Kwtia

I'm wondering if we'll ever see blue skies again...losing faith..

Ok maybe just start off with some news...just to get the engine working again:

I woke up to the BBC talking about the third world debt relief deal...which on the face of it is a great thing...but no one makes concessions without expecting something seriously self serving in return...I hope that the shadow of debt is not lifted only to be replaced with an even darker one...
For a background on the debt crisis see globalissues.org...an interesting quote from there is:

"the developing countries' debt is partly the result of the unjust transfer to them of the debts of the colonizing States! A sum of US$ 59 billion external in public debt was imposed on the newly independent States in 1960"

Here is an opinion piece about the news, from The Guardian, by Ken Wiwa (the son of the Nigerian writer/activist Ken Saro-Wiwa who was executed for protecting the Ogoni people from Shell Oil and the Dictatorship)

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On a related note...Bob Geldof et al..Are putting together concerts (ala Live Aid of the 80's) Called Live 8...concerts will take place on Saturday 2 July 2005 in London, Rome, Paris, Berlin and Philadelphia...[click on the cities to see who is playing there]

They were very appropriately criticised for not including African musicians in the concerts and for not staging any concerts in an African city...Read the critical article by Andy Kershaw which also includes some of his recommendations of Musicians from African nations---today's Independent reports that Bob Geldof is now trying to enlist African acts for Edinburgh...too little too late?... or better late than never?

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On the Book front...I highly recommend Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

It will take you just a couple of days to read and you will find yourself laughing out loud at some scenes and crying at others...get out and get this especially those of you who like comics and history and just a good read.

Other graphic novels to look at are anything by Joe Sacco from Malta, who is a journalist/graphic novelist who invites you to dive into the places he has visited, including Palestine and Sarajevo, with his words and drawings and a cynical eye..

I should order Maus, because hey, it's the king of the genre...