Owner: Blue on Grey URL:www.blueongrey.blogspot.com Join Date: Sun, 23 Dec 2007 17:46:28 -0600 Rating:0 Site Description: Blue on Grey is the blog of a journalism student focusing on international politics. Site statistics:Click here
The Maldon Mud Race: Voluntary torture 2008-01-05 13:09:15 It's a cold winters morning a few days after Christmas in Maldon, a small town on the Essex coast. Several thousand people are congregating at Promenade Park to watch an annual spectacle, The Maldon Mud Race.Already at some ungodly hour there is a sizeable crowd in the park. Those eternal optimists, the Morning People. That strange breed of people who take pride in being awake before anyone else. Regardless of the weather or the prospect of another day at the grinding stone, they are smiling. The river is at low tide, exposing the mud banks on either side of the Blackwater. A putrid smell invades your nostrils, threatening to remind you of last night's excesses.I've found Kevin, my wiry friend who is racing for the third time. For the last month, he has tried unsuccessfully to get me to jo Read more:Voluntary
Maldon Mud Race: A guide 2008-01-02 08:56:00 A crowd of over 6,000 came to Promenade Park in Maldon to watch the annual Maldon Mud Race, one of the most unusual races in England.This year, 180 competitors braved the bleak conditions to race around a course on the muddy banks of the river Blackwater.Pub TalkThe race originated in 1973, by the means of a dare. The landlord of the Queen's Head public house was challenged by a patron to serve him a meal on the saltings of the River Blackwater whilst dressed in a dinner jacket.The challenge was accepted and subsequently carried out. The next year a 'bar' was opened across the water from the pub and around twenty people crossed to drink a pint and dash back.As the race became more popular with more and more people taking part, the 'bar was closed because of the 'logjam' caused by having to
Butto killed in suicide attack 2007-12-27 18:49:08 Benazir Butto, the former Prime Minster of Pakistan and daughter of former PM Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, has been killed by a suicide attack
.Ms Butto was the first women to hold the top job in an Islamic country. She was shot in the neck and the back by the suicide bomber before he detonated himself, killing at least 20 other people.She had narrowly escaped an attempt on her life just as she returned from self-imposed exile a few months beforehand, in an explosion that killed 140 people.Inevitable?Butto was lucky to escape with her life the first time, and it seemed only a matter of time that a determined effort to assassinate her would succeed.Despite the rapturous reception that she received on returning to the country, surely the threat to her life made her realise that she was not welcomed b
Hamas looking for Truce? 2007-12-21 11:45:45 Hamas is reported to have delivered proposals for a truce to end the violence in and around Gaza.Two Israeli cabinet ministers have said that Israel should be willing to talk to Hamas regarding any potential ceasefire proposal."If a serious offer for a truce from Hamas reached us, I think we should examine it seriously," Shaul Mofaz, the Israeli transport minister, said.Israel and Hamas do not enjoy good relations with each other. Hamas does not recognise Israel as a sovereign state, and Israel will not negotiate with Hamas until this position changes. This is in addition to renouncing violence and accepting past peace accords.Moving forward from Annapolis?"If Hamas comes to us with a serious proposal for a long-term truce, in my opinion Israel should not reject it." Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, Read more:Hamas
, Truce
Putin: Person of the Year 2007-12-20 19:56:51 Vladimir Putin
has been namedTime's2007 'person of the year', joining the ranks of former winners such as Gandhi and Pope John Paul II.Putin beat competition from China's President Hu Jintao, Al Gore and JK Rowling for ending chaos to Russia. Time magazine said that;"He stands, above all, for stability, stability before freedom, stability before choice, stability in a country that has hardly seen it in a 100 years."The award is given to those who have impacted the most on the world, for better or worse, in that given year. Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin have also been along the winners in previous years.Stability at any priceIt is some 17 years since the Cold War came to a close, ending the bi-lateral standoff that dominated world affairs since 1945. Under Yeltsin, the country opened up t
Chavez suffers setback 2007-12-04 15:12:24 Venezeula has narrowly voted against a controversial referendum that could have seen Hugo Chavez
President for life.The referendum, which proposed sweeping changes to the constitution, was narrowly voted against by a majority of 51%.Along with populist measures such as reducing the working day from 8 to 6 hours and extending social security benefits to infromal workers, the Venezuelan President had included clauses that would cement his grip on the nation. Chavez wanted to abolish the two-term limit for Presidents, and take control of the country's autonomous bank. This is a stunning setback for Chavez, who suffers
his first polling setback since coming to power in 1999. He publicly congratulated his opponents, but asked his opponents 'to know how to handle thier victory'. Unsurprisingly,
Muhammed the teddy-bear 2007-11-28 18:36:17 Gillian Gibbons, a teacher hailing from Liverpool, as been charged with insulting religion, inciting hatred and showing contempt for religious beliefs.This is all because she allowed a teddy
bear in her classroom to be named Muhammad. The fact that the class voted on different names, and that Muhammad was the most popular by far, doesn't sway the Sudanese authorities.It is completely ridiculous by any means that Mrs Gibbons is being threatened with six months in jail or 40 lashes.Sudan's top 'clerics' have claimed this was part of a Western plot against Islam.It angers me how such ignorant fools who clearly have other agendas at play are trying to victimise a poor woman who has not done anything wrong.Gillian Gibbons is not some fifth columist trying to cause unrest in Sudan.We are all awa
Bush running out of time to fufill 'God's' will 2007-11-28 17:01:40 With his tenure in office due to end in December 2008, George Bush must realise that anything he wants to achieve must get initiated very soon.And so, he tries his hand at solving the Israeli-Palestinian problem that has existed for some 40 years. Bush wants to resolve many outstanding issues, such as borders, water supply and Jerusalem in the space of year.Serious negotiations must be made by both sides, which may just result in making both sides dissatisfied.There are many key players around the Annapolis willing to talk, but just how far negotiations will progress beyond photo shoots remains to be seen.Firm American support will be a big boost to the negotiations, but their presence does not make the talks infallible.High HopesHamas is perhaps the major stumbling block for the talks, an Read more:running
‘We don't do God’ 2007-11-27 18:19:23 Tony Blair avoided talking about his religious views whilst in office for fear of being branded ‘a nutter’, the ex-prime minister has revealed.Although faith played a very prominent role in the former prime minister’s life, his decision to keep it largely private strengthened his leadership, in my opinion. It would not work in a secular country like Britain.In an increasingly atheist society, it would be bizarre to suddenly bring religion into the political domain.It would not be an accurate reflection of the country, and not a good way to conduct international relations.When Alastair Campbell was once questioned about Mr Blair’s faith, he replied ‘I’m sorry, we don't do God’.Indeed, Britain as a whole does not do God. Not so in other countries.His holy legislativeTo get anyw
Everything is ok 2007-11-26 19:39:22 Apparently so, according to a sign held by Danny Shine, a 'spiritual entertainer' at Hyde Park. His other mantra was 'Don't believe anyone including me', as you can see below.In his own words, Danny is trying to 'heal the planet, one soul at a time'. I'm not sure such social experiments like looking into strangers eyes for half a minute and hugging each other amount to 'soul healing,' but it did produce a relaxed atmosphere.Danny gets a kick out of social experiments, as a quick trip to his blog reveals. He was thrown off of a train only recently for impersonating a ticket inspector. Completely pointless thing to do in my eyes, but not to Danny.The man standing next to Danny here is holding a sign offering 'free kisses'. How about that for a social experiment? Lock your lips with a man who Read more:Everything
Speaker's Corner 2007-11-25 17:53:17 From just a few hours at the corner I have been deluged with so much opinion that I am not going to talk about it all at once. Speaker
's Corner is a corner (naturally) of Hyde Park where people congregate to share their opinion with the public on anything they want. Today was my first visit to this philosophical forum.Before going to Speaker's Corner today for the first time, I consciously did very little research into the place. I tried to imagine what the place would be like.He's not the Messiah. He's a very naughty boy! Monty Python's 'The Life of Brian' was one thought I entertained. In one scene, Brian finds himself in a plaza with several mystics and prophets, who harangue the passing crowd. In order to blend in (his is being chased by the Romans), he starts spouting pseudo-religious
The social gulf between the armed forces and society 2007-11-23 18:02:49 Recently there has been a lot of debate over the state of the UK military. The military is underfunded, low on morale and socially 'outcast' from the country, according to various critics. These accusations come at a time when the armed forces are stretched heavily, and so could have serious connotations. I'm going to tackle the army-society divide in this blog."The growing gulf between the Army and the nation"These were the words of Gen Sir Richard Dannat, the head of the British Army, in September. In truth, this gulf has been around for a very long time, and is not simply a result of disillusion with the Iraq invasion.National Service finished in 1963, and since then the UK has operated a all-volunteer force. Conscription exposed all of society to the armed forces, and created the citiz
Captured Turkish Troops face unspecified charges?! 2007-11-20 12:00:42 I find it incredulous that these eight men have recieved such a cold reception upon being realeased by the PKK. The criticism they recieved has been from ordinary Tukrish citizens right up to the Justice Minister, Mehment Ali Sahin.Sahin:No member of the Turkish
armed forces should have found themselves in such a situation," he said last week."As a Turkish citizen I cannot accept the fact that they went with the terrorists that night. Our soldier is prepared to die if necessary when he is protecting the country."Currently, they are being held in a military jail facing unspecified charges.When fifteen Royal Navy personel were captured by Iran in the Gulf, the (UK) media portrayed them as heroes. They were captured without firing a single shot. Faye White and co were even allowed to sell thi Read more:Troops
Books confined to the well, history books 2007-11-20 10:46:36 Computers have long threatened to be end of anything in print. Newspapers were tipped to disappear now (free) content is available online, and the use of multimedia brings dimensions to news that are impossible to do in print. But they remain.You can already read novels and publications online, but it hasn't caught on. Online reading habits don't subscribe to reading War and Peace in its entirety. Staring at a screen for a long time tends to give people headaches.Enter the Kindle, an electronic book-reading device made by Amazon. Simply download a novel or two (it can hold 200 with add-on memory) at the price of as little as a fiver and read away. Blogs, newspapers, magazines and websites can also be viewed over the free high-speed wifi network.The Kindle boasts electronic ink-screen techn
'No excuses' for England 2007-11-19 10:00:31 Israel's last-gasp winner against Russia at the weekend has given England
a good chance to qualify for the Euro 2008 tournament.Steve McClaren has said there will be 'no excuses' if England fail to deliver. I'm not expecting a football manager to say something profound, but I can't help but think that there is no excuses that we have had to wait till the very last throw of the dice to assure qualification.I'm pleased England have now got a good chance to get into the Euros, but this should have been wrapped up a long time ago. Expectations are always set high, and this should never change. I'm not saying that we should be looking at adding another star to the shirt, but qualification for the World Cup and Euros is a must. There is no way you can say the qualification group for England is d
Children groomed for Al-Qaeda 2007-11-06 14:25:27 There is up to 2,000 people in the UK who are a threat to national security because of their support for terrorism, the head of MI5 has said.Such a figure does not particularly surprise me. Recent foreign policy has served to alienate the Muslim community within Britain to some extent. Radical leaders have found their stages in mosques around the country and free from outside influence work on the minds of the weak and impressionable.What does surprise me is that Johnathan Evans (the head of MI5) claims children as young as 15 are being targeted by Al-Qaeda
for terrorist-related activity. These are perhaps the most vulnerable people in society, and so potentially the biggest threats.It immediately reminds me of the Hitler Youth. The Nazi party used the Hitler Youth to infiltrate the minds Read more:Children
PKK relocate into Iran 2007-11-05 17:13:52 The Kurdistan Workers' Party are leaving Iraqi Kurdistan for Iran to avoid attack from Turkey, a former leader of the PKK has said. Osman Ocalan, brother of the imprisoned head of the PKK, Abdullah Ocalan, said "the PKK has decreased its forces in Iraqi Kurdistan and they are moving into Iran. It is part of PKK tactics that when they feel pressure in one country they try to move to another".Mr Ocalan also remarked "In the last six months the PKK has started a war with Iran". The PJAK, a branch of the PKK has killed over 150 Iranian soldiers and police. Tehran believes that the US supports the PKK. Indeed the US does not recognize the PJAK as a terrorist organization unlike the PKK.By moving the majority of their forces into Iran, the PKK will create significant political headaches for a
PKK hand over Turkish soldiers 2007-11-04 19:15:25 The PKK has handed over the eight Turkish
soldiers it captured last month. With both the US and Iraq denouncing the organisation strongly, it seems that this was on the cards. Only on friday Condoleezza Rice declared the PKK 'a common enemy'.However, how much time the PKK has bought itself remians to be seen. A 100,000 strong army waits on the border with Iraq, ready to be given the go-ahead by Ankara.The release of the soldiers will not be enough to satisfy the Turkish people. The PKK has fought a long and protracted campaign with Turkey. The conflict has taken 30,000 lives.Talks are the preferred choice of the Americans, but it remains unclear how this will happen. No-one in Ankara is willing to negotiate with the PKK.(Image courtesy of www.indianmuslims.info)
Venables backs McClaren: Why? 2007-10-30 16:01:51 Terry Venables has backed Steve McClaren
to stay on as England Coach even if England do not get to Euro 2008.Venables: "I think Steve knows himself we were a little bit late starting off, but we got there - we were a fraction away,...I do believe the improvement is worth a little more patience"England fans do not have that kind of patience, and rightly so. We were expected to walk this group and now find ourselves hoping results go our way. I for one am not prepared to let him have another go. What if he makes a hash of the World Cup Qualificaitons? Will it only after missing two competitions he will be sacked? Sven was seen as a failure (unfairly so) because he didn't get England past the quarter-finals. McClaren has presided over some woeful performances and Venables expects he should st
King Abdullah visits the UK 2007-10-30 06:49:04 I'm not really sure why there is such furore over his visit. It was front page news in the Independent yesterday, and went into a long spiel about how the state has as poor human rights record, no rights for women, etc.This is the reality of realist politics. Saudi Arabia has been one of our largest arms exporters for some time, produces 1/8 of the worlds oil and let the US use its air space in the Gulf War.We need things the Saudis have. They are not directly hostile to us, (it is reported they fund many extremist organisations, will post link to this later) so we can ignore these problems.Morality does not play a prominent role in state relations. If what the polticians want to go can also be considered moral, great. If not, no worries.That's why we stand back in Africa and let them get Read more:Abdullah
Suu Kyi meets Minister 2007-10-25 09:36:42 Suu Kyi, the Burmese opposition leader who has spent the 12 of her last 18 years under house arrest, has met with a liasion from the Burmese government today.The intention of the visit is to 'smooth relations' with the Junta, according to NDTV.comThis is a largely symbolic move by the Junta to make the impression that they welcome dialogue. After completely crushing the popular uprising last month by savage force, I doubt many fancy opposing the Junta from within Burma. The Junta's main concern is outside influence. Sanctions could bring the country down and the military will be desperate to avoid anymore. This appears to be the route that is to be taken up.China and India are the key players in this area. Military intervention seems unlikely. Burma does not pose a threat to any other coun Read more:Minister
'Security Firms' in Iraq 2007-10-24 14:07:03 It looks like the reins are being pulled in on private defence contractors following the investigation into Blackwater USA killing 17 civilians.Armed forces find it hard enough to avoid 'collateral damage', either by bombing or using small-arms fire. Giving a bunch of mercenaries a free reign in Iraq
has always seemed like madness to me.I appreciate that in a volatile country like Iraq security will be needed. But they must be professional people with extensive training related to the area of operations they are to be deployed in. For example, in 2006 a Blackwater SUV crashed into an army Humvee. The Blackwater guards held the US soldiers at gunpoint until the cars could be disentangled. How can you let such people play a role in a delicate process like rebuilding Iraq? Many contractors do
Sniper shoots up America's mission in Iraq 2008-05-18 19:11:14 An America
n sniper in Iraq
has been using the Koran for target practice.Offensive graffiti was found inside the holy book.The US Military is keen to stress that this is an entirely isolated incident. America's top soldier in Iraq made a personal apology to local Sunni Arab leaders in an attempt to restore relations. The sniper in question, reported to be a Staff Sergeant, has been sent home.This i Read more:shoots
, Sniper
A crude awakening 2008-05-21 13:35:21 Oil prices have broken the $130 barrier for the first time ever today, peaking at $132 a barrel.Gordon Brown has blamed the recent price spike on OPEC, claiming that they are holding back oil production. Given that OPEC control about 40% of the world's oil production, they are in a considerable position of power over the price of the 'Black Gold'.Their power over governments looks set to increase. Read more:awakening
Gates: Iraq now in 'endgame' 2008-09-17 18:22:23 The US Secretary of Defence Robert Gates
has told reporters the war in Iraq
is in a "mission transition" and expects Iraqi forces to take higher responsibility for the security of their country.The comment came as Gates travelled with reporters from Washington to the change of command ceremony of US commanders in Iraq.According to the defence secretary, conditions have improved enough for a contin
Power sharing in Zimbawbe: the beginning of the end? 2008-09-16 18:41:06 Robert Mugabe's absolute rule over Zimbabwe ended yesterday with a historical agreement between Zanu-PF and Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC party.Deep divisions remain throughout all levels of Zimbabwean society; rival supporters clashed outside where the agreement was taking place. MPs of the respective parties jeered each other inside.In the agreement, Tsvangirai becomes Prime Minister, controls the pol
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