Egyptian Revolutions

This week news reports have been dominated by the world changing protests attempting to over throw the government regime lead by President Mubarak. They’re using slogans as quoted here in The Guardian:

"We don't want him! We will go after him!" demonstrators shouted. They decried looting and sabotage, saying: "Those who love Egypt should not sabotage Egypt!"

After 5 days of riots and protests curfews installed by the military have been ignored, the protesters dispersing only at the call to prayer. There are numerous un-pleasant stories of plains clothes policemen arming themselves with iron bars, bricks and bottles, working through crowds, taking people aside and beating them violently. One such story is about a group of female protesters being taken aside and brutally beaten for merely attending; many people have experienced this treatment from police and officials, including Jack Shenker a British reporter in Cairo.

Last month I wrote a long ranting blog about the Student protests in London and Manchester and how I could not abide the condoning of the violence that lead from it. This revolution could not be further from those past protests but still the student complaint persists. I hope that the current total of 73 dead in Egypt will not grow but if reform is not imminent I doubt it will be so.

It has been quoted from Fawaz Gerges that this is a "Berlin moment for the Arab world". I hope for all our sakes he is right, I will be watching the on going situation eagerly.

Pirate treasure under New York?

Whilst working at the ground zero site of the twin towers in New York diggers found something interesting last tuesday — the 10-meter hull of an old ship!

The New York Times reports:

"The vessel was probably used along with other debris to fill in land to extend lower Manhattan into the Hudson river, archaeologists have said. It was hoped the artefact could be retrieved by the end of today, said archaeologist Molly McDonald. A boat specialist was going to the Ground Zero site to examine the find. McDonald said she wanted to at least salvage some timbers; it was unclear if any large portions could be lifted intact. "We're mostly clearing it by hand because it's fragile," she said. A 45kg (100lb) metre long anchor was found a few yards from the hull on Wednesday but the experts are not sure if it belongs to the ship. The archaeologists are racing to record and analyse the vessel before exposure to air makes the delicate wood deteriorate."

More from the NYT, including photos.

Temeraire

I love history and fantasy books, own dozens of them and have read hundreds. In Naomi Noviks Temeraire series I find a perfect combination of both. Set in alternative history of 18th century Briton, you are introduced to the aerial corps, a military service working along side the Nelsons Navy during the Napoleonic wars.

It is a ragtag version of the RAF in which aviators have a low life expectancy, hard labour with little reward and stiff upper lips of the Navy frowning upon them. The story follows adventures of a British Naval captain Will Laurence thrown into aerial service with little choice and the adventures that follow him and his newly acquired Dragon partner Temeraire.

The book is fast flowing with a fluid writing skill that makes reading very smooth. It avoids typical fantasy clichés, and still manages to engage the reader without too much depth or being overly informative. The fast pace means that the reader doesn't question the explainations so it does work quite effectively. The characters - human and dragon alike - are easy to understand and despite its swift story the reader is able to connect with them.

It covers very traditional brittish-ness and has quite a hooray henry sense of action and adventure, with swords cannons and set among romping waves. A thoroughly enjoyable easy read : )

Aboriginals - The Indigenous Australians

Aboriginal people are hunters and gatherers and there is proof they have been living in Australia for 40,000 years, maybe as long as 60,000years making them the oldest race so far known on earth.

Traditionally, the aboriginal people obtain all their food from the land and move seasonally across Australia. They developed an intimate map of their landscape that is passed on generation after generation through their Dreamtime stories. Aboriginal people have a deep spiritual connection to the land. This is shown through art, music and dance.

Sadly today Aboriginals are the invisible people of Australia. Everyone knows the history of their treatment under colonial rule was horrendous, and their social problems endure, but by and large white Australians apparently prefer to pretend they don’t exist—except when it comes to using their culture in interpretive facilities or their fascinating, mystical art for adornments.