The owner of Cirque du Soleil has blasted off into space. It's news because the billionaire is only the seventh space tourist - and the first clown - to visit the International Space Station. And why not, if he's willing to fork over the US$35 million.
But the interesting bits come after the red noses and Rocket Man sing-along.
Poetic Social Mission countdown begins as Guy Laliberte prepares for launch of Expedition 21 aboard Soyuz-TMA 16 spacecraft
BAIKONUR COSMODROME, Kazakhstan, Sept. 29 /PRNewswire/ - Guy Laliberte announces confirmed participation of additional world-renowned celebrities and musicians in his Poetic Social Mission, as he prepares for the Expedition 21 launch. A 120-minute global event featuring musical performances by major international artists and the reading of a poetic tale by well-known celebrities, the Poetic Social Mission seeks to raise awareness through artistic illustration of the humanitarian struggles and solutions associated with water.
Huh? It's to spread awareness of the growing shortage of clean water, then? How did that come about? Hmm, I have everything money can buy, I've travelled across the globe, where shall I go on my next vacation? Wait - I haven't been to space! And it'll only cost 35 million! But what if the news hounds find out? I don't want to look like just another bored rich person. I know! I'll read poetry while I'm up there and have a bunch of other rich people back on earth read along, put a Good Cause on it, and I'm all set!
I'm all for artistic endeavours, but somehow I think those millions could be better spent. In 2004, for example, the US city of Brownsville built a desalination plant at the cost of US$21.1 million. It has a capacity of 7.5 million gallons of potable water per day.
Here at home, a Newater plant in Changi that will be able to supply 15% of Singapore's current water needs at full capacity costs S$150 million to build. If I'm not mistaken, it churns out more than 15 million gallons per day.
And over in water-starved Africa, the Makivenzi Water Project in Kenya cost some US$$14,000 to build. The 60-foot deep well and 100,000 litre water tank benefits over 2,000 people in the community.
Of course, that's just number crunching - it'll take more than one entry to discuss the environmental impact of desalination and water renewal. My point is, who knows how many affected by the lack of clean water can benefit if those funds were well spent. But I s'pose if the idea is just to make sure people know that clean water is running out, you wouldn't want to be building new water sources. You'd want to deprive them of it. Maybe it'll be a reading of parched poetry. But that's really only based on the misguided belief that people who know will do something about it, not continue to soak in the jacuzzi and build swimming pools in their backyards and indulge in other water-wasting habits.
Opps, not politically correct to criticise rich folks who need to justify their expensive hobbies by promoting Good Causes, is it?
But heck, they don't even have any qualms supporting Bad Causes.
Polanski faces harsher U.S. justice system than 1977
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - If Los Angeles prosecutors succeed in extraditing Roman Polanski from Switzerland to face sentencing for having unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl, the film director will find that U.S. courts treat his crime more severely than 30 years ago.
By Alex Dobuzinskis
If he did do the crime (he did plead guilty, afterall), why should he be let off? Because he won an Oscar? Because he's now "too old" to go to jail? He only managed to become "too old" because he skipped bail and fled to France in 1977 and has been living the high life since then. Why should he enjoy such privileges? If he didn't win an Oscar and have rich and famous friends, would we still be having this discussion?
So his victim has forgiven him. Imagine how much tax payers' money can be saved if perpetrators can get a free pass out of jail if they manage to get their victim(s) to forgive them!
Or maybe his rich supporters are operating on the belief that people with talent, people who can contribute to society, shouldn't be treated the same as other criminal low-lives. That's why those bankers, those people who triggered the global financial crisis are still, somehow, safely ensconced in their nice offices in their nice buildings, right?
