dingsda

Freitag, November 26, 2004

Orange Revolution in der Ukraine?

Hier ein paar Links zur aktuellen Situation in der Ukraine. Das Thema wird ja zumindest in der Tagesschau jeden Tag life behandelt und auch auf der BBC News Webseite ist es seit Tagen an prominenter Stelle ganz oben.

Einen ungefilterten Eindruck bieten mal wieder die unabhängigen Medien.

An erster Stelle sei hier Maidan genannt, nach eigener Darstellung ein Internet Hub für zivilen Widerstand gegen Authoritismus in der Ukraine. Hier treffen mehrfach pro Stunde aktuelle Nachrichten ein.
Eine ausführliche Zusammenfassung und Analyse bietet soj, eine Bloggerin aus Romänien, in ihrem Blog. Sie cross-posted auf Daily Kos in der Diary Section, wo mehr kommentiert wird, allerdings aus der amerikanischen Perspektive.

Zu guter Letzt noch eine Webcam, die den Platz der Unabhängigkeit in Kiev zeigt, wo zur Stunde noch mehrere 10.000 Leute der Kälte trotzen.

Montag, November 22, 2004

MAG 04: Media Activist Gathering

Am 30. November jähren sich die Proteste anläßlich des WTO-Gipfels in Seattle zum fünften Mal und damit auch die Gründung des Independant Media Centers, besser bekannt unter dem Namen Indymedia. Aus diesem Anlass findet vom 24. November bis zum 1. Dezember in Berlin das Media Activist Gathering 04 statt.

Im Mittelpunkt steht das Freedom of Information Filmfestival, welches vor allem Filme zeigt, die sich mit der Macht der Medien in einer globalisierten Welt und sozialem Protest weltweit beschäftigt.

Begleitend findet am Freitag (26.11.) die offene MAG-Messe statt, bei der sich verschiedene Projekte und Initiativen rund um das Thema freie und unabhängige Medien präsentieren. Unter anderem wird es Vorträge zu Wikipedia (eine freie Enzyklopädie im Internet), Creative Commons (copyleft statt copyright) und dem ChaosComputerClub geben. Am Wochenende wird außerdem eine Open Space Konferenz veranstaltet für alle, die sich intensiver mit freien Medien auseinandersezten wollen.

Natürlich gibt's auch eine Party und zwar am Samstag im RAW-Tempel. Kostenlos!

Smash Hit!

Spaniards hammer out work stress

A Spanish scrapyard has come up with a smashing way of helping people take out their frustrations on modern living.

For 40 euros ($52), they can pick up sledgehammers and bash away on anything from cars and computers to mobile phones and even photos of the boss.

[...]

Along with a hammer, customers are given helmets, overalls, goggles and heavy metal music for head banging.

[...]

[Co-founder Jorge Arribas] said some people brought photos of their bosses and put them on top of cars before attacking them with a hammer.

"It is brilliant, fantastic... I have got rid of all my stress," Mariano Garcia, from Cadiz, told Reuters television.

[...]

Vielleicht kann ja jemand hier in Berlin eine Ich-AG gründen?

Mittwoch, November 17, 2004

NASA Tests Scramjet, Reaches Mach 9.6

NASA has successfully flown the X-43A for a third time, reaching almost Mach 9.6, which is around 11,000 km/h or about 3 km/s. The flight breaks its previous speed record of Mach 6.83 set on a flight in March.

The X-43A is a scramjet (supersonic combustion ramjet). Unlike rocket engines, the scramjet does not carry oxygen with it to burn its fuel, but gets the oxygen out of the air like a normal jet. This reduces weight and size of the vehicle, so it can carry greater payloads. However, unlike conventional jet engines, there are no moving rotor blades to compress the air flow, making the technology potentially safer.

So, when will we again be able to fly on supersonic planes?

Dienstag, November 16, 2004

The 2003 Iraq War, Part 43

After Abu Ghraib there's another incident where US forces apparently show total disregard for the Geneva Conventions. As the BBC reports, a US soldier is being investigated for executing an Iraqi Prisoner of War.
US investigates Falluja killing

The US military is looking into whether an American marine in Falluja shot dead a severely wounded Iraqi insurgent at point-blank range.

Television footage shows US soldiers entering a building as injured prisoners lie on the floor.

[...]

The images of the alleged point-blank shooting of an Iraqi insurgent were taken by an NBC reporter embedded with the US troops in the Sunni city under assault.

The BBC's James Robbins says the incident could prove highly damaging and that the US military will need to answer key questions about whether the rules of engagement were broken during the incident.

It must explain, he says, whether wounded combatants were abandoned, or killed, illegally.

The Administration of course keeps reiterating its position, that all laws of war are being followed. Well, Gonzales memos appear to say differently, and the ICRC is still not allowed into Falluja. You make up your own mind.

Montag, November 15, 2004

The 2003 Iraq War, Part 42

Milten from Dar es Salaam has a bleak outlook at the future of Iraq in the wake of the recent battle in Falluja. He writes in the BBC News Have Your Say section (links and emphasis mine):
I am quite appalled by the lack of sensitivity to the loss of Iraqis lives. The BBC reporter informs that the so called Iraqi forces are actually coming from Kurdish part of Iraq. What the US is doing now is to let brother kill brother. The war started with WMDs, the regime change, then capturing Saddam and his sons, then out of nowhere Zarqawi who popped up in Falluja. I am starting to see the next reason to stay in Iraq.

Sources:Some more food for thought: Danny Schechter, Selling the War, AlterNet

Samstag, November 13, 2004

First Post!

In true Slashdot tradition, a first post, devoid of any content.