Global Pulse: Culture & History Archives

Category: Culture & History

Call for Information: Llullaillaco Maiden

30 Oct 2007 @ 18:51 GMT | Permalink | Comments (1)

The study of hair samples of the ice maiden (Llullaillaco Maiden, La Doncella) was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences earlier this month. Along with two others, she was fattened up for the sacrifice and given chicha (maize beer), coca leaves and achiote before the sacrifice. However, two curious aspects of the news received little attention. And we are looking for more details.

The Wellcome Trust, which funded the study, mentions how horribly the boy died. He was covered in vomit and feces. The Telegraph added some information about it but not much more than the Trust did in the press release. What else did they find out about the boy and how?
Hundreds of blood samples were taken from Peruvians who live at the foot of Mount Ampato to trace a bloodline to the ice maiden, according to the Daily Mail. And a match was found. The unidentified man, the paper reports, is a "living Inca" with direct bloodline to the ice maiden who died 500 years ago. How many samples were taken and where? How did they determine 'direct bloodline?' Why did they decide to take hundreds of blood samples from Peruvians?

The maiden herself is preserved in a chamber at the Museo de Arqueología de Alta Montaña in Salta province, Argentina. (The New York Times also reported on this.)

Posted by Dayhawk Kim at 18:51 | Permalink | Comments (1)
TAGGED: Archeology | Argentina | Ice Maiden

Japan Screams Bloody Murder

29 Oct 2007 @ 20:13 GMT | Permalink | Comments

The South Korean intelligence has formally admitted kidnapping a dissident from Tokyo in 1973 with at least a "tacit approval" from then President Park Chung-Hee. The news has caused a firestorm in do-no-wrong Japan where the government is having a hard time burying this piece of history.

Japan is demanding an official apology from South Korea for kidnapping Mr. Kim from its soil and has refused Ambassador Yu Myung-Hwan's visit to express "regret," according to Yomiuri Shimbun.

On its face, the incident was an open and shut case. Japan agreed to Seoul's request to cover up the kidnapping and let a public investigation run its course. It eventually joined other cold cases. That is, until now.

Posted by Dayhawk Kim at 20:13 | Permalink | Comments (0)
TAGGED: Atrocities | History | World War II

Chile: How to Bury a Dictator

13 Dec 2006 @ 09:43 GMT | Permalink | Comments

Victims of his junta did not get the satisfaction of justice and revenge they sought from an ailing dictator. General Augusto Pinochet Ugarte's body was burned at an undisclosed location after full military honors in an all-day ceremony and his ashes transferred by Super Puma helicopters in secret.

Among the first to issue an honest statement was Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre who put it bluntly: "It's too bad Pinochet was never held responsible for what he stood for."

But the general helped us make the world less safe for despots.

Posted by Dayhawk Kim at 09:43 | Permalink | Comments (0)
TAGGED: Chile | Dictator | Human Rights

Islamist Governments Stifling Science

06 Nov 2006 @ 17:02 GMT | Permalink | Comments (1)

Islamist governments stifle science and research unless it involves the military.

Across the world, Islamist governments share several things in common. They tend to be undemocratic and restrict freedom of expression. And the advancement of science and technology falls victim to their policies, says the journal Nature.

In an unprecedented look at the place science has in Islamist countries, Nature is offering "Islam and Science," a package of features, for free. (Very generous of them.)

Which countries will block access to this feature when an Arabic translation becomes available?

Posted by Dayhawk Kim at 17:02 | Permalink | Comments (1)
TAGGED: Freedom | Islam | Science

Panama Canal (Expansion): Whose Is It?

27 Sep 2006 @ 10:14 GMT | Permalink | Comments (5)

Photo of a Container Ship in the Panama Canal

The Panama Canal Authority and the Panamanian government say the expansion will create 250,000 jobs by 2025 and make the country rich. Opponents say the government is lying.

The Canal may be a source of pride for Panamanians, but it is of little benefit to ordinary citizens. Money trails and tentacles of foreign interests are more twisted than plots in John le Carré's "The Tailor of Panama."

In corrupt Panama, the upcoming October 22 referendum on expanding the Canal for bigger container ships has become a source of ruthless power plays that have escaped the attention of many media outlets.

Below are some starting points for delving deeper into the controversies surrounding the expansion.

Britain's Dirty Big Secret

26 Aug 2006 @ 12:18 GMT | Permalink | Comments

60 million rats are infesting the U.K., as Britons make it a habit to litter on the streets.

Britons' habit of throwing food on the streets has reportedly created a bigger, stronger, longer-living breed of "Super Rats" that are overrunning the country. Between 1998 and 2004, the estimated rat population has swelled 26 percent to 60 million, or one for every U.K. resident.

The increase coincides with a rise in binge drinkers who raid fast-food stores at night and toss leftover containers on the street, according to a British charity campaigning to "Keep Britain Tidy."

(If these rats are anything like mice, who are in fact 'hyper-intelligent, pan-dimensional beings that created Earth,' they could force the collapse of Tony Blair's scandal-plagued government.)

How the Global Kava Market Crashed

24 Aug 2006 @ 10:39 GMT | Permalink | Comments

Root of a kava plant (Piper methysticum). (Photo: Courtesy University of Hawaii)

Corporate greed and consumer demands for miracle cures (in a pill) have led to unnecessary deaths and the collapse of the kava market in Asia, Europe and North America. South Pacific nations and researchers in the West are presenting a united front to reintroduce the Pacific Elixir to the world.

A 2001 German study on liver toxicity associated with kava (Piper methysticum G. Forster) prompted Germany to ban all kava products in 2002. Several countries followed suit. The study missed a critical aspect of the herbal supplement industry. They would do almost anything to meet demands.

New studies since then have shown that kava root and the drink made from it are safe, just as they have been for at least 2,000 years. But the U.K. is holding out and last month upheld its ban on all kava products.

Castro to Die; Then What?

12 Aug 2006 @ 12:49 GMT | Permalink | Comments

Not a single figure in Cuba comes close to being a Fidel Castro. Even Raúl Castro, the temporary leader, has not come out publicly to reassure an increasingly uneasy Cuban population. And without Fidel, Cubans will suffer a painful transition like Russia did.

He may be walking around today, the day before his 80th birthday. But the inevitable death of Fidel Castro will be the start of another Great Game, as regional powers vie for control of a beautiful island nation in an economically and politically strategic spot.

It will be a great movie to watch while drinking "Havana Club." But Bacardi USA Inc. will not let us.

Cuban Media: Adios to Fidel?

08 Aug 2006 @ 10:30 GMT | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Cuban media are saying good-bye to Fidel and talking up Raul, who is pictured in the 1953 Oriente newspaper for leading the assault on Moncada Barracks. (Photo: Oriente/Granma)

The Cuban media are talking up Raul Castro, who is pictured in this 1953 Oriente newspaper for an article about how he led the assault on Moncada Barracks. (Photo: Oriente/Granma)

The official Cuban media outlets are preparing the country for a transition after surgeons at Cimeq are said to have battled to save Fidel Castro's life. The news is filled with Fidel's accomplishments, personal letters from his friends and the leadership capabilities of his younger brother Raúl who is not that much younger.

Some famous people with extremely close, albeit uneasy, ties to Fidel are writing and being interviewed for the official media. And it's beginning to sound like "just adios and not good-bye."

Belgian Congo: Countdown to Election

26 Jul 2006 @ 15:24 GMT | Permalink | Comments

Junior Kabemba, an 11-year-old shegue from Kinshasa, wants to be president of the Congo.

Junior Kabemba, an 11-year-old shegue from Kinshasa, wants to be president of the Democratic Republic of Congo [DRC]. Will he make it? His chance of success is low -- very low. (Photo: IRIN)

The Congo is a supposed to be one of the most beautiful and the richest countries in the world. It languished under the Belgian occupiers and a brutal, C.I.A.-backed dictator.

Today systems for the health care, education, criminal justice and social support are either non-existent or about to collapse. The international community has largely ignored the country's demise.

Few countries would want to get caught up in a Congolese quagmire. Accordingly no credible international peacekeeping troops are keeping the peace. And few governments are offering any help, as they watch the country crumble.

On July 30, it holds its first "election" in 45 years. No viable opposition has emerged. Many residents expect bribes just to cast a vote.

My choice for president is Junior Kabemba.

Kofi Annan: 'A Bit Envious of FIFA'

19 Jul 2006 @ 09:57 GMT | Permalink | Comments

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan wishes the whole world could unite around diseases, poverty and human rights like it did around the 2006 World Cup.

In a frank interview with Spiegel on wide-ranging subjects, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan says he is "a bit envious of FIFA" because the whole world united around the soccer ball and paid attention to the World Cup.

He wishes the whole world could unite and tackle diseases, poverty and humans rights and stop the genocide in Darfur. Iraq has been a huge lesson learned for the Americans, Mr. Annan notes. He predicts the U.S. Congress will be reluctant to approve a similar war so haphazardly in the future.

Mr. Annan says he is a football referee but without the yellow and red cards.

Posted by Dayhawk Kim at 09:57 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Israel Caught With Its Pants Down

16 Jul 2006 @ 15:01 GMT | Permalink | Comments

Israel Defense Forces Air Strike Against Hezbollah Targets in Lebanon

It's time for Israel to eliminate Hezbollah since no one else, including the U.N. and the U.S., is willing to do it. (Photo:Courtesy Israel Defense Forces)

The Israeli military let its guard down, giving Hezbollah and Hamas the perfect opportunity to test the country's resolve and relieve mounting pressures on Iran and Syria. Even more embarrassing was the intelligence failure that led to the bombing of I.D.F. corvette "Ahi Hanit."

The United Nations and chief negotiators for the Middle East have failed the people in the region by forcing Israel's evacuation from Southern Lebanon and Gaza without filling the void left by the withdrawal.

It is time for Israel to destroy Hezbollah and remove that leverage from Iran and for the U.N. to ensure the Lebanese army has full control over its territory. That might give Iran's paranoid mullahs something to think about.

Posted by Dayhawk Kim at 15:01 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dilapidated S. Africa Not Ready for World Cup

10 Jul 2006 @ 13:25 GMT | Permalink | Comments (2)

Can South Africa pull off the 2010 World Cup without a hitch? Even locals have doubts.

South Africa's aging or nonexistent infrastructure, corruption and violence, not to mention "taxi wars" and "highway stoning," make the country a questionable choice to host the 2010 World Cup.

One Web site, whose publisher has received death threats, is warning tourists off his country by highlighting violent crimes. And even some public officials are questioning how and whether investment in the tournament will benefit the poor.

Posted by Dayhawk Kim at 13:25 | Permalink | Comments (2)

L.R.A.: Uhm, We're Done. Let's Talk Peace?

28 Jun 2006 @ 16:01 GMT | Permalink | Comments

Joseph Kony, the kooky and brutal leader of the Lord's Resistance Army [LRA], claims he wants peace and Ten Commandmants. (Photo: Sam Farmar via The Times)

When was the last time Lord's Resistance Army leader Joseph Kony gave an interview or allowed himself to be videotaped for a news program or offered to talk about peace?

Never.

This cult leader, who says spirits talk to him, is accused of slaughtering and mutilating more than 10,000 people, abducting 25,000 to 30,000 children and forcing a million people to flee. His arch-enemy, Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has already rejected any offer of talks.

Posted by Dayhawk Kim at 16:01 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Timor-Leste: Trouble in Paradise

15 Jun 2006 @ 13:56 GMT | Permalink | Comments

This paradise could go up in flames again without long-term international help. (Photo: Courtesy Timor-Leste Tourism Ministry)

East Timor is another lesson for the United Nations as well as Australia that stability and democracy do not develop overnight -- even in this paradise.

Kofi Annan wants U.N. peacekeepers to get back in there at East Timor's request. But Australia, like the United States, told the world body to stay out of its backyard and to concentrate on only humanitarian and development projects.

Posted by Dayhawk Kim at 13:56 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Beloved Thai King Marks 60th Anniversary

12 Jun 2006 @ 12:13 GMT | Permalink | Comments

Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej celebrates the 60th anniversary of his rule. (Photo: Courtesy Royal Thai Government)

Few world leaders are as loved and respected as the 78-year-old Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej who celebrated his 60th year on the throne. One million Thais wearing yellow in honor of the king flooded Bangkok to see the monarch, who is largely a figurehead but definitely the defining symbol of the country. To mark the diamond jubilee, Thai fishermen pledged not to catch the endangered the giant Mekong catfish anymore. It sounds like North Korea except it wasn't stage-managed and no one was hanged. Imagine this much love for Tony Blair, George Bush or Queen Elizabeth!

Posted by Dayhawk Kim at 12:13 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Mr. Howard: Remember the Tampa

12 Dec 2005 @ 15:16 GMT | Permalink | Comments

A dark-skinned male, who appears to be of Indian descent, is beaten up by a flash mob of white Australians. (Photo: The Age)

Australian Prime Minister John Howard's response to Cronulla, the country's worst race riots since the 1860-1861 Lambing Flat rebellion, amounted to a denial of the closet racism that guts through this former penal colony. Instead of addressing the seeds of violence, Mr. Howard passed on the problems -- just like he did with MV Tampa in 2001. Mr. Howard did everything in his power, including force, to keep 430 mostly Afghan asylum seekers from reaching Australia and, under the "Pacific Solution," paid other countries to accept them.

Posted by Dayhawk Kim at 15:16 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Page-Turner: Alice in Cyberspace

23 Sep 2005 @ 10:59 GMT | Permalink | Comments

The original manuscript of Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland" is a real page-turner. The British Library placed the entire manuscript online using its "Turning the Pages" technology along with centuries-old books and thousand-years-old ancient texts. The experience is almost like that of going to a library except the often intoxicating smell of old books.

Posted by Dayhawk Kim at 10:59 | Permalink | Comments (0)

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