hi all, please consider these words from AVAAZ on the situation in Burma,

best wishes

Jonathan

also please take a look at shi short video www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2008/may/09/cyclone.burma.aid

and www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/may/09/cyclonenargis.burma4

Dear friends,

Staggering new estimates suggest that 100,000 people may have died in Burma's terrible cyclone. Incredibly,

the corrupt and brutal Burmese government has stopped most international aid at the borders and is impeding

the relief effort.

In under 24 hours, Avaaz members have donated over 690,000 Euros (over US$1 million – more than many

governments!) to help Burma's monks provide the emergency relief, through their own networks and monasteries,

that the government will not. Scroll down to see the email sent yesterday with all the details of how we can help,

or click below to help us get over 1 million Euros (US$1.54m) today:

secure.avaaz.org/en/burma_cyclone/15.php
_________________________________________________________

Dear friends,

In the wake of a massive cyclone, a shocking 100,000 Burmese may be dead. More are missing. A million

are homeless. But what's happening in Burma is not just a natural disaster--it's also a catastrophe of bad

leadership. Burma's brutal and corrupt military junta failed to warn the people, failed to evacuate any areas,

and suppressed freedom of communication so that Burmese people didn't know the storm was coming

when the rest of the world did. Now the government is failing to respond to the disaster and obstructing

international aid organizations.

Humanitarian relief is urgently needed, but Burma's government could easily delay, divert or misuse any aid.

Yesterday the International Burmese Monks Organization, including many leaders of the democracy protests

last fall, launched a new effort to provide relief through Burma's powerful grass roots network of monasteries--

the most trusted institutions in the country and currently the only source of housing and support in many

devastated communities. Click below to help the Burmese people with a donation and see a video appeal

to Avaaz from a leader of the monks:

secure.avaaz.org/en/burma_cyclone/15.php

Giving to the monks is a smart, fast way to get aid directly to Burma's people. Governments and internationa

l aid organizations are important, but face challenges--they may not be allowed into Burma, or they may be

forced to provide aid according to the junta's rules. And most will have to spend large amounts of money

just setting up operations in the country. The monks are already on the front lines of the aid effort--housing,

feeding, and supporting the victims of the cyclone since the day it struck. The International Burmese Monks

Organization will send money directly to each monastery through their own networks, bypassing regime

controls.

Last year, more than 800,000 of us around the world stood with the Burmese people as they rose up

against the military dictatorship. The government lost no time then in dispatching its armies to ruthlessly

crush the non-violent democracy movement--but now, as tens of thousands die, the junta's response is

slow and threatens to divert precious aid into the corrupt regime's pockets.

The monks are unlikely to receive aid from governments or large humanitarian organizations, but they

have a stronger presence and trust among the Burmese people than both. If we all chip in a little bit,

we can help them to make a big difference. Click here to donate:

secure.avaaz.org/en/burma_cyclone/15.php

With hope,

Ricken, Ben, Graziela, Paul, Iain, Veronique, Pascal, Galit and the whole Avaaz team

PS: Here are some links to more information:

For more information about Avaaz's work to support the Burmese people, click here:
www.avaaz.org/en/burma_report_back

For more information about the cyclone, the humanitarian crisis, and the political dimension, see these articles:

economictimes.indiatimes.com/PoliticsNation/IMD_issued_specific_and_precise_advisories_to_Myanmar_IMD/articleshow/3016493.cms
www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/05/08/myanmar/?iref=mpstoryview

www.irrawaddy.org/opinion_story.php?art_id=11836

www.nytimes.com/2008/05/07/world/asia/07aid.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7385205.stm

from the bbc:

"Blair 'secretly advising Brown'

Tony Blair is giving advice to Prime Minister Gordon Brown and has told him how to win the next election, Cherie Blair has said.

Her disclosure is made in an interview with the Times newspaper to coincide with its serialisation of her autobiography, Speaking for Myself.

In one extract from the book, she reveals how her husband suffered a crisis of confidence over the Iraq war.

But she writes he decided to stay on as PM to fight for his domestic legacy."

I love these kind of headlines, i don't think it's too secret now, and I gues that was Cherie Blair's aim all the time, and it would appear the advice is not working too well right now...I suspect it is only a 'coincidence' that she is saying this now, and revealing her book now, along with the Labour government suffering terrible polls....as i said, probably coincidence...

As for Tony staying on to fight for his domestic legacy....I probably should say nothing about that.

Some aid is reaching Burma, but not the aid workers

A constitutional referendum is being held in Burma despite calls from the outside world for a postponement after last week's devastating cyclone.

Voting is under way in most of the country - but has been delayed in the worst-hit areas, including Rangoon.

The poll comes amid mounting international criticism of Burma's military rulers for their handling of the response to the crisis.

They say they will welcome overseas aid but not foreign relief workers.

The UN fears the death toll from the cyclone could reach 100,000.

The referendum has been postponed for two weeks in Rangoon, the country's main city, and the Irrawaddy delta, which took the full force of Cyclone Nargis.

The country's ruling generals say the referendum will pave the way for democratic elections in 2010, while the opposition says it is intended to tighten the generals' rule.

Why vote trumps storm for junta Burmese anger grows World wrestles with aid issue

Correspondents say many people in Burma are cynical about the vote.

"They take your name and ID number. Then they know if you give them a tick or a cross," an unnamed businessman told Reuters news agency.

Reporting on the referendum from Hlegu, 48km (30 miles) north of Rangoon, the Associated Press says turnout has been very light.

One voter, retired soldier Nyo Aye, said he had voted Yes even though he had not read the constitution.

"The government would not do anything inappropriate or bad for the country," the 65-year-old said.

Incommunicado

The Burmese generals have been criticised for their handling of the crisis in which officially 23,335 people were killed and 37,019 are missing.

Groups involved in last year's pro-democracy protests accused the junta of concentrating on a "sham constitutional referendum" instead of "putting all resources toward saving the lives" of cyclone victims.

The UN has launched a $187m (£96m) appeal for aid.

This is more an attempt at a discussion, but it is always interesting to find out who uses what and how they use it, and why they use it.

I'll start by saying i use a Nikon Coolpix E5700. It's an old digital 'prosumer' model (i bought it towards the end of its shelf life in 2005) with 5 MP sensor and 8x Zoom-Nikkor lens, with an 8.9-71.2mm (equivalent to 35-280mm in 35mm [135] format) focal range, and two ED (Extra-low Dispersion) lens elements. It is not an SLR but at the time this was the bridge between point and shoot and DSLR which a little raw. Talking of RAW this does shoot RAW and tiff as well as standard JPEG. I bought it on the strength of some very good reviews and it just feels so right to use. It has a sturdy magnesium body which i like and the buttons, whilst there are many and it takes a while to get used to them all, are well positioned which means the many options can be quickly used without going through fiddly menus. I love the wheel which allows me to move between 4 customised modes, which allows much quicker shooting between colour, video and black and white (although normally it stays on black and white!).

it took me two years before i felt i was using all the features i needed to, and using them well. I phased each feature in bit by bit so that i still enjoyed the photography, and as such I have felt that my photos and my technical side have been improving during this time. I have to say, the camera was money well spent, and although i would like a DSLR, i still love this camera and i am constantly surprised and just how well made it was and how well set up for photographers. The only downsides are battery life, focusing in low light, and the speed between shots (unless on dedicated high speed shooting).

for more info go here

pciture from digital photography review www.dpreview.com