Press Freedom 2012

This is alarming.

This is revolting.

Koreas

This is a photograph of the Korean peninsula during the night taken by NASA. It’s completely astonishing how huge the difference in the illumination levels is between South Korea and North Korea which only demonstrates the sharp economic backwardness of the communist country. With a GDP per capita of just 1800$, Kim Jong-Un’s country is considered one of the poorest and least developed in the world as opposed to South Korea - one of the strongest economies in the Asian region.

Armstrong for Congress?

We Fight Censorship

We Fight Censorship is the new project from Reporters Without Borders that aims to fight all forms of censorship in the world and allow freedom of information and expression. This site is mainly used to “publish content that has been censored or banned or has led to reprisals against its creator” but it also explains how can we use our computers and electronic devices in a safer way.

You can (and should) help this project in five ways: donate any amount you want to; send any censored material you have in your posession; create a mirror site of We Fight Censorship; volunteer as a translator to the project; and share the website to all your friends.

Click HERE to go to the website.

For Whom The Bell Tolls

Yesterday I was going to start reading Hemingway's masterpiece For Whom The Bell Tolls which I received this Christmas. Truth be told I've only read two pages. This happened not because the book is poor or boring but because of the powerful quote chosen by Hemingway to start the narrative. It is actually a poem from John Donne.

"No man is an Island, intire of it selfe; every man is a peece of the Continent, a part of the maine; if a Clod bee washed away by the Sea, Europe is the lesse, as well as if a Promontorie were, as well as if a Mannor of thy friends or of thine owne were; any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankinde; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee."

This thing blew my mind away. By reading this poem I have regained part of my love and hope for mankind. We really are one. We are a group. A group whose individuals could not live only by themselves. A group capable of achieving great things. But then I remember how the world really really works and all these happy thoughts vanish. At least I had them for some moments.

Tumblr

This is an expansion of my Tumblr. If you want to see older posts please go to olicritical.tumblr.com. Thank you!