Orgasmic Birth is a documentary by filmmaker Debra Pascali-Bonaro that examines the intimate nature of birth, an everyday miracle, and the powerful role it plays in women’s lives when they are permitted to experience it fully. This documentary which intersperses expert commentary from doctors and midwives with footage of 11 women labouring – at home, in birthing centres and in hospitals, asks viewers to re-examine everything they thought they knew about giving birth and the potential it holds. The official website is http://www.orgasmicbirth.com.
Until now, I've never heard of giving birth being associated with anything other than the long wait, the excruciating unbearable pain, the screaming and yelling. Orgasmic? That's new to me. I've personally know relatives and friends who had given birth via C-section, natural birth and even giving birth in a cab, and all those were associated with pain, nothing sensual or pleasurable. But of course nothing beats the joy of bringing a baby into this world.
Pascali-Bonaro wants her movie to open up the possibilities to women to have a pleasurable experience when giving birth in environment where she feels undisturbed and not in the conventional hospital where they are hooked up to machines with doctors and nurses moving in and out. Pascali-Bonaro hopes her movie will inspire women to enjoy childbirth with freedom of movement during labor and using birthing balls, being upright, dimming the lights, a totally new experience.
Orgasmic Birth has had an international impact on the film festival circuit and was screened at the prestigious Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival; The Baltimore Women's Film Festival; Usti Film Festival in the Czech Republic; and Festival Caminhos in Portugal. Orgasmic Birth also won the Audience Choice Award at the 2008 Motherbaby International Film Festival in Bermuda.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
One 999 Call Every 7 Seconds In Britain's Bloody New Year's Day
2008 was a turbulent year and it is typical to welcome the new year with a big celebration. Heralding in 2009 with parties and booze in Britain led to a bloody new year with ambulance control centres receiving high volumes of calls with the highest from London Ambulance Service with one call in every 7 seconds. Many of the calls related either to alcohol-fuelled assaults or excessive drunkenness.
This high volume of calls made it tougher for the ambulance centres to respond and provide aid to people in life threatening situations and the aftermath of the excessive night of celebrations is likely to add to the huge numbers of workers expected to phone in sick subsequently.
Is anyone surprised that such situations arises in Britain? Apparently not, just look at some of the many comments online at http://www.dailymail.co.uk, some reproduced below:
"This is a typical night in towns all over Britain."
".... this is just typical of newcastle, its always like this hence the comment that "it was a quiet night""
"What can anybody say that hasn´t already been said many times over ? and unfortunately , in contrast to the many statistics they throw at us saying otherwise we all know that its getting worse."
"Drinking, vomiting, fighting, these are the things the Brits are good at. After all, we make rubbish parents, rubbish managers. rubbish politicians, rubbish drivers, so give us credit for something or we'll get paranoid."
"I just spent my first New Years Eve - without being surrounded by drunken yobs - without fear of fighting - without fear of getting a glass in your face if you talk to the wrong person - safe on the streets withall the family including the children enjoying fireworks, bonfire, dancing and singing in the street with the neighbours - and we all went home without anyone dying, seriously injured or even not seriously injured - we even managed to light all of the streets fireworks, which were spectacular, without the need for the fire brigade standing by or safety glasses or asbestos suits and a 13 page safety booklet written in every language and without mentioning anything that might offend any creed, race, religion or sexual persuasion. I never realised life can be simple - till I left the UK of course. How sad eh?"
"Doesn't look that different from any week-end night in most British cities. Or certain parts of certain European cities after the Brits have Ryanaired in for stag/hen parties or cheap hols. I know several residents of Prague who are grateful that the weak pound will be keeping many of these people at home!"
This high volume of calls made it tougher for the ambulance centres to respond and provide aid to people in life threatening situations and the aftermath of the excessive night of celebrations is likely to add to the huge numbers of workers expected to phone in sick subsequently.
Is anyone surprised that such situations arises in Britain? Apparently not, just look at some of the many comments online at http://www.dailymail.co.uk, some reproduced below:
"This is a typical night in towns all over Britain."
".... this is just typical of newcastle, its always like this hence the comment that "it was a quiet night""
"What can anybody say that hasn´t already been said many times over ? and unfortunately , in contrast to the many statistics they throw at us saying otherwise we all know that its getting worse."
"Drinking, vomiting, fighting, these are the things the Brits are good at. After all, we make rubbish parents, rubbish managers. rubbish politicians, rubbish drivers, so give us credit for something or we'll get paranoid."
"I just spent my first New Years Eve - without being surrounded by drunken yobs - without fear of fighting - without fear of getting a glass in your face if you talk to the wrong person - safe on the streets withall the family including the children enjoying fireworks, bonfire, dancing and singing in the street with the neighbours - and we all went home without anyone dying, seriously injured or even not seriously injured - we even managed to light all of the streets fireworks, which were spectacular, without the need for the fire brigade standing by or safety glasses or asbestos suits and a 13 page safety booklet written in every language and without mentioning anything that might offend any creed, race, religion or sexual persuasion. I never realised life can be simple - till I left the UK of course. How sad eh?"
"Doesn't look that different from any week-end night in most British cities. Or certain parts of certain European cities after the Brits have Ryanaired in for stag/hen parties or cheap hols. I know several residents of Prague who are grateful that the weak pound will be keeping many of these people at home!"
9 Muslims removed from AirTran Airways New Year's Day Flight
A group of 9 Muslims comprising of family and friends on their way from Washington to a religious retreat in Florida were removed from an AirTran Airways New Year's Day flight after other passengers reportedly overheard a suspicious remark made by one of the Muslims. All passengers were asked to alight from the flight by federal officials for re-screening, eventually the plane took off, albeit 2 hours behind time, with all but the 9 Muslims.
FBI agents were brought in to interview the 9 Muslims to determine if they posed a threat, the Muslims were eventually cleared of all suspicions and flew to their destination in a US Airways flight as AirTran Airways refuse to allow them to book another flight. It all started with a benign remark by one Muslims on the safest place to sit on board a plane and other passengers interpreted this as suspicious and raised the alarm. AirTran Airways has since apologized to the Muslim passengers, refunded their fare, planned to reimburse them for the US Airways tickets and offer them free flight back to Washington
Why did this happen? Are people just over cautious after 9/11? Then again, is there a cost we can tie to security & safety? There is no clear solution. We can't stop people from traveling, the world from advancing with cross border trade and interactivity. We need to understand and respect each others' language, religion and cultural differences. We need to be mindful of what we say and how it will be interpreted by others. We need to adhere to the laws of the country wherever we are.
No matter what we do or how much effort we put in, there will always be groups of people whom we will fail to understand why they act in certain manner or carry out acts beyond our comprehension. We can only try to live a sane life, as much as we can.
FBI agents were brought in to interview the 9 Muslims to determine if they posed a threat, the Muslims were eventually cleared of all suspicions and flew to their destination in a US Airways flight as AirTran Airways refuse to allow them to book another flight. It all started with a benign remark by one Muslims on the safest place to sit on board a plane and other passengers interpreted this as suspicious and raised the alarm. AirTran Airways has since apologized to the Muslim passengers, refunded their fare, planned to reimburse them for the US Airways tickets and offer them free flight back to Washington
Why did this happen? Are people just over cautious after 9/11? Then again, is there a cost we can tie to security & safety? There is no clear solution. We can't stop people from traveling, the world from advancing with cross border trade and interactivity. We need to understand and respect each others' language, religion and cultural differences. We need to be mindful of what we say and how it will be interpreted by others. We need to adhere to the laws of the country wherever we are.
No matter what we do or how much effort we put in, there will always be groups of people whom we will fail to understand why they act in certain manner or carry out acts beyond our comprehension. We can only try to live a sane life, as much as we can.
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