Wow – what a month! April showers didn’t simply translate into May flowers. Instead, the world gasped in horror as natural disasters and political nightmares wreaked havoc on Burma and China this past month. From the devastation of Nargis, to the strange prevalence of squid this May, to the scientific sway of a few drunk college kids, to Canada warming the U.N. bench, this past month has been a rollercoaster ride in current affairs. Please read on to recap what happened during the month-that-was: May.
The Fury of Nargis and the Man-made Disaster After – Cyclone Nargis claimed the lives of thousands of Burmese as the tropical storm slammed the country.The icing on thes-h-*-t pie has been the ruling regime’s ridiculous and shameful initial refusal, followed by its reluctance, then finally acceptance of all foreign aid that has resulted in the escalation of deaths in the hundreds of thousands.The country, officially known as Myanmar since the late ’80s (yet, not recognized by critics such as the US and UK), has been under the ironclad military rule of the SPDC (State Peace and Development Council – Ha!) with Senior General Than Shwe as its head of state since 1992. The country has been marred in political controversy for most of the past year due to the disproportionate and often violent response of the SPDC against its civilian population mobilized in political protest. Without a doubt – the regime’s accumulated actions have been incomprehensible and intensely shameful to say the least.
Ah ZUT! – French adventurer, Michel Fournier’s plans to eek into the stratosphere attached to a giant balloon, then plunge back to Earth at supersonic speeds, were dashed as his silvery squid-like balloon sailed away without him.
Cabernet Sauvignon + Orff = Deelish! – A UK study finds that music can positively affect the taste of wine. The flavor of a cabernet sauvignon was enhanced by as much as 60 percent while tasters listened to “powerful and heavy music”, such as Carl Orff’s ‘Carmina Burana’. The flavor goodness of chardonnay jumped as much as 40 percent for tasters subjected to “zingy and refreshing” sounds.Mind you – it’s important to take note that the participants were university kids who got free wine in exchange for their possibly impressionable and exaggerated views — said the Watercooler cynicritic (Note: ‘cynicritic’ — the marriage of two nouns/ways-of-being, which rightly describe the narrative of the monthly Watercooler post. Lovely — a new term.)
SOS – Polar bears are now on the endangered species list. That’s right, kids – say sayonara to your fuel guzzlin’, greenhouse gas-producin’ lawnmowers, SUVs, and every other unnecessary modern day “convenience” that adds more pollutants into our atmosphere. You hear that China? India? The US? Us?
Dance To Your Own Music – Silent raves are making its way to Canada via the US. The phenomenon has been happening for a few years already in Europe (of course). Just set up an online community page, post the secret location hours before the scheduled event, then – boom! You get hundreds of eager dancers hooked up to their own “personal entertainment devices” (in plane-speak), ready to cut the concrete. Take a few steps away and gaze at the crowd of gyrating individuals all moving in perfect silence. Wonderful (and I mean that).
No One Likes Me – This isn’t funny, but it is kind of funny. It’s not funny because if Canada sat on the UN Security Council for two years, then we could finally flex some politico-muscle and take global leadership of pressing issues to make the world a better place, dangnabbit. But it is funny because the side-part and his cronies are hemming and hawing about putting in a bid over fears of rejection. Political theorists and critics doubt that Canada will win its bid over Germany due to the Conservatives’ track record of concentrated support for the Bush Administration, a lack of progress on the environmental front, and the list goes on and on….sigh….
Heartbreak – The earthquakes that happened in South-west China, followed by the threat of floods from broken dams and reservoirs, have taken their bloody toll on the population. Many victims caught under the rubble have included children. With China’s historic one-child policy put in place since 1979, the loss for some has been beyond devastating.China has now reconsidered its one-child policy as the superpower attempts to safeguard its citizens and slowly rebuild.
The Horror! The Horror! – Jumbo squid, known as the Humboldt, have been making their from Mexico all the way to the waters of B.C., wiping out certain fish stocks in their wiggly path. Two words: eww, gross.
You Tell ‘Em (but not over the phone), McGuinty! – Our fearless provincial leader, Dalton McGuinty proposes a ban on cell phone use while driving. Makes sense to me. The Watercooler cynicritic is silenced until next month.
The Watercooler is a monthly feature written by Ottawa lawyer AAK!