NOV 24 POPE FRANCIS CANCELS CHRISTMAS

NOV 24 POPE FRANCIS CANCELS CHRISTMAS

For the thousands of folks who packed into the Vatican's Basilica di Santa Maria last week, it was supposed to be a magical night. First, the Pope would give a special mass. Then, the crowd would exit to the piazza to the new Nativity scene. Finally, the holiday lights and decorations would suddenly brighten to every one's delight. Talk about a special moment! However, things are different this year. There's a new pope in town and he had a trick up his sleeve.

Rather than deliver the usual, humdrum...Blessed are those...type of sermon, Pope Francis changed the script. "The whole world is at war." the pontiff began "So this year, Christmas is just a charade." What? Maybe we lost something in translation. The Italian word in question is truccato. Which has a variety of meanings, like 'rigged' and 'falsify.' "There will be lights, parties, bright trees all decked out. Meanwhile, the world continues to wage war. The holiday is meaningless." Alright, it's true: The Pope just cancelled Christmas!

After the NOVEMBER OF DEATH, the Pope has reason to be angry. Let's review the tally. As everyone knows, 130 innocent people were murdered in Paris on November 13. The next day, 43 others were slaughtered in Beirut by suicide bombers. Not to forget the 224 dead in the bombed Russian passenger plane. An of course the 21 people shot by machine guns in the lobby of a luxury hotel in Mali. Let's face it: Francis is right: This is truly the most hateful month in a long time!

So should everyone really "not cover everything with tinsel and garlands and decorations" like the Pope said? Well, perhaps Francis' orders are a bit strict. But it certainly is time to look outside the box this holiday season. In addition to the above mentioned death toll, there are military conflicts being waged in retaliation. Whatever is left in Syria and Iraq is being destroyed. Migrants are flooding out, causing a humanitarian crisis.

Fortunately for all Christians, a Papal order has not been binding for 500 years or so. So, feel free to celebrate the Birth of Christ as you normally would. Just try to be more aware of the 'American Burden.' Our combination of crazy liberal rights with insane corporate greed results in wrath from other nations. Anyone who has traveled overseas knows this feeling. You never play Mortal Kombat video games, view hardcore porn or watch gory slasher movies. But...as an American...this is how the rest of the world defines you.

NOV 20 TENSIONS AT HONG KONG VS CHINA SOCCER MATCH

NOV 20 TENSIONS AT HONG KONG VS CHINA SOCCER MATCH

It's been nearly 20 years since Hong Kong was formally ceded from the United Kingdom and became part of the People's Republic of China. Let's face it: This has not been a smooth transition. To summarize: First, the SARS "Bird Flu" epidemic instantly killed 300 people in 1997. A year later, the Asian Financial Crisis struck. People's fortunes disappeared overnight. The year 2003 saw mass pro-democracy demonstrations filling the streets. The Umbrella Revolution rocked Hong Kong last year, with some squares still being occupied today. In short, it has been a tension-fueled mess.

Yet none of these milestones compares to the events last week. During the World Cup qualifying match between Hong Kong and Mainland China, unruly fans defied warnings from FIFA and the police. Instead, they launched a massive protest. They booed mercilessly during the introductions, waving banners and signs. Things got testy during the national anthem. Since Hong Kong didn't have a 'National Song' as a British colony, the Chinese inserted their own dreaded tune as the official Hong Kong anthem. When "March of the Volunteers" began to play, all 6,071 fans let loose.

FIFA responded by fining the Hong Kong Football Association. It's the first time any country has been disciplined for booing during their own National Anthem! What are the Hong Kongers so angry about? They believe the "One Country, Two Systems" plan is a complete failure. One of the reasons why the colony thrived was Hong Kong Basic Law. Drafted in London in 1912, it granted simple rights to the citizenry of the crown colony. While these were limited freedoms from a Western point of view, these actions were unprecedented in the Orient. People flocked to Hong Kong in hopes of living a free and more prosperous life.

Today, Hong Kongers straddle a tenuous line. On one side, they have a surging economy, based on the principles of free enterprise. When the People's Republic took over Hong Kong, they were hesitant to alter the finely-tuned economic machine and...for the most part...left it alone. On the other side, Hong Kongers have a giant, power-hungry nation in control of their politics. Unwilling to mess with successful corporations, they have instead concentrated on slowly taking away the personal freedoms that lured entrepreneurs to the colony in the first place.

While Beijing will undoubtedly try to control the hearts and minds of Hong Kongers, we here at the DUNER BLOG know they will not succeed. The people of the island colony are truly unique. Although they speak Cantonese and look just like folks on the mainland, their souls are not Chinese. Like Singapore and Taiwan, they may be linked culturally to the People's Republic, but their hearts beat to the drum of the West. Oops! We forgot: The score of the match was China: 0. Hong Kong: 0. No winners!

NOV 13 THE TOP TEN MOST RECOGNIZABLE LOGOS

NOV 13 THE TOP TEN MOST RECOGNIZABLE LOGOS

The staff of the DUNER BLOG was on assignment in Eugene, Oregon last week. We learned that many people call Eugene 'The City that Nike Built." Everywhere you turn, you see the omnipresent Nike swoosh. It's not just running shoes either. It's on sports bras, the OU football jerseys and the impressive Event Center. All of which got us thinking...Which are the most recognizable logos in the world?

#1. Nike. Year: 1971. Designer: Carolyn Davidson. When a tiny Oregon sports importing company decided to diversify into sneakers, they hired a local graphic designer to dream up a logo. She says she was inspired by the Greek goddess of Victory, who embodies movement and speed. Unfortunately, poor Carolyn only received $35 for her revolutionary design. 

#2. McDonald's. 1961. Designer: George Dexter. All children around the world know: When they see the 'Golden Arches' that means good food...and a toy...are coming. Yay! When Ray Kroc bought the chain, he hired George Dexter to dream up something special. He designed two enormous arches that would form an 'M,' visible for miles around...a must for a Drive-Thru.

#3 Coca-Cola. 1886. Designer: Frank Mason Robinson. There wasn't such a thing as a Graphic Designer back in the 1880's when the Coca-Cola Company first began bottling pop in Atlanta. The closest thing they had was the bookkeeper, Frank. When asked, he simply wrote the name in Spencerian Script typeface, as this was the standard practice for signage in the era. Sure looks different today!

#4. Mercedes-Benz. 1902. Designer: Gottlieb Daimler. In case you've wondered, Mercedes was a popular ladies' name first, and a name for a car second. Specifically, founder Gottlieb Daimler's daughter's name. He also designed the three pointed star to represent where a Mercedes can take you: Land, Sea and Air.

#5. Apple. 1970. Designer: Ronald Wayne. The founders of the tech giant felt their product was as revolutionary as the apple that fell on Issac Newton's head. The first design was deemed 'too cute; for Steve Jobs, so designer Ronald Wayne unveiled a much simpler design. The bite was added so people wouldn't confuse it with a cherry.

#6. Seven-Eleven. 1946. Designer: Fran Gianninoto. During the Depression, an entrepreneur in Dallas began selling eggs, milk and bread out of a makeshift ice house. He wanted folks to remember his long hours: 7am - 10 pm. Turns out people loved the convenience of being able to buy basic items any time. When he expanded, a designer used bright yet contrasting colors to grab attention...and a Slurpee.

#7. Google. 1998 Designer: Sergey Brin. Sometimes simplicity wins. Co-founder Brin selected a Sans-Serif Type face from a free, online design site. He then decided to spice it up by printing each letter in a primary color.

#8. Starbucks. 1971. Designer: Terry Heckler. In a Seattle antiques store, Terry Heckler stumbled across a Norse 16th century woodcut. It had a mermaid with a crown and a long tail. It was instantly selected as the new logo. Over the years, it has evolved a bit. Gone are the mermaid's bare chest and her crown has been simplified.

#9. Warner Brothers. 1923. Designer: Saul Bass.  This entertainment giant wanted a power logo with strength. The four brothers voted for a shield with the stylized 'WB' dominating the middle. It stood for quality entertainment in theaters, record turntables and television.

#10. NASA. 1958. Designer: James Modavelli. The big dreams of the Space Race are found in the future-moving NASA design. Approved by Eisenhower, then modified by Kennedy, it has graced the Apollo missions, the Space Shuttle and Station. It makes the top ten because its the only logo in space!

OCT 30 FAQs ABOUT CANADIAN P.M. JUSTIN TREADEAU

OCT 30  FAQs ABOUT CANADIAN P.M. JUSTIN TRUDEAU

Move over, Bieber! There's a new Justin in town. And...he's the new King of Canada. Meet JUSTIN TRUDEAU, the new Prime Minister.  Monday's General Election is over and so is the 10 years of Conservative rule. Our mailbag is full, so let's get started.

Is Justin related to Pierre Trudeau? Mais Oui! Dad was a wildly popular Liberal Prime Minister from 1968 - 1984. As a French-speaking native of Quebec, he oversaw a tumultuous period in Canadian History. He managed to appease the secessionist movement through a series of bilingual changes to the constitution. However, he is best remembered by his love of Pop Culture. He dated Barbra Streisand and Margot Kidder. John Lennon quipped: "If all politicians were like Pierre Trudeau, there would be World Peace." His passing in 2000 inspired Justin's political aspirations.

At 43, is he the youngest Canadian Prime Minister ever? Nope. Although he lasted a mere nine months in office, Joe Clark was only forty years old when he assumed the office in 1979. While Justin may not be the youngest Canadian PM, he is definitely the most handsome. In fact, social media has been calling him the "Sexiest Leader on the Planet." We here at the DUNER BLOG still feel this title belongs to German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Is Justin really qualified for the job? That's what the Tories have been claiming. Let's look at his resume. Politically, he has been a member of Parliament representing a Montreal neighborhood for six years. (The same as Obama). Prior to that, he has worked many different jobs. Justin was a High School teacher, a nightclub bouncer, snowboard instructor and bungee jump coach. However, the real problem was the Tory campaign of "Justin: Just Not Ready."  The attack ads were demeaning and swung many voters to the Liberal camp.

Where does he stand on the issues? Justin represents the left wing side of his Liberal Party well. He is Pro-Choice, Pro-Pot and promises to raise taxes on the rich. A solid Socialist, he supports Bernie Sanders presidential campaign in the US. On foreign policy, he believes in an isolationist approach, and has voiced opposition to Canadian involvement in recent NATO campaigns in the Ukraine and the Middle East.

What are 'Voies Ensoleillées? This French phrase translates as 'Sunny Ways' and became Justin's un-official campaign slogan. It refers to a phrase coined by PM Wilfrid Laurier 100 years ago. He believed in a cohesive Canada where French and English live together in sunlight forever. Justin was smart to invoke Laurier. As the longest serving PM, he is on the main Canadian bank note, the $5. We here at the DUNER BLOG salute Justin and his positive energy. We look forward to a Bieber / Trudeau duet in the near future!

OCT 21 INDONESIAN FOREST FIRES ARE EVERYONE'S PROBLEM

OCT 21 INDONESIAN FOREST FIRES ARE EVERYONE'S PROBLEM

Two years ago, the DUNER BLOG correctly predicted that the People's Republic of China would overtake the USA as the world's largest carbon-emitting nation on earth. We were correct. However, we are totally surprised to see a new entry at the #2 spot in the year 2015: Indonesia. No...the enormous island nation hasn't industrialized overnight...forest fires are raging out of control. They are spewing more pollution into the atmosphere than the American people do. Sure...the fires will eventually burn out or be extinguished by a tropical storm. Since there is zero chance of American driving less...Or China burning less coal...Indonesia's time as a Top Polluter Nation is short lived. But still worth noting!!

You're asking: Just how bad are these fires? So far, 1000,000 individual blazes have scorched 4.2 million acres. But what makes these infernos so dangerous is the tropical habitat they burn. 52% of the area affected are Peat-lands. These moist swamps contain the largest amounts of carbon of any landscape on the planet. Gizmodo calls them; "A pollution bomb, smoldering through centuries-old soil carbon and spewing CO₂ and methane into the atmosphere at record rates." Yikes! Only the SuperFriends could solve this!

A state of emergency has been in effect for months on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. In the city on Banjarmasin, air pollution levels reached a staggering 2,300 PSA on the Pollutant Standards Index. This is a new all-time record! More than 140,000 people have been hospitalized for respiratory illness. But it's not just Indonesia that is getting hit. This atomic-like explosion has invaded the entire Southeast Asian atmosphere. In short, people in Singapore and Malaysia haven't seen the sun in three months. Marathons and concerts have been cancelled. Tourism has pummeled: Last week, seven hikers were burned alive.

Singapore's Ferris Wheel doesn't look like much fun today!

How did it all start? Borneo and Sumatra (the world's third and sixth largest islands) have little government...but lots of natural resources. "It is the habit of locals to burn land in hope that new buds will grow" Major General Siburian explained. "It's passed down for generations. Unfortunately, this year, the spot fires have quickly spread." In addition to local farmers, these unregulated islands are a haven for shady, unregulated entrepreneurs. After the 'slash and burn,' cleared land is used for ranching and farming cash crops. As the general said, 2015 has been an abnormally dry year, and Indonesia has received much less rainfall than on average. Once all these fires start... Well, you know the rest.

While its easy to dismiss a forest fire on the Equator as completely unimportant to one's daily life, we here at the DUNER BLOG ask you to pause for a moment. Think about what future generations will ask when they read about people in the year 2015. 'Why didn't they send in the UN Fire Department?' they'll ponder. Everyone knows: As the population of the planet grows, natural resources become more and more important. Borneo and Sumatran rainforests and peatlands need our attention now. Until we get rescued by the SUPER FRIENDS, it's up to us!

OCT 15 UPDATES ON THE SYRIAN WAR

OCT 15 UPDATES ON THE SYRIAN WAR

There's a war going on in the Middle East!! But...since the USA ain't fighting...it is not getting much coverage on American News Networks. That's why the DUNER BLOG is here! Let's review recent events:

Ukrainian Invasion. Believe it or not, but our discussion starts in the Ukraine. Earlier this year, Russia did a masterful job of annexing the Eastern half of the nation. Here's how they did it: First, clandestine troops quietly crossed the border and staged coups in large cities. When the West found out and asked questions, Putin denied any knowledge of the "rebels and separatists." Then...all of a sudden...Russian tri-color flags began flying all over Crimea. While Putin's Defense Minister is more transparent about their actions in Syria, there is no denying their new found confidence.

ISIS: Russian Enemy #1. Unlike the Ukraine, the foe in the Syrian War is truly evil. For the last two years, barbarians, posing as humans, have committed unspeakable atrocities. Beheading children, sexual slavery, roasting Roman ruins...the list of ISIS Crimes Against Humanity is horrendously long. While the rest of the world has sat around and watched, Putin is the only world leader to stand up and commit ground forces. Another Middle Eastern conflict is poison for a US President but an easy call for a Russian Czar.

Russian Volunteer Forces. While Russia boasts one of the planet's largest standing army, getting actual people to fight in far-off Syria has been challenging. Corruption keeps many able men from going. Others are told they are being transferred to a new base then... Surprise! Your plane just landed in Syria. Finally, meet the guys on the front line: The Volunteer Corps. For $100 a day, you leave your life as a soccer hooligan, receive an AK-47 and then play a real-life video game.

Terror Toyotas. The Russian army may be insane, but they've got a insidious counterpart to fight in this conflict. ISIS launches quick and deadly strikes using an ingenious military devise: A Toyota Pickup Truck. In fact, it seems most Mideast terrorist groups prefer the Hilux model. Although the Japanese car maker insists it doesn't knowingly sell to any banned organizations, we would like to remind you of a quote from a former spokesperson: "It shows the Taliban are looking for the same qualities as any truck buyer: Durability and Reliability."

Syria's Future. We here at the DUNER BLOG applaud Russia for their participation in the Syrian War and salute their goal of demolishing the dreaded ISIS Nation. Obama likes the idea of another international power policing the Mideast and sparing him the political alienation of sponsoring another invasion. However, everyone is leery of the new alliance of Putin and Syrian Dictator Assad al-Bashir. Of the 250,000 civilians killed in the conflict so far, 90% have been killed by him and not ISIS. After the war, al-Bashir will continue his family's 50 year vice-grip on a once prosperous nation.

OCT 8 SOUTH SUDAN HOPES TO QUALIFY FOR WORLD CUP

OCT 8 SOUTH SUDAN HOPES TO QUALIFY FOR WORLD CUP

It's hard to believe that countries are already playing qualifying games for the 2018 World Cup. But, it's true: Preliminary matches began over the weekend.  The top teams then receive an invitation to the regional tournaments. And nowhere is the competition more fierce than in Africa. A whopping fifty-three teams vie for only five spots. Do the math: Only 9% of the nations get to advance to the BIG DANCE. This is the smallest percentage for any of the six FIFA Regions.

While Algeria has the best odds of advancing, all eyes are focused on the newest member in the AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS tourney: South Sudan. As you'll remember from a previous blog, this landlocked nation declared independence in 2011, and is the youngest country on earth. It began well: South Sudan unveiled a fun flag, impressive coat of arms, national anthem, etc. But then the reality of establishing a new economy and delivering services to an already impoverished population proved vexing. Today, South Sudan has the highest score on the Fragile States Index, the lowest rate of female literacy and a GNP so small we can't find a font that tiny. In short, this nation ranks on the bottom of just about any list.

How bad is it in South Sudan? Juba...the world's newest national capital..was once a bustling port city on the banks of the White Nile River. Unfortunately, there is little cargo moving today. Since independence, internal strife has ripped the young nation of South Sudan apart. This means the few roads, bridges and docks have been blown up by one group or another. How short lived was the joy of independence? Everyone cheered on September 5, 2011, when the first baby was born in the new nation: An aptly named boy: Independent Moses Nunuh. Sadly, he died before his first birthday....a common fate in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Nonetheless, the South Sudanese want to show the world they can accomplish one important thing: Making it to the 2018 World Cup in Russia. First, they assembled a team and hired a coach from Korea, Lee Sung-Jea. He's managed to take the young, raw talent of the Lions and turn them into an organized unit. Last month, they won their first-ever competitive game, barely edging Equatorial Guinea 1-0. Atak Lual accounted for the lone goal. Yesterday...after a 24 hour rain delay...South Sudan played their first ever FIFA match and tied Mauritania 1-1. They must win or tie against Djibouti (easy) and Malawi (hard) to advance.

But the real story here isn't on the soccer pitch...it's the people in the stadium seats. The simple fact that 20,000 people packed into the crumbling old stadium in this struggling slum of a city is reason for hope and cheer. While it's easy to find fault in the much maligned FIFA...corrupt, racist and arrogant...We here at the DUNER BLOG give them respect. Let's face it: More nations take part in the International Soccer Tourney than nations present at the UN. Although the odds are phenomenally stacked against South Sudan, just showing up to play should count as a win!