Chinese = black (according to South Africa)

"In a landmark ruling the Pretoria High Court accepted the Chinese as a “previously disadvantaged” group. This means that – at least in legal terms – Chinese South Africans will now be included in the definition of black people in legislation covering lucrative black economic empowerment (BEE) deals."

From The Times

June 19, 2008

We agree that you are black, South African court tells Chinese

The Chinese, who first came to South Africa when gold was discovered in the 1870s, welcomed the ruling

Jonathan Clayton in Johannesburg

They have already taken over much of the continent’s economy. Now they have gone one step farther. The Chinese in South Africa were officially declared “black” yesterday.

In a landmark ruling the Pretoria High Court accepted the Chinese as a “previously disadvantaged” group. This means that – at least in legal terms – Chinese South Africans will now be included in the definition of black people in legislation covering lucrative black economic empowerment (BEE) deals.

The controversial BEE policy, under which large companies have to surrender a percentage of their equity to black-run entities, is aimed at reversing decades of apartheid bias. It covers Africans, Coloureds (mixed-race people) and Indians but has been criticised widely as a politically correct form of theft by ruling party cronies.

Under white minority rule the Chinese were classified as Coloureds. In a decision that illustrated the difficulty of applying racial segregation Japanese people were given “honorary white” status – partly because they were wealthier and fewer in number than the Chinese.

Related Links

• 'Cappuccino' empowerment that left a bitter aftertaste

When the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act and the Employment Equity Act, the two BEE legislative pillars, were adopted, the Chinese were left out and claimed that they had been discriminated against twice – first by the whites, now by the blacks.

The ruling yesterday is the culmination of an eight-year struggle by the Chinese Association of South Africa (Casa) to obtain clarity from the Government as to the status of Chinese people since the end of white rule in 1994. Patric Chong, the chairman of Casa, said: “As Chinese South Africans we were officially classified as ‘Coloured’ and suffered under the same discriminatory laws prior to 1994. The logical inference was thus that Chinese South Africans would automatically qualify for the same benefits as the ‘Coloured’ group, post1994. This was not the case and Chinese South Africans suffered a second round of unfair discrimination.”

None of the government departments, cited as respondents in the case brought by CASA, opposed the application.

The first Chinese came to South Africa in the 1870s after gold was discovered. They remain one of the most politically marginalised and separate communities in South Africa today. Critics maintain that the community, which numbers several thousand, wanted to use a legal loophole to board the BEE bandwagon.

Suspicion of China has grown in the past decade as its influence on the continent has increased. Trade between Africa and China has risen to more than £20 billion since 2000. South Africa is China’s largest African trading partner. In 1990 bilateral trade was worth £750 million. Today it stands at more than £3 billion.

Many commentators fear it is a one-way relationship, in which China takes advantage of corrupt leaders to clinch deals that are not in the long-term interests of Africa. Others point to the willingness of China to sell arms and overlook human rights abuses.

The lawyers for Casa welcomed the court ruling, saying that for the first time in years Chinese South Africans had a firm legal status in society.

Chinese in South Africa

47 million Population of South Africa

20,000 Estimated number of people with Chinese origins

63,000 Chinese labourers who were sent to revive the South African gold mines in 1904

Sources: Colour, Confusion and Concessions: The History of the Chinese in South Africa by Melanie Yap and Dianne Leong Man

Atlanta cracking down on "Saggy Pants"

Apparently in the midst of one of the worst economic conditions in modern times, the city of Atlanta is demonstrating its ability to focus on the immediate problems by raising the issue of exposed underpants to the public attention. Currently the city is about to put up legislation that would make wearing baggy pants illegal.

Whereas, the dress fad of wearing log hanging/saggy pants which expose one's underwear is becoming a major concern for communities, cities, and states around the country [. . .]

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to appear in public wearing pants below the waist which exposes the skin or undergarments.

(b) Any person convicted of violating the provisions of this section shall be punished by a fine not to exceed $100.00 plus up to eight hours of work on the public streets of the city

FULL TEXT of the proposition
http://apps.atlantaga.gov/citycouncil/2007/Images/Proposed/07o1800.pdf

Obama Administration - Economic Recovery Meeting - Forest Park, GA - SAT 07 FEB 2009 14:00

For anyone interested in learning more about the economic recovery plan, and adding your thoughts to the effort, join me and others for an 

Economic Recovery Meeting 

SAT 07 FEB 2009 14:00

Golden Gate Restaurant (Forest Park, GA)

4325 Jonesboro Rd.

Forest Park, GA 30294 

as we 

1.  Watch a 10 minute video from the Obama Administration explaining the economic stimulus bill and how it will impact you.

2.  Discuss amongst the attendees of the house meeting the topics covered in the stimulus bill, and what actions and recommendations the house group can add to the overall stimulus effort.

If you plan on coming, go to the event website 

http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/gptd8w

and RSVP so that the host will be able to make the necessary preparations ahead of time.

I heard about this event from an email sent to me from "President Barack Obama" that starts with

Taylor --

The economic crisis is growing more serious every day, and the time for action has come.

Given that I have taken an interest in the growing economic crisis, I read on.  The email provided a brief summary of the economic situation, the government's response, and what the administration is asking of me, and everyone affected by the economic crisis and recovery plan,

I've also taken steps to ensure an unprecedented level of transparency and accountability. Once it's passed, you will be able to see how every penny in this plan is being spent.

You can help restore confidence in our economy by making sure your friends, family, and neighbors understand how the recovery plan will impact your community.

Sign up to host or attend an Economic Recovery House Meeting and submit your question for the video now:

http://my.barackobama.com/recovery

So, I checked out the website, and found that the Administration did a very good job of setting up this website and house meeting plan, as well as giving good guidelines on how to make the most out of the meetings, such as how to organize the event, prepare materials, suggested activities and schedule for the events, and recommendations on how to followup after the event to make sure that your ideas and efforts are carried over into the overall effort.

I did some searching, and there are several house events taking place in and around the Metro Atlanta Area.  Some of them are very simple - just watch the video -while others are more creative in combining this activity with other interests that they support, such as community outreach.  I tried to find a house meeting that I felt would provide an opportunity for productive discussion on the topics, and constructive conclusions and reccomendations for the administration to incorporate into their implementation of the overall recovery plan.

I came across this house meeting in Forest Park, GA (south of the Atlanta airport) that looked like it would be the most likely to facilitate constructive discussion, since they will have a copy of the bill, and highlighted their emphasis on bi-partisainship, which is a major agenda of the Obama Administration and is necessary for any real positive change to come out of this plan.  

Events

Find An Event | Plan An Event | Manage Your Events |Report Objectionable Content

  

THE DETAILS

Let's Get America Working Again (Economic Recovery Meeting)

This meeting is for people who live in Forest Park, Conley (Clayton County) and Lake City. We will discuss the Economic Recovery Package and how we can help president Obama get it through with bi-partisan support. We will have a summary of the bill. The actual bill is 600+ pages in length.

Time:	Saturday, February 7 from 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Host:	Hadayai Majeed
Contact Phone:	404 608-8649
Location:	Golden Gate Restaurant (Forest Park, GA) 4325 Jonesboro Rd. Forest Park, GA 30294 Maps:  Google Maps   MapQuest   Yahoo! Maps
Directions:	Call (404) 608-8649 or (404) 684-0016 for directions.
Associated Groups:	African Americans for Obama, Environmentalists for Obama, Georgians for Obama,Obama the South, SouthmetroAtlantaforObama, Veterans for Obama

SIGNUP FOR 'LET'S GET AMERICA WORKING AGAIN'

Will you attend:   Yes, I will attend.  No, I will not attend.  How many attendees total:  (incl. yourself) Add a comment: (optional) Your comment will be sent to the event host. Please sign me up for an account Your First Name: Your Last Name: Zip Code: Email Address: Password: Password (again): I already have an account >" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; ">

OTHER SIGNUPS

4 people have signed up to attend this event. 
The capacity limit is 21 attendees.

New addition to your diet : Dirt

I'm speechless . . .

Babies Know: A Little Dirt Is Good for You
By JANE E. BRODY

Published: January 26, 2009  New York Times

Ask mothers why babies are constantly picking things up from the floor or ground and putting them in their mouths, and chances are they’ll say that it’s instinctive — that that’s how babies explore the world. But why the mouth, when sight, hearing, touch and even scent are far better at identifying things?

Greg Neill

When my young sons were exploring the streets of Brooklyn, I couldn’t help but wonder how good crushed rock or dried dog droppings could taste when delicious mashed potatoes were routinely rejected.

Since all instinctive behaviors have an evolutionary advantage or they would not have been retained for millions of years, chances are that this one too has helped us survive as a species. And, indeed, accumulating evidence strongly suggests that eating dirt is good for you.

In studies of what is called the hygiene hypothesis, researchers are concluding that organisms like the millions of bacteria, viruses and especially worms that enter the body along with “dirt” spur the development of a healthy immune system. Several continuing studies suggest that worms may help to redirect an immune system that has gone awry and resulted in autoimmune disorders, allergies and asthma.

These studies, along with epidemiological observations, seem to explain why immune system disorders like multiple sclerosis, Type 1 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, asthma and allergies have risen significantly in the United States and other developed countries.

Training the Immune System

“What a child is doing when he puts things in his mouth is allowing his immune response to explore his environment,” Mary Ruebush, a microbiology and immunology instructor, wrote in her new book, “Why Dirt Is Good” (Kaplan). “Not only does this allow for ‘practice’ of immune responses, which will be necessary for protection, but it also plays a critical role in teaching the immature immune response what is best ignored.”

One leading researcher, Dr. Joel V. Weinstock, the director of gastroenterology and hepatology at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, said in an interview that the immune system at birth “is like an unprogrammed computer. It needs instruction.”

He said that public health measures like cleaning up contaminated water and food have saved the lives of countless children, but they “also eliminated exposure to many organisms that are probably good for us.”

“Children raised in an ultraclean environment,” he added, “are not being exposed to organisms that help them develop appropriate immune regulatory circuits.”

Studies he has conducted with Dr. David Elliott, a gastroenterologist and immunologist at the University of Iowa, indicate that intestinal worms, which have been all but eliminated in developed countries, are “likely to be the biggest player” in regulating the immune system to respond appropriately, Dr. Elliott said in an interview. He added that bacterial and viral infections seem to influence the immune system in the same way, but not as forcefully.

Most worms are harmless, especially in well-nourished people, Dr. Weinstock said.

“There are very few diseases that people get from worms,” he said. “Humans have adapted to the presence of most of them.”

Worms for Health

In studies in mice, Dr. Weinstock and Dr. Elliott have used worms to both prevent and reverse autoimmune disease. Dr. Elliott said that in Argentina, researchers found that patients with multiple sclerosis who were infected with the human whipworm had milder cases and fewer flare-ups of their disease over a period of four and a half years. At the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Dr. John Fleming, a neurologist, is testing whether the pig whipworm can temper the effects of multiple sclerosis.

In Gambia, the eradication of worms in some villages led to children’s having increased skin reactions to allergens, Dr. Elliott said. And pig whipworms, which reside only briefly in the human intestinal tract, have had “good effects” in treating the inflammatory bowel diseases, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, he said.

How may worms affect the immune system? Dr. Elliott explained that immune regulation is now known to be more complex than scientists thought when the hygiene hypothesis was first introduced by a British epidemiologist, David P. Strachan, in 1989. Dr. Strachan noted an association between large family size and reduced rates of asthma and allergies. Immunologists now recognize a four-point response system of helper T cells: Th 1, Th 2, Th 17 and regulatory T cells. Th 1 inhibits Th 2 and Th 17; Th 2 inhibits Th 1 and Th 17; and regulatory T cells inhibit all three, Dr. Elliott said.

“A lot of inflammatory diseases — multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and asthma — are due to the activity of Th 17,” he explained. “If you infect mice with worms, Th 17 drops dramatically, and the activity of regulatory T cells is augmented.”

In answer to the question, “Are we too clean?” Dr. Elliott said: “Dirtiness comes with a price. But cleanliness comes with a price, too. We’re not proposing a return to the germ-filled environment of the 1850s. But if we properly understand how organisms in the environment protect us, maybe we can give a vaccine or mimic their effects with some innocuous stimulus.”

Wash in Moderation

Dr. Ruebush, the “Why Dirt Is Good” author, does not suggest a return to filth, either. But she correctly points out that bacteria are everywhere: on us, in us and all around us. Most of these micro-organisms cause no problem, and many, like the ones that normally live in the digestive tract and produce life-sustaining nutrients, are essential to good health.

“The typical human probably harbors some 90 trillion microbes,” she wrote. “The very fact that you have so many microbes of so many different kinds is what keeps you healthy most of the time.”

Dr. Ruebush deplores the current fetish for the hundreds of antibacterial products that convey a false sense of security and may actually foster the development of antibiotic-resistant, disease-causing bacteria. Plain soap and water are all that are needed to become clean, she noted.

“I certainly recommend washing your hands after using the bathroom, before eating, after changing a diaper, before and after handling food,” and whenever they’re visibly soiled, she wrote. When no running water is available and cleaning hands is essential, she suggests an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Dr. Weinstock goes even further. “Children should be allowed to go barefoot in the dirt, play in the dirt, and not have to wash their hands when they come in to eat,” he said. He and Dr. Elliott pointed out that children who grow up on farms and are frequently exposed to worms and other organisms from farm animals are much less likely to develop allergies and autoimmune diseases.

Also helpful, he said, is to “let kids have two dogs and a cat,” which will expose them to intestinal worms that can promote a healthy immune system.

U.N. Aquires Nukes

Humorous spoof-article from "The Onion" toying with the idea of a nuclear- capable UN.

The article Highlights the irony of the UN's attempts at playing an active role in nuclear non-proliferation -with nuclear weapons being the ultimate symbol of a country's sovereignty - in contrast with the UN's denial of it's own sovereignty in the charter documents, and weak ability to enforce it's own resolutions.

My favorite is the "peace mural" down in the underground bunker :P

NEW YORK—The United Nations, a highly organized governing body bent on world peace, has obtained a nuclear warhead and intends to use the dangerous device to pursue its radical human rights agenda, sources reported Monday.

The U.N. Headquarters in New York has flags from all over the world and enough uranium to wipe Israel off the map.

News of the nuclear weapon first surfaced late last week when the United Nation's own watchdog group, the International Atomic Energy Agency, released startling new satellite photos of the uranium-based device. Shortly thereafter, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued a short and brazen list of demands, calling on all nations to "bow down at once to social progress."

"Tremble before the awesome might of this cooperative assembly of appointed representatives," said Ban, boldly holding a stack of diplomatic resolutions in his hand. "At last, when the United Nations calls for the development of more sustainable agricultural practices, the world at large will listen."

Added Ban, "We will no longer be ignored."

The warhead, an Oralloy U-235 thermonuclear detonator encased in a long-range ballistic missile, is believed to be currently housed beneath the parking lot of the U.N. complex in New York. According to Pentagon officials, it is likely that the United Nations has already tested the weapon, and may in fact be prepared to deploy it if its demands for global harmony are not met.

"All efforts are being made to engage this nationless threat in diplomatic talks, but so far, they remain uncooperative," U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff said. "However, I can assure you that the United States will not be pushed around. We will not be bullied into limiting our carbon-dioxide emissions or honoring the conditions established by the Geneva Conventions. The United Stateswill not bend."

Speaking at a press conference Tuesday, President Bush echoed Chertoff's sentiments."

This rogue group of unbiased mediators will not be tolerated," said Bush, who has promised to continue his eight-year pledge not to negotiate with the United Nations under any circumstances. "If the U.N. thinks it can force the world to appreciate the equality of all people and their right to live free of poverty, hunger, and inhumane treatment, I say to them, 'Bring it on.'"

While no country has admitted to selling enriched uranium to the United Nations, experts claimed that acquiring the necessary materials was probably fairly easy, as the U.N.'s own Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty has been largely disregarded since being signed in 1968."

The Russians, the Israelis, a rogue Pakistani arms trader—there are plenty of people out there who could have done it," said Katherine Boushie, a world politics professor at Columbia University. "After all, who knows better than the United Nations where someone can find nukes? They've spent years watching nation after nation illegally stockpile arms. Might have been what pissed them off, actually."

Despite outspoken concerns from many nations, including North Korea,Iran, and Serbia, Secretary-General Ban has assured the international community that the U.N.'s nuclear arsenal will only be used for deterrent purposes. Chief among these is deterring other countries from thinking they can sign a chemical weapons ban and then act like the whole thing never happened, and coming to the U.N. only when it's convenient or profitable for them to do so."

I will say this as clearly as I can, so you all can hear me," said Ban, his finger hovering inches away from the small red button on his podium. "Either attend the next Follow-up International Conference on Financing for Development to Review the Implementation of the Monterrey Consensus, or prepare to suffer the consequences."

Many, however, refuse to be intimidated by the peacekeeping organization's threats."

They're bluffing," Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said. "The United Nations is still 15 years away from a nuclear bomb. Hell, they're 20 years away from achieving universal primary school education, and knowing them, they'll probably focus on that first."

Google is creepy sometimes

So I am doing a research project for a class, and need to look up scientific journals in order to complete the project. Since I don't normally have to look up articles, I really have no idea how to use the resources Georgia Tech library offers, such as Sci-finder and Web of Science. In the past my colleagues have helped me out with using these not-so-user-friendly resources.

But it looks like I now have a new friend in streamlining my research projects.

I typed in the name of an article that I was interested in finding into Google, and one of the links at the top page redirected me to Google Scholar. Now normally I wouldn't know what to do from there, because it would likely re-direct me to of of the above mentioned article databases and ask me for a username and password, which I would have no idea how to do and would have to go back through the GT library system.

But alas!

Somehow Google knows I go to Georgia Tech . . . which is not that creepy, but the creepy part is that Google had a link to use my GT username to pull up the article via the "Find it at GT" link~!


I was then redirected to the GT library, and able to pull up the full article with no problems.

Google was amazingly helpful at streamlining the research process, but I'm really starting to wonder now how much they know . . .

If anyone can shed some light on how Google did this, please let me know, cuz right now I'm a little curious.

The return of city-state geopolitics

"For the first time in history, more than half its human population, 3.3 billion people, will be living in urban areas. By 2030, this is expected to swell to almost 5 billion." - United Nations Population Fund

http://www.unfpa.org/swp/2007/english/introduction.html

Histogram of the world population. Chart is organized by dividing nation-states into categories based on their population. Data obtained from data from http://www.census.gov/cgi-bin/ipc/idbsprd
on 27 Nov 2007

The world is beginning to shape into an entirely different environment, and with that, a whole new way of doing politics.

In the very beginning of human civilization, there was the rivalry of competing city-states for global resources. Whether it was Persepolis vs Babylon , Athens vs Sparta, or Xi amen vs Xi'an. At some point after the invention of the printing press, the old loyalties of city-states fell to the rising tide of nations, and nation-states eventually dominated the geo-political scene thereafter.

The transition period was arguably characterized by competing religion-states, and elements of the religious alliances still remain in today's nation-state rivalry.

In modern times, as the world has thrown itself into a whole new level of connection, global consciousness, and living environment, a new dawn of geo-politics is emerging.

Citizens are re-organizing themselves into urban areas and with their migration they are also shifting their political boundaries. Across the globe, the political powers are shifting to the city-state levels, as massive federal nation-states such as Russia, India, and China, are seeing their political power challenged by the small but strong city-states such as Singapore and Kuwait, which are hardly visible from a world map.

The breakup of Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union are signs that in today's urban world, bigger no longer means better. Small city-states are starting to realize that survival is often easier when you have a smaller population and area to manage.

At the same time though, there are also examples of sovereignty going in the opposite direction. Agglomerations of massively large continental trade unions such as the EU and African Union demonstrate the growing trend towards larger sovereign territories.

Two diverging patterns are emerging, but even within these agglomerated trade unions, sovereignty is often divided between the unions, nation-states, and province level administrative divisions (city-states).

All of these political developments are further complicated by the political remnants of the days of religion-states such as the HRE and Islamic Caliphate.


The question is:

As political power begins to shift

upwards from nation-state to trade-unions, and

downwards from nation-states to city-states,

In the future battle for global resources, where will the ultimate sovereignty lie?

The large global trade unions, or the small but mighty city-states?

Global governance and global sovereignty has already began, and will only continue to strengthen if modern technological trends continue. However, will the ultimate sovereignty lie at the global level, trade-union level, or city-state level?