Vote for Obama 2 - Sarah Silverman


The Great Schlep from The Great Schlep on Vimeo.

New "CSI" Episode Featuring Italy

I've just read on Yahoo! that Italians have started fingerprinting Gypsies from the nomad camps outside Roma, Milan and Naples, which determined human rights activists to accuse them of racism and whatnot. I can't help but wonder how come that the U.S. are allowed to fingerprint every living soul entering their territory by plane, while a European's country way of protecting itself and the hundreds of children send to beg every day is seen as a major violation of human rights? I know Italy's main reason is that of controlling the incoming population, but why not take advantage of the fact that this might also reduce the number of children who have to steal and ask for money instead of playing and going to school? Maybe it would have been better if, instead of fingerprinting Roma people, Italy would have kicked out every Gypsy and every Romanian living there, followed by imposing visas on all Romanians willing to travel to Italy. At least that couldn't have been called discrimination, could it?

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Artificial Intelligence

U.S. authorities have decided that taking your shoes off and having your fingerprints taken at the border just doesn't do the trick anymore. A new law, which has been discussed for a while now, allows officers to download all the files you have in your computer and to even seize your laptop for an uncertain period of time. After all, I'm sure that any terrorist wannabe would enter the U.S.A. with laptops full of maps of mine fields and instructions on how to hijack bicycles.
It seems that Bush is trying harder than ever to leave an abominable legacy and to get his name on top of the "roller coaster to hell" list. How long will everyone let the U.S. bully them and ignore human rights? Until now, only Brazil has taken a step in the right direction. A friend of mine was telling me about how the South American country stops U.S. citizens at the boarder and keeps them for hours in a row, while taking their fingertips and analyzing their criminal record. Why don't all other countries have the guts to do that? After all, one is only as powerful as the others let him be.

Source: The Inquirer

Followers of the 12 Greek Gods

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6285397.stm

A group of people have adhered to a new religion revolving around the 12 ancient Greek gods, and their first ceremony took place at the Temple of Olympian Zeus in Athens. The Orthodox Church believes this to be an expression of paganism and has not neglected to address this event by using not so religious terms.
As far as I know, Greece is still a conservatory country, no matter how modern of a state it may be. We still have the old generations who are not so ready to accept the first thing that comes in discordance with their strong beliefs. On the same note, the Orthodox and Catholic Churches are not exactly known for their openness to minoritary cults. I believe this to be one of the reasons that had people draw away from the church: its leaders fail to show exactly what they preach - understanding, compassion, equality and love. Isn't this what religion is supposed to be about? I'm not saying I agree with the new cult's beliefs; I see it as an attempt to manifest themselves in a special way, to search for new preocupations. I also don't think that they should be asking for too many rights right now; they need to prove in time that their beliefs are strong and that they bring something new to the world, preferably something better. But everyone should be allowed to believe in what they choose, as long as they don't try to manipulate the others into believing the same thing.

Dreptul la intrebari, dar nu si la pretentii

Ascultam emisiunea lui Robert Turcescu de la Europa FM. Problema discutata? Scandalul legat de nominalizarea lui Varujan Vosganian pentru postul de comisar al Romaniei in UE. Nu voi face comentarii pe aceasta tema, deoarece nu mi-as permite sa ma pronunt atunci cand nu se cunosc toate datele problemei. Daca acesta ar fi cazul, nu am mai avea de-a face cu controverse. E foarte adevarat ca m-am saturat de nenumaratele "dezvaluiri" care apar de fiecare data cand Romania se pregateste sa treaca intr-o noua etapa si ca nu inteleg de ce acestea nu s-au facut cu ani inainte, de exemplu cand Varujan Vosganian s-a impus pe scena politica. De ce l-as crede eu pe Liviu Turcu, un anonim pana de curand, care spune ca, daca e nevoie, isi va insoti afirmatiile de dovezi concrete? De ce nu prezinta dovezile inainte de-a aduce astfel de acuzatii? Probabil se bazeaza pe lipsa de credibilitate de care "se bucura" politicienii" in fata cetatenilor, care deja nu mai stiu cine spune adevarul si cine nu, asa ca aleg sa se indoiasca de toti... si, paradoxal, sa creada pe oricine, in acelasi timp.
Dupa cum spuneam, nu doresc sa analizez situatia domnului Vosganian. Nici n-as avea cum fara sa intru in teorii conspirationiste, si chiar nu am de gand sa fac asta. Ce anume m-a frapat a fost atitudinea ascultatorilor care intrau in direct. Este cam a treia emisiune pe care-o ascult si nu aud decat oftaturi, injuraturi mascate si lamentari neindreptatite. Concluzia majoritatii suna cam asa: "ce sa facem, dom'le, n-avem de ales, isi bat joc de noi dupa bunul lor plac!". Saracutii si amaratii de noi! Eu spun mereu ca avem nevoie de lideri din diverse domenii care sa ne mobilizeze, sa ne scoata din lancezeala asta in care plutin de atatia ani si sa punem osul la treaba. Ca nu stiu cum ar putea aparea anumiti reprezentanti onesti, care sa nu scape din vedere rolul pe care ar trebui sa si-l asume si care sa ne inspire incredere, e deja o alta problema. Incerc macar sa pastrez ideea (nu ca n-am avea destule).
M-a deranjat in mod deosebit mesajul unei ascultatoare din Italia, care spunea ca nu crede sa se rezolve ceva prin intrarea in UE. Se plangea ca romanii din strainatate spera sa se amelioreze situatia, ca de-abia asteapta sa se intoarca in tara, dar vad ca exista slabe sperante. Imi venea sa sparg boxele!!! Cum adica, romanii din strainatate spera sa se transforme Romania intr-o patrie primitoare, in care sa curga berea si sa creasca micii in copaci, pentru ca ei sa poata reveni? Nu-i asa ca e foarte simplu sa astepti ca ceilalti sa rezolve ceva si sa le critici mereu actiunile? Ce drept ai tu sa vii cu astfel de pretentii cand nu participi cu nimic la evolutia Romaniei? Da, ai trimis ceva bani rudelor, ai venit vara si ai cheltuit mii de dolari pentru a arata cat de bine o duci in strainatate, dar nu imi spune acum ca ai facut-o pentru a ajuta economia tarii, ca nu prea te cred.
Nu spun ca eu nu mi-as dori sa fiu langa mama, ca nu ma gandesc zi de zi cum sa fac pentru a ajunge mai aproape de ea pentru ca nu mi-am dat seama la momentul potrivit unde plec si cat de greu de suportat va fi distanta. Caut modalitati de-a ne muta in Europa doar din aceasta cauza. Dar asta nu inseamna ca voi emite pretentii, ca voi incepe sa arunc cu noroi pe imaginea Romaniei si-a celor care au ramas acolo din diferite motive. Ma simt de multe ori prost cand mama imi spune ca poate in cativa ani ne vom putea intoarce acasa, dupa ce se va stabiliza situatia. Eu am ales sa plec, si nu regret asta... regret doar ca am ajuns atat de departe (si aici ma refer strict la miile de kilometri ce ne despart). Nu pot incepe acum sa critic eforturile romanilor (sau lipsa lor); nu-i pot acuza de faptul ca nu sunt in stare sa-mi presare calea cu petale de trandafiri pentru ca eu sa ma intorc. Tuturor ne este mai bine acasa, dar trebuie sa fim capabili sa ne acceptam alegerile si urmarile acestora. Nu spun ca nu s-ar putea sa ma intorc acasa, as da dovada de ipocrizie, dar stiu ca as face-o cu capul oarecum plecat, fara aere de persoana sosita din Canada sau de stiu eu unde si fara pretentia de-a ma bucura de roadele muncii celorlalti fara sa contribui si eu intr-o oarecare masura.