Carmen's Musings

Why So Bitter?

2010-06-22T21:27:00.003+03:00

I am involved in this non-profit project that I love, which is called Voices for Romania. The idea is that our team contacts and interviews accomplished Romanian professionals, who we think could be great role models for the younger generations.We then publish their interviews in the media, most notably in Evenimentul zilei. Check out our website at www.vocipentruromania.ro.

Now, for the most part, the experience of working on this project is great. I like my teammates, and I get to know and talk to great people. However, there's the odd exception whereby you get this ridiculously self important person that sort of treats you like garbage and expects you to beg for their attention. But these are not the worst cases. I was actually surprised to find that some people are willing to go out of their way in order to try to humiliate others. So not only do they not do anything constructive, but they waste their time trying to make you feel like shit. But let me be more specific. A very important person- VIP- according to his own definition, one with pretenses of being a great intellectual and with a resume to match, agrees to give us an interview and expressed a preference to do so in writing. This means that he spends time typing the answers to the questions we asked him. So far, so good.

And then we get his responses. He adopts this sarcastic, presumptuous attitude, treats the whole thing as a joke and tries to make us seem ridiculous for asking the questions we asked. All in this derogatory, half academic half colloquial and even bad language. I am not sure as to why anyone would do that, but his attitude alone answers one important question: Why isn't Romania moving forward faster? Well, because those who are educated and capable of changing it lose perspective and get into this cult of their own personalities. I mean, the guy compares himself to one of the great Romanian writers of all times.

I feel sorry for him. His attempt to undermine us failed miserably. We are moving forward, but maybe with greater caution that we have so far. Let him find his peace.

Cha Cha Chá Films: Three Mexicans with a Global Scope Come Together

2010-05-15T20:31:00.002+03:00

Biutiful (2010), a contender for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival this year, brings together three eminent film directors: Alejandro González Iñarritu as the director, co-producer and scriptwriter and Alfonso Cuarón and Guillermo del Toro as co-producers. Starring Javier Bardem and filmed in Barcelona, Biutiful is a late sequel of Iñarritu’s Death Trilogy, which comprises of Amores Perros (2000), 21 Grams (2003) and Babel (2006). And it is also a continuation of his aesthetic, an aesthetic of accidental violence that unites and disrupts the lives of seemingly perfect strangers. The story centers on Uxbal, a lonely drug dealer who is trying to clean up his act and maintain his sanity, as he struggles to ensure the future of his children and make it in a poverty stricken neighborhood. His life, however, becomes even more complicated when he is confronted by an old friend from childhood, who is now a policeman.

But Biutiful is not the first collaboration between Iñarritu, Alfonso Cuarón and del Toro, who jointly own the production company Cha Cha Chá Films and who have been friends for decades. Although their interests are rather different, Cha Cha Chá has committed to produce at least five films in both Spanish and English, as part of its contract with Universal Pictures and Focus Features. The first one of the series was released in December 2008 and it was a comedy. Rudo y Cursi , directed by Alfonso’s brother, Carlos Cuarón, deals with the Mexican professional soccer league. Two brothers from a poor Mexican village, who are played by Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna, fight one another to be selected as professional soccer players in Mexico City. The film is a crowd pleaser, but also a bitter satire about the lives of the rich and famous and a sad reflection on the war between two brothers, which obviously has deeper meanings in the context in which it was produced. Although I personally did not dislike it and it did make me laugh, I am expecting much more from the three amigos, particularly from their third film.

Their third joint effort, called Saturn and the End of Days, is expected to be released in 2011. Details about the movie are not out yet. However, online sources (www.beyondhollywood.com, www.slashfilm.com ) cite del Toro, who revealed the storyline at the 2008 New York Comic-Con. This “ perhaps final, little movie about childhood and horror” of del Toro’s will focus on a boy named Saturn, who watches a movie about the end of the world while walking to and coming back from the supermarket. An unexpected theme again, which is not surprising of del Toro.
“It’s like, what would happen if the Apocalypse was viewed by you [while] doing errands. You go back and forth and nothing big happens except the entire world is being sucked into a vortex of fire. ” The director went on to say: ” In small movies you have much more control. If I say this is the design of the fawn and the girl is going to do this or do that, that’s me. In Big Hollywood movies, you get a 50-page memo. It’s horrible. Independent film making is like drawing a comic book, the Hollywood movie is like having five hands holding your hand while you’re drawing the comic book.”

Del Toro’s remarks about Hollywood and independent film making bring me to my main question. Where exactly do these three immensely talented directors fit in? On the one hand, some of their films were blockbusters, and were widely acclaimed by Film academics and critics. On the other hand, their unique interests and means of expression set them apart from the rest of Hollywood, but no longer grant them a place among obscure and unheard-of indie directors. Third, but not least, they are all Mexicans who deal with universal themes: violence, selfishness, childhood, horror, war, accidents, the psychological limits of human beings. When they do place their films in a specific time and place, it’s almost never Mexico or not only Mexico. And it often times is the US, for that matter.

We tend to categorize movies and directors, but under what category should these three names be mentioned? Mexican directors, Hollywood big names, special interest indies who were ”corrupted” by Hollywood? And should we even try to categorize them at all, given the scope of their work? One thing to bare in mind, though, is that, in spite of their success and with a few exceptions, all three have remained true to their original interests and themes. Iñarritu is still making films about the interconnectedness of a violent world that is fraught with accidents. Guillermo del Toro is still the horror genius, making films inspired from the comics that he himself draws. And Cuarón, who shares a bit of Iñarritu’s and del Toro’s themes, goes back and forth between sex and violence, childhood and violence and sci-fi. The above description of their themes is by no means complete, nor am I trying to be reductive. Rather, I want to underline the fact that they adhered to their original themes, which goes to show that truly talented directors who are honestly passionate about certain topics can make it in Hollywood without having to ”fit in” thematically. And that categorizing these three directors is an impossible feat, just like rejecting them for being too popular and too acclaimed is absurd. They are simply brilliant. Period.

We shall see what the future brings for Cha Cha Chá Films and for the three amigos. I was not impressed by Rudo y Cursi, but Biutiful and Saturn.. sound promising. And what is even more promising is the collaboration between these giants of Mexican and International Film, who have such different approaches to form and content. There is a slight chance that the result of their collaboration could be a disaster, a clash of very powerful and well defined styles. However, I don’t think that will happen. And I expect at least another film as brilliant as Amores Perros to come out of Cha Cha Chá Films.

Stephanie Grace and Racism in the Upper Echelons

2010-05-01T13:05:00.006+03:00

For several days now, the name of Stephanie Grace has left anonymity only to become notorious. Why is that? Stephanie Grace is a 3rd year student at the Harvard Law School (HLS). And one night over dinner she had an argument with some colleagues, in which she expressed her opinion that African Americans are genetically predisposed to being less intelligent than white Americans. After dinner, just to make sure she made her point clear, she sent an email to her friends reinforcing her beliefs. The email was later forwarded to the association for African-American HLS students. And that's when the shit hit the fan. And that's when Harvard took it personally and her name became a synonym for racism in the upper echelons.

My two cents about this: I am divided with respect to the scandal. No, I am not racist nor do I think Grace is right. But must we watch out for everything we say, even in a personal email that was not initially intended for the larger public? In any case, public shaming is not the way to convince her, and dialogue might be a better option here. Also, this racist woman has now become the scapegoat for everything that HLS has not done to stop racism until now. Stephanie Grace is just one of the many racist Americans, and one of some racist Americans who attend Ivy League schools and other prestigious institutions. Let's have the issue out in the open, get a dialogue going about discrimination and try to convince these people that they're wrong. If we repress freedom of speech, we will allow racism to continue at the same scale but on a more secretive level, and maybe turn into something resembling a secret resistance movement.

Clearly, there are still unresolved issues in the texture of the American society- and of any diverse society, for that matter. Racism, sexism and other types of discrimination are among these issues. And clearly, the way they've been dealt with up until now, which has been to pass a law and then turn them into taboos has not solved the problem. We need to be a little more thick-skinned and accept a dialogue about them, even if some might be offended by the opinions they hear. We might be able to change some minds with the right arguments. If we avoid to address discrimination, it will continue and maybe become even worse.

Written Architecture: the Rise and Fall of the Ideal City

2010-04-18T14:13:00.005+03:00

This is the English version of an article to be published in Humanize Magazine, a bilingual (Spanish/ English) magazine about the arts in general and indie arts in particular. Check out the website, it's awesome.

www.humanizemag.com

And here goes the article:

The exhibition hall at the Fine Arts Circle in Madrid was dark, and only the artifacts were well lit as if to put even more emphasis on something that stands out anyway. That something was mock ups of buildings and cities described in famous works of world literature, starting with the Epic of Gilgamesh, the One Thousand and One Nights and Plato’s Timaeus and Critias, on to Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, John Milton’s Paradise Lost and up to Clarín’s The Regent’s Wife, Emile Zola’s Travail, Kafka’s The Castle and Jean Cocteau’s Les Enfants terribles. Curated by Juan Calatrava from the Technical School of Architecture in Granada and by Winfried Nerdinger from the Technical University in Munich, the exhibition Written Architecture is visiting Spain after a very similar version, Architektur wie sie in Buche steht, was presented in Munich in 2006.

The project is a dialogue between text and matter, between books, quotes and architectural models. Each model is accompanied by an early edition of the book it refers to. In addition to that, the walls of the gallery are replete with quotes from some of those books, turning the visit into a holistic experience of reading ideas and descriptions and then seeing their material execution. As if to make matters even more complicated, each mock up was created by a different architect or student of architecture. The dialectic format and the fragmentary approach reveal great humbleness and thoughtfulness on the part of the curators. Had the exhibition consisted only of mock ups, its purpose would have been too wide. After all, how do you encompass almost three millennia worth of writing and simply exhibit the architecture described in it? And how do you cast a judgment or a conclusion in a project like this? The answer is: you can’t. And Written Architecture doesn’t do that. Written Architecture poses questions, brings the texts to life in a new light and lets the visitors decide what their take home messages are.

There is nothing new to the concept that literature has an influence on all areas of society; that it has initiated, altered and did away with doctrines and ideologies. After all, Sigmund Freud himself claimed that he got his early ideas about psychoanalysis from literature. However, Written Architecture displays a different sort of literary influence, because it departs from the text, filters it through another artists’ consciousness and then turns it into a palpable production. Thus, each architectural model is a work of art based on another work of art. And this is what I find so innovative about this exhibition. It creates a space that brings together literary and scientific (architectural) imagery, a stage where both literature and architecture are protagonists in an unresolved dialogue.

The thing that struck me the most was the divide between earlier architecture and what comes after the 16th and 17th centuries. Up until this time, most mock ups display carefully organized cities and structures, with radial or rectilinear streets and clear centers. These represent the architecture of power of the Antiquity and the ideal cities of the Renaissance, all panoptical structures in which the center controls and watches over the peripheries. These were cities with Christian, Mesopotamian or Greek gods watching over them. This is Plato’s Atlantis, Tommaso Campanella’s Civitas solis (The City of the Sun) or Filarete’s ideal city, Sforzinda, described in his Treatise on Architecture (1463).

After the 16th-17th centuries, the age of Protestantism, what follows are godless cities and structures. Starting with the mock up of John Milton’s pandemonium from Paradise Lost (1667)- which was an obvious reference to Solomon’s temple and depicted the dangers of allowing the demons of knowledge to interfere with faith, to the model of Emile Zola’s desolate industrial city in Travail (1901) and the prison-cell representation of Umberto Eco’s abbey in The Name of the Rose (1980), modern literature inspired a dread of organization and hierarchy in architecture. Centers and grids become claustrophobic and life in such spaces is unbearable. The architecture of the past is now a utopia or a dystopia, subject of futuristic novels such as Herman Hesse’s The Glass Bead Game (1943), Ernst Jünger’s Heliopolis (1949) or Jules Verne’s The Begum’s Millions (1879).

So what about us, cosmopolites living in today’s major cities? What kind of a city is Madrid nowadays? Its imposing beauty and organized chaos is reminiscent of a different age, with an unquestionable god and a well defined hierarchy of powers. However, its new inhabitants turned religious buildings into art centers and built botanical gardens in train stations. I shall leave you with the question that crossed my mind upon leaving the exhibition. To what extent are we changing the old urban architecture and how much does it actually dictate how we live our modern lives?

In Madrid

2010-03-28T10:29:00.004+03:00

The past couple of weeks have been a little hectic but happy, as I was trying to finish all the projects I started in Romania before I came to Spain. I did not manage to do so, so I had to finish everything from Madrid. Add to that an interview, networking, errands and looking for an apartment, and sightseeing is out of the question.

I did however take long strolls through the city. I revisited places that are dear to me, only to discover how funny the human brain is and how memory plays tricks on us. Take the National Library, for instance. I spent a whole month going there every day in the summer of 2006. And I remembered it to be this great, imposing white building, architecture of power a la espagnol. It is still imposing, there's no doubt about that. But it seemed gray and old when I revisited it. Like an old friend, whom you can't tell he's gotten old because you love him and don't want to offend his feelings.

Oh. but coming to Spain brought a much needed change of air. I felt it from the very first moment I stepped out of the airport. First and foremost, the Eastern European gaze is gone. No one is checking you out with a mean smirk on their faces anymore. Or if they do, they have the decency to try to conceal it. People are lovely. Once you start talking to them- and they want you to do that- they will help you as much as they can. Whatever question you have, they will try to answer it. And if they can't, they will get a friend to answer it for you. It's endearing how nice and kind they are. Spain takes the best from the capitalist and old European-bourgeois, if I may say- cultures and combines them in a way that makes life beautiful and livable. The Spaniards are not so desperate to protect their personal space, like Americans can be, but at the same time they are polite and respect common sense. This might sound racist, but the only people who don't respect the line at the supermarket are immigrants from Latin America and Eastern Europe, places where the only rule is that rules are meant to be broken.

And the Spanish celebrate life. You can see it in the way they talk, in the way they carry themselves, in the way they interact with others. And no, that does not mean constant partying. It means having the self confidence and self importance to really live in the present. To fully engage in the present moment and put passion into it, whether you are talking about socks or going to a wedding. And doing all of that without being cocky. They are in fact some of the most approachable people I've met. They do not look into your eyes and smile like some do in the US. But once you open your mouth, they do not take a step back either.

On a totally different note, a very dear friend of mine is getting married to his long term gf and I am so happy for them. I am not a believer in weddings and I hate how people put so much time into planning weddings instead of planning for marriages. But these two are a power couple that is going to last. And they are among those rare specimens who turn the skeptic in me into a believer, simply because they love each other so much that they made their relationship work across distances, over difficulties, and they've been doing that for seven years now. Congratulations, guys.

Last, but not least, I was lucky enough to find housing for the first ten days with this lovely American lady with whom I have so much in common. She's been very helpful, too. So I am grateful for that.

A lot for be grateful for these days. And since it's Sunday, I might as well go to church. Good vibes from Spain.

Adaptation

2010-03-12T07:37:00.007+02:00

It's been a long time since my last post, but I decided not to give up this blog altogether. Since I last posted, there was Halloween, and Thanksgiving, and Christmas, and Valentine's Day and 1st and 8th of March which are celebrated in Romania as the arrival of spring and women's day. It seems like winter's back though, so much so for the arrival of spring.

Anyhow, this is not a lame post about what I haven't written, but rather about what I have done lately, most of which has to do with film. The other day, I went to a screening of Carlos Saura's latest movie, Io, Don Giovanni. The film was ok, his speech was short and then he vanished. He didn't take any questions. I was a little disappointed, after all I was dying to meet him and talk to him after the movie. He left right after the movie started though. Ah well..

I have been watching my all time faves again: Requiem for a Dream, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. And then I discovered Being John Malkovich. And Adaptation. Boy, is the latter brilliant. I was captivated right from the opening credits by the self talk that one can hear in the background. It sounded pretty much like anyone else's self talk. And mine sometimes. The protagonist, Charlie Kaufman, is a man who clearly lives in his head a lot. He is shy and self conscious and brings himself down all the time. Nonetheless, he is the talented screen player who wrote the script for Being JM. What I like best about this movie? How real it seems and how it tries to avoid cliches in a very Don Quixote-sque manner. Of course it doesn't manage to do so all the way, but neither does Don Quixote. The scenes that I liked best were the ones about the pollination of flowers; and his sexual fantasy with the author of the book he's trying to adapt, Susan Orlean. The latter goes like this. He can't sleep or write, he's lying in bed and looks at Susan's picture on the back of the book. And then he dreams they are making love. It's a cliche, but I like this metaphor of creation: book and screen play coming together. However, unlike the pollination of flowers, this scene is cut off by his self talk. The human brain yet again interfering with creation. Instead of doing what we are supposed to do and let the world recreate and renovate itself, like nature does, the human brain interferes with this process, generally with disastrous results.

I didn't like the ending, but overall Meryl Streep and Nicholas Cage contribute to a wonderful performance. I loved one of the quotes from the book The Orchid Thief, which I am of course going to buy and read now, mentioned in the film. "There are too many people and ideas, too many directions to go. I am starting to believe that the reason why it is so important to care passionately about something is that it whittles the world down to a more manageable size." How true! One can't take on the whole universe. But then how does one find something one cares passionately about?

Exporturile ne vor salva din criza

2009-09-17T00:27:00.008+03:00

Tocmai am participat la o receptie Ivy and Excellence, la care invitati au fost doi specialisti de la UBS: Costas Vayenas, Head of Emerging Markets and Wealth Management Research si Giuseppe De Filippo, Head of Management for Southeastern Europe. Dl Vayenas a facut o prezentare despre criza economica si revenirea neuniforma din aceasta criza. Mesajul sau a fost ca ce e mai rau a trecut, dar ca revenirea din criza e inceata si ca nu se va mai ajunge la expansionismul economic pre-criza. Adica ne putem lua la revedere de la acele credite cu buletinul.

In ceea ce priveste Romania, dansul a remarcat faptul ca, spre deosebire de vecinii nostri bulgari care au mai si economisit in perioadele de crestere economica, Romania nu are bani. Nu are lichiditati. Raporul dintre imprumuturi si economii in tara noastra este de 120%. 70-80% din sectorul bancar romanesc este prorietate straina. Trageti concluziile de rigoare.

Dl. Vayenas a mai discutat pe scurt si despre modelul anglo-saxon de management al crizei, care de fapt implica foarte mult interventionism statal si al bancii centrale. Deh! Banii publici au salvat multe banci si fonduri din SUA, spre nemultumirea cetatenilor, mai ales ca acele institutii au continuat sa acorde bonusuri de sute de mii de dolari imediat ca au inregistrat o anumita imbunatatire. Spre deosebire de SUA, statul roman este dator nu numai institutiilor internationale, in speta IMF, ci si bancilor de pe piata romaneasca. Romania nu numai ca nu sustine sectorul privat pe timp de criza, dar se hraneste din el.

L-am intrebat pe Dl Vayenas care ar fi un posibil motor pentru revenirea economica, in lipsa interventionismului oportun si al unei politici fiscale pe masura. Mi-a raspuns ca exporturile. Adica, pe masura ce alte state isi vor reveni si vor avea lichiditati, vor fi interesate de produsele de pe piata romeasca. Ba chiar si de real estate, mai ales daca preturile raman scazute. Adica revenire sustenabila ioc la noi. Asteptam sa isi revina altii si sa vina investitorii straini ca sa ne salveze din criza.

Dl De Filippo adaugat un lucru care mi-a atras atentia. Si-anume, cum ca, pe timp de criza, este necesar ca politicul sa controleze oarecum opinia publica, astfel incat aceasta sa nu se panicheze. Vorbea despre controlul politic al massmedia. M-au cam speriat tendintele sale dictatoriale, dar pana la un anumit punct sunt de acord cu dansul. Cand a spus acest lucru, dansul probabil gandea dintr-un punct de vedere economic si sugera solutia cea mai eficienta, nu cred ca avea in vedere protejarea principiilor democratice. Adevarul e ca democratie pe burta goala nu se face, nici macar in teorie. Si mi-a dat un exemplu din sectorul bancar. Bancile intra in faliment atunci cand clientii afla-cel mai adesea din massmedia-cum ca banca respectiva are probleme. Moment in care ei se duc si isi retrag banii, iar banca chiar da faliment. Prin lege, banca a fost nevoita sa imprumute bani statului. In momentul in care ea nu mai are de unde sa se imprumute si, pe deasupra, mai vin si clientii si isi retrag economiile, banca da faliment. In acest context, ii dau dreptate. Dar ma tem ca massmedia romaneasca, si asa partizana, nu ar opta pentru solutia cea mai eficienta si nici nu ar avea in vedere binele social si economic pe termen lung.

So. To be or not to be? Democratie minimala cu interventionism din cand in cand pentru a proteja economia si implicit democratia sau...democratie pe burta goala?

Interventionism in presa romaneasca? Acesta deja exista. Dar vorbind in abstract si presupunand ca aceasta ar fi independenta. In ce masura reportajele infernale si repetitive de la canalele de stiri despre aceleasi vechi controverse politice au incurajat opinia publica sa se implice pentru a aduce schimbarea mult dorita? Si in ce masura au inspirat neincredere si dezinteres? Cum am putea aduce o schimbare de registru? Ne intereseaza doar scandalul sau ne mai intereseaza si restul lucrurilor marunte, precum economia si cine mai conduce tara asta? Cam atat am avut de impartasit.

Gata cu negativismul. Hai sa povestesc si lucruri pozitive

2009-09-17T00:01:00.007+03:00

Imi reciteam post-urile si mi-am dat seama ca multe dintre ele sunt critici la adresa unor persoane sau ale unor stari de fapt. Gata! Ca nu m-am intors in tara ca sa critic tot ce vad. Pe bune ca nu mi se pare asa deprimanta Romania sau Bucurestiul. Cateva lucruri care imi plac:

1. Gasesti mici localuri, locuri si locsoare in marea de imitatie si mercantilism care chiar te surprind in mod placut. Spre exemplu, in Centrul Vechi este o minuscula galerie de arta care imi place la nebunie. Cafe Lente este un alt loc care imi place.

2. Nu stiu daca autoritatile cheltuie banii cu folos sau nu, dar evenimentele culturale si artistice abunda. Si e bine. Deunazi eram prin preajma Ateneului si am auzit muzica clasica. Si m-am dus la scena. Concert simfonic in aer liber al Filarmonicii din Pitesti. M-a uns la suflet. De asemenea, numeroasele evenimente de zilele Bucurestiului. Abia astept sa ma duc weekendul asta.

3. Parcurile si bulevardele din Bucuresti. Or fi ele prost facute si planuite, dar arata bine.

4. Poate ar fi trebuit sa fie la nr 1. Oamenii. Unii dintre ei exceptionali. Sunt multi marlani, inchisi la minte, mistocari, e adevarat. Dar am cunoscut si oameni de-a dreptul minunati si inteligenti. Chiar nu stiu ce m-as fi facut in orasul asta fara uniia dintre prietenii pe care i-am cunoscut de curand. Unii filantropisti, oameni de afaceri cu fundatii de caritate, profund interesati de societatea romaneasca si dornici si capabili sa o schimbe in bine, atat cat pot.

Si acum, din categoria lucrurilor personale. O sa fiu intervievator pentru Yale, impreuna cu alti doi care au studiat acolo. Si asta in conditiile in care Yale nu avea nici un intervievator la Bucuresti. Abia astept. Weeeeeeee!

Gata! Este si bune, mai este si bune pe la Bucuresti.

Mare zi mare. Aproape la fel de mare ca o statuie a prostiei

2009-09-15T10:18:00.006+03:00

De dimineata- si m-am sculat devreme, pe la 4 am- stau cu un nod in gat. Se va vota sau nu rau famatul pachet de legi, care cuprinde si legea salarizarii unice si a educatiei? Toti angajatii din domeniul public si privat cam ameninta cu greva daca asa ceva se va intampla. Deci alianta magnificilor va guverna peste o tara nefunctionala. Da cu legi noi.

Anyhow, rasei cu lacrimi la citirea unei stiri de la inceputul lui Septembrie- sunt cam in urma cu stirile politice interne, asta e. Adevarul e ca mi s-a acrit deja de sarada asta din politica romaneasca, si asta dupa numai 3 luni de stat in tara- cum ca bustul Elenei Udrea a fost furat. Chiar asea. Initial am crezut ca e vorba de alt bust si ma intrebam cum dracu. Dupa care am realizat eu ca , stai asea cu ghinisorul, femeii asteia i se face statuie. Pam pam! Dar mai mult. Nati Meir s-a oferit sa dea recompensa pentru gasirea bustului. Si inca si mai mult. Nati Meir isi va comanda si dansul bust de la acelasi artist, Catalin Mihalache. Cica ca sa-l ajute pe amaratul de artist sa treaca prin criza.

Mda. Sa inteleg ca toti nimicii si toate nimicele din tara asta mai nou isi fac statuie, ca sa aiba o dovada palpabila a maretiei lor. Nu mai sunt de ajuns viloaiele si Mertanele si Porscheurile si Rolexurile si Burberryurile pe pieile groase de parveniti. Amu colectia se completeaza cu statui personale. Si eu care credeam ca Stalin a avut ditamai cult al personalitatii. Vin tare din urma Elena Udrea si Nati Meir din Romanica.

Iar ma luai de Udrea. Zau n-am nimic cu ea personal, si nici carcotasa de-aia de doi lei care critica tot dar nu face nimic zic eu ca nu-s. Dar tre sa recunosc ca stirea asta i-a luat piuitul. Adica ditamai doza de nesimtire chiar m-a uimit.

Semnat,
Uimita

Is Udrea

2009-09-10T13:50:00.004+03:00

actually going to be taken to court? I have my doubts. The woman is the devil. She's above the president, and she is clearly above the law.

Judging by how much money she might have misused, I don't even think she's that big a fish anyhow. There are people in this country that stole way more money than she did, but nobody questions their morality or lawful(less)ness. Try Nelu Iordache for instance, whose EUR hundred million dollar contracts with the Ministry of Transportation turned him into a rich man in few years. Do our streets look any better? No. Now, if the contracts were honored is a whole different issue. In Romania, the payment is done in advance. Apres moi, le deluge, ain't it?

Anyhow, it's a commonplace thing to say that Udrea is under attack these days because she's close to Basescu and the elections are coming up. But my 5 cents: the conclusion of the Udrea case will show whether Basescu is stronger than his adversaries or viceversa. And who will win the elections.

PS: Who thinks that Udrea has the potential to become the first woman president in Romania? If anyone can do it, she can.

Theater in a Shop Window

2009-08-23T01:25:00.006+03:00

Ladies and gents, mark your calendars. Humanitas Kretzulescu is hosting a monthly theater sketch right in their shop window. I love the idea of bringing theater not only to the streets, but to this limbo space which lies between the commercial and the literate (it is a bookstore after all), and between the private and the public. The series started in July and so far there was a sketch by Milan Kundera and one by Dino Buzzati.

I missed them both, because I only found out about this after the last performance. But I cannot wait to go to the one in September. I'm not even going for the performance itself, but rather to watch the public, who apparently can watch the performance both from inside the bookstore and from the street. It's what I was saying earlier about the private (property, performance) and the public. I shall certainly write up my thoughts afterward.

The event normally takes place between the 13th and the 15th, but make sure you double check closer to the date.

She Wof? Or She-Slut?

2009-08-23T01:09:00.006+03:00

I like(d) Shakira. The smile, beauty, charisma, voice, her social campaigns in Latin America. And up until her most recent video, I also respected her as a singer and dancer, although I wasn't particularly keen on her more commercial tunes. I never liked Hips Don't Lie, for instance, but I could tolerate it.

But She Wolf makes me wonder whether I was wrong about her all along. I mean, wtf is that? I watched and listened to some of my favorite songs of hers: No, La pared and the soundtracks of Love in the Time of Cholera: La despedida and Hay amores. And then watched She Wolf again. No connection. It seems like there's two different artists performing these videos. The Shakira of No is a woman struggling to convey a message and manages to do so successfully, in my opinion. The one of She Wolf is a cheap imitation of Beyonce (who's pretty cheap to begin with), performing weird dance moves in a half body suit that shows her butt and hanging from the bars of a cage wearing a skin colored leotard. The lyrics are stupid, the dancing is awful, she's half naked and trashy. And then that AOOOOOOOOO which is as frightening as my kitten's meow. I am so disappointed.

Bruno

2009-08-10T15:57:00.002+03:00

Mare dezamagire mare. Fusei weekendul asta sa vad Bruno si nu mi-a placut deloc. Nu numai ca nu prea am ras, dar m-am si plictisit. Nu inteleg de ce comunitatea gay s-a scandalizat in legatura cu filmul asta, caci Bruno nu are de-a face cu nici o comunitate reala, si nici cu bunul simt. Umorul de prost gust din Bruno este bazat pe nuditate si pornografie, si e mai degraba un umor de-ala incomod. Razi ca nu stii cum altfel sa reactionezi, si nicidecum pentru ca chiar iti vine sa razi. Temele fumate si ele. In concluzie, ii dau nota cinci.

Ce cacaciosi mai suntem in fata mortii

2009-08-04T11:21:00.002+03:00

Am reinceput sa urmaresc dezbaterile interminabile si stirile de la Realitatea.

O stire cu mare acoperire zilele astea este aceea despre tanarul care a fost impuscat de catre vecinul politist pentru ca a dat muzica prea tare. Realitatea TV s-a bagat in rapoarte de criminalistica si psihologie a crimei, folosind drept material ilustrat o scena dintr-un film de actiune. Nu mai comentez proasta inspiratie a celor care au facut materialul, care ar fi trebuit sa evite utilizarea unui film de fictiune de doi lei pentru a-si ilustra argumentul. Azi dimineata in metrou trasei cu ochiul la un articol din Adevarul (?) intitulat Criminalii se afla printre noi, in care ideea principala era ca orice om poate comite o crima intr-un moment de irationalitate. In articol apareau si exemple.

Mama, ce cacaciosi mai suntem. Ce noutate mai este si asta cum ca criminalii se afla printre noi? Dar lucrul asta se stie de ceva vreme. Si cei mai blanzi oameni pot deveni cruzi in conditii limita. Si asta pentru ca suntem niste fiinte slabe, de-aia. Intram in panica. Actionam irational. Plangem, fugim, omoram. Dar ca sa transformi un incident nefericit precum a fost moartea tanarului respectiv intr-un motiv pentru interminabile si stupide materiale cu pretentii de documentare criminalistice mi se pare o ireverenta fata de moarte in general si fata de mortul cu pricina in cazul de fata.

M-am mutat

2009-08-03T15:39:00.004+03:00

Si am inceput sa lucrez, motiv pentru care viata mea din ultimele trei saptamani a fost un mare haos. Abia daca apucai sa mai citesc si eu ziarele din cand in cand. Dar promit sa revin in forta, acum ca in sfarsit mi-am instalat internet si acasa. Caci la cat sunt de carcotosa si la cate idei imi vin, pot sa fiu ocupata pana-n gat si tot gasesc timp sa bloguiesc. Pe cuvant de soim al patriei.

Two Thumbs Up

2009-07-17T12:42:00.002+03:00

Singurul loc din Galatiul asta unde vad si eu oameni atletici care arata si bine este faleza Dunarii, unde ma duc in fiecare dimineata. In general ii recunosc pe cei care fac miscare in mod regulat, ba chiar ne mai si salutam. Ei, azi vazui si eu un bombonel de-ti pica fata. Inalt, atletic, cu parul lung si cret, cu un caine la fel de misto ca stapanul si pe deasupra si vioi. Ei, asa da. O oaza mult asteptata dupa panorama de burtosi, burtoase si anorexice din orasul asta.

I give him two thumbs up.

2009-07-16T19:56:00.002+03:00

Mugur Isarescu in cartea recordurilor

2009-07-16T18:23:00.002+03:00

9am relateaza ca guvernatorul Bancii Nationale a intrat in cartea recordurilor ca economistul cu cel mai lung mandat in fruntea unei banci centrale. Isarescu este una dintre putinele personalitati din generatia mai batrana de la noi pe care le respect. Ca politician nu este grozav, insa ca economist e un mic geniu national.

Ca sa nu mai vorbim despre faptul ca Dl Isarescu este membru de onoare al Club of Rome, un think tank elitist alcatuit din cei mai insemnati academicieni, economisti si politicieni din lumea asta. Bravo lui!

China, o anomalie economica

2009-07-16T18:07:00.003+03:00

In timp ce restul lumii trece printr-o criza economica prelungita si indarjita, China a inregistrat o cresetere economica de 7.9% in prima jumatate a anului, dupa cum relateaza NY Times. Ei bine, cresterea nu se compara cu cea de 13% din 2007, dar este totusi substantiala si sfideaza parca celelalte economii nationale aflate in decadere. Acum, adevarul este ca China nu a inregistrat in nici un moment o scadere economica, ci o scadere a cresterii economice, care ajunsese la 6.1% in a doua jumatate a anului 2008.

Amu, ar visa Romania la o crestere economica de macar 6%. Preconizarile mai putin decat incurajatoare, cum ca cea criza se va acutiza in toamna, ne face sa fim modesti si optimisti.

Nu inteleg cum functioneaza economia Chinei, sincera sa fiu. Intr-adevar, guvernul a investit in economie prin pachete de redresare, dar asta a facut si guvernul SUA. In China economia si-a luat avant intr-un timp foarte scurt, in SUA lucrurile intarzie si disponibilizarile continua. In China, dupa o scurta perioada de recesiune, si sectorul privat si-a luat vant, astfel incat s-a inregistrat o cerere nemaintalnit de mare pe anumite piete, cum ar fi piata otelului.

Pentru mine, economia chineza ramane un mare mister al contemporaneitatii. Al care ma lumineaza si pe mine primeste o inghetata de la subsemnata.

Ridzi si-a dat demisia

2009-07-14T17:29:00.000+03:00

Inca mai are o bruma de onoare. Jos palaria pentru decizia sa.

Vine vara, bine-mi pare, obezitatea e in floare

2009-07-10T13:46:00.003+03:00

Eu cred ca Romania este o anomalie, in sensul ca in tara asta s-ar parea ca barbatii procreeaza. Asta judecand dupa burtile imense pe care le vad pe strada, care deseori nu sunt acoperite de tricouri. Daca jmecherii prefera sa se indoapte cu shaorme si multe alte minuni, asta este treaba lor. Dar purtatul burtilor (si a tatelor, pardon de expresie, ca si alea atarna la domnii cu pricina) la vedere ma scarbeste.

Nici femeile nu sunt mai simtite. Tocmai vazui o piti de vreo 18 ani care era aproape obeza, cu niste pantalonasi scurti de forma si marimea chilotilor, cu burta revarsata peste ei si un maieuas scurt care lasa totul la vedere, adica tot ceea ce nu as fi vrut sa vad. Mi-e rau.

Ridzi si onoarea

2009-07-10T13:44:00.000+03:00

(Fosta) ministra a Tineretului si Sportului a tot fost criticata de presa in ultíma luna. Titlul articolului din Gazeta Sporturile de ieri, “Ai dreptul sa taci!”, ilustreaza tocmai acest lucru. Pe mine ma uimeste insa faptul ca Domnia ei nu are mai multa mandrie, ca si om de stat ce este. Desi raspunsurile sale sunt putine si vagi, tupeul da pe afara. In loc sa isi dea demisia si sa stea cuminte in asteptarea auditului comisiei de ancheta, dansa a ales sa fie umilita public in repetate randuri, atat de catre altii, cat si de propia-i lipsa de responsabilitate si de atitudinea-i neadecvata. A aparut in fata anchetatorilor cu un tupeu de adolescenta rebela, fara a avea vreo logica in ceea ce spune, insa sfidand cu nerusinare bunul simt. Mai avea putin si raspundea “Ei si ce daca? Si ce daca fondurile astea au fost cheltuite aiurea? Sunt banii mei si fac ce vreau!”

Partea trista nu este Ridzi in sine, ci faptul ca esecul sau probabil va influenta opinia publica asupra tinerilor politicieni, printre care se afla unii care sunt extrem de capabili. Daca te uiti la CV-ul dansei, la tinuta eleganta, si la seriozitatea initiala, ai trage concluzia ca este exact prototipul politicianului de viitor. Aparentele inseala insa, iar CV-ul sau impresionant ascunde incompetenta si iresponsabilitate.

La asa strazi, asa trotuare

2009-07-10T13:43:00.000+03:00

Cand lucram in Washington DC, eu si multe alte colege de serviciu ne stricam tocurile pe trotuar cand nu eram atente, caci intrau in grilajul de la canalizari si ca sa le scoti trebuia sa te descalti si sa tragi de pantof, iar tocul se zgaria. In Bucuresti, insa, un e nevoie nici de grilaj si nici de canalizare, caci tocurile ti se infunda in asfaltul topit de caldura. Mergeam azi agale prin Buc, pana cand am dat peste o portiune unde batea soarele, si am crezut ca am dat peste nisipuri miscatoare. Probabil am luat putintel din asfaltul topit acasa, ca doar asa e frumos, bunul public sa fie impartit intre membrii comunitatii.

Feedback-ul si coruptia

2009-07-08T14:39:00.002+03:00

La sedinta comisiei de ancheta a Ministrei Ridzi condusa de Deputatul PNL Alina Gorghiu, PSD-istul Robert Negoita a cerut si anchetarea Elenei Basescu in acest caz. Iar eu nu mai pot de bucurie.

Desi este vorba despre un singur individ aici, si anume Negoita, eu voi extinde o teorie generala bazata pe acest caz. Si anume, cu cat coruptii de la noi vor avea parte de mai mult feedback, chiar daca acest feedback vine din partea unor grupuri nu tocmai ortodoxe nici ele, cu atat va scadea nivelul coruptiei. Principiul divide et impera nu e nimic nou, si totusi inca este aplicabil si eficient pentru a reduce coruptia din politica din Romania. Atunci cand rade ciob de oala sparta ambii se fac de ras si, sper eu, isi vor corecta greselile reciproc.

Haosul din justitie

2009-07-08T14:13:00.002+03:00

In urma stirilor despre protestele magistratilor, am zis sa ma informez si eu cu privire la structura interna a justitiei din Romania. Mi-a atras atentia faptul ca Consiliul Superior al Magistraturii (CSM) nu depinde de Ministerul Justitiei decat pentru bani. Am zis bun, hai sa accesez si eu site-ul acestor institutii ca sa vad exact care este relatia dintre ele.

Pot spune ca am esuat. Organigrama interna a CSM o gasiti aici, insa nu prevede nimic in legatura cu alte institutii.

http://www.csm1909.ro/csm/linkuri/02_10_2007__12096_ro.PDF

Pe de alta parte, in Anexa nr. 3 din Hotararea guvernamentala cu privire la functionarea Ministerului Justitiei (vezi link mai jos), Anexa in care se afla enumerate toate institutiile subordonate ministerului, CSM nu apare defel.

http://www.just.ro/Portals/0/hg83%2029062003.pdf

Lasand confuzia mea deoparte, mi se par lipsite de bun simt protestele astea, avand in vedere ca suntem in criza economica, ca exista foarte multe probleme in infrastructura justitiei romane (sali de judecata fara curent electric, etc) care trebuiesc adresate cu fondurile disponibile, si ca la urma urmei e vorba de niste sporuri ce vin sa completeze niste salarii mai mult decat decente, avand in vedere nivelul de trai din Romania.

Inca un motiv pentru care turismul nostru e la pamant

2009-07-05T08:18:00.000+03:00

Tocmai imi faceam temele, caci o prietena din State va veni sa ma vada si vreau sa o plimb. Si tot cautand locuri unde sa o duc, aflu cu stupoare ca in Bucuresti nu exista un birou pentru turisti. Wow! Nu stiu in ce alta tara din Europa se mai intampla treaba asta- probabil in Moldova- dar in mod sigur nu e un semn de bun augur, ci de lipsa de civilizatie. Pai cum vrem noi sa atragem turistii si sa ii indrumam catre cele mai bune hoteluri, locuri de interes si evenimente daca nu ii informam?

Intre timp, incompetenta de la Ministerul Turismului capata notorietate.

Cristoiu nu poate fi impartial si zice ca e prea batran ca sa se mai schimbe

2009-07-04T21:10:00.000+03:00

Tocmai am urmarit o declaratie a lui Ion Cristoiu din cadrul emisiunii 100% cu Robert Turcescu, prin care acesta a declarat cum ca nu poate sa se abtina de la a critica presedintii aflati la putere, indiferent de masurile pe care acestia le iau. Odata ce respectivii nu mai sunt la putere, Cristoiu simte brusc o simpatie fata de ei si se imblanzeste. A dat exemplul lui Constantinescu, pe care l-a "injurat" in timpul mandatului, dupa care s-a dus la acesta acasa si a mancat prajitura. Similar s-ar parea ca se desfasoara lucrurile si in relatia Cristoiu-Basescu, care are o evolutie pozitiva de cand "restul presei" il injura pe presedinte.

Trist. Daca "tatal jurnalismului roman", cum l-a numit Robert Turcescu, declara raspicat ca el nu poate fi impartial, ci critica presedintele la putere indiferent de ce face acesta si se face prieten cu el dupa ce nu mai e la putere, jurnalismul din tara noastra are un "fondator" neprofesionist.

In Croatia se poate

2009-07-04T20:58:00.000+03:00

Noul prim ministru croat, Jadranka Kosor, este o jurnalista de 56 de ani, membra a Partidului Conservator. Si jurnalista si femeie ajunsa in guvern! Sunt de-a dreptul impresionata.

Palin isi da demisia

2009-07-04T07:30:00.000+03:00

In ajun de 4 iulie, Sarah Palin si-a anuntat demisia ca si guvernator al Alaskai intr-o declaratie intortocheata si ilogica, cum ii sta in fire, de altfel. Nu a avut un raspuns bine formulat la intrebarea De ce?, ci a inceput sa spuna ca vrea sa aduca schimbare in Alaska, dar nu din pozitia de putere cum ar fi cea de guvernator. Nu se stie din ce pozitie, insa.

Comentatorii politici au inaintat ipoteza conform careia asta ar fi prima miscare electorala pentru alegerile din 2012. Conform unora, Sarah Palin, o vedeta prea mare pt indepartata Alaska, vrea sa isi intareasca baza in Partidul Republican si sa stranga bani pentru campanie. Si totusi, o demisie inainte de terminarea mandatului de guvernator nu este un atu in CV-ul unui candidat prezidential. Daca intr-adevar va candida, in mod sigur va fi criticata pentru ca si-a dat demisia atat de devreme.

Dupa scandalul romantic al lui Mark Sanford si acum demisia lui Palin in ajun de 4 iulie, s-ar parea ca Partidul Republican nu intra tocmai in forta in sarbatorirea zilei independentei. Daca o va tine in scandaluri de genul asta pana la urmatoarele alegeri, rezultatul nu va fi dificil de prevazut.

Pana peste urechi dupa Jon Stewart

2009-07-03T18:53:00.000+03:00

De ce? Pentru ca e inteligent, sarcatic, inspirat si carismatic. The Daily Show nu lipseste din orarul meu zilnic, indiferent cat sunt de ocupata. Tipul e tare. Letterman e mic copil pe langa el in ceea ce priveste umorul.

Si vorbind de The Daily Show, Jon Stewart a comentat in emisiunea de ieri despre multiplele declaratii pe care le-a dat Mark Sanford in ultimele zile, din care reiese ca tipul e bou facut gramada. In timp ce toti locuitorii din California de Sud isi doreau ca asta sa taca, el s-a apucat sa dea declaratii la televiziuni despre alte relatii extraconjugale pe care le-a avut in decursul anilor. Lacrimand, si-a confesat dragostea profunda fata de amanta actuala. Om politic si tata a patru copchii sa iesi cu scuza ca dragostea ta e mare? Nu vrem sa stim exact cat masoara dragostea asta, mai bine ti-o tii in pantaloni si inchizi dreaq gura. My God!

O comoara demult uitata, recent redescoperita

2009-07-02T17:19:00.001+03:00

Comoara cu pricina se numeste The Onion, website-ul este www.theonion.com, si este un jurnal de stiri (inventate) umoristice. Va invit sa aruncati o privire daca vreti sa va mai racoriti putin de caldura si de stresul zilnic.

Ultimatum pentru Hoduras

2009-07-02T14:32:00.000+03:00

Conform NY Times, Organizatia Statelor Americane (OSA) a dat un ultimatum juntei militare din Honduras, ultimatum care cere restaurarea Presedintelui Zelaya in fruntea natiunii in termen de trei zile. Daca acest lucru nu se va intampla, Honduras va fi exclusa din Organizatie.

Jose Miguel Insulza, Secretarul General al OSA a declarat ca organizatia nu sustine loviturile de stat si ca a crezut ca epoca loviturilor militare din emisfera se terminase. Ei, ca sa vezi! Surprise!

Sasha Baron Cohen a mai scos o perla: Bruno

2009-07-01T04:15:00.000+03:00

Iar eu abia astept sa o vad. Weeeeeee! Am vazut trailer-ul pe youtube si pare mai desucheat ca Borat. Spre deosebire de prima-i capodopera, insa, SBC s-a reprofilat putin, in sensul ca declaratiile politice nu mai sunt atat de strigator la cer de evidente, ci sunt mascate in D&G, in lumea modei, in pantalonasii scurti de designer gay. Si totusi, nimic nu e apolitic, iar un material de-al lui SBC cu atat mai putin. Secvente precum cea din armata (politica armatei SUA fata de homosexuali, care ramane don't ask, don't tell, a fost intotdeauna o sursa de scandal); cea despre adoptia unui copil de culoare; sau cea despre numele traditional african, OJ, sunt strigator la cer de ofensive. Abia astept sa iasa si la noi.

Trailerul il gasiti si voi pe za tube. Insa vroiam sa pun alt link, la un video in care, zic eu, SBC ii vine de hac lui Eminem cu o faza de prost gust pe masura celui de-al doilea. (sugestie: fast forward la numarul 1.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31lSD8vUwFE&feature=related

PS: Ala care ma invata si pe mine sa pun un hiperlink pe blog, primeste o inghetata. :D Si zic si saru mana.

Un Sfert de Secol

2009-07-01T04:10:00.000+03:00

In mod oficial, a trecut ziua cu pricina, de care mi-a fost atat de tarsa, ca asta e cuvantul potrivit. Dar nu e bai, am iesit si eu aseara sa beau in companie placuta, ca sa uit de cea zi. Seara a inceput cu doua Long Island Icea Teas pentru mine, si a continuat cu muuuuuuuuuulta apa, pana m-am dezmeticit si eu bine, dupa care m-am apucat de baut bere. Si iar multa apa. :-)

Statele Unite numesc un nou comandant al fortelor NATO in Europa

2009-06-30T15:48:00.000+03:00

NY Times scrie ca SUA a numit un nou om in fruntea fortelor NATO in Europa, si anume Amiralul Naval James G. Stavridis. Dl Amiral, scrie NY Times, nu numai ca are o experienta impresionanta in fortele navale SUA, dar este un adevarat om renascentist, caci vorbeste doua limbi straine, franceza si spaniola, un lucru cu adevarat rar pe la americani. In plus, amiralul este de origine greaca si a crescut in Turcia. Spaniola a invatat-o in 2006, cand a fost numit seful armatei navale SUA in America Latina si nu a dorit sa aiba de-a face cu traducatori si interpreti, asa ca a invatat limba rapid.

Sa speram ca va face treaba buna, adica ca (mama, ce iubesc cacofoniile :)) nu-si va face de treaba. :P

Idealizarea trecutului comunist, generalizari si altele

2009-06-29T01:38:00.000+03:00

Fusei si eu azi, duminica, ca tot omul la un gratar. Acolo, lume buna si de treaba. Am mancat, baut, fumat, ascultat muzica (ghici de-a cui? A hint: black turned white), ne-am batut cu apa, cu struguri verzi, dar mai presus de toate am stat si noi de vorba despre altceva decat vietile personale.

Si bineinteles ca au inceput baietii de la masa, ca in tara asta cica ei sustin controversele mai sus si tare, cu aceeasi melodie stricata. Ca era mai bine in timpul comunismului, ca la ce ne foloseste libertatea de acum, ca sunt satui de Romanica. Zic, bai a dreaq, pardon de expresie. Ultima parte e de inteles. Da treaba cu idealizarea comunismului de catre persoane care aveau 5-6-7 ani la revolutie, ca asa a zis "mama", ca era mai bine, e prostie curata. Parerea mea. In primul rand, o asemenea comparatie nu are termenii foarte bine definiti. Ce era mai bun? "Viata". Nivelul de trai. Ok. Amu, cand a fost acel atunci despre care se zice ca era bine? Ca Romanica comunista din anii 50, cand era foame rau, a fost foarte diferita fata de cea din anii 70, la randul ei diferita de cea din 1989. Dar acest lucru nu va fi disecat de catre nici unul dintre filosofii politici, care isi vor oferi cu nonsalanta parerea standardizata cum ca "pe timpul comunismului", care, eventual este egal cu "pe timpul lui Ceasca", lucrurile stateau mai bine.

De unde porneste aceasta tendinta romaneasca de a generaliza istoria? Nu stiu. Insa, pentru a o contracara voi recurge la conceptul de intra-historia, folosit de filosoful si scriitorul spaniol Miguel de Unamuno. Care concept zice asa: nu e suficient sa te uiti la domnitori si date importante pt a cunoaste istoria unui popor, trebuie prestata atentie la experienta individuala dintr-o perioada data. Acest lucru este relativ greu pentru decadele 50-80 din istoria noastra, pt ca exista putine evidente nemanipulate despre viata omului de rand. Si totusi, voi inainta ipoteza conform careia, viata unora era mai buna decat a altora. Adica parintii mei, niste ingineri conformisti din Tulcea, probabil nu au trecut prin atatea cum au trecut putinii dizidenti politici. Vezi: Marin Preda.

Intr-un regim care functiona bazat pe LIPSA DE INFORMATII, care inspira TEAMA DE NECUNOSCUT, precum a fost dictatura de stanga a lui Ceausescu, nimeni nu stia nimic SIGUR despre altcineva. Barfa si nesiguranta erau instrumente de putere, caci inspirau teama. Nu conta ceea ce faceai, cat ce spuneau altii ca faceai. Ori credeti ca acesti "teoreticienii politici" din ziua de azi, care vorbesc despre regim de parca ar fi fost intr-un panopticon (vezi: Michel Foucault) din care puteau observa tot, s-au dus sa consulte arhivele Securitatii sau alte documente din perioada respectiva, ca sa poata face si ei cate o conexiune, macar dupa regim? Ma indoiesc.

Ca sa recurg si eu la o generalizare, in Romania este la moda formulatul argumentelor bazate pe generalizari, fara dovezi sau date care sa le sustina.

Pana reusesc sa ma convinga tovarasii de contrariul, eu zic urmatorul lucru: ca nici un sistem care isi propune prin structura sa si de la bun inceput reprimarea drepturilor si a libertatilor individuale nu ar trebui sustinut de catre indivizi, caci le este contrariu. Acum, faptul ca democratia nu este absoluta nici la noi si niciunde in lume, si ca asa zisele sisteme democratice uneori pun individul la zid, asta este alta tema de discutie, a carei veriditate nu o contest. Dar: mai bine o democratie minimala decat totalitarism si dictatura. Zic eu. :D

PS: M-am simtit ca o eroina, caci conlocutorii mei, patru baieti la numar, tot incercau sa ma convinga nu atat prin soliditatea argumentelor, ci ridicand tonul la mine. La sfarsit ma dureau urechile. Da zic eu ca i-am batut, ca cand (cacofonie intentionata) vine vorba despre dezbateri, nu ma las batuta cu una cu doua. :D

Lovitura de stat in Honduras

2009-06-29T01:31:00.000+03:00

Ziarele din toate lumea titreaza ca presedintele republicii Honduras, Manuel Zelaya, si-a luat papucii in spinare si a taiat-o in Costa Rica, acea Elvetie a Americii Centrale, dupa ce fortele armate au luat in stapanire toate cladirile oficiale, inclusiv palatul prezidential.

De ce? Pt ca Dl Zelaya dorea sa modifice constitutia, astfel incat un presedinte sa poata candida pt un al doilea mandat. In acest scop, Zelaya vroia sa organizeze un referendum, insa armata si justitia s-au opus, caci gestul ar fi fost "neconstitutional". Cred ca "neconstitutionalitatea" se refera la cele doua mandate, care normal ca erau neconstitutionale, din moment ce nu erau inca mentionate in constitutie. Asta vroia si omul asta sa schimbe. Duhhhh! A urmat un mare haos, si totusi unul nu suficient de mare incat sa atraga atentia lumii de la Michael Jackson si Iran. Presa in limba spaniola i-a acordat loviturii de stat atentia cuvenita, insa NY Times are articolul mai intr-o parte, dupa unul despre fotbal si unul despre Iran.

Era sa uit tocmai partea mai palpitanta. Ghici ghicitoarea mea cine a pus botul? Hint: Dl Zelaya e de stanga. Deci...Chavez, acel Basescu al Venezuelei care parca il intrece pe al nostru lider la vorbit aiurea. Chavez tot blagosloveste interesele "burgheze" din spatele acestei lovituri, care interese de altfel au si transformt Hondurasul intr-o "republica bananera" la dispozitia SUA. ("banana republic" este un termen peiorativ in zona, mai ales pt tarile mici din America Centrala, caci indica rolul pe care acestea l-au jucat ca urmare a interventionismului SUA dintre 1898- Cuba si Puerto Rico si 1981-82-Guatemala). Burghezi sau nu, mie nu mi se pare tocmai rea ideea ca un presedinte sa serveasca un singur mandat. Astfel, daca nu e bun, il schimbi mai repede. Iar daca face treaba, o face mai repede.

Cyberthreats, samanta discordiei intre est si vest

2009-06-28T06:55:00.000+03:00

Daca pana acum ne era teama de desfasurarea conflictelor intre adversari neegali (vezi Israel, un stat, care lupta impotriva organizatiei teroriste Hezbollah), caci acestia nu functioneaza pe baza acelorasi reguli, ghici ce? Dusmanii de pe cyberspace nu au reguli, si nici amprente. Iar amenintarea unui cyberwar pare a fi suficient de ingrijoratorare incat sa constituie tema principala de discutie intre echipa lui Barack Obama si cea a Rusiei, cu ocazia vizitei Presedintelui american in aceasta tara.

Specialistii rusi si cei americani nu sunt insa de acord cu strategia pe care ar trebui sa o adopte pentru a contracara noi atacuri in spatiul virtual. Caci in timp ce americanii cred in implementarea conduitei defensive pentru a preveni atacurile, rusii vor ofensiva si vor sa-i prinda pe indraznetii care lanseaza atacurile. Ori, zic americanii, a lua astfel de masuri ar insemna cenzurarea internetului. Nu sunt o experta in cyberspace si stiu foarte putin despre cyberattacks, dar discutia pare incinsa si nedecisa, insa extrem de importanta pentru viitorul internetului. Intrebarea este: va ajunge ziua cand traficul virtual va si urmarit si monitorizat de BBs din umbra?

My Two Cent on the Mark Sanford Case

2009-06-28T06:23:00.000+03:00

Tocmai am urmarit declaratia lui Mark Sanford pe site-ul NY Times, prin care acesta recunoaste ca a avut o legatura cu o argentinianca. Parerea mea: patetic. Nu legatura in sine, ci faptul ca a recunoscut. Sper ca Dl Guvernator a fost fortat si/sau amentintat sa faca publica relatia, fie de catre amanta fie de altcineva care stia despre relatie (Recunoaste tu, sau fac un scandal in presa si te acuz eu).

Daca recunoasterea asta vine nefortata, atunci este cel mai necugetat si egoist gest. In primul rand, e o prostie sa recunosti ca ai inselat. Faci rau multor persoane si este pur si simplu un gest egoist, ca sa te simti tu mai bine ca ai recunoscut. Daca intr-adevar singura suspiciune care plana asupra lui era ca a lipsit o saptamana in mod nejustificat, atunci a lasat prea usor presa in viata lui privata. Parerea mea.

Este de inteles ca dupa doua decade de casnicie sa mai vrei si altceva. Dar daca dupa ce ai purces la fapta te apuca remuscarile, pai e naspa rau. Ori duci treaba pana la capat, ori nu te mai apuci deloc si gata.

Cum imi reincarc bateriile

2009-06-26T08:51:00.000+03:00

Tocmai ma intorsei de la faleza. M-am dus la 6 dimineata, cand nu era mai nimeni prin preajma decat niste catei si vreo doi batranei. Si am bagat viteza. Vreo 15 km in total, cu flotari si abdomene intre turele de faleza. Uneori fac si 20, da astazi nu m-au tinut opincile. M-am intors acasa cum ma intorc de obicei, adica taras taras ca abia pot sa mai merg. Da ma simt asa de bine. Dunarea, rasaritul, viteza, aerul. Hmmmmm...mai vreau. Daca as putea fi singura, doar eu si apa ar fi si mai bine.

Eu am un fix cu apa si singuratatea. Caci cam asta este ideea mea de paradis terenal (vezi mai sus, Cabo Fisterra la Atlantic, cand eram numai eu si cu persoana mea, si oceanul ala enorm).

Sau asta. Plaja Mar do Fora, despre care am citit un roman ilustrat cu o poveste de dragoste ce a avut loc in pesterile de pe plaja. Infiorator de salbatica, dar mai vreau.

Ei bine, une0ri imi place si compania.

Insa de cele mai multe ori prefer singuratatea.

(Pacificul, Manuel Alonso, Costa Rica)

This Is It. Michael Jackson a murit

2009-06-26T02:23:00.000+03:00

Cel putin asa scriu NY Times, LA Times. NY Times zic ca o autoritate din LA a confirmat moartea, si eu ii cred pe cuvant.

Nu sunt la fel de marcata cum am fost dupa moartea grasunului Pavarotti, insa sunt trista. Il ascult de cand eram copil, chiar daca nu am ajuns la nici un concert de-al lui. Bineinteles ca il plang pe cantaretul si trend setterul MJ, nu pe pedofilul cu o viata dubioasa. Sunt una si aceeasi persoana, dar eu am ales sa ignor o parte din totalul MJ, si sa las justitia sa determine cand extravagantul trebuia sa mai fie pus in lesa.

Ba, trist. O sa-mi pun un album doua MJ pe iPod si o sa-l ascult cu precadere zilele astea, in semn de doliu.

Agricultura merge mai bine pe alte meleaguri

2009-06-25T16:33:00.000+03:00

Cotidianul El Pais titreaza ca presedintele Braziliei, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a dezvaluit bugetul pentru agricultura pe 2009-2010, care va fi de 38.000 milioane de euro. Prin marirea bugetului pe agricultura, Silva spera sa contracareze miscarea de imigratie a taranilor catre orase, oferindu-le acestora fondurile necesare pentru a se intoarce in provinciile de bastina.

Oscarurile isi schimba formatul

2009-06-25T16:25:00.000+03:00

El Pais ne informeaza ca, in 2010, Academia de Film a SUA (AACC) va largi lotul de candidati pentru cel mai bun film de la cinci la zece. Conform articolului, presedintele AACC a declarat ca, dupa aproape 60 de ani, Academia se reintoarce la origini, cand competitia pentru cel mai bun film era mult mai acerba.

Cresterea numarului de nominalizari va permite includerea unor filme de science fiction, care de altfel nu s-ar regasi printre candidate. Nominalizarile se vor anunta pe 2 februarie 2010, urmand ca premiile sa fie decernate in cadrul ceremoniei din data de 7 martie 2010.

Brancusi la Madrid

2009-06-25T16:05:00.000+03:00

Cotidianul El Pais scrie ca, zilele acestea, Fundatia Mapfre din Madrid este gazda expozitiei dedicate sculptorului francez Auguste Rodin, intitulata A-l uita pe Rodin? Sculptura in Paris 1905-1914. Expozitia a ajuns la Madrid dupa ce a fost expusa in muzeul D'Orsay, si de altfel este organizata de cele doua institutii, Mapfre si D'Orsay, impreuna cu Muzeul International de Sculptura din Duisburg.

Intre mai marii sculpturii de inceput de secol a caror opere vor fi expuse impreuna cu cele ale lui Rodin se afla si conationalul nostru, Constantin Brancusi. Iar cand spun mai marii sculpturii, ma refer la Picasso, Bourdelle, Epstein, Duchamp-Villon sau Wilhelm Lehmbruck, cu totii contemporani cu Rodin.

Moussavi nu se lasa

2009-06-25T15:55:00.000+03:00

Financial Times relateaza ca liderul de opozitie iranian, Mir-Hossein Moussavi nu va renunta la a face presiuni pentru anularea alegerilor. Declaratia lui Moussavi vine intr-un moment de criza de legitimitate a guvernului iranian, ale carui masuri represive s-au accentuat in ultimele zile.

Massmedia conservatoare din Iran l-a acuzat pe Moussavi de vinovatie pentru moartea protestatarilor, insa acesta este decis sa continue opozitia si sa contracareze acuzatiile ce i se aduc.

Ziarele de scandal sunt rezistente la criza economica

2009-06-25T15:41:00.000+03:00

Acelasi saptamanal, The Economist, relateaza ca ziarele si revistele de scandal din SUA sunt cele mai rezistente la criza economica, deoarece companiile prefera sa isi faca publicitate in paginile si pe website-urile lor, decat in ziare si reviste cu specific diferit. La baza acestui cerc vicios, cititori-revista-companii de publicitate, se afla cititorii, care continua sa cumpere tabloide la fel ca si inainte. Daca cititorii ziarelor de stiri sau economice au mai redus din cheltuieli si se uita pe internet in loc sa mai cumpere ziarul, iata ca aceia care prefera tabloidele s-au dovedit a fi un segment de piata inflexibil. Ei continua sa cumpere la fel ca inainte.

Si asta in ciuda faptului ca in ultimele sapte saptamani, US Weekly tot publica "stiri" despre acelasi cuplu de "vedete", o mama si tata cu opt copii care au un reality show. Vanzarile nu au scazut nici la People Magazine, a carui tiraj este de 43 milioane saptamanal.

Ce concluzie se poate trage? Ca pe timp de criza lumea sta acasa, mananca floricele si citeste ziare de scandal.

Efectul crizei economice asupra saraciei mondiale

2009-06-25T15:16:00.001+03:00

In articolul "The Trail of Disaster"(http://www.economist.com/world/international/displayStory.cfm?story_id=13881048&source=hptextfeature), saptamanalul The Economist relateaza asupra unui studiu efectuat de Comitetul pentru Nutritie al Natiunilor Unite (studiul il regasiti pe www.unscn.org) despre efectele crizei economice asupra populatiei sarace din toata lumea. Desi ne-am obisnuit sa auzim despre criza economica in contextul falimentului bancilor si a decaderii pietei imobiliare, populatia de copii subnutriti si de mame anemice a crescut ingrijorator de mult in ultimul an.

In timp ce intre 1990 si 2007, numarul de copii subnutriti a crescut cu 80 de milioane, numai in 2008 cresterea a fost de inca 40 de milioane. A crescut intr-un an cat crescuse in opt ani si jumatate, in medie, in anii anteriori. Nici preconizarile pentru viitor nu sunt mai incurajatoare. Daca economia ramane la fel (ori conform estimarilor, va continua sa scada), numarul copiilor subnutriti va creste cu aproximativ 121-125 de milioane pana in 2010. De-a dreptul infiorator!

Numarul femeilor insarcinate cu anemie a crescut si el in aceeasi proportie, fapt ce poate conduce la probleme de sanatate ale nou nascutilor.

Dupa ce au atins pragul inferior in Decembrie 2008, preturile la alimentele de baza au inceput sa creasca extrem de rapid. Situatia a ajuns de asa natura, incat in tarile subdezvoltate aproximativ 50-60% din venitul casnic este cheltuit pe alimente.

Acelasi articol mentioneaza ca femeile sunt cele care sufera cel mai tare de pe urma crizei, caci sunt primele care trebuie sa reduca din costurile personale pentru a echilibra bugetul familiei. In timp ce ele sunt ultimele care resimt o crestere economica, sunt primele care depun sacrificii pe timp de criza. In concluzie: e greu sa fii femeie.

Cine sunt ,de fapt si de drept?

2009-06-25T14:43:00.001+03:00

Intrucat mi s-a cerut sa imi revelez fetisoara, iata-ma in toata splendoarea-mi. :PPP

Coruptie in regatul lui Mazare

2009-06-25T12:16:00.000+03:00

Cel care deunazi facea mare tam tam la sedinta comitetului executiv al PSD cum ca PDL-istii ar fi corupti ar face bine sa se uite si in ograda proprie, ba chiar si in oglinda, ca miroase a coruptie de departe tare.

http://www.mediafax.ro/social/politisti-de-la-serviciul-politiei-rutiere-constanta-si-patru-civili-suspectati-de-coruptie.html?1688;4594978

Azi, Mediafax reporteaza ca o ancheta a jandarmilor, a DGA si a parchetului Constanta a depistat 39 de gabori suspectati de coruptie, plus numai-surpriza- vreo 4 civili. Mai sa fie, numai astia patru or fi mers cu pliculetul ca sa ii convinga pe domnii politisti ca au respectat codul rutier intocmai?

Amu, ca si fiu corecta, trebuie sa mentionez ca politia rutiera din toata tara, si nu numai din Constanta, e putred de corupta. Pai dadui si eu de carnet nu demult, si Dl. Colonel Capatan, seful Politiei Rutiere din GL, s-a dat la mine in sala de examen (ala pe calculatoare). Ba mai mult, mi-a dat nr sau de mobil pe hartiuta cu codul de bare care ti se da la examenul de sala si mi-a zis sa-l sun. Eu nu l-am sunat, dar nici el nu s-a razbunat pe mine la traseu, tre sa recunosc. Adica nici n-am picat la el, thank God. Daca as considera ca DNA chiar isi face datoria, i-as baga o plangere necugetatului colonel de nu s-ar vedea. Da pentru asta e nevoie de ancheta, de-aia cu criminalisti care sa compare scrisul lui de mana cu ala din acte oficiale si mai e nevoie de BUNAVOINTA. Asta lipseste cu desavarsire, asa ca nici nu ma bag. Fustangiu sau corupt sau ambele, Dl Colonel si-a facut veacul in politia rutiera din Gl fara a fi deranjat de nici o autoritate. Ca vorba ceea, e Colonel. Jos palaria!

Bucurestiul, Urmatoarea Capitala Culturala Europeana?

2009-06-23T20:06:00.000+03:00

De ce nu? Conform Comisiei Europene, toate orasele care au fost selectate ca si Capitale Culturale Europene, incepand cu Atena in 1985, au avut de castigat in ceea ce priveste imaginea si sustinerea publica. S-ar gasi, oare, fonduri in primariile de sector si primaria Bucurestiului, precum si in Ministerul Culturii si Cultelor (MCC), astfel incat capitala noastra sa isi depuna si ea candidatura pentru 2012 sau 2013?

http://ec.europa.eu/culture/our-programmes-and-actions/doc413_en.htm

Sugestia mea vine in contextul in care MCC organizeaza dezbateri pe tema promovarii capitalei (http://www.cultura.ro/News.aspx?ID=1404) saptamana aceasta. Sfatul meu: sa aplicam pentru concursul European Capital of Culture 2012 sau 2013.

Khadijah's Story is Why I Can't Hate the US

2009-06-23T19:52:00.000+03:00

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-harvard20-2009jun20,0,1882109.story

I don't think I will shock anyone if I say that there's a lot wrong with the US. But a country where a young girl like Khadijah is offered the opportunity to study at the same university as the president of the country deserves an accolade. A country that educates a homeless girl to HOPE for the better and PURSUE a different life deserves an accolade. It is true that Khadijah is unfortunately and exception among the many homeless people that never make it out of that environment. But the mere fact that she strived to get out and was allowed to and, furthermore, helped to get out is an amazing accomplishment.

Good job, Harvard! You got my respect for this one. You still suck, though, that'll never change hehe.

Pe cand si la noi...

2009-06-23T05:05:00.000+03:00

o prima doamna de calibrul lui Michelle Obama? Intrebare intrebatoare. Insa chiar sunt curioasa care sunt atributiile primei doamne la noi, daca aceasta chiar are vreo una. Element de decor?
Ca Michelle se implica in politica (mai ales cea sociala) si este mult mai mult decat un simplu accesoriu pe bratul lui Barack a tot fost discutat de presa de cand acesta era candidat la prezidentiale.

Tocmai am urmarit un video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZaBHgj6jYE&feature=featured) in care Michelle indeamna populatia americana sa se implice in munca de voluntariat pentru a facilita depasirea crizei economice si a ajuta segmentele de populatie cele mai afectate, si anume saracii. Lucruri atat de simple, insa eficiente, spuse de o fata frumoasa si inteligenta au o anumita rezonanta in electorat. Daca 10% din cei care o urmaresc fac ceea ce spune ea, economia SUA va avea de castigat.

Oare la noi pe cand asemenea interventii? In mod sigur nu atata timp cat promovam fiinte care nu pot vorbi si gandi concomitent (read: EBA).

I Wonder Why

2009-06-23T04:56:00.000+03:00

De cand am venit in tara, urmaresc canalele de stiri cu atentie si am observat ca stirile externe au o acoperire foarte mica. Oare de ce? O fi Romania atat de satula de problemele proprii incat nu vrea sa mai auda si de altii? Sau, cumva, o audienta dezinteresata de restul lumii, asa, din obisnuita, nu vrea sa auda decat stiri nationale, motiv pentru care trusturile media servesc omului ceea ce ii place? Acesta este intr-adevar un principiu sanatos in economie, acela de a satisface cererea, insa massmedia are si un rol educational, motiv pentru care (foto- si video-)jurnalismul autohton ar face bine sa isi asume raspunderea pentru educarea audientei.

Altfel, riscam ca toata massmedia sa se transforme in presa si televiziune de scandal. Daca singurul produs pe care il vindem este senzationalul, si audienta va fi pe masura. Daca singurele stiri externe care apar la televiziuni sunt cele de genul "un britanic s-a imprietenit cu gasca sa si aceasta il urmeaza peste tot, mai ceva ca un caine", atunci audienta va presupune ca in alte tari nu prea se intampla nimic (rau) in politica si economie. Unde este Iranul din stirile de zilele acestea? Mentionat in treacat la stirile de la ora 20, si cam atat. Cand toata lumea este cu ochii pe Iran, Romania doarme pe sine, ca si intotdeauna.

Credeti ca o tara precum SUA nu are foarte multe probleme? La o populatie de 250 de milioane, pun pariu ca au loc destule accidente de trafic si incidente sociale (de genul: o mama denaturata isi leaga copilul de gard cand pleaca de acasa). Dar aceste incidente nu apar mentionate pe canalele de stiri NATIONALE la fiecare ora. Exista o diferenta intre stirile de interes local si cele nationale, insa s-ar parea ca la noi inca nu se face distinctia intre cele doua. Deunazi, pe un canal de stiri de prestigiu din Romania, dezbaterea politica a fost intrerupta pentru a anunta ca o Dacia veche a luat foc pe langa Obor, probabil din cauza unui scurtcircuit. Incidentul nu s-a soldat cu nici o moarte, doar cu o intoxicatie cu CO. Ce-are a face una cu alta? Politica cu scurtcircuitul de la Dacie?

Strategia Electorala a PSD

2009-06-19T17:36:00.000+03:00

Breaking News on Realitatea TV. A couple of recordings from the PSD Executive Committee Meeting, which took place behind closed doors and which the media somehow got its hands on, describing their strategy of attacking PDL in the months to follow.

I will refrain from criticizing the language that was used. Bad language is sometimes useful to communicate a sense of emergency. However, I have the feeling that some PSD leaders use this kind of language every time they talk.

What I did want to touch upon is that morality is now the poster child for the PSD campaign. After they robbed the country for over a decade, they are now promoting clean, moral party leaders, but they are continuing to support the corrupt businessmen from the shadow. Read: hypocrisy. And with a reformed party, they will proceed to attack those PDL leaders that have some unorthodox business going on. Hear that? Now that they've fattened up their bank accounts, they are promoters of morality and nemesis for those unfortunate tools still striving to build up their bank accounts. Well isn't this sweet?

I certainly hope that PDL will take advantage of those recordings to do away with PSD. Make no mistake, I am no PDL partisan. But PSD needs to disappear from the Romanian political scene together with the communist fossils that are still leading it, in order for the left to be granted a clean start. While PSD is alive and active, it will overshadow over everything that's left of the political spectrum.

Change Is In the Air

2009-06-19T17:10:00.000+03:00

For the first time ever since I left Romania almost six years ago, I want to stay. Not because it's now problem free and not because things are running more smoothly. But because they are changing and I can feel it. The change is probably painfully slow for those who live here, but since I only get to come back every other year or so, to me it's shockingly fast. And I want to be a part of it.

I know it's gonna be hard and, above all, frustrating. Changing mentalities is not easy. Furthermore, changing some people is next to impossible, and the frustrating part is when those some happen to be political and economic leaders. People you can't avoid, people you have to work with, yet people that you intensely dislike because they are corrupt, incompetent, disinformed and presumptuous.

So yeah. I want to stay and I want to get involved in politics. Welcome to the jungle, you might say. One needs a good dose of irresponsibility to ignore all the warnings and one's own judgement. But I want to give it a shot. When I said things are changing, I also meant people. I recently met this liberal MP that I truly like. I met her because I e-mailed her, after watching her speak on TV. The mere fact that she replied and expressed interest to meet me is a sign that things are moving in the right direction.

So for now, I choose to keep my faith in myself, my country and the future (God, this is the worst cliche ever) and ignore all them warning signs. The heck with feasibility assessments. Obama is the most unfeasible leader ever, for oh so many reasons, yet he got himself elected and is now doing a great job running the US. He is an exception, true, but I believe so am I in the context from which I am writing.

Wish me good luck and keep your fingers crossed.