The UN Summit is getting closer, and China is fighting to prevent the Dalai Lama’s party from being allowed to attend. Not content with invading Tibet, destroying over 6 000 ancient monasteries, killing over a million monks and Tibetan citizens, and continuing a policy of systematic rape, terrorism and occupation of a country that is both deeply religious and non-violent, China thinks it can come to the UN Summit and make friends with our Government. I don’t think so. If the ANC had any morals, they’d ignore the bribes being dangled by these murdering swine and prevent THEM from attending the Summit. Here’s the news report about China trying to stop the Dalai Lama’s Party from coming here. News Report. Then take a look at the Official Tibetan Government-in-Exile. And there’s a lot of info at the Tibet Information Network. For a look at the situation in Tibet now, try the Tibetan Centre For Human Rights and Free Tibet.
Then, oddly related to the current Chinese Leadership in some way. You’re sitting at home thinking about Down’s Syndrome, and in particular – all those kids with Down’s Syndrome who play with dolls that don’t look like they do. What do you do? Do you file this idea away and get back to planet Earth – or do you set about making special Down’s Syndrome dolls? Take a look at Down’s Syndrome Dolls. Or else, to see how weird the web does get – try this strange page supposedly made by a doll, complete with pics of the doll doing arbitrary things. The scary thing is that over 20 000 people have looked at it sofar. Try The Doliseum
Like me you’re probably interested in medical history, and how doctors in previous centuries approached problems. So if you wanted to see what medicine was like in the 1800’s, you could either just go directly to the Joburg General or Baragwanath Hospitals, and stamp cockroaches while waiting to see a Cuban, or else try Interactive Antique Illness.
You’ll recall last weeks find on E-Bay of a great offer for an ass-kicking, well – take a look at the latest weird offering. And before anyone with not enough to do in their life gets upset, no – its not a real baby. Go to Baby Auction On EBay.
Wallpaper time, and for those of you who need something a little different on their desktops to freak out the workmates – why not have a long slow browse through the many strange and visually amazing pictures from Swiss surrealist artist HR Giger. (The man responsible for giving us the ‘Alien’ lifeform) at Giger Gallery. There’s more Giger goodies and links at Art Forge.
Local stuff, and for once its not a damn corporate site – (methinks there are thousands of geeky lightning rod-salesmen making money from local businesses by setting up boring websites) That gripe aside, how about a local site dedicated to publishing short stories – a thousand words or less. It’s a great concept, get writing and then submit your creation to The Literate Gymnast.
The world gets smaller all the time. The old days of reading newspapers and waiting for politicians to tell us what’s happening, are over. Take a quick journey around the world and read the daily writings of folks from different countries, who share their daily thoughts and experiences with the rest of us: Finland, New Zealand, New York (photo-journalist), Silicon Valley Singapore, Israel, Canada and Hawaii.
Even though you still cant get a decent vegetarian pizza at 2am, there’s whispers of plans afoot to build a hybrid spaceship/submarine to explore the liquid oceans of Jupiter’s moon Europa. Apparently the craft is called Icepick. To start off, take a look at Europa itself, at the charmingly named Europa Wet And Wild. Here’s a challenge put out by NASA to students, entitled Design a Spaceship to Test for Life on Europa. And try The Possibility of Life On Europa.
Then just to irritate and scare the hell out of your history teachers (if you have the misfortune to still be trapped in school) Take a slow thoughtful browse through this next site, which covers a range of the subjects that Leonardo Da Vinci came up with – ranging from tanks, helicopters and robots – through to some decidedly explicit drawings of copulating couples. (That ought to help increase the traffic to the site) Go to Weirdo Leonardo.
And finally, just to show that we all may as well drink the kool-aid and lie down somewhere comfy in the long grass without a struggle, and wait for the end – take a read of this science report which shows that 25% of all mammals will be extinct within 30 years. Read the Extinction Report.
Until the next time, if a billion insulted Chinese people don’t get me.
Ian Fraser is a playwright, author, comedian, conspiracy nut, old-time radio collector and self-confessed data-junkie. Winner of numerous Vita and Amstel Awards, he’s been an Internet addict and games-fanatic since around 1995, when the Internet began to make much more sense than theatre.