Monday 3 December 2012

Caught on Camera

That's the Spirit! Brave antelope tries to kick off hungry young lioness that's bent on making a meal out of him...sadly, he's still converted to packed lunch.
Forget fighter jets & attack helicopters. Iraqi, Hatim Salman, is building his own helicopter which he has called 'Diyala 1'

Heaven at last! African migrants are spotted & picked up by coast guards off the Spanish coast of Gibraltar

5 comments:

  1. Aww I would have loved for the antelope to survive that aggravated attack. Oh well!
    What in the world is that blue contraption? A Helicopter? I'm not convinced that that thing can take off with rotor blades like that. But hey kudos to the man.
    It is the last pic of the jubilant migrants that I find more poignant.It is a pic with so much meaning beyond the obvious - an expression of joy at finally reaching the fabled land of milk and honey. The irony however is that the reality will be anything but.That pic is a scathing indictment on the failed economic policies of successive governments across Africa.

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    1. Hey Will, nice to read your comment. I'm with you on the antelope; I also wished it had a lucky escape. Poor thing.

      I had the same reaction when I saw the 'helicopter', but on second thoughts, the man has a dream and he's making it happen, so kudos to him.

      For migrants, those were my same thoughts. They are only rejoicing because they don't know what they're in for yet. One week in a camp in Lampadusa, and they'll be wishing they never set out on the journey!

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  2. Thanks for three refreshing pictures Fresh Angle; that's what the December spirit should be all about! While I agree with Will that it would have been nicer if the Antelope had survived the attack, on the other hand the what the first picture reminds me of is the tenacity of the Lion and why it has been called the "king of the jungle". Different methods are needed for different battles and the Lion, by skills granted by divine providence has learnt to need of being brutal and holding on when it has to. Man could do well to apply Lion like tactics in some of life's battles.
    Whether [to quote Will] "that blue contraption" can take off or not yet doesn't matter that much Will. For every piece of innovation starts off imperfectly. Initially the vacuum tube was the basis for building 1st generation computers. Scientists then improved it to 2nd Generation transistor based computers, then 3rd Generation Integrated Circuit (cum IC) computers were ushered in. Today's 4th Generation micro and mini computers, based on microprocessor technology, have given birth to the internet, touch-screen IPads and much more! The picture to me is very very appropriate, as the secret is to start/set the ball rolling. Once innovation is started, it will definitely improve and be rebirthed in a more perfect form.
    The same principle applied to the third picture makes it not just poignant, but relevant.For the while the West holds no guarantee of being a Land of Canaan; the important thing is that the Migrants pictured took action by setting out. The joy and passion birthed of positive action that can give birth to change is written all over them and one cannot but join in their rejoicing. May God help us, with the help of Fresh Words on Fresh Angle, handle our daily lives like that in the remaining part of this year!

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    1. Dlaw!! It's always a pleasure to read your comment. I like the analogy. If only we can be as tenacious as the lion, we will make a big kill in terms of achieving our dreams and ambitions.

      Like your point on the helicopter. No enduring innovation starts off perfectly. Though I wonder what is different about the helicopter. He is not making anything groundbreaking after all. It's just a prototype of what has already been made. Just a poorer sample. Again I'm wondering, is he actually making it or is he simply assembling it?

      The migrants took action to change their situation - true. But not all action leads to progress, unfortunately. Some actions, which we might deem as progressive, are actually retrogressive. There's no easy way out, but as we Africans love to say, God help us.

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  3. I just came back from making myself uncomfortable as I promised myself after reading the edition of Fresh Angle published before this one and once again it has been an eye opener. The mission continues tomorrow by walking into other offices. Change is always precipitated by positive radical action, nothing less is good enough to end 2012 on by God's grace.

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