respublica

And we think we have problems

Venezuela has run out of toilet paper and is in the process of importing 50 million rolls. And also 760,000 tons of food.

Who is Margaret Thatcher?

Asked by way too many people today after hearing Great Britain's former Prime Minister has died. Such ignorance of what should be general knowlege is astounding. She was the Iron Lady.

Dennis Rodman?

All of a sudden Dennis Rodman is being talked about all over the web. Dennis Rodman? The former Chicago Bull, tattoo artist, and cross dresser? Seems he has become friends with North Korea's president for life Kim Jung Un and Rodman is carrying a message from Un to Obama: "Call me".

Wow man...

You run out of ideas during Norwegian winters

"Norwegian public television plans to broadcast a burning fireplace for 12 straight hours from Friday evening, with firewood specialists providing color commentary, expert advice and a bit of cultural tutoring. They''ll talk about the very nerdy subjects like burning, slicing and stacking the wood, but also have cultural segments with music and poems."

Actually as dull a non stop broadcast of a fireplace sounds, it might be something I'd watch for a bit. But, while they had me at 'advice and tutoring', they  lost me with the 'music and poems'. 

The Last of the Modernists

One of the most renowned architects of th 20th Century, Brazilian Oscar Niemeyer, died yesterday at age 104. He was best known for curving forms in the buildings he designed and looking at some of them today, I just think, Wow.

He designed many of Brazil's goverment buildings. He was a communist who was refused entry into the United States on several occasions. Here's a page with many of his works, most of which illustrate his interest in curving architecture.

His famous staircase.

The Noble Peace Prize goes to 27 countries?

I did not know the prestigious Peace Prize could be given to an entity rather than a person, but this year's Noble was given to the European Union, an organization of 27 nations. So who gets the trophy and cash award that comes with it? I'm almost uninterested enough to find out...however...

Seems the bickering over the question of who accepts it began almost immediately. Some wag brought up Henry Kissenger's comment from years ago when asked about this: "Who do I call if I want to call Europe?"

It's ironic that the story of this peace prize for countries who supposedly worked well together to get a fiscal bearing, are now fighting over this prize. "The Noble Committee is a little late for an April Fool’s joke,” said Martin Callanan, a British member of the European Parliament and the leader of the European Conservatives and Reformists group."

Ever seen the letters SMH at the end of an internet comment or tweet? It's short hand for "shaking my head" which is what I'm doing over this peace prize award.

No stopping while eating in Italy

The food police are at it in Italy. The mayor of Rome has made it illegal to eat around its monuments and tourists sites. The War on Sandwiches as one paper called it, forbids anyone from sitting down or even stopping to take a look around if they have food in their hands. Keep walking and it's ok. 

PIcture in your mind all the food carts around places like the Colosseum and you have irony but also the loss of a lot of income for those vendors. 

Muslim protests around the globe

As of noon today.

Map

This is not about a video, not at all.

I loathe the media right now

After our embassador to Libya is murdered and his body paraded upside down through the streets, after Egyptians tear down and burn our flag and hoist an Al Quada flag and we respond with an apology which is only disavowed after our embassador is murdered....

The only thing the press can think to do is give Romney the third degree on his statement last night. He came out with a harsh condemnation of these actions long before anything was heard from the president. So today all we hear on tv is stupid questions hurled at Romney. It seems the only security the press cares about is the president's job security. Not much about the people in our embassies in the middle east.

The journalists among us have literally been shouting at Romney this morning. Where was Obama yesterday? No one knows. He's out giving a statement now and then leaving for a fund raiser in Vegas. Where are the angry media shouts to him demanding to know what he's doing and how this happened. People died yesterday folks, our people. Our head guy's body was paraded through the streets upside down. 

What Romney did was remind people of our freedoms, not political and sentimental correctness.He said, "America will not tolerate attacks and will defend freedom of speech and religion. These acts were outrageous and disgusting." And our journalists are giving him hell.  Our people were murdered folks. All the media cares about is making Romney look bad and protecting Obama. 

As Obama said last week, I'm the president. Well. It's looking like Carter with a lot more media help.

I would be a very good thing if the media was not in lockstep with the Obama campaign every minute of the day. Hey, don't think so? How could every media outlet come up with the same talking points everyday. Coincidence? No.

I'm so sick and tired of what stands for journalism today. They betray their important role in our society for political partisanship.  rant over.

A Dane does what Jon Stewart won't

Here is a fairly hilarious video from Denmark in which the reporter does a montage of Obama saying the same things about a laundry list of countries.

I guess it takes someone from another country to see something funny about Obama because our guys in tv land sure won't go there.

Let's hear it for Denmark, always brave.