Tag: culture

Happy Spring everybody! After a busy week I am having a busy weekend, so this is one of those brief Sunday Smacks. Believe it or not, I am writing this on a tram, that is how hasty it is. Let’s get to it right away…  Now that Palmyra Has Been Liberated, A Pathway to Stop ISIS? I wish it was time already to assess all the damage ISIS had done (in a past tense) and start restoring them. The Nuclear Zero Lawsuits On the sidenotes of the Nuclear Securtiy Summit this week, this one is a fascinating read. Karadzic’s Genocidal…

Eurovision 2015: the Guardian’s data-driven prediction Here, Eurovision 2015 explained by The Guardian. I for one, did not know that the Armenian song, which by the way is predicted to win, is about the 1915 genocide… “Genealogy’s controversial “Face the Shadow” references the mass murder of 1.5m Armenians by the Ottoman Empire in 1915. It was originally called “Don’t Deny” – Turkey still contests that it was not a genocide, and this title was deemed too political by Eurovision organisers.” There is one thing that no-one can explain though, how on earth did Australia become part of Europe? I (unlike…

International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples Since 1995, August 9 is the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. Who are they? There is no concurrent definition of the term, but indigenous peoples are ethnic groups practicing unique traditions, retaining social, cultural, economic and political characteristics that are distinct from those of the dominant societies in which they live. Check out this great UN fact sheet for more. The International Day of the World’s Indigenous People is an opportunity to highlight the challenges facing indigenous peoples, and the importance of preserving their cultural heritage and identity. This year’s theme is…