Monty's Gaming and Wireless Outlook - Issue 160

Weird, but true. The British nation owes a huge debt to the Masai Marai people for selling blood and milk to provide four Spitfire aircraft for the Battle of Britain.

The African tribe have lived for centuries on nothing else but a diet of their cattle’s blood and milk (think Kate Moss without the drugs) and went hungry for a couple of years to help prop up Britain’s war effort. Their contribution may even have swung the balance so the RAF could finally defeat the Luftwaffe.

This poorer-than-you-but-much-cooler-than-you spirit was matched earlier this month when Bangladesh gave the US $20,000 to help with the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. Not a great deal admittedly and a drop in the ocean (maybe not the best metaphor in the current climate, whoops, there I go again) compared to the US’s resources, but a welcome slice of humanity.

Perhaps all the visitors to next week’s CTIA trade show in San Francisco should match this charity. It was only six months ago that the same crowd were attending the Spring CTIA in the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, a venue that was decimated by Hurricane Katrina.

As the new Masters of the Universe, attendees certainly have dollars to spare and maybe the organisers of next week’s event should have some people collecting money for a city that is still a third under water. Just an idea, but maybe it’s easier to get blood from a Masai Marai tribesman’s cow than it is from a travelling businessman.

Finally, a quick reminder to European delegates attending the show. Don’t buy Zippo lighters for presents and get rid of any matchboxes you may have used to light your Havana cigars. It’s illegal to board a flight from the US with any of these objects in your pockets/baggage, which is also weird, but also true.