Censoring Fairytales

Posted on 29. Mar, 2007 by Cameron Reilly in censorship

Here’s a classic.

I’m currently reading a book at bedtime to the boys. It’s called “The Orchard Book Of Swords, Sorcerers and Superheroes”.

It has kids versions of classic tales, like King Arthur, Jason and the Argonauts, Ali Baba, etc. Tonight we were reading “Aladdin”. All of the usual things are in there, Aladdin, the magic lamp, the genie, etc. The only surprising thing was that the whole story was set in… CHINA.

A few times in the story it says they are in China. I’m scratching my head while I’m reading it, thinking “surely this was set in Persia”. The characters are all wearing turbans, etc.

After I finish and tuck the boys into bed, I turn to the front cover of the book to see when it was printed – 2003. The year we invaded Iraq. The book was printed in London.

AHA!, I think. I’ve uncovered censorship in children’s literature! The publishers didn’t want to mention Baghdad when we’re bombing the crap out of it so they re-set the story!

And so I start to write this post.

Except… when I go to Wikipedia to confirm the original location of the story, I read this:

Aladdin (a corruption of the Arabic name Alāa ed-DÄ«n, Arabic: علاء الدين literally “nobility of faith”) is one of the tales with a Syrian origin in The Book of One Thousand and One Nights, and one of the most famous.

The “China” of the original tale much more closely resembles the medieval Muslim world of the other Arabian Nights stories, so much so that in retellings the “Chinese” element is often quietly forgotten.

The story concerns an impoverished young ne’er-do-well named Aladdin, in a Chinese city, who is recruited by a sorcerer from the Maghreb in the far west….

Well I’ll be….

I Make B and T’s Top 40… Something.

Posted on 29. Mar, 2007 by Cameron Reilly in Australian media

A little birdy today tells me that the upcoming edition of B and T Magazine has me listed as one of the “40 most important people in digital marketing in Australia” or “top 40 digital media” something. Or something. It has a 40 in it. Anyway… Thanks Brad. I look forward to reading the article and seeing who else is listed.

Strikes me as kind of funny. A couple of years ago I wasn’t even in the top 40 people working at Microsoft Australia. I was just another faceless schmuck working deep in the bowels, getting zero respect. Now at least I’m in the top 40 of something. Isn’t that what life’s all about? I wouldn’t care if I was listed as “Top 40 People Named Cameron Who Live In Yarraville”, I’d still be pleased as punch. My ego needs the boost.

In all seriousness – you guys know that I am nothing special. I know nothing special. I don’t have a degree, don’t have any special qualifications. No special experience. Nothing special about me at all. I’m just an average bloke with some cool $10 Elvis sunnies.

If a schmuck like me can make the top 40 of something after a couple of years, imagine what you could do if you applied yourself? Stop making excuses. Do something meaningful (to you) with your life. As the old bloke says “There isn’t a moment to lose.”

GDAY WORLD #220 – Russell Buckley on Mobile Marketing and Slavery

Posted on 29. Mar, 2007 by Cameron Reilly in Podcast, technology

Russell Buckley is a pommy (did you know that pommy is most-likely a contraction of the word “pomegranate”?) living in Munich and, as CEO of AdMob, one of the world’s leaders in the field of mobile marketing.

When he recently criticized some of the ads running on this show, I decided to get him on to pick his brains. We talked mostly about the state of mobile marketing and other mobile trends, as well as a little about the song “Amazing Grace”, slavery and veganism.

Russell has provided these links (and ageist advice):
www.peperonity.com
www.itsmy.com

“Don’t forget you have to see them on a handset (and be a little younger!) to get full value.”

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Tim O’Reilly on TPN Tech Conf podcast from ETech 07

Posted on 28. Mar, 2007 by Cameron Reilly in TPN

Check out Ewan’s interviews with Tim O’Reilly and Danny O’Brien, as well as commentary on the Kathy Sierra situation, live (well kind of) from ETech 07 at TPN Tech Conf.