allAfrica.com: Guinea: The Case for U.S. Action (Page 1 of 2)

allAfrica.com: Guinea: The Case for U.S. Action (Page 1 of 2)

This editorial in AllAfrica.com by Herbert S. Challenor powerfully explains why the US should get involved in the situation in Guinea. We have direct economic and moral interests in what happens in Guinea.

Guinea is a natural ally of the USA. All its people want is a fair chance at a good life. They want an honest government. When I visited Guinea a few weeks ago, I was astounded at the patience of the Guineans dealing with so much corruption an incompetence. But that patience is at an end.

We can't let the situation in Iraq distract us from another possible tragedy which would have dire consequences for the people of Guinea, the rest of west Africa, and the USA.

NPR : Guinea Under Martial Law as Protests, Riots Mount

NPR : Guinea Under Martial Law as Protests, Riots Mount: by Ofeibea Quist-Arcton, who I believe is based in Dakar. I'm glad to see NPR do a story on the situation in Guinea. It's well worth a listen. The imposition of a state of siege and the curfew will not help. It will only postpone the eventual changes that have to happen.
I liked the interview with the injured man in the hospital in Conakry. It showed how so many innocent people are suffering. I remember driving right by the hospital when I was there. I never imagined how it would be needed in a few weeks.

More Megapixels

This is an article by David Pogue in the New York Times. He describes a test, done twice, where identical prints are made at three different megapixel densities. In spite of what most people think, almost no one can tell the difference between the prints. They are essentially identical.

So, this means that in choosing a camera megapixels are just one factor. The lens, electronics, storage capacity, etc. are equally as important.

I just upgraded from my three year old Gateway 5 megapixel camera to a 6 megapixel Panasonic DMC-FZ7. I was looking for the zoom lens (12X vs. 3X optical) and the faster response time in a newer camera. Also, to be honest, I couldn't afford the 8 or 9 megapixel model.

Terror Bird

I love these stories about new archaeological finds. The terror bird looks pretty fearsome. I'm glad our ancestors didn't have to face them. It seems that they were gone from this hemisphere long before there were any people here. We only have to worry about them in science fiction movies!

Guinea Demonstrations

The community of Guineans in the USA demonstrated in Washington yesterday in support of the general strike back in Guinea. Above is a link to Aminata.com, a site which has so far had the most up to date information. I copied this picture from the ones posted.





The news of the strike and the police retaliations has started to permeate the western, english- language press. It seems that with the war in Iraq still raging only many deaths will penetrate the news organizations. I hope it doesn't came to that!
Here is a link to a Washington Post article yesterday: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/25/AR2007012500730.html?referrer=delicious
Maybe as the price of aluminum goes up, the world will take notice.

Four more killed in Guinea as crisis talks under way

AFP.com | Agence France-Presse, a global news agency

This article summarizes the situation in Guinea eleven days into the strike. It also has pictures of the burned out cars in Conakry and people lining up for gas.

I left Guinea almost two weeks ago, just as the strike was starting. There was no doubt that the people were fed up with the corruption and impoverishment of their country, especially since Guinea is such a potentially rich country. I hope the strike ends soon, peacefully and with the kind of government that Guinea deserves at last.

Water on Mars!

I just came across this CNN article about evidence of recent water activity on Mars. It seems that images taken over time by the now lost Mars Global Surveyor show new gullies that seem to have been dug on Mars, possibly by water. Here is a link to the official NASA images. This opens up all kinds of possibilities. Mars could still be volcanically active. There could be the precursors of life or even life itself on Mars. They will probably try to be even more careful to sterilize the next Mars explorer before it is launched. This news makes it imperative to start work on a serious effort to send a manned mission to Mars. It will take a long time to get going.

About 12 years ago I started reading the Mars series: Red Mars, Green Mars, and Blue Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson. The trilogy described how Mars could be colonized with existing technology. The first book was the best. The last two were good, although they required some interesting conjectures of earthly political and environmental developments.

Water on Mars. It's amazing.