“Four years in the lives of four home economics students at Iowa State University.”

This swell little educational video was once the subject of a Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode.

MST3K – The Home Economics Story

From the episode Viking Women vs. the Sea Serpent.

Cast:
Crow – Trace Beaulieu
Joel Robinson – Joel Hodgson
Servo – Kevin Murphy

© 1991 Best Brains, Inc.

Why Study Home Economics? (1955)

This fine film attempts to cloak fifties “happy homemaker” stereotyping in the mantle of science. It opens as Janice and Carol, two sisters, try to decide which classes they want to attend next semester. Janice remarks that she wants to take some courses in Home Ec, to which Carol is aghast. “Home Economics?” she scoffs. “Why in the world do you want to take Home Economics?” Janice is not easily dissuaded, and replies “Why? Because that’s something I’m gonna need to KNOW. If I’m gonna be a homemaker the rest of my life, I want to know what I’m doing!”
To confirm her point of view, Janice visits “Miss Jenkins,” her Home Ec teacher, who explains that Home Economics isn’t just baking and sewing; it teaches “the fundamental principals of food buying” and “the psychology of clothing.” “Present-day textiles cannot be judged with confidence just by casual examination,” Miss Jenkins cautions, as we see shots of girls peering through microscopes and stretching cloth swatches on a mechanical rack. If Janice decides not to get married (“at least, not right away” Miss Jenkins chuckles) she can apply her Home Ec training to college courses such as chemistry and bacteriology, or so this film insists.
“Home economics training teaches ways of developing democratic practices within the home,” Miss Jenkins adds, patriotically, but she doesn’t have to say any more to convince Janice. “Anyone who’s going to be married and a homemaker would be foolish NOT to take Home Economics!”

Why Study Home Economics (clip)
Includes sociological research in comments.

Smoking Tobacco & Marijuana During Pregnancy

Department of Education. Excerpt from the “And Down Will Come Baby” documentary. “And Down Will Come Baby” is a video about the effects of exposure to alcohol and other drugs on the fetus during pregnancy. Creative Commons license: Public Domain

Anti-smoking PIF from 1992.

Pretty creepy, shows a woman, a naked woman, I might add, smoking, as the camera goes lower down her body, we see she is pregnant, then she puts the cigarette into her navel and I guess her baby starts smoking. What the hell?

Anti-Smoking Advert for the Partners of Pregnant girls. Passive smoking message.

Public service announcement targeted at pregnant women who smoke. Awarded a Cannes Lion in 2002.

The sign says, “No healthy babies for mothers who smoked while pregnant.”

A young boy worries about his pregnant mother. Brandishing cigarette pack warning label, the boy asks, “what part of ‘harmful’ don’t you understand?”

1949 TV commercial from Camel cigarettes.

Old Gold Cigarettes Commercial (1952)

1952 Lucky Strike Cigarette Commercial

1952 Lucky Strike Cigarette Commercial with Dorothy Collins

1953 Lucky Strike

1955 Pall Mall

A fisherman smokes after a big catch. A crazed woman enjoys her cigarette a little too much. “Outstanding… and they are mild!”

Winston Cigarettes Commercial (1955)
“Winston tastes good like a cigarette should”

Lucky Strike Cigarette Baseball Commercial (1956)

Lucky Strike Cigarette commercial featuring a couple at a baseball game.

1958 – Lee Marvin – Pall Mall commercial

Frank Ifield – Australian TV commercial (1959)

Prior to his international success, here’s Frank Ifield in a local ad for Craven A.

In something of a departure for ads of the time, there’s no “pack shot” at any point in the commercial…

Steve McQueen’s Viceroy Ads
On the set of Wanted: Dead or Alive
“Thinking man’s filter, smoking man’s taste”

Pall Mall – Choose the Right Girl Choose the Right Cigarette
This one gets extra points for sexism and sexual innuendo.
“Pall Mall is longer, yes, but greater length is only half the story.”

Oasis – with menthol mist
“Freshest taste in smoking today”
A couple smokes while water-skiing.

Kool Cigarettes Commercial (1950s)
“Kooooooooooooooooooooooooool koooooooooool kooooooooooooool”

The filter is “snow fresh”

Robert Burns Cigars Commercial (1950s)

“The clean cigarette that’s kind to your throat!”

“A right clean cigarette” Australian 1961 60sec TV ad by Avondale Studios (PN440) for George Patterson (TSK 92). Filmed in Sydney’s Hyde Park.

Mute (no sound) TV show billboard. Australian 1962 10sec TV ad by Avondale Studios (PN587b) for George Patterson (TSQ-01)

“Boats”

People who get most enjoyment from life, get most enjoyment from Craven Filter. Australian 1964 30sec TV ad by Fontana Films (PN845) for George Patterson (TSA501).

Cut down of PN853a (colour). Australian 1964 60sec TV ad by Fontana Films (PN853c) for George Patterson (YSA654). Part of the “Modern Life” campaign.

“Football”

Australian 1964 30sec TV ad by Fontana Films (PN844) for George Patterson (TSA500). Looks like Wests vs St George 1963 Grand final at the Sydney Cricket Ground (they also played in ’61 and ’62).

Australian 1964 2min30sec colour cinema ad by Fontana Films (PN853a) for George Patterson (TSA590). How do they keep those smokes so dry?

DJ Academe is amused.

Everybody gets in the station wagon and heads to McDonalds

“McDonald’s loves people. And people love McDonald’s. Especially little people.”

After the Big Game its time for McDonalds.

Slightly manic and psychedelic. Focus on children.

Vintage McDonald’s commercial from the 1960′s with Ronald McDonald

1. 1968 New Roast Beef on Roll (McDonald’s is My Kind of Place)
2. 1968 McD’s Hamburger and Fried Chicken (chicken?) “Strives to Reunite the American Family”
3. 1968 Early Ronald McDonald (possibly Willard Scott) at a picnic with a giant bag (hamburgers, fries, shakes)
4. 1968 Brand new Big Mac (with the new McD’s logo)
5. 1965 Family in the Station Wagon “Let’s Go to McDonald’s”
6. 1965 McD’s Satisfied Customers (Kids)
7. 1967 McD’s Star Studded Night (5-6 min special)

1. 1967 Filet O Fish Sandwich (Old animation before McDonald Land)
2. 1967 Smile, Say Cheeseburger “The Closest Thing to Home”
3. 1967 Serving Family Communities Coast to Coast, Fast Take Out Service “The Closest Thing to Home”
4. 1967 Boy Scouts, McD’s hires clean-cut employees (they actually had manners!)
5. 1967 McDonalds is Our Kind of Place (sung by kids)
6. 1966 French Fries (when small size was actually large) “Our Kind of Place”
7. 1967 McD’s new hot Apple Pies
8. 1968 Hamburgers are Fun (with the laughing food) “McDonald’s is Your Kind of Place”

In Italy, different flowers have different meanings.

Falling asleep on a stranger’s shoulder in public transportation.

I heard about this story and decided it was a great subject for a megapost.

Published on Feb 26, 2013
“Pop That” is the name of a rap video featuring a blinged out, booty-grabbing rapper. It’s making the rounds on YouTube right now.Nothing new, right? Well, the issue in this case is that the emcee grabbing the mic is not a man with gobs of street cred. He’s 10-years-old.In “Pop That” he says, “Coke ain’t a bad word.”€ Some of his other videos show him swearing and slapping a woman’s bottom.

Albert – “Booty Pop” (6 yr old rapper) Official

Published on Jul 2, 2012
This is a Music Video we did called “Booty Pop” by Albert. Albert is a 6 year old rapper from South Florida. Since the age of 4 he has been playimg piano and singing. No stranger to the spot light this kid has “swag”.

Pop That Remix Lil Poopy

You can tell from the description that Lil Poopy’s people are getting defensive.

Published on Nov 8, 2012
Lil Poopy performing a hip hop song and emulating hip hop culture which is an art form:Pop That Remix off the mixtape Lil Poopy-Coke Aint A Bad Word http://www.datpiff.com/Lil-Poopy-Coke… WATCH GIRL CUS AND KILL ON THE BIG SCREEN http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4UjLN… INTERVIEW with BBC UK defending POOPYS rights http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUUl3D…

Lil P-Nut “YOU MIGHT BE THE ONE”

Uploaded on Sep 7, 2010
LIKE YScRoll On FaceBook http://www.facebook.com/pages/YScRoll…
SUPPORT LIL P-NUT Directed by catjohproductions

SOMEBODY GRAB THIS BOY UP LIL P-NUTT YOUNG 7 YEAR OLD MEMPHIS RAPPER WITH INCREDIBLE TALENT LIL MAN RAP, DANCE & SING A TRUE ROLE MODEL OF WHAT WE NEED FOR THIS YOUNG GENERATION

CJ Dippa Americas Got Talent Video With Lyrics (Authentic)

Uploaded on Jun 8, 2010
Lyrics from CJ Dippa

Lil Twist – Young Money [Freestyle] – Official Video

Uploaded on May 28, 2010
HotNewHipHop & DJ Ill Will Present the Official Video for Lil Twist’s “Young Money” Freestyle off his latest Mixtape “Class President.” We shot this on top the new “W” Hotel in Hollywood, CA.

Noo Noo – Do Da Noo Noo

Uploaded on May 3, 2010
This is Noo Noo’s full length music video for “Do Da Noo Noo,” off her hot new album “Lil Rich Girl.” It was filmed in Byram, MS at her School. Thanks to all the kids and staff at Gary Road Int. School. Enjoy the video.

MINI DADDY (ADRIANSITO) EL NIÑO MAS BONITO

Uploaded on Dec 6, 2009
MINI DADDY (ADRIANSITO) EL NIÑO MAS BONITO
-ERICK ALEJANDRO BAUTISTA REYES -PRODUCCIONES AE
MONTERREY N.L. MEXICO, DICIEMBRE 2009

Obama Made Me Proud by LiL Yani Directed By Scott Marshall

Uploaded on Jan 7, 2009
HOT! HOT! HOT! Six year old Lil Yani raps about Obama making him proud. Directed by Scott Marshall track produced by Lev Berlak Copy Right 2009 Seen Media, LLC

P-Star’s New Video “Wanna Make You Dance”

Uploaded on Aug 23, 2007
P-Star New Video “Wanna Make You Dance” brought to you by Hunc Records.

Kris Kross – Jump

Music video by Kris Kross performing Jump. (C) 1992 Sony BMG Music Entertainment

Jordy – Dur Dur D’etre Bebe

February 15, 2012 – China’s one child policy prevents some elder care. CNN’s Matthew Chance reports.

Chinese Men Face ‘Long Odds’ for Finding Love

Published on Feb 15, 2013
China’s one-child policy has resulted in a severe gender imbalance in the country, due to a preference for male children. So Chinese men now face long odds for finding a partner. A new documentary, People’s Republic of Love, looks at technology’s growing role in Chinese matchmaking. LinkAsia speaks with Connie Young, one of the film’s producers, about love and marriage in China.

Published on Nov 28, 2012 by NTDTV
China’s one-child policy has been under constant criticism for violating women’s rights. The population control measures were first introduced in 1979, and now it seems change, however small, may be coming.

State media reported today (November 28) that proposed revisions would allow urban couples to have a second child. Currently only parents who have no other siblings themselves are allowed to have two children.

Critics of the one-child policy say it has resulted in a slew of forced abortions and forced sterilizations. Debate became heated this year after a Shaanxi woman was forced to terminate her 7-month pregnancy. Birth control officers have also been accused of kidnapping pregnant women, and extorting money from their families in exchange for their freedom.

For Chinese authorities, the more important issue is perhaps the growing age gap. China’s population is greying and that could impact economic growth.

China’s government trafficking babies from poor families
May 19, 2011

Officials have allegedly shown up to people’s houses demanding enormous sums of money from families if they violate China’s one-child policy. After being taken, the babies are sold to foreign adoption agencies in the United States and Europe.

Matchmaking Events Gain Popularity Amid China’s Gender Imbalance
February 14, 2011

Matchmaking events and dating shows are growing in popularity in China. But behind all the hype is a serious issue, a growing gender imbalance caused in part by China’s One Child policy.

China’s gender imbalance has made it difficult for some men to find their other half. Largely because of sex-selective abortions, for every 100 girls born in China, there are around 119 boys.

That’s why matchmaking events and dating shows have become increasingly popular with the burgeoning single population.

In Beijing’s Ditan Park, this week-long matchmaking event, organized by a popular matchmaking website, attracted around 50,000 visitors.

Chen Nan, a 29-year-old insurance worker, was there.

[Chen Nan, Insurance Worker]:
“I am the third oldest in my family, and everyone has a girlfriend except for me. Whenever there are get-togethers with university classmates and relatives they ask questions like ‘Why don’t you have a girlfriend?’ or ‘Are you going to have one next year?’ So there is really a lot of pressure, a lot of invisible pressure.”

The event organizer, a website with over 40 million members, says more than 70 percent of participants were parents of young singles—doing matchmaking on their child’s behalf.

Some examined personal ads, jotting down contact details for their children. Some proactively set up dates for their son or daughter. And some even dragged their reluctant progeny with them.

[Mrs. Li, Mom of a 26-Year-Old IT Technician]:
“My son is very busy with work—not just busy, but extremely busy. He has to work overtime a lot. He doesn’t have many opportunities to meet girls. I don’t know if he is worried, but I am quite worried. That’s why when I saw the event, I rushed straight in.”

With the Communist Party’s One Child Policy, many couples will do what they can to have a son. The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences says since the introduction of ultrasound scans in the late ’80s, the phenomenon of pregnant women aborting female babies has become, quote, “extremely common.”

It says the country’s gender imbalance could see more than 24 million bachelors without spouses by the year 2020.

China’s one child policy
October 20, 2010

In this exclusive report by Al Jazeera’s Melissa Chan, we look at a Chinese woman ordeal. As she was forced to abort her eight month baby, because she violated China’s one child policy.

China One Child Policy Amended
September 25, 2010

China to ammend China Child Policy to allow two children by 2030 in South China province. Some qualified couples can have two children by the year 2020. The change in the 30-year old policy is designed to tackle the burden of an aging population.

Two Child Policy – China
July 2010

Under the strain of a rapidly-ageing population, China has eased its one-child policy. Yet a two-class system endures for the migrant workers whose children are not welcome in the city of Shanghai.

Exemptions in China’s ‘one-child policy’
June 22, 2010

China says its restrictive family planning policy commonly known as the one-child policy, affects less than 40 per cent of its population.

But the government continues to promote the benefits of having just one child to all its citizens.

Some automatically fall under the exemptions but choose to have only one child anyway.

Al Jazeera’s Melissa Chan reports. (June 23, 2010)

China’s one-child policy creates massive gender imbalance
June 20, 2010

The Chinese government says its so-called “one-child policy” has succeeded in reining in its population.

But more than three decades after the policy’s implementation, China is dealing with some challenging consequences.

In a country where families often value sons over daughters and $20 can get you an illegal gender ultrasound test, there is a massive gender imbalance.

Combined with the country’s economic development, this has left an entire generation of men unable to find wives.

Al Jazeera’s Melissa Chan reports from Hainan in the country’s south, women, it appears, are nowhere to be found.

Secret experimental city challenges China one-child policy “success”
June 19, 2010

China introduced its so-called one-child policy more than three decades ago as a control mechanism when rapid population growth was outstripping growth in the country’s food supply.

Married couples in cities were limited to just one child as part of the government’s family planning programme implemented in 1979, when the birth rate was three children per woman.

By 2008 the birth rate had dropped to 1.8 children per woman.

The government says over 400 million births have been prevented as a result of the policy without it, the population today would have been 1.7 billion people, instead of 1.3 billion.

But the city of Yicheng has challenged this claim.

Chinese authorities selected Yicheng 30 years ago for a secret experiment: to act as a control group to see what would happen if families had the freedom to have more than one child.

And the population there has actually grown at a slower rate than the national average, as Al Jazeera’s Melissa Chan reports.

China’s dating problem
June 3, 2010

An increasing number of young Chinese people say they’re having difficulty finding someone to marry.
It’s a situation made worse by the population control policy, of one child per family.
Now specialised dating agencies have sprung up – catering to lonely hearts aged in their thirties or beyond.

China’s Lost Girls
April 7, 2010

Lisa Ling recalls the overpowering emotion when American couples in China meet their adopted daughters for the first time.

China: Rethinking the ‘one child’ policy
August 14, 2009

Three decades after China introduced drastic measures to limit population growth, the country is running out of labour resources to feed its insatiable economy, prompting a radical rethink of the “one child” policy.

One child policy suspended in China… just for victims
From Catholic News Agency.

China: One Child One Family Policy
August 18, 2008

News reports on the social effects of China’s one child one family policy: scavengers working the rubbish dumps occasionally find the bodies of baby girls, some still alive; a woman scavenger has found five baby girls, she has brought them all home to her one room shack and raised them as her own; in China, couples are only allowed to have one child, having a girl is a disappointment, it is reported that a million female foetuses are aborted and over ten thousand female babies are abandoned every year; the women tells of a baby who died before they got her home, another scavenger had taken the babies clothes and left her there to die; it is thought that one seventh of baby girls go missing, an expert explains that some of these girls are still alive just not registered, or have been abandoned, but many are aborted when the parents discover they are carrying a female baby; there are now twenty million more boys than girls in China, this difference is rising a million and a half every year, this could destabilise China in the future; a pregnant woman is under pressure to produce a boy, family and community demand it, pregnant women pray at a temple for their child to be born a boy; in Chinese tradition girls are despised and the one-child policy heightens the pressure to abandon newly born baby girls.

China avoiding the one child policy
March 18, 2008

REPORT: In China, rich and powerful people have long been flouting the one child policy, a practice that is now spreading among the upper-middle class.

One Child Policy – China
August 2005

China’s controversial one child policy has stemmed population growth but at what cost? From forced abortions to heavy fines, many have suffered.

“If people tried to have a second child and didn’t have any money, they’d have their house pulled down,” complains Liu Shuling. She attracted the wrath of local officials and was heavily fined when she became pregnant a second time. “It was very hard,” she recalls. “Fortunately, we didn’t starve to death.” For the past twenty-five years, controlling population growth has been a major priority for the Chinese government. “Unless there is a containment of population, there will be no economic growth, no social stability or social harmony,” explains official Siri Tellier. But there’s real concern that this policy has created a generation of spoilt children. “They are very delicate. They can’t cope with setbacks,” states teacher Sun Kaiyun. Demographic growth may have been stemmed but new population problems have been created. The preference for boys has led to millions of female foetuses being aborted. Now, tens of millions of Chinese men face a future with no prospect of a female partner. And that could create the social unrest the one child policy was supposed to avoid.

Produced by ABC Australia
Distributed by Journeyman Pictures

The loneliest number? China’s one-child policy
Nov. 25, 1988

At 1.1 billion and counting, China has more people than any nation on earth. To fight the threat of economic ruin due to overpopulation, the Chinese government introduced its one-child policy in 1979. Each married couple is permitted just one baby, though rural residents are allowed a second if the first is a girl. But, as the CBC’s Tom Kennedy learns nine years into the policy, three-quarters of Chinese couples aren’t stopping at one.

Uploaded on Nov 13, 2011
It’s well known that many Jewish scientists and artists fled Nazi Germany. Less well known is their cultural influence in the countries that took them in. A major study by the Moses Mendelssohn Center in Potsdam focuses on just that. We spoke with the Center’s Director, Julius H. Schoeps.

Traces of the Past – Our New Series | Arts.21

Published on Jan 6, 2013
For our new series, “Traces of the Past”, Arts.21 travels the globe looking for remnants of German-Jewish cultural life. In ten countries we find people who left Nazi Germany and meet their descendants, some of whom are writers, artists and filmmakers. Join us as we visit Argentina, the US, Turkey, China and other lands in search of German-Jewish cultural heritage.

Argentina’s German-Jewish Cultural Heritage | Arts.21

Published on Jan 13, 2013
In “Traces of the Past,” Arts. 21 reporters travel the globe searching for the legacy left to different countries by German Jews. In this segment of the 11-part series, we go to Argentina and visit two very different Jewish authors with German roots.

Ukraine’s German-Jewish Cultural Heritage | Arts.21

Published on Jan 27, 2013
In our series “Traces of the Past”, Arts.21 reporters travel the globe searching for the legacy left to different countries by German Jews. This week we’re in Ukraine, where two young film students are documenting the revival of Jewish culture in their home country.

South Africa’s German-Jewish Heritage | Arts.21

Published on Feb 3, 2013
In our series “Traces of the Past”, Arts.21 reporters travel the globe searching for the legacy left in different countries by German Jews. This week we’re in Cape Town in South Africa, where 7,000 Jews from Germany emigrated during the 1930s. One of them was Miriam Kleineibst.

France’s Hollande visits library housing torched manuscripts in Timbuktu

Published on Feb 3, 2013
‘France does not intend to remain in Mali’ – HollandeFrench President Francois Hollande offers assurances that France will help restore government control in Mali, but will not remain in the country. Deborah Lutterbeck reports.

Timbuktu manuscripts ‘have not been destroyed’

UNESCO horror over Timbuktu destruction: Islamist regime ‘attacked the soul of Mali’

Published on Feb 2, 2013
UNESCO has said that the destruction of priceless treasures in Timbuktu by retreating Islamist militants being pushed back by French troops is “an attack on the soul of the Malian community”.

Fear, Ethnic Strife Threaten Revival in Timbuktu

Published on Feb 1, 2013
Much of the academic world has been breathing easier now that officials and scholars have confirmed that many of Timbuktu’s treasured manuscripts survived the wrath of Islamic militants. VOA’s Jeff Seldin reports there are new concerns, though, that ongoing violence may mean it could be years before some manuscripts again see the light of day.

Mali: Cultural crimes uncovered as Timbuktu is secured

Published on Jan 29, 2013
http://www.euronews.com/ Malians may be celebrating the liberation of Timbuktu, however some could be mourning the loss of artefacts destroyed by the Islamist rebels as they fled the city.

Two hundred Malian soldiers alongside 1,000 French troops entered the city, named as an endangered world heritage site by UNESCO.

The fleeing militants destroyed the tomb of Saint
Sidi Mahmoudou and set fire to mosques and the Ahmed Baba Institute, a library containing many historical documents.

A librarian at the Ahmed Baba Institute described being told about the destruction:” ‘We destroyed everything. We destroyed the mosque. We destroyed things that are more than 300, 400 years old,’ they said, because their religion doesn’t accept that (the artefacts).”

Timbuktu is home to some 20,000 manuscripts, some dating back as far as the 12th century. Militants destroyed some which had not been hidden away.

For now, the focus is on securing Timbuktu.

British troops could form part of an EU military training mission in Mali or assist in training soldiers in the west African regional bloc ECOWAS.

British Prime Minister David Cameron has sent a security advisor to meet with French President François Hollande to discuss a deployment.

Mali: Islamists Burn Timbuktu Manuscripts

Islamic extremists fleeing French forces in Mali have set on fire a library containing rare and ancient manuscripts.A library containing rare and ancient documents has been torched by Islamic militants escaping from French forces in Timbuktu. The Ahmed Baba Institute of Higher Islamic Studies and Research had reportedly been used as a seeping quarters by the Islamists. Speaking from inside the building, Sky’s Alex Crawford, who is embedded with the French forces, said the empty boxes strewn around her had contained thousands of historic manuscripts. “Some of the documents date back to the 13th century,” she said. “The town dates back to the 11th century and this was all the documentation they’d built up over centuries of life in Timbuktu – all either burnt by the Jihadists or they have disappeared.” The city’s mayor, Ousmane Halle, said: “They torched all the important ancient manuscripts. The ancient books of geography and science. It is the history of Timbuktu, of its people. It’s truly alarming that this has happened.” During their rule, the militants systematically destroyed UNESCO World Heritage sites in Timbuktu, long a hub of Islamic learning. Crawford said she had been to the site of tombs that date back centuries which had been razed to the ground. UNESCO says one that was destroyed was the tomb of Sidi hmoudou, a saint who died in 955. A spokesman for the al Qaeda-linked militants has said the tombs of Sufi saints were destroyed because they contravened Islam, encouraging Muslims to venerate saints instead of God. Ground forces backed by French paratroopers and helicopters took control of Timbuktu’s airport and the roads leading to the town in an overnight operation – part of the French-led mission to oust radical Islamists from the northern half of Mali, which they seized more than nine months ago.
Crawford said: “In the centre of the town they are celebrating, they’re going absolutely bonkers with flags, cheering and waving and saying thank you to the French.” The Timbuktu operation comes a day after the French announced they had seized the airport and a key bridge in Gao, a city east of Timbuktu, one of the other northern provincial capitals that had been under the grip of radical Islamists. The French and Malian forces so far have met little resistance from the Islamists, who seized northern Mali in the wake of a military coup in the distant capital of Bamako, in southern Mali.
Timbuktu lies on an ancient caravan route and has entranced travellers for centuries, is some 1,000km (620 miles) northeast of Mali’s capital Bamako.

Scholars Assess Damage to Legacy of Timbuktu

Published on Jan 30, 2013
It has long been considered one of the wonders of Africa — Mali’s fabled city of Timbuktu, with historic architecture and extensive libraries, many containing documents found nowhere else. Now, the mayor of Timbuktu says Islamist militants fleeing the city have left a trail of destruction. VOA’S Jeff Seldin takes a closer look at just how much may have been lost.

Fleeing Militants Burn Ancient Timbuktu Texts

Published on Jan 29, 2013
French and Malian troops entered the historic city of Timbuktu on Monday, after the Islamist rebels who controlled the city for 10 months fled into the desert.

Militant Muslim Group Threatening to Impose Sharia Destroys 15th Century Tombs

Published on Jul 2, 2012
(CNN) — A Mali separatist movement on Sunday said it was prepared to act against Islamic militants following the destruction of three sacred tombs in Timbuktu, and called on the United States and France “to help us kill them.”

The tombs, a 15th-century shrine to Muslim saints, are part of a UNESCO World Heritage site in Timbuktu. UNESCO on Saturday condemned the destruction and called for it to stop.

The U.N. agency, which sponsors cultural, scientific and educational programs to further peaceful relations between nations, has received reports that three of the site’s 16 mausoleums were “completely destroyed,” UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova told CNN on Sunday. They are the mausoleums of Sidi Mahmoud, Sidi Moctar and Alpha Moya.

Timbuktu Mayor Ousmane Halle said that Muslims on their way to Friday worship at the tombs were stopped and threatened by armed men from Ansar Dine, a militant group that seeks to impose strict Sharia law.

Ansar Dine has threatened to continue the destruction.

“It’s very, very bad for the Azawad people and the whole world what Ansar Dine has done in Timbuktu. We condemn it completely,” Moussa Ag Assarid, spokesman for the Tuareg rebels’ National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad, or MNLA, said Sunday. The group promotes a separate state it calls Azawad.

“We are ready and preparing to right with these terrorist organizations,” Assarid said. “We will move soon, and (are) taking our arms and vehicles and material, but we still need help.”

The MNLA claims Islamist extremist groups including Ansar Dine, Boko Haram and al Qaeda have seized control of Timbuktu along with the towns of Gao and Kidal, and have killed top MNLA leaders there.

“We call on the USA, France and all other countries who want to stand against Ansar Dine, Boko Haram and al Qaeda who are now holding Timbuktu, Gao and Kidal to help us kill them and help the people in those cities,” Assarid said.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is “concerned by the worsening security and humanitarian situation in northern Mali” and reports of the destruction, his office said in a statement. “Such attacks against cultural heritage sites are totally unjustified,” the statement said.

Witnesses said the destruction began on Friday.

“The militants broke the doors and wooden gates to the grave and then used the cloth inside to set fire to the tomb,” said Sankoum Sissoko of Timbuktu. “They started chasing people away, telling them they shouldn’t worship a saint, a human being.”

The World Heritage Committee on Thursday accepted the request of Mali’s government to place Timbuktu on the list of endangered UNESCO sites. That request was reportedly what angered the militants, who accused UNESCO of cooperating with the government.

France, the former colonial power in Mali, also condemned the attack, calling for an end to the violence.

Mali was plunged into chaos by a military coup in March that ousted former President Amadou Toumani Toure. Since then, the Tuareg rebels and the Islamists have taken advantage of the uncertainty to attempt to seize control over the northern portion of the nation.

Uploaded on Oct 24, 2011
Lisa visits Isaiah and his two wives to determine if what she sees in this young and modern family’s daily lifestyle will change any of the preconceived notions we have about polygamy.

Deleted Scenes: Housewife to Sister-wives

Uploaded on Oct 24, 2011
Lisa Ling visits Joanne’s birthing center in Centennial Park, where she discovers the unexpected gains – and losses – of being born in polygamy…

Deleted Scenes: Teresa’s Divine Revelation

Uploaded on Oct 24, 2011
Teresa tells Lisa Ling what it’s like to find out you’re spiritually contracted to marry someone…who already has a family.

The Story Continues: Modern Polygamy

Uploaded on Dec 5, 2011
Find out what has happened since Lisa Ling and the Our America cameras visited polygamist families in Centennial Park, Arizona.

Dr. Drew – Lisa Ling – Inside polygamist compound

Published on Dec 3, 2012
On Thursday night, Dr. Drew was joined by journalist Lisa Ling who was invited into the “Centennial Park” polygamist compound, with cameras, to talk with their leaders and families.Her special “Our America with Lisa Ling, Modern Polygamy” airs on OWN this Sunday night at 10 p.m. ET.In this clip, watch as Dr. Drew examines a group that claims they have nothing in common with the Warren Jeffs’ community with respect to forced marriages and men having sex with underage girls.