As part of a presentation I was asked to make last night, I put together a number of photos from my trip to Haiti and Dominican Republic with the audio of a radio segment I recorded for Compassion Day last month.
The trip was back in April but as you can imagine, it’s still very fresh in my mind.
If you take the time to watch, let me know what you think.
We all love receiving recognition and this week I’ve been recognised by Mrs M at New York Renovator. She has bestowed the prestigious Arte y Pico Award upon me.
I’m particularly thrilled by this honour because it comes from a blogger I respect greatly. I have enough trouble keeping up with one blog but Mrs Mecomber maintains three excellent blogs.
The rules for passing this honor on:
1 – Pick 5 blogs that you would like to award this honor to.
2 – Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone.
3 – Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award itself.
4 – Award-winner and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of “Arte y Pico” blog, so everyone will know the origin of this award.
So now I have to keep the award going and pass it on to five more blogs. Tough choice. There are so many blogs that I enjoy daily so narrowing it down to five is not easy.
Here goes.
I love it when bloggers are prepared to share part of themselves with their readers. The last year or so has been a wonderful ride with Sarah at This is what Sed Said.
Peter from Whale’s Belly has been a friend for a long time and I’m so thrilled that he’s been posting more regularly lately. He has a great ability to get me thinking and he’s not afraid to share the ups and downs of his life journey on his blog.
If you want variety in blogging, head to BigDadGib. Not only does Gib find some great material to blog about, he has quite a number of links to some interesting sites.
Dave King has just celebrated his 16th wedding anniversary. (Pauline and I will clock up 16 years in December.) Dave’s also a cyclist. On top of all that he’s a blogger at IdeaJoy.
I don’t remember how I first found Mmmm, That’s Good Coffee but I know why I keep heading back there. Rick covers a diverse range of topics and always has something interesting to say.
So there’s five. I could continue but I’ll leave it there for now. I hope you’ll spend some time checking out each of the blogs I’ve awarded.
It’s one of the most powerful images of our time.
The photo shows Tommie Smith and John Carlos, the gold and bronze medalists in the men’s 200 metre race at the 1968 Mexico City Summer Olympic Games, taking their places on the podium for the medal ceremony barefooted and wearing civil rights badges. Both men lowered their heads and each defiantly raised a black gloved fist as the Star Spangled Banner was played. Both of them were members of the Olympic Project for Human Rights.
What isn’t as well recognised is that Peter Norman, the Australian sprinter who came second in the 200 metres race, also wore an Olympic Project for Human Rights badge at the games and on the podium to show support for the American sprinters.
Salute is a a journey back to the 1960′s and beyond, to tell the real story behind what has now become one of the most famous Olympic moments in history. The writer, producer and director for the film is Matt Norman, Peter Norman’s nephew.
On the film’s official website we read,
As the release of this film nears and the world protests against China’s civil and human rights atrocities leading up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, a new generation needs to see how the Olympic games has been part of World politics in the past.
“Salute” has become even more important to showcase to the World that even after 40 years since the Mexico City Olympic games in 1968 we have still learnt NOTHING.
This should be a lesson as this generation watch history repeat itself.
Salute the movie, for the first time, tells the true story of what happened in 1968 by all three athletes Tommie Smith, John Carlos and more importantly the late Peter Norman.
I had the distinct pleasure of speaking to Matt Norman about his film during my radio programme on 98.5 Sonshine FM this morning. Matt talked about his passion to see his uncle recognised for his part in that historic moment. He talked of a man who was committed to doing what was right, even though he knew it would come at a cost and that he was putting himself at risk.
If you’d like to hear more about Peter Norman’s remarkable story, click play on the audio player at the bottom of this post and hear my interview with Matt Norman.
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Apart from the obvious safety benefits, there are some real advantages with the new international travel regulations regarding taking liquids onto a flight.
We were sitting in the coffee shop at the International Airport in the early hours of this morning waiting for boarding time for the flight our son James was taking.
A lady we’d never seen before came racing over to us. I wondered why she was heading our way and then she produced four of those juice boxes that the kids love so much. She was taking them onto the flight for her young daughter and didn’t realize that they wouldn’t be allowed. Instead of dumping the unopened juices in the bin, as others were doing with their drinks, she asked us if we wanted them. I guess she couldn’t stand the thought of wasting them. “Sure”, we said. Mmm – free juice.
So there you are. If you want to collect some free beverages, just hang around near the departure gate of the International Airport. Mind you – I think the price of parking may just offset the cost savings a little.
I’m battling to stay awake.
I’d go to bed but I need to head back into work this evening to give a youth group a tour of the radio station.
I got about two and a half to three hours sleep last night because we had to get up at 2:00 a.m. to take James to the International Airport. You have no idea how tough it was to sound happy and vibrant on the radio this morning.
James is traveling with Pauline’s mum to England and France. Not bad for a nine year old. He’ll be in Paris for the final day of the Tour de France. (Not that I’m jealous.)
Over the next few weeks he’ll see things that I’ve never even dreamed of seeing and go places that will broaden his perspective on the world.
We’re going to miss him like crazy but we’re so glad that he’s getting such an amazing opportunity.
