The Most Remote Spot on Earth

Satellite View

We live in a technologically advanced and interconnected world. Places that were once almost impossible to reach are now accessible by road systems, waterways and airplane rides. Despite the ease with which we can contact people on the other side of the globe -- whether it be through the click of a mouse or a letter in the post -- about 10 percent of the Earth is more than 48 hours away, by way of land travel, from the nearest city. While in recent years it definitely has become easier to reach far away lands, there are many places in the world that remain inaccessible, uninhabited and secluded -- in other words, the most remote spots on Earth.


To determine whether a location qualifies as "remote," you should consider the inaccessibility of the place (how difficult it is to reach the spot) and its isolation (the distance from the nearest inhabited location). In terms of inaccessibility, the point farthest from sea is the Eurasian Pole of Inaccessibility, which is located more than 1,553 miles (2,500 kilometers) from any ocean and is located in northern China. The point farthest from land is Point Nemo, which is in the South Pacific, more than 1,553 miles (2,500 kilometers) from any land mass. Neither of these locations are inhabited by humans.


What's the most remote inhabited location on Earth? A place called Tristan da Cunha. The approximately 270 residents of this archipelago see a mail ship only once a year. Tristan da Cunha is located at 37 South and 12 West, 1,242 miles (2,000 kilometers) from St. Helena and 1,739.8 miles (2,800 kilometers) from the nearest mainland, the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa. Tristan is circular in shape and is about 6.2 miles (10 kilometers) in diameter with a total area of only about 30 square miles (78 square kilometers). The summer season falls between December and March. During the winter months, the central volcanic peak of Tristan, which rises to a height of 6,594 feet (2,010 meters), is covered in snow. Tristan da Cunha, the main island, is the only inhabited island in the chain. The other islands that make up the archipelago -- Nightingale, Stoltenhof, Gough, Middle and the appropriately named Inaccessible -- are not populated by humans.




The blue arrow is where Tristan Da Cunha is located in relation to South America on the left and South Africa on the right.

There are a few land masses nearer to Tristan Da Cunha than South Ameria and Africa, although many are uninhabited.

Currently the only method of travelling to Tristan Da Cunha is via a boat from Cape Town (in South Africa) - this is one of Tristan's 'nearby' locations. Saint Helenas (north of Tristan) is also relatively nearby, as is "South Georgia and the South Sandwitch island" and "Bouvet Island" to its south.

But how did people come to inhabit this remote island chain? And how did they find out about it in the first place?

Tristan da Cunha: The World's Most Remote Inhabited Island

Today, Tristan da Cunha is certainly off the beaten path and is considered the most remote inhabited island on the planet. But in the 17th and 18th centuries, the archipelago was on the preferred maritime route to the Cape of Good Hope and the Indian Ocean. The islands of Tristan da Cunha were discovered by Portuguese explorer Tristao da Cunha during an expedition to the Cape of Good Hope in 1506. In 1643, the first recorded crew, the Dutch Heemstede, landed on Tristan to replenish supplies. In 1650 and 1669, the Dutch initiated efforts to explore the island as a base but soon abandoned the idea, perhaps because Tristan lacked a safe harbor.

Several Americans attempted to make use of Tristan in the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1790, Captain John Patten of Philadelphia used the island as a sealing and whaling base. In 1810, Jonathan Lambert of Salem, Mass., attempted to establish a trading station there. During the War of 1812, American forces used Tristan as a base to defend against British attacks.

While today's Tristan is off the international political radar, it was at the center of the strategic military scene during the early 1800s. On Aug. 14, 1816, the British military took possession of the island to prevent the French from using Tristan to rescue the deposed emperor Napoleon who was imprisoned on St. Helena, about 1,242 miles (2,000 kilometers) away. The British also aimed to keep Americans from using Tristan as a base again.

Despite this initial political interest in Tristan, the British military soon lost interest in its strategic importance and began to gradually abandon the island in 1817. With the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, routes through the South Atlantic were no longer necessary for trans-Atlantic trade, and ships ceased to pass through Tristan. However, some of Tristan's original residents stayed on the island, and, in addition to a few shipwreck survivors, they continued to populate the island. Many of their descendants still live on this remote island in the middle of the South Atlantic.

Today, Tristan is classified as a United Kingdom Overseas Territory, and all of its residents are British citizens. The residents of Tristan da Cunha, who live in the settlement of Edinburgh, share just eight surnames. Tristan houses a school, hospital, post office, museum, cafe, pub, craft shop, village hall and swimming pool. The island is financially self-supporting, and residents earn most of their income from fishing and, oddly, the sale of postage stamps. An optician and dentist are sent from the United Kingdom once a year. While there's no airport on Tristan, cruise ships occasionally visit the island, and crawfish trawlers from Cape Town come to the island about six times per year.

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The Williams Sisters

Another Wimbledon final, another matchup between the Williams sisters. It's the fourth such meeting this decade and the eighth in any Grand Slam final. Since this is almost routine at this point, the circumstances of a Venus-Serena final don't seem all that special. They are. The fact the two sisters are playing in the final at Wimbledon for the fourth time in seven years is one of the most remarkable feats in sports history.

As much as we love to play instant historian these days (that game was the best of all-time, that's the best team ever, etc.), we often fail to properly appreciate sustained greatness in its own time. Everyone knows Tiger Woods is one of the two greatest golfers ever, but if he and Jack Nicklaus swapped eras, I think we'd hold Woods in an even higher regard than we do now. Barry Bonds had the best season ever at the plate in 2002, yet that didn't get 1/100th of the attention that his steroid scandal did five years later. There's something about the passage of time that makes things seem more special. As a result, the true greatness that happens now is often overlooked.

This brings us back to the Williams sisters. We know they're great, but somehow the scope of what they're collectively doing is viewed as ordinary. We expect them to get to the Wimbledon finals, so we're not surprised when they do.

But take a step back and think of it like this: Of all the women playing tennis on this planet, the two who will set foot on Centre Court on Saturday morning grew up in the same house. Let that sink in. It's utterly remarkable. (And we're not even getting into the fact that said house was in Compton, CA, not exactly a tennis hotbed.)

For two sisters to dominate the tennis world and to have more appearances in the Wimbledon final since 2001 (12) than the rest of the world combined (6) is something that shouldn't be taken for granted. We all know it's special, but it's even moreso than that. It's one of the greatest achievements in tennis history.

My thoughts
The Williams sisters are the best female athletes in the world right now & don’t fully get their due. Serena gets more credit for her body then for her accomplishments on the tennis court while Venus gets ignored far more then she deserves. They are a once in a lifetime set of siblings who dominate in what they do.

I hope this weekend you take a little time out from your 4th of July cookouts to watch the match.

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The world most beautiful cities at Night

The Cologne Cathedral, Germany

St Petersburg, Russia

Vienna, Austria

London, England

Singapore

Washington DC, USA

Moscow, Russia

Denver, USA

Chicago, Illinois

Sin City, Las Vegas

Niagara Falls

Paris, France

And the Prize goes to one of my hometown, Drumm Rolllll:

Dakar, Senegal ( C'est de l'ironie )

Message: At the moment we are experiencing a power outage, we are working on the issue and there is no estimated time of resolution, thank you for your patience.

Notre chere Ville de dakar toujours dans l'ombre, pas d'electricite en ce moment, sorry...........

Le comble c'est que meme a Bamako, my other hometown (Mali) ou au Burkina il n'y a pas autant de coupures d'electricite, je dirais meme pratiquement jamais. Makes you wonder if you are really living in the 21 st century??????????????????

Genocide

The term "genocide" did not exist before 1944. It is a very specific term, referring to violent crimes committed against groups with the intent to destroy the existence of the group.


It will be 15 years in April since the Rwandan genocide happened, I was still in high school and I could remember the horrible pictures and Videos shown on Tv. To me one of the most powerful movie made about this genocide was: Sometimes in April, with Idris Elba, I was really really moved by it.


I also watched a few weeks ago on HBO a movie named: The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo (I am sure you already heard about it). Men i was just speechless. Please God Forgive us, that's what I was thinking during the whole documentary.


A look at genocide over the years.


The human race has a history, some that they can be proud of and some that people try to forget. It’s the ones that can’t be forgotten that haunt most of us today as the genocides that have taken place since ancient times. This is a horrible history and it all lies in the hands of the powers that be at the time. Sometimes it’s sad and shameful to look back over history and realize we have not learnt from these lessons and they still take place in some parts of the world. To make matters worse it is let happen due to governments not getting involved. It is not always armies that kill but rules of government that lead to the mass murders of innocent people. Every country has its own mass murders to deal with in one way or another.



The 13th Century
The 13th century has its own genocide which was carried out by Mongolian Horsemen of Temujin Genghis Khan. Some of his armies wiped out whole nations in their quest for power, leaving behind, nothing but bones and ruins.



Early Genocides
At Wounded Knee the United States militia may have eliminated the indigenous population of Sioux. It is said that when Christopher Columbus set foot upon American soil combined with the Wounded Knee Massacre there were 100,000 000 people eliminated. Although it was disease that was partially to blame for this genocide was it not the fault of those that brought disease to their land. In Brazil there once lived approximately three million people which faded away to 300,000 in 1997.



Argentina Genocide
Argentina saw genocide unfold in the Conquest of the Dessert Campaign which in 1870 left more than 1,300 of indigenous people dead. It is a source of contention today if genocide was the intent to exterminate the aborigine people but regardless lives was lost.



Australia Genocides
In the 1800’s there was a period of conflict that is referred to as the Black War. At the time the Tasmanian Aboriginal people were approximately 5,000 to 8,000 strong in 1830. These people were reduced to 300 people by 1833 when the conflict was ended and the survivors were relocated to Flinders Island. They never recovered and in 1876 the last Aboriginal died.



Philippines Genocide
The Philippine –American war from 1899 to 1902 was an operation launched by the US. During this war there were over a million Philippines lost their lives. These consisted on men, women and children. Was this genocide? It is still debated today among scholars; nevertheless over a million people are dead.



German and South West Africa Genocide
In 1904 to 1907 the German and South West African War took place. This is said to have been the first organized genocide of the 20th century. The Herero loss 80% of their population and the Namaqua lost fifty percent of theirs. These people were killed in a brutal scorched campaign of Germany.



The Irish Famine - Genocide?
The Irish Famine in a way was truly genocide as it was determined that the British Government between 1845 to 1850 pursued a policy of mass starvation with the intent to destroy a large part of the national, ethnical and racial group known as the Irish people. Their population went from eight to nine million to approximately 4 million. This is not your typical genocide but as we can see through history genocide comes in many forms.



The Armenian Genocide 1915-1918
One of the first genocide of the 20th Century occurred when two million Armenians living in Turkey were eliminated from their historic homeland through forced deportations and massacres.



Ukraine Genocide 1932-1933
Joseph Stalin, leader of the Soviet Union, set in motion events designed to cause a famine in the Ukraine to destroy the people there seeking independence from his rule. As a result, an estimated 7,000,000 persons perished in this farming area, known as the breadbasket of Europe, with the people deprived of the food they had grown with their own hands.



Jewish Genocide (holocaust) 1938-1945
We are all aware of the genocide that took place during World War II. It began with a simple boycott of Jewish shops and ended in the gas chambers at Auschwitz as Adolf Hitler and his Nazi followers attempted to exterminate the entire Jewish population of Europe. It is perhaps the one to be remembered for all time as it is still fresh in history. It is estimated that over 16,000,000 people died under the hands of the Germans, they were not all Jewish people but they were people just the same. Over ten million Slavs lost their lives along with 5.3 million Jews, 258,000 Roma, and 220,000 homosexuals. To most of us today this seems unbelievably, at least until you talk to a survivor then it becomes very real.



Bosnia-Herzegovina Genocide 1992-1995
The conflict between the three main ethnic groups, the Serbs, Croats, and Muslims, resulted in genocide committed by the Serbs against the Muslims in Bosnia with 200 000 deaths.

Cambodia genocide 1975-1979

An attempt by Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot to form a Communist peasant farming society resulted in the deaths of 25 percent of the country's population from starvation, overwork and executions.

Rwanda Genocide 1994
This to me perhaps seems to be the most unbelievable genocide in history. Not that I have any doubt of it happening but that it was let happen at all. The world stood by and watched as 800,000 people were slaughtered and no one did anything to stop it. This genocide took approximately two months to extinguish these people from the face of the earth.

Genocide in Darfur, Soudan
Five years since the genocide in Darfur began, over 450,000 people have died, millions have been displaced, and the conflict continues.



Democratic Republic of the Congo, Africa’s Hidden Genocide.
According to the International Rescue Committee, 5.4 million Congolese have died, 50 percent of which are children five years old or younger. Amnesty International has reported that tens of thousands of women have been raped, some victims as young as 2 years old and as old as 70 years.



There are many more countries that are responsible for genocide, too many that I didn't even mention, if that could have happened in Rwanda in 1994 then it can happen anywhere. Maybe we can find excuses for the genocides of yesterday but there are no excuses for the genocides of today. Will we have learnt anything from the past? Apparently not as there are still places in the world that are in upheaval such as Israel and Palestine, Afghanistan, Iraq, Congo, Sudan and the list goes on. Only time will tell, but hopefully people will never have to go through the horror again that those that have gone before us went through. Inchaalah.



If you want to learn more about the movie ''The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo'', click on the following link: http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/thegreatestsilence/index.html



If you want to learn more about the movie ''Sometimes in April'', click on the following link: http://www.hbo.com/films/sometimesinapril/synopsis/



Source: Google, HBO

Miss France 2009, Miss Midi Pyrenees: Chloe Mortaud

Congrats to you, our Sista. Le monde a evolue je dois dire , this feels so good.

Just to say one more time that beauty comes in every color, shape, religion and culture. Yeeesss.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is funny as Hell!!!!!!!!!

Comme chacun sait, Nicolas Sarkozy n'est pas très grand, (il mesurerait entre 1,65m et 1,68m), ce qui lui a parfois causé du soucis et donné quelques complexes pendant sa jeunesse. Sur les derniers présidents français, les plus petits étaient Mitterrand (1,72m) et Pompidou (1,74m). De Gaulle, Giscard et Chirac mesuraient eux respectivement 1,90m, 1,87m, 1,89m.
Il semblerait que le complexe de Nicolas Sarkozy n'ait pas tout à fait disparu. En effet, ce dernier qui porte déjà des talonnettes (comme Omar Bongo!) n'hésite pas à faire ce qu'il faut pour apparaître plus grand!
Sa dernière épouse Carla Bruni est plus grande que lui (1,76m) tout comme l'était Cecilia. Devant les journalistes lors des séances photos, Nicolas Sarkozy n'hésite pas à se mettre sur la pointe des pieds sachant que tout le monde se focalise plutôt sur le visage. Ajouté aux talonnettes, l'illusion fonctionne, sauf quand de petits malins se demandent comme le président qui est plus petit que son épouse arrive à avoir l'air aussi grand qu'elle... Les supporters de Nicolas Sarkozy ne manqueront pas de souligner que cela ne l'a pas empêché d'être élu, et que beaucoup des hommes qui ont marqué l'histoire n'étaient pas plus grands tandis que ses détracteurs critiqueront une attention obsessionnelle pour la communication et l'apparence, au détriment des problèmes de fonds. Pourquoi devrait-on en effet se soucier de la taille de Nicolas Sarkozy s'il n'y attachait pas lui même une telle importance!!!

As you all must already know French President Nicolas Sarkozy is not the tallest man around, Look at the trick he frequently uses while taking pictures (See pictures above).

Source 7sur7.be

Voix du Mali

I was borned and raised in a Malian family so I grew up listening to a lot of Malian and Guinean music. The singers I am going to introduce you today are 2 of my Fav' : Oumou Sangaré and Mokobé (I love them).

Oumou Sangaré
Sangare kono, Sangare the songbird this is how Oumou Sangare, Mali's great diva, champion of womens rights, and one of the worlds most astounding female voices, describes herself when she sings her powerful songs that strike deep in the heart. Oumou Sangare draws deep from the wealth of musical traditions of southern Mali. She comments on all aspects of life in her country, especially the problems that women face on a daily basis because of polygamy, but also on the sensuality of young love, on the pain of exile, on the need to cultivate the land, and on the frailty of human life. Some of her songs use metaphor and irony; others are more direct. They are spirited expressions of her own philosophy and wisdom, born from her experience growing up in a poor family in Bamako and being catapulted to stardom aged only 21. And her idiom is the hauntingly beautiful home-grown music that has become her trademark: wassoulou.
But Sangare the songbird took all this much further than anyone else when she broke onto the scene in 1990 with her debut album, Moussolou (women). With this album not only was there a new bold rhythm and musical colour that took dance floors by storm, but it launched the voice of a gifted young woman with immense charisma. And in her music she had a personal mission - to improve the subservient position of women in Mali. Realising that she could not change the mind-set of the elders, Sangare addressed Malis unmarried youth. In a country where traditionally the young have no say, her songs were radical, passionate, and electrifying .
But most important of all, her songs talked from the perspective of a young unmarried woman, in ways that no other Malian artist had ever dared to do before. The album Moussolou was an unprecedented success throughout West Africa and catapulted Sangare to stardom. It also attracted the attention of Nick Gold of World Circuit who signed her to the label. Two international albums followed: Ko Sira and Worotan, and extensive touring around the world, winning her a reputation as one of Africas most original and striking female singers, faithful to her tradition but with a modern outlook. 6 foot tall, beautiful, gutsy, stylish, playful on stage, charismatic, compassionate, soulful, with a smile that lights up your heart, and a soaring, piercing voice, Oumou has become an icon in Mali and around the world. In the five years following the making of Worotan, Oumou has concentrated on spending more time with her family, on building a hotel in Bamako (Hotel Wasulu), performing concerts throughout Africa, and on producing music for her home market, with a number of best selling cassettes that continue to explore Malis diverse traditions, especially her own wassoulou. As Oumou says: Why bother to play other peoples music, when our own is so rich? 2003 saw the return of Oumou to the world stage with a series of summer festival dates including an incredible performance at WOMAD that was hailed by critics as one of the best in the festivals history. Throughout her career Oumou has always maintained her commitment to campaigning for womens rights and for those of the underprivileged around the globe. In October 2003 she was appointed as Ambassadress of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), a role that forms part of the FAOs struggle against famine. With the official backing of the FAO, Oumou is now in a position to tackle a wider range of issues on a global scale. Oumous touring continued into 2004, culminating in a show at the famous Hollywood Bowl in the USA. Appropriately titled Global Divas, the show also featured Tracy Chapman, with Oumou receiving much critical acclaim for her mesmeric performance. The year was rounded off with an amazing live duet on French TV with the multi-Grammy winning R&B superstar Alicia Keys. Oumou began working on new material at the beginning of 2006, and in spring 2006 she took part in the African Voices series of concerts in Belgium with artists of the calibre of Baba Sissoko, AKA Moon, Magic Malik, MeShell Ndégéocello, and Pink Floyd guitarist Dave Gilmour.
You go girl!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=5oLxJNPhWiE&feature=related Alicia keys, Oumou Sangaré in Fallin' (Live)

Mokobé
Of Malian, Mauritanian and Senegalese origins, Mokobé grew up in the Paris (France) suburb of Vitry – which is also called « the 9-4 » in French. The rapper came to prominence with the hip-hop band 113 (113 clan) and the Mafia K’1 Fry collective( le collectif de la Mafia K'1 Fry) . Le 113 clan was best known for songs like “Tonton du Bled”, "Les princes de la ville" and “Jackpotes 2000”. In June 2007, Mokobé brought out his first solo album, the ambitious "Mon Afrique" (My Africa). It features some of Africa’s top artists such as Youssou Ndour, Salif Keita, Seun Kuti, Fou Malade, Sékouba Bambino, Tiken Jah Fakoly......
I had the opportunity to meet this fella a few months ago at a restaurant in Bamako (Mali), let me just tell you that he is the most nice and down to earth celebrity I have ever met in my whole life, he was very nice to everybody and even take a picture with me. Thank you Mokobé!!!!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=b6DUfk7pHRM Dj Lewis, Mokobé in "Bisous"

http://youtube.com/watch?v=y5YAVHurmXI&feature=related Viviane Ndour, Mokobé "Safari"

One of my favorite song of all time was done by these artists, so check it out, I specially like the last part of the video when they're all dancing together ( Sundiata bora mali la, Babemba bora mali la, Djenné bé Mali kono, ........)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=48jxb_3Tj34&feature=related Voix du Mali( A great song)

Djaa Mali puissancy O Mangny dé, Thanks to Oumou and Mokobé for bringing our music all around the world.)

Let me introduce you to Estelle

Estelle Swaray was born-and-raised in West London (England, United Kingdom) into a strictly religious Senagalese/Granadan family where she was the second of eight children. Estelle learned early about responsibility for herself and her family, as well as how to escape life’s daily pressures through music. Though her mother had banned secular music in the house, young Estelle was exposed to African music and gospel (as well as her West Indian stepfather’s roots reggae and dub) via an impressive homemade soundsystem. At school, ‘80s pop was the dominant sound. It wasn’t long before a teenage Estelle was sneaking out of the house to hear hip hop. Her sound is a unique blend of hip hop, pop, reggae and soul, she has a special voice, unlike any other voice out there in mainstream music, and she can really write. She won a 2004 MOBO for “Best Newcomer” after she had already received “Best Female Artist” at the UK Hip Hop Awards three years in a row.
Her new album "Shine" will come out in the US April 29. Kanye West, Swizz Beatz, Wyclef Jean, Will.i.am, Mark Ronson and Cee-lo & Jack Splash all lend talents to the album and the executive producer is John Legend.
So you can imagine my surprise when I recently learned that Atlantic Records of America reportedly ordered British singer Estelle to get her teeth fixed and change her hair so she will be more “marketable” in the States. They asked her to have cosmetic surgery on her teeth and to ditch the boyish haircut. Apparently they just want to give her a complete image overhaul to help her break into the American charts.
What kind of Bull*ish is that, really?
Anyway in the meantime check out her new video with Kanye and an old one (1980).

http://youtube.com/watch?v=rLV6b8x2Z2o American Boy Feat Kanye West
http://youtube.com/watch?v=5CieTlh5h_g 1980

I am proud of you my Senegalese Sista, Keep doing whatchu doin' , Stay true to yourself and remember you once said “You don’t have to compromise yourself as an artist, you just have to make the standard believable and relatable.” So Don't mind the HATERS.

She will make it! Why ? Simply cos' I said so. Support a Sista out.)

Videos of the day ( Throwback, A l'ancienne)

I am a big fan of Hip Hop in general, so from time to time I will be posting infos and/or videos. Let me introduce you today to a French Rap Group from Marseille named Le 3éme Œil, for those who don't know, the group have 2 members: Boss One et Jo Popo aka Mombi.
They are from Marseille precisely from one of the worst neighborhood of the country "la cité Felix Pyat". Their lyrics always have a positive message even though they denounce the criminality, drug..... which are part of their everyday life in that city.
Click on the links below to see my 2 favorite videos from the group and also listen to the lyrics ( for those who speak french). La vie de rêve reminds me of the good ol' days when it first came out we used to listen to that song for hours my friends and I.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=baOt-0kBFts Si triste

http://youtube.com/watch?v=OJT1nfSUd64 La vie de rêve

Le rap Français est dans la place.).).)
Planéte Mars!!!!!!!!