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October 13th, 2007


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More Reactions to Al Gore/IPCC Nobel Peace Prize win

This a follow up to Georgia's post on reactions to Al Gore and the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Nobel peace prize win. Reactions from America, Kenya, Ethiopia and South Africa will be included.Al Gore
We start in America with the reaction by Alex Steffen of world changing who wrote…

Al Gore and the IPCC winning the Nobel Peace Prize symbolizes more than just a head-nod towards some eco-fad — it shows that sustainability has finally moved from the outskirts of activism to the most central halls of authority. Concern for the planetary future is now as credible as it is possible to get. The beginning of the struggle to save ourselves from ecological catastrophe has come to an end and we can begin to see the outlines of the next stage of the struggle.

The idea that receiving a Nobel peace prize means that the person has transcended the local (and sometimes petty) politics of their geographical region is mentioned by two bloggers in two locales, one in America and one in Kenya. In the post ‘For whom the Nobel tolls' David Roberts discussed the Nobel win and the question of whether Al-Gore should run for president. He points out that

Over the past week, all the U.S. media could talk about was how winning might affect Gore's chances in the U.S. presidential race. To me this demonstrates just how badly our media is misjudging the race, Gore's significance, and our current historical moment.

He lays out why he thinks Al Gore should not run for president, stating (in part)

…it would be a disaster for Gore to enter the race at this point — not because he might lose, but because he has transcended U.S. partisan politics. He has become a figure of global stature, one of a tiny fraternity of private individuals in the world capable of driving historical change from outside the confines of any institution. What many Americans don't realize is that the rest of the world is not distracted by the serial, lurid distractions that compose our political dialogue. Our national conversation is dominated by the resentful bile of a core of nationalist, reactionary, authoritarian ding-dongs, but it's not like that when Gore goes overseas. In other countries, they don't care about his electrical bills or his waist size or his clothing choices or his lack of that most important qualification for leader of the free world, the ability to act like a regular guy.

Gore can't act like a regular guy. He's smart, and he talks like a smart person. He's earnest and committed. He cares. He wants to help save the world.

A discussion in the Kenyan blog ‘Kumekucha about the age of this years' Nobel peace prize recipients, invariably led to mention of a Kenyan Nobel Laureate who was awarded for her work with the environment, Wangari Maathai. A comment by Taabu stands out…

…Prof Wangari Muta Maathai is a 1940 born making her averagely younger than these years’ Laureates. In my estimation she is one GREAT Kenyan whom we have failed to use to our motherland’s advantage. She is a global citizen still embroiled in sectarian politics. She belongs to all of us. Just here her opening acceptance speech during the Prize’s presentation in 2004:
“I stand before you and the world humbled by this recognition and uplifted by the honour of being the 2004 Nobel Peace Laureate. As the first African woman to receive this prize, I accept it on behalf of the people of Kenya and Africa, and indeed the world.”

And we still shamelessly bottle her in our small and petty village politics?

From Ethiopia: Addis Journal asks ‘”What has Al Gore done for world peace?”

In South Africa, congratulations to Al Gore and IPCC are offered by Carl of Greencars.
Ivo, a magazine columnist/journalist does not see how the Al Gore and IPCC win fits with Alfred Nobel's will in starting the prize, saying

For all their entertainment value, how either Al Gore or the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change created fraternity between the nations, abolished or reduced standing armies, or held and promoted peace congresses, is beyond me.

Korea: How much does beauty affect people’s personalities?

How much does beauty affect people’s personalities? What about the personalities of people who gain their beauty with the assistance of medical procedures?

Here is a netizen’s story from today’s panel in a major Korean portal.

저 에게는 아주 예쁜 친구가 한명 있습니다. 여러 친구가 있지만 그 중에서도 제일 예쁜, 다른 친구들의 외모를 다 합쳐도 아마 그 친구를 따라오지 못할 거에요. 근데, 그 친구가 성형미인 이에요. 성형 수술 하기에 적당한 나이는 아닌 것 같은데, 그렇게 어린 나이도 아닙니다. 어쨌든 잘 됬더라고요. 원래 그 친구가 좀 뚱뚱했는데, 살이 많아서 그렇지… 그리 못생긴 얼굴은 아니었습니다. 그 친구가 수술한 지 거의 1년 다 된 것 같네요. 작년 겨울 방학 이었는데, 방학 내내 한번도 안 보였습니다. 지방 흡입을 했는지는 모르지만 살도 엄청 많이 빠졌드라고요. 이 친구네 집이 엄청 부자 거든요…처음에는 너무 예뻐서 못 알아 볼 정도 였습니다. 어쨌든 전 그 친구랑 친했고, 성격도 좋고 착한 친구고 뭘 했든 예뻐지니깐 저도 좋더라구요. 근데, 이 친구가 예뻐진 다음 한 한달 두달 뒤 부터 였나…? 얼굴과 몸이 변하더니 성격까지 변해버렸습니다. 원래는 착하구 웬만한 부탁은 거절하지 못하고, 동정심 많고 예의 바르고 성격도 정말 좋았습니다. 그런데 지금은, 남을 깔보는 경향이 강하고 좀 건방져 졌다고 해야하나? 개구리 올챙이적 생각 안 한다더니 옛날 생각은 안하고, 못생긴 사람 보면 깔보고 무시 하고 그 친구가 지금은 아주 예뻐서 헌팅도 당하고 그러는데 한번은 상대방한테 대하는게 좀 심하더라구요. 처음 보는 사람한테 좀 예의 없어 보였습니다. 성격이 많이 변했는데도, 지금은 착하지 않아도, 그래도 사람들은 이 친구를 좋아합니다. 예쁘고 몸매도 좋으니까요. 저도 소중한 친구가 예뻐지고 하니깐 참 좋죠…예전엔 정말 착했어요. 이젠 저한테도 예전처럼 대하지 않습니다. 정말 둘도 없는 친구였는데, 이젠 저를 친구로 생각하지도 않는 것 같아요…

누군가 자신을 싫어하면 무조건, 자기가 예쁘거나 똑똑하거나 돈이 많다고 해서 열등감을 느낀다고 생각하고 상대방을 벌레 보듯이 합니다. 불과 1년 전만 해도 이 친구, 사교적 이지도 않고 처음보는 사람한테 건방지게 군다는 건 상상하지도 못 했습니다. 고리타분 하고, 뚱뚱하고 예쁘지도 않으니깐 본인도 외모에 신경 쓴다거나 그런게 없고 공부도 열심히 했습니다. 예전엔 도서관에서 거의 살다시피 할 때도 있었는데 요즘은 도서관에도 한달에 한 두번 정도 밖에 안 가는 것 같아요. 저도 처음엔, 이 친구가 예뻐진 후 자신감도 갖고 활발해 져서 참 좋았는데 지금은 이런 생각이 듭니다. 만약, 이 친구가 살도 안 빠지고 예뻐지지도 않고 예전 모습 그대로 였다면 이렇게 까지 변하지는 않았을 거라고 말입니다. 조금 뚱뚱하고, 예쁘지는 않아도 그 외엔 거의 다 장점 이었어요. 착하고 똑똑하고 예의 바르고… 하지만, 예전엔 사람들이 그 친구의 내면은 모르고 겉모습만 보고 판단해서 깔보구 무시 하곤 했습니다.

특히 처음 보는 사람들이 수근 대면 어쩔 수 없이 신경 쓰이긴 하죠. 지금도 사람들이 그 친구의 내면은 모르고 겉모습만 판단 하는건 바뀌지 않았습니다. 단지 그 친구의 외모와 성격이 바뀐 것 뿐이죠. 예전엔 성격이 어떤지 모르면서 뚱뚱하다는 이유로 깔 봤는데, 지금은 성격은 안 좋아도, 예쁘니깐 처음 보는 사람들도 쳐다 보고 호감 갖고 좋아라 합니다.

저는 그 친구가 변한 뒤로, 그 친구와 싸울 때도 있었고 요즘은 연락도 잘 안하는데, 그 친구 생각만 하면 왜 이렇게 변했나 싶어요. 몇년도 아닌 몇개월 사이에 이렇게 변했습니다. 어쩔 땐 그 친구의 너무 변해버린 모습 때문에 혐오감이 들기도 합니다. 과연, 이게 내가 아는 그 친구가 맞는지… 그 친구는 마치 자기가 예전에 당했던 것에 대한 보복이라도 하듯이, 무서울 정도로 변해 버렸고, 까탈스러운 데다 누구도 감당하기 힘들 정도로 자기 중심적 이고 사람을 질리게 만듭니다. 하지만…

그 친구가 이렇게 된 건…
그 친구 잘못이 아니라, 겉 모습만 보고 판단하는 사람들 때문입니다.

I have a very pretty friend. I have several friends. Even though I combine all pretty parts of those friends together, nobody will beat my friend’s appearance. Actually, she is an artificial beauty. She was not old enough for plastic surgery, but not so young to be against plastic surgery. Anyway, the surgery was well done. In the past, she was a little bit fat, but didn’t have an ugly face. It has been one year since the surgery. It was last winter vacation. I hadn’t seen her during the whole vacation. I don’t know, maybe she had liposuction. She lost a lot of weight as well. Her family is really rich…. I couldn’t recognize who she was at first after the surgery. Anyway she was a good friend of mine. She had nice personality. I was happy for her to be pretty.

But since she got pretty after one or two months, her personality has been changing as much as her face and body changed. She was nice and didn’t turn down others’ favors. She was sympathetic and polite. But now she tends to look down on others. Shall I say arrogant? Like frogs don’t think about the time of being tadpoles, she doesn’t think about her past. She looks down on ugly people. She is asked dates often on the street now. One day she was very arrogant to a person who asked her to go out. Even though her personality is not good now, people like her because she is pretty and fit. I like that my friend gets pretty….But she was really nice before. She even doesn’t treat me the same as she did before. We were best friends. But she even doesn’t think of me as a friend.

If someone doesn’t like her, she thinks they’re jealous of her and treats others like bugs. It was impossible to imagine her one year before. She didn’t care about her appearance so much and concentrated on studying. She almost lived in a library, but now she goes to the library one or two times per month. At first I liked her change because she gained self-confidence and was happy, but now I think her personality wouldn’t change so much if she didn’t lose weight and have plastic surgery.

Even though she was not pretty, she had so many merits, such as she was nice, smart, and polite. But people didn’t know about her, judged her from her appearance, and looked down on her. But now people’s attitudes have not changed. They still judge her by her appearance. People looked down on her because she was fat and didn’t know about her personality before. Now people look at her and pay attention to her because she is pretty.

Since she changed, I have had fights with her and I don’t contact her a lot. Whenever I think about her, I wonder why she changed so much like that. Not even several years, but just several months. I feel hatred to her change. Whether she is my friend or not… As she gets revenge for her past, she changed so suddenly, so picky and selfish. But…

How she turns out to be now is not her mistake, but that of people who judged her by her appearance.

Another opinion:

그 친구도 역시 피해자군요..

Your friend is also a victim.

Others share their own experiences.

먼저..저 역시 10kg 감량한 경험이 있기에 답글 올려요..10키로 빼니까 정말 몸도 예전이랑 달라졌고(날씬하면서마른..) 얼굴도 예뻐졌다는 소리 많이들었어요. 그래서 저도..님 친구처럼 자만하는 마음이 생기더라고요..친하게 지내던 친구들도 얼굴의 단점만 보이고..왜이렇게 못생겨보이는지 나랑 안어울리는 애들같고…이런말하면 너무 나쁘지만 얼굴만 보고도 썡까고싶다는 생각이 들더라고요…

자기 자신감을 찾는건좋은데… 이런 안좋은 자만심까지 생기더라고요.그 친구가 지금은 잘나가고 좋을지 몰라도 후에 과거가 들춰지고 자기가 잘못했다는걸 꺠달았을떄(좋은 친구들이 하나둘떠나고..)

그떄는 정말 뉘우칠꺼예요.

First of all… I also had an experience to lose 10 kg. After I lost weight, I also heard that I became prettier. I also became arrogant like your friend… I started seeing ugly parts of my friends’ faces. I thought about how I can get along with those ugly people… I know it’s not nice to say this, but I even wanted to ignore them…

It’s good to have confidence, but arrogance came to me. Even though your friend has a nice time now, I hope that she recognizes her mistake (after she loses her friends one by one).

Then she will regret it.

Here is another one.

예전에 티비를 보다가 저희 어머니 왈…-_-
성형수술로 이뻐진 애들은 계속 자기 자신을 시험해 보고 싶은 욕구가 든다고 하데요….
물로 다는 아니지만 ………….

예전에는 전혀 못듣고 살았던 “예쁘다.”란 소리에 자기 자신이 정말 어디까지 이쁜지, 사람들에게 얼마나 어필이 되는지 알고 싶어 한대요….그리고 얼핏 듣고 보니 맞는 말 같기도 해요.

저같은 경우도 대학와서 이뻐졌다는 소리 좀 들었는데,(그렇다고 제가 이쁘다는건 아니구요.. 시비걸지 마셈ㅋㅋ) 성형수술을 한건 아니고, 안경벗고, 렌즈끼고 화장하고 머리하고…그런 소리를 듣다 보니 확실히 성격이 변하더군요. 저같은 경우는 좀 소심하고 예민한 성격이었는데, 지금은 적극적이고 대범해지고 낙천적으로 변했어요… 심적으로 여유도 많이 생기고…
저나 제친구는 님 친구처럼 부정적인 방향으로 바뀌진 않았지만 확실히 외모의 변화가 성격에 영향을 주더라구요…

My mom said when we watched the movie before…
People who become pretty after plastic surgery want to test themselves…. Of course I’m not talking about everyone.
When they hear the word “pretty,” which they haven’t heard before, they would like to check how pretty they are from other people’s perspectives. I think that’s right.

I heard I became pretty after I entered college, not by plastic surgery, but through using contact lenses instead of glasses, starting make-up, and changing my hairstyle… my personality has changed indeed. I was sensitive and had an introverted personality, but now I’m more positive and active….

My friend as well as I didn’t change in a negative direction like your friend, but I think that the change of appearance affects personality.

Not a few netizens discuss the positive parts of the change of appearance.

제 여자친구(그냥친구)중 하나도 고등학교때는 정말 보수적이고 범생이던 애가 대학가서 얼굴 몇군데 고치더니 완전 못말리는 날라리로 변하더라구요… 근데 그애를 보면서 느낀건데… 예전의 그모습보다는 현재 저렇게 즐겁게 살아가는것이 더 나을지도 모른다는 생각이 들더군요…

I think that most of them change like that. One of my friends was conservative and studious in high school. After entering college, she changed her face and her personality became completely different… But when I look at her, I sometimes think that maybe she has a better life than before.

How about other changes?

사람들이 그 친구를 평범하게 대해줬다면, 그 친구도 이렇게 까지는 안 했을 거에요. 과거에 안 좋은 기억이 많지 않았다면 만약 수술을 한다고 해도 이렇게 변하지도 않았을 거고요. 다른 사람들의 의견을 보니, 알게 모르게 이런 일이 참 많은 것 같습니다. 꼭, 성형수술이 아니더라도 이런 사례가 참 많죠. 졸부가 되었다든지… 좋은 학교에 진학하거나 좋은 직장에 취직했다든지… 이러저러 해서 성공 했다든지…

원래부터 미인 이었다거나 부자 였다거나 엘리트 였다거나 하는 사람들은 겸손할 줄을 알죠. 하지만, 그런 사람들이 어쩔 수 없이 그렇게 되는 빌미를 제공하는 건 이 세상 사람들인 것 같습니다. 대체로, 그런 사람들은 과거에 좋지 않은 기억이 많을 테니까요.

If people treat her ordinarily, she must not have had plastic surgery. If she didn’t have so many bad memories of the past, she wouldn’t need to change so much after the surgery. Listening to others’ opinions, it seems that there are so many cases. There will be other cases not by plastic surgery. Like people who get suddenly rich… people who go to prestigious schools or nice companies… who have sudden success…

People who are originally beautiful, rich, and intellectual know to be polite. But the reason why people like her change like that is due to other peoples’ judgmental attitudes. They usually don’t have nice memories of the past.

China: Fragile Morality

The lonely Samaritan

Guangzhou, Guangdong (Southern Metropolis Daily - September 5, 2007)

In a bus crammed with over 60 passengers, 2 men pressed down a lady onto the floor and snatched her cell phone. Zheng shanbing (郑善彬), a 26-year-old man that had been a soldier for two years, at once dashed up and kicked away the robbers. However, at the moment another 6 cahoots rushed onto the bus and surrounded Zheng, the 8 men together gave him a 7-minute hard buffet. During the 7 minutes, the 60 passengers stayed aside without anyone coming up to help him. During the chaos, when the lady was pushed to the crowd, they just eschewed her as if she was a plague.

When the 8 robbers got off in struts, Zheng’s shirt had been torn messy, footprints covered. His cell phone was robbed away. The numb passengers and the driver looked at them silently. The grieved lady glowered at them, crying out, “Where are your consciences! You won’t sleep at good rest tonight!”

The report and the lady’s penetrating charge soon led to fury in the Internet towards the passengers. It’s not the first case of its kind. Chinese call it “Seeing a Dying Man Without Saving Him”. Worn out by such apathy and numbness, some netizens, other than casting fury and condemnation, reconsidered it a reflection of the lack of Samaritan and the degeneration of morality of the contemporary mainland Chinese society.

San Jieyaoxian complaint the morality standard today has backslide:

三界妖仙
我还是学生的时候,在火车站抓个一个小偷,幸亏跑的快,20多个人追,现在我是不敢随便管了,除非身边有朋友,有绝对优势!!!
我们现在的社会就是这个样子!!黑白颠倒,真TM搞笑

When I was just a student I have joined with over 20 people chasing a thief. He was so lucky to escape. But now I dare not meddle in such things, unless I have enough friends with me and have absolute advantage over thieves.

A netizen from Zhongshan, a city near Guangzhou discussed in the point of law;

网易广东中山网友:
事主上了中巴后,己经合法受权中巴公司,中巴公司必须保障他的人生安全及财产安全,现在中巴公司的司机如此不作为,等于己经毁约,建议受害人把中巴公司告上法庭,取回公道和合理的赔偿!

After getting on the bus, clients have authorized the bus company. Therefore the bus company has to guarantee the safety of their life and possessions. However, as even the bus driver didn’t stand out, the company has reneged on the contract. I suggest victims suing the company to gain the justice and compensation they deserve!

Gzz614 from Dalian just quotes Martin’s aphorism:
网易辽宁大连网友 [gzz614]:

“当初他们杀共产党,我没有作声,因为我不是共产党;后来他们杀犹太人,我没有作声,因为我不是犹太人;再接下来他们杀天主教徒,我仍然保持沉默,因为我不是天主教徒;最后,当他们开始对付我时,已经没有人为我讲话了……”

They came first for the Communists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Catholic.
Then they came for me,
and by that time there was no one left to speak up

Another netizen from Pingdingshan introspects himself:

平顶山网友
我曾经亲眼看见过一个新疆的小女孩在大庭广众之下偷窃一位女士的钱包,可是当时的我不知道居然没有站出来去阻止,现在想起来就惭愧,如果被盗的是我该有何感想呢,事后觉得自己好懦弱,也许会内疚一生,以后如果再遇到此类的事情,我相信自己会勇敢起来的!我们都要弘扬那种正气!

I used to see a Xinjiang girl picking a lady’s pocket but I blenched. I feel ashamed for this. I reckoned what if I had been thieved? I feel myself such a coward. I might be rueful with this for lifetime, and I believe I will perk up if I meet this again! We have to bolster the justice!

Another netizen Laoyingshimeile considers it in a practical way:

老鹰石没了:我碰到过,没人上去,只有我和另一个人冲上去,结果被他们一伙的人赌住了.其实大家不冲上去也有原因,社会没有良好的保障系统,见义勇为把命达上去可以成个烈士,但是要是受伤了医药费住院费谁出啊!!

I have met that, but no one go up except me and another person. But we were blocked by the gang. Actually people have reasons not to go up. We don’t have a nice social security system; Samaritan can be a martyr with the cost of his life. But who would pay for you the cost in hospital?

It is upsetting to know how apathetic people around are. Besides the bus incident above, anther thing pertaining to morality was recorded by a netizen in Nanjing. After reviewing the post, some netizen grumbled: ” Our morality was undermined by our law!”

Aftershock of Pengyu Case

Not long after Pengyu Case did author Shi Hanbing(时寒冰) predict the judgement would lead people to evil and apathy. On 3, Oct, a post with several pictures attached recorded exactly a street incident in Nanjing that testified to his foreshadowing.

The title is: an old man bleeding on sidewalk lied on the ground but no one dared help!

Here is a rough narration of the original post.

I was on my way back company after lunch. I saw an old man over 70 hobbling head-on and suddenly tripped over in front of me 2 meters away. I was stunned, stopping and feeling lucky he didn’t fell down just beside me. Five men around him including me ossified there, no one daring going up.…… I called out that he was bleeding! A 40-year-old woman passing by kept babbling “Don’t meddle, don’t help him up, go, hurry up”, and hustling away.……
A girl bought napkins and helped rub blood stain away from the old man’s forehead, asking people around whether to send him to hospital. Some people immediately told her to go away and never take care of such things. ……She finally went and left the old man on the stair. She might be thinking why she shouldn’t help. The old man couldn’t hold and joggled and then lied down again……

Old man lying on the ground

It happend exactly in Nanjing, where months ago Pengyu was sentenced to be guilty. Is this an ironic story or a tragedy of modern society? I don't mean to blacken or make stunt- we have lots of good deeds and Samaritans to tell we are in a society of hopes, but from the two cases happened recently I have to say our morality is so fragile. We can do better, and we should.

Touring Libyan Blogs: Eid el Fitr 2008

Apologies to those readers who like to hear about news from the Libyan blogs.. I am back with a lot of news. While the majority of Libyan bloggers are busy with Eid greetings there are so many posts out there that I would love to share and highlight.

Ghazi has finally arrived from London and is getting re-acquainted with Libya and it's various aspects. He is nostalgically touring the “writers' club” which he used to attend between 2000-2003.

Aladdin has spent an extraordinary time in the US where he was invited on a cultural State Department-sponsored programme. He has promised to report on the event in detail soon.

Libyano recently brought up a very important topic in Libyan medical profession - namely that of medical ethics.

“I already knew the same as most of the Libyans that our hospitals filled with unethical doctors and health care staff and how in our hospitals the way the patient treated is less than a prisoner anywhere else in this world ,but it was shocking to live this fact and to see all the violation of the patients privacy and the way the doctors treat the patients , I don't know if all this because the medical ethics wasn't introduced as a studying material in Medical school until recently or is it because all the hospital staff doctors and nurses feel like they are above the law and no one will judge them when things go wrong .”

While I always wondered what is the Libyan physicians' stance on the Hippocratic Oath or even the Declaration of Geneva (last upated in 2006), I always assumed that being Muslim would immediately guarantee a certain code of conduct and moral ethics above bickering over salary and other things one misses in life. So it is disappointing to see the situation on the ground.

Hopefully the new graduates, young men and women, will learn a few things if this subject is introduced in the syllabus and if they are held responsible later on in life.

Dunia wrote a lovely blog last night about the ‘walis' which are Libyan ‘Saints' or intercessors, and how someone may unusually become a Saint, marabout or walii.

“The one constant feature, from East to West and even the desert in between, are the Maqams.
White domed buildings, built over the tomb of Wali, and all marked as such by a profusion of green banners, are just everywhere. Perched half-way up a hill in the J'bal Al-akhdar, surrounded by a rippling sea of wheat, golden in the sun light; in the middle of an almond orchard, where goats prefer it's cool shade to the trees' more patchy shadow… or on the right hand side of a much used desert highway alongside petrol stations, truckers restaurants and the occasional sheepherders' village. “

Happy Eid to you all!

Egypt: Wikimania 2008 | Alexandria


Mido, the lead coordinator for wikimania 2008 and a constant contributer in Arabic Wikipedia, wrote:

“After months of preparation, Alexandria was finally chosen as the winning bid for the Wikimedia Foundation’s fourth annual international conference, Wikimania 2008. Chosen by the Wikimania jury as the winner over two other exceptional bids, Atlanta and Cape Town, Alexandria will be hosting the event in the summer of 2008 at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA), the newly reconstructed library of Alexandria.”

Meanwhile Zero Effect commented on his blog:

“As a member of Alexandria team i assure every body that we will make our best in order to make this even a remarkable and spectacular experience to the entire Wikipedian Universe.”

For more updates you can check the main website covering the event.