Africa

Sadly, as long as human beings exist, there will always be pockets of hatred, bigotry and ignorance scattered throughout every society. There will also be those who have no knowledge how REAL leaders lead, not via boastfulness, but rather because the giants among them faced and experienced some of the worst elements of life. Lest we forget, Nelson Mandela, the justifiably-revered former President of South Africa, pounded and broke rocks daily with a sledgehammer in the hot South African sun on Robben Island for at least 17 of his 27 years in prison.  Tonight, on NBC NIGHTLY NEWS, Tom Brokaw recalled to Brian Williams the story of the day Brokaw interviewed Mr. Mandela just three days after he'd been released from that 27-year imprisonment. Tom said Mr. Mandela's demeanor was one of a person who had just returned from a three-day weekend away from home. That's the sort of mental strength few of us possess, ever did or ever will. In my opinion, it's also a … [Read more...] about Mandela: Ubiquitous exemplar. One personal example experienced in South Africa, circa 2007.

A patient in a Minnesota hospital is confirmed to be carrying Lassa fever, an acute viral disease common in West Africa but rare in the U.S. The man who had traveled from West Africa was hospitalized with fever and confusion. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's study of blood samples confirmed Lassa fever, which is similar to Ebola. The last case of the disease in the United States was in 2010. Rodents in West Africa carry the Lassa virus and transmit it to humans through contact with urine or droppings. Though rare, it can also be transmitted from person to person through blood or bodily fluids. The virus is not transmitted through casual contact. The Minnesota Department of Health says the general public is not at risk. But it and the CDC are working with the hospital to notify any health care providers and airline passengers and crew who may have had contact with the patient. About 100,000 to 300,000 cases of Lassa fever and about 5,000 deaths occur annually in … [Read more...] about Lassa fever travels to Minnesota from West Africa

Soccer fan at the Portugal vs. Korea match. Reidwaan Joseph, a South African tour operator, says that on a typical winter’s day, and remember that June is the start of winter in the southern hemisphere, he might make two runs to the Cape Town airport to pick up tourists visiting the Mother City. But there is nothing typical about the World Cup, the planet’s most popular sporting event. These days, Mr. Joseph nearly lives in his car; sometimes making as many as 11 trips a day between the airport and the hotels of Cape Town. What was once unimaginable, during the days of apartheid when the world was boycotting South Africa, has happened in this “Rainbow Nation.” The world has come to South Africa. International flights are jam-packed with passengers sporting soccer jerseys. Based on attire, not only jerseys, but caps, scarves, pins and any number of other team- and nation-identifying items, it seemed the flight from Amsterdam to Cape Town was mostly made up of … [Read more...] about The World has Come to South Africa

People tells us how it's going in South Africa: According to local South African paper The Sowetan, "Law enforcement agencies kept curious onlookers away" at the airport. Their honeymoon hotel, the Oyster Box, has been closed to press and public alike.   "The couple asked us to make their stay as private as possible," hotel spokesperson Joan Hayes told the paper. "We are following their orders." Of course; no one can resist the charisma and authority of PRINCE ALBERT THE MAGNIFICENT. Then again, I’m starting to wonder if the Princess isn’t really a Nordic cyborg who’s in constant communication with SPECTRE, which monitors the inner life of the European aristocracy and looks for blackmail opportunities. I mean, look at this hat. It’s capable of picking up signals from DirecTV, even the HD channels. Even when it’s raining out. Who knows what it’s beaming back. Older Post Royal visit leads to Pap Crackdown Newer Post Official: Spader to … [Read more...] about The other Royal newlyweds are in South Africa