Allez Les (Casques) Bleus!

BBC News has a good preview of the findings of an international panel looking at reform of the UN. More intervention and a larger, more representative Security Council seem to be the main thrusts of the recommendations.

What makes YOU Happy...?

Clinical psychologist Patricia Dalton writes a great piece in the Washington Post on how our desire for material gain is destroying our ability to relate to each other, especially within our families.

Even if it relies on the usual media "what's-the-Christmas-shopping-thing-all-about?" story that crops up every year around this time, I thought this article went a bit deeper.

"....there is ample evidence, both anecdotal and scientific, that once people attain a reasonably good standard of living, making more money and buying more has no appreciable positive effect and in some cases has negative effects....we are allowing ourselves to be robbed of what is most precious and counts the most: free time."

Another Image blong Vanuatu

Tom supplied this pick of the band playing at Fest Napuan, Port Vila on Friday, October 22nd, 2004.

Lego Nostalgia

Rather than comment on anything that's actually happening....

Who remembers Fabuland?

Ah, memories

Gonzman Doesn't Apologise

Doesn't this just confirm everything you already knew about "Red" America...

It's the Culture, Stupid!

NYTimes.com has an amusing article by Frank Rich on the "Moral Values" debate in the United States...

If anyone is laughing all the way to the bank this election year, it must be the undisputed king of the red cultural elite, Rupert Murdoch. Fox News is a rising profit center within his News Corporation, and each red-state dollar that it makes can be plowed back into the rest of Fox's very blue entertainment portfolio. The Murdoch cultural stable includes recent books like Jenna Jameson's "How to Make Love Like a Porn Star" and the Vivid Girls' "How to Have a XXX Sex Life," which have both been synergistically, even joyously, promoted on Fox News by willing hosts like Rita Cosby and, needless to say, Mr. O'Reilly. There are "real fun parts and exciting parts," said Ms. Cosby to Ms. Jameson on Fox News's "Big Story Weekend," an encounter broadcast on Saturday at 9 p.m., assuring its maximum exposure to unsupervised kids.

Juxtaposition

November 11, 2004: US Marines continue their assault on Fallujah

November 11, 2004: New Zealand buries its Unkown Soldier

Art Ensemble of Chicago In Concert (DVD)

Yoiks! Bruce has lent me his copy of the Art Ensemble of Chicago In Concert, taped on November 1st 1981 in Chicago. If ever there was a film that could sell improvised music to sceptics or those not yet au fait, this is it.

Art Ensemble of Chicago

I may have to pick up a copy for myself - (along with the Bergman Fanny & Alexander)

Photos Blong Vanuatu

Ah, I don't think I'll ever tire of using Bislama in my post titles. Blong. So deceptively simple, mildly amusing, possibly savage-sounding to these western ears, and yet... so resonant.

Anyway, here are a few photos of the trip to Vanuatu...

Welcome at Mele village - October 21st, 2004

Ninjas, Mele village, Efate Island, Vanuatu

Mele Beach

Bubbles, Mele village, Efate Island, Vanuatu.

Noisy Boys at Fest Napuan, October 23rd 2004

This is awesome

Finally, a real use for Coke....

Asterix geht wieder dran

Endlich - Asterix noch wieder uf Elsassisch!

Astérix et la rentrée gauloise, a compilation of previously unpublished or unavailable Asterix adventures penned by Goscinny and Uderzo, is to be published in 6 regional languages from around France - Corsican, Picard, Gallo, Occitan, Alsatian and Breton. 150,000 will be distributed to schools in each region to support teaching of regional languages.

As far as I can tell, the only Asterix adventure previously published in Alsatian was a version of of Astérix aux Jeux Olympiques.