Intolerable heat, appalling insects, abominable rations, the stench of putrefaction, the sweat and shake of fever, the blood and shit of cholera – all are evoked in unflinching detail.
One brazen settler, looking at the cluster of Israeli troops and cops below, winged rocks at the Arab house next door while shouting, "They're throwing stones!" Other settlers held up body-length mirrors to reflect the blazing sun into the eyes of Palestinians, soldiers, police and journalists -- an appalling rush of light and heat that rendered the victims, however briefly, eyeless in Gaza.
Medical facilities are appalling, and detainees endure the intense heat and humidity of the island's tropical climate, alongside frequent water shortages.
As Akmola, Astana or Tselinograd (Virgin Lands City), its name when this Central Asian country was part of the Soviet Union, the climate remains appalling: winters of 40 below and summers of stifling heat and swarms of curiously large mosquitoes.
Most of this group are elderly: with large assets but low cash incomes, they are the forgotten poor, often living in appalling conditions because they cannot afford to repair, maintain or heat their home.
However, many private rented homes remain in appalling states of repair, with mould and damp on the walls, poor central heating or insulation and cramped conditions.
The debate about freedom of expression on the internet has heated up again in Italy, following the online response to the appalling attack on Silvio Berlusconi.
It's appalling — appalling.
