BlogHer - Africa - Comments

Seven suggestions from The Guardian re: what we can do

Jill — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 10:50:35 -0500

I was in the midst of writing this post, prompted by the sight of the front page of the NYT today, and googled "what can you do about zimbabwe" - wanting to tell others what they can do. And this post by you was the very first result.

And yet - how ironic: when I read you write something that implies there's almost nothing we can do, then I know the worst will come.

I also thought of you as I read the NYT piece that went with other photos because it mentioned Mugabe being stripped of his knighthood by Queen Elizabeth and I rolled my eyes, thinking of what you wrote yesterday about England's role in all this.

I did hear on NPR yesterday or the day before that they called the inflation rate "1.2 million percent" or thereabouts. As if that's really anything we can understand.

Not one to give up, this column in The Guardian enumerates seven thing people outside Zimbabwe can do. What do you think?

Jill
Writes Like She Talks

airlines and travel sites

Hulakitty — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 17:29:42 -0500

Greetings. I have found recently also that sometimes the best deals are on the airlines websites. Which surprised me too. And the same goes for hotels. On the other hand lately with Southwest Airlines in trouble for safety violations etc. I really wonder do I want to strap myself to the cheapest airplane. I would rather skimp on dining out than my safety. I have started a blog about travel and a YouTube travel vog to check it out http://travelingwithtricia.blogspot.com/ / user name is destinimages

www.internationalfamilyportraits.com www.destin-beach-portraits.com

I am new to blogging on this site. A friend of mine told me about it and I'm glad she did. There are lots of interesting websites listed here that never show up on search engines.

I first found out about this

fyi-for-women — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 13:32:21 -0500

I first found out about this condition while watching Oprah who was showing portions of the Walk to Beautiful film. After that show I started researching Urinary Incontinence.

It's surprising how many people find themselves incontinent
at some point in their lives. Whether it
is a temporary issue during an illness, or the effects of giving birth, it is
said that 1 in 4 women encounter this problem at some point in their lives.

Hopefully the stigma of incontinence can be erased and more
women can seek help or not feel uncomfortable about doing those activities that
they love.

I was moved so much by the stigma assoctiated with Urinary Incontience that I started a blog about getting more awareness out there. I myself have it, as well as more than half of the other women on my soccer team. I'm hoping to have it help others as well.

http://www.fyiforwomen.com/blog/

Good List of Travel Sites

Pam — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 09:53:15 -0500

Seat Guru=don't leave home without it! Long haul flights in coach are bad enough, long haul flights in the crappiest of coach seats, ay yi yi. Though I've found that even armed with that information, it can be hard to get those seats unless you're - you said it - booking directly with the airline on the PHONE.

Nerd's Eye View

Individual Choices, Individual Paths

SandyHov — Fri, 30 May 2008 11:30:52 -0500

I realize I'm coming to this blog a bit late. I'm 52 and my husband (of 30 years) and I are "childless by choice." When we made the choice 30 years ago to remain childless, it was somewhat revolutionary. I had no idea young couples today still face "expectations" of having children. Aargh.

Childlessness was the right choice for us. We are not child oriented, we would not have been good parents, and we had different goals. I have never regretted the decision we made in our early 20's.

Yet there are things parents learn that I believe most childless women don't learn...until much later in their lives. Things about sacrificing oneself for the good of others. Parents learn to suppress their wants, desires, needs for the good of their children. (Not all of them mind you...don't hear what I'm not saying.) Us childless people certainly lead a much more "carefree" life in our younger years.

But I'm convinced that learning to live outside yourself is critical to a "successful" life, and that requires sacrificing your own wants, desires and needs for others. So God gives those opportunities in other ways for childless women. For me it has been through my aging parents. For others it may happen in other ways.

Hat's off to women with children...you do what I couldn't do.

Hat's off to women without children...you face what often feels like the condemnation of the world, hopefully with a smile.

Hat's off to women who long for children but are still childless...you live with the pain of unfulfilled dreams.

Sandy

www.apprehendinggrace.com

Quite unique, no?

snigdhasen — Thu, 29 May 2008 16:06:13 -0500

BlogHer is run by some really smart women here, and I am happy to be part of this family :)

Good to see you here, Raj. Yes, indeed, this is a serious crisis. But I am hoping this will spur the world community to action.

Sixty years of Jai Jawan Jai Kisan in India has achieved precious little for our farmers. Indian agriculture needs to get top priority in the country's agenda.

Food, I guess, is entering a new phase in the modern era.

This is a serious crisis

An alien earthling — Thu, 29 May 2008 15:20:27 -0500

Thanks, Snigdha. BlogHer is quite different from the other blogging platforms!

I agree with your analysis of the crisis. Just a few hours ago, I watched a news report that mentioned food prices are going to be high for about a decade. The less said about fuel, the better!

Poor countries in Africa are the worst hit, but the situation in Haiti is terrible.

The poor people in India are also feeling the pinch. And the prices of automotive and cooking fuels is going to be increased in a few days time, which is sadly going to set off another round of spiralling inflation.

Raj

Of course!

snigdhasen — Thu, 29 May 2008 14:05:05 -0500

Hi Raj, welcome to BlogHer. Yes, indeed, we are all women bloggers, writing about women's issues AND issues that women are discussing or blogging about.

All issues -- from politics to world peace to raising children to gardening -- are discussed here.

If these issues interest you, you are more than welcome to comment here :)

Snigdha

Hi!

An alien earthling — Thu, 29 May 2008 03:24:20 -0500

Am I allowed to post comments here, Snigdha? This site seems to be reserved for women!

Raj

Peace after hate

TCMom — Wed, 28 May 2008 07:33:11 -0500

This story absolutely breaks my heart. I have many friends and memories in South Africa and am so sad when I hear about continued hate crimes there. As a nation which has brought up generations amidst hate and discrimination, seeing it continue in this horrifying way is beyond tragic. I know there has been a lot of recent tension there but that in no way excuses this death or the hateful, angry, violent intentions which led to it. And our country is certainly not beyond crimes such as these either. Maybe this will act as some sort of wake up call for that community. I hope her soul and her family finds peace. Thank you for sharing this story.

Caroline

http://morningsidemom.wordpress.com/

Open your heart....

mara — Wed, 28 May 2008 07:12:44 -0500

In this time and age how can people justify the killing of someone just because of their sexual orientation? Acceptance is the key to life and judging someone just because of who they are is no reason to rape, murder or torture anyone. I agree with Vered and Ekine's words, patriarchy punishes strong, independent women who threaten male power. In my experience when Men fear what they cannot control they take it out on what they fear. My heart goes out to her family and I can only hope the violence will stop.

Mara http://24stepstogo.blogspot.com/

The right to be different

nelle2nelle — Wed, 28 May 2008 05:51:34 -0500

We need to come to a place where we see diversity as a strength, not as something to smother.

I consciously hid and pretended to be someone else for 42 years because of fear of this nonsense. There is a story out there today about parents complaining there are same sex couple photos in a high school yearbook, in a couples section. Nice photos. Lots of outrage.

I'm not asking people to run out and partner up with someone of the same gender. I'm asking them to leave me alone, and go live their own lives.

They can tend to theirs, I'll tend to mine.

IMO, when people start passing judgement on others, they've already tossed their faith a good throw away.

I've zero doubt that the Jesus I learned of as a child, where he here today... would stand with the gay community and remind people to treat others as you wish to be treated.

nelle

Sickening

Vered — Tue, 27 May 2008 21:56:53 -0500

A lesbian friend told me a few months ago, when I said that gays have made significant progress here in the U.S., that the only real progress is that she doesn't fear for her life anymore.

It is sickening to think that lesbians are tortured and murdered for being lesbians. Nelle is right: it is a witch-hunt in which, to use Ekine's words, patriarchy punishes strong, independent women who threaten male power.

Vered DeLeeuw
www.momgrind.com

You're welcome

Kim Pearson — Tue, 27 May 2008 21:55:40 -0500

We have to continue to strive against the culture that normalizes this kind of violence. Yes, laws are not enough. Education is not enough.

I am a Christian. I know that many of my co-religionists preach that homosexuality is an abomination. I have relatives who insist that gay, lesbian bisexual and transgendered people are possessed by a demonic spirit. For many of them, there is no point in sharing the work of liberation theologians who have concluded that the traditional understanding of the Christian scriptures on these matters is incorrect.

But I don't think you have to embrace homosexuality or gender variance to believe that it is wrong to rape and murder someone because he or she is different.

Kim
BlogHer Contributing Editor|Professor Kim|

thanks

veronicaeye — Tue, 27 May 2008 21:37:58 -0500

Thanks for sharing this story with us. A reminder that even when we have rights, hate is still a threat.