Mercy Ships, a new Ambassador, Oh Canada, PM resigns and Martians--My day on Twitter

I thought I would do a little shameless self-promotion and encourage you to follow my twitter account (For Unofficial Use Only Twitter Account) --below is what I was looking at yesterday.

FAO Pro Tip #3 There's a reason NASA missions pack duct tape

I am tearing my way through book The Martian by Andy Weir.  Don't worry, it's not about aliens--it's about an astronaut--so cool your jets all you sci-fi haters...look I will spare you a description--just click the book below and buy yourself a copy--it's SO good.

Anyway, in the book the stranded astronaut finds myriad creative uses for duct tape on Mars. Sometimes traveling abroad and working as a Foreign Area Officer (FAO), one feels is if he IS on
Mars.  I never know what I might encounter that just doesn't work...or rips...or breaks...or cuts or falls--that's why I always carry a roll of duct tape in my carry-on.  Unfortunately, I only have a jumbo sized grey roll, but once that runs out, I think I will pick up once of these travel rolls below.

During my most recent family vacation to Ft. Dauphin I found yet another use for duct tape--entertaining a whining 9 month baby.  He fruitlessly tried removing a small strip of duct tape off of various body parts for about 15 minutes!  Additionally, my daughters got in on the action and we all made 'duct tape fingers.'    The moral of the story is "duct tape--don't leave home without it"

Past FAO Pro Tips:
FAO Pro Tip #1 or Ode to VapoRub
FAO Pro Tip #2 or You're only a handshake away

'Mo' Money, Mo' Problems' or 'Trop d'argent Trop des problemes' or #tanksforafrica #jetsforafrica

The longer I live, the more I realize that Biggie Smalls was a visionary ahead of his time, n'est-ce pas? 

The economist article this past November, Arms and the African: The Continent's armies are going on a spending spree highlights some startling spending figures going on across the African continent.  It also highlights a pet peeve of mine--it is so annoying when an article doesn't just hyperlink it's source...I mean what does the economist think--it's 2005 or something?

Just hyperlink the SIPRI research ECONOMIST, don't make me google it for five minutes seconds!

Anyway, it is astounding the amount of tanks and jets that countries are buying--and wholly unnecessary in 95% of the cases.  Nearly every one of these countries would be better off creating a coast guard and spending the air budget on transport planes.  Unfortunately, the majority of the blame should be placed on the countries selling them equipment that they don't need and that they can't operate properly and maintain long-term.  Reading through the meagre SIPRI research, though, they don't (or didn't have access to) break out the spending by donor country.  So ultimately, the ECONOMIST article is nothing more than a teaser for which there isn't the desired research hasn't been done yet.

For grad students, HOWEVER, a great research topic (wish I had thought about this).  Although, fat chance getting the various countries to cough up the numbers on all the equipment they received...so maybe not the best topic.

Finally, I would just note that perhaps some of the green countries should perhaps devote a little more of their defense budget (wisely).

LINKS:


http://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21633901-continents-armies-are-going-spending-spree-arms-and-african

http://www.sipri.org/research/armaments/milex

http://www.sipri.org/research/armaments/milex/milex_database/milexdata1988-2012v2.xsls

Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), http://www.sipri.org/research/armaments/milex/milex_database/milexdata1988-2012v2.xsls"