Restricted but safe
Actual indigenous societies possess a unique body of cultural and environmental knowledge that has survived so far the modernization process, but they often feel that other humans are destroying their customs. With an ancient and rich past, they see the Earth in a different and beautiful way, but accessible technology -or Internet- is somehow forcing some of them to see the same world we do. Some aboriginals around the world have certain restrictions about materials or events they can see or not. For example, in some communities men cannot view women’s rituals, and people from one community cannot view material from another without first seeking permission. Read more
Filed Under Diversity, History & traditions, Media & Society, Modern Life, Technology
God, another web community!
Go ahead, you can insult me if you want, but I have to admit I prefer a life spent in the real world more than one spent surfing the web. That’s why I don’t quite understand all this social networking trend. Being a Btalk editor, in the last year I found myself writing about any kind of web communities, featuring pets, moms, musicians, creative recyclers and even people who bet on what’s going to happen next in the world. Read more
Filed Under Modern Life, Wondering
The Marijuana Vending Machines
As we know, vending machines provide snacks, beverages, newspapers and in some countries cigarettes. But can you imagine a handy machine like this distributing the popular and well-known friend of many, marijuana? Believe it or not, these are to begin operating in the US state of California with the ideal of distribute some dose to people who have been prescribed the drug for health reasons. But don’t you think the process will be that easy: you first need to show the prescription to an indicated person, you have to be photographed, fingerprinted and then you will be issued with a card, the one you can use in the machine. Cannabis has been used for medicinal purposes for over 4,800 years around the world to treat, for example, gastrointestinal disorders, insomnia and headaches. Is also known as a pain reliever, as diuretic, antiemetic, antiepileptic, anti-inflammatory, etc. But the US federal government does not currently recognize any legitimate medical use of it and the FDA issued an advisory against medical marijuana stating that “there is currently sound evidence that smoked marijuana is harmful.” Read more
Filed Under Modern Life, Politics, World Health
Predicting the next headline
Who will the 2008 Democratic candidate for American Presidency be? Will Japan agree to end its whaling programme by the end of 2008? And, most of all, will Jesus return within the end of 2008? Each time we read, watch or listen to some news program, we can’t help making predictions about what will be of the stories that are now grabbing the headlines (Well, in the case of Jesus’ return the piece of news has been grabbing the headlines for a couple of millennia). Yet we rarely make those predictions public and we never bet on them. That’s the reason why Nigel Eccles, the guy who invented Hubdub, could soon become more rich and famous than I am. Read more
Filed Under Media & Society, Modern Life
No excuse for junk food
Perhaps your logic could explain the reason why poor kids are more likely to be undernourished and skinny while wealthier children have a bigger possibility of being overweight, but here is a good example to show how our logic can brutally fail every once in a while. In USA, studies show that nearly one third of American children ages 10-17 are obese, and curiously, nearly 40 percent of those kids are from low-income households. Poor and plumpish? How is that possible, you may ask.Previous research has suggested that poor children weren’t getting nutritious food and instead ate junk, fast food. Besides those children may have eaten well when money was available, but would skip meals when cash was short, a cycle that could slow their metabolism and cause them to gain weight.Some of you may say that it makes sense since junk food is cheaper than nutritious meals, but that is just a modern mindset that denies alternatives. It’s true that healthy, organic stores are generally more expensive than popular supermarkets, but it is just a matter of smart choices to bring home nutritious and very cheap meals (grains, for example, are a wonderful alternative).Yes, money is necessary, but even during hard times it’s possible to have a complete and varied menu at home. Especially when we are talking about the health and development of those you love the most: your little ones.
Filed Under Food, Modern Life, Research, World Health
Bliss Geography
“Where we are affects who we are,” says Eric Weiner, 44, who traveled the world for 10 years as a National Public Radio correspondent. One day, he packed a goal: to find the world’s happiest places. The result was the book “The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World.” Part philosophy, part psychoanalysis, part cultural studies lesson, Weiner’s work searches for the spots that rank highest and lowest regarding happiness, finding out what on earth is causing all this joy (or lack of it).He begins in beautiful Switzerland, which ranks high on the happiness scale for reasons not just related with chocolate, but also for efficiency and democracy. Then he moved to Bhutan, where Gross National Happiness (GNH) is more important than Gross National Product. Their secret? To know limitations; to know how much is enough. He then heads to Qatar where money, surely, is a path to happiness, but where he finds that wealth does not make culture. Iceland was next; a place where even on its darkest, coldest day has an abundance of culture. And the people are happy. Read more
Filed Under Media & Society, Research, Wondering
Divorce by mobile
“Inti talaq”, which means “You are divorced”. Yes, according to Islamic rules, is that simple for a man to divorce his wife. Forget about Western years-lasting struggles with courts, lawyers etc. Just say the magical words three times, and the marriage will end. Hmm. The problem is that these rules were created in the 6th century. What about 21st century new ways of communicating? In fact, a singular problem has arisen in the last years in countries like Egypt, Malaysia, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Qatar: is the rule still valid if “Inti Talaq” is written in a text message on a mobile? Country by country, the results are various and different depending on the specific cases.
A matter of law quibbles? For sure. But with concrete effects on people’s lives, as shown by the story of a Cairo woman, whose getting-divorced situation ended up to be paradoxical. Pissed off from his wife, not answering to the phone after a quarrel, an Egyptian army officer away from duty texted her the cruel sentence. Followed by “that will teach you not to answer my calls…” The vengeful guy.
Filed Under Human Rights, Media & Society, Modern Life