An interesting read

The fuss over the burqa is out of kilter

• Irfan Yusuf
• July 6, 2009

IN ABOUT six months, a cross-party French parliamentary committee of 32 MPs will prepare a report examining whether the wearing of the burqa (an outfit, usually black, that covers a woman's full body, including her face) in public represents a threat to French secularism. They'll also determine whether to ban it being worn in France.

The committee was formed after French President Nicolas Sarkozy addressed the French Parliament on June 22 and described the burqa as "a problem of liberty and women's dignity" and "not welcome in France".

Sarkozy further claimed that the burqa was not a religious symbol at all, but rather "a sign of subservience and debasement", which created "women prisoners behind a screen, cut off from all social life, deprived of all identity".

Of course, even if Sarkozy regarded the burqa as a religious symbol, he might still ban it. In the past, he hasn't been averse to banning the open display of religious symbols in French state schools.

Sarkozy was originally behind the push to proscribe the hijab (headscarf) from state schools, only to subsequently oppose specific legislation, introduced in 2004, which saw the wearing of all religious symbols in state schools prohibited.

Many French, and indeed many Australians, find the various shades of religious head covering adopted by Muslim women somewhat troublesome. Women draped in black represent one of the most potent stereotypes of Islam in the West, one reinforced by media images. When one Sydney Muslim man called for polygamy to be legalised, the Herald Sun website carried a photo of two burqa-clad women crossing the street. The website of its Sydney equivalent regularly carries photos of burqa-clad women in any story even mildly related to Muslims. On August 8, 2007, in a story on an investigation into a refugee housing project run by a main Muslim body, The Daily Telegraph showed the image of the top half of a fully veiled woman's face.

It's unclear exactly what proportion of Muslim women wear any sort of head covering when in public, though anecdotal evidence suggests only a minority do. Among those who cover, the vast majority seem to follow the religious consensus and restrict themselves to merely covering all or part of their hair. This can take the form of a more fixed hijab (as commonly worn in the Arab world and South-East Asia) or a loose shawl draped over the head (common in Iran and South Asia).

The vast majority of Muslims in France are from North Africa where the face veil is rarely worn. This naturally raises the question: with such a tiny minority wearing such a veil, why is Sarkozy using his precious time talking about this issue?

Sarkozy's remarks are reminiscent of former prime minister John Howard's frequent references to alleged non-integration of Muslim Australians. Yet in one radio interview Howard declared 99.9 per cent of Muslims were perfectly integrated. I wondered at the time whether his repeated emphasis on the 0.01 per cent non-integrated was little more than an attempt to create an environment where the 99.9 per cent were made to feel uncomfortable.

No women in my family cover their hair. However, my maternal grandfather, who lectured at the relatively liberal Aligarh Muslim University in India, insisted the women of his household practise a form of traditional aristocratic seclusion known as purdah. Though associated with Indian Islamic culture, purdah was also practised in many upper-class north Indian Hindu and Sikh households.

It was common in those days for wealthy women to go out shopping while seated in a special palanquin (called a dholi). This was basically a large, comfortable, box-like structure with plenty of cushions for aristocratic women to laze on while their male servants (or even male relatives) would carry them. The curtains around the box had a screen through which the women could peek and decide which shop they would visit.

Women's quarters in 1950s Aligarh homes were places where women enjoyed themselves, freed of any domestic duties, their husbands or fathers employing servants to perform all cooking and other chores. Men were expected to lavish gifts on their female relatives (and in-laws) using the household income, which women were usually responsible for managing (I'm sure to their own advantage). Men were also expected to do all the shopping for food and other household needs. Women only shopped to buy clothes, jewellery and other luxury items for themselves.

Of course, the situation for the aristocratic Indian woman in purdah was a far cry from impoverished women living in Afghanistan under the Taliban. Purdah did not stop my mother from completing high school and a bachelor's degree. The idea of banning women from education or work would be anathema to most Muslims, including the one in four of South Asian heritage.

France has the largest Muslim population of any country in Western Europe.

By focusing on a tiny minority of Muslim women, Sarkozy risks alienating the majority of French Muslims, including those who agree with his basic proposition that the burqa is offensive and degrading to women.

Irfan Yusuf is author of Once Were Radicals: My Years as a Teenage Islamo-Fascist, published byAllen & Unwin.

Can u remember when?

The Sony Walkman at 30

The first Sony Walkman, the WalkmanTPS-L2.

Daniel Rook

July 1, 2009 - 4:50PM

Thirty years ago Sony launched the Walkman, a gadget which revolutionised the way people around the world listened to music but has since been overtaken by an icon of the digital age - the iPod.

The July 1, 1979 rollout of the portable cassette player helped transform the Japanese company into a global electronics powerhouse.

Sony sold 30,000 Walkmans in the first two months after its launch, and 50 million within a decade.

Three decades on, however, Sony is struggling against rivals such as Apple, which has enjoyed immense success with its iPod music player.

Times have changed since Sony engineer Nobutoshi Kihara sketched out designs for the Walkman by hand.

"Back in my days, we had to draw product designs on paper," Kihara told AFP in an interview in 2006 after his retirement.

"I would close my eyes and imagine our products. I would imagine joggers with Walkmans to see how the hinges should move or how the products fit into the lives of the users."

Sony co-founder Masaru Ibuka came up with the idea for the gadget on one of his overseas trips, during which he used to listen to music on existing tape recorders that were too heavy to be considered truly portable.

The initial reaction to the Walkman was poor. Many retailers thought that a cassette player without a recording mechanism had little chance of success.

That changed, and today total sales of the Walkman have reached 385 million around the world, including newer digital models that use flash memory.

Sony says it chose the name "Walkman" partly because of the popularity of Superman at the time and the fact it was based on an existing audio recorder called the "Pressman."

It initially planned to call the machine "Soundabout" in the United States and "Stowaway" in Britain, but changed its mind after hearing that children in Europe were already asking their parents for a "Walkman".

The name stuck, and in 1986 it was included in the Oxford English Dictionary.

For people who have grown up with iPods, Sony's original gadget can leave something to be desired. They include 13-year-old Scott Campbell who was asked by the BBC to swap his Apple gadget for a vintage Walkman for a week.

His friends, he said, "couldn't imagine their parents using this monstrous box."

It also took him three days "to figure out that there was another side to the tape."

"I mistook the metal/normal switch on the Walkman for a genre-specific equaliser, but later I discovered that it was in fact used to switch between two different types of cassette," he added.

Sony has tried to repackage the Walkman in recent years with new versions, including one that looked like a jelly bean, with some success.

It sold seven million Walkmans in the year to March, up from 5.8 million the previous business year, a company spokeswoman said.

But it has failed to pose a serious challenge to Apple, which sold 100 million iPods in less than six years after its launch in 2001, making it the fastest selling music player in history. Sales have since topped 200 million.

Sony is hoping its new touch-screen X-series Walkman will revive sales of the gadget.

For many observers, the success of the iPod illustrates the way Sony has lost its golden touch in recent years, failing fully to exploit the opportunities of the Internet and the digital age.

As well as losing its lead in portable music players, Sony's PlayStation 3 has been trumped by Nintendo's Wii as the top-selling home video game console.

Sony announced in May its first annual loss in 14 years and warned it would stay in the red this year.

Chief executive Howard Stringer has vowed to meld the company's strength in electronics with its games and movies. He is also slashing 16,000 jobs and axing about 10 percent of Sony's manufacturing plants.

Jackson queries cause Google meltdown

June 27, 2009

A deluge of search queries for Michael Jackson led Google News, the news aggregator of web search engine Google, to initially believe it was under attack, the internet giant said.

Google, in a blog post on the company website on Friday, said that "millions and millions" of people around the world begin searching for news about the pop star on Thursday as reports emerged about his hospitalisation and death.

It rated the "hotness" of Jackson-related searches as "volcanic".

"The spike in searches related to Michael Jackson was so big that Google News initially mistook it for an automated attack," Google said.

"As a result, for about 25 minutes yesterday, when some people searched Google News they saw a 'We're sorry' page before finding the articles they were looking for," it said.

The "We're sorry" page tells users their query "looks similar to automated requests from a computer virus or spyware application" and forces them to type in a series of squiggly characters before it will process their request.

Popular micro-blogging service Twitter also suffered a slowdown in performance on Thursday as users exchanged thousands of messages per minute about Jackson's death at the age of 50.

Web portal AOL said its AIM instant messaging service was down for about 40 minutes.

Yahoo! said the news area on its front page received five times its normal traffic and its front page story "Michael Jackson rushed to hospital" was its "highest clicking story" ever with 800,000 clicks within 10 minutes.

AFP

Source: smh.com.au

Going digital: Is your TV ready?

The analogue signal will be switched off in some regions next year.

Louisa Hearn

June 23, 2009

The world's gaze was trained on the US last week after it became the first country to switch off the old analogue television system in favour of digital. So how will Australians fare when we take our first solo steps with the new broadcast technology next year?

Although the impact of the US switchover is still being reviewed, sales of digital set-top box and televisions reportedly skyrocketed in the days leading up to it, and many viewers are thought to have lost their TV service because they were ill-informed or lacked the technical know-how to bridge the gap alone.

The Australian Digital Switchover Taskforce is banking on $140 million of extra funding and a national advertising campaign to smooth the way for our national switch-off, which will be phased in over the next four years. But the latest digital survey data indicates that over 50 per cent of households have not yet upgraded to digital, even though analogue television signals will cease in some regions in the first half of next year.

The Victorian region of Mildura - where seven out of 10 households have made the switch to digital - will be the first to lose its analogue signal. Broken Hill residents will follow in the second half of the year, and other regional centres over the next two years. Major cities will wait until 2013, allowing more time to iron out the reception issues associated with high density residential dwellings.

Although a recent survey suggested that 64 per cent of households believed they knew how to convert a TV to receive digital signals, Andy Townend, executive director of the Digital Switchover Taskforce, said there were still a large number of people who thought they needed to splash out on expensive equipment.

"One of biggest misconceptions is that people think they need to replace their TV. You don't need to buy a new television but if you do decide to change your television, then it is important ensure it is digital," he said.

Another murky area for many is digital television reception. Although you may need to upgrade an ageing aerial when you switch to digital, it is not necessary unless you are unable to get an adequate signal from your existing equipment.

"One big myth is that you need a digital aerial. An aerial is an aerial," said Mr Townend.

According to Choice magazine, consumers also need to be on their guard against retailers upselling equipment above and beyond their requirements.

"There is a lot of confusion about digital technology for many consumers. The early adopters are already there but a lot of sections of the community are very confused about what they need," said Choice spokeswoman Elise Davidson.

"A lot of people that are not fluent in electronics get totally overwhelmed. We are running a campaign to try to help people distinguish between different types of equipment."

To clear up some of the misinformation in the community, the Digital Switchover Taskforce is planning to supplement the information on its website with two-minute instructional videos.

It has also established a national helpline and appointed community liaison officers to assist vulnerable groups such as the elderly. Financial and technical support will also be offered directly to disadvantaged groups meeting certain criteria.

So what are your options for going digital?

Set top box
This is the cheapest method of converting to digital. A digital set top box will cost from about $40 and enables any traditional analogue TV to pick up digital signals. (Owners of much older televisions without sockets for a set top box cable may need to buy an additional component called an RF modulator to connect them).

Set top boxes come in a range of models. The most basic convert the signal to a standard definition picture while high definition (HD) units have been developed for LCD and plasma televisions with inbuilt high-definition tuners. Some set top boxes also include electronic program guides.

Video/DVD players that do not have an inbuilt digital tuner will require their own separate set top box if the user wants to record one channel while watching another - even if there is already a digital tuner or set top box for the television. (For simple recording of the channel you are watching, an additional set top box would not be necessary.)

Personal video recorder
A PVR with a digital tuner can also convert an analogue television to digital. These include electronic program guides and allow viewers to pause, replay and record live TV.

Digital TV
If you're ready to splash out on a new digital television then there is a huge range of devices on the market, with the cheapest costing around $350. You can buy either a standard definition television which is broadcast at the same resolution as analogue, or high-definition television, depending on your budget.

High definition officially broadcasts at 576p, 720p, 1080i and 1080p - although some countries consider 576p standard definition. (A high definition "tick" logo introduced by The Australian Digital Suppliers Industry Forum can only be added to televisions with 720 active vertical scanning lines (720p) or better.)

To be fully compatible with a Blu-ray high-definition DVD player, you need a television with 1080p high definition.

TV Aerials
The benefits of switching to digital include a wider range of TV channels and vastly improved images and sound, with ghosting and snowy pictures becoming a thing of the past. It can also deliver better reception in areas where analogue performance is patchy. But digital broadcast signals are not without their issues. Some older aerials will not pick up a strong enough signal, and with digital technology a poor signal can cause heavy onscreen pixelation or no picture at all.

One consumer reported to Choice that every time a bus went past their house they lost their digital signal and so ended up jumping back and forth between analogue and digital.

Living in a multi-level buildings with a shared antenna can also spell trouble for digital broadcasting. If the building is unable to pick up an adequate digital signal, then residents may be left without television altogether when the analogue network is switched off. Electronic devices can also interfere with digital signals, which may compound reception problems in high-density areas.

The Digital Switchover Taskforce says it is working with the building sector to ensure appropriate action is taken prior to the move to digital, especially for city-dwellers. It will offer technical advice to consumers with reception problems via its helpline on 1800 201 013.

Theres some twister in us all

Telling a story in 140 characters or less

Agence France-Presse

Created 06/19/2009 - 22:58

Telling a story in 140 characters or less

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Agence France-Presse | 06/19/2009 10:58 PM

NEW YORK – Arjun Basu writes short stories. Very short stories.

"I'm doing 140-character stories on Twitter," said Basu, one of scores of authors, poets and other creative types who are downsizing their literary talents to the limited format of the hot micro-blogging service.

"I call them Twisters because everything on Twitter has a stupid name," the 42-year-old Basu told AFP at the 140 Characters Conference, a two-day talkfest devoted to all things Twitter held in New York this week.

"Each story has a beginning, a middle and an end," said Basu, a Canadian, who readily acknowledges that he has developed a greater following on Twitter than for his more traditionally published works.

"I'm now at over 6,000 followers on Twitter," the Montreal-based Basu said. "I published a book of short stories last year and that was with a small press so maybe 2,000 people bought the book.

"So I have more readers now than I used to."

Basu, whose Twitter handle is @arjunbasu, said he began writing the Twisters last year.

"I started with one story. I had an image in my head and I just did it," he said. "And I slowly built up a following."

"They went out hunting. They killed some large mammals. Later they saw the animals butchered. And one by one they ordered salads that evening," reads one of Basu's Twisters.

"The marriage didn't survive the honeymoon. They acknowledged the majesty of their mistake. But they remained together. Because of the gifts," goes another.

Haiku, which lends itself to the 140-character format, is another popular literary form on Twitter and the search term #haiku occasionally rises into Twitter's list of "Trending Topics," the 10 most popular topics on the site.

"And in the middle / of the rising city heat / the fountain is dry," reads a Haiku from a Twitter user and poet with more than 3,800 followers who goes by the handle of @LadyParadis.

Websites have also popped up collecting the best of Twitter Haiku -- known variously as Twaiku or TwiHaiku -- and many users take part weekly in what is called Haiku Thursday.

Basu, who works in the magazine industry, said he has been surprised at the reception his byte-sized stories have received. "Things that I couldn't have imagined," he said.

"Some people have been using my stories in classes -- English as a second language, creative writing," he said. "There's one guy who's translated a bunch of them into Portuguese. Another guy who's translated them into Italian."

"I did find an agent and we're trying to figure out what to do with this," Basu said. "Publishers are trying to wrap their heads around it. They're having a hard time with Twitter in general I think."

Basu said he had also been contacted by Filminute, the international film festival dedicated to the best one-minute films.

"They've been putting me in touch with some directors," he said. "My Twisters may become the source for some really short movies."

Basu said one of the most satisfying things about Twitter was that it was a "great connector."

"As a writer you get instant feedback which for a writer is like catnip," he said. "You get this feedback immediately after you've sent something out.

"It makes the whole process a lot less lonely in a way."

We watched Southern Star go up now we watch it come down

Cabins removed from troubled Southern Star wheel

June 16, 2009 - 10:59AM

The cabins on Melbourne's giant ferris wheel will be removed as work continues to fix structural problems. Photo: Sebastian Costanzo

The cabins on Melbourne's giant ferris wheel will be removed as work continues to fix structural problems caused by a heatwave.

The 120-metre high tourist attraction in the Docklands precinct closed in January after a three-day hot spell caused buckling and cracks in support structures.

It will take a couple of weeks to remove the 21 cabins that carry riders on the Southern Star wheel.

Work will then begin to disassemble the outer structure, including the rim and spokes, a Southern Star spokesman said.

The work is being carried out by the manufacturers of the Southern Star Japan's Sanoyas Hishino Meisho Corporation.

The wheel is expected to be out of commission for at least 12 months.

Old curios of Melbourne town

Hidden places' open day

June 15, 2009

A GHOSTLY librarian and small child are said to haunt the oldest part of the State Library of Victoria, Queens Hall.

The story is not so hard to believe considering the dust and cobwebs that have settled on its giant columns and ornate ceilings in the six years since it was closed to the public.

But visitors will be allowed to visit the 153-year-old hall for one day next month as part of Melbourne Open House Day.

On July 19, the curious can explore hidden corridors beneath Federation Square, the Gothic glamour of Collins Street's Manchester Unity building's boardroom and the concrete catacombs of Melbourne's first electricity substation.

The event, based on popular open days in New York and London, attracted 30,000 visits to eight of Melbourne's hidden places in its inaugural year last year.