The UK for now

the US and Somalia?

emmettk — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:57:36 +0000

“UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Twenty years after the U.N. adopted a treaty guaranteeing children’s rights, 1 billion children are still deprived of food, shelter or clean water, and nearly 200 million are chronically malnourished, UNICEF said Thursday.

There are some bright spots — fewer youngsters are dying and more are going to school, the U.N. children’s agency said in a report issued on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

…

Only two countries — the United States and Somalia — have not ratified it. The Clinton administration in the 1990s signed the convention but never submitted it to the Senate for ratification because a number of groups argued it infringed on the rights of parents and was inconsistent with state and local laws.

Asked about the U.S. failure to ratify, Veneman said “it is frustrating,” but she noted that President Barack Obama and U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice “have expressed a strong desire to move the U.S. in the direction of approving the convention.”

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h9brpWQQjSxtCCesMsDmuVjAf4gAD9C2PU2G0

London Town

emmettk — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:54:12 +0000

Parliment

Abbey Road

Charlton, 5-1

The Fryer's Delight fish and chips with Toshiko

A little tea

Sammiches, scones, and tasty desserts

Neil's Yard

Edgeware Road Station

Tower Bridge(Don't worry, I've since gotten a haircut)

World Toilet Day

emmettk — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:26:01 +0000

That’s right, it’s World Toilet Day again. It always comes around so quickly doesn’t it? We had a class squat outside of our building then went around campus raising money for Water Aid. Ammar dressed up like a toilet(I hope pictures to follow) and we had shirts that said, “it’s world toilet day, do you give a” and then there’s a picture of a toilet with “$hit?” inside. I didn’t really know what was going to happen, but it was fun walking around with Toilet Man, harassing students as they ate lunch. We had a pretty good pitch going after awhile. We used some Q&A as well(interactive!). It helps if they’re sitting down and can’t get away. It’s tougher on the walkways and we had a surround and block technique that worked a couple of times.

Toilets, don’t take them for granted. Toilets, have a sheat. Toilets, don’t leave home without them. I can’t think of a real winning slogan here…

http://www.wateraid.org/uk/get_involved/world_toilet_day/default.asp

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/squatters-unite-for-world-toilet-day-1823796.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWJPa0bvWnM

get out your freedom fries

emmettk — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:58:54 +0000

I just ran over to the pub at the end of my street to watch the France v Ireland game, a playoff to determine who’d go to the World Cup this summer. In extra time, one of the Frenchman, Henry, used his hand and the Irish were robbed of their place in South Africa. Add France to the list of national teams which I really want to see lose.

The list:
Italy
France

Back in Loughborough… Poops McGee

emmettk — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:16:46 +0000

I don’t have any pictures from the weekend in London because I forgot my camera. Luckily Koz has just bought a new one, so once I get those pictures I’ll post some of them here.

colder, the leaves fall…

emmettk — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:58:32 +0000

we won twelve to nil
i saved all five of my shots
well done lads, well done

the carnival’s here
good i’m leaving town tomorrow
carny? suspicious

こずえちゃん
しゅまつだからね？
たのしみだ

afternoon tea anyone?

emmettk — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:58:33 +0000

Get a load of this spread

afternoon tea- London Town

I don’t really care about tea or ceremonies, but if Kozue wants high tea- we’ll have high tea.

heat!

emmettk — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:58:05 +0000

We had a guy come to fix our boiler and he noticed that our gas hadn’t been turned on. So on it went and the heat does flow. Tomorrow will bring a new hot shower box- more water pressure and heat. These are coming just as its become coldy cold cold cold out there.

This will be my first relatively real winter in a few years. Our fixups should make it more tolerable.

party all the time

emmettk — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 22:59:28 +0000

it doesn’t get much better than this. why can’t life be more like this all the time?

easy days

emmettk — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:51:01 +0000

Today and tomorrow are our only truly free days left in our program. We’ll begin preparations for our independent research projects this week and any time off in the coming months will still have the research hanging over our heads. We have to enjoy it while we can- so we’re off to Echo’s.