War in Terror Boardgame
2
mlxedmedlat^newlnt.org Acustico by Tito Paris (World Connection WC024' For any morno singer hailing from Cape Verde, Cesaria Evora is certainly a hard act to follow. But this hasn't put off a new generation of fadoistas from the former Portuguese colony and Tito Paris, like his compatriot Lura, is very much focused on marking out his own territory. As evidenced by AcOstico, Paris is doing just this by the subtle import of Brazilian pop themes and a big band sound-you hear it in the glissandi of opener'Morna PPV -that's more reminiscent of Cuban dance halls than Evora at her barefooted best. This is a canny move on the young guitarist's part. If there's one element that distinguishes modern fado from that of even 20 years ago, it's a willingness to open up the medium to new influences. For another leading new fado interpreter, Mariza. it's her slinky elegance; for Paris, it's a smooth sound that locates fado as something as melancholy as old love letters. Fado and morna are songs of longing. The genre contains both belters and softer, nuanced observations. Not everyone wants to have their hearts ripped asunder song after song, and for them the wry approach of Paris is recommended. Recorded live in Lisbon, Actistico is Paris's second album and it's one that basks in a warmth that's unusual for fado. The audience gets animated when he tackles Evora's signature song, 'Sodade', but otherwise they're soothed, rather than ruffled, by these songs of sadness. *** LG www.worldconnection.nl War on Terror - the Boardgame Terror BuU Games At last-a board game with attitudel War on Terror-The Boardgame is a satirical broadside against the hypocrisy of US-British foreign policy. Every aspect of the fight for'truth, justice, and a decent slice of oil-rich land' is satirized as empires fight each other to conquer the world. Your empire grows by funding 'development projects' in unoccupied lands to obtain their oil incomes. Use 'weapons inspectors'to remove rivals'weapons of mass destruction while keeping your own. Fight and fund different groups of terrorists at the same time. Cripple other players by forcing them to sign the Kyoto Protocol and pay out to the 'World Bank of Capitalism' (motto: 'for the profit of few at the cost of many'). Spin the 'axis of evil' in the middle of the board to workout who the baddies are. This cross between Risk and Monopoly is great fun, but has a serious side. Ironically, while teenagers can buy graphic computer games allowing them to fantasize about killing Iraqis and Afghans, this game has been lambasted in the press and banned by major retailers and games fairs. So do your bit for freedom and buy copies for all your friends! **•** NM www.terrorbutlgames.co.uk DIY Handbook for changing our world edited by the Trapese Collective {Pluto Press ISBN pp'S 0 7453 2637 5) Though the black-and- cover playfully apes the old Teach DO IT YOIJKSI'LI- A handbook for changing our world \j;J \^\^ guides, what's inside is / " ^ / ^ ^ / " ^ something else. From ^ ^ (S ^ H ( ^ the avalanche of quick- ^*^ " and-useless guides to ethical living, this stands apart. It packs a political punch, delivered quite gently by people who are busydoing it themselves, 'being the change you want to see'. Not crackpots but pioneers. From energy to education, healthcare to horticulture - and, for the most part, jargon- and cult-free-they take you on a whirlwind tour of positive, practical possibilities that are fermenting away right now beneath the bland, corroded surface of globaloney. Forget green shoots-this has deep roots. Even if your shelves are already weighed down by manuals, most of the others are made dispensable by this one. • •*** DR www.plutobooks.com You can buy this book at a discounted price from the Nl UK online shop www.newint.org/shop/uk Streetwise by Mohammed Choukri trans by Ed Emery {Telegram, ISBN9781 84859 027 6} Mohammed Choukri's best-known book, the autobiographical For Bread Alone, was written in 1972 and covered his childhood years. His path to becoming a published author was almost unimaginably difficult. Choukri was born in 1935 into grinding poverty in Morocco's Rif Mountains, Eight of his brothers and sisters died of starvation and neglect, and Mohammed, fleeing a violent and abusive father, became an illiterate street-child in the slums of Tangier where his friends were prostitutes, drug addicts and thieves. When he was 20 years old, Mohammed made the life- changing decision to learn to read and write. It is this phase of his remarkable life story that he tells in Streetwise, beginning with his enrolment in elementary school alongside children less than half his age. His unquenchable passion for learning was eventually to take him, via training college and a career in teaching, to the chair in Arabic Literature at Ibn Batuta College in Tangiers. In writing of his search for knowledge, Mohammed does not romanticize or gloss over the less savoury elements of his life. While studying, he continued to steep on the streets or in mosques and to smoke and drink in the cafes with his lowlife friends. Often, his studies caused him anguish: 'some [of the authors] had written more than one book and here was I struggling to write a single decent sentence.' Streetwise is suffused with honesty and compassion and crammed full of human warmth and kindness even in the most adverse circumstances. It stands as a testament both to the author and to those he lived among and wrote about; the forgotten, the despised and the downtrodden. • *• PW www.telegrambooks.com REVIEWS eoiTOR' Vanessa Balril email: vanes5ab@newrn(.org REVIEWERS: Louise Gray, Peter Whittaker, Nick Megoran, Makotm Lewis, David Ransom www.newint.org STAR RATING EXCELLENT * * * * * VERY GOOD * * * * GOOD * * * FAIR * * POOR * NEW INTERNATIONAL, 1ST AUGUST 2007 31
-
Upload
cumulo-obseso -
Category
Documents
-
view
217 -
download
2
Transcript of War in Terror Boardgame
mlxedmedlat^newlnt.org
Acusticoby Tito Paris(World Connection WC024'For any morno singer hailing from CapeVerde, Cesaria Evora is certainly a hardact to follow. But this hasn't put off a newgeneration of fadoistas from the formerPortuguese colony and Tito Paris, like hiscompatriot Lura, is very much focused onmarking out his own territory.
As evidenced by AcOstico, Paris is doingjust this by the subtle import of Brazilianpop themes and a big band sound-you hearit in the glissandi of opener'Morna PPV-that 's more reminiscent of Cuban dancehalls than Evora at her barefooted best. Thisis a canny move on the young guitarist'spart. If there's one element that distinguishesmodern fado from that of even 20 years ago,it's a willingness to open up the medium tonew influences. For another leading new fado
interpreter, Mariza. it's her slinky elegance; for Paris, it's a smooth sound thatlocates fado as something as melancholy as old love letters.
Fado and morna are songs of longing. The genre contains both beltersand softer, nuanced observations. Not everyone wants to have their heartsripped asunder song after song, and for them the wry approach of Paris isrecommended. Recorded live in Lisbon, Actistico is Paris's second album and it'sone that basks in a warmth that's unusual for fado. The audience gets animatedwhen he tackles Evora's signature song, 'Sodade', but otherwise they'resoothed, rather than ruffled, by these songs of sadness.* * * LGwww.worldconnection.nl
War on Terror - the BoardgameTerror BuU GamesAt las t -a board game with attitudel War on Terror-The Boardgame is asatirical broadside against the hypocrisy of US-British foreign policy. Everyaspect of the fight for ' truth, justice, and a decent slice of oil-rich land' issatirized as empires fight each other to conquer the world. Your empire grows byfunding 'development projects' in unoccupied lands to obtain their oil incomes.Use 'weapons inspectors'to remove rivals'weapons of mass destruction whilekeeping your own. Fight and fund different groups of terrorists at the same time.Cripple other players by forcing them to sign the Kyoto Protocol and pay out tothe 'World Bank of Capitalism' (motto: 'for the profit of few at the cost of many').Spin the 'axis of evil' in the middle of the board to workout who the baddies are.
This cross between Risk and Monopoly is great fun, but has a serious side.Ironically, while teenagers can buy graphic computer games allowing them tofantasize about killing Iraqis and Afghans, this game has been lambasted in thepress and banned by major retailers and games fairs. So do your bit for freedomand buy copies for all your friends!* * • * * NMwww.terrorbutlgames.co.uk
DIY Handbook forchanging our worldedited by the Trapese Collective{Pluto Press ISBN pp'S 0 7453 2637 5)
Though the black-and-cover playfully
apes the old Teach
DO ITYOIJKSI'LI-A handbookfor changingour world
\j;J \ ^ \ ^ guides, what's inside is/ " ^ / ^ ^ / " ^ something else. From^ ^ (S ^ H ( ^ the avalanche of quick-^ *^ " and-useless guides to
ethical living, this standsapart. It packs a politicalpunch, deliveredquite gently by peoplewho are busydoing itthemselves, 'being thechange you want tosee'. Not crackpots butpioneers. From energy
to education, healthcare to horticulture - and, for the mostpart, jargon- and cult-free-they take you on a whirlwind tourof positive, practical possibilities that are fermenting awayright now beneath the bland, corroded surface of globaloney.Forget green shoots-this has deep roots. Even if your shelvesare already weighed down by manuals, most of the others aremade dispensable by this one.• • * * * DRwww.plutobooks.comYou can buy this book at a discounted price from theNl UK online shop www.newint.org/shop/uk
Streetwiseby Mohammed Choukritrans by Ed Emery {Telegram, ISBN9781 84859 027 6}Mohammed Choukri's best-known book, the autobiographicalFor Bread Alone, was written in 1972 and covered hischildhood years. His path to becoming a published authorwas almost unimaginably difficult. Choukri was born in 1935into grinding poverty in Morocco's Rif Mountains, Eight ofhis brothers and sisters died of starvation and neglect, andMohammed, fleeing a violent and abusive father, became anilliterate street-child in the slums of Tangier where his friendswere prostitutes, drug addicts and thieves.
When he was 20 years old, Mohammed made the life-changing decision to learn to read and write. It is this phase ofhis remarkable life story that he tells in Streetwise, beginningwith his enrolment in elementary school alongside childrenless than half his age. His unquenchable passion for learningwas eventually to take him, via training college and a career inteaching, to the chair in Arabic Literature at Ibn Batuta Collegein Tangiers.
In writing of his search for knowledge, Mohammed doesnot romanticize or gloss over the less savoury elements of hislife. While studying, he continued to steep on the streets or inmosques and to smoke and drink in the cafes with his lowlifefriends. Often, his studies caused him anguish: 'some [ofthe authors] had written more than one book and here was Istruggling to write a single decent sentence.'
Streetwise is suffused with honesty and compassion andcrammed full of human warmth and kindness even in themost adverse circumstances. It stands as a testament both tothe author and to those he lived among and wrote about; theforgotten, the despised and the downtrodden.• * • PWwww.telegrambooks.com
REVIEWS eoiTOR' Vanessa Balril email: vanes5ab@newrn(.org
REVIEWERS: Louise Gray, Peter Whittaker, Nick Megoran, Makotm Lewis, David Ransom
www.newint.org
STAR RATING
EXCELLENT * * * * * VERY GOOD * * * * GOOD * * * FAIR * * POOR *
NEW INTERNATIONAL, 1ST AUGUST 2007 31
