dagblog - Comments for "Barack Obama and Raul Castro among speakers at Nelson Mandela memorial"

"A schizophrenic with a

artappraiser — Thu, 12 Dec 2013 17:45:09 +0000

"A schizophrenic with a tendency toward violence"!

Interpreter at Mandela Memorial Says He Saw ‘Angels’
By Nicholas Kulish, John Eligon and Alan Cowell, New York Times, Dec. 12, 2013

PRETORIA, South Africa — A supposed sign-language interpreter accused of being a fraud after he stood beside President Obama and other global dignitaries at Nelson Mandela’s memorial service told a series of interviewers on Thursday that he was a schizophrenic with a tendency toward violence and had seen angels descending as he worked in the stadium where the event was held.

The admissions by the man, Thamsanqa Jantjie, 34, whom sign language experts have labeled an impostor, added one more bizarre turn to a story that has raised questions about the security of the memorial ceremony and its participants, and has spread a pall of distraction and embarrassment over what should be one of the solemn moments in the country’s modern history [....]

Interpreter for deaf at

artappraiser — Thu, 12 Dec 2013 04:29:10 +0000

In reply to Barack Obama and Raul Castro among speakers at Nelson Mandela memorial

Interpreter for deaf at Mandela event called fake
By Alan Clendenning and Ray Faure, Associated Press, Dec. 11, 2013\

JOHANNESBURG - As one world leader after another paid homage to Nelson Mandela at a memorial service, the man standing at arm's length from them appeared to interpret their words in sign language. But advocates for the deaf say he was a faker.

The incident, which outraged deaf people and sign-language interpreters watching the service broadcast around the globe, raised questions of how the unidentified man managed to crash a supposedly secure event attended by scores of heads of state, including President Barack Obama.

It also was another example of the problems plaguing Tuesday's memorial, including public transportation breakdowns that hindered mourners going to the soccer stadium and a faulty audio system that made the speeches inaudible for many. Police also failed to search the first wave of crowds who rushed into the stadium after the gates were opened just after dawn.

The man, who stood about a yard (one meter) from Obama and other leaders, "was moving his hands around, but there was no meaning in what he used his hands for," Bruno Druchen, national director of the Deaf Federation of South Africa, told The Associated Press on Wednesday [....]

Far from the biggest and best

artappraiser — Wed, 11 Dec 2013 00:22:30 +0000

In reply to Barack Obama and Raul Castro among speakers at Nelson Mandela memorial

Far from the biggest and best funeral evah: David Smith @ The Guardian.

I watched parts of it live and I agree. It was sad and not in a good way. I cringed at things like the disorganization, very poor sound, video feed that didn't make much sense, the crowd seeming not interested in the program at all, and at times, the MC acting like an angry schoolteacher not in control of the class. It was not all up to Mandela's dignity and he wasn't really reflected at all. (Saw the MC break into the middle of the Indian PM's speech for a lengthy lecture to the crowd about behaving and having discipline, including having them chant some things, for longer than 5 minutes, while the Indian PM just stood there waiting at the podium for him to get the class under control.)

I did switch back and forth from BBC to CNN to CSPAN. It was clear that the anchors on the two former were trying to make the boring confusing disorganized straight feed on CSPAN into something more interesting by talking instead of showing what ~~was~~ wasn't going on.

What one could see of the dignitaries showed them arriving late because of traffic, and then either basically ignoring the whole thing to schmooze, zoning out, and leaving before it was over. Mandela's family was shown often zoning out. A lot of the crowd left early, too. The music was not at all what I expected, mostly seemed very amateur and/or unrehearsed, and again, disorganized.

I think this is a big deal;

Richard Day — Tue, 10 Dec 2013 16:21:42 +0000

In reply to Barack Obama and Raul Castro among speakers at Nelson Mandela memorial

I think this is a big deal; but President Obama shaking the hand of Castro?

wow!

Now that will be an

A Guy Called LULU — Mon, 09 Dec 2013 21:23:26 +0000

In reply to Will not El Caballo himself

Now that will be an interesting memorial service.

Will not El Caballo himself

jollyroger — Mon, 09 Dec 2013 21:18:31 +0000

In reply to Barack Obama and Raul Castro among speakers at Nelson Mandela memorial

Will not El Caballo himself attend? I fear if not, it speaks forebodingly of his health...