Interesting Facts

30th July 762 – Baghdad was founded. 1866 – New Orleans's Democratic government ordered police to raid an integrated Republican Party meeting, killing 40 people and injuring 150. 1965 – US President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Social Security Act of 1965 into law, establishing Medicare and Medicaid. 1975 – Jimmy Hoffa disappeared from the parking lot of the Machus Red Fox restaurant in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit, at about 2:30 p.m. He was never seen or heard from again. 2003 – In Mexico, the last 'old style' Volkswagen Beetle rolled off the assembly line. 2006 – The world's longest running music show, Top of the Pops, was broadcast for the last time on BBC Two. The show had aired for 42 years. 2006 – At least 28 civilians, including 16 children were killed by the Israeli Air Force in Lebanon. 2005 - Anthony Walker, a British student was murdered in a racially motivated crime. 2007 - The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously to ...

According to a report conducted by the United Nations crime unit, Interpol and the World Bank. Somali pirates and their peers hijacking vessels in the region made about $400 million in ransom over the past eight years. (What did they spend their ill-gotten gains on?  Drugs (especially khat), alcohol, women, and believe it or not, real estate. I wonder if they phone Kirsty and Phil?)

According to a UN spokeswoman on violence against women. Rashida Manjoo, the UK is the most sexist country in the world. (Rashida Manjoo, a human rights expert from South Africa, says that there is a "boys’ club" sexist culture in the UK. In that respect, she is correct. The old boys network is alive and well in the UK, and they do know how to look after each other, so maybe we need an old girls network too.  Something she neglects to notice is that most guys don't get to join the old boys network either.)

The word famine is used to describe a time when there is not enough food for a great number of people, causing illness and death. (But seemingly there are now criteria that have to be met before the word famine can be used. According to the UN a famine is declared when acute malnutrition rates among children exceed 30 per cent, more than two people per every 10,000 die per day, and people are not able to access food and other basic necessities. Chilling, isn't it?)

According to the UN's annual drug report global markets for cocaine, opiates and cannabis are steady or declining. (This is maybe one of the best results of the recession. Less spare cash = less misery and suffering around the world to fuel an evil demand.)

According to the UN, "desertification is the greatest environmental challenge of our times." (Desertification is the gradual transformation of habitable land into desert. It is usually caused by climate change or by destructive use of the land. In order to combat it they have set up the UNCCD (The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification). They will achieve their aims by holding lots of scientific consultations and conferences, building a website, coming up with lots of accronyms, like WDCD, DLDD and COPD. They will also publish reams and reams of papers and designate a special day to combat desertification where we will all be asked to go out with a bucket and spade to build sandcastles.)