AMAZON

Thursday, March 06, 2008

World Bits

Many years ago when I first became acquainted with the Internet I began reading news and commentary from around the world getting perspectives without the U.S. bias. I still check those sites for news that I may not obtain from the media of my country. Below are some bits by world media that I encountered yesterday:

Burma: Have we forgotten Burma & Aung San Suu Kyi?


What’s Happening:

Burma Stonewall by Larry Jagan of the Bangkok Post


Kenya: No new word of my friend—it’s still not safe

What’s Happening:

AllAfrica.com


Palestine: Continued violence

What’s Happening:

India Calls for End to “Mindless Violence” in Palestine from by IANS in Indian Muslims New & Information Service


In the U.S.:


Tomorrow I have another appointment at the Veterans Administration hospital. This one is at the Audiology & Speech Pathology Department to test my hearing. As I have previously written, I know that the hearing in my right ear is poor and has been since I was in the army as an armor officer. (The firing of a tank’s main gun has a way of doing that to one’s hearing).

The problem is that this is my third appoint for hearing testing. I had to cancel the first two because of snow and ice that prevented me from getting down my front steps, much less driving to the hospital and risking the walk across the parking lot that could be as much as a quarter mile.

I’ve been looking forward to this appointment! However, the weather forecast is for another snow and ice storm to begin tonight and continue through Friday night. I really hope that the meteorologists are wrong this time.

For those looking for the next installment of The Muffin Saga, I’ll be posting it tomorrow after my return from the Audiology & Speech Pathology Department appointment. Or I’ll post it earlier if I have to cancel that appointment.

As I began to post this I noted that this is my 900th post to Nick’s Bytes. One hundred more posts and I have a real big party!

15 comments:

  1. Keeping my fingers crossed that the weather cooperates so you get to your appointment.
    Wow, 900 posts....I will hit my 200th tomorrow...going to do my 100 Things About me finally.

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  2. I wanna go!! I wanna go! Don't forget my party invite!

    Weather's been especially harsh this year all 'round. Seriously hope you make it to your appointment.

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  3. I hope the weathermen are wrong and you get to your appointment Nick. 900 posts? WOW that's some going. I look forward to reading your 1000th post. :)

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  4. The only time we hear about the world's troubled areas are when something new happens. A continuing tragedy isn't "news," and doesn't get covered.

    Good luck at your doctor's appointment- I hope you make it in, and I hope they are able to treat your condition and make it better!

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  5. I had forgotten about Burma. Thanks, Nick, for the reminder.

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  6. Wow, Nick. 900! That is crazy amazing!

    Miss you.

    Em

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  7. Well, Rev Saint, encountering the ethnocentricity of the media of other countries can be a refreshing change from the bias of the United States media.

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  8. Hi Nick ~~ Congratulations on 900 posts ~ a mighty effort. I hopppe you can get to the Audiologist and not have to cancel again. Isn't there
    someone who could drive you? We have
    council funded drivers to take folks to appointments etc, even to Melbourne which is over 2 hours away?
    Looking forward to the next Muffin story. Take great care, Regards, Merle.

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  9. Funny how filtered the news is over here in the States. I listen to either national news or CNN and Fox to try and get a little more of the story yet that still is not everything. Stuff like this just is not reported on.

    Good luck with the weather. Let me take a little peek at how it is going ... Oh no, looks like heavy snow for today. If you do venture out, please be careful.

    Congratulations on 900 posts. I am just a baby at around 500 posts. I would love to attend your party.

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  10. I'm a huge fan of "alternative" news!

    CONGRATULATIONS on 900 posts (and I thought hitting 100 was a milestone).

    Good luck with the VA - hope the weather holds out for you this time!

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  11. MAMA BEAR: It appears that the weather isn’t cooperating unless the heaviest snow doesn’t fall until after my appointment this afternoon. Congratulations in advance of your 200th post. I’ll drop by your blog and say that again.

    DAY DREAMER: Don’r worry! I’ll begin announcing the party well in advance of my 900th post!

    AKELAMALU: Perhaps I should begin writing my 1000th post now?

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  12. THOMAS: True. I think that’s part of why I like blogging: I can report on “news” that the U.S. media ignores. Of course, my readership isn’t as large as even a small newspaper.

    I really hope I don’t have to cancel the appointment again: I know I have hearing loss in my right ear and it has been plaguing me for some time. That and it took me six months to get my primary care person at VA to make the referral for hearing testing!

    ANGUS: Isn’t it easy for forget about a place and a people when the bloody media decides it is no longer “news worthy”—i.e., entertaining?

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  13. EMERGING FROM THE FIRE: I miss you, too, and your blog. I pray you’re doing OK.

    AZSONOFAGUN: Yeah, Rex. I agree and I think you are agreeing with me. Right?

    MERLE: The driving isn’t the problem. I can drive OK. The predicament is the long walk across the parking lot to the hospital building, especially when there is snow and/or ice on the parking lot. It can be a long walk, sometimes as far as 5 football fields, depending upon where I find a parking spot. The weird thing is that all of the parking spaces are designated as “Handicapped Only” and I have a handicapped parking permit!

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  14. BARMAN: The news has been “filtered” here for as long as I remember. One of the most shocking things I ever experienced was learning back in 1983 from my friend Takia Nishamoto that the Japanese were regularly getting news broadcasts from all over the world, even from Moscow.

    Yep, you’re going to get the heavy snow shortly after I do. If the forecast is accurate, we may be snowed in for the weekend!

    DANA: “Alternative” news is great, isn’t it! I used to subscript to a monthly magazine that had news articles from media collected from all over the world. Of course, that was before the Internet and my ability to easily jump from one country to another. And now with the ability to easily have web pages translated, I am no longer limited to languages that I can read.

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  15. You are up to 900 already? Wow, at this rate you'll hit 1000 in no time.
    :-)

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