Comments for The Humanitarian Chronicle

Comment on Kicking It – Review by Cathy

Cathy — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:08:40 +0000

Fabulous review, makes me want to see the movies.

Comment on Kicking It – Review by Emma

Emma — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 21:18:41 +0000

Thank you for the review Sarah- it was written beautifully. I have also seen the movie, and highly recommend it.

Comment on Finding Beauty in Urban Grit by Frank

Frank — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 23:00:12 +0000

Paul, thanks for your comment.

That’s an interesting observation and notes a form of escapism amongst the people you are talking about.

What I find in such images of decay is the exact opposite – I find that, when done well, they reveal our own mortality – they hold a mirror up to our temporary state and ask questions about what we as the viewer, are adding to the world. Are we adding stuff that will simply rot and disappear, or are we adding stuff of real and lasting value?

Imagine the pride that would have been taken in the surroundings of the above pictures when they were new – how the people involved in creating those surroundings would have looked upon their new and shiny offerings to the world with excitement… and here they are years on, abandoned and rotting – a testament of what was and a chronicle of our own finiteness.

When looked upon with open eyes, such decay does not allow us the fleeting comfort of escapism, it instead provides a window to the mortality of humanity. The question is, what are we going to do in the face of our mortality? How are we going to use our lives?

Comment on Finding Beauty in Urban Grit by Paul

Paul — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:13:52 +0000

Some savvy people in New York, probably home to more Urban Grit than anywhere in the Western Hemisphere, have made the mistake of romanticizing ugliness. It’s their way of holding out against the mallification and yuppification of the city that began in the 90s: preserve, yes even romanticize, the dirt and menace of the 70s and 80s.

It’s doubly unfortunate because they don’t want to go back to a slightly earlier time, when New York was still thriving, though gritty. The dystopia is more romantic, thanks to punk and Taxi Driver and such. It’s also real to younger people: some even saw it first hand.

Your images are quietly exquisite – not what these urbanites are looking for.

Comment on In Favour of Matariki by Maria

Maria — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 05:26:16 +0000

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that I have really liked browsing your posts. Anyway
I’ll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you write again soon!

Comment on Iran Election – A New Revolution? by Frank

Frank — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:15:13 +0000

Hi Kelvin,

Thanks for asking

It would be a nightmare to put in all the references as it has involved years of reading and involves mostly newspapers and a memory of all the info.

All the links in the article will give a lot of the info mentioned and also, check out Robert Fisks book, The Geat War for Civilisation – The Conquest of the Middle East.

Fisk’s info and proximity to events in the book is superb.

The other source worth following to get up-to-date info is Al Jazeera English http://www.english.aljazeera.net

Comment on Sri Lanka – Images from the war zone, military victory parade and an IDP camp by sen

sen — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 07:20:47 +0000

I agree that the SL Govt. is run by imbeciles sometimes; but please don’t try to whitewash Prabahakaran and the LTTE who killed any other Tamil leader for the sole reason that they were a leader of the Tamil people;
Mr. Appapillai Amirthalingam, Mr. Uma Maheswaran, Dr. Neelan Tiruchelvam, MR. Lakshman Kadiragamar

Just to name a few……
Those who take up the sword die by the sword…….

Comment on Iran Election – A New Revolution? by Kelvin

Kelvin — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 21:51:00 +0000

hi frank,
any chance of some references?

Comment on Iran Election – A New Revolution? by Martin

Martin — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 08:26:15 +0000

This has the hallmarks of the CIA coup of 1953. Twitter codes have been traced to Princeton University.

Comment on Iran Election – A New Revolution? by Frank

Frank — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 04:00:58 +0000

Thanks Debbie.

It was great finally get some thoughts on Iran out.It’s a country I have a large interest in and often get annoyed at the poor sterotyping of it.

It’s a country with a colourful historical context that makes the rhetoric and current situation a whole lot more accessible and understandable once known. As with any nation, it has it’s pitfalls, but I don’t think it is the big evil it is often made out to be.

Hopefully this article proves helpful for a number of people.