said Professor Walter Perrig of the University of Bern, who carried out the study with colleagues from the University of Michigan.

such stimulation prompts brain cells to start branching out and form new connections with other cells

Tags: brain boosters

Boycott Beijing 2008 Olympics

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 22:39:55 GMT

clipped by: birdie-brain

Clip Source: graphics.jsonline.com

Austrian photos.

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 19:21:55 GMT

clipped by: righthand

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Abuse in Amstetten (9 pictures)

Elisabeth Fritzl, the daughter who Josef Fritzl imprisoned and abused for 24 years, pictured before her ordeal began in 1984

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Fritzl family home

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

4 /

A police photograph of Josef Fritzl in custody

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

police forensic team

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

One of the basement rooms in the Amstetten house

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

The backyard of the shared building where the Fritzl family lived

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Abuse in Amstetten (9 pictures)

Josef Fritzl's wife, Rosemarie

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

The bathroom that was part of the secret network of rooms where the children were held

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

The nameplate of the Fritzl home in Amstetten

Tags: austria, photos

Student uses Twitter to get out of jail

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 12:50:14 GMT

clipped by: egoldstein
clipper's remarks: What an incredible example of the power of the social web. It's truly remarking how much power is gained by the people from the web. Knowledge is power...and the internet definitely helps spread knowledge more quickly to more people than ever before.

Clip Source: www.cnn.com

Buck, a graduate student from the University of California-Berkeley, was in Mahalla, Egypt, covering an anti-government protest when he and his translator, Mohammed Maree, were arrested April 10.

On his way to the police station, Buck took out his cell phone and sent a message to his friends and contacts using the micro-blogging site Twitter.

The message only had one word. "Arrested."

Tags: twitter, web, egypt

When Trying to be Controversial Goes Too Far.

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 10:53:24 GMT

clipped by: birdie-brain
clipper's remarks: This isn't even art.

http://www.petitiononline.com/ea6gk/petition.html

^ please, sign the petition against this happening again.

Clip Source: 365observations.com

This is not a joke.

The dog you are looking at was taken off the street, tied to a rope inside an art gallery, and intentionally starved to death as part of a visual arts exhibition to show the dog’s agony.

Guillermo Vargas Habacuc

This is nothing more than pure sadistic intolerable cruelty to a defenseless animal.

hundreds of people attended the art exhibit

and accepted the dog’s fate simply because it was in the name of art

killing is an inevitable and unavoidable part of our species but the extent to which it occurs is dependant on the complacent people who sit by and let it happen.

attendees of the art exhibit accepted the dog’s fate because they were told that it was in the name of art

nobody untied the dog, tried to feed the dog, or aided the dog in anyway. They simply let the dog die.

5 Easy Ways to Save the Planet - Just Reminding You

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:01:40 GMT

clipped by: birdie-brain

Clip Source: uk.youtube.com

[Video]

OLPC XO-1 An Access to Technology for Developing Countries' Children

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 11:23:41 GMT

clipped by: birdie-brain

Clip Source: www.olpc.com

The mission of this non-profit association (One Laptop Per Child) is to develop a low-cost laptop - the "$100 Laptop" - a technology that could revolutionize how we educate the world's children.

Clip Source: en.wikipedia.org

$100 Laptop or Children's Machine, is an inexpensive laptop computer intended to be distributed to children in developing countries around the world

access to knowledge, and opportunities to "explore, experiment and express themselves"

Pricing is currently set to start at US$188 and the goal is to reach the $100 mark in 2008.

full-scale production started November 6, 2007

seven nations have committed to buy the XO-1 for their schoolchildren: Argentina, Brazil, Libya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Thailand, and Uruguay

designed to be low-cost, small, durable, and efficient.

minimal power consumption, with a design target of 2–3 W total power consumption