iblog

Anna: The European Union is introducing a Racism and Xenophobia Directive, aimed at stopping internet-based comments which are "carried out in a manner likely to inclite violence or hatred". I find this a bit difficult, because you can't really argue with the fundamental premise of the law. What I am uncomfortable about is a desire to curb free speech. It may be easy enough to identify a blatant racist and bloggers promoting terrorism should, I think, certainly be taken to task. But what about the grey areas? When does a rant become a violence-inciting remark? What if, the next time George W does something idiotic, I post a message saying I wish someone would shoot him - with this be an infringement of the Directive, and will I face three years in jail (the maximum term of imprisonment for violation of the new laws)? Rather than relying on censorship, why don't the EU member states try and provide an environment in which tolerant communities, multicultural dialogue and understanding can flourish.

Matthew: I welcome the recommendation by Hip-Hop mogul Russell Simmons to establish an ethic of ‘corporate responsibility’ within urban music, by treating the words ‘ho’ ‘nigger’ and ‘bitch’ the same way as ‘sh*t’, ‘f*ck’, etc, and discourage their use. (Whilst steering clear of calling for actual censorship.) Hip-Hop has strayed so far from its ‘rasion d’etre’ that it needs some heavyweights to bring it back into line. As far as hip-hop heavyweights go, you don’t get much heavier than Russell Simmons, who is the co-founder of the ‘Def-Jam’, a label instrumental in bringing hip-hop music to the mainstream, and owner of urban clothing label ‘Phat Farm.’

Caroline: Volunteering has never been financially lucrative. After all you wouldn't be a volunteer if you were receiving a wage but I remember my contemporaries working in the late seventies and early eighties for organisations like VSO and not having to take out a small mortgage to do so. My daughter has been researching her options for doing some voluntary work abroad when she graduates and we have been amazed to see how expensive it is. Whether you want to help Vietnamese orphans or Orang-utans in Borneo you have to be prepared to fork out up to £1000 for a one month placement and then about £150 a week after that. This does not include your air fare which for some of the more exotic destinations can be pretty steep. It's not as if you will be staying in anything other than basic accommodation either - digging your own long-drop toilet was mentioned for one particular job. It's also surprising that with many organisations there seems to be no selection process - just the ability to write the cheque. I guess the solution would be to volunteer in this country but human nature being as it is, that somehow is not what the majority of young people want to do. It's rather sad that this valuable experience for volunteer and charity alike has turned into something for the well-heeled only.

Caroline: I don't suppose it would have made any difference to the tragedy at Virginia Tech but reading that the gunman's parents had not been notified by the University of their concerns about his mental health did get me wondering about the price we are willing to pay for protecting the individual's privacy. I know of one case where a young man at University was suffering from cannabis-induced shizophrenia and it was not until he was sectioned that his family found out. I know of another instance where a young woman stopped attending all lectures and tutorials, started self-harming and displaying bizarre behaviour but still her parents were blissfully unaware of the situation. I know that as a parent we have to respect our adult children's privacy but starting University can be stressful and it would be nice to know that the authorities felt able to contact a student's family in certain exceptional circumstances - not just that your child got drunk last night or didn't hand in an essay on time but where there is concern that they could be a risk both to themselves and others.

Jeanne: One would think that the Indian justice system would have more pressing issues to deal with, but as the fuss surrounding a few public kisses shared between Shilpa Shetty and Richard Gere suggests, it doesn’t. Labeling it an 'obscene act,' a Jaipur court has issued a warrant for the arrest of Gere who kissed Ms. Shetty repeatedly at a public AIDS benefit earlier this month. Public displays of affection are still frowned upon in India, but in a country where AIDS is skyrocketing, a kiss or two between friends should be the least of the nation's concerns.

Anna: Ever been in a quandary about whether or not to give money to beggars abroad? Not sure if it is OK to drink alcohol in a certain country? For some answers, and lots of tips on environmentally, socially and culturally responsible travel, take a look at Responsible Travel, an independent site with helpful advice for any traveller concerned with minimising the impact of their holiday. To find a holiday that adheres to the priciples of responsible travel, check out this website. And if you are considering a post-grad course, and are really enthused by the concept of a form of tourism which puts the welfare of local people and the environment to the fore, then consider signing up for the well-regarded MSc. in Responsible Tourism Management offered by the Leeds Metropolitan University.

Anna: He may not post his blogs very often, but Hirsch makes up for it with when he does write. Hirsch is a North American, making his way around our planet on a bike (currently in Morocco) having walked some very long walks indeed and spent three years in Vanuatu with the Peace Corps. You may not warm to his zany, rambling style (or for that matter to his psychedelic font and background combinations) but give his blog a go and you might just find yourself enjoying a giggle as you read...

Virgil: Some of you may have noticed a new book out on the shelves of bookshops: J R R Tolkien's The Children of Hurin. What's all this? How did he manage to publish something after his death? The story behind the book is almost as epic as its contents. For those who may not know, Tolkien's famed The Lord of the Rings series is really only a tiny slice of a gargantuan mythology he developed ever since he was very young. After his death, his son Christopher was charged with the job of turning Tolkien's unfinished manuscripts into publishable works. By studying the manuscripts and notes extensively, Christopher has managed over the years to publish two volumes of Unfinished Tales, a 12-volume History of Middle-Earth and (some regard) most significantly, The Silmarillion, which tells the story of Middle Earth right from the beginning till the time of The Lord of the Rings. The Children of Hurin is a similar work compiled by Christopher, however through a painstaking effort lasting several years, he has managed to put together a complete novel written entirely in J R R Tolkien's original words (whereas for the others he had to, at times, imitate style to fill in missing paragraphs). The book chronicles the life of Hurin, one of the greatest heroes from the back-legend of Tolkien's fantasy world.

Alex: In the aftermath of David Lynch's magisterial Inland Empire, love of all things dark, dream-like and weird has reached fever pitch. In Feburary, Olga Neuwirth produced an opera based upon Lynch's Lost Highway, for my money his best film. To attempt to explain the story of Lost Highway does the film great injustice, and suffice to say, its hewn from a place of black night roads, bleak romance and beautiful strangeness that takes elements of the noir genre and the 50s teen fantasy and scratches them together with a shot of pure jealous terror. Neuwirth's opera blends the narrative of the film with surreal sets and soundtrack that is a breathtaking postmodern collage of avant-jazz, burbling electronics, rockist moments and spoken dialogue. The name John Zorn springs to mind when I read this list. According to a New York Times review, the problem is that the film is almost too good to be well translated into another medium: those who know the film will find the opera weak. Indeed, though I intend to see the opera, on DVD at least, I fear that it will always be second best to Lynch's original. The film itself is notable for already having an extremely smart soundtrack and using mainstream artists like Rammstein and Marilyn Manson to punctuate dramatic moments. One persons narrow reading and adaptation will never be as good as hiring out the original and watching it in its full ambiguity.

Virgil: Einstein's theory of relativity may mean different things to different people. To some it may simply be a metaphor for some wildly complex theory they don't understand. To others it may stand for a colossal achievement of science and the comprehension of nature. To others it may sound so farfetched as to not be taken seriously, or to simply leave you incredulous. But what is a good way to know if a theory is actually true? One method is simple: use the theory to make a very detailed prediction on how something will happen, and then see if that thing will happen. If it fails to do what the theory says it should, the theory is obviously wrong. If the prediction is very very precise and the actual happening happens just as foreseen, the theory has strength. In two new NASA missions designed to do just this, regards Einstein's theory, new results prove that in at least one of the tests, Einstein's theory has worked a charm - although results on the second are 8 months in the coming. As the philosopher Karl Popper might say, "that's an impressive theory."