"I think about death all the time. I rehearse my death. I think that's a healthy thing to do. Death, after all, is what gives life meaning the way noise gives meaning to silence. Ooooh, I thought to myself, Michael will have a hard time of it as he ages. He will spend all his energy trying to flee what is inevitable. And now it's happened. I like the fact that it was quick. Massive heart attacks that you don't recover from are quick. You don't know what hit you. That's probably the kindest death for Michael. It's hard to imagine him being happy as he aged. One more demon to try and evade. I like to think he's happy now, free of his demons. Free and floating and knowing how his art continues to be revered and celebrated by all of us all over the world. It will continue."
Monday, June 29, 2009
JF about MJ
Monday, May 4, 2009
Brazil made an original and emotional appeal over the weekend for this city to be the first in South America to host an Olympics Games
Officials from the International Olympic Committee's evaluation commission raced the mayor of Rio in a sprint, dribbled a soccer ball with Pelé and toured the spectacular beach areas and lakes that Rio says it will showcase to the world if it were to win the bid for the 2016 Games.
Questions about crime and transportation had been considered the main concerns with Rio's $14.4 billion bid. But Nawal el-Moutawakel, an I.O.C. member from Morocco who is the chairwoman of the evaluation commission, said Saturday that she saw no weakness in the bid.
"Everything we have seen so far is positive," she said.
The inspectors left saying they were impressed by the commitment of political leaders at all levels to back the bid — including Brazil's president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. They said that Rio's hosting of the 2014 World Cup was a "good test event" and a potential advantage over three other cities vying for the 2016 Games: Chicago, Madrid and Tokyo.
The seven-day visit was the third for the 13-member evaluation commission, which headed to Madrid on Sunday for the final inspection before the I.O.C. makes its decision, which is scheduled to be announced Oct. 2.
As the I.O.C. determines which city will be the most suitable along technical lines, the Rio organizers are promoting the city's youth, energy and diversity. They say their bid is the only one capable of taking the Olympic tradition in a new direction.
Rio 2016 organizers seized on the idea of the city's being the first on the continent to host the Games. South America is a rapidly growing continent of nearly 400 million people, and Brazil has been among the fastest-growing major economies in the world over the past half-decade.
Da Silva compared an Olympics in Rio to the Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara's tour of South America, depicted in the movie "The Motorcycle Diaries."
"Imagine how many Latin Americans would come here by bicycle, on foot, by riverboat, by bus, by plane, in ways you cannot imagine," he later told reporters.
In Chicago, area natives like Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and President Obama, and even Michael Jordan, showed the I.O.C. inspectors their support through videotaped messages. Brazilian officials showed up in Rio in force last week to make personal pledges to the evaluation commission members. Da Silva was joined by his chief of staff, the president of the central bank and a handful of ministers.
Da Silva guaranteed that Brazil would provide financial guarantees for the bid, an important pledge considering that the country is starting to feel the effects of the global economic downturn through production slowdowns and unemployment. Still, organizers said they planned to keep average ticket prices for events at $36.
Beyond the emotion, Rio's chances are strong because it hosted the Pan-American Games just two years ago. Da Silva said that between the facilities built for the Pan-American Games and the planned investments for the World Cup, the city would be more than 75 percent prepared for the Olympics.
Organizers see the Games as potentially transformative. "We are going to use the power of an Olympic and Paralympic Games to transform a city, a country and a continent," said Carlos Osório, the secretary general of the Brazilian Olympic bid committee.
Moutawakel said the I.O.C. members "were impressed by how the Games fit perfectly in Brazil's long-term planning and support for the development of the country."
She added, "There is a vision between now and many years yet to come, and these Olympic Games come right in the middle of that global vision."
The inspectors said they were satisfied with the Rio 2016 organizers' plans to improve traffic flow and to provide enough lodging space. Rio organizers promised at least 49,000 rooms in a combination of hotels, anchored cruise ships and new media housing center.
Security remains a paramount concern. The I.O.C. team spent several hours Saturday discussing security with Brazilian officials. Because of time restrictions, they did not make planned visits to favelas, or shantytowns, that ring the city and where drug violence is widespread. Rio is plagued by one of the highest murder rates in the world. The police negotiated temporary cease-fires with drug traffickers to contain violence during the Pan-American Games.
"We have been given reassurance that all that can be done will be done to make Rio a safe city to organize the Games," Moutawakel said.
Rio organizers plan to construct a one-million-square-meter park for extreme and adventure sports, and have committed to building an Olympic Training Center for 22 sports, regardless of whether Rio receives the 2016 bid.
On Friday, the inspectors toured Rio's aquatic center and soccer stadium, and rode on Rio's metro. Moutawakel, who won a gold medal in the 400-meter hurdles at the 1984 Games in Los Angeles, raced Mayor Eduardo Paes of Rio in a photo-finish sprint. She later put some soccer moves on Pelé at Rio's famed Maracaña Stadium, the site of the 1950 World Cup final.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Rio de Janeiro: Carrying South America’s Flag
Highlights: Looking to host South America's first Olympics, the city is touting its natural beauty, but also its proven ability to host big sporting events. The 2007 Pan American Games were held there, but even more important will be the 2014 World Cup. Organizers say hosting the World Cup ensures that infrastructure projects and improvements will be ready for 2016.
How compact? Nearly 50 percent of the athletes will be within 10 minutes of their training and competition venues, and 73 percent of the venues can be reached in fewer than 25 minutes. The maximum travel time from the Olympic Village to a venue would be 50 minutes.
Venues: Several will be unmistakably Brazilian settings. Beach volleyball will be played on the world-famous Copacabana beach. The sport of rowing and canoe/kayak will be held under the iconic statute of Christ the Redeemer.
Tickets: Opening Ceremony, $200-$1,000; Prime events, $16-$150
Dates: Aug. 5-21; Paralympics held Sept. 7-18
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Is Twitter's breakneck growth causing a backlash?
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klsh) Monday, March 30, 2009
Jack Bauer: 104 murderers in 24 hour
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Walking around NY
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Moma
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Gug
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New York Nicks
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Central Park
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Broadway
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Soho
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Little Italy...
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Resources for English as a Second Language
UsingEnglish.com provides a large collection of English as a Second Language (ESL) tools & resources for students, teachers, learners and academics. Cool!
Monday, February 2, 2009
Pain
Friday, January 23, 2009
Do You feel well naked?
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Obama's inaugural speech
(CNN) -- Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States and the nation's first African-American president Tuesday. This is a transcript of his prepared speech.
In his speech Tuesday, President Obama said America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.
I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.
Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often, the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebearers, and true to our founding documents.
So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.
That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.
These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land -- a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.
On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.
On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.
We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.
In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the fainthearted -- for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things -- some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor -- who have carried us up the long, rugged path toward prosperity and freedom.
For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.
For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.
Time and again, these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.
This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions -- that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.
For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act -- not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.
Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions -- who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.
What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them -- that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works -- whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account -- to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day -- because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.
Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control -- and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart -- not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.
As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: Know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.
Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.
We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort -- even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.
For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.
To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West: Know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.
To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.
As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment -- a moment that will define a generation -- it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.
For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.
Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends -- hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism -- these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world; duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.
This is the price and the promise of citizenship.
This is the source of our confidence -- the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.
This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed -- why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent Mall, and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.
So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:
America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested, we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back, nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Seven communication´s key issues
- Communication and international development;
- National information policies and communications law;
- Access to, transfer and use of new technologies;
- Strategic development with reference to communications training, conflict resolution and inter- or intra-institutional communications;
- Media development and management;
- Public relations, public affairs and advertising;
- Professional training and ethics in journalism, public relations and other communications activities.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Where in the world to put your money
The original text is in Where in the world to put your money
Not bad, but not so good
Sunday, December 7, 2008
use it or lose it
Remarks of President-elect Barack Obama
Radio Address on the Economy
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Good morning.
Yesterday, we received another painful reminder of the serious economic challenge our country is facing when we learned that 533,000 jobs were lost in November alone, the single worst month of job loss in over three decades. That puts the total number of jobs lost in this recession at nearly 2 million.
But this isn’t about numbers. It’s about each of the families those numbers represent. It’s about the rising unease and frustration that so many of you are feeling during this holiday season. Will you be able to put your kids through college? Will you be able to afford health care? Will you be able to retire with dignity and security? Will your job or your husband’s job or your daughter’s or son's job be the next one cut?
These are the questions that keep so many Americans awake at night. But it is not the first time these questions have been asked. We have faced difficult times before, times when our economic destiny seemed to be slipping out of our hands. And at each moment, we have risen to meet the challenge, as one people united by a sense of common purpose. And I know that Americans can rise to the moment once again.
But we need action – and action now. That is why I have asked my economic team to develop an economic recovery plan for both Wall Street and Main Street that will help save or create at least two and a half million jobs, while rebuilding our infrastructure, improving our schools, reducing our dependence on oil, and saving billions of dollars.
We won’t do it the old Washington way. We won’t just throw money at the problem. We’ll measure progress by the reforms we make and the results we achieve -- by the jobs we create, by the energy we save, by whether America is more competitive in the world.
Today, I am announcing a few key parts of my plan. First, we will launch a massive effort to make public buildings more energy-efficient. Our government now pays the highest energy bill in the world. We need to change that. We need to upgrade our federal buildings by replacing old heating systems and installing efficient light bulbs. That won’t just save you, the American taxpayer, billions of dollars each year. It will put people back to work.
Second, we will create millions of jobs by making the single largest new investment in our national infrastructure since the creation of the federal highway system in the 1950s. We’ll invest your precious tax dollars in new and smarter ways, and we’ll set a simple rule – use it or lose it. If a state doesn’t act quickly to invest in roads and bridges in their communities, they’ll lose the money.
Third, my economic recovery plan will launch the most sweeping effort to modernize and upgrade school buildings that this country has ever seen. We will repair broken schools, make them energy-efficient, and put new computers in our classrooms. Because to help our children compete in a 21st century economy, we need to send them to 21st century schools.
As we renew our schools and highways, we’ll also renew our information superhighway. It is unacceptable that the United States ranks 15th in the world in broadband adoption. Here, in the country that invented the internet, every child should have the chance to get online, and they’ll get that chance when I’m President – because that’s how we’ll strengthen America’s competitiveness in the world.
In addition to connecting our libraries and schools to the internet, we must also ensure that our hospitals are connected to each other through the internet. That is why the economic recovery plan I’m proposing will help modernize our health care system – and that won’t just save jobs, it will save lives. We will make sure that every doctor’s office and hospital in this country is using cutting edge technology and electronic medical records so that we can cut red tape, prevent medical mistakes, and help save billions of dollars each year.
These are a few parts of the economic recovery plan that I will be rolling out in the coming weeks. When Congress reconvenes in January, I look forward to working with them to pass a plan immediately. We need to act with the urgency this moment demands to save or create at least two and a half million jobs so that the nearly two million Americans who’ve lost them know that they have a future. And that’s exactly what I intend to do as President of the United States.
Thanks for listening.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Photoshop must cause disasters
Sunday, November 23, 2008
How do You like your steak
Friday, November 21, 2008
English is demanding
Two of us riding nowhere
Spending someone's
Hard earned pay
You and me Sunday driving
Not arriving
On our way back home
We're on our way home
We're on our way home
We're going home
Two of us sending postcards
Writing letters
On my wall
You and me burning matches
Lifting latches
On our way back home
We're on our way home
We're on our way home
We're going home
You and I have memories
Longer than the road that stretches out ahead
Two of us wearing raincoats
Standing so low
In the sun
You and me chasing paper
Getting nowhere
On our way back home
We're on our way home
We're on our way home
We're going home
You and I have memories
Longer than the road that stretches out ahead
Two of us wearing raincoats
Standing so low
In the sun
You and me chasing paper
Getting nowhere
On our way back home
We're on our way home
We're on our way home
We're going home
We're going home
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