jueves, 29 de noviembre de 2007

Trump new business

To finish this 42 last blogs, i choose an article which relates, of course, United Kingdom with North America.
Donald Trump had a plan to build a £1bn golf course, but Scottish councillors reject it.
As we continuing reading, councillors have thrown out the US tycoon Donald Trump's plan for a £1bn golf resort and complex in north-east Scotland. Aberdeenshire council's infrastructure services committee rejected a planning application for the Trump International Golf Links Scotland in a close vote today, but members of the more powerful infrastructure committee voted against the proposal.
Less water that will be spend in a project which is no needed to a country's development, apart from leisure time and sport!

Winner for independent

As the article shows, Control won five awards at the British Independent Film Awards last night, including best film, best director and best debut director.
I want to watch it!

Why?

This issue about Brown's boycott to African minister presence in Lisbon is not new, yet, the African president will travel to Lisbon in Brown's place.
President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe announced yesterday that he will travel to Europe next week to attend a summit of EU and African leaders in Lisbon, confounding EU hopes he would stay away, and triggering frantic plans by his Portuguese hosts to try to keep him from stealing the summit limelight.
African leaders had threatened to cancel the Lisbon meeting if Mugabe was not invited, while the prime minister, Gordon Brown, confirmed yesterday that he would boycott the summit because of the presence of the Zimbabwe leader.
As a Portuguese citizen I have to share my disappointment on my country's decision on accepting this dictator and murder to go in just because it is "politically correct" to accept him. Well done for Gordon Brown!

No Woody for Spain

I read an article yesterday in El Pais saying that Woody Allen quits Spain in film funds row. Well today this news came to the newspapers in the UK.
When Woody Allen arrived in Barcelona in July to start making his latest film, he was greeted with open arms, but yesterday the president of Mediapro, the Catalan production company behind Allen's new film Vicky Cristina Barcelona, has announced that two future projects will be made "neither in Catalonia nor in Spain", as had been previously planned.
Jaume Roures blamed what he said was the "small-minded attitude" of local politicians and press, who complained Allen received special treatment in Barcelona.

Youtuberians

Talking in YouTube.com is what everyone seems to be doing.
As this article states, Republicans debate God, guns, gays and especially immigration in a live blog. The form may have been different, but the content was familiar. In the second debate of the presidential nomination campaign sponsored by the website YouTube, Republican front-runners Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney frequently tangled on issues ranging from immigration to taxation.

Creationism

When we start studying subjects like biology, the name of Darwin and his theories about Evolution come along.
This article maintains that a growing numbers of pupils believe in creationism, and science teachers should be prepared to cover the topic in their classes.
Creationism - the belief that life came into existence thousands of years ago as described in the Bible or the Qur'an, rather than millions of years ago, which scientists believe - is on the rise in the UK. This makes the teaching of the scientific theory of evolution a problem in some schools.
I am very happy that creationism is being take into account to the reason of our existence... at least scientist are given it a chance!

Blasphemy

Accordingly with this article, Christians seek right to sue BBC for blasphemy.
A Christian group is trying to prosecute the producer and broadcaster of Jerry Springer - The Opera under blasphemy laws will take its case to the high court in London today.
Christian Voice wants to bring a case against Mark Thompson, the director general of the BBC, and Jonathan Thoday, producer of the award-winning musical, for blasphemous libel, but was refused permission by City of Westminster magistrates court.

Veggies

After few Jamie Oliver's intents of having schools with better and healthier meals, this article claims that there is a Hindu school which is the first to make vegetarianism a condition of entry.
A row has broken out after the UK's first Hindu state school announced a strict admissions code, which critics say favours followers of the Hare Krishna tradition over mainstream Hinduism. The Krishna-Avanti school in north-west London will be the first school in Britain to make vegetarianism a condition of entry. To get their child a place at the primary school, parents of pupils will also be expected to abstain from alcohol to prove they are followers of the faith.

Bye Israel?

As this article states, the State of Israel could disappear.
The Prime minister Ehud Olmert today raised the spectre of the disintegration of the state of Israel unless a two-state solution with the Palestinians could be reached.
Really? Could this happen?
Is it really that exit to made a state disappear?
Could Jose Saramago be right when he claimed that Portugal should also disappear as a country and be part of Spain as another province?
What is wrong with people? with politicians? with artists? with BRAINS!?

The most powerful men

The Spanish newspaper El Pais displays the ten most important business men in the world.
It depends not on only on the money which they might have because of their business, but also depends on the significance and relevance which their product/s have in the industry, technology and advances in society.
The list is:
1. Steve Jobs. Apple.
2. Rupert Murdoch. News Corp.
3. Lloyd Blankfein. Goldman Sachs.
4. Eric Schmidt, Larry Page, Sergei Brin. Google.
5. Warren Buffet. Berkshire Hathaway.
6. Rex Tillerson. Exxon Mobil.
7. Bill Gates. Microsoft.
8. Jeff Immelt. General Electric.
9. Katsuaki Watanabe. Toyota.
10. A. G. Lafley. Procter & Gamble

miércoles, 28 de noviembre de 2007

Winehouse

After days waiting for her concert, at the news is claimed that Amy Winehouse cancels the rest of tour dates for 2007.
She did had one concert last week in Brixton Academy, but she cannot continue anymore because her husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, is currently in prison awaiting trial on charges of assault and perverting the course of justice and she cannot sing without him!

Eggs and money.

A rare pink and gold Faberge egg, adorned with a diamond-studded cockerel and embedded clock, has broken auction records by selling for £9m at Christie's today, this article says.
The translucent egg, which had never before been seen in public, set a record for the creations of the Tsarist jeweller and became the most expensive Russian art object and timepiece ever sold at auction.
I want this money!!!! So much money ...for an egg???

Don Quixote

Who wants to read this book? Two big and extend volumes... to read about a crazy and old Sir sitting in a horse looking for his Dulcinea...but it is actually a nice book!
Well, accordingly with the article, the plot of Don Quixote de la Mancha, a Miguel Cervantes' 17th-century epic, is the first animated version of the novel to make it into the cinema opens across Spain next week.
It had a cost of €15m (£11m), it is Spain's most ambitious animated film yet, and hopes to challenge Hollywood's domination of the Christmas market.

Nazis off!!!!!

This foollowing article claims that there is still a final effort to search for Nazis and to prosecute Nazi war criminals who fled to South America after the second world war was launched in Argentina. It will take the form of a media campaign in Chile, Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil and offer financial rewards for information that leads to convictions.

About football

Apparently in football business some interesting things do happen!
Accordingly with a new today, Portsmouth have confirmed that their manager, Harry Redknapp, was one of the five people arrested today as part of the City of London's investigation into football corruption. Redknapp was held at Chichester Police Station on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and false accounting.

Over the sky.

In this article from today news we read that an US air strikes kill civilian road workers in Afghanistan.
US forces mistakenly killed at least a dozen road construction workers in air strikes in eastern Afghanistan. The workers, who had been contracted by the US military to build a road in the mountainous province, were sleeping in their tents when they were killed, according to Sayed Noorullah Jalili, director of the road construction company Amerifa.

Refugees back home

One convoy leaves Damascus with refugees, accordingly with this article.
Around 800 Iraqi refugees boarded a fleet of buses yesterday for the first official convoy back to Baghdad since the daily carnage of sectarian violence and car bombs sent them here a year or more ago.
People claimed that "
I'm not nervous about going back. I feel comfortable because our neighbours told us on the phone the situation is really good now," said Kadhim Mohammed, who was returning with her husband and five children to the western Baghdad district of Abu Ghraib. A Shia, she said her neighbours were Sunnis who had looked after the family's home during the 18 months they have spent in Syria.

Peace talks

As the article claims, George Bush will preside today over the formal relaunch of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, inviting Ehud Olmert and Mahmoud Abbas to the White House to begin the first negotiations in seven years.
The Palestinian president and Israeli prime minister both pledged "good faith, bilateral negotiations," to secure a peace treaty by the end of 2008.

lunes, 26 de noviembre de 2007

Giuliani

Accordingly to this article, the New York's mayor Rudy Giuliani had said that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2000 and goes on to say: "My chance of surviving cancer - and thank God I was cured of it - in the United States: 82%. My chances of surviving prostate cancer in England: only 44% under socialised medicine." But these numbers are false. The actual five-year survival rate in Britain is 74%, which is still lower than America's, but obviously high enough for the figure not to have constituted fodder for a campaign commercial.
This is not the most relevant issue said in the article, but it asked for my attention...

Chavez

It was not enough to Hugo Chavez after what happen with the King of Spain, Juan Carlos, that now he is saying that Colombia-Venezuela relations head towards a deep freeze.
The article says that a growing diplomatic crisis between Venezuela and Colombia intensified today after Hugo Chávez said reconciliation was impossible with his Colombian counterpart, Alvaro Uribe.
Diplomatic channels might remain open, he said, but "not reconciliation because it's impossible now. When it reaches these levels between two heads of state, it's impossible."
Does he wants to be enemy with everyone?

New York Times

The New York Times Building is new again, as this article claims.
Isn't just a striking new home for the paper - it's the city's best skyscraper in 40 years.
The decline of the New York skyscraper - caused by a leaking away of creative steam from the 1960s and a planning system that increasingly stifled fresh architectural ideas - seemed signed and sealed on 9/11.
Officially opened last week, the New York Times Building is the first truly impressive office tower raised in Manhattan in more than 40 years

Fish in Japan

As we read in this article, Japan in culinary offensive wants to stop spread of US fish.
The keepers of Japan's biggest lake have called on the public to join in one final push to eat the bluegill fish - possibly the most reviled creature in Japan - into extinction before it does the same to threatened native species
Now authorities in Lake Biwa in Shiga prefecture want anglers to stop releasing the fish and instead eat them. Biwa, the world's third-oldest lake, is home to about 1,250 tonnes of bluegill.

Bear's fault.

After Sesame street news, this article is also about a concern involving children toys and offences.
A British primary school teacher has been arrested in Sudan accused of blasphemy for allowing her pupils to name a teddy bear Muhammad
been charged with blasphemy, an offence he said was punishable with up to three months in prison and a fine.

Serious...very serious

Accordingly with this article US obtains Swiss records and flies in British witness in a BAE investigation.
Apparently, US corruption investigators have gone behind the back of Downing Street to fly a British witness to Washington to testify about Saudi arms deals with the UK arms firm BAE Systems. The US is seeking - but has so far been refused - more than a million pages of documents seized from BAE, its bankers, Lloyds TSB, and the Ministry of Defence during an investigation by the Serious Fraud Office.

Putin and elections

As this article maintains, Putin claimed that US are meddling in Russian elections.
The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, today accused the US of deliberately seeking to destabilise the country's forthcoming elections.
The OSCE monitoring office announced it would not be sending representatives to observe Russia's parliamentary elections.
The OSCE - which includes the US, Canada, European countries and ex-Soviet republics - is widely regarded in the west as the most authoritative assessor of whether elections are conducted in line with democratic principles. When the OSCE announced its refusal to send observers, the US state department immediately criticised Russia's restrictions on foreign monitoring. But in turn Russian officials claimed the OSCE's monitoring was biased and tacitly supported pro-western opposition forces.
Is it really US fault?

Oprah again!

After few more months, Obama picked Oprah to be his candidate club.
As the article claims, she can sell books, and now the question is whether Oprah Winfrey can sell a politician.
Barack Obama confirmed today that Winfrey is to join him during his campaigning in three key states next month for the Democratic party's nomination for the US presidential election.
But again??? Were is the originality of politicians? when will they stop repeating themselves?

NO NO NO!

No way! What is it happening to all of us? How is it possible to say that Cookie monster is the number one problem, not because he is a monster, but because he eats cookies (encourages obesity), and when his addiction takes a special stranglehold, the plate (might hurt)???
This is what this article claimed. It said that Sesame Street: not suitable for children
the early episodes of Sesame Street have just been released on DVD, but be warned - those shows are dangerous! Slapped across the front of the case is the message, "These early Sesame Street episodes are intended for grown-ups, and may not suit the needs of today's preschool child."
What happened to those free from everything children? like me!! free from fears, free from obesity and free from society over protection?!

Really?

With the advance on time we many times ear US government saying that they will quit from Iraq FOR SURE, and the sooner the best!
This article shows what was not expected as Iraq proposes long-term US troop presence.
Iraq's government is preparing to grant the US a long-term troop presence in the country and preferential treatment for American investors in return for a guarantee on long-term security, it emerged today.
The proposals foresee a long-term presence of about 50,000 US troops, down from the current figure of more than 160,000.
The Iraqi target date for a bilateral agreement on the new relationship would be July, when the US intends to finish withdrawing the five combat brigades ordered to the country by the US president, George Bush, as part of the so-called "surge".

miércoles, 21 de noviembre de 2007

Dolars, oil and thanksgiving

Apparently it is very important to have the Oil hovers just below $100 especially for Thanksgiving!
World oil prices hit a new high yesterday above $99 a barrel, but just failed to break through the key $100 level. In another frantic day of trading, dealers pushed US light crude futures to a fresh peak of $99.29 a barrel, less than $2 below their record high, in inflation-adjusted terms, reached in 1980 after the Iranian revolution.
Trading was nervous ahead of weekly oil stock data in the US, which consumes a quarter of the world's oil.
Motorists in the UK have suffered as the average petrol price at the pump has moved beyond the £1 a litre mark. But the pain has not been as bad as in the US because the dollar, in which oil is priced, has been weakening against the pound.
The rise and rise of oil prices this year has led to growing speculation that supplies are starting to run out.

New on News

It was the other day in class when found out that The Guardian newspaper is dedicating for the first time in British newspapers a place to America.
Maybe because America has a lack of good information and perspective of what is actually happening internationally ... or maybe just because Europeans are good in their journalistic jobs and they appreciated over there. Either way, this a big event to newspaper and communication business!

gUSns

After such a high number of guns attacks in US, supreme court looks NOW to the law to check who should possess a gun at home or not.
As the article claims, the US supreme court is to rule next year on Americans' right to possess guns, the first time the country's highest judges have reviewed the law in almost 70 years. The nine judges are being asked to choose between Washington, which has had a handgun ban in place since 1976, and a courthouse security guard who claims the right to have a handgun in his home, in a high-crime area, to protect his family.

martes, 13 de noviembre de 2007

Warhol's painting in London

Art seen is an expensive business, even thou some might say that it is not a business because if you buy a piece of art with a perspective to sell it..well..things may don't work out as you wish! But this is not Hugh Grant's case.
Accordingly with the article, Hugh Grant made a well done business with Andy Warhol's Liz Taylor famous painting.
Reluctant actor, master of self-deprecation, tousle-haired English fop. Tonight a new description must be added to the list of Hugh Grant's qualities: modern art collector who has struck the jackpot.
An Andy Warhol work owned by the Four Weddings and a Funeral star will go on sale in New York as a centrepiece of Christie's auction of post-war and contemporary art. The portrait of Elizabeth Taylor, called Liz, from 1963, is expected to fetch up to $35m (£17m), 10 times the sum that Grant paid for it at a Sotheby's auction in 2001. Or to look at it another way, a profit of about $5m for every year he has owned the painting. Not bad work if you can get it.
How well the Warhol performs at auction tonight has ramifications that go far beyond the state of Grant's already healthy finances.

lunes, 12 de noviembre de 2007

Extinction

Environmental perspective has been changing with the years, and people are now more concerned (or at least they should be) with species, pollution, fresh air or lack of it, and everything else related to a prevent the global warming increasement.
As we read in this article, there are more bear species threatened with extinction.
Six of the world's eight species of bear are threatened with extinction, according to a report from the World Conservation Union (IUCN). The smallest species of bear, the sun bear, has been included on the list for the first time, while the giant panda remains endangered, despite comprehensive conservation efforts in China.
The IUCN, which has updated the status of the seven species of terrestrial bear on its Red List of Threatened Species, said despite claims that panda populations were on the rise due to a ban on logging, the creation of panda reserves and reforestation programmes, it still considered the bear to be endangered.

Bhutto&Bans

Pakistani government will ban Benazir Bhutto rally, which will take part in a planned procession between Lahore and Islamabad, the Pakistani government said.
"All processions, rallies, political gatherings at present are outlawed," the deputy information minister, Tariq Azim, told the Associated Press. "So if she breaks the law, then obviously she will not be allowed to do it."
The opposition leader was due to set off for the capital from the eastern city of Lahor tomorrow morning. The journey was expected to take around three days, and thousands of supporters were thought likely to join her en route.

London's real smoke

If we thought that London was a city were the sun couldn't come out because of a dark and permanent cloud of pollution...now that actually happened, as a huge blaze breaks out in east London, accordingly with the newspapers.
A huge plume of smoke rose over London today as firefighters battled to control a major blaze on the capital's 2012 Olympics site.
Fifteen fire engines and 75 firefighters were sent to tackle the fire, which appeared to have broken out at Waterden Road, an industrial area close to the Stratford channel tunnel railway station.

Stars and strikes

Hollywood stars had started a strike. The costs mount and sets stand empty in a dispute that has paralysed Hollywood.
Behind one knot of pickets at the massive Paramount lot on Melrose, beneath palms wreathed in Los Angeles mist, is the gate Gloria Swanson drove through in Sunset Boulevard. Swanson played a silent movie star stranded by the talkies. And, of course, she shoots the writer. Last week, the Writers Guild of America posted at least 60 picketers, many wearing red T-shirts with a "United We Stand" logo, outside Paramount on day one of the first walkout by Hollywood screenwriters since 1988. By Thursday, as hundreds of writers picketed 14 studios in Los Angeles, the Paramount protesters included the Reverend Jesse Jackson and a board member from the Screen Actors Guild. This time the revolution is digital and the writers are the ones who feel stranded.

Britain and America

The prime minister Gordon Brown reassured that US remains Britain's closest ally!
Gordon Brown will seek to reassure the United States tonight that the special relationship still lies at the heart of British foreign policy, following concerns that transatlantic ties have been weakened since his predecessor departed.
In a television interview yesterday, Brown said: "I want to send a message more generally about the foreign policy of our country. I think it's important to remember that Britain is part of a network of relationships around the world - we're part of the European Union, we're part of Nato, we're part of the Commonwealth, and the Commonwealth heads of government meeting will be held in Uganda very soon - and the strength of our relationship with America is incredibly important to the future of the world. If we're going to rebuild the international institutions as I think we should be doing, to meet the challenges of the next stage, then we want to work with America to enable us to do so."

martes, 6 de noviembre de 2007

Reactors and Bombs

Accordingly with the article, North Korea began disabling its nuclear facilities yesterday, marking the biggest step it has ever taken to scale back its atomic programme. The communist North shut down its sole functioning nuclear reactor at Yongbyon in July, and promised to disable it by the year's end in exchange for energy aid and political concessions from other members of talks on its nuclear programme: the US, China, Japan, South Korea and Russia.
A team of American experts has arrived at the Yongbyon reactor and begun the disabling work.
Shouldn't we protest against this nuclear reactor? instead of just protest against Paris Hilton going to jail or not?

To Linda SteinRock

Linda SteinRock who brought the Ramones to Britain and ignited the punk music era has died!
The career of Linda Stein as a rock manager was brief, and, in purely commercial terms, unsuccessful: she singularly failed to turn the Ramones, the punk band she co-managed between 1976 and 1980, into stars in their native United States. But shortly after the release of the band's debut album, Stein, who has been found dead in her Manhattan apartment, aged 62, made one decision that was to have vast repercussions in rock history: she convinced her co-manager, Danny Fields, that the Ramones should play in England. Their shows at London's Roundhouse and Dingwalls in July 1976 were to have a galvanising effect on the British punk scene, offering irrefutable proof to would-be musicians that energy and originality were more important than technical ability. In the audience were members of the Sex Pistols, the Clash and the Damned.
Thanks to her we have the influence of these bands who made history and original music to the bands of today!

Deadlines

Accordingly with the newspaper article, the Pentagon today reported five US troops and a sailor killed in Iraq on Monday, making this year the deadliest since the 2003 invasion.
The five troops were killed in two incidents in Kirkuk province, and the sailor in Saluddin province, bringing the US death toll for this year to 854. The figure, with two months still to go, outstrips the previous worst, 849 in 2004, when the US took heavy casualties in an attack on Falluja.
The Pentagon attributes the high toll to an initial increase in combat operations, and higher visibility of US troops on the streets earlier this year as part of President George Bush's "surge" strategy, which saw an extra 30,000 troops sent to Iraq.
So how many more deaths do we want to see in order to take those sailors out of there?

lunes, 29 de octubre de 2007

Kings and Ministers

As Saudi king's, Abdullah, had visit Britain, many protests and boycotts were carried out. The shown of anger over arms trade and human rights was the main reason.
The Saudi monarch and his most senior ministers will be the guests of the Queen at Buckingham Palace during a visit that will include a ceremonial welcome on Horse Guards Parade, two banquets and meetings with Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Prince Charles.

Documentary words.

One thing I do like a lot in English television is the several documentaries which are shown and demonstrate quite well the real truth...or at least is what we are hoping for...
According with an article at The Guardian newspaper, it has been claimed by a BBC documentary that Britain backed US plans for Ba'ath party clearout in Iraq.
It also claims that Britain failed to challenge the US government on one of the most controversial aspects of its disastrous post-invasion policy in Iraq in crucial meetings.
Senior ministers and officials have attacked the Bush administration for its failure to plan for the aftermath of the war, arguing the US ignored their misgivings about the decision to ban members of the Ba'ath party from the new government.
Apparently, Further allegations about US-UK relations in the run-up to war emerged yesterday with claims the then US secretary of state, Colin Powell, and foreign secretary Jack Straw held a secret meeting in August 2002 because they believed the momentum towards war was getting out of hand.
If this is true, it seems that UK-US relationship is much more stronger than we actually think it was!
Will the new prime minister apply the same type of political actions?

martes, 16 de octubre de 2007

Sweet end

42 blogs done!!!!!!!! and what a better way to end this series of blogs than talking about CHOCOLATE instead of wars, AMERICA, blood, PRESIDENTIAL, propaganda, BRUMA, Clinton, IRAN, Iraq, etc.
This article, also from today, is about rivalry between leading chocolatiers.
Barry Colenso has an enviable reputation as a real-life Willy Wonka and he adventurously expanded Thorntons' range. Well, it seems like Hotel Chocolat discover Colenso on CCTV "methodically gripping several chocolate selections at one of their shops.
He doesn't know what motivated such dramatic sabotage, but visiting rivals' stores to cast a close eye over their latest confections is commonplace in the secretive, combative world of high-end chocolate.
Image....chocolate fights, chocolate "blood" everywhere and then apologies and chocolate hugs!
How sweet the world would be if instead of money and mean acts we only had chocolate and sweets to through at ourselves? :)

Dalai Lama and the city

Today Dalai Lama is in America, and China expressed anger today at America's red carpet treatment of the Dalai Lama and warned that plans to honour him would seriously damage relations with Beijing.
Despite Chinese protests, President Bush was scheduled to meet Tibet's exiled spiritual leader later today at the White House.
Beijing considers the Dalai Lama a political exile bent on establishing an independent Tibet. He claims he only wants greater autonomy and is waging a non-violent campaign for greater rights for his six million people.
I reckon that Dalai Lama is trying to evoke peace to the world and went to the place where they learn how to take peace away! Maybe he should teach something to Bush and his fellow company!

Special Report

Today is a full day of news!
This morning I read that US is pressing Palestinians and Israel to find an agreement.
The US yesterday urged Israel and the Palestinians to work to overcome their differences before an international conference next month.
Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, travelled to the West Bank town of Ramallah to try to persuade the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, to narrow gaps with Israel on a "declaration of principles".
Trying to find a common ground between these two countries who have been fighting since always is a bit late now, taking into account that US is Middle East first enemy!

Putin

In today's news Vladimir Putin warns US against military action on Iran.
The Russian president warned the US not to use force against Iran in the current nuclear dispute. Any military intervention in the Caspian Sea area would be unacceptable, Mr Putin declared as he attended a five-country regional summit in Tehran.
Is there some Russian interest behind this warned?
Or is just and interest of the well-being of Iran as a country and not as a nuclear power?

No rest to Middle 'Est'

This piece in "El Pais.com" it is about the Al Qaeda video shown this last 11/9.
We normally think that these type of videos are found by CIA or other types of secret services, but we are wrong, as the last video was found by US Internet addicts who don't stop the hunting of terrorist links in Internet.
There are private companies who are dedicated to pursue Al Qaeda and which help the government as well. SITE is one of them and Rita Katz, Site director, said that because of these Internet addicts a very good source had close a window and now it will be even harder to find Al Qaeda links.

lunes, 15 de octubre de 2007

Wall Street TV

Changing from articles about presidential candidates to TV propaganda's, I found this business article interesting.
It is about US Fox TV who made a Fox Business to bring finance to the people. Business news bursts on to US televisions today on a channel that vows to change the way viewers think about finance. It will be available in more than 30m American homes, the Fox Business Network promises to serve "Wall Street and Main Street" with shows focused on making money, finding success and even, according to the pre-launch website, happiness...this is exactly what Americans need....more focus on making money and success. Do they forget that Hollywood is a product of that idea?

Scary facts

Yesterday's piece on "The Guardian" about US presidentials could scared a little bit and makes us wonder if is going to be any change on the US foreign affairs.
It says that Hillary Clinton would not mind to use violence against Tehran.
Clinton moved to secure her position as the most hawkish Democrat in the 2008 presidential race, saying she would consider the use of force to compel Iran to abandon its nuclear programme. If Iran does not comply with its own commitments and the will of the international community, all options must remain on the table," Ms Clinton said.
Are Bush ideas of attacking other governments influencing Clinton's?

Tv millions

One of the last week's piece in 'El mundo' newspaper was about the 2008 USA elections.
It appears that the propaganda for these presidentials is already worth in more than 2.000 millions just on TV propaganda.
As CNN marketing and publicity statistics note, in America, political propaganda on TV is vital, thus this year's it will be around 2.100 millions of euros.

USA and Israel

This article found in 'El Pais' is about US affirmation that Israel did attacked a nuclear reactor in Syria.
Accordingly in the White House the objective and aim of this attack, in September 6Th, was to destroy a possible atomic house, same as found before in North Korea.
This attack was done because, as CIA and Mosad had "discover", Syria was planning a nuclear programme.
The interesting fact is that in the middle of Bush administration, politicians objected on this premature attack saying that it was not necessary, at least now!
If no one wanted this attack...who choosed then? Is this the so-called American freedom of decision?

From 'el pais'

Checking other newspapers is a good way to observe how differently societies perceive same news.
I normally read 'El Pais' Spanish newspaper, so as I was surfing in their website I found this interesting headline as it is related to US (or EEUU in Spanish), and yet this exactly new was not in my regular newspaper, 'The Guardian'.
The article is mainly about a document on Turkey and a certain criminal record during IWW. It seems that Turkish military commander chef made a warning to US as they don't have a favourable opinion about the past happening.
Apparently this document shows that US congress made a resolution on what happened to thousands of Armenians in hands of Turkish while the IWW was happening.
The concern here is that US is actually saying, accordingly with the document, that Turkish government did not have any pity on them and killed thousands, and now, the Turkish government is very concern that US said this, as their relationship can be seen as ruined. At the end of the day, Turkey is the only country which has good military relationships with US, and if US agrees with this document there relationship will change.

viernes, 12 de octubre de 2007

Do you remember the Al Gore film about climate change? I do remember the boom that cause this film, but I also keep in mind that this climate change has been an issue for many many years, since the first media news a decade ago started talking about the hole in the Ozone layer.
Today's news says that the former US vice-president Al Gore and the UN climate change panel will share the 2007 Nobel peace prize for raising awareness of the risks of climate change, the Nobel committee announced.
Mr Gore is probably the single individual who has done most to create greater worldwide understanding of the measures that need to be adopted," the committee said. He has consistently said he is not interested in running again for the White House, insisting he can be more effective in the fight against climate change outside mainstream politics.
The other presidential candidates - Hillary Clinton, in particular - have so far disappointed environmental activists by shying away from promising aggressive action to deal with America's contribution to climate change.

viernes, 5 de octubre de 2007

Actor and President

In several TV shows and movies we see US presidents physically similar with previous presidents, illustrating a personage with grayish hair, tough and with the air force one airplane at his disposal any moment.
Accordingly with this article now we do not need to pretend anymore, as a true Hollywood actor is running for president!
Fred Thompson, a former senator and actor, made his declaration on NBC's Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
He has appeal to Republicans who find the three leading candidates - Romney, Rudolph Giuliani and John McCain - insufficiently conservative, but the formal announcement of his candidacy has been pushed back amid staff shake-ups and questions about his work as a lobbyist.
Thompson is mainly concerned about illegal immigration and the progress of the US policy in Iraq.
I cannot stop wonder what the others candidates are might be wondering! Competing against an actor with tremendous experience...
I guess American society must like it! If Schwarzenegger is already in the political power, why not another one?

Fame and Power

Few days after the previous blog about Fred Thompson's qualifications for the US presidency, along came another article on this matter.
Is mainly about fame and if is a fast-track to power?
Fred Thompson's qualifications for the US presidency are more impressive than most. He's a former Senator with a good line in rock-jawed machismo. If he's this good at acting the part of a government official, it seems natural to conclude he'll be good at it in real life. Plus, his hair looks freshly shampooed and he's got great teeth.
These days, fame is not only about films and shows, but a new term of media had been improved and is being used in a different way. Currently YouTube electioneering and prime-time TV debates are a new way of doing politics, and it reassures us to know that our parliamentarians have at least made the effort to be aesthetically pleasing.
Perhaps we're naturally more cynical about the power of fame... look at Ronald Reagan! Anti-communist? Anti-Nuclear? What is that when you can be in a movie kissing famous ladies!?

Hundreds a head!

You know that famous sentence that we said to our children:"eat everything because there is children dying in Africa with the lack of food"? I used to hear even worse, with pictures of Somalian kids, and I used to think; I should go and eat all of it, look at these children, just flies and nothing else! ...well... it seems that US does not care about nutrition issues, as they have a lunch in London which costs £500-a-head, the same as $1,000!!!
This article about foundraising methods among US presidential candidates is about this, a day in the life of a candidate ... three PMs and a £500-a-head lunch.
Republican presidential frontrunner came to London and brought their campaigns, particularly because there are an estimated 200,000 Americans living in the UK, out of around 6.6 million worldwide.
Money, of course, was the most obvious explanation for the presence in Britain of the Republican frontrunner: tickets to the Mandarin Oriental lunch cost $1,000 each each (£500), or $2,300 with the bonus of having your photo taken alongside Mr Giuliani
Bill Clinton is due to hold an event for his wife, Hillary, in Windsor next month, two weeks before Michelle Obama does the same in London for her husband, Barack. The Republican Fred Thompson came earlier this year.
So much money to the same type of people! and there is still others who are in deep debt to these 'biggest' countries.
I reckon that if instead of spending this thousands of pounds in luxury lunches, they gave this money to others...maybe this debt would be better balanced.

Selling presidents

So that it seems fame sells, or at least rises status or improve opinions!
In this article from last month, we understand that in every presidential campaign several famous people, being mostly actors and singers, support their favorite candidates.
The greatest endorsement anyone could get is in this case Oprah Winfrey, the wealthiest African-American. Oprah is selling Obama, and this weekend Winfrey will set a precedent by hosting a political fundraiser at her 42-acre, $50m estate outside Santa Barbara. The recipient of her largess - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama - could see as much as $3m (£1.5m) flow into his campaign as a result. Even Stevie Wonder is understood to be among the performers booked for the event.
At CNN's Larry King, Winfrey, said: "My money isn't going to make any difference. My value to him - my support of him - is probably worth more than any other cheque that I could write." And with these simple words Winfrey could make a difference for Obama in his efforts to catch up with Hillary Clinton, the Democratic front runner.
Money calls money, and a president = power comes along!

Prises raising and Patience failing...

Everyone is aware of the risk that Americans have in what it comes to health care.This article is one of the many proves of this concern!
It claims that health care and insurances in America are rising costs, and Americans are also being aware of this failure so they are losing patience with they failing system.
As we go to a hospital waiting room, same as in Europe, we can notice people watching TV while awaiting for their turn, a two-month-old baby, people with chemical burns brought in after a fight with the police, patients with asthma and diabetes, but none of these people have access to adequate medical care, unlike in Europe. And then there is the doctor who says that it is people's fault to be in this critical state, as they don't come in until their health gets to a critical mass.
I guess America is between two extremes: the ones who live in Hollywood and can afford benefits, high insurances, even a visit of a doctor, but then there is the rest (80% population I would say) which cannot afford assistance, such as elderly who cannot even afford prescriptions.
America spends more money on prevention and treatment of disease than ever before, yet it is falling behind on such basic indicators of health as infant mortality and life expectancy.
The US health care system is considered a dysfunctional mess," writes Ezekiel Emanuel, chairman of the department of clinical bioethics, in a recent issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
If even doctors find this true, why not start changing the health care environment, instead of being concern only about Global warming as environment problem?

Money, Money, Health!

In Clinton's campaign, she unveils an universal health plan.
The article claims Hillary Clinton setted out an ambitious $110bn (£55bn) plan to introduce universal health care in the US more than 10 years after her earlier failed attempt.
Her main Democratic rivals, Barack Obama and John Edwards, also propose to introduce universal health care, though there are differences.
Will she actually change this concerned health plan? If Clinton wins, I would like this matter to be true, and have my few American friends with a doctor visit if they required it!

US not enough.

As we read in this article from September 22Th, US candidates follow money trail to London. Specially Bill Clinton and Michelle Obama are seeking for funds in UK. The main reason is because expatriates are a big source of campaign dollars.
Two spouses of leading Democratic presidential candidates - Bill Clinton and Michelle Obama - are to visit London next month to try to tap into an increasing source of campaign funds from Americans living abroad.
Apparently UK and Europe are very much seek by Americans, but living in a new European and more cultural perspective the expatriates,or also known as immigrants, still care about their country and they agree donations are significant for the increasement of their favorite candidates.
In the first six months of this year, US expatriates donated $471,000 (£235,000) to presidential candidates, a report by the Centre for Responsive Politics said, nearly as much as was donated in the entire 2000 election season. Most of the money was raised in London, which accounted for $270,000 of the total
By law, only US citizens and permanent residents (green card holders) are allowed to contribute to election campaigns. But the 4 million to 7 million Americans living overseas have emerged as an increasingly important source of funds.
As a result of this impressive donations, the money is to improve campaigns, but, as we observe in the article, with the race for the White House in full swing, candidates need to pay for television advertisements, private jet travel and staff.
Pay tax in England...spend them in US!

Failure or not?

In days of presidentials and competition, time is an essential word.
As we read the newspapers and articles about US candidates and their moves, we read in "The Guardian" that time is running out for the making of a black President Barack Obama's campaign has stubbornly failed to gather momentum, while Hillary Clinton powers ahead.
It seems that time running out is not the only dilemma, but also the rivalry and opposition between Obama and Clinton.
Not only Obama is doing the possible and the impossible to get the many followers as he can in his campaigns, but also his wife, Michelle, is having as well something to say as she is shaping up not just to be Obama's first stand against Clinton.
Will Bill Clinton also say or do something?
Everyone is invited anyway...

Romney and the money.

A good way to check who is running for US president as well as to check how are they moving around to obtain votes and appreciation is having a list of names, and also ensure how much money are they spending.
This article is about campaign funds, and where they are being provided from.
As we read, the campaign teams of US presidential candidates are today expected to begin revealing the extent of their fundraising in the year's third quarter. The last days were accompanied by aggressive bids to build bank accounts ahead of an expensive stretch of media advertising.
Questions such as how much money has Mitt Romney, a multimillionaire, lent his campaign? Are Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton leading the pack in fundraising? Has Republican John McCain turned the corner and stabilised his fundraising? Did Fred Thompson, turn the popular support he enjoyed before becoming a Republican candidate into hard cash?
Can former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani maintain the pace he set in the second quarter as the Republican best able to raise money from individual donors?
Will John Edwards remain on track to meet his goal of raising $40m (£20m) by the end of the year? Will Democratic senators Joe Biden and Christopher Dodd raise enough to keep them in the race? As for the New Mexico governor Bill Richardson, he announced yesterday that he had raised $5.2m.
These are the names, but is really the money from their own pockets or fundraising? Perhaps American Nation should agreed how much are they going to "donate" to these fellows and companions candidates, as we would not like to have the same mistake as George W. Bush... maybe the rest of the world should also vote, yet, no more money is needed! If not, ask Iraq and the oil and money which has been "taken away" all these last years!

New York, New York!

Is from common knowledge that some cities in North America do not seem as Americans in what concerns to habits and population type. This fact occurs especially to San Francisco and New York.
In the article I found in "The Guardian" newspaper from last week, it was exactly this issue media had been talking about.
New York is known as a liberal and different city, but New Yorkers are starting to believe the front running presidential candidates show that the US is no longer polarised between heartland and coast.
As the article claims, New Yorkers like to think of their home town less as a city than as a nation unto itself. They refer to the country in which they reside as little more than a geographical accident of little relevance. "I don't live in America," they'll tell you. "I live in New York."
New York is an impressive and distinctive global city. For us Europeans it has more in common with London, Paris or Rome.
But why is this important?Politically, the last seven years have made New Yorkers feel particularly estranged from their fellow Americans.
Now presidentials are "coming into town", Clinton is one of the presidential candidates, and New yorkers wonder whether they have a senator or not.
In what comes to other candidates for US presidentials, things are tougher for Giuliani. Thrice married with two estranged children, he has a much harder job selling himself to a base dominated by Christian conservatives. But Giuliani's candidacy is entwine with 9/11. His performance in the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks is what earned him the title "America's mayor", Time's Person of the Year and 78% approval ratings even a year later.
The candidates are now coast-to-coast to win votes and appreciation. Every city from North America is trying to decide, or maybe will just go with the flow, but New York has a tough decision. Yet, the city is more in tune with the rest of the country than it's ever been! Which one will they prefer?

Fundraising

Clinton camp trumpets as she is leading at the fundraising!
In the beginning of this month, an article at "The Guardian" explains how Hillary Clinton has solidified her status as the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination yesterday, surpassing all her rivals in fundraising to bring in $27m (£13m) for her campaign in the past three months.
Clinton's campaign is about the income of funds provided from performances in TV debates, schools, and by showing that America is ready for change.
This fact is not so pleasant for republican frontrunners, Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney, which are believed to have raised less than half of what Ms Clinton took in, or about $10m.

Different views for different countries

These days everyone is interested about organic food, organic products, ecological matters, recycling, new energies, and even renowned companies are getting very much into this environment issues. A good example for this is the french company Lóreal, which bought The Body Shop business in order to have an organic view inside their corporation.
I found especially interesting the following public article at "The Guardian" website.
It claims that the German government continues to promote renewable energy with energy and resources. Its policy of increasing the use of alternative supplies had created 235,000 jobs in 2006, twice as many as in 2004.
It also said that the Italian government announced incentives for households and business to boost solar energy, and Australia announced £4.3bn worth of support for small businesses to go green.
This article reflected what countries are intending to do in order to go for more ecological matters, all of them instead US.
Apparently, the 'only' problem concerning US is their dilemma with healthcare.
The plight of the millions not covered by insurance are a central feature. The American Medical Association (...) launched a "voice for the uninsured" advertising campaign in states that will hold early primaries.
And while John Edwards and Barack Obama proffer schemes for reforming insurance and cutting the cost of premiums, Hillary Clinton is concern about having a federal government plan.
At the end of the day, America is not one of the worst countries when it comes to polluting the atmosphere!! (??) Why should they be concern then?

The first gentlement

As the headline claims, Bill Clinton first (...) was president, then he reinvented himself as an international humanitarian, and now Clinton is on the campaign trail on behalf of his wife.
On a whistle-stop tour of Europe, he tells why America should vote Hillary - and what he'll be doing if she gets in.
The great irony of Bill Clinton's international popularity and Hillary Clinton's domestic popularity is that they are due, in no small measure, to the near-universal unpopularity of George Bush. And it doesn't require too many leaps of logic to argue that Bush is only there in the first place thanks to the failures and disappointments of Clinton's time in office, scarred as it was by failures in the Middle East and elsewhere and, of course, by Monicagate.
No more words needed!...they mere politticians!

Farewell Mr Bush!

George W. Bush is a joke!
Now that America is going for presidentials, everyone is saying a joke about Bush, which shows how much American press is also turned against the president.
As the article in "The guardian" shows, the nation joke now is: "What's the difference between Iraq and Vietnam? George W Bush had an exit strategy for Vietnam."
It seems a whole public has turned completely against George W, even in rock solid Republican states. And Lewis Libby, the former chief of staff of the vice-president, has been convicted of perjury and other offences.
Almost after 5 years of war, now American media and nation claims that the invasion of Iraq was "a war not to defend our nation, but to validate an academic theory".
It was about time they understand it! Lets have a change then!

Innocent deaths

The massacre of hundreds of villagers in 1968 that became a symbol for American brutality in the Vietnam war is very much known, but the fact that it is happening again it gives us a ghastly feeling.
This newspaper article is about Marines who may face trial over Iraq massacre as troops had shot 24 unarmed civilians.
If in Vietnam war thousands of Innocent's were killed, in this generation's war, the village is Haditha, north-west of Baghdad, where US marines killed two dozen Iraqi civilians, including 11 women and children.
The ironic part of this war-chronicle is that the Pentagon also fabricated tales about a wounded and captured private, Jessica Lynch, that were later debunked.
People lying in the streets, bleeding, and the ones who watch it are also hurt! Iraqi soldiers come to rescue their people and a little girl shouts saying 'Why did you do this to our family?' And one Iraqi soldier tells, 'We didn't do it. The Americans did.'...

Marines and Civilians

It is interesting how power can remove accusations and moral sense.
The article is on the case against US marines involved in one of the most infamous incidents of the Iraq war, the killing of civilians at Haditha in 2005, which appeared to have fallen apart last night. US marines are likely to avoid murder charges over killing of Iraqi civilians, and a Sergeant may be accused of lesser offence.
Seventeen civilians, including women, children and seven alleged insurgents, were killed at Haditha, about 150 miles north-west of Baghdad, and this has became the incident and the most serious case of an alleged war crime by US troops in Iraq, and yet, everyone is free to go!

Brumas and US

Burma's confrontations and attacks are an international concern and not just a local dilemma.
"The Guardian" website article is about US envoy to meet Burma's leaders.
As we read closely, the most senior US diplomat in Burma was due to meet the regime's leading figures today to deliver a robust message over the brutal crackdown after the government made a surprise offer to talk to detained opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.
When peace is tried to be placed and nothing is agreed apart from deaths of innocents, international action should be done. Maybe now US could actually help... not just with conversations but with aid conducts!

Hilary, me and dupree!

Candidates for US presidency are conscious that anti-Americanism is rising and this image needs to be restored.
As we read in this article, Bill Clinton says that Hillary wants him to restore image of US. If Hillary Clinton wins the US presidency, Bill Clinton will be given the job of repairing America's damaged international reputation.
Mr Clinton says, "ordinary US voters in the heartlands are concerned about who would be most likely to restore America's standing in the world" in the wake of the Iraq war, lack of action on climate change and other policies.
Is the meaning of 'ordinary US voters' the same as 'civilians'? Why using the term ordinary? Don't they normally vote for their choices in their own country? Is just happening now because they realise the type of society they broadcast to the rest of the world?

Far away torture?

In May 2003, an article at "The Guardian" newspaper talked about certain concerns linked to the manner in which US is looking away to the tortures being done to prisoners, especially political prisoners, in Uzbekistan prisons.
An example of this was the sentence of Abdulkhalil, a 28-year-old farmer who was sentenced to 16 years in prison for "trying to overthrow the constitutional structures". After a while, his father had to go to the prison hospital and see how is son had his head battered and tongue swollen because of the lack of water.
Many are victim of Uzbekistan's security service, and an independent human rights groups estimate that there are more than 600 politically motivated arrests a year in Uzbekistan, and 6,500 political prisoners, some tortured to death.
The concerning issue is also that US is funding the condemned! In 2002, Washington gave Uzbekistan $500m (£300m) in aid. Intelligence services and the police are saying that this repeatedly tortures are being used as a routine investigation technique.

... and then they want to fight terror/terrorism...

jueves, 27 de septiembre de 2007

Camouflage.

Many say Internet is taking away journalists and professionals work.
Nowadays, if you not sure on a fact, or if you are just curious, you surf around Internet to check what is going on. You can search blogs themes, comedies, history web pages, and you can even 'googliese' someone or some place anywhere around the planet. And, accordingly to an article of today's "The Guardian", this is what happen few days ago;

Thanks to Google Earth, it was discovered that the six-building complex at the Coronado US navy base in southern California, in 1967, it resembles the Nazi symbol, also known as the 'swastika'.
Navy department had said that the original plans was to have a single L-shaped barracks.
The conclusion is that having a Nazi symbol in a NAVY building is not what we call politically correct, yet, they seem to find this issue irrelevant. However, the Navy will add $600.000 (lots of million of pounds) to its 2008 budget for camouflage.
This is just one more detail to demonstrate US lack of consideration to others tragic background pass or history.
How can you not care about such symbol? It destroyed, not long ago, people's lives, believes, families and almost entire nationalities.... but then, we see how US is caring about their own nation when they don't stop sending troops to a certain war, and when they don't stop fighting against a nation/s with no purpose!...how can they care about just a symbol in a government department building?

lunes, 24 de septiembre de 2007

Health in english words

A new Michael Moore's film is about to come out.
We are well aware of his thinking-line perspective from previous movies. He is mainly against the US government, its choices, laws and its lack of aid to such an inconsistent society.
Now his recent film is titled Sicko, as it is about the US's privatised health care system. The movie also contrasts the US system with the Britain's free NHS.
What the g2 did in an article was report 16 NHS workers to observe in what extend Moore's film is right in praising so well our free health care system.
It is interesting to see how we, in Europe, criticise so much our free health care system instead of checking the nation "down the ocean", as they have people dumped in the streets because they haven't insurance, or children refused life-saving treatment because their parents can't pay...etc...etc...etc...
The article asks the readers if the British way of medicine is really that amazing? And I say that it is 50/50. Or perhaps 70/100!
We do have doctors when we need to be attended, no matter if we are immigrants with no papers, that issue we will deal with it later. But the person always comes first! Yet, of course there is delays, all sort of problems with nurses and staff, more delays, but having a free healthcare system is worth our taxes as we know that if we have a sudden health, mental or physical crisis, we will never be dumped out of a hospital just because we cannot afford to pay a massive amount of money, which will go to doctors children's cute cars and yachts!

Expression = Crime

The g2 provided an article which I found dreadful, appalling and totally against to fundamental human rights.
A regular American student of 21-year-old at the University of Florida, interrupted the speech of former presidential candidate, John Kerry, with few questions. Maybe it seemed he was starting to get anger or perhaps he only wanted a few questions after a two hours speech, but even before Andrew finished his point of view, he was stopped by University police officers.
As they realised the student wouldn't finish his riot, as they called it, they "dragged him from the auditorium, wrestled him to the ground, and used a Taser to deliver high-voltage electric shocks, despite Meyer's screamed plea".
The most shocking issue here is not the fact that the student not only was tased, but also jailed, charged of resistance to an officer and disturbing the PEACE.
Imagine that instead using this non-lethal weapon, it was a gun? Would Andrew have the same destiny has Jean Charles de Menezes* had?
The officers said to Andrew that he was inciting a riot (¿?), but it was only a student trying to irritate a candidate, and attempting to create choices in others students minds.
So from now on, expressing yourself means danger! And I thought we already had conquer the freedom of speech... guess not! ...
[* Brazilian man killed by mistake in the London tube, in 2005.]