Benazir Bhutto Assassinated

Pakistan's opposition leader Benazir Bhutto has been killed as she was leaving a rally in Rawalpindi. There was a bomb attack by a suicide bomber, but reports say that she died from bullet wounds to the head and neck.

This is shocking news for Pakistan and for the world. Words fail me to describe the feelings many must have right now about the brutality and animal behaviour that some people stoop to. Violence of this nature cannnot resolve political differences and points of view.

When are we ever to learn to live in peace?

The Queen and YouTube

It's truly a sign of the times that the Queen (of England) is broadcasting her Christmas message on YouTube.

Is it that Her Majesty, or rather the institution that she represents, is embracing technological modernity or that YouTube is getting establishment? I suppose it's a bit of both.

There used to be a time when family members would gather together in front of the radio or television and in respectful (or pretended respectful) silence listened to the live broadcast on radio or television. That created a sense of occasion, befitting the Christmassy atmosphere.

I wonder how many families would gather in front of a computer and click on YouTube on this momentous occasion. Computers in the home are not usually the centre of family attention, and in any case the LCD monitors are not watchable from too many different angles.

This is not to say that her speech is not watched, but I daresay it will mostly be watched only at the convenience of the computer user and not at the time it is intended to be seen.

However, it may be that some younger people not keen to sit in front of a TV to watch the speech, might while checking the internet go to YouTube and take a look. That also seems to be the intention of the Royal Channel.

But what finally matters is not whether younger viewers are caught in the net, but whether the Queen is delivering a speech that has relevance to them.

Alexandria Building Collapses in Country Where the Pyramids Have Stood for Centuries

Egypt is famous for its ancient civilisation and the structures that the ancient Egyptians built. The engineering skills involved in building the pyramids are still being explored and no one theory has really explained the mysteries involved.

But the skills of the past seem not to have been preserved or are not practised by modern-day Egyptian builders. The poor construction of buildings in the poorer urban areas has led to tragedies, when collapses take place because of earth-quakes or due to the strain caused by normal wear and tear in the course of time. There is also a lack of proper maintenance.

I think the building skills are there, but it's lack of proper control that has encouraged sub-standard construction, for the sake of saving a few Egyptian pounds, some of which end up in some official's pockets.

It should not happen because innocent lives are at stake.

The news today of a building collapse in Alexandria, the second largest city in Egypt is shocking. Alexandria is a beautiful and vibrant city. It houses the Alexandria library which has helped preserve the knowledge from the past, and was the centre of learning, to which European and other seekers of knowledge gravitated. The original Alexandria library was burned down, but the new one that has been built is quite an awesome structure, reminiscent of the glories of the past.

How could it be that such a great new building – the Alexandria library – can be constructed, to be admired by all the world, and yet so many below standard buildings are allowed? The Egyptian people deserve much better than that.

Tariq Aziz – a Christian in limbo during Christmas

The ex-deputy Prime Minister of Iraq, Tariz Aziz, has been held by the US since 2003 when he gave himself up to US forces. He is probably the most prominent Christian to be held in connection with the Iraq invasion.

No charges have been brought against him. Cardinal Emmanuel Delly, the leader of the Chaldean Christian Church in his Christmas message has called for his release, as there is no evidence against him.

It's a sorry state of affairs that anyone should be kept in custody for years without charge by a civil or military court. He is simply left in limbo. What real justification does any state have, not to speak of Christian charity, to keep someone in confinement without bringing any charge against him?

The “war on terror” has wreaked terror on thousands upon thousands in Iraq, based on the vacuous claim of it having weapons of mass destruction. Iraqi, American, British lives have been lost for the sake of exactly what? Many rationalisations have been put forward, but none can be true justification for the continuing tragedy that has resulted.

As a gesture of human compassion, and a demonstration of Christian charity, the call by the Chaldean Christian Church should be heeded and supported.

Whoopie! Or should I say w00t

English like any other language is forever evolving. Being a world-wide language it draws resources from all over the world.

But the latest source is the internet.

As all savvy internet users ( dare I say, at least those under 25) know the common expression of joy is spelled out as “w00t”. (That's w-zero-zero-t.)Its usage is so widespread that it has gained recognition from Merriam-Webster – the dictionary people.

I am not sure as to the etymological origins of this expression, or indeed if there are any. But what do I care, who am I to police English usage? It's cool, dude, w00t!

Oprah or Obama?

Just a thought. If Oprah ran for president, would you vote for her?

This came to my mind after the recent endorsement of Obama by Oprah. Obama is a new(ish) fresh face, looks and talks different from the humdrum cast of the usual suspects. And no doubt he's a real smart cookie.

But what about Oprah? She is well-known. Obviously of some influence already – otherwise what's the point of endorsing Obama? She is articulate, a woman of great compassion, as shown by her contributions to education in Africa. She is generous with her audience. She is well loved. I think she's also pretty politically savvy, despite any protestations to the contrary. Or at least savvy enough.

No one person knows everything in the changing political world. Tensions rise and fall. Alliances are made and are broken. Expertise in any field is itself subject to the winds of politics. You can't do something just because you know it's better.




So why not Oprah? She will get all the necessary advice from all the experts around her. She will temper it with compassion, so that the rest of the world will not suffer too greatly from her decisions, and may indeed benefit from them. We know she will be in it not for money, power or influence, all of which she has already got.

She will add a new dimension to world politics. And peace for all may at last be imaginable.

Or maybe it should be Oprah and Obama?