Getting poor to use toilets 'a major health conundrum'

More than one billion people worldwide have no toilet and defecate outside, while some have to be shamed into changing their habits when presented with conveniences, a conference was told.

Humanitarian organizations have for decades tried various ways -- be it new systems, pumps or subsidies -- of getting people in developing countries to stop defecating outdoors due to the serious health risks concerned.

But despite their efforts, an estimated 1.2 billion people, primarily in Asia and Africa, still don't use toilets to defecate, a forum of experts meeting in Stockholm was told.

For many extremely poor people who are given toilets by aid groups, it becomes the most precious item they own and therefore they use it as a religious shrine or a dry place to store firewood, international development consultant Kamal Kar said.

"What's becoming quite apparent is that the way you actually have an impact on health, development and poverty alleviation is when people adopt certain behaviours," Clarissa Brocklehurst, the head of UNICEF's water, environment and sanitation programme, told AFP.

In recent years, experts have found that the best method has been to shame people into using some form of toilets, even the most primitive sort, to confine excreta.

"It's just a matter of getting them to understand that what is a long established habit is in fact harmful and that you can do something about it," said Brocklehurst, one of 2,500 experts meeting in Stockholm to discuss water and sanitation issues at World Water Week.

She cited the example of India, where 48 percent of the population, or some 665 million people, still practice "open defecation".

International Olympic Committee launches probe into He Kexin's age

The International Olympic Committee has ordered an investigation into mounting allegations that Chinese authorities covered up the true age of their gold-medal winning gymnastics star because she was too young to compete.

An IOC official told The Times that because of "discrepancies" that have come to light about the age of He Kexin, the host nation’s darling who won gold in both team and individual events, an official inquiry has been launched that could result in the gymnast being stripped of her medals.

The investigation was triggered as a US computer expert claimed yesterday to have uncovered Chinese government documents that he says prove she is only 14 - making her ineligible to compete in the Olympics - rather than 16, as officials in Beijing insist is her age.

The Burj Dubai Tower Nears Completion

Click on this blog entry title for some amazing photos!

Zimbabwe inflation hits 11,200,000 percent

Zimbabwe's inflation rate has soared in the past three months and is now at 11.2 million percent, the highest in the world, according to the country's Central Statistical Office.

Official figures dated Monday show inflation has surged from the rate of 2.2 million percent recorded in May, despite the government's price controls.

The country's finance minister confirmed the new figure in an interview but said the rising inflation rate was not confined to Zimbabwe alone.

"While our case has been aggravated by the illegal sanctions imposed by the Western powers, rising food prices are a world phenomenon because of the use of bio-fuel," said Samuel Mumbengegwi. "But we will continue to fight inflation by making sure that prices charged are realistic."

In February, the price of a loaf of bread in the country was less than 200,000 Zimbabwe dollars. On Monday, that same loaf of bread cost 1.6 trillion Zimbabwe dollars.

India's Caste System

I Need To Go And Practice!

China Goody

Being in China just one week before the kick off of the Olympics rubbed off on me, and I knew I needed to find some type of Olympic souvenir. Tee shirt? Finding my size in China would not be possible. Hat? I don't wear hats. Stuffed animal?... you get the point. On the way out of Hong Kong I came across some really nice coin sets. The top 2 photos show both sides of the "Birds's Nest" Commemorative Medallion. The last photo shows the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Mascots "Bring Dreams and Wishes to You"

Below are the Mascots names and cultural inspirations:

Name	Bèibei (贝贝)	Jīngjing (晶晶)
Gender	Female	Male
Picture
Cultural inspiration	Traditional Chinese New Year decorative picture of lotus and fish; fish design from Neolithic artifacts.	Giant panda; Song Dynasty lotus-shaped porcelain.
Olympic Ring	Blue	Black
Represented Element[5]	Sea	Forest
Actual Fengshui Element[6]	Water	Wood
Personality	Friendly, and a leader	Honest, optimistic
Represented ideal	Prosperity	Happiness
Represented sport	aquatic sports	weightlifting, judo, etc.
Notes	In traditional Chinese culture, the fish represents prosperity, as the character for fish (鱼 / 魚) sounds the same as that for surplus (余 / 餘). The "carp leaping over the dragon gate" is a traditional allegory of following one's dreams and achieving them. The patterns from Beibei's headgear comes from artifacts unearthed at Banpo, site of a Neolithic village of the Yangshao culture.	As an endangered species, the panda is both a national symbol of China and an international symbol of environmentalism. Jingjing's forest origins also symbolize the harmonious coexistence of humankind and nature.

Fuwa

Name	Huānhuan (欢欢)	Yíngying (迎迎)
Gender	Male	Male
Picture
Cultural inspiration	Olympic flame; Fire design from the Mogao Grottoes.	Tibetan antelope, Tibetan and Xinjiang ethnic costumes.
Olympic Ring	Red	Yellow/Orange
Represented Element[5]	Fire	Earth
Actual Fengshui Element[6]	Fire	Earth
Personality	Extrovert, enthusiastic	Lively, independent
Represented ideal	Passion	Health
Represented sport	ball sports	track and field
Notes	Huanhuan represents the passion of sports, the Olympic spirit of "faster, higher, stronger", and the passion of the Beijing Olympics. Huanhuan's headgear comes from a fire design in the Mogao Caves, the best known of the Chinese Buddhist grottoes.	The Tibetan antelope is an endangered species native to the Tibetan Plateau, known for its swiftness. Yingying's headgear incorporates elements of Tibetan and Xinjiang ethnic costumes.

Name	Nīni (妮妮)
Gender	Female
Picture
Cultural inspiration	Swift, a sort of swallow; Beijing's Sand Martin kite.
Olympic Ring	Green
Represented Element[5]	Sky
Actual Fengshui Element[6]	Metal
Personality	Justice, Kind
Represented ideal	Good fortune
Represented sport	gymnastics
Notes	The swallow is a messenger of spring and happiness in Chinese culture, and is seen as a symbol of good fortune. The Chinese character for swallow (燕) is also used in Yanjing (燕京), an old name for Beijing; thus the swallow alludes to Beijing. Nini's headgear uses the design of Beijing's Sand Martin kites, which are colourful cross-shaped kites modeled after swallows.

Vietnam Goody

While visiting the "Ship Place" in Ho Chi Minh I spotted this Mahogany car. Since Vietnam was one of the first destinations, I knew that what ever I bought would have to be hauled around, lugged onto planes, and survive a lot of bumping for the next 2 weeks. I decided that this fine hunk of wood stood the best chance of making it home in one piece.

Is Anyone Surprised?

Just nine months before the Beijing Olympics, the Chinese government's news agency, Xinhua, reported that gymnast He Kexin was 13, which would have made her ineligible to be on the team that won a gold medal this week.

In its report Nov. 3, Xinhua identified He as one of "10 big new stars" who made a splash at China's Cities Games. It gave her age as 13 and reported that she beat Yang Yilin on the uneven bars at those games. In the final, "this little girl" pulled off a difficult release move on the bars known as the Li Na, named for another Chinese gymnast, Xinhua said in the report, which appeared on one of its Web sites, www.hb.xinhuanet.com

The Associated Press found the Xinhua report on the site Thursday morning and saved a copy of the page. Later that afternoon, the Web site was still working but the page was no longer accessible. Sports editors at the state-run news agency would not comment for publication.

The Pill makes women pick bad mates

Birth control pills could screw up a woman's ability to sniff out a compatible mate, a new study finds.

While several factors can send a woman swooning, including big brains and brawn, body odor can be critical in the final decision, the researchers say. That's because beneath a woman's flowery fragrance or a guy's musk the body sends out aromatic molecules that indicate genetic compatibility.

Hungry? Eat A Rat

An official in the Indian state of Bihar has come up with a new idea to encourage low caste poor people to cope with food shortages - rat meat.

The Principal Secretary of the state's Welfare Department, Vijay Prakash, said that he was advancing his proposal after "much survey and ground work".

Bihar's extremely poor Musahar community are rat-eaters by tradition.

The Musahar are on the bottom strata of the caste system with the lowest literacy rate and per capita income.

Less than one percent of their 2.3 million population in Bihar is literate and 98% are landless

Ordinary People

Watch In High Quality <---- Click here to go to YouTube and then click on Watch In High Quality right under the video.

Check Your Printer... For Bugs

Opening Ceremony: The Pyrotechnics

Some great shots of last nights amazing show!

10 mispronunciations that make you sound stupid

Right or wrong, people often judge you by the way you pronounce things. Say a word incorrectly and POW — they’ve pegged you as a provincial, poorly educated moron. Toni Bowers offers a list of commonly mangled words so you can double-check your own pronunciation.