Chris Somers and Russell Brand - Committee on Addiction (2012)

Very interesting public debate on abstinence based treatment of drug addiction at one side, and the discussion on decriminalization versus legalization of drugs at the other.

I have to say that I am not a fan of Russell Brand's comedy, but his eloquence is fascinating. Very convincing arguments and interesting to see the reactions of the on-viewer sitting behind his left shoulder.

Nieuws voor november

Naast het overzicht rond Ford Genk, zijn hier  nog een aantal andere nieuwsitems van de voorbije maand die ik interessant vond, maar waar ik spijtig genoeg onvoldoende tijd voor heb kunnen vrijmaken om het te bespreken:

Bananen

Na 20 jaar komt er een einde aan de internationale bananenoorlog. Bananen zijn al twee decennia lang een twistappel tussen de EU en elf Latijns-Amerikaanse landen, maar aan de bananenoorlog komt nu een einde met een langverwacht akkoord dat ondertekend is bij de Wereldhandelsorganisatie (WTO) in Genève.

Door het akkoord dat nu is ondertekend, zal de importtaks die de EU heft op bananen, dalen van 176 euro per ton naar 114 euro in 2017. Ook de Verenigde Staten zijn betrokken.

Onzichtbare hand, zei u? Vrije markt, zei u? Lokale economie, zei u?

Meer:

• Bananenoorlog na 20 jaar ten einde (deredactie.be, 9 november 2012)
• Liberalization of Trade and the Right to Food (Wim, 7 mei 2012)
• Europa maakt einde aan bananenoorlog met Latijns-Amerika (De Morgen, 3 februari 2011)
• Bananenoorlog allicht nog niet voorbij! (Bart Staes, 3 februari 2011)
• Einde van de bananenoorlog: wie wint en wie verliest? (Europees parlement, 24 januari 2011)
• Bananenoorlog (EUabc, 2001 ???)

Denemarken wil "vettaks" weer afschaffen

De Deense regering wil weer af van de belasting op vetrijke voeding. De hogere prijzen veroorzaken een hoge inflatie, wat dan weer slecht is voor de economie, luidt het. Ook plannen voor een belasting op producten met veel suikers, zouden sneuvelen.

Nochtans leek het een zeer interessante manier en boeiend experiment om de oplopende ziektekosten te betalen en de bevolking te motiveren om gezonder te eten. Jammer dat dit de duimen moet leggen, ik vind het moeilijk om te aanvaarden dat dit concept echt onmogelijk zou zijn, is er dan echt geen alternatief?

Meer:

• Denemarken wil "vettaks" weer afschaffen (deredactie.be, 10 november 2012)
• De vettaks is slechts het begin (De Morgen, 31 oktober 2011)
• Vettaks 2013 (LinkTrailer)

Nog geen akkoord over de Griekse hulp

Na uren nachtelijk onderhandelen is de Eurogroep zonder resultaat uiteengegaan. Volgende week maandag gaan de gesprekken voort. (deredactie.be, 21 november 2012)

Nederlandse componist Simeon ten Holt overleden

Ten Holt is vooral bekend van het werk "Canto ostinato", dat hij in 1976 afrondde. Hij was 89 jaar oud. (deredactie.be, 26 november 2012)

"Leugens van ArcelorMittal zijn verpletterend"

De Franse minister voor Industriële Vernieuwing wil de staalreus niet meer in zijn land. "Het bedrijf respecteert Frankrijk niet." (deredactie.be, 26 november 2012)

Meer:

• "Leugens van ArcelorMittal zijn verpletterend" (deredactie.be, 26 november 2012)
• Staalbedrijf NLMK La Louvière is voorlopig gered (deredactie.be, 5 december 2012)
• Niet enkel Ford Genk: meer dan 20.000 jobs worden geschrapt! (Wim, 4 november 2012)

Europa bereikt akkoord over regels ratingbureaus

Standard & Poor's, Moody's en Fitch krijgen binnenkort nieuwe regels opgelegd door de Europese instellingen. Daarmee moeten ratings transparanter verlopen. (deredactie.be, 28 november 2012)

Meer:

• Europa bereikt akkoord over regels ratingbureaus (deredactie.be, 28 november 2012)
• Standard & Poor's ook in Italië voor de rechter (Wim, 13 november 2012)
• Europa wil ratingbureaus aan banden leggen (deredactie.be, 19 juni 2012)
• The Credit Crisis visualized by Jonathan Jarvis (Wim, 5 maart 2012)
• Director leaves Goldman Sachs out of moral objections
• Goldman Sachs cons European Central Bank
• European Central Bank explaining
• Infographics on the Libor scandal
• deRedactie.be special rond de economische crisis
• Europa wil ratingbureaus aan banden leggen
• Bottom Billion: conclusions, by Paul Collier (Wim, 19 juni 2012)

"De bank zei nochtans dat het zonder risico was"

Nu de mensen die aandelen hadden bij Arcopar hun geld dreigen te verliezen, reageren vele gedupeerden machteloos en ontgoocheld. Een greep uit de reacties bij "Hautekiet". (deredactie.be, 28 november 2012)

How Arunachalam Muruganantham started a sanitary napkin revolution! (TED talk)

"If anyone runs after money, their life will not have any beauty. It is boredom. A lot of people making a lot of money, billion, billions of dollars accumulating. Why are they coming for, finally, for philanthropy? Why the need for accumulating money, then doing philanthropy?

What if one decided to start philanthropy from day one?"

From TED.



More:

• Kathryn Schulz: On being wrong (TED Talk)
• Micro-finance crisis India? (BBC)

Goed nieuws

Bij het ochtendjournaal op de radio, kreeg ik meteen een boost door de volgende twee positieve berichten: 

• Belgische woon-zorgcentra nemen Spaanse verpleegkundigen in dienst.
• De wijkgezondheidscentra worden populairder.

Zombie ants

still from "Shaun of the Dead"
taken from Neatorama

This gives me the creeps: today I read that there is a fungus that can turn ants into 'zombie ants'. The idea just makes me sick, I guess I have been watching too many movies.

Is this some kind of joke? Did I miss a general meeting that agreed on redefining the date for April Fools Day? Has The Onion taken over Science News, Scientific American and Pennsylvania State University?

"Shop till it stops!"

Taken from Brand Aid

The following article is an extended reading list following the seminar "Consumer-behavior and funds to fight AIDS in Africa":

• about the book 'Brand Aid: Shopping Well to Save the World' by Lisa Ann Richey and Stefano Ponte
• presentation of the lecture: PDF
• lecture notes, review of the book 'Brand Aid': PDF
• Daniel Ben-Ami on the 'American Express RED' card (Spiked)
• Official website of RED: Designed to help eliminate AIDS

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Human Rights Action Center

Seven days without a cigarette

I know, this can hardly be called an effort, but yes, I am counting. I smoked my last (rolled) cigarette in Ås and I am trying to keep it that way.

Let's see...

More:

• Mad Men
• Smokin'

--
Picture taken at Lung Ta, Japanese vegetarian restaurant in Dharmshala, India.

Smokin'

Picture taken from Health Life

Last night, Tessy came home after midnight. She was a bit tipsy from having a drink earlier that evening and started dancing around the living room, giggling. All of a sudden she looked me in the eyes and said: "You know what I really want now? A smoke."

Djz, I tried to leave smoking behind after leaving Ghana, but she was right. I wanted a smoke too.

Only problem: none of us had cigarettes, so we started walking. The neighbourhood where we are living has no night shops, but luckily there was a vending machine in one of the bars around the train station.

Apparently, you need an 'age coin' nowadays. I had no idea what it meant, but it took a while before I understood why the vending machine wasn't excepting the money.

Returning home, we just took a beer from the fridge, went back to our porch and said on the doorstep. We chatted, drank and smoked up to 3 am, it felt like old times.

In other news... (May)

taken from H. E. Academy

Although communicated differently before, I might have to say something interesting after all! (But then again, aren't we all mislead by this illusion? Defied even?)

In other news... the May edition:

Tired of mosquitoes!

taken from How stuff works

I am tired of being stung by mosquitoes.

I am not for target practice!

Cold Richard

apparently from Brazil

The restaurant in town needed Guinea fowl, fast, and there was no courier available.

Now, if there is no one else, then I guess it is all up to me, myself and I. So I took some of the frozen birds out of our big stockroom, put them in a bag to transport it on the motorbike. The only way to ride and keep your balance, is to keep the ice cold bag between my legs. With these subzero temperatures, I rushed the full 5 km to town. Now I don't think that is quite healthy, my thighs are still numb.

And believe me: frostbite is the last you would wish upon your Johnson "little Richard".

Pigeon in my room!

Illustration taken from Joon

I have a pigeon in my room!

No need to panic, I brought it there myself.

Mad Men

Last week, I watched the final episode of Mad Men. I have really been enjoying the show and felt a bit disappointed that this was the last part of the fourth season. Has it now completely ended? I am still hungry for more.

On a strange, more personal note: as a joke, I always said that Mad Men caused me to start smoking, but now I have to admit that since last week's ending, I haven't touched a cigarette since.

Apparently, and I admit this to my deep shame, television has more influence on me than I thought.

A Bowl full of Bowel Movement

Picture from Novel TP

This is quite an embarrassing entry, but last night at 10 pm, without any warning, I all of a sudden had to sprint to the toilet.

As nothing had really changed in my diet, I guess my experiment of drinking unfiltered tap water has completely proved its point: not healthy.

Tap water in Tamale

Picture taken from Rick's blog

For five years I am now been visiting Tamale and soon my Ghanaian residence permit will be approved so I can start living here.

But through those five years, I have always been informed that drinking the local tap water is unhealthy for us, visitors/foreigners/tourists/immigrants. As more progress has been made on clean water supply to Tamale (amongst others), I am a bit tired of buying bottled water every time.

So I decided to start drinking water from the tap. I feel fine up to now and we will see whether my body will keep agreeing with it. Anyway, if my health severely changes, I will keep you informed.

Update: conclusion, not healthy