How frightening to have your photos on the news

Two young men got the scare of their lives when their photos appeared in several newspaper as suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing incident. Both were middle eastern and fit the western stereotyping of what bombers are likely to look like. And the media were so happy to flash their photos across their pages.

Here are some remarks made by one of the suspects and his family and reported by AP. The two could have been killed or shot at just because of the news and their photographs. They were lucky that two other suspects surfaced. If not, they would have remained the prime suspects and living in fear with life threatening moments. Could they have saved themselves by turning up at the police station? Or could that become worst given the prejudice against them and the notoriety of some policemen in the US. They could turn up in good faith in a police station to clear their names but the whole episode could become a nightmare.

Yes, they were lucky, and right to stay indoors away from the suspicious eyes of people eager to take the bombers down. Thank God they are safe now.

‘REVERE, Mass. (AP) — A teenager said he is scared to go outside after he was portrayed on the Internet and on the front page of the New York Post as connected to the deadly Boston Marathon bombings.

Photos of Salah Eddin Barhoum, 17, and friend Yassine Zaime were posted on websites whose users have been scouring marathon finish line photos for suspects. The two were also on the Post's front Thursday with the headline: "Bag men: Feds seek these two pictured at Boston Marathon."

The Post reported later Thursday that the pair weren't considered suspects, and the FBI has since identified two other men as suspects in Monday's bombings, which killed three people and injured more than 180.

But Barhoum, a track runner at Revere High School, said he is convinced some will blame him for the bombings, no matter what.

He said he was so fearful on Thursday that he ran back to the high school after a track meet when he saw a man in a car staring at him, talking into a phone. He said he won't feel safe until the bombers are caught.

"I'm going to be scared going to school," Barhoum said. "Workwise, my family, everything is going to be scary."

Attempts to reach Zaime were not immediately successful.

Barhoum's father, El Houssein Barhoum, who moved his family from Morocco five years ago, said he is worried his son will be shot and fears for his wife and two young daughters. He said he can't go to his job as a baker in Boston.

"Right now, we are not secure," he said. "So, the news (media), when they put something, they should be sure about the information."

The two could have been killed or shot at just because of the news and their photographs. They were lucky that two other suspects surfaced. If not, they would have remained the prime suspects and living in fear with life threatening moments. Could they have saved themselves by turning up at the police station? Or could that become worst given the prejudice against them and the notoriety of some policemen in the US. They could turn up in good faith in a police station to clear their names but the whole episode could become a nightmare.

Yes, they were lucky, and right to stay indoors away from the suspicious eyes of people eager to take the bombers down. Thank God they are safe now. It must be real scary.

Saving Ubin

The scientists around the world are worried at the destruction of rainforests and their ecology and the ultimate destruction of Gaia. The scientists are also worried about population growth and the consumption and exploitation of livestocks and mineral resources of Gaia as well. Both are destructive forces that could make life of earth difficult for human kind. Without the green lungs to cleanse the air and recycle oxygen and carbon dioxide, to cool the temperature and the cycle of rainfall, and the rapid population growth that is consuming everything at a rate must faster than their replacement rate, Mother Earth will have great difficulties sustaining life forms in the not too distant future.

The first sign of Pulau Ubin going the way of concrete jungle has been put up. We have lost Sentosa to all the ugly man made structures, we have reclaimed Marina South only to be turned into another ugly monster that needs hundreds of millions to maintain when the plants in them could grow in their natural habitat without costing a cent. And we claimed progress and money well spent, a big scientific achievement, a great human feat over Nature.

Pulau Ubin will be dug up and rebuilt for more human activities, more unnatural concrete constructs in the name of progress. Why can’t Pulau Ubin be left alone as another remnant of Mother Nature saved from the destructive forces of greedy men? There is no need to destroy Ubin if we are not crazy about filling our islands with more people. Our so called economic progress is our little contribution to the destruction of Gaia. When the world is trying to save the rainforests, trying to limit the growth of human beans, we are doing the reverse. We want to destroy Nature, we want more human beans disproportionate to the size of our islands. We are over consuming and over populating our islands for our own good.

Save Ubin. Say No to 6.9m.

Blow up my home, I blow up yours

In my earlier post on the failure of American Intelligence Services to gather prior warnings of the Boston Marathon bombings, the main point was for the Americans to stop their wicked acts of planting the seeds of war everywhere. The Americans could do that, and have been doing that, on the belief that all these destructive and bad things can be done in other people’s territories, far away from the USA. This false sense of security emboldens the Americans to start and perpetuate wars around the world for the last 60 years and still going strong. The new theatre of war and destruction will be Asia, starting with the Korean peninsula, and this will be followed up by Diaoyu Islands and the South China Sea.

Before the Americans start a few more wars, the Boston bombing is a stark reminder that when the Americans go around bombing other people’s country and killing other innocent people, the victims will return to the American mainland to do the same. It is better for the Americans to reflect on their evil acts and pull back to avoid more disastrous bombings in the heartlands of America. The victims can hit back and will hit back and will bring the war into the streets of America.

Asymmetrical warfare is the alternative to fight wars against a superior aggressor in its homeland and around the world. The Americans, or any aggressor country that invades another country have to contend with a timeless guerilla war waged by the people of the invaded country, a war without a battle zone, with no battle lines, no enemies in sight. Asymmetrical warfare will take modern warfare to a new dimension, with a small group of men or women it can hold a super power in hostage and its people in fear, disrupt their daily life in every corner of the world. It can drain down the aggressor’s resources and wear down their spirit to fight an invisible enemy that has the advantage of initiative and surprise.

The moral of the story is that any country, super powers and their unwilling allies or coalition, must take note that they can come under attack anywhere, including their homeland. There is no where to hide and no place is safe. It is best to stop starting wars and make friends rather than making enemies. What is the main role of USS Freedom?

The mysterious disappearance of blogger Lucky Tan

I just visited Diary of a Singaporean Mind blog and read Lucky Tan’s last post on 14 Mar. And there were nearly 400 comments left behind by his ardent followers. Some were worried of his whereabout and his well being. Some were speculating that he was FeedmetotheFish. Some continued to post as if Lucky was still there.

What is clear and undeniable is that Lucky Tan has not posted again since that last article on 14 Mar. Lucky simply disappeared from cyberspace. In the case of Fish, his brother came into his blog to announce his peaceful departure from this earthly place. No one offered to say anything on Lucky’s behalf.

Where is Lucky Tan now? What had happened to him? Does anyone out there know anything about him and can keep blogosphere informed and kill the suspense? Someone must know Lucky and his whereabout.

For those who do not know him, Lucky is one of the vociferous writers in blogosphere and has a very big following for his insightful and thoroughly research articles. Many are feeling his absence and wish that he is well and will come back and continue to post and share his thoughts with all in social media.

Lucky, if you are reading this, please say something. Or anyone who knows of what has happened to Lucky, please tell. In the meantime we can all wait and pray that Lucky is well. The Darkside is ominously hiding behind the corner and making people guessing.

Redbean.

Bloggers who have nothing to say

Agree that bloggers blogged for many reasons, but in social political blogs, generally there are three types of bloggers. The first and natural bloggers are those that blog because they have something to say, something they want to share or get it off their chests. Just that, and may enjoy just doing it. The second big group will be those belonging to political parties or are supporters of certain political parties, have political inclinations. The third group are not bloggers or bloggers of the unwilling. These people don’t blog and do not want to blog. They blog because they are paid to blog, like paid workers, mercenaries. They really have nothing to blog about.

The first group is what blogging was designed for. It is a new way of conversation, a way of talking to the world, share views and chit chat with other people, maybe making friends. If every blogger is just a blogger blogging for his interest, things can be quite innocent and the blogging world will just grow for as long as the interest is there.

For the second group, blogger is a political thing, a way to support their parties, to convince others to their political ideas and to gain influence and votes, which is quite natural for political animals.

The third group, the nasties, or bloggers of the unwilling, is the pest in social media. They are not blogging. They are paid to be destructive, to attack bloggers and can be very personal and bitchy. This is the most disgraceful group of people that exists to attack people they don’t know, for no reasons except because they are being paid to do so, like paid assassins. No, assassins will be too honourable a title. They are willing to sell their conscience for a fee. They are like the computer viruses, best to be terminated.

The three groups are just simple generalizations. Some may criss cross over groups as their interests could stray or expand to other areas. Blogging can be a big thing in the socio political platform. Many are blogging for a passion, not being paid, but contributing good stuff to educate and inform their readers. We need more and well informed bloggers to contribute to social media to make it a force to be reckon with, a respectable alternative to the main media, to break the stranglehold of news and views of the main media. Social media is the place where people can speak openly, honestly and freely of what they think, and what they feel of things that are happening around us and what is becoming of the country.

The people who pay for thugs to attack people in social media are just as shameless and despicable as they are the ones behind the shameful act. It used to be just some wild individuals who have an axe to grind to be cursing and swearing at their victims. Now we have people paying thugs to do the same, cursing and swearing at bloggers just because the bloggers have a different view of things.