Filed under: Behavior, Books, Culture, Education, History, Posted by TA, Religion, Society, TA | Tags: Bible, Book, bookshop, Dr. Seuss, ignorance, Leicester Square, London, Mankind, Qur’ān, Torah
I’ve slowly started an effort to read great classics of mankind, including the main religious works such as the Qur’ān, the Bible and the Torah. This way I can try to understand the whole mess we are in right now and also to predict and understand human relations better. If there’s a principle I believe is that human beings are so predictable that historical periods are always a repetition of something that happened a while ago (see samples at the end of this email).
So I went to a bookshop last weekend to buy the Qur’ān (I already had the Bible). I got a good deal on a very fancy, comprehensive, 900+-page long and English-commentated version printed in a malleable green hard cover and with internal page markers. Fine, great, that’s what I wanted.
What I didn’t want is the old reaction by ignorant people who just don’t understand how things work in life. On the way to the cashier, some people noticed my copy of Qur’ān and gave a twisted look to it. Twisted look because they would probably find it cute if I had a Dr. Seuss work in my hand. It wasn’t quite the case.
Those people are the ones who spread fear and speculation and I felt really disgusted. So disgusted that I refused a plastic bag from the cashier and insisted in proudly walking around with the Qur’ān in my hands so everyone could see it. Whoever else has a problem about it, come and talk to me directly. That works the same for any other book I’m reading.
The Qur’ān has some very strong verses but not quite different from other major religious works. An example from the Bible is at Genesis 6:6-7. “And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them”.
The first time I saw the statue below (2004, near Leicester Square in London) I knew I had to take a picture and save it forever every time it makes necessary to use. Look, learn and use it.
The gang of ignorance shall never rule.
"... no darkness but ignorance"
Filed under: Democracy, Education, Energy, Environment, Finances, Politics, Posted by TA, Religion, Society, TA | Tags: All Mighty, Amy Winehouse, bailout, Bloc Quebecois, Camaro, Canada, Citibank, classes, Common sense, communication, electric car, Ford, Gilles Duceppe, GM, God, gym, Jack Layton, Mustang, NDP, psychology, school, Stephane Dion, subject, trucks, Volt
It is called common sense and is lacking to an awful lot of people.
The idea of spreading common sense came from a few recent situations.
#1 Common sense is not taught in school
Don’t tell me your academic background, I already know common sense is not a subject in universities, high school or any other school level. It’s a shame. Looking at my own classes in university, I realized most of them are not even close to the power of common sense. Compared Communication (whatever that is), Psychology, Languages etc, they’re all semi-meaningless. The formal learning of common sense could help a lot our society these days. You’d learn that running away from home when you’re 15 years old because your parents restricted your “privilege” to play Xbox is not healthy. Dying because of that makes even less sense. Stabbing people in the streets also doesn’t make any sense. If only had you learnt this in school…
#2 Ford and GM cars
6 months ago, gas prices skyrocketed. What do you do, GM? Oh, you loudly advertise that Camaro, an expensive and one of the biggest gas-guzzlers ever is coming back in 2009. At the same time, you promote for 2010 the highly-anticipated Volt, an electric car whose original project GM helped to bury a couple of decades ago. Fantastic and absolutely coherent (sic).
The world is in energy crisis and even pirates in Somalia contribute for the whole turmoil that has come. It’s necessary to save or at least help the planet to recover from this ecological rape. What do you do, Ford? Oh, you advertise a major comeback, redesign, revamp and re-launch in 2009 of a superb gas-guzzler, polluting car known as the Mustang. Worse, you’ve spent the past years spending billions of dollars promoting trucks as the flagship of your fleet line because they were “built tough”. Now you discover the size of your cars should shrink because the world and consumers have changed. Fantastic and absolutely coherent (sic).
#3 The $700-billion bailout
Help Citibank, help private banks, help credit, but don’t help three of the top 5 biggest auto companies in the world? Fantastic and absolutely coherent (sic).
#4 Amy Winehouse
Give her more rehab, drugs, parties, noise. That will bring more fame, PR, exposure. Fantastic and absolutely coherent (sic).
#5 Canadian Liberal coalition government
Stephane Dion (Liberal), Jack Layton (NDP) and Gilles Duceppe (Bloc Quebecois) lost their bids to become prime minister six weeks ago and now they decided to act to request new elections? 6 weeks later and now a confidence vote is on its way. Problem is: Conservatives are minority in the parliament. Who’s naturally supposed to win? Fantastic and absolutely coherent (sic).
#6 Gym etiquette
You spend 20 minutes without a break in the same equipment (non-cardio), throw towel-paper in the floor, disrespect and disregard noise levels by throwing equipment in the ground and come to complain when I spent 5 minutes using the same equipment? Fantastic and absolutely coherent (sic).
#7 God
The Bible states that at the beginning of civilization, God decided to wipe out every living and creepy thing from the face of the earth. Then came Noah, his ark, 40 days and 40 nights of rain. The All Mighty decided to destroy life because he thought earth was quite violent at the time. What about now? Isn’t it time for us to be destroyed again? Can be fantastic and absolutely coherent (sic).
Filed under: Entertainment, Football, Posted by TA, TA | Tags: Football, fun, goals, soccer
The most beautiful own goal ever
“A freakish own goal” according to the commentator
A deceiving bounce
Drunk Japanese goalkeeper
Filed under: Europe, History, International Relations, Law, Politics, Posted by TA, TA | Tags: Augusto Pinochet, Baltasar Garzón, Bernard O'Higgins, Brussels, Chile, EU, European Union, immigration, José de San Martin, Michele Bachelet, Spain, Turkey
Angel and Tiggs have up-to-date and exclusive information about Chile’s intention to apply to membership for the European Union. According to sources, president Michele Bachelet wants to deviate the international crisis by adhering to a strong and prosperous economical bloc that is the EU. The plan is quite simple. Famous Spanish jurist Baltasar Garzón, the same who requested imprisonment of the late Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, was hired as an immigration attorney. Garzón is supposed to submit the paperwork to Brussels (EU headquarters) as early as Turkey is accepted to the continental bloc. The European/Asian country has preference in the membership application because it’s been submitting bids for more than 10 years.
Chile states that she has the right to apply for EU membership, even being some 10 thousand kilometres away from the closest piece of land in the continent. Santiago alleges that almost 300 years of Spanish rule would be enough to give the country the right to ask for Spanish citizenship. Spain is a full member of the EU. Bernard O’Higgins and José de San Martin, fathers of the Chilean motherland, also have European ascendancy (Irish / Spanish). Spain already informed 300 years are indeed enough to request citizenship, however, Chile would have to apply first for permanent residency to comply with the country’s current law.
Filed under: Energy, International Relations, Politics, Posted by TA, Society, TA, Wars | Tags: American Navy, Cher, Gulf of Aden, MTV, oil, Pirates, Somalia, supertanker, USS Missouri
Another major ship with a very important cargo has been hijacked in the instable region of the Gulf of Aden by Somali pirates. Estimated in $100 million (or 200 million according to other sources), the Saudi supertanker carried a quarter of the country’s daily exports in oil plus 25 crew. Now it rests peacefully and untouched in the south coast of Somalia. In a century when principles and moral are upside down, the pirates are ambitious but security forces are not.
What’s the real purpose of the American Navy presence in the Gulf of Aden? Is it to scare off pirates, fight off pirates or to show off the world the magnificent but ineffective toys of the Yankee armada? I ask myself: why can’t American ships fire against, pursue or avoid such bold actions? Rules of engagement are different in Somalia? What’s the point in having a massive nautical juggernaut task force stationed thousands of miles away from its bases?
Although now I believe the US will take the challenge more seriously – given that the cargo was destined to American ports – it is hard to conceive such a sloppy and uninterested attitude towards the matter. Worse, the disregard if a serious international situation that’s escalating every week. That certainly matches the disregard with which successive American administrations dealt with Africa.
As usual, US forces have a lot to show off in military hardware that unfortunately doesn’t reflect on international policies. In the meantime, you can watch below the real use of American warships: mere pieces for entertainment rental. Released in 1989, it features the popstar singer aboard the historical and marvellous USS Missouri surrounded by all the sailors she could get as extras. Just like the videoclip and Cher’s outfits, the American policy towards pirates is a scandal. Enjoy.
Filed under: Culture, Entertainment, Music, Posted by TA, TA | Tags: Anders Hillborg, Benjamin Britten, Bob Chilcott, Chan Centre, Choir, Edwin Brock, Maria Fontosh, Music, Orphei Drängar, Robert Sund, Schubert, Sweden, Uppsala, Verdi
If only I knew it, I’d have gone study innovation in Uppsala, Sweden. Life is great, it’s a big university city since 1477 and it’s in Sweden. Last month I had the great pleasure to learn more about that city through a fantastic male choir, the Orphei Drängar or simply OD. They’ve been performing for 155 years now and could easily last for another 155 renewable for more 155.
The choir has almost 100 men, all dressed in black. For the performance at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, where I went to see them, they also counted on the special appearance by Maria Fontosh, an Ukrainian-Russian soprano. All its members have an extraordinary sense of humour and that includes the usually strict conductors. Robert Sund, the current maestro, demonstrated how important it is to interact with the audience. Without saying a word, he dispensed smiles and funny gestures in the different songs performed on that great Saturday night.
If at the beginning Orphei looked and sounded as a very good choir, the fame of being “the world’s best male choir” started to justify. The repertoire chosen was the first indicator. Among truly classical composers as Franz Schubert, Tchaikovsky and Verdi, some grateful contemporary surprises as Benjamin Britten, the partnership Edwin Brock/Bob Chilcott and also Anders Hillborg emerged. I had listened to Britten just once before and really didn’t like it that much. It was weird and not nice. However, “The Ballad of Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard” made me give him some credit again. Brock/Chilcott’s “5 Ways to Kill a Man” not only makes sense but it’s also very creative. In case you’re curious, the most original way is to just leave a man live somewhere in the middle of the 20th century. Then came the real performance.
OD showed they’re far from traditional. At the last song before intermission, some 50 or 60 singers performed Magic Songs, a 10-chant collection of natural sounds such as stones singing, magic working, fireflies glowing and fences falling down. Don’t ask me. It was insanely out of this world. An indescribable sound experience matched any other I’ve heard.
While the intermission was profitable for the choir (as they sold CDs at the foyer), when everybody was back to their seats, the choir entered the room marching and doing choreographies in the main stage. They were singing some sort of traditional and melodic Swedish song. Right after, OD members spread themselves all over the parterre and main seats. Then came the spectacle. All the lights, literally all the lights, were turned off. In complete dark they sang a beautiful melody about the Shenandoah Valley. To wrap up a perfect night, OD performed an instrumental song (with their mouths) based on the Aurora Borealis whose name I cannot even spell. Innovation at its prime.
Check out more about the Orphei Drängar below
Filed under: Activism, American Elections 2008, Behavior, Democracy, Energy, Environment, Politics, Posted by TA, Society, TA | Tags: American Elections 2008, Barack Obama, California, Carbon, Clean coal, Energy, Environment, John McCain, R&D
Quoted from http://blog.macleans.ca/2008/11/03/mccain-v-obama-on-the-environment/:
McCain v. Obama on the environment : The Green Room : Macleans.ca Blog Central
By Alexandra Shimo | 
Email | November 3rd, 2008 at 11:55 am
Posted to: The Green Room | 
1 | Comment on post
Filed Under: The Green Room Tags: clean air act • clean tech • climate change • emission • McCain • Obama
Environmentalists have generally come out in favour of Obama, but there is actually much similarity between the two presidential candidates on environmental issues.
Both support a cap and trade system, a system that sets a ceiling on emissions, and offers permits for companies that meet those targets.
Both support offshore drilling, but oppose it in the arctic refuge.
Both candidates said they would grant California a long-sought
waiver under the Clean Air Act so the state could set its own limits on automobile emissions of carbon dioxide. (This is big, since the California market is seen as too large to ignore, so it can bring in a change of standards for North America at large).
However, there are key differences. McCain’s cap and trade plan gives out the carbon permits, rather than selling them in an auction. (When the EU gave out the permits, their price collapsed, and ultimately the amount of greenhouse gases increased.)
McCain’s emission cap is not mandatory, but Obama’s would reduce emissions by 80 percent from their 1990 levels by 2050
Obama says he will channel between $30 billion and $50 billion a year into clean energy technology and creating green jobs.
McCain says he will give out tax credits for alternative energy, but the only concrete dollar figures towards clean tech that he lists on his site are for a technology that has dubious environmental credentials – clean coal.
Perhaps most tellingly, McCain has a history of voting against investment in renewable energy. He voted against tax credits for clean energy R&D in 2001, against clean energy incentives in 2005, and against an increase in clean energy R&D funding that same year. In February 2008, he missed the vote on clean energy incentives, as he had done on a motion on fuel economy standards in December 2007.
With such a record, his commitment to alternative energy is often seen as disingenuous at best.
Filed under: Democracy, Energy, Environment, History, International Relations, Politics, Posted by TA, Society, TA | Tags: 10 commandments, Bolivia, Brazil, Chavez, China, coca, cocalero, Cuba, drug dealers, Energy, Evo Morales, Fernando Lugo, gas, imperialism, Karl Marx, Lula da Silva, natural resources, North Korea, Paraguay, SMEs, socialism, South America, Soviet, Spain, The Capital, US, Venezuela, Vietnam, water
The reason why I translated and published Evo Morales’ 10 Commandments is how intrigued I was after reading his ideas. His innocence has always been notorious in the international scenario, but his manifesto has showed to be a great paradigm. In some way it shows an evolution in his ideas to the point of suggesting highly modern concepts as local consumption, climate change and renewable energy sources. On the other side, his ideas about economy and politics can sound as archaic as a Soviet press-release from the 50s.
Morales is very knowledgeable about Bolivia and her resources. As a union leader he felt in his own skin what it is to be opposition against a usually elitist government. He’s right about Bolivia’s sacking. Their natural resources have always been explored by the Spanish and other nations in the past centuries, always sponsored by a ruling, wealthy minority. Morales’ intention to keep Bolivia’s riches in Bolivia is remarkable. He made use of some old but simple political and market laws like bargaining, offer-and-demand (like gas) and government authority over internal affairs.
Morales’ manifesto cons (in my opinion)
- Overly simplistic about capitalism. Karl Marx published The Capital in 1867 and the criticism about the system hasn’t stopped ever since. Extinguishing capitalism is not the solution. Socialism and communism haven’t proved to be the right way anywhere. China, Cuba, Vietnam, North Korea are there to prove exactly the opposite.
- Socialism is another topic that deserves some attention. Morales clearly states on commandment 10 that this socialism, the 21st century socialism is not the way and it has to be improved. Which way should it go then? Other concepts as imperialism are also out of date.
- I don’t agree with moratoria when contracts are being fulfilled. In case there’s something irregular then the government should justify the use of force. Renegotiation is a different story. Read Machiavelli’s The Prince, Morales!
Morales’ manifesto pros (in my opinion)
- Finally instituted in South America a principle of sustainability of her resources. Each country should have independent communities and think internally first to then export.
- Another head of state to officially bring climate change as a top priority in his international agenda. As it looks and sounds, Morales is deeply committed to the subject.
- Sponsors a larger integration between neighbour countries, something that South American has never understood nor practiced.
- Stimulates SMEs (small and medium enterprises). In many countries these companies respond for more than 50% of the total jobs in the economy.
Morales and his paradigmatic manifesto
A short background of Morales
The elected president of Bolivia stepped up to his incumbent position in 2006. Morales broke a number of traditions in Bolivia. He was the first indigenous president elected in almost 500 years, his background is of a poor leader coming from the lowest social layers existent in Bolivia. He also used to be a union leader and coca farmer (a very popular leaf in Bolivian diet also associated to the raw material for the production of cocaine. Very traditional in Bolivia, even because of the country’s high altitudes, Morales always campaigns against the prejudicious image that cocaleros are drug dealers).
Morales is adamant about his convictions. He’s a nationalist in spirit. Some of his feats in his two years of government include:
- Taking over and nationalizing gas pipelines and lands. Gas is Bolivia’s main commodity in the international market. Contracts for gas exports are being revised and renegotiated. In some cases they jumped from $ 400 million to $2 billion a year. Morales defends that Bolivia’s resources have been sacked for centuries.
- Shifting gas royalties from state governments to a national program to help aged citizens that cause violent and deadly riots in some gas-rich departamentos (Bolivian states).
- After the protests, expelling the US ambassador quoting American interference and collaboration with the rebel states. Venezuela followed in support to Bolivia and expelled the ambassador from Caracas. Washington promptly reciprocated and sent both the Bolivian and Venezuelan ambassadors back home.
- After a referendum, he pretty much confirmed significant changes in the Bolivian constitution (that is still pending approval.
Morales wasn’t the first declaredly leftist phenomenon in South America in the 21st century. In Venezuela, Chavez came first proposing a new “Bolivarian revolution”. Then came Lula da Silva in Brazil in 2002. This latter one is an interesting case. He ran for president for the first time in 1989, losing four times in a row until finally making it. He’s not nearly half as socialist as he says nor as radical as Morales and Chavez. In 2008, a priest named Fernando Lugo won the presidential elections in Paraguay based on a more radical and nationalist platform of government.
Angel and Tiggs 