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?

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.]

Humiliation

As I was searching for some "The Guardian" relevant and recent news, which had something to do with America and its "importance" as a global nation, I came up with this article; "Humiliation- the latest weapon in America's war on crime".

This article is about a women who was sentenced to spend two consecutive Saturdays standing outside a shopping plaza wearing a sandwich board sign displaying "I am a thief. I stole from Wal-Mart".

As the article alleges, this is one example of America's increasing confidence on the use of humiliation to reprimand wrongdoing actions.

This idea that such old-fashioned punishments are innovative, and that also can work as an act of classical conditional, can only be seen in a modern society where the use of wealth is not well-proportionate.

"The most unpleasant thing about this form of punishment is the way it makes the public complicit. (...) Shame, (...) stare, to pass comment (...)" is what causes humilitian.

Maybe we need to find out a way to humiliate US current president because of all the stolen properties, lives, houses, entired families, sons & daughters, freedom and good sense.

Humilition would be just a beginning of a punishment, but maybe for a start he should be the one standing in front of Wal-Mart with a board saying "I made up all this nonsense called terrorism fight war because I am a thief. I stole oil and richeness from countries in consistent development".

I bluff, you bluff....they sure bluff!

This week, an interesting article on "The Guardian" stated that "Iran seems convinced the US has no appetite for another conflict, but it may be wrong".

Apperantely there has been a rapid increasement about a possible US attack on Iran, yet, as everyone is concerned about this most certain issue, Iran is acting very indifferent to this threat.

As the article claims, the Iranian government call it as bluff from the US side, but most of the Iranian officials do believe that US is preparing to "booged down (...) and contemplate a new conflict."

An interesting and relevant fact is that "the conventional wisdom in Washington now is that a US aerial onslaught against Iran is likely in the next six months, before the US presidential elections reach their height (...) by the voters".

Meanwhile we only have to wait and observe the next moves and the next puddle of blood being splatted in our TV news, between the weather and the sport, as it became so common and natural what we call war anyway! ....

Drift into war

On Tuesday, several UN's oficials joined together in order to discuss about nuclear weapons, and against the use of force against Iran as they say that this war "is out of control".
As the french foreign minister claimmed, "we have to prepare for the worst, and the worst in war".

It has been 7 years since this against terrorism fight had started, and the only news we get since then is only about destruction, murders, torture, nuclear weapons, dictators (both Middle-East and Western side) and war.
Now UN's chiefs are saying that we still have to prepare ourselves for war. And meanwhile I ask myself, are we talking about a war with nuclear weapons which were provided by USA government? Do we have to fear a nation who have an entire poblation trying to survive without food and basic needs? Or do we actually have to fear those who are trying to input dread and panic into our hearts to make us doubt about our next door neighbour just because he is from middle-east?

As the article maintains, we should "get the lesson after the Iraq situation, where 700,000 innocent civilians have lost their lives on the suspicion that a country has nuclear weapons"...

Siblings and growth

Today, the science correspondent of "The Guardian", Ian Sample, wrote that a "study reveals how having an older brother can make you shorter". He also claimed that "children with older brothers and sisters are at risk of impaired growth in early life (...) which reveals the extent to which children are affected by sibling rivalry and their position in a family".

This study also reveals an interesting fact which is the occurence of this growth risk not only in third world countries, but also in rich, western countries.

All my life my mother kept saying how important is eating healthy food and sleeping early in order to grow up in a good shape...well...it seems like that does not matter anymore. If you have more than one sibling, he will take half of your healthy development.

What about the only children who have a short stature? I want to be an only child...and grow, grow, grow!

Yes, Minister

Among news of pills which are good against cancer, M15 and M16 torture claims, Madeleine, London expensive taste and Marc Jacobs's fashion turn out, there were a few paragraphs dedicated to the new tenant at No 10 Downing Street.

It is a dark little cat named as Sybil, and it moved in with the new english prime minister, Golden Brown.

At least some good news!...

A wrong War

On "The Guardian" main cover on Tuesday 11th, a relevant headline such as "A wrong ID, a wrong turn can mean death" claimed my attention.

Basically, it is about the lottery of life in which people live nowadays in Iraq. A wrong choice, a wrong ID card or a wrong attitude in each day small behaviours can mean death to these people who live between live, death and fear.

The writer is an Iraquian inhabitant who knows the before and after of this country.

The explanation of how life is in Baghdad is so real, that gives the impression of sun, dust, and war.

I found this new relevant because of two reasons: First is concerning a war which began as a result of the 11/9, the day this new came out in front page. Secondly, because it represents contradictions in which this country is living in.

I found quite clever the fact that the civils talk about progress and improvement on what concerns to security. One taxi driver said people found out how to improve their own security in order to stop suicide bombers in front of their shops ( ¿? Security¿?) and, of course, the progress was made by the Americans as they painted murals on the blasted walls! wow! what a difference makes a mural!

When do you capture the idea of this innocent people trying to survive from militia attacks, street battles and seeing piles of bodies in front of their houses, and, yet, they still talk about progress in terms of stability and better security... American security? Is this what we can call safety and protection?

That is why I found this article interesting, because it shows the incongruity in which these people and country are living on...since they have this "American security".

Catch me if you can...

Accordingly with The Guardian online news, Osama Bin Laden released a video on 9/11 anniversary.

During 14 minutes of film, the al-Qaida leader who is very difficult to find, raising doubt of his actual existence, praised Waled al-Shehri who was one of the hijackers on America Airlines flight that hit the World Trade Center in New York, killing around two thousands of innocent people.

In this film he appears on a similar image of other films previously released. With his same white robe and cap and beige cloak, we is seen in great shape and in a very imposing position, as he raises his finger.

Bin Laden pays tribute to al-Shehri saying he "recognised the truth" and also recognised the continous fight against west, calling it as an "Islamic revolution".

Appearing on the 9/11 anniversary, keeps mantaining Bin Laden as the most politically incorrect politician. Yes, politician! Because there is no one in this world like him to disturb G. W. Bush peace when he is "working" so hard in his Texas farm or when is waiting for his team of organisers to tell him what to do or say! Yet, Bin Laden is not a good person as he should RESPECT the death of two thousands of people who did not care a bit about this personal-petroleum war.

And while these two keep chasing eachother and ruining others countries, families, homes and lives, I dedicate a song of a movie which is very much like them but without deaths, blood and tears: "Catch me if you can".

McCann's back home

The 10th of September was a significant date to the McCann's, known as missing Madeleine's family, as they came back to England.
After four months living in Praia da Luz, Portugal, where their daughter was abducted, they had to come back home not only because it was time to finally setting down after a traumatic incident, but also because they were considered 'arguidos' of their daughters disappearance by the Policia Judiciaria (portuguese police), as they found matching ADN in the car which was rented post-disappearance of the little girl.
The heartbreaking, stress and thin face of a mother who is now being attacked, is being shown in all newspapers. Questions such as "Was it an accident?", "Are the parents guilty or the ones to blame for?" are being raised... and everyone has something to say or judge.
If since May we eared everyday news about this missing child case, now is the time to continue, but instead of having pitty of that family the media is simply raising doubt and putting an worldwide against these parents.

Should we just listen to what the media is saying? Should we enter in their game of judgeing families that we actually dont know? Are we that good persons with no blaims or blemish?


Now the McCAnn's are known even in North America, as the USA Today newspaper also presents few paragraphs about them. A population that doesn't even know were Italy is, maybe they will start looking on a map to check were Portugal is! ...and everything just because the media is saying how bad these parents are, and also how not efficient the police back there in that small european country were the peace and love always had been reign is!

A goodbye to "Big Luciano".

Last week an unexpected event came up on the news as the italian singer Luciano Pavarotti died.

"The Guardian" newspaper made a big annoucement with a portrait of the singer´s face with a big smile, which very well displayed his charismatic personallity.

As Pavarotti died because of a lasting cancer of pancreas, not only the mourners started thursday night, but also the family was next to the singer in his last voice. The following day, september 7th, the tenor´s funeral service was held in the Modena cathedral, where several celebraties from the world of music and media attended to pay a tribute to the "Big Luciano".

It is extremely sad to be part of the death of such great tenor, who gave the voice and power to important arias, music parts and events.

His life and work will remain in the history of music, and one day our children will ask who this famous tenor was, and we will remember Pavarotti and the times we lived in!