An American Accent in Sydney

"America might control the world, but we must control and keep our own language" -Queensland, Australia's premier

The iconic Sydney opera house is a distinctly Australian image and manages to capture the personality and spirit of both the city and country. Australian identity, like all national identities, are tightly linked to its language. What then to do (if anything) when the rise of American english and associated cultural detritus continues? English is the language of world business and of medicine and public health--though this might be argued by the francophile WHO/UN. There are clear efficiency benefits of a world language, i.e. english, but as accents fade will too the things that make a multicultural world so interesting?

Photo: Sydney opera house, taken July 2007 while attending the 4th International AIDS Society Conference.

Abstinence versus The Healthy Penis

The results of a US government sponsored study on abstinence-only education were recently revealed. The results may not surprise you--it doesn't appear to work. Abstinence-only policies have been a cornerstone of current domestic and foreign health-related programs, at significant financial cost. A funny and fascinating contrast to this failed health promotion strategy is the Healthy Penis campaign. This public health multimedia initiative has evidence to back up its successes and is quite a contrast to bland abstinence-only lectures.

Pur vida...

It is difficult to pick a single picture to capture the ecohaven country of Costa Rica. I was fortunate enough to spend some there in February. It is a fascinating country in many respects, even outside of its stunning natural wonders. In fact, its politics (democratic and peaceful), lack of standing army, and relatively prosperity only add to the delight of it beaches, cloud forests, and people. However, no paradise is immune from the 3 R's: real estate, "retirement", and riches, and the battle for the heart, soul, and property of Costa Rica is well underway.

Photo: The still active Volcan Arenal in Costa Rica, taken February 2007.