White is right?

“White is right” is the idea that mainstream White American culture is always right. It determines what is “normal” and acceptable and what is not. It is that by which everything else is judged. It is a narrow, racialized, racist ethnocentrism. Note: In this post, as in most posts on this blog, “white” means White American. If you could hear the heart of American culture beating, you would hear this:

white is right white is right white is right white is right It courses through every vein of the culture. It is the message that every American gets hit with, day after day after day. At school, on television, from the news, from friends, from family. It is like it is in the air or in the water. It is inescapable. It brainwashes. No matter what your colour. People are taught to be ashamed of their true selves if it does not fall within narrow white norms. So: White English becomes the most right. White women become the most beautiful. American society becomes the most just, a model for the whole world. The white account of history becomes the most true. Each of these should be laughable, but they are not. Side effects: white as “default” and “universal” the melting pot conformity among the white middle-class internalized racism among people of colour the white lens imperialism weaves The white belief that they have no culture The white belief that they are Basically Good The white belief that they are the good guys of history Angelina Jolie’s lips

Black women have had full, beautiful lips since forever, but the mainstream American culture saw them as big and ugly. But on Angelina Jolie, a white Hollywood actress, they became beautiful. Suddenly. Likewise, tanned skin was considered ugly till the late 1900s when it became prized among the white upper middle-class. Or: jazz and hip hop were dismissed as ghetto music, even by the black middle-class, till white people started liking it. Tanned skin did not change. Jazz music did not change. Big lips did not change. Just the White Seal of Approval. An idea that comes out of a white man’s mouth is taken way more seriously than anything a woman or person of colour says – even when he is just repeating what they said. Most Americans regard the Bible as the Word of God. But even that is judged by White American culture, not the other way round. While many do determinedly stick to their understanding of the Bible, others simply set their idea of right and wrong according to “what everyone does”. “Everyone” meaning Most White People. Because white is right. Righter than God. Even clear evils like genocide and slavery, which no one in their right mind would waste any breath defending, are excused and downplayed! Because otherwise it would become apparent that white is not always right, that in fact it can be wrong in extremely terrible ways.

James Holmes (1987- ) is an American mass murderer

The suspect: James Holmes, here pictured in June 2006 at Science Boot Camp (ABC News) Disclaimer: It is still early days. The facts presented here may change as we learn more. James Holmes (1987- ) is an American mass murderer. He shot 70 people, killing 12 in Aurora, Colorado on July 20th 2012 at the opening midnight showing of the new Batman film, “The Dark Knight Rises”. The crime: Holmes entered the packed cinema through a fire exit door that he left unlocked. He filled the place with gas making it hard for people to hide among the seats. He fired a shot in the air and then started firing at the audience. At first some thought it was part of the film, which features plenty of shooting. He would have killed far more if his gun did not jam. The fire alarm went off and people called the police. It took the police seven minutes to arrest him from the moment he started shooting. Scene of the crime: the Century 16 cinema in Aurora On Twitter iJesseWilliams observed: So they were able to apprehend the armed shooter w/out shooting, beating, tazing, sodomizing and/or killing him? … So it can be done … The police have yet to give a motive. Holmes had been laying the groundwork for months: he bought ammunition back in winter, the guns in spring. He is a huge Batman fan who seems have arranged the mass murder for the opening night of the film.

James Holmes’s picture from the University of Colorado, where he was working on his PhD in neuroscience till June 2012 The man: To understand Holmes properly you must view him through the white lens. Because white people see the world as it is, not as they wish it to be. From my “White Racist Guide to Black Crime”: When white people do something bad it is due to circumstances, a bad upbringing, a psychological disorder or something. Because, apart from a few bad apples, white people are Basically Good. Everyone knows it. But when black people do something bad it is because they were born that way. They try to put up this front of being good but given the right circumstances their true nature comes out. Sad but true. There you go: Holmes is white and therefore is just some sort of bad apple, probably has some psychological disorder or a bad upbringing. A troubled soul, not some violent, heartless animal with no conscience. Whatever it is, it is strictly about him – it says absolutely nothing about the true nature of white men: Not even if the massacre takes place 30.8 km away from another massacre by white males (Columbine, 1999), Not even if it takes place during a violent Hollywood film, Not even if it takes place on Dead Indian Land.

The main weapon: a Smith & Wesson M&P15 semi-automatic rifle And so the press has been heads-down dutifully combing through Holmes’s past and found that he has been seeing a psychiatrist! How great is that? High five! We are done here.

The most beautiful black woman in the world

Vilayna Lasalle is an American model. According to this blog she is the most beautiful black woman in the world famous enough to be in the Wikipedia, and the third most beautiful woman of any race. Only Elizabeth Taylor and Sophia Loren in their prime were better. She appears mainly in print advertising, swimsuit calendars and music videos.

She has also had bit parts in film and television. She plays for New York Euphoria in the Lingerie Bowl. She is black, Brazilian and Creole. She grew up in Killeen, Texas near the Fort Hood army base north of Austin. She was the youngest of five children and went to Ellison high school where she was in the marching band.

At 16 she started modelling in nearby fashion shows. Elite said she should go to New York or Los Angeles to model. She knew she wanted to be a model, but her mother did not want to move. Later, when she was old enough she went to California to become a model and an actress. Modelling is a dream come true for her. She loves it, especially travelling to new places and meeting interesting people. She just wishes she could keep the clothes they put on her! She would like to do high fashion modelling for top designers in Paris and Milan. Failing that she would like to go back to school and become a psychologist to help troubled children. She wants to become a singer, something she is working on. She is good, but it is a hard business to break into. When she is not working she likes to shop and shop, be with her friends, sing, write songs and poetry, exercise and do graphic design. She knows PhotoShop, Illustrator and even some Flash! She likes a man who is physically fit, dresses well, has self-confidence without being overbearing, has a sense of humour, is honest and down-to-earth and is even a bit geeky – because she is a little geeky too! She has a wide taste in music: from Korn and Coldplay to Janet Jackson and Sade to Mobb Deep. Her advice to young models: have faith in yourself, go at it with full force and do not give up! Get an agent and take good care of your appearance: picture quality these days is merciless. Vilayna: “Anyone who believes in themselves can create their own destiny.” She likes what Diderot once said: “Only passions, great passions, can elevate the soul to great things.”

Wedding Hairstyles Black Women

Clean Head (Bald) is the most common wedding hairstyle amongst the men and the most basic one also.

Afro Hairstyle (Black Hairstyle) complements the naturally curly haired people and suits them the most. They are also easy to maintain and don’t need much fuss over.

Hair Braiding is something which both men and women love to do and is a very commonly practiced Africa-American wedding hairstyle. Black braid hairstyles are only possible for a person who has long hair and for those who are ready to take the braid hairstyles and gaps between their hairs.

Braid hairstyles give you that different excellent look, and is something very popular especially for a wedding reception. This poses a special challenge with black hair, which is prone to dryness and damage from relentless styling.

Why do black women wear weaves?

Most of the hair loss suffered from black women has to do with styling the hair instead of hereditary or illness, like other races. Why do they wear these styles until the point of baldness.

A quick look at some of the curly hair weave hairstyles that you can mimic. African American Prom Hairstyles Long wavy prom hairstyle. Black Hairstyles 2011! While bad weaves are almost as common in the. Not all black women wear weaves.. I am not wearing a weave right now but I might be in the mood to change up my look this is the reason I do it. Just like you said you white women do for thickness etc. There is nothing wrong with wearing a weave. I know tons of white women who wear weaves actually I put in a few weaves for some white girls. These women also have problem with they real hair that won't grow because of all the damage that is being done to it. When white people asks questions like this it pisses me off because it seems like your trying to make it seem like white women are so perfect and things like hair damage does not happen to you guys. Please analyze your people before pointing the finger at us black women.

Men's Mohawk Hairstyle and What it Says About the Person. Mohawks can be. Photo of Chris Brown short black mohawk haircut for black men. Mohawk haircuts for men Little boys hairstyles - Mohawk haircuts

Can make sure your man is eating ‘good’ and that he’s always eating at your table

One of the greatest needs of all human beings is sex. For men, sex is like a food group and something we think about roughly every seven seconds. A sex-starved relationship is a nightmare for a man, and if you try to use sex as a weapon to control him, it will surely blow up in your face.

What is Ramadan?

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. Every day during this month, Muslims around the world spend the daylight hours in a complete fast.

Answer: During the blessed month of Ramadan, Muslims all over the world abstain from food, drink, and other physical needs during the daylight hours. As a time to purify the soul, refocus attention on God,

and practice self-sacrifice, Ramadan is much more than just not eating and drinking. Muslims are called upon to use this month to re-evaluate their lives in light of Islamic guidance. We are to make peace with those who have wronged us, strengthen ties with family and friends, do away with bad habits -- essentially to clean up our lives, our thoughts, and our feelings. The Arabic word for "fasting" (sawm) literally means "to refrain" - and it means not only refraining from food and drink, but from evil actions, thoughts, and words. During Ramadan, every part of the body must be restrained. The tongue must be restrained from backbiting and gossip. The eyes must restrain themselves from looking at unlawful things. The hand must not touch or take anything that does not belong to it. The ears must refrain from listening to idle talk or obscene words. The feet must refrain from going to sinful places. In such a way, every part of the body observes the fast. Therefore, fasting is not merely physical, but is rather the total commitment of the person's body and soul to the spirit of the fast. Ramadan is a time to practice self-restraint; a time to cleanse the body and soul from impurities and re-focus one's self on the worship of God.

No kettlebell, no problem!

No kettlebell, no problem! Most kettlebell exercises are specialized to effectively move strictly with a kettlebell. However, there are three exercises in which you can substitute a dumbbell for a kettlebell. Halo The halo is a dynamic warmup used to improve shoulder mobility and stabilize the core. Stretching the shoulder girdle in all ranges of motion helps you identify where there's tightness or weakness. Start with this before performing overhead movements. Use a weighted plate for this exercise as it will provide better control. Weight plates are the width of a dumbbell, but flat and hexagonally shaped. With a firm grip, circle the plate around your head. Start with a shallow encirclement, increasing the stretch with each round by lowering the plate closer to your shoulders. Feel a stretch in your triceps, rotator cuffs and lats. Perform the exercise in both directions.

Lose weight, gain muscle, and improve your cholesterol?

There is a super-food that’s been linked to all of these benefits: Eggs. The only problem? Unless you have a limitless appetite for omelets and scrambles, there seems to be a limited number of ways to incorporate this protein-packed power food into your diet. So we reached out to nutrition and food experts and found 20 tasty and creative ways to enjoy the incredible, edible egg.

Walking is a simple, safe way to exercise

Walking is a simple, safe way to exercise and an easy gateway exercise for those who would like to exercise more, but don't know where to begin. According to the Texas AgriLife Extension, walking lowers blood pressure and bad cholesterol levels and raises "good" cholesterol, while helping you to manage your weight and stay strong, fit and think positively. While adding hand weights to an established routine seems logical, there are unforeseen health consequences, and more sensible alternatives. Why Use Hand Weights? Many people incorporate hand weights into their walking workout under the assumption that it will burn more calories and tone their arms at the same time. The idea is that carrying weights while you swing your arms will create enough resistance to tone the muscles in your arms while your legs are toned through walking. Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/453259-the-use-of-hand-weights-while-walking/#ixzzG3n7WKUmL

A true understatement of parenting is saying there is an importance of a children's routine

A true understatement of parenting is saying there is an importance of a children's routine. Routine establishes so many aspects of healthy living, good habits and good behavior that even the slightest structure is necessary in day-to-day life. Really, kids need and even desire routine – even if they don’t know it – and there are plenty of ways to get them going by building a schedule that works for the whole family. There are many positive side effects for establishing strong routines for kids. Kids don’t have a lot of control in their lives and it can give them a sense of organization, stability and comfort. That, in turn, should help develop better behavior and some sense of personal control – always a challenge, especially with young kids.

Doing things like bathing and brushing teeth as part of morning or nighttime routines can help establish good personal hygiene and health habits. Having built in chore time somewhere in the week or day, having them help pick up at the end of dinner or tidy up the house at the end of a day of playing establishes responsibility and work ethic. The list can go on regarding how one aspect of routine can affect another and lead to more positives. Morning

Getting up and going can be hard whether young or old, kid or parent, in school or not. Maybe morning is harder on the stay-at-home dad than child or vise versa. No matter how getting started in the morning goes for a family, getting a solid routine established right off the bat means an easier flow to the day. Sticking to a similar wake-up call could mean all the difference between having a good day and having a bad one. Think about it, even if it’s obvious, if the kids are used to waking up at 7:30 and for some reason rise an hour earlier or later you now need to figure out how to add an hour to the day or squeeze in a day’s worth of routine in 60 less minutes. The tone of the day can be messed up. The implications are worse if the kids are in school or there is something taking place that morning. Having a solid morning ritual will maintain a good stress level for everyone. So whatever the process is, getting up, getting dressed, hygiene maintenance then off to the breakfast table, there is only one chance to get off to a good start. Mealtime When it’s time to eat is a perfect time to establish good habits. Eating habits, specifically. Always eat breakfast, and a good one. Lunch and dinner are more of a given, but set times and structure for kids so there are no surprises and length between eating isn’t so great that hunger takes over the family. That can lead to crabbiness or impulse snacking and dinner wrecking. Set standards for when snacking takes place and what kinds of foods are eaten. Don’t indulge in food whenever a child wants something. The results should equal good eating and eating habits. Mealtime is also a good time to instill family into the kids. Always try to find time to sit down together, preferably at a table, to talk and eat. Additionally, have kids help get dinner started, set the table and clean up afterward to plant a bit of responsibility. Sleep Getting kids to sleep, whether it is for a nap or for the night, is one of the greatest challenges for parents. Those kiddos always think they are missing something if they have to shut their eyes, plus there is so much more fun to be had running around rather than lying down. Obviously, children who aren’t well rested can throw a wrench in any lifestyle. Sticking to a solid sleep schedule may be one of the most important aspects of routine. Sticking to the same times and the same aspects will make this so ingrained that less fighting and whining will take place and hopefully better sleep will result. For bedtime, brushing teeth, going to the bathroom, taking a bath, reading a story and finally lights out can be comforting and rewarding for the kids. They know what the next step is and what the expected end result will be. Stray from whatever ritual you use and getting those lights off and eyes closed becomes more of a challenge. For younger kids needing naps, timing may be everything. Try for a nap too early and they may fight the entire time and never get to sleep. Go too long and they may be over tired, leading to more restlessness. Little things before a nap may help in the same ways as going down for the night – stories, tucking in, changing diapers, etc. Some flexibility may be OK around sleep times if special activities or events are going on, but a good sleep routine can keep a family sane. Play

One area for stay-at-home dads and their kids that can, and maybe should, be flexible is fun activities. Changing things up can keep life fresh and interesting. As long as everyone knows there is activity built in to the day, there will be something looked forward to. No matter how the basic daily structure is set up, there always will be

time for activity. A little planning can go a long way, trying last-second ideas to fill the schedule also can lead to stress. For older kids with sport practices or extra curricular activities there isn’t much of a choice in having the time set aside. And that requires a whole new level of planning to make sure all the needs of the kids and the rest of the family remain being met. Morning or afternoon, ahead of naps or after meals, there needs to be time for fun. Everyone needs the release, and it could make things feel a little less structured, too.

Navigating the 'Isles of Wonder': A guide to the Olympic opening ceremony

Hundreds of millions around the world have been dazzled by the sights and sounds of director Danny Boyle's opening ceremony for the London 2012 Olympic Games

The four-hour, £27 million ($42.4 million) spectacle contained references to such globally-recognized British icons such as James Bond, David Bowie and Harry Potter's Lord Voldemort. But with the production tossing out historical and cultural references at a rapid rate, even the most ardent Anglophiles in the audience may have felt some allusions whiz over their head like an airborne nanny. The Oscar-winning director of "Slumdog Millionaire" says the ceremony, titled "Isles of Wonder," was inspired by a passage in Shakespeare's The Tempest, believed to have been written in 1610 and set on a remote, magical island. Although that phrase itself appears nowhere in the play, the character Caliban refers to his home as an isle "full of noises, sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not." The line encapsulates the vision fellow film director Stephen Daldry, the ceremony's creative director, says the production sought to represent, in capturing "the rich heritage, diversity, energy, inventiveness, wit and creativity that truly defines the British Isles." Be not afeard. The isle is full of noises, sounds and sweet airs that give delight and hurt not Caliban, the deformed native of Shakespeare's The Tempest, speaks the line that is said to have inspired the opening ceremony The ceremony opened with a scene inspired by the work of another English literary genius, the Romantic visionary poet and painter William Blake: Specifically, the preface to his epic "Milton a Poem" -- "And did those feet in ancient time," better known as "Jerusalem."

Written in 1804, the poem was set to music in 1916 by Sir Hubert Parry, and sung to bolster flagging spirits during the war years. With its lyric describing the establishment of a new Jerusalem in England, it has become England's most recognized patriotic song, sung as a religious hymn and a de facto national anthem at many sporting events. No less than three phrases from its 16 lines -- "green & pleasant land," "dark satanic mills" and a "chariot of fire" -- have entered the national lexicon, and were referenced within the ceremony. The first provided the theme for the opening scene, which presented a vision of England as a pre-industrial rural idyll -- the type of bucolic setting in which J. R. R. Tolkien's Hobbits made their home. Animals gambolled, workers tended the fields while a game of cricket took place on a village green, complete with a maypole -- a traditional focal point for community celebrations in British village life. In one area of the stadium was a mound resembling Glastonbury Tor, an historically significant hill in Somerset identified with King Arthur. The hill carries a link to the Jerusalem theme, as Blake's poem is inspired by the "Glastonbury Legend" -- an apocryphal story that one of Jesus' relatives, Joseph of Arimathea, had visited Glastonbury and taken Jesus there as a boy. Glastonbury also has a more contemporary significance as the home of the UK's most famous music festival. It was he who put me up to the little thing I did for the hospital J.M. Barrie, author of 'Peter Pan,' on his fictional creation's role in encouraging him to donate the proceeds from the work to London's Great Ormond Street Hospital Enter the "dark satanic mills" of the industrial revolution, which began in the UK in the middle of the 18th century and swept throughout the rest of the world, transforming society and laying the foundations of the modern world in its wake. Featured in the ceremony were representations of looms for manufacturing textiles and iron-making processes which played a key role in the revolution. The next, dreamlike sequence celebrated one of Britain's most beloved institutions, the National Health Service, while playing on its link to another celebrated icon. Founded in 1948, the NHS provides free healthcare, and has become the fifth largest employer in the world, with 1.7 million staff. Many Britons are fiercely proud of the service and have fought to defend it from successive waves of reforms. The NHS was represented here by several wards' worth of nurses pushing hospital beds, which were used as trampolines by children before being arranged to spell out the word: "Gosh." Coming in close proximity to a recitation from J.M. Barrie's children's classic Peter Pan -- "When you play at it by day with the chairs and table-cloth, it is not in the least alarming, but in the two minutes before you go to sleep it becomes very real" -- this was a clear reference to Great Ormond Street Hospital, a London children's hospital closely associated with that book. In 1929, Barrie gifted all the rights from the work to the hospital, claiming that Peter Pan himself had been a patient there, and that "it was he who put me up to the little thing I did for the hospital." Apparently a lady rang the BBC and said she heard that there was a hurricane on the way. Well, don't worry, if you're watching, there isn't The line weatherman Michael Fish is said to have uttered during a forecast before deadliest storm to hit Britain in decades Peter Pan was not the only children's literary character to feature in the segment, as a shower of Mary Poppinses -- the magical English nanny who was the heroine of P. L. Travers' book series -- blew in from above, to do battle with a towering character who resembled Lord Voldemort, the main villain of J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter books (Rowling herself also appeared in the ceremony). The heroes didn't all hail from the world of books. At one point a Mini appeared -- the classic two-door economy car first manufactured by the British Motor Corporation in 1959. The next narrative segment was more modern and raucous, featuring a house party crashed by a horde of social networking teens. The attention also shifted to Britain's rich lineage of musical stars: Queen, David Bowie, the Sex Pistols, New Order and the Eurythmics, among many others. The ceremony also made great play of the two great, inescapable constants of British life -- the weather, and the dry national humor. At one point in the proceedings, as a "storm cloud" broke and threatened to jeopardize the celebrations on stage, an audio clip familiar to many Britons was played. It contained the immortal words of veteran television weatherman Michael Fish, best remembered for allegedly saying, hours before a killer 1987 storm: "Apparently a lady rang the BBC and said she heard that there was a hurricane on the way. Well, don't worry, if you're watching, there isn't." In recent years, Fish has been at pains to point out that the British public has misremembered his role in the affair, saying he wasn't working that day and that his infamous quote was actually made in relation to another storm. On any other day, he might resent the matter being revisited. But tonight he will surely manage a laugh at the unlikely way the bane of his career has placed him at center stage, in celebrated company, at Britain's biggest party.

The Oscar-winning director of "Slumdog Millionaire" says the ceremony, titled "Isles of Wonder," was inspired by a passage in Shakespeare's The Tempest, believed to have been written in 1610 and set on a remote, magical island. Although that phrase itself appears nowhere in the play, the character Caliban refers to his home as an isle "full of noises, sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not." The line encapsulates the vision fellow film director Stephen Daldry, the ceremony's creative director, says the production sought to represent, in capturing "the rich heritage, diversity, energy, inventiveness, wit and creativity that truly defines the British Isles." Be not afeard. The isle is full of noises, sounds and sweet airs that give delight and hurt not Caliban, the deformed native of Shakespeare's The Tempest, speaks the line that is said to have inspired the opening ceremony The ceremony opened with a scene inspired by the work of another English literary genius, the Romantic visionary poet and painter William Blake: Specifically, the preface to his epic "Milton a Poem" -- "And did those feet in ancient time," better known as "Jerusalem." Written in 1804, the poem was set to music in 1916 by Sir Hubert Parry, and sung to bolster flagging spirits during the war years. With its lyric describing the establishment of a new Jerusalem in England, it has become England's most recognized patriotic song, sung as a religious hymn and a de facto national anthem at many sporting events. No less than three phrases from its 16 lines -- "green & pleasant land," "dark satanic mills" and a "chariot of fire" -- have entered the national lexicon, and were referenced within the ceremony. The first provided the theme for the opening scene, which presented a vision of England as a pre-industrial rural idyll -- the type of bucolic setting in which J. R. R. Tolkien's Hobbits made their home. Animals gambolled, workers tended the fields while a game of cricket took place on a village green, complete with a maypole -- a traditional focal point for community celebrations in British village life. In one area of the stadium was a mound resembling Glastonbury Tor, an historically significant hill in Somerset identified with King Arthur. The hill carries a link to the Jerusalem theme, as Blake's poem is inspired by the "Glastonbury Legend" -- an apocryphal story that one of Jesus' relatives, Joseph of Arimathea, had visited Glastonbury and taken Jesus there as a boy. Glastonbury also has a more contemporary significance as the home of the UK's most famous music festival. It was he who put me up to the little thing I did for the hospital J.M. Barrie, author of 'Peter Pan,' on his fictional creation's role in encouraging him to donate the proceeds from the work to London's Great Ormond Street Hospital Enter the "dark satanic mills" of the industrial revolution, which began in the UK in the middle of the 18th century and swept throughout the rest of the world, transforming society and laying the foundations of the modern world in its wake. Featured in the ceremony were representations of looms for manufacturing textiles and iron-making processes which played a key role in the revolution. The next, dreamlike sequence celebrated one of Britain's most beloved institutions, the National Health Service, while playing on its link to another celebrated icon. Founded in 1948, the NHS provides free healthcare, and has become the fifth largest employer in the world, with 1.7 million staff. Many Britons are fiercely proud of the service and have fought to defend it from successive waves of reforms. The NHS was represented here by several wards' worth of nurses pushing hospital beds, which were used as trampolines by children before being arranged to spell out the word: "Gosh." Coming in close proximity to a recitation from J.M. Barrie's children's classic Peter Pan -- "When you play at it by day with the chairs and table-cloth, it is not in the least alarming, but in the two minutes before you go to sleep it becomes very real" -- this was a clear reference to Great Ormond Street Hospital, a London children's hospital closely associated with that book. In 1929, Barrie gifted all the rights from the work to the hospital, claiming that Peter Pan himself had been a patient there, and that "it was he who put me up to the little thing I did for the hospital." Apparently a lady rang the BBC and said she heard that there was a hurricane on the way. Well, don't worry, if you're watching, there isn't The line weatherman Michael Fish is said to have uttered during a forecast before deadliest storm to hit Britain in decades Peter Pan was not the only children's literary character to feature in the segment, as a shower of Mary Poppinses -- the magical English nanny who was the heroine of P. L. Travers' book series -- blew in from above, to do battle with a towering character who resembled Lord Voldemort, the main villain of J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter books (Rowling herself also appeared in the ceremony). The heroes didn't all hail from the world of books. At one point a Mini appeared -- the classic two-door economy car first manufactured by the British Motor Corporation in 1959. The next narrative segment was more modern and raucous, featuring a house party crashed by a horde of social networking teens. The attention also shifted to Britain's rich lineage of musical stars: Queen, David Bowie, the Sex Pistols, New Order and the Eurythmics, among many others. The ceremony also made great play of the two great, inescapable constants of British life -- the weather, and the dry national humor. At one point in the proceedings, as a "storm cloud" broke and threatened to jeopardize the celebrations on stage, an audio clip familiar to many Britons was played. It contained the immortal words of veteran television weatherman Michael Fish, best remembered for allegedly saying, hours before a killer 1987 storm: "Apparently a lady rang the BBC and said she heard that there was a hurricane on the way. Well, don't worry, if you're watching, there isn't." In recent years, Fish has been at pains to point out that the British public has misremembered his role in the affair, saying he wasn't working that day and that his infamous quote was actually made in relation to another storm. On any other day, he might resent the matter being revisited. But tonight he will surely manage a laugh at the unlikely way the bane of his career has placed him at center stage, in celebrated company, at Britain's biggest party.

The battle for the Libyan capital, a group of fighters have a new battlefield: Syria.

Tripoli, Libya - Their war for freedom in Libya may be over, but almost a year after they won the battle for the Libyan capital, a group of fighters have a new battlefield: Syria.

Under the command of one of Libya's most well known rebel commanders, Al-Mahdi al-Harati, more than 30 Libyan fighters have made their way into Syria to support the Free Syrian Army rebels in their war against President Bashar al-Assad's regime. Al-Harati, who commanded the Tripoli Revolutionary brigade -- which was the first group of rebels to enter the Libyan capital last August -- has been in Syria for months leading some of his former men and Syrian military defectors who have joined his "Liwaa al-Umma" or "The Banner of the Nation" brigade. Recent YouTube videos show at least two different Syrian rebel factions announcing that they are part of the Liwa al-Umma. Heavy fighting in Syrian city of Aleppo Al-Harati, who has dual Libyan and Irish citizenship, first visited Syria last year on what he calls a "fact finding mission" to see the situation on the ground and find out what Syrian rebels needed. "After many Syrians approached me asking for my help, I felt it was time to do more and due to the great success of the Tripoli Brigade we felt it was time to act and that meant the formation of the Banner of the Nation," Al-Harati told CNN in Skype messages this week. Al-Harati said: "With the prior success in Libya I decided to leave nationality aside and, just like world organizations helped Libya in its time of need, I decided to pass my experience to others to benefit."

Mohammed, who fought with Libyans rebels, is now heading to Syria to join opposition forces. Mohammed, who fought with Libyans rebels, is now heading to Syria to join opposition forces. In the past week, at least three more former members of the Tripoli Revolutionary Brigade traveled from the Libyan capital to join their former commander in Syria, two former members of the TRB says. Al-Harati, who describes himself as a "commander and facilitator" says there were no active efforts to recruit Libyans. "These are grown men with their own minds and do not need convincing about this cause," Al-Harati said. Mohammed, 23, fought in some of the fiercest battles against Moammar Gadhafi's troops in Libya's Western Mountains. One year on, he dreams of fighting al-Assad's troops. He does not want his last name disclosed because he does not want his family to know he wants to go to Syria. "What Bashar al-Assad is doing is unacceptable in Islam ... He is killing children and wiping out entire cities ... The Syrians need people to fight with them, this is Jihad, it does not have to be my (personal) cause ... As a Muslim I have to go and help them," he said. Mohammed smiles as he recalls the fighting in Libya last year, like now he says, it was during the Holy Month of Ramadan. Syrian rebels appear more capable, yet still outgunned Syrian rebels show off weapons Rastan: Shattered city in Syria Troops converge on Aleppo "There is nothing better than Jihad during Ramadan ... There are some people who look at us and say we are Jihadist extremists, we are not. In Libya we experienced Jihad, tasted the beauty of Jihad. We are not going to Jihad like al-Qaeda and others. We are going to support our brothers in Syria," he said. Another fighter is Housam Najjair. He is 33, al-Harati's brother-in-law, and had never used a weapon until he fought in Libya last year. He said: "When I watch TV reports ... you hear the cries of an old woman or a mother of a child who has been killed, or some of the brutal pictures that we have seen of children being killed ... I can not sit back and watch that," Najjair told CNN in a Skype interview from one of Turkey's borders with Syria hours before making the dangerous journey into Syria. "I have to do whatever I can to make that journey. Because I feel guilty putting my head down at nighttime knowing that last year I was given an amazing opportunity to learn how to use weapons, for good, all for good, learn how to use weapons, how to maneuver, how to travel, how to attack, how to defend, all these things," Najjair said, adding that his aim is to share these experiences with Syrian rebels. During the interview, Najjair got the phone call he had been waiting for, his group of fighters is mobilizing to go into Syria. "It is a rollercoaster of different kinds of emotions, you get excited, you get adrenalin, fear, anticipation, all these feelings come into it, fear is not the main factor and in my mind will never be ... it will impair your judgment ... Libya was a walk in the park compared to Syria, I know this going in there," Najjair said as he prepared to leave. Najjair says the no-fly zone enforced in Libya last year helped rebel fighters and allowed them to make great advances. Without that in Syria, operating will be much harder. He says they do not have a military base, there are makeshift barracks; they are constantly on the move and cannot spend more than a day in one location. Fighters, he says, are scattered across different areas. A Syrian town's 'Street of Death' Last month, a senior Libyan security official told CNN the government was aware of Libyans fighting in Syria, but they were individuals and not government sponsored. Earlier this year, Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, accused Libya of hosting and training Syrian rebels. A claim denied by the Libyan prime minister. But Libya's government and people have been vocal in their support for the Syrian opposition. Libya was one of the first countries to recognize the opposition Syrian National Council as the legitimate representatives of the Syrian people and in February, Tripoli expelled Assad's diplomats and closed down their embassy. Many in Libya say they relate to Syrians who want to overthrow the regime. It was not too long ago that they lived a similar experience. But not everyone chooses to express support militarily. Some show solidarity by hanging the Syrian opposition flag outside their shops in Tripoli, flying alongside the Free Libya flag. In a YouTube video posted on July 4, a group of six Libyan doctors is seen being greeted by Free Syrian Army troops as they enter Syria. "We are coming for you Bashar," says one of the doctors as they shake hands with the heavily armed Syrian fighters. There are no official figures on how many Libyans are currently in Syria. In February, reports of at least four Libyan fighters killed in Syria circulated, but there has been no government confirmation. For fighters like Najjair, the risk of death is a matter of faith. He said: "You have to have faith and you have to say to yourself, "if it's my time, I will be gone. If it's not my time it will be another amazing journey another amazing victory."" Faces of the Free Syrian Army (CNN)

In Zambia, bicycles are grown from the ground.

Making the most of the southern African country's bamboo plants, two Americans and two Zambians have set up a company that is crafting high-end, lightweight bicycles with frames made out of the locally-grown wooden weed.

Dubbed Zambikes, the company is putting its custom-built Zambian bikes on roads around the world, offering pedal enthusiasts a unique ride while helping to empower local communities back home. "It's a plus to have a product that is grown in Africa, made in Africa and exported to everywhere else in the world," says Zambikes co-founder Mwewa Chikamba. "It's rare that we have such incentives coming through -- mostly we are importing stuff from the rest of the world." Eye-catching, super light and extremely durable, bamboo bicycles have gained traction in recent years, becoming a popular alternative to traditional steel or aluminium bikes. The material, one of nature's fastest growing resources, has great shock absorbing abilities that contribute to a smooth and eco-friendly ride. "It's a green project and we are encouraging other entities and industries to look at ways and means of bringing down the levels of pollution," says Lusaka-born Chikamba, 43. "We produce it in a manner that is pollution-free and isn't by any chance devastating to the global warming issues." Read more: Rise of the 'repats' The idea for Zambikes first surfaced in 2004 when two young Americans, Vaughn Spethmann and Dustin McBride, visited Zambia on a six-week university field trip. The two college friends were impressed by the hospitality of Zambians but also witnessed first-hand the economic hardship that many of the country's people were suffering. "We noticed that unemployment was well over 60%," says 27-year-old Spethmann. "Everybody we talked to didn't have jobs or couldn't find jobs and when we looked around nobody had decent bicycles." Spethmann and McBride decided to return to Zambia straight after their graduation. They teamed up with Chikamba and fellow Zambian Gershom Sikaala and together they set the Zambikes operation in motion in July 2007. So far, the company, which employs some 40 people, has produced about 500 hand-made bamboo frames, but this year alone it expects to crank out another 450. With a price tag of around $900, the company's bamboo bikes are primarily aimed at the international market, with countries such as Japan, Singapore, Germany, Brazil, Finland and the United States driving demand. But from planting the bamboo in the Zambian forests to shipping the bicycles to the concrete urban jungles across the world, the process of manufacturing the bikes is far from an easy task. Spethmann says the bamboo is chosen carefully for its quality and thickness. It is then cut and treated before being dried and placed in a jig. The frame is then joined with glue and wrapped in natural fibers and affixed to its conventional metal components. "It is quite labor intensive -- each frame takes between 40 and 60 man hours to make," says Spethmann. "Every piece of bamboo is having different colors, different bend, so every frame is unique." Read more: Africa's daily commuting grind As well as their bamboo bikes, Zambikes is also making steel bicycles to cater to the local market's needs for cheap transport, having so far produced about 10,000 of them. It is also producing spare parts and cargo carts as well as bicycle ambulances that are designed to easily transport patients or pregnant women from their homes to a health center. "In rural areas where there's no roads, no fuel, nothing, these bicycle ambulances that are very low maintenance allow these people to be ferried to the clinic," says Spethmann, noting that the company has so far, distributed over 900 "zambulances." Running such a business in Zambia, however, is not without challenges. Notwithstanding difficulties such as huge transportation costs, high import rates, currency fluctuations and bureaucracy, Zambikes' founders say that attracting capable staff has been hard at times. "Finding good workforce has been challenging," admits Spethmann, "but that's one of the reasons that we came in Zambia," he adds. "We saw a need and we saw people that needed opportunities, so on one hand this is a challenge but on the other hand we are happy to help." More than just a business, the company says its mission is to save lives and develop efficient and affordable transport solutions in a country where most people live on $2 a day -- Zambia ranks a gloomy 164 out of 187 on the 2011 Human Development Index by the United Nations Development Program. Viewing social business growth as a sustainable answer to the country's economic woes, Zambikes founders say the want to benefit local communities by providing employment and skills training to the "uneducated and underprivileged." "The main goal we have is firstly to make the most vulnerable Zambians realize that they have an equal opportunity in life to excel, to move from where they are to the next point and begin to grow into what they are meant to be," says Chikamba. The company is also offering additional business training and interest-free loans to its staff as part of its commitment on community development. "Much more than just a project, the incentive we get is seeing someone on a Zambike and enabling him to do or acquire whatever he is purposed to -- that is a great reward," says Chikamba. (CNN)

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Muslim Olympians wrestle with Ramadan dilemma

London (CNN)– Olympic judo competitor Hemeed Al Drie plans to sin during the Games in London, he admits with a grin. "God is merciful and compassionate, even when our sins are many," said Al Drie, kneeling on a mat while martial artists hurled each other to the floor around him.

Al Drie's sin isn't what you might expect. It's that he is planning to eat and drink while the sun is up during the Olympics, even thought the Games fall smack in the middle of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Observant Muslims are supposed to fast during Ramadan, abstaining from all food and drink, even water, during daylight hours, then eating and drinking after sundown. Fasting for the month is a major religious obligation, one of the Five Pillars of Islam.

But Al Drie, 19, knows that fasting on days when he has up to six judo matches against the world's best competitors would doom his chances of winning. "If you don't eat and you enter a competition, you might faint," he said. That would lead to instant elimination. So Al Drie is going to stick to his normal competition diet. CNN's Belief Blog: The faith angles behind the big stories "Maybe some people will fast, and that's good for them. But for me, I can't risk losing any of my matches," he said.

Al Drie, who is from the United Arab Emirates, isn't alone in facing the Ramadan dilemma. It's not clear exactly how many Muslim athletes are competing in the Olympics this year, but more than one in five people around the world - about 23% - is Muslim, according to estimates by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. Religious experts in Saudi Arabia determine the starting date of Ramadan each year based on the phase of the moon. Muslim athletes face a particular challenge because there are so many hours of daylight in London during the Games, says sports nutritionist Hala Barghout. "It's a 17-hour fast in London. It's not like here in the Middle East," said Barghout, from the United Arab Emirates. It is "physically impossible" for a world-class athlete to stuff as much food as they need into their body during the seven hours of darkness that remain, she said. "How much can a person eat in one meal? You can't have, say, 3,000 or 4,000 calories in one meal. You need time to digest," she said. Three thousand calories is the amount that the U.S. government recommends that an active man in his 20s eat in an entire day. Explain it to me: Ramadan But one of the leading Islamic religious leaders in the Middle East says Muslims competing in the Olympics should observe the daytime fast, regardless of how it affects their performance. "Playing sports is not a requirement in Islam. Players become athletes by choice. This optional activity, therefore, does not allow athletes to break their fast," said Ahmed Abdul Aziz Al Haddad, the grand mufti of Dubai. Muslim athletes must also observe the fast because they are representing Islam at the Olympics, Al Haddad said. "They must be ambassadors of their faith," he said. "Meaning that Islam must be present in their actions, and they do not fall into anything that Islam forbids." How Olympic athletes rose from the Arab Spring Competitors may eat or drink if fasting is threatening their health, he said. "If a person feels extreme fatigue, sharia allows him to break his fast. Sharia is flexible," he said, using the Arabic word for Islamic law. "But to immediately break your fast without being hungry or thirsty is the same as submitting to your cravings and lusts, and not putting God's desire before your own," the religious scholar argued. Not all Muslim authorities agree with Al Haddad.

British Olympic rower Moe - for Mohamed - Sbihi has discussed the problem with his imam, and decided not to fast during the Games. He plans to feed 1,800 hungry people in Morocco after the Games as compensation for not fasting during the holy month, and will observe a fast later. "It was a hard decision for me to make," said Sbihi, who was born in Britain to an English mother and Moroccan father. "When I first started rowing as a youngster, I said that I'd be fasting regardless," he said. But over time he changed his mind. He did his university dissertation on fasting in sports, and consulted family, friends and coaches in Morocco and Britain before making his decision, he said.

British rower Mohamed 'Mo' Sbihi. "In the end it felt like I was making the right decision for me, and that's to postpone my fast, to make it up at a later date," he said. Sbihi has been considering the Ramadan dilemma for years, since it became clear that the 2012 Games would fall during the holy month. They usually don't. The Muslim calendar follows the moon, so Ramadan falls during different seasons in different years. Members of the London committee organizing the Games this year noted it was not their decision to hold them during Ramadan - the International Olympic Committee sets the date. The IOC pointed out that the Games "bring together virtually every religion and creed. ... How to deal with religious practices is up to each athlete and his/her personal beliefs." Sandrine Tonge, a spokeswoman for the IOC, said different countries and individuals deal with the question differently. "Some countries, like Egypt, for example, issue fatwas exempting athletes from the need to fast when competing," she said, using the Arabic word for a Muslim religious ruling. "At the end, religious practice is a matter for individual conscience." Interactive: The evolving Olympic athlete The London organizers pointed out that major international sports events have taken place during Ramadan before, including the Singapore Youth Olympic Games in 2010.

Dining facilities in the Olympic Village will be open 24 hours a day, and athletes observing Ramadan will be able to order "break-of-fast packs that will include water, nutritional bars and fruit," the organizing committee says. Even with those provisions in place, and with the Games beginning in just days, Khadijah Fahed Mohammed hasn't decided whether she will fast.

The 17-year-old weightlifter is the first woman from the United Arab Emirates ever to qualify for the Games. Her nutritionist has put together a plan for her to consume 5,000 calories a day - more than twice as much as an active woman her age should normally eat, according the U.S. guidelines. Follow the CNN Belief Blog on Twitter She's torn between her obligation to fast and her desire to win. "Both are important to me. Fasting is a must," she said, even as she recognizes the importance of her first time in the Olympics. "This is our chance. Ramadan just happened to be at the same time as the competition, so no one knows what to do. Should we fast or not?" she asked. Her coach says she should. "Many competitions have taken place during Ramadan," said Nagwan El-Zawawi. "I am not convinced you can break your fast. I mean, fasting is a must. There are no excuses." But judo competitor Al Drie doesn't believe that.

"God is with me wherever I go, whether I fast or not," he insisted. "The most important thing is to have faith in God and give it your best and thank God, whether you win or lose."

UK and the Netherlands withhold Rwanda budget aid

The UK and the Netherlands have joined the US in withholding aid to Rwanda over its alleged backing of rebels in Democratic Republic of Congo. The UK government said it was delaying £16m ($25m) in budget support due this month while it considered whether aid conditions had been met. Rwanda again rejected allegations in a UN report that it was supporting the M23 movement rebels in DR Congo. Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo

told the BBC it was "one sided". The rebels mutinied from the Congolese army in April and some 200,000 people have fled their homes as a result of fighting. News of the further aid suspensions came as a senior UN official told the BBC that defecting Congolese rebels have confirmed that they were recruited in Rwanda. On Thursday, the UN reported that its forces helped the Congolese army push the rebels out of two towns north of Goma using helicopter gunships and armoured vehicle.

Eastern DR Congo has been plagued by fighting since 1994, when more than a million ethnic Hutus crossed the border into DR Congo following the Rwandan genocide, in which some 800,000 people - mostly Tutsis - died.

Rwanda has twice invaded its much larger neighbour, saying it was trying to take action against Hutu rebels based in DR Congo. Uganda also sent troops into DR Congo during the 1997-2003 conflict. 'Non-existent evidence'

The brief UK announcement emerged after the Dutch foreign ministry confirmed it would no longer be making payments worth $6.15m (£3.9m) to Rwanda's aid budget until it had received reassurances from Kigali. The Dutch money was being used to improve the country's judicial system - Dutch support for non-governmental organisations will continue. The BBC's Anna Holligan in The Hague says the Dutch government is still awaiting a response from Rwanda and is in the process of talking to other European government about possible further action. The UK government said its general budget support payment was being delayed while the government reviewed whether the expectations associated with the strict partnership principles surrounding the disbursement of aid are being met. Total UK aid to Rwanda in the year 2012-13 is projected to be about $118m. Mrs Mushikiwabo said any decision to suspend aid based on the UN report was "taken on evidence that does not exist" as she had explained to UN experts visiting Rwanda this week. "More importantly I think it's a wake-up call for Rwanda and other aid recipient countries to actually start fending for ourselves and figure out a way to sustain our development without being subjected to bullying and pressure from donors," she told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme. The Congolese rebels who took up arms in April named themselves M23 after a failed peace agreement signed with DR Congo's government on 23 March three years ago. The rebellion is led by renegade general Bosco Ntaganda, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes. He belongs to the Tutsi ethnic group like the top leadership in Rwanda, which fears the presence of rival Hutu militias in eastern DR Congo. 'Laughable' Speaking off the record, a senior UN peacekeeping official told the BBC about the debriefing of 30 former members of the M23 movement. The defectors said they had been recruited in Rwanda, but were then sent into DR Congo to find themselves fighting with the M23. The UN official said this chimed with the UN's own observations of some rebels who are unlike the other Congolese troops who mutinied. They are armed with weapons not used by the Congolese army, speak English - unlike most Congolese - have unusual uniforms and undertake night attacks - something the Congolese army does not do, the official said. The UN says the M23 has grown in recent weeks - another sign that they are being reinforced. Following the US cut of $200,000 in military aid, Stephen Rapp, head of the US Office of Global Criminal Justice warned on Wednesday that Rwanda's leadership, including Mr Kagame, could possibly face prosecution at the ICC over the current unrest. "There is a line that one can cross under international law where you can be held responsible for aiding a group in a way that makes possible their commission of atrocities,

" the US ambassador for war crimes told the UK Guardian newspaper. "I think you would have a situation where individuals who were aiding them from across the border could be held criminally responsible."

Mr Kagame has dismissed the article as irresponsible. He commented on his Twitter account that it was "laughable" and displayed "gross ignorance".