Hunger Heat Humidity and Stevie.

but i don't wanna bore you with my troubles..but there's something about your love....

I'm sitting in office singing to songs in the key of life...taking it back... singing at the top (okay middle) of my lungs -- torturing noone cuz my office is empty. Everyone else was smarter than I. Come in early, free from the metaphysical plantation (cuz the real one was nothing close to this) abit ahead of the crowds. So me and Stevie are stuck here until 6pm to contemplate and reflect on the week...

Two days ago Adiva and I did something important -- quality time, advanced. We attended Starved for Attention: The Crisis of Childhood Malnutrition at the Times center moderated by Ann Curry. It was multimedia campaign put together by Doctors without Borders to expose the (devastating) effect of childhood malnutrition. The panel was made up of people who were photo journalists, MD's in West Africa, India, etc.

As always seen from above (football stadium view), in total, the problem seems insurmountable -- except it isn't...yeah uhm we could end hunger...in the world...for 12 billion bucks. I mean...how much did we give the bankers? How much did we spent in Iraq? I'm not even arguing that America should do it alone(food insecurity and malnutrition is horrible in the states as well) but we certainly could kick in a billion or so to keep a billion people from starving to death tonight. There was one woman, a wood gatherer, who mentioned -- oh by the way, yeah I can now go for a week without eating so my children can eat. Seriously?

So have you ever wondered why come countries with the most poverty (India has 40% of all malnourished children..in the world, and areas of Africa) would let their own people exist in such dire poverty and not do anything about it? Well someone (some brave person -- I mean think of the implications of the question) asked. We're seeing pictures. But we don't live with these people...how do you live with them and do nothing? Why aren't gov't around the world, including the U.S.A, doing enough-- I mean, despite the neurotic republiteabagger rants about the role of government -- this is a clear winner no?

Well the genius that is one Mr. Biraj Patnaik responds -- Poverty, malnutrition, food scarcity is the norm for the poor. We are used to seeing it. Thus there is no imperative to make a serious commitment to changing these structures. Well now. Can't you smell the Truth of that statement? So simple, so deceptively simple. We're used to seeing the poor little starving babies in 3rd world countries. Hey, I'm even used to carting my organic fresh veggies into the ghetto because I know I won't find it there. So is that where social injustice lives (oh so comfortably), behind our complacency and excuses????

Another (last)point: Dr. Ismael Thiam remarked that the quality of life of the family is dependent on the improvement of the status of the women. In Africa, the economic sociocultural barrier impedes the development of the entire culture because women are not involved in signifigants ways. Sigh. I could give you an outline...

It was wonderful. It was inspriring. and I got a whole other paragraph for my personal statement. yah for me ;)

Ann C. -- She was really nice, walking around, asking folks what was their interest in the event and what organizaton they represented. She is really beautiful and walked the stage in her 4 inch spikes, an intellectual after my own heart -- look for it 2020!