"We don't do body counts" - General Tommy Franks

Well that seems to be a challenge extended by General Franks (Wow that is the most testosterone charged name ever) that the good people at iraq body count have taken up (http://www.iraqbodycount.net/). It just seems so sad that in a war people are not concerned with civillian casualties. I mean here in good old South Africa how much can we know about American politics and how much does it concern us right? The point is a whole lot as they are the world super power, able to pretty much at will influence any country in the world, especially those of us in the third world at the mercy of the world bank and the IMF.
Apparently the political philosphy that condones rabid millitary action is neo-conservatism that has over taken the white house. Ne-conservatism, a really interesting buzzword that we should all understand is constructed mainly around a foreign policy with these basic tenets:
An aggresive foreign policy that denounces the passive isolationism of the 30s and the soft love of the Clinton administration.
This foreign policy prides itself on Pre-emption: a sort of "we gonna hit you before you can hit us" if we think you are a threat. This action can be taken multi or unilaterally if neccesary. This is a similar stance as that taken by Blair in Britain, however frequently it seems that in the case of the 2003 Iraq war, that the threat has been fabricated or based on false information (WMD and terrorists?). It is not difficult to lead the American people when already about 72% believe that Saddam Hussein was directly involved in 9/11. And now instead it seems that the invasion of Iraq has in fact just created a more furtile environment for terrorism to take root due to widespread anti British and American sentiment. I understand just as much as anyone the need for justice but lets look in the right places. (?!)
Another apparent goal is the spread of freedom and democracy. Strange then that the US are now looking for 'exit strategies' - its fine if they don't want to spread democracy and rather make it safe for their freedom but then lets just call a spade a spade. But we have already established that this war was not about a true threat posed by a country that was financially crippled and without the supposed Weapons of Mass Destruction. Besides apparently democracy comes through free market and free trade, allowing Bremer to attempt to introduce good old MacDonalds and General Motors. Hmm - oil and hamburgers?
I think that the true motives behind this war (and any subsequent others) can be found in the military-industrial complex and through the Rumsveld-Cheney-Wolfowitz founded Project for the New American Century (http://www.newamericancentury.org/ ). Lets make the world safe, I understand why we want this safety and justice for acts committed by terrorists, but surely it would be better to pour such resources into infiltrating Al Queda and not just destroying countries and killing civillians whose offspring will only grow up hating us even more than their parents did.

Ah the sadness - I think that i have finally lost my sense of humor. Designing this Grocotts' supplement is killing my spirit bit by bit! We worked the whole of yesterday afternoon, expecting to come in at 2 today and leave by three but alas now it is 5 past 5 and Jis and I are still here in this sad little land:( I have a history essay due for tomorrow(the last one) and i haven't started yet...Boo Hoo! This is what we call a pity party. On the plus side this has been an extraordinarily rewarding experience that i will not forget in a hurry. Working with the students from Mary Waters was wonderful and i would do it again in a heart beat. Exams are coming and i am really just seeing them as an obstacle to gettting to the UK. Today there are 32 more sleeps until i go (I think that this counting my just be a form of torture). Then its working, and some money and Scotland for Christmas - Woo Hoo for kilts and whiskey and shortbread and that accent.

Yay for winning new phones

Well yay for my little (6ft3?) bro, Rory, who won a phone (no its not a coincedence - thats the one pictured). Woo Hoo! i would like to win my degree so i can get out of this Godforsaken town - not one of my favourites at the moment!
We did have a very interesting debate in Journ today... How much should public journalism center around ideas in the head of journalists, and how much should be a representation of what the people themselves want to see? Should we be concerned with the 'issues' and uprooting inequality and foul play in their own community if its not something they themselves are that interested in. For example our JDD (Journalism, Democracy and Development) group are in the process of doing a story about matric dance story...Where is the journalistic merit in that? But girls in Standard 9 more than likely want to hear about it. ANd if in that story we can manage to slip in something that higlights the differnce between this celebration in Grahamstown East and West then all the better. I think we were all hoping for such interesting content and never before covered ground with this paper, however we still appear to be restricted by language and news values. Personally i don't see why a group that has the capacity to report in XHosa shouldn't - and i would welcome content from our workshops that is worthy. But here we pose another problem - what is worthy? It seems the questions here are endless. Our group i think is having the most rewarding experience with our workshops. The students are enthusiastic and interested, and thats such a change from the jaded students we are usually surrounded by. Perhaps what Siya said today is true - if you have nothing then any little thing seems amazing - however that does not take away from the validity of that feeling. And if people are being moved or moved to action, even debate, by our paper then what should be concernign us is the fact that that may stop when we are no longer producing it!
But while we (who?) are discussing journalism...
By an unfortunate typographical error we were made to say last week that
theretiring Mr Davids was a member of the defective branch of the police force.
Of course this should have read: "The detective branch of the police farce."
(from a New Zealand paper)

snow boots and three layers...i shouldn't be allowed to get up this early

Grr Arrg! Have tried to keep Journalism out of this sacred place but alas at last it has one the battle and i can be strong no more...AH this JDD crap is driving me crazy - today i got a phone call (after all we should be on full journ at all time!) to come and change one word to lower case before it goes off to be printed -Hi um i have other lectures, and a life and the desire to sleep - what is wrong with these people and Damn Rod and his belief that things can be edited in PDF format (Snort!)
Otherwise, have had a terribly dull history seminar about ideology (however, according to Prithilla it is now prenounced idiology (yes there was a memo going round but apparently only her and Nevenka recieved it!) and i have dressed today for an arctic onslaught and the bloody sun has come out - Grr Arrg! its really not my fault however because i got up at 7.30 and as one who usually only rises at about 11 i didn't realise how the temprature 'evolves' throughout the day...Bugger!

Weather forecasts are horoscopes with numbers

This statement is somehow particularly true in Grahamstown - in fact i feel sorry for the little weather dudes in this part of the world! This town is truelly meteorogically (wow big word for this early in MY morning) schitzophrenic - Caro's dad said something about a plateau and a valley and cold fronts and hot fronts, but i think that it may just be another eccentricity of this funny little town.
Oh and how great is this...
"Love is sweet as summer's showers
Love is a wonderous work of art
But your love, O your love, your love...
Is like a Giant Pigeon
Crapping on my Heart!"

We need a holiday...Quando Quando

Sadly all here in the new media labs are losing it and singing that bloody Quando Quando (x2) song (see Laura's comment on the welcome thingy) (is it Tom Jones? - we're looking into it) No apparently it is some oak called ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK - what is that? Wow, this is what was wrong with the generation before us, if they can buy records from someone with the kakkest name ever what chance did their offspring have? Urrg and don't get me started on Tom Jones - this was a dude who never got out of his polarnecks and jackets - Kah! Anyway - have been procrastinating at new levels this week and have found myself watching old episodes of Ally McBeal... and now you will get my point... Have forgotten how much amusement there is to be had in that freaky dancing baby and all her neuroses! Oh and my dear Jewish friend Carly has just informed me that we are in the year 5766 (since Adam and Eve) so Mozeltof everybody!

Me and the Family in the UK in July

This is a pic of me and my family peeps in July this year - its the first time all my mom's siblings have been together in something like 18 years (crazy man!)

Welcome

Hi guys. Well this is terribly exciting now isn't it! I have been a new media student for about 9 months and have decided that it is time for my very own Blog! This is basically me getting in touch with my inner computer geek - very exciting! Anyway hope to hear from all my peeps soon! PS - why the name, i have no idea? I think that i may have heard it somewhere else before but its really cool so there!