Please note that the poems and essays on this site are copyright and may not be reproduced without the author's permission.


Thursday 4 August 2016

Living it all over again only backwards from the outside of a tin shack near Durban is going to take a long, long time

.
Free Syrian Army fighters rest inside a mechanic shop in Ramousah area southwest of Aleppo, Syria

 Free Syrian Army fighters rest inside a mechanic shop in Ramousah area southwest of Aleppo, Syria: photo by Abdalrhman Ismail/Reuters, 3 August 2016

Free Syrian Army fighters rest inside a mechanic shop in Ramousah area southwest of Aleppo, Syria

Free Syrian Army fighters rest inside a mechanic shop in Ramousah area southwest of Aleppo, Syria: photo by Abdalrhman Ismail/Reuters, 3 August 2016
 
Günter Kunert: Film Put in Backwards


When I woke
I woke in the breathless black
    Of the box.
I heard: the earth
Was opening over me. Clods
Fluttered back
    To the shovel. The
Dear box, with me the dear
Departed, gently rose.
The lid flew up and I
Stood, feeling:
    Three bullets travel
Out of my chest
Into the rifles of soldiers, who
    Marched off, gasping
Out of the air a song
With calm firm steps
    Backwards.

Günter Kunert (1929-): Film Put in Backwards
(from Der ungebetene Gast, 1965 / Verkündigung des Wetters ,1966), translated from the German by Christopher Middleton


INDIA - Women mourn during the funeral of a Muslim Kashmiri in Srinagar.  By @TauseefMUSTAFA #AFP
: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgeffard, 4 August 2016


INDIA - Kashmiri muslims clash with Indian security forces after the funeral in Srinagar.  By @TauseefMUSTAFA #AFP: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgeffard, 4 August 2016


SAFRICA - A boy looks at a game of pool from the outside of a tin shack near Durban. By @mlongari #AFP
: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgeffard, 4 August 2016
 
South African voters wait at a polling station outside the hostels in Umlazi, Durban
  South African voters wait at a polling station outside the hostels in Umlazi, Durban: photo by Marco Longari/AFP, 3 August 2016


SOUTH AFRICA- South African voters wait at polling station outside the hostels in Umlazi, Durban. By @mlongari #AFP
: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgeffard, 3 August 2016
 
South African voters wait at a polling station outside the hostels in Umlazi, Durban 
 
South African voters wait at a polling station outside the hostels in Umlazi, Durban: photo by Marco Longari/AFP, 3 August 2016

South Africa holds municipal elections

People stand in a queue to cast their vote during the municipal elections in Alexandra township, Johannesburg, South Africa: photo by Kim Ludbrook/EPA, 3 August 2016

South Africa holds municipal elections

People stand in a queue to cast their vote during the municipal elections in Alexandra township, Johannesburg, South Africa: photo by Kim Ludbrook/EPA, 3 August 2016


#southafrica #elections Voters queue at a polling station in Umlazi #durban #AFP Photo by @mlongari: image via Aurelia BAILLY @Aurelia BAILLY, 3 August 2016



#southafrica #elections
Voters queue at a polling station in Umlazi #durban #AFP Photo by @mlongari: image via Aurelia BAILLY @Aurelia BAILLY, 3 August 2016



SAFRICA - Voters who queue outside a polling station are reflected in a window in Durban. By @mlongari #AFP
: image via AFP Photo Department @AFP, 3 August 2016




#southafrica #elections ANC supporters hold a candidate's placard in Vuwani yesterday #AFP Photo by @SafodienMujahid: image via AFP Photo Department @AFP, 3 August 2016




#southafrica #elections ANC supporters hold a candidate's placard in Vuwani yesterday #AFP Photo by @SafodienMujahid: image via AFP Photo Department @AFP, 3 August 2016




#southafrica #elections ANC supporters hold a candidate's placard in Vuwani yesterday #AFP Photo by @SafodienMujahid: image via AFP Photo Department @AFP, 3 August 2016



#southafrica #elections
ANC supporters hold a candidate's placard in Vuwani yesterday #AFP Photo by @SafodienMujahid: image via AFP Photo Department @AFP, 3 August 2016




#southafrica #elections Voters at a polling station in Alexandra Township in Johannesburg #AFP Photo by @GGuercia: image via Aurelia BAILLY @Aurelia BAILLY, 3 August 2016




#southafrica #elections Voters at a polling station in Alexandra Township in Johannesburg #AFP Photo by @GGuercia: image via Aurelia BAILLY @Aurelia BAILLY, 3 August 2016



#southafrica #elections Voters at a polling station in Alexandra Township in Johannesburg #AFP Photo by @GGuercia: image via Aurelia BAILLY @Aurelia BAILLY, 3 August 2016


Former Taliban militants surrender their weapons during a reconciliation ceremony in Herat, Afghanistan, 03 August 2016. A group of 16 former Taliban militants on 03 August laid down their arms in Herat and joined the peace process. Under an amnesty launched by the former President Hamid Karzai and backed by the US in November 2004, hundreds of anti-government militants have so far surrendered to the government.

Former Taliban militants surrender their weapons during a reconciliation ceremony in Herat, Afghanistan. A group of 16 former Taliban militants gave up their arms in Herat and joined the peace process. Under an amnesty launched by the former President Hamid Karzai and backed by the US in November 2004, hundreds of anti-government militants have so far surrendered to the government: photo by Jalil Rezayee/EPA, 3 August 2016

Former Taliban militants surrender their weapons during a reconciliation ceremony in Herat, Afghanistan, 03 August 2016. A group of 16 former Taliban militants on 03 August laid down their arms in Herat and joined the peace process. Under an amnesty launched by the former President Hamid Karzai and backed by the US in November 2004, hundreds of anti-government militants have so far surrendered to the government.

Former Taliban militants surrender their weapons during a reconciliation ceremony in Herat, Afghanistan. A group of 16 former Taliban militants gave up their arms in Herat and joined the peace process. Under an amnesty launched by the former President Hamid Karzai and backed by the US in November 2004, hundreds of anti-government militants have so far surrendered to the government: photo by Jalil Rezayee/EPA, 3 August 2016

Armed police prepare to deploy from Hyde Park, central London, as Scotland Yard announced that the first of 600 additional armed officers were trained and operationally ready

Armed police prepare to deploy from Hyde Park, central London, as Scotland Yard announced that the first of 600 additional armed officers were trained and operationally ready: photo by Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire, 3 August 2016

Armed police prepare to deploy from Hyde Park, central London, as Scotland Yard announced that the first of 600 additional armed officers were trained and operationally ready

Armed police prepare to deploy from Hyde Park, central London, as Scotland Yard announced that the first of 600 additional armed officers were trained and operationally ready: photo by Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire, 3 August 2016


Armed Metropolitan Police counter terrorism officers take part in an exercise on the River Thames, London: photo by Stefan Roussea/AFP, 3 August 2016


Armed Metropolitan Police counter terrorism officers take part in an exercise on the River Thames, London: photo by Stefan Roussea/AFP, 3 August 2016

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men take part in the funeral ceremony of Rabbi Moshe Mordechai Chadash, head of the "Or Alhanan" Jewish Seminary, in Jerusalem August 3, 2016. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men take part in the funeral ceremony of Rabbi Moshe Mordechai Chadash, head of the “Or Alhanan” Jewish Seminary, in Jerusalem: photo by Ronen Zvulun/Reuters, 3 August 2016

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men take part in the funeral ceremony of Rabbi Moshe Mordechai Chadash, head of the "Or Alhanan" Jewish Seminary, in Jerusalem August 3, 2016. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men take part in the funeral ceremony of Rabbi Moshe Mordechai Chadash, head of the “Or Alhanan” Jewish Seminary, in Jerusalem: photo by Ronen Zvulun/Reuters, 3 August 2016

A young Bedouin lead his camel herd at sunset outside Beersheba, in southern Israel, 03 August 2016

A young Bedouin leads his camel herd at sunset outside Beersheba, in southern Israel: photo by Abir Sultan/EPA, 3 August 2016
 .
A young Bedouin lead his camel herd at sunset outside Beersheba, in southern Israel, 03 August 2016  

A young Bedouin leads his camel herd at sunset outside Beersheba, in southern Israel: photo by Abir Sultan/EPA, 3 August 2016

A boy uses an inner tube of a tyre to help him through flood water in Amarapura Township, near Mandalay, in Myanmar

A boy uses an inner tube of a tyre to help him through flood water in Amarapura Township, near Mandalay, in Myanmar: photo by Hein Htet/EPA, 3 August 2016

A boy uses an inner tube of a tyre to help him through flood water in Amarapura Township, near Mandalay, in Myanmar

A boy uses an inner tube of a tyre to help him through flood water in Amarapura Township, near Mandalay, in Myanmar: photo by Hein Htet/EPA, 3 August 2016

 Indonesian residents look at the Mount Sinabung volcano as it spews volcanic ash near the Tiga Pancur village in Karo, North Sumatra

Indonesian residents look at the Mount Sinabung volcano as it spews volcanic ash near the Tiga Pancur village in Karo, North Sumatra: photo by Haryono YT/AFP, 3 August 2016


#Indonesia Mount Sinabung during a volcanic eruption in Karo, north Sumatra Photo by YT Haryono #AFP: image via AFP Photo Department @AFP, 3 August 2016


 Indonesian residents look at the Mount Sinabung volcano as it spews volcanic ash near the Tiga Pancur village in Karo, North Sumatra

Indonesian residents look at the Mount Sinabung volcano as it spews volcanic ash near the Tiga Pancur village in Karo, North Sumatra: photo by Haryono YT/AFP, 3 August 2016

Sporting Diplomacy Murican style: Hope's Arsenal: Primera polémica de #Rio2016




Hope Solo heard from Brazilian fans Wednesday during the United States’ Olympic opener against New Zealand: photo by Eugenio Savio, 3 August 2016
Hope Solo booed by Brazilian fans at Olympics over Zika comments: Des Bieler and Rick Maese, The Washington Post, 3 August 2016

The U.S. women’s soccer team has begun play at the Rio Olympics, and let’s just say that Hope Solo is not a favorite among Brazilian fans. Because of her comments about the Zika virus, the veteran goalkeeper was booed every time she touched the ball Wednesday against New Zealand.  

Solo had said that she would “begrudgingly” play in the Olympics, this after initially indicating that she might skip the trip to Brazil over her concerns about the mosquito-borne virus. In May, she said that she would do her best to leave the team hotel only in order to practice or travel to games.

Tweets Solo posted in July, showing her head covered in mosquito netting and packing huge amounts of insect repellent, also went over poorly with some in Brazil.  

Women traveling to Brazil, for the Olympics or any other reason, have been warned by medical officials that Zika can cause birth defects. It’s just one of the many pieces of negative publicity Brazil has endured in the run-up to the Games, as problems with infrastructure, crime and pollution have also been widely noted.

Claiming that she spoke to “three different infectious disease doctors and specialists,” Solo said (via the Associated Press), “We prepared ourselves as best as possible, and we got to a level of being as comfortable as we possibly can be.

“I’m wearing mosquito repellent just in case. I know the odds are very small, but you can never be too safe,” she added. “I’m at a point in my life that I just want to be safe.”


Brazilian crowds showered Hope Solo with boos during USWNT win
: image via For The Win @ForTheWin, 3 August 2016

Brazilians taunt Hope Solo with chants of 'Zika' during initial match in Rio Olympics in response to her photos showcasing 'mosquito-proof' repellent arsenal: Daily Mail 3 August 2016

American goalkeeper Hope Solo was heavily booed during Team USA's opening soccer match in the Rio Olympics.

Thousands of Brazilians mocked Solo with 'Zika' chants during the game against New Zealand at Estádio Mineirão in Belo Horizonte.

They taunted her as she walked into the field and every time she went into play.

'Olê, Olê, Olê, Olá — Zika! Zika!' they chanted.

The jeers appeared to be in response to recent photos she shared on social media showing a heavy arsenal of repellent and an anti-mosquito hat.

The accomplished goalkeeper didn't take any chances when it comes to the virus that is rife in Brazil,  which is spread by a specific kind of mosquito and can cause birth defects in babies if transferred by pregnant mothers.

Solo, 34, posted a picture of a massive amount of repellent and wrote: 'If anyone in the village forgot to pack repellent, come and see me… #DeptofDefense #zikaproof.'

She also shared a selfie wearing a bandanna over he face as well as her anti-mosquito bonnet — holding a massive bottle of bug repellent too.

She captioned the picture: 'Not sharing this!!!' Get your own!'

Her pictures sparked controversy in Brazil.

The Brazilian women's soccer team coach, Vadão, said: 'Just like they come prepared, we also prepare ourselves.

'I myself put on repellent,' he said, according to Brazilian news site GloboEsporte.  'Just how she says [to protect herself], when we go to the United States we have to go with bullet-proof vests because there they shoot in the streets. To each their own.'

On social media, some Brazilians shared harsh words about Solo's post.

'Better to be stung by a mosquito than take a bullet from a psychopath,' said one follower quoted in Portuguese by O Globo, referring to the high number of mass shootings in the United States. 

Others told her to stay away from Brazil because 'we don't need people like you here,' according to the newspaper.


Here we go! #Gameday #Olympics #USA #USAvNZL
: image via Hope Solo @hopesolo, 3 August 2016 



If anyone in the village forgets to pack repellent, come and see me... #DeptOfDefense #zikaproof
: image via Hope Solo @hopesolo, 21 July 2016



Not sharing this!!! Get your own! #zikaproof #RoadToRio
: image via Hope Solo @hopesolo, 21 July 2016



Primera polémica de #Rio2016 a la portera #HopeSolo le gritaban #Zika cada vez que despejaba por estos tuits
: image via Saúl J. Prieto M. @JPMSaul, 3 August 2016



#HopeSolo shows off '#Zika #proof' #arsenal she's #packing 4 #Rio2016 #Olympic2016stuff #CDC
: image via Bill D @zeusFanHouse, 23 July 2016


 
@hopesolo advantage and find an outfit for protection from snakes!!! #HopeSolo: image via Fagner Ferreira @fagnerferreira, 22 July 2016

 

Fagner Ferreira Retweeted Alex Morgan: image via Fagner Ferreira @fagnerferreira, 22 July 2016
Fagner Ferreira Retweeted Alex Morgan
Fagner Ferreira added,
Muito mais bela que a outra!É por isso que eu prefiro a beleza da @alexmorgan13 do que a @hopesolo - That's why I prefer the beauty of @alexmorgan13 than @hopesolo: tweet via via Fagner Ferreira @fagnerferreira, 22 July 2016 
 Só entrei pra ver a treta que a #HopeSolo criou: tweet via via Fagner Ferreira @fagnerferreira, 22 July 2016


Hope Solo cutucou, Meia-Hora respondeu:
image via Pedro Ivo Almeida @pedroivoalmeida, 22 July 2016



Nossa, mas tão vaiando muito a Hope Solo no Mineirão. #USA #Rio2016 #Futebol
: image via Uai Tevê @uaiteve, 3 August 2016



That time when they wanted to see u fail but u shut them out instead #HopeSolo #USNWT tweet via @t_nunn12: image via Julie Senesac @joolie9421, 3 August 2016 



Billionaire Klarman slams Trump, vows to work for Clinton
: image via Reuters Top News @Reuters, 3 August 2016



Icahn to close Trump Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City
: image via Reuters Top News @Reuters, 3 August 2016



L'Italie prête à ouvrir ses bases aux USA pour des raids en Libye #AFP: image via Mathilde Auvillain @mathilderome, 3 August 2016

1 comment:

Sandra said...

The great courage is still to gaze as squarely at the light as at death. Besides, how can I define the link that leads from this all-consuming love of life to this secret despair?
A. Camus