STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN

EMIRATES

2011-12-11T12:01:00.008+01:00

The AIRBUS A380-Business Class is a wonderful experience! Although my personal feeling is that this flying machine is too big to be an airplane- you feel that especially when landing-, the flight quality and especially the inflight entertainment and equipment are incredible.

On one of my 2011 China flights (June), my travel agency booked me on EMIRATES. The journey took me from Madrid to Dubai, then from there to Bangkok, finally from Thailand to Hong Kong.

The Dubai-Bangkok-Hong Kong flight was on an A380-800, the Madrid-Dubai on an A340, all of them in business. I can tell you, the A340-300 EMIRATES business class was terrible. Don`t believe all those stories on how wonderful EMIRATES inflight service is: it was the worst I had on the more than 80 business and first class flights to Asia I have performed.

Starting with the cabin: my business-class seat K-9, at window side, very narrow and disturbing with your neighbor armrest. Very uncomfortable and no flat laying option. Still the old configuration. And on top of that a cabin crew that had no idea of serving business class. What a difference with SWISS, KLM, AIR FRANCE and others..!

Between start and finishing my meal, 3 hours of ineptitude, sluggishness, mistakes and very, very mediocre food. I could only manage half a glass of wine and, of course, no liquors at the end. I`m not quite sure if this has to do with their religion or not but, again, what a difference with the Business Class on any other airliner, where service is constant and personal. So, forget about those ideal and perfect EMIRATES` smiling stewardesses TV-spots, where your flight is drawn as an unforgettable flight experience: mine was unforgettable, yes, but negative!

The only positive element of the flight was sitting near Iker Casillas and his beautiful girlfriend Sara Carbonero.

However, things changed on my Dubai-Bangkok-Hong Kong flight: service was slightly better and my 25K cabin-seat on the A380-800 was really fantastic. No neighbor, plenty of space, flat laying, great inflight entertainment, minibar, and a personal Business Class Bar. Both flights (one stop in Bangkok, without leaving the plane) were a great experience, not because of the very average EMIRATES service/food, but due to the very comfortable A380-Business Class Cabin.

Resumed: AIRBUS A-380:YES; EMIRATES:NEVER AGAIN!

JPB

Spain is Different

2011-12-08T11:55:00.004+01:00

Urdangarín – son in law of the Spanish King Juan Carlos I- presumed master in Influence Peddling and paradigm of tolerated white collar corruption in a country where Justice is just a name, not an application..

Quote from Internet:

“The King of Spain’s son-in-law was at the center of a corruption storm today as he came under investigation for siphoning off public money.

Inaki Urdangarin - the husband of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia's youngest daughter Infanta Cristina - is suspected of misappropriating cash paid into an NGO.

The former handball player now faces a possible interrogation by investigating judge Jose Castro and risks causing huge embarrassment for the royals.

It is claimed that his non-profit company, Instituto Noos, was given an enormous 2.3million euros (just under £2million) by the Balearic Islands’ regional government to organise two conferences on tourism and sport in 2005 and 2006. “ Unquote.

Iñaki is one of the visible points of an enormous Spanish iceberg, full of Influence Peddling and Real-Estate Corruption together with political jobbery and public/private jeopardizing spending habits.

The corruption is so wide-spread that the Spanish population has almost accepted it as a tolerated vice, linked with politicians, without solution and without the corresponding legal punishment.

The 15-M movement, which started precisely in Spain, declared war against this rotten system and asking for REAL DEMOCRACY and transparency in the number 31 least corrupt country in the world..

From Internet quote:

“SPAIN is more corrupt than Uruguay, Chile and the United Arab Emirates.

According to Transparency International’s annual Corruption Perceptions Index Spain is the 31st least corrupt country in the world just one place ahead of Botswana and neighboring Portugal.

The Index ranks countries and territories according to their perceived levels of public sector corruption with Somalia, North Korea and Myanmar topping the list, while the least corrupt countries are New Zealand, Denmark and Finland.” Unquote.

Not to be proud of and the cases that are publically known include Ministers, Police Departments, Justice, Mayors, Regional Presidents and many other public servers.

I quote from Internet again:

“The fiscalia general del estado, the Public Prosecutor, says that there is “sufficient evidence” for the Supreme Court to open an official investigation into the nefarious doings of the soon to be ex-Minister of Development, government spokesman and number 2 of the PSOE party, José Blanco, and has submitted an official request for the S.C. to appoint a Judge to lead an investigation.

You will remember that a chap who ended up in court on a number of charges recently turned Kings Evidence and handed over a number of, ah hem, incriminating records to the Judge, showing that he and his mates had been paying large kickbacks to Blanco in exchange for lucrative government contracts.” Unquote.

The list is so large, including many high post officials, even the case of the Vice Delegate of the Andalucía Government Miguel Ángel Domínguez) paying a brothel bill with a government VISA card (not a single case..).

No prosecution for these guys, no public trial nor dismissing: with a politicized Justice (see what happened with the legalization of the terrorist organization ETA through AMAIUR and the acceptance of the Catalonian Basic Law that sets the bases for a future Independency), the tolerance is complete and no action is required.

In any other democratic country, where Justice is just Justice and blind to political interests, these actions would have been stopped immediately, imposing strong punishments to the involved white collar thieves.

Nothing of this will happen in Spain: all swindle and corruption acts (especially from the progressive wing) will be backed by “political justifications” or stored into a, to be forgotten, file.

Minister Blanco should have dismissed and be processed. Urdangarin should have stepped aside from his position and be processed. The future will tell, but probably both “gentlemen” will suffer minor consequences from their presumed multi-million swindle acts and life goes on…

Yes, Spain is different..

JPB

SPIRAL to GOD

2011-11-27T09:06:00.009+01:00

The (1170-1250) Fibonacci Spiral

One of my theories is that the BIG BANG never existed and that Universe is in a constant regeneration process.

It`s just like LIFE: we are born, live, die and new generations are following after ours have expired. In my Blog www.bigbangcosmos.blogspot.com this theory is clearly explained. What are we? Where do we come from? How is life possible starting from nothing, into rational beings? The only good answer is that we all form part of the same process and that EVERYTHING within this Universe has been pre-programmed.

The "DIGITAL PHYSICS" bases its theory on the premise that Universe is describable by information and is thus computable. Well, I`m going a little further and state that the Universal Porridge everything is made of, consists of a pre-programmed mass of Ultimate Particles each one of them duly encoded for a pre-established function in Universe and that, of course, a super mind, a creator- call him GOD-, is in charge of the program and regenerating process.

On a Nano scale we can observe the complexity of the bi-polymers construction of the Deoxyribonucleic Acid Macro-Molecule, a perfect proof of our pre-programmed existence.

After reading the different articles on my other Blog, my theory will be better understood and the idea raised to produce a Super production Movie around this concept. This could be one of the most spectacular films ever done with incredible astronomic scenery and an original argument never touched before: a close encounter with GOD!!

The plot has been elaborated and is finished: two rival parties (each party with different interests) start the SPIRAL to GOD-journey including a scientific, spies, politic and even a love story:

The 3D-movie has following parts:

1. Prologue, explanation Big Whirl Theory; the FIBONACCI SPIRAL inspiration.

2. Plot, spying, the two parties, competition, construction, testing and finishing of the BW-device.

3. The journey, ZT/ZS point, know The Creator, insight on how “universe works”, Love story between the scientist and the astronaut. The Paradise, Incredible human philosophy, all religions in one; Values.

4. Obtaining targets; the Creator`s “weak point”, Fraudulent Porridge Programming by the “Bad”; the “Expulsion from Paradise”-journey back through the inverse deceleration Whirl-process.

5. Disastrous effects of the fraudulent Porridge Programming, world-domination by North-Korean military forces and Islam.

6. Internal conflicts and separation .

7. The “Good” take advantage of this circumstance and finally can “repair” the situation, must therefore perform a second journey, which will definitively separate both protagonists of the Love Story.

8. Moral, Epilogue,

This film could be one of the greatest films ever, because of its unprecedented arguments and possibility of knowing GOD under a less metaphysic, different, scientific, angle.

My idea was sent to (Moviepitch) early November 2011.

However, I don`t know Robert Kosberg personally and can have my doubts concerning the destination of my film-idea once he has presented it: the fact he gives no feedback if he "doesn`t like the idea" is quite appositive.

Anyway, the idea and intellectual property belongs to the owner of this Blog, in case the “SPIRAL to GOD” or similar production would be released in the future.

LED ZEPPELIN

2011-11-13T09:41:00.005+01:00

LED ZEPPELIN

I started to know Led Zeppelin`s music during my stay in Brussels in the late sixties, early seventies. I was a 19-years student by then and in my spare time a collaborator at the RTB-Belgian State Radio, preparing the programming for Francine Arnaud`s 2 hours GENERATION emission on Wednesday afternoon.

Great times listening to all kind of newly brewed rock and pop songs, interviews, live performances, etc. Eric Clapton- Derek and the Dominos (Layla), Jimmy Hendrix (All along the Watchtower), The Doors (Spanish Caravan) and many more historic treasures from the past.

However there was one rock band that made me feel very special “vibes”: the band formed in 1968 consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham.

“Whole Lotta Love” (Led Zeppelin II) was the final breakthrough of the Best Rock Band Ever after releasing wonderful songs such as: “Babe I`m gonna leave you” or “Dazed and Confused”, from their first album.

I`m not going to relate their lives, their albums, their awards and their performances; I only saw them once playing in Belgium, and would have given my right arm for having been in London 1994, during their (Jimmy Page and Robert Plant) live performance of “NO QUARTER”.

The performance was finally released on DVD 10 years after, in 2004, and in my consideration, the best musical rock achievement of all times.

Refined quality, integration, best selected songs, traditional and Arabian orchestra accompaniment, a delicious experiment for both your eyes and ears:

DVD Track listing

"No Quarter" (Jones/Page/Plant)

"Thank You"

"What Is And What Should Never Be"

"The Battle of Evermore"

"Gallows Pole" (Traditional arr. Page/Plant)

"Nobody's Fault but Mine"

"City Don't Cry"

"The Truth Explodes" (formerly known as "Yallah") (Page/Plant)

"Wah Wah"

"When the Levee Breaks"

"Wonderful One"

"Since I've Been Loving You" (Jones/Page/Plant)

"The Rain Song"

"That's the Way"

"Four Sticks"

"Friends"

"Kashmir" (Page/Plant/Bonham)

With a very special mention for: “Thank You”, “The Rain Song”, “Kashmir”(wonderful) and “Since I`ve been Loving You”(my favorite. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZEwimJ3GZE

WORLD WAR III

2011-11-10T18:37:00.002+01:00

WORLD WAR III

No shooting nor bombing until now, but the consequences are already there: the global economic/social crisis is worsening and nobody can preview the immediate future. What will happen tomorrow? Not any analyst in the whole world can assure the future on a short-medium or large term.

The cause? No doubt: the erroneous policy of poor and very mediocre world politicians, basing the welfare state on increasing debts and speculation, mining elemental values, creating thus a Virtual Welfare State that has exploded now.

I just watch a guy on TV cashing US$ 6 million price-money for winning a Poker game…it`s on TV, it`s brought as an interesting news and it comes over to the youth as a paradigm of a success-story. These are the values that have been promoted by our educators the politicians and the result is an amorphous society of youngsters with no other illusions than making a good living by doing nothing..

The result will be an inexorable and unpopular “get back to reality” forced by the circumstances of the crisis.

And getting back to the crisis: as already written in former articles in this Blog, the actual world has absolutely no future and major things will happen in a very near future: in first place, the European Union must take serious decisions with respect to its survival possibilities. I have stated many times that the purpose of unification is utopian if not under one politic, economic, fiscal and social state. A Confederation makes sense, however without the problematic poor and unserious countries.

It`s clear that there are two Europes: Germany+France+Benelux from one side and the rest (12) at the other side. As already explained I my former article, the countries have different characters, histories, seriousness, forms, idiosyncrasies and even languages. Putting all these different elements into the same pot with one currency (economic value), without unifying politics, fiscal systems and social policy is a lost effort and only blind progressive technocrats are determined to push this unmatchable idea forwards.

Then you have the USA: the major cause of starting and bringing over the crisis to the rest of the world: they are on the edge of falling into a new and yet more intensive recession, which will have terrible consequences in Europe.

We are living a pre-War situation where EVERYTHING can happen, from the bad to the worst in very few days. A desperate person is a dangerous person; a desperate nation is a dangerous nation, especially if it`s a world power and it`s president needs support facing a difficult re-election in November 2012.

I sometimes think this stupid humanity needs a War from now and then, in order to get our bodies shaken and calm down again into reality. We will never learn from History or from Nature and are destroying ourselves on a very secure way.

Following the IAEA-report, Iran is preparing hydrogen bombs most probably to be targeted on Israel, which is already raising pressure on Tel Aviv, Washington and London.

China has internal problems (the local debts amount over € 1,3 trillion), economy are mostly virtual figures, the real-estate bubble has exploded some months ago and social unrest could begin at any time, just as the Arabian Spring ended with most of the Middle East Dictators.

One thing is for sure: we are not going to better our situation: too many uncomfortable elements are disturbing our actual and future lives: it`s time for a change, it`s time for a BIG change, hopefully this will not be the 3^rd World War, as having predicted the Mayas..

THE EURO-CRASH

2011-09-14T13:42:00.003+02:00

This is going the wrong way!!

Our beloved Euro- leaders want us to believe that no problem exists and everything is under control (LOL).

But reality is different.. Greece is on the final bankrupt stage and it`s not how, but when Helena will step out of the Eurozone and I promise this is only a matter of time. After Greece, others will follow, until a complete separation of wealthy (serious) and non-wealthy (non serious) countries will appear as authentic Euro-partners.

The Euro-caprice or the Euro-experiment is the major technocrats swindle of the 20^th/21^st Century only backed by ideological, dogmatic and progressive Euro-Dreamers with the only aim of unifying Europe into a “Green-Green Grass of Home Region”, dominated by “Die Grüne” and with the intention of transforming Europe into Bambi-Land.

The puerile Leftwing didn`t consider the theoretical part of their exposure, missing any kind of connection to reality and unknowing how the world turns around.

Discipline and honesty are the words and directly related to the Welfare State. No Real and durable Welfare State is possible without discipline and honesty. And there we have the big failure: Mediterranean Countries such as Greece, Italy, Spain or Portugal have never been a paradigm of Discipline or honesty. It`s just like these countries can`t organize themselves and need some kind of imposed paternal state-organization in order to get things going.

At the contrary, if these countries are left with full “social-democracy”, this situation will, with no doubt, lead towards anarchism and leftwing dictatorship (Chavez-Venezuela..) with all corresponding corruption and maquiiavelism.

The best example is Spain, where major elements are being crashed-down such as Justice, Freedom of Speech, State-Government or Real Democracy.

So, under these premises, how do you want to settle a complete Union with other states, where these prime-conditions are just normally accepted as part of the game?

No way for a perfect European Union under these circumstances and that`s exactly what`s failing in this impossible attempt to create one single Currency and one single System with different ideological, politic and idiosyncrasy conditions.

Further: the difference between European Socialists and Mediteranean Socialists is one single word: Democracy. This concept in Spain means naturalized Party-Justice, Corruption, Friends-Policy, Social Indoctrination, Lying, Cheating, all those covered by a parliamentary majority.

Even the Royal Family has been smudged by this usual practice and is being put under a very delicate spotlight because of Iñaki Urdangarin´s (King`s son-in-law) alleged "Influence Peddling"-Businesses.

Resume: as already stated in other posts, the European Union is a dead-born child with exactly no future. Either drastic measures are taken (take out these poor handled countries) or suffer the consequences of a tremendous disaster which, at the end, will take us to an inevitable brake-down of Europe, where serious countries will go ahead, and the rest will have to watch how this impossible Bambi-dream is ruined by anarchism and wrong interpreted “democracy”, because of their immatureness.

JPB

THE WELFARE STATE

2011-09-10T12:27:00.001+02:00

WELFARE STATE

This society is rotten.

This society is sick; has absolutely no future and is full of vices.

The result: an impossible to sustain Welfare State that has been boosted by the progressive political class in order to reach Bambi-Land for all the folks, including the non-invited mass immigration (that already forms 15% of European population..).

Major job-creation and high salaries for the unproductive bureaucracy, stupid inventions of administrative triplication (local Governments) with its corresponding unnecessary cost and jeopardizing the good working centralized system.

Local “Kings and Queens” who consider themselves “enlightened ones”, with a large court of loyal butt-suckers in numerous anthracite-black armored €500,000.- A-8 with driver, secretaries and modern offices, are even setting up very costly worldwide Embassy-networks in order to let know the foreign countries that their rural province is also a “country”.

The Spanish Region of Catalonia e.g. has more than 70 diplomatic representation offices around the world and 5 official Embassies (Brussels, Paris, London, Berlin and New York..).

Nationalistic- separatist parties in Spain (especially from Catalonia and the Bask-Region) have taken advantage of the extremely weakness and the lack of scruples of the actual progressive national leaders, in order to impose unimaginable situations like BILDU, a political representation of ETA (the crime organization that murdered close to 1.000 people), accepted as a political party in all municipalities, although the Spanish High Court of Justice proved they were directly linked to the crime organization; the acceptance of the Statut Catalán, an own basic Law for a region that has clear separatist intentions. All these and many other concessions as a toll to maintain the progressive party in power..

The above is to show the scrupulousness of politics: they will perform any kind of barbarity in order to defend a progressive way of doing things, although these are leading us directly towards the abyss.

In spite of the disastrous actual situation, the progressive invention of the European Community does still defend its rules and values: the European Parliament, the Euro, etc. are technocratic inventions, NOT backed by the voters (see France and Holland..) but imposed by some enlightened mediocre green-wing tendency of all being equal under European Leadership, well-controlled by mega-computers and iniquitous immoral technocrats.

They all defend the progressive Welfare State as their flagship; however this Flagship is stranding on very low water leaving millions of jobless, poor, economic crack, futureless youngsters, and an unknown prospective with a constant patchwork of measures that are only bandages over a non-treated wound.

The Real Welfare State must be gained with efforts, not with subventions. The society is viced and striving is not required anymore. Society is accustomed to a good living on subventions from Daddy State. Problem is when Daddy State has so many debts increased that it cannot afford the Welfare State anymore.

And just that is what is happening. The globe has been inflated during years and years of artificial prosperity until it exploded: back to reality again and start from scratch. The Welfare State must take some steps back and especially must take actions against those who take advantage without having done anything to merit it.

JPB

STEVE JOBS

2011-09-04T10:19:00.009+02:00

On August 24^th, 2011, STEVE JOBS resigned from his well remunerated CEO-job at APPLE.

Although I admire Steve Jobs as an inventor, creator and as a genius in his profession, I hate the global consequences of his Silicon Valley output.

Steve Jobs is a tough worker: he called a variety of issues into existence and has left an important legacy to this generation. Probably APPLE will have a hard time recovering from his disengagement, once all his ideas have been marketed.

But why do I hate the consequences of his outputs?

Eric Burdon & War describe my feelings in their unmatched long performance of “Tobacco Road”, one of the best songs ever. The Lyrics ( revealing his dream and his conversation with GOD) are self-explicit:

"I heard a voice tell me, i heard

a voice say to me it said "What do you want?"

I said I want to change it

because it's wrong I want to change it

because I believe it could be better

and the voice said to me

What makes you think that you are man enough to change anything?

I thought for awhile

and then I spoke out loud and I said to it

I said

Because I am a man and I'm a part of the things that are wrong!!! And if this world is goin' to go on I gonna have to put it right!!!"

Steve Jobs is a HOIPOLLOI- Idol working under following premise: make complicated things simple, affordable and attractive, so that every single idiot can and wants to manage his latest creatures.

The APPLE-figures are fabulous; however Jobs` chimeras are contributing, on a medium-long term, to the burgeoning of the DPMWS (Dumb and Passive Misconstrued Welfare State), being partially responsible for the mass-idiotization and control of this and next generations. (take as an example the Black Berry-dependency, already called the "modern symbol of slavery.."

From Internet I quote:

"BlackBerry’s name originates in the times of slavery in America. When there was slavery in the United States, a black iron ball were put the slaves on the feet for to prevent escape. It was not a perfect ball, very irregular and pockmarked, with a chain and shackle at the bottom, so they could not escape running from the cotton fields. This iron ball was called “BlackBerry” (blackberry, black cherry) because it resembled that fruit. That was the ancient symbol of slavery, saying that he would be forced to leave his life to perish without escape of these plantations.In modern times, new employees can not be tied to an iron ball, however, are given a phone, “BlackBerry” and are wirelessly tethered to the shackle, which like slaves, can not set aside and that is bound to work all the time. It is the modern symbol of slavery." Unquote.

These are Eric Burdon`s “things that are wrong”, and that`s why I hate the hoipolloi-electronic iDiot-devices presented by a hoipolloi-man in a black sweater and 501-denim jeans.

Probably I`m the only one in this world…,or not?

Three years ago, I strongly criticised The Bulli and MADRID FUSION, as being a cooking Circus for snobs and a Paradigm of Pluralistic Ignorance. I was the only one then! Nowadays, the global press is criticising the Deconstruction Cuisine as a very stupid story..

Steve, it´s very unlikely you ever would read this post but, as an inventor and creator myself I could give you some tips for a real pratical and brandnew Non-Hoipolloi APPLE_device/application that would help youngsters find their way into society and elder people get linked to modern technology: the iGotit.

Interested?

JPB

copyright: jp bastiaans 2011

BACK TO HOME

All Along the Watchtower

2011-09-03T11:27:00.005+02:00

"There must be some kind of way out of here,"

Said the joker to the thief,

"There's too much confusion,

I can't get no relief” (Bob Dylan, 1967)

Again, too many months have passed without any of my posts: I have multiple words to say and numerous sentences to write, however the “vibes” aren`t there and my bioassay is at a low level, probably because I just moved to become a sexagenarian a couple of months ago..

Since my 60st birthday, I train-travel on a Gold Card, that means a 40% discount on all tariffs, which is interesting. However the most interesting part is that the gate-girl always asks me to show her my Gold Card: that makes me happy on each trip and stimulates my stamina..

The global situation is worsening and I already predicted that 3 years ago: this isn`t a recession or not even a low economic juncture (not to be confused: the difference between both is abysmal): this is WORDLWAR III without global shootings or atom-bombs, but with clear winners and losers at the end.

Problem is that this WORLDWAR is headed by the most mediocre politic class the world has ever known. Jokers and thiefs, thiefs and jokers, that`s what it`s all about. The genius of Bob Dylan described this situation as of “too much confusion with no kind of way out of here..”

Obama, Sarkozy, Berlusconi, Merkel, Zapatero (by far the worst politic ever) and, performing at the Magical Mystery Tour of the EC-Green Circus, Van Rompuy and “Lady” Cathy Ashton are the genuine paradigms of the “Jokers”. The wonderful parliament interventions of Nigel Farage are the only fresh breezes within an obsolete dead born institution with no sense nor future.

The EC is a mess and has no future, in spite of all desperate financial- economic measures taken by the “27”, or the “17” if you only consider the Eurozone.

The western world is sick and society is sick, all because of a false created WELFARE STATE, based on nothing more than promises and credits headed by Thiefs and Jokers.

People have to face reality now which will worsen by next year, for this -the Crisis-, has not even started yet! Wait and see 2012 as the final FallDown.

A new politic generation must take the reins and new ethic values should be imposed, far away from the actual assesses decreed by the so called “democrats”. I`m tired of their demagogic sectorial, false speeches of liberty and democracy: the result is debauchery under no discipline and a presumably right on an equal WELFARE STATE but with NO efforts..

2012 has been prognosticated by the Maya Calendar to be the year of the End of the World. I agree completely with this prediction: either the world will collapse under a classic atom-bomb 3^rd WORDLWAR, as a consequence of poor management and rulers, probably provoked by terrorist countries; or under a NEW VALUE WORLDWAR, without global shootings but with realistic and non-popular consequences for the losing countries.

Jokers and Thiefs, that`s the way it is and either we change this concept, or we will perish under it.

JPB

HOME

copyright JP Bastiaans 2011

Back again!

2010-07-03T10:05:00.004+02:00

Lady Jeanne 90 years

July 3rd 2010

I wanted to take distance: I wanted to establish a perspective in order to come back later and be able to review my earlier posts, specially on the world situation.

Many things happened (not all of them positive ones) since my last article, published one year ago..

I want to start with my mother, Lady Jeanne. After her partial recuperation from her failed hip-surgery (that pruduced side effects) she settled in a beautiful apartment in Gulpen (Holland) with all the cares and love from her family, -specially from my brother Phil and my sisters Ginette and Monique. However her health wasn`t good enough and after some months of struggling, our beloved Mom finally passed away on February 16th, 2010. She was 90.

Meanwhile the terrific economic crisis is worsening and what I already predicted 18 months ago is exactly happening: the European Union has been on the edge of collapsing and Spain was almost in tecnical bankrupcy in May of this year. The PIGS are having a bad time getting out of the enormous black hole of debts and public administration costs and won`t be able to recover their normal sense in long time.

Spain has been specially hurt by the crisis because of a nefarious government that is still partially denying the facts; doesn`t do state-politics but pure, dogmatic and intolerant party-politics. The spanish government was given a strong reprimand not only from european leaders but Zapatero received also a special call from Obama (may 12th), urging him to rectify his ostrich posture and start reforms. The man is living in another world: doesn`t understand that social benefits and a guaranteed welfare state are only possible if the productive side of economy is stimulated.

The results of his erroneous policy are: over 20% jobless rate, 12% foreign debt, triplicated administration costs, legal insecurity (politicized), social fracture with an increase of tension, wrong decisions with respect to nationalisms (Estatut Catalán), unexisting foreign policy (only with Venezuela and Bolivia..), et al.

Within the spanish Senate FIVE coofficial lenguages are spoken with an extensive system of translators in between. Surrealism and idiocy of the best kind..

No bright future for traditional Spain. It`s getting towards an intolerant dogmatic leftwing despotism, dominating press, justice and increasing public administration costs through unnecessary regional governments. The unproductive european leftwing politics created a ficticious welfare state based on long term debts and without any stamina.

Helped by the unconscious liberals and backed by the reprehensible financial instruments, the whole colapsed and many years will be needed to recover.

Geert Wilders made a fantastic victory during the Dutch General Elections with 24 seats (from a 150 seats Parliament): Harry (Loser) Potter retires from politics after a 50% confidence fall of his voters. The purple cabinet was a quite erroneous decision!

Anyway, Nadal is back again and will hopefully win this afternoon`s Wimbledon final match against Thomas Berdic and thus increase his overwhelming distance with respect to the declining Roger Boabdil Federer.

Holland beats Brazil and will now face Uruguay for a place in the 2010WC Final. I can`t wait to see the big final between Holland and Spain, both best teams, where obsolete countries like France, England or Italy (even Brazil) have shown their most ridiculous faces (specially France) and have to analize their structures profoundly.

La France should take drastic measures against the components of this spoiled unpatriotic national immigrants team that has frustrated many (specially youngster`s) illusions by cracking the most elemental values: discipline, desire to excel, fight, national pride, humility..

JPB

PARTIDO POPULAR

2009-06-14T10:19:00.003+02:00

Foto: www.libertaddigital.com

PARTIDO POPULAR:

In the middle of the worst economical, political and social crisis Spain has ever known, the only measures taken by the Great Beloved Leader, Mr. “Bean” Zapatero, to fight against the 18% jobless rate; the destruction of industries; the loss of international prestige; the 8% deficit, and the so many other colateral problems, has been the approval of the abortion law, enabling minor 16 year old girls to freely decide about an interruption.

Oh, and the ununderstandable abandonment of the nuclear energy policy, when all modern countries are just again incentivating atom power plants installations.

In some older posts I already wrote about the destruction of all tradicional values; one of them, family.

The allowance for a minor to freely decide, without intervention of her parents, to interrupt an unwanted pregnancy, is another step towards demolishing of spanish society.

Mr. Bean`s merit has been the systematic dismantling of absolutely ALL social values and a constant search and destroy operation against eveything that smells conservative.

The result is an increasing backward movement and loss of prestige on national and international scale, being Spain now considered as a dangerous and unwanted partner within the EC: more than 40% of the EC jobless rate is produced in Spain. The largest increase in deficit (from +2% to -8% in less than two years..) is a result of a desastrous economical and social policy, with many colateral effects.

Tremendous mistakes have been made on following policies: immigration; economy; fiscal treatment; labour and union; social aids; education and family; foreign affairs; religion; regional affairs; justice and many others such as the revival of the Historical Memory.

This illogical and completely erroneous policy has lead to a divided and deteriorated Spain, where old ghosts are beginning to appear again..

The explanation of such a destruction policy is however very clear: the socialist spanish movement is trying to endure forever and maintain power by all means. The used methodes are absolutely machiavelic, with licence to ly, cheat and swindle.

The democratic “Trias Politica”, or Montesquieu`s “Division of Powers” among an Executive, a Legislature and a Judiciary Power has been replaced by Zapatero`s “Combining of Powers”, where e.g. Justice is dominated by the socialist interests and press, tv and radio are for 80% in hands of the “progressives”.

Such undemocratic proceedings are being tolerated by half of the Spanish population, hypnotized and mesmerized because of their lack of intelligent and analyzing capacity.

So you will ask, “How about the Opposition?” What is the conservative “Partido Popular” doing?

In other modern countries, where Montesqieu`s legacy is controlled by different independent parliamentary commissions and where the citizens´ capacity for analyzed critics is stimulated by the opposition`s arguments, the actual situation could never have existed.

Several years ago, I already stated that The Big Problem in Spain isnot the PSOE, but the opposition party PP.

A party that isn`t able to take advantage of the so many desasters provoked by the ruling one, is a party that isnot worth to deserve Power: during the passed European Elections, the difference between the ruling and the opposition party was only a couple of points; much too little difference to even pretend a Censure Motion.

Mariano Rajoy, the conservative Leader, is a weak and uncharismatic personage, without any convincement capacity and just looking after maintaining the conservative voters, not doing any movement towards waking-up and conquer part of the mesmerized left wing population.

Conservative and argumented, but too softly expressed words are coming out of his lispeling bearded mouth. No good Mariano, no good..: you lost a couple of times the national, regional and municipal elections, it`s time for a profound reform within your party, beginning by yourself.

There are so many fronts to be attacked and there are so many arguments to be discussed: the PP should look for a serious and persuading tactic and regain prestige again for themselves but also for Spain.

And if they don`t do it, I will have sincere and serious doubts about the intelligency and state interests of the actual opposition party..

The quote is from Teddy Rossevelt:

"Speak softly and carry a big stick..” --© - Jean Paul Bastiaans –2009

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GEERT WILDERS

2009-06-06T12:43:00.005+02:00

Photo: www.digitaljournal.com

GEERT WILDERS, head of the Dutch PVV (Partij Voor de Vrijheid = Party for Freedom), has accomplished a major exploit by beating the, until yesterday, second most voted party in the Netherlands, the Socialist Movement PVDA.

European Elections were held on last thursday in Holland and the results speak for themselves: the Dutch people are fed up with political theories; European dreams; imposition tolerations of all kind, specially by the radical islamization of the Dutch Society with already over 5% of the population being Koran-submitted.

Pim Fortuyn, the in 2002 assasinated charismatic and controversial political genius, started to open the Dutch people`s eyes on important issues such as the over-bureacratization of Administration, the uncontrolled immigration policy and the over-tolerancy towards condition-impositions of other cultures and religions, specially the Islam.

Pim was the intelligent and fearless voice in which many Dutchman saw their opinion reflected. He undoubtly would have become the leader of Holland`s most voted party if he wouldn`t have been murdered few days before general elections.

The (in)tolerant left wing parties were quite happy with this elimination, even Prime Minister Balkenende (Harry Potter..) could breath again. Back to routine, back to mediocrity, back to tolerance and impossible European dreams..

But Holland didn`t forget Pim and found a new representant in Geert Wilders, a 46 years young Dutch Values Defender, a courageous guy that captured an incredible 17% of the Dutch population votes passed thursday..

Again, just like with Pim Fortuyn, the defeated left wing parties used their dogmatic attacks and defined Geert Wilders as being an extreme right activist, a Nazi, a xenophobe (thé desqualification word..), an untolerant personage, but without considering that the votes have been emitted democratically and that 17 out of every 100 Dutchman chose for this option!

Facts are that the European Union has no future; that left policies have introduced drastic changes in society such as extreme tolerancy dealing with mayor issues such as drugs, immigration, education, foreign policy, security and religion between many others.

A reaction is needed in order to regain stability, good sense and discipline, by tracing new lines on domestic but also on foreign policy.

The passed 10 years of extreme tolerance have done a major harm to international society and it`s time to react!

The quote is from JP Bastiaans:

“Democracy is a luxury that has to be managed without democracy..”--© - Jean Paul Bastiaans –2009

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FORMULA ONE DEAD

2009-05-23T10:11:00.010+02:00

Le Mans, June 1969 -Ford GT40 MKII

FORMULA ONE DEAD:

Since I was a kid, car competition, specially Formula One, Le Mans and The Rally of Montecarlo did strongly influence part of my teenage years. My brother Phil, eight years younger than me, shared my fondness for racing and, on a later stage of his life became a racer by himself.

I recall buying all kind of books with action pictures of those early driving legends: Bruce Mclaren, Dennis Hulme, Jack Brabham, followed by Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart, John Surtees and Graham Hill.

Those were the wonderful mid-sixty years during which every single trace of the 625 analog scan lines of the, by then, black&white TVs, were devored during the live transmission of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Porsches 908, Ferraris 250LM, Matra-Simcas MS-650 et al.

The drivers had to run across the track and introduce themselves into their cars: Jackie Ickx –Mister Le Mans- won the race 6 times: in 1969 he refused running to his Ford GT40-MK1: instead of that calmly walked to his car, buckled himself safely and left at the back of the field. In the first lap, John Woolfe got killed, presumably for not having buckled himself properly.

Formula One had evolved in the sixties and seventies and special technical methods were used like monocoque chassis (Lotus), ground effect, six wheels (Tyrrell P34), enormous back wingspoilers (Chaparral 2G), turbo chargers and automatic transmissions.

Electronics were introduced in the eighties and the nineties linked racing to software and radiocontrol.

Romantic racing legends switched gradually towards professional piloting: Formula One, compared to the seventies has lost a great part of its sporty and semi-professional character, converting itself into a big circus, where major interests are dominating the circuit.

It`s not the pilot who wins; it`s technology, strategy, teamwork and computing. It has become a market race between teams and has been artificially globalized in continents where F1 is only a show, not a tradition or a religion. The Unites States couldn`t stand the competition with their "CART Indy Car World Series”, and weren`t able to captivate any interest for the European style.

The Asian countries have absolutely no F1-tradition and, though beautiful and spectacular circuits have been built in the desert ( Yas Marina Circuit- Abu Dhabi), in Bahrain, Sepang or in Shanghai, this globalization + the extreme team professionalism + the ununderstandable FISA-FOCA war and the technical restrictions, are killing F1 softly.

F1 is called a sport. It`s NOT a sport: it`s a struggle for interests where fairplay doesn`t exist anymore and pilots are only a pawn at His Majesty Ecclestone`s Capricious Service.

Formula One will soon lose it`s mass interest, if drastic measures arenot being imposed quickly.

It makes no sense that an almost retired Jenson Button, who drove since 2000 for Williams, Benetton, BAR and Honda and only could accomplish ONE single victory (Hungary 2006) in his whole career, is now leading the 2009 F1- Season. He has scored 4 out of 5 Grand Prix, driving a Brawn-Mercedes, the result of a ruined Honda Team, taken over by Ross Brawn.
After 5 races, McLaren, the 2008 Champ has only scored 13 Constructor points and Ferrari SIX, against the 69 of Brawn.

Something is happening in Formula One and it seems to me it will be the typical case of “killed by its tremendous succes”.

Public isn`t filling the circuits any more and TV transmissions receive half of the share they used to obtain. Ferrari and the rest of the major teams (Renault, McLaren, BMW) are considering to retire from the circuits, because of an imposed restriction in their budget cap of 45 million Euros..

A sick situation, that has converted F1 in a black light and where the pilots are not the ones that win or lose races.

What must be changed is the ultra-norm application of the technical evolution and limit the team`s support during a race. Races are artificial and overcrowded with technical and electronic issues, strategies and other non-sports elements, that eliminate any passion for the real stuff.

Six seconds for refueling, changing a nose and 4 tires, is stupid and has nothing to do with reality. Three mechanics per wheel; two mechanics for refueling; the car-lifter; a couple of mechanics for reajustments; a supervisor and the Lollypop man enable a pitstop in seconds.
This should be changed. One mechanic per tire and two for refueling (for safety reasons) is more than enough. The car can lift by itself, just as the american Carts.

Go back to manual shifting, which is closer to everyday`s driving and quit all electronic devices that help the pilot in his work. F1 should be a driver`s merit, not a computer or a 17 person`s pitstop team worth.

I just want the John Surtees and James Hunt spirit back and not that artificial, globalized and miserable Ecclestone-Mosley F1-dictatorship, where interests are more important than sports.

The quote is from James Hunt:

“My first priority is to finish above rather than beneath the ground..”--© - Jean Paul Bastiaans –2009

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Stars and Stripes Forever

2009-05-16T10:42:00.003+02:00

Stars and Stripes Forever:

When John Philip Sousa composed this wonderful Nacional March of the United States of America on Christmas day 1896, he didn`t know the incredible impact this hymn would create every time it would be heard not only in America, but also in the rest of the world.

The patriotic lyrics plus the wellknown music are performed in mayor sport-events like soccer, american football, baseball, icehockey, the Indianapolis 500, et al.

The whole crowd then stands up proudly, pose their open right hand on their left chest and loudly sing in unison:

“Other nations may deem their flags the best

And cheer them with fervid elation

But the flag of the North and South and West

Is the flag of flags, the flag of Freedom's nation.”

And they`re right: America`s flag is the “flag of flags”. Not one democratic nation in the world has so much respect and love for their national symbols as the American people.

The flag and the anthem are shown and sung with glorious sentiments: it gives me a warm and shivering sensation every time I see and hear people demonstrating their proud of belonging to their country.

Sure is, that other nations like e.g. France, Holland, Germany or Italy show a full respect for their representative characters, and their demonstrations of nationalism are mostly used during sport-events or specific days when the flag is widely exposed. But the integration in daily life isnot so extreme as in the USA, where almost all individual homes have and show the “Stars and Stripes”.

Most countries have a “flag protection law”, a “Flag Desecration Amendment”, in order to maintain respect for the symbols.

In 2007, two spanish youngsters were condemned in Latvia to 6 months in jail and a fine of 3,800 Euros, for bringing down two Latvian Flags as souvenirs. Of course, the sentence seems quite exagerated: no insult or outrage was meant; the kids only wanted to take back some mementos from Latvia, but had to pay a high toll for their insolences.

That brings me to the reason of writing this post: are state symbols so important? Is the fact of burning a piece of textile or a leader`s picture enough reason for fining the accused?

My answer is YES! State symbols form part of a nation`s roots; have symbolized the struggle for freedom and represent history, liberty, democracy, tradition, respect, unity and geography.

The tolerance of intentionally destruction or damaging state symbols (like flag desecration) will lead to a disacreditation of power, a weak leadership with no fixed values to fight for: a good culture medium for anarchysm: this, combined with the famous Vincent de Gournay theory “laissez faire, laissez passer, le monde va par lui même..”, where state intervention, in order to defend Parliamentary Constitution and it´s articles, is rejected.

Such a situation is now existing in Spain. An extreme weak and tolerant leftwing political party (PSOE and Zapatero) has been ruling this country for the last 5 years, destroying any kind of established and traditionl value; introducing profound changes on social, economical and nationalistic fields.

Let`s resume it in a few words: absolutely all established, historical and traditional values have been destroyed and distorted to worse: no clean rules exist; cheating, corruption and lying are daily matters; party policy is done in a single fatal way, no dialogue or national consensus on important state matters are contemplated; Justice is politicized and absolutely no measures have been taken in order to react against the strong economical, financial and labour crisis we are suffering. “Laissez faire..”

The result is tangible: Spain is moving towards a geographically desintegrated socialistic nation, where Catalonia (Barcelona) and the Bask Country (Vitoria) will irremediably split from the mother country and force their excision in a not too far away future.

The deplorable and shameful antidemocratic, antimonarchy and antispanish attitude of both catalonian (FC Barcelona) and bask (Athletic Bilbao) footballfans, during passed wednesday`s final of His Majesty King John Charles I's Cup (Spain’s domestic cup competition), prevented and obstructed by their shoutings, the performance of the spanish national hymn, in presence of King John Charles and the Queen.

Not one national spanish flag in the crowd; boycott of the national anthem and the worse: Censorship from the part of the State owned Socialistic TV, preferring, rather then broadcasting the shameful scene of the banished hymn, emitting some local connections with Barcelona and Bilbao..”Laissez faire..”

Local Catalonia TV emits the real transmission, but without any respect and making continuous and disturbing comments(video herunder).

Can you envisage such a scene during the Super Bowl Final in the USA? Inimaginable..

Social and political alteration unilaterally imposed by the rulers, will split this nation further in two political blocks and stir up the Historical Memory. Spain has suffered a terrible Civil War between 1936-1939 and it seems the ruling party has a special interest in poking old wounds..

No traditional family values, no national symbols; imposed laicism; tendentious and low grade education; decrepit and overbooked justice; lying rulers, increasing poverty; twenty percent of jobless-rate; leftwing domination of the media (including censorship); overal nervousness; sleeping trade unions; closing factories, et al.

The quote is from Gal Fridman:

“Every Olympics we dream of hearing the anthem and seeing the flag. It's the top. I was feeling very proud and so happy to hear the people singing it. I sang as strong as I could, but nobody heard it because everybody was screaming.”

--© - Jean Paul Bastiaans –2009
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Jobless

2009-04-25T10:14:00.017+02:00

Blanche Grambs, (b.1916)

4.010.700 is the actual (april 2009) oficial jobless toll in Spain, with an increase of 802.800 persons during the passed quarter.

That means a 17,3% of the active spanish population without work.

On top of that, add the millions of youngsters that haven`t been able to get their first labour contract, plus the millions of retired who live from their pension.

The result is a disastrous consequence of a real bad management: NINE OUT OF TEN new unemployed Europeans are Spaniards!

In my earlier (Jan 21, 2009, only 3 months ago..) post “ZAPATERO” I predicted that, the then jobless rate of 14,7%, was heading towards a 20% by the end of the year. I must rectify this: the jobless rate will reach a minimum of 25% of the active population, THREE TIMES as much as the European average!

The International Monetary Fund is warning the Spanish Government about the actual situation and the continous increase of public spendings, which is just the contrary of what should be done:

(From the Guardian UK): “You don't want to dig a hole so deep now that you have difficulty coming out of it when the economy normalises," said Bob Traa, head of the IMF mission to Spain, during a press conference in Washington.
The government has announced 70 billion euros ($90.46 billion) in fiscal stimulus and measures to strengthen banks”.

Spain's fiscal deficit and public debt is ballooning, but NO OTHER MEASURE has been imposed by this weak, theoretical, dogmatical and lost Government that already got a severe telling-off after losing the passed regional elections in Galicia, where the opposition party won by absolute majority.

Zapatero and his "Alice in Wonderland" policy (Gustavo Bueno: "The Alice Thought""; Enrique de Diego "ZP in Wonderland") is living an outside reality, closing his eyes to the facts. Urgent logical measures are needed: private companies create jobs, the administration does not!

He should facilitate the instruments for a favourable economic clima: other countries have reduced their fiscal pressure on companies; have reformed their labour policy, have reduced the number of public servants and have given credit facilities to entrepreneurs.

Spain has conceived over 4 million Public Servant Posts, triplicating the average number of clerks that are really needed: one clerk for every 10 Spaniards!

The National, Regional and Provincial Administrations have been engendering a very expensive and partially useless "lusus naturae", completely unaffected and indifferent to the population`s problems.

In this strange and misgoverned country, where public corruption is in the daily news, justice politicized and traditional values such as "one country, one flag, one lenguage; family; education; civil rights; etc.", ignored, the gap between other, more serious European countries, is getting bigger and bigger.

At the end of this tremendous global crisis, the serious and better organised countries will become stronger: the weaker will have a very hard time to survive, specially because of the enormous public debts.

Between the 4th and the 7th of June, 2009, European Parliament Elections will be held.

I sincerely hope voters will forget about their dogmas and vote against the ruling party of ZAPATERO, who has not been able to lead this country by not facing and considering the problems as State problems.

His only concern is to rule AGAINST 50% of the nation, imposing Dogmatic Party Policy and trying to maintain majority by giving the most extreme concessions to the most extreme group of minorities.

The result is a complete chaos, with a country that will fall apart into different geographical pieces, with a “Historical Memory” divided nation, reminding the symptoms of the nineteenthirties pre -Civilian War years.

Sarkozy, the French President called Zapatero “stupid”. No further comment is needed..

The quote is from Paul Valery:

“Everyone has a right to be stupid; some people just abuse the privilege.”
--© - Jean Paul Bastiaans –2009

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The Great Depression

2009-03-21T13:29:00.007+01:00

The Great Depression.

I had announced and predicted a year ago, a big black hole in worldeconomy: prepare yourself, it`s imminent now!

Just as in the Henry Hathaway thriller film “NIAGARA (1953), Polly`s boat runs out of gas and begins drifting into rapids, leading to the falls. In an attemp to avoid the catastrophe, George begins to break out the bottom of the boat in order to make it strand on the ground and stop the drifting. Useless efforts, the streaming is too strong and finally, after helping Polly out on a small islet, George and his boat go over the edge into the falls, killing himself irremediably.

20th of March 2009: worldleaders are just now desperately trying to break out the bottom of the economy-boat thus attempting to avoid the letal precipitation into the abyss. Although most politicians want us to believe the crisis isn`t that serious and that governments have enough reserves to deal with the situation, the reality and facts are much different!

Obama`s presidential -"funny guy”- appearance on the Jay Leno`s Tonight Show was the kind of unnecessary performance, with forced jokes, unsincere laughs and hypocritical comic atmosphere, giving the (controlled) audience the sensation there`s nothing wrong, except a couple of bad and wealthy incompetent AIG guys that were awarded last week $165 million in bonuses: Show must Go on!

Then there was the ununderstandable and inopportune presidential blunder, making a joke comparison between his poor White House bowling performance and the Special Olympics: “It’s like — it was like Special Olympics, or something”. Intolerable for a President of world`s strongest nation.. I wonder what would have happened if G.W. Bush would have made this serious mistake..

Not the best references for a worldleader that should guide us out of this actual mess..

My sincere protection advice for people with some cash assets and want to have them safe for the future: don`t invest in any financial institution, don`t put it into your safe, don`t give it to your bank on a simple account.

There exists a real danger that major financial institutions will collapse, which will lead to a domino movement, impossible to stop: some Governments won`t be able to pay their debts and will intervene accounts and “produce” money: social and political situations will change. This means your money will devaluate strongly or you will not have access to your accounts anymore (similar to the “Corralito” in Argentina).

Follow these 3 advices:

a) put your money on “safe” Banks, such as the Rabobank in Holland

b) invest in gold coins, like Krugerrand, Maples, Lunar, Mexican peso etc. The coins have a double value, the collectors one and the gold trading price.

Or gold ingots of e.g. 100 grams, always with Certification. These smaller bars are easier to trade and to travel with, than the "kilogold bars".

For your bigger money the best are the mentioned "kilogold bar", 1000 grams being traded at a low premium above the spot price of gold. Gold prices depend on commodities, however Gold is a relative safe investment, specially in depressed times.

c) invest in small (easier to trade with) 0,5 to 1,- carat diamonds: the best is buying them through official and certified diamond brokers e.g. in Antwerp, Amsterdam or London. Diamonds are easy to travel with and their value isn`t that volatile. But only buy through experts.

We are living a situation compared to a pre- or postbelic state of affairs with many uncertain elements that can mark the future.

We are on the edge of the precipice. Therefore, the frivolous “funny guy” Leno-Obama performance is an intolerable anachronism, improper for a worldleader. -© - Jean Paul Bastiaans

–2009Back to home: http://www.ideaforliving.blogspot.com/

MOONLANDING FAKE

2009-03-01T10:57:00.015+01:00

MOONLANDING FAKE:

It was in May 1961, when American President John F. Kennedy pronounced the following famous speech:

'I believe that this nation should commit itself. To achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind or more important for the long range exploration of Space.'

Only eight years later and with less computer-technology than an actual 5 Dollar chinese digital wristwatch (in 1969 the computer chips were not invented yet..), Apollo 11 “landed” safely on the moon, or that is what we were led to believe.

Since then, the Americans “returned” 6 more times, being the Apollo XVII and Eugen Cernan the last man to “walk” on the moon in 1972.

Its really hard to believe that, 40 years ago and with a computer memory not more than 32K (that`s the equivalent of a simple calculator..), the americans were able to make seven successful moonlandings in a row; touring in a Rover Buggy over the moon surface; were launched back again in their Lunar Module “LEM” towards the above orbiting Apollo capsule; flying back 350.000 km (1.000 times further than the actual Shuttle-orbits..) to the earth; traspassing 4+4 hours of absolute letal exposure to the strong Van Allen Belt `s radiation (simil of sitting 4 hours in a fullpowered microwave oven, without special protection..), and all that without experiencing any major problem (Apollo XIII ´”Houston we`ve had a problem here”-was miraculously solved..) , or fatal losses, or health consequences during all of the missions.

14 atronauts were killed in the much later (30 and 35 years) different Shuttle missions (Columbia 2003, Challenger, 1986 ), guided with the latest computer technology, latest materials, enlarged experience, and in spite of low orbital flights (300 km high) without any exposure to the Van Hallen Belt.

Too many contradictions (waving american flag on atmosphereless moon, erroneous shadows, earth view from the Apollo window, photo failures, gravity failures in jumps, and many others have been found; it`s also significant that no other moonlanding mission has been realized since then (the Russians could have replied) and no moonlanding mission will be performed in the near future, because of major technical and practical difficulties that still havenot been solved in order to grant a safe journey, stay, and return to mother earth..

I sincerely believe the Americans have never been on the moon: that the whole setup of the Apollo Missions was a Major BLUFF in the middle of the Cold War, as a demonstration of having a superior technology over the Russians. It was also meant as a world propaganda towards other countries and as a justification for military spendings on the development of ballistic missiles.

Neil Armstrong should have exclaimed instead of "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind", the truth: "That`s one small lie for NASA, one giant fake for mankind.."

The quote is from Buddha:

“Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.”
-© - Jean Paul Bastiaans –2009
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DEMOCRACY

2009-02-21T10:40:00.009+01:00

www.imageenvision.com

DEMOCRACY.

Power to the people. Democracy is a form of government where free general elections determine which public political formation (direct representation of the people) will hold power on an alternative base and during a certain period of time. The bases for democratic elections are: equality in rights for all citizens and a guarantee that enables free votations under respect and no kind of pressure. The results must be clean and binding.

Out of these democratic votations will result Parliamentary Groups that will form Government on their own (majority) our through Coalitions.

Votations are preceded by Electoral Campaigns headed by different Candidates of different formations, explaining their political programmes.

Democracy should further be the “guarantee” that Candidates cannot take advantage of their power and only fulfil their jobs as Administrators and Representants of a Nation, without any kind of Protagonism or hidden interests, personal or collective. Therefore, Parliamentary Opposition will audit and fiscalize the Government`s acts and eventually advance General Elections through a Motion of Censure.

OK, enough of this beautiful Walt Disney`s theory!

Now let`s go to the facts: left policies have mostly been known as intolerant, respectless, arrogant, populist, deceitful, undemocratical and probably dictactorial forms of governments: USSR, CHINA, NORTH KOREA, CAMBODYA, CUBA, and many other states are the clearest paradigms.

Only in responsable and modern democratic states, left parties follow democratic rules: in less cultivated countries, where actions and reactions are of an extreme kind, populists have a wide breeding ground for their "performances" (Chavez, Morales etc). It`s easier to dominate an uncultivated person, pronouncing a Populist Nationalist Speech, than explaining boring social/economic arguments.

Other countries use Fanatic Religion for their domination aims.

Left Politics use mostly undercovered machiavelic methods to reach Government in order to take advantage of its Power. Dogma is mixed with promises.

Democracy is a widely used expression for freedom, however in many countries this freedom is a disguised way to totalitarism. The instruments can vary but the mostly used are: Religion and Media: "If you dominate the press, you dominate the public opinion".

In the Medieval World the order between political and spiritual rulers was of a mutual conspiracy: “You maintain them poor, and I will maintain them ignorant”. Nowadays the effective and dangerous instrument for mass domination is called: TV.

Television has become the POWER INSTRUMENT!

Who dominates TV, dominates mass! No arguments are needed, only a constant repeat of a ly is enough to create opinion. The rest is filled with populist, tendentious programmes, where an active sense of critisism isnot needed and you got your people convinced..

"A lie told often enough becomes truth", said Vladimir Lenin and: William James, the father of modern Psychology "There's nothing so absurd that if you repeat it often enough, people will believe it."

Paul Joseph Goebbels, the Minister of Enlightenment and Propaganda under Hitler was the first politician to strongly take advantage of the, by that time most popular and influential medium: the Radio.

Which leads me to the actual political situation in Spain:

The ruling left power (PSOE+Separatist Groups) dominates 80% of the Media (Grupo Prisa), thus being able to create news and misinform the (sleeping passive) public unable to react against undemocratic proceedings such as unbalancing political power by not respecting the SEPARATION OF POWERS.

Justice has become politicized and fully in hands of the ruling party, thus breaking one of the main pilars of Democracy: Equality, Guarantee for Freedom and Human Rights. Spanish Justice has lost it`s imparciality, took off it`s eye bandage and is now looking how to mine the Opposition Party, left without any defensive instrument.

Mr. Zapatero is moving on dangerous grounds, close to totalitarism: not respecting the fundaments of real Democracy; not applying his famous “Talante, Tolerance and Transparency” with equal sense.

Democracy, Mr. Zapatero means working for the Global Interest of a Nation, not ruling for half of it, crushing the other half without respect, without real dialogue and not considering any of his arguments. In a previous spot I already pointed his Party Policy over State Policy, which is the main error of this populist compulsive erroneous decision maker.

The last outrage was the last week`s coarse hunting party and subsequent diner organized for judge Garzón and Justice Minister Bermejo during a politically sensitive corruption probe in which different members of the Opposition Party (PP) are allegedly involved.

The unilateral witch hunt (socialist scandals arenot considered..) that started a couple of months ago against members of the conservative opposition party all over Spain, is a clear dilatory and distraction maneuver in order to alter the attention towards banal and relatively unimportant matters, compared to the unprecedented bad social and economic crisis that strikes Spain.

This isNOT my opinion on how a modern democracy should work.. Mr. Zapatero.

The quote is from Alexander Solzhenitsyn:

“Justice is conscience, not a personal conscience but the conscience of the whole of humanity. Those who clearly recognize the voice of their own conscience usually recognize also the voice of justice”-© - Jean Paul Bastiaans –2009

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ZEITGEIST

2009-02-14T11:59:00.006+01:00

ZEITGEIST

Literally translated from German= TIMESPIRIT.

The word describes a general ambiance, a character, conditions, an idiosyncrasy, standards, principles, habits, morals and political climate of a determinated era.

Zeitgeist is directly linked to policy, finance, culture, education and marks an inclination or followed tendency: the Spirit of an Age.

It was used for the title of the very interesting documentary “ZEITGEIST THE MOVIE”, a film about Chistianity, the 9/11-Terrorist Attack , and the Federal Reserve Bank as being subversion strategical instruments for social masscontroll and posterior world domination.

It`s a film about machiavelism, facts-manipulation and how to control and influence opinions by misinformations or creating false realities. It`s also a film about major interests behind the curtains, unknown explanations on historical events and actually on how to dominate society and be able to justify actions, in order to serve major obscure interests.

I cannot agree more with the context of the film which should help educate people to learn analyse world events better by knowing the WHY and the HOW of circumstances and not just accepting the “truth” as it is difussed in the media.

The quote is from Oscar Wilde:

“A thing is not necessarily true because a man dies for it..” -© - Jean Paul Bastiaans –2009

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RAFA NADAL

2009-02-07T11:32:00.030+01:00

RAFA NADAL

Roger Boabdil Federer (from now on "Robofed") became the absolute protagonist of the 2009 Australian Open Awarding Ceremony..although Robofed had lost this Grand Slam Final versus his personal “Bête Noire”: Rafael Nadal Parera.

After a phenomenal 5 setter-, few congratulation words for Rafa and shy applauses from the australian officials and crowd when the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup was handled over to the winner.

The tendentious Australian speaker -whose name I better forget after his extremely poor intervention-, didn`t start the Ceremony by congratulating Rafa for his brilliant tournament, but was lamenting that “Everyone`s Favorite” had lost the opportunity of equalizing Sampras`record of 14 GS.

Only a single voice out of the crowd shouted: “Not Everyone`s..”.

If I were Rafa my smile would have turned into a bitter killer-look and would have given point to the speaker that I had won the AO! In spite of the crowd; in spite of the 24 hours less recovery time than Robofed; in spite of a tremendous -over 5 hours lasting- intense semifinal battle against my landmate Verdasco and in spite of the ignorance of my actual status, being the number One ranked player in the world, with 6 GS-titles to my credit.

Instead of that, Rafa kept smiling and had to put up with everybody`s attention focussed on how to console the weeping fallen star, unable to dominate his immature state of emotions (Emotional Intelligence) during the whole Ceremony that went to Robofed, including the crowd`s applauses.

If Rafa is the toughest and most intelligent warrier that ever walked on a tenniscourt, Robofed is undoubtly one of the best players in history: he has a complete pack of tennis arguments and techniques, making him unique, genius and almost unsurpassable. I sincerely think we still will see a lot coming from this guy..

However.....Robofed`s emotional and uncontrollable weep-reaction during the Ceremony disappointed me strongly. Crying discharges tension after losing or winning a final. Both extremes belong close to each other and much accumulated stress is released.

But, in my opinion, Robofed`s exagerated emotional expression wasn`t only that of having lost, but probably also that of a terrible frustration and unhappyness with no way out. He touched bottom and that`s why he was unable to stop crying: “God, it`s killing me..”

My personal advice for Robofed: get yourself a good psychologist and work on increasing your Emotional Intelligence Quotient which is now quite on a low level..

Rafa is the paradigm of dedication, elegance, humbleness, education, fair-play, humanity, respect, willpower, discipline, physical condition, strenth, speed, mental power: he will applaude his winning adversary with a smile, thinking on how to beat him on the next occasion..that`s a high grade on the EIQ scale!

The crowds love Robofed and hate Nadal.

Why??

The "Emperor of Roland Garros" will never be crowned as such in Paris; the Spaniard, just as it happened to Aranxa Sánchez Vicario against Steffi Graf, has the misfortune to be Spaniard and to play against the “Everyone`s Favorite”.

I have been searching webs and blogs about the actual Rafa-Robofed rivalry, finding discussions about GOAT*s and skills of both players: the major part recognizes Rafa as a good player but Robofed is still considered to be the one and only Number One, even if Rafa has performed more and better on his age than Robofed when he was 22!

One of the few excellent and objective articles, including comments, was published by The TimesOnline.

Most web/blog-authors and additional comments donot allow Rafa to be where he is now: considered as an intruder in Robofed`s domains.., and hope on injuries or even worse, on a positive doping test result, in order to repel Nadal, continuing adoring “Everyone`s Favorite” and claim the GOAT*-recognition for the Swiss.

Jealousy, nationalism and ignorance form a very dangerous coctail..specially in hands of certain "journalists" and Blog-authors..

It`s a pity few people outside Spain are willing to admit Nadal`s incredible strength and tennis skills; he still has a long way to go in his career and can still improve his game drastically. I have no doubt he will finish 2009 on top of the ATP-ranking, if he doesn`t suffer from injuries.

Robofed will have a hard time to reconquer Granada, which will hopefully allow us to enjoy many other brilliant and historical GS finals between both aces.

A less known aspect of Nadal is his humanitarian commitment: he is paying back by having created the RAFA NADAL FOUNDATION, for children with Down syndrome between others.

*GOAT (Greatest Of All Times)

comments: express your sentiments about Rafa (beneith the video)Thks. JPB

The quote is from Boabdil (Muhammad XII of Granada):

“Don`t weep like a woman for what you couldn`t defend as a man..” -© - Jean Paul Bastiaans –2009

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UNITED NATIONS ORGANIZATION

2009-01-30T19:57:00.010+01:00

U.N.O. :

In January 1946, 51 different countries attended the first meeting of the General Assembly of the UNITED NATIONS ORGANIZATION, in Westminster Central Hall in London.

A couple of years earlier, the concept had been first used by Winston Churchill and F. Roosevelt in the “1942 Declaration by United Nations”, as a unification for the allied countries that fought in WWII.

The U.N.O. would replace the LEAGUE OF NATIONS, unable to have prevented, by its inefficiency, WORLD WAR II. The LEAGUE OF NATIONS by itself was a result-organization of the TREATY OF VERSAILLES and was composed by 53 countries.

The most important aim for the U.N.O. is the prevention of more wars by providing a negotiation-table to its member states and to facilitate cooperation in international laws and security, disarmament and collective security. In other words: guarantee peace between members and act as a mediator in conflicts. The members would –in theory- comply with the Resolutions decided by the General Assembly or the Security Council.

The only instruments available in conflicts are, besides the New York Assembly, the voluntary troops provided by member states, the so called “Blue Helmets”, actually not meant for active fighting, only for peace keeping and defensive purposes.

In later stages the U.N.O. occupied other matters such as the economic and social cooperation and development, the International Court of Justice, UNICEF, W.H.O., a.o.

However, this International Organization has proven to be highly inefficient in any kind of conflict that has appeared, being the interested states the ones that decided, together with their allies, on how to manage a crisis situation.

The best paradigm for that was the Cold War between the United States and Russia, that lasted for over 45 years. The Korean War, the Vietnam war, the Berlin Blockade, Cuban Missile Crisis, Soviet Afghanistan War, Six Days War, and many other less important conflicts (in Africa, Middle East, South America and Asia) could not be managed with authority by the U.N.O., thus losing its initial power and function to be a valid and reliable mediator in conflicts.

The U.N.O. is today a merely very costy, permanent international representation office where heads of memberstates (192) gather together once in a while and where medium ranked officials ( actor Paul Newman represented the United States in 1978..) discuss daily medium ranked matters under the authority of a medium ranked General Secretary (the Ban Ki-moon performance at the Davos World Economic Forum on last January 28th was extremely poor and tendentious).

OK for UNICEF and OK for W.H.O., but the rest is worthless and has absolutely no sense to continue just as it is now: a BIG CHANGE is needed, where U.N.O. regains a concrete function, RESPECTED by ALL its members, and where decisively and BINDING RESOLUTIONS should be taken (by reached consensus), backed by an important and professional International Blue Helmets Army, able to fight for the compliance of an overall agreed decision.

The VETO-power by the 5 members Security Council should be revised and a more powerful but neutral supranational rotating decisionmaking Presidency is necessary.

The passed and actual U.N.O. activities arenot efficient on politic-strategic matters (say conflicts..), being converted into a decaffeinated, tendentious (read e.g. the Palestine dispute), simil of the "1942 Declaration by United Nations", that would grant "peace, security and cooperation..").

It`s completely UNACCEPTABLE that U.N.O. hasnot been able to negotiate or mediate or impose a peaceful cohabitation in Palestine, since the 181 Resolution of 1947!

The quote is from Nikita Krushchev:

“The purpose of the United Nations should be to protect the essential sovereignty of nations, large and small”. --© - Jean Paul Bastiaans –2009

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ZAPATERO

2009-01-29T13:01:00.008+01:00

picture: www.publico.es

ZAPATERO:

I have no doubt that Zapatero`s initial intentions on Spanish policy, were theoretically well-meant!

However, and after 5 years of Socialism, this country is immersed in such a large range of problems, frustrations and social changes that the only two ways out are: Dialogue/Concessions or Lying/Sham. Unfortunately, the second option is the one chosen by ZP and his fellow socialist mates, thus increasing the gap between them and the opposition but also immersing Spain into a black hole, out of which it will be quite difficult to escape.

Problems are denied and new ones are created as a result of that, it`s a bit of a leap in the dark, still not willing to admit reality.

ZP has been ruling this Country since the PSOE won the general elections on the 14th of March 2004, after a never satisfactorily clarified ( important trial proofs were manipulated ) but very opportune terrorist attack in Atocha-Madrid, just three days before the universal suffrage.

191 persons were killed and 1.500 injured, during that Madrid-Bombing: the macro-trial led by the National Court Judge Gómez Bermúdez sentenced 21 of the 28 suspects to 40.000 years of prison : today (5 years later), the major part of them have been released and only few of them remain still in prison.. with reduced sentences..).

Five years after Zapatero (ZP) started his mandate, many things have happened and drastic changes have been imposed on State Issues which, in other countries, require a Concensus with opposition parties. ZP is following a party-policy, not a state-policy and this is one of his Major Errors.

By doing such, he is constantly dividing the general opinion and tenses de relationship between parties, but also among spanyards: therefore he isn`t considered the President of all spanyards, but only the President of the unconditional part of socialist voters.

Major State Issues that affect ALL spanyards, but has been decided WITHOUT CONSENSUS are between others:
**Terrorism and ETA
**Regional Policy and Authonomies
**National Identity
**Foreign Affairs
**Immigration Policy
**Civic Education
**Justice
**Coalition policy
**Economic policy and jobs
**Press and TV
**Et al..

If ZP would be open for concessions and real dialogue (yes, also with the opposition), he would gain support from other sectors than his own, and wouldn`t have to buy support from minorities in order to reach majority. The actual economic crisis is a State Issue and a matter of Concensus: it absolutely needs strong and agreed measures and it`s useless to continue denying the real situation and lying about a soon recovery, specially concerning the financial and the labor market.

The jobless rate is the highest of the Eurozone with an average of 130.000 individual job-destructions each month, heading to a 20% by the end of 2009 (actual average Eurozone =8%).

ZP: here are some advises:

1. Admit your errors
2. Look for a real dialogue with the Opposition (at this regard the PP should do a severe self-criticism exercise on how they have, or better said, havenot managed their responsability..)
3. Face the problems and solve them by Consensus.
4. Forget about theory (Civilisation Alliance etc)
5. Amend fiscal policy, specially with relation to corporations (learn from Portugal)
6. Strengthen immigration policy and increase repatriation
7. Make a strong incentivation on new job creation within companies
8. Facilitate credits (even limited risk credits) to corporations (in the practice not one bank will give you a credit, if no 100% return is guaranteed, so don`t believe the propaganda).
9. Force the interbank activities. Banks have received cash input from the State in order to partially clean their subprime situations: this input should be released into corporations (they create jobs..)
10. Create a favorable clima for self-employed.
11. Make strong international alliances, starting with the USA (what a big puerile mistake, not having stand up for the Amercian Flag, during the 2003 military parade: “why should I stand up, it wasn`t my flag..”. In order to admit his mistake, he now denies the argument why he remained seated: “I didn`t stand up, as a protest against the countries that were invloved in the Iraq war..”LOL). Don`t be a prophete ZP, don`t be an idealist, that`s not the way to do serious policy..
12. Restore this country and respect the national identity and it`s symbols, don`t ashame yourself being Spanyard and don`t ashame others (learn from your admired OBAMA!!)
13. Renew your educational policy and increase formation quality. The more a person receives formation, the easier it will be for the job-creation.
14. Don`t rely for the future on traditional economy-bases such as the construction or automobiles
15. etc.

It`s easy ZP, it`s easy. But admit for once and for all, that there exist other valid opinions than the socialist ones and that the Unity Makes Strength. Admitting errors isnot a shame, it`s human and can reinforce.

The quote is from Frank Lloyd Wright:

“Form follows Function- that has been misunderstood. Form and Function should be one, joined in a spiritual Union.” --© - Jean Paul Bastiaans –2009
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IRAQ OBAMA

2009-01-24T13:10:00.024+01:00

IRAQ OBAMA.

First thing I want to do from this Blog is congratulate the new President of the United States of America, Mr. Barack Hussein Obama ( Mr. Blessed, Handsome and slightly Crooked).

I wish him a lot of success during his mandate and hope things will turn right for him (and for all of us): he has created a lot of hopes and illusions, not only for the Americans, but also all around the globe.

What I would criticize of Mr.Obama`s speech is that his "CHANGE"-promises are too much focussed on a quick and popular “Panem et Circenses”public approval: he points some actions to be done, but doesn`t concrete the consequences. Guantanamo, Iraq and the worldcrisis are some examples.

The overall situation in which we find ourselves is quite pessimistic: we are actually facing the beginstade of an unprecedent world financial and economic crisis (precisely provoked by the american subprimes..)..that is going to worsen every day.

The future is an obscure mistery and the result will be the reconstruction of our traditional economic and social models, just similar as the consequences of a post WorldWar-situation.

Rational persons donot like promises; rational persons need analysis, decisions and foreseen results based on facts. Even if these decisions are unpopular, these should be taken. A decision leads to a new situation, that leads to a new affaire, that has new consequences: it`s a chess game with many alternative moves, some with unpredictable results..

From the official Obama web I found these resolutions on the actual Iraq-situation:

**Immediately upon taking office, Obama will give his State Secretary of Defense and military commanders a new mission in Iraq: succesfully ending the war. The removal of our troops will be responsible and phased.

**Obama and Biden will press Iraq's leaders to take responsibility for their future and to substantially spend their oil revenues on their own reconstruction

**Obama and Biden will launch an aggressive diplomatic effort to reach a comprehensive compact on the stability of Iraq and the region.

These theories are wonderful, however in the practice, and if all international and US troops withdraw from Iraq, a major chaos can be the result. The multi-religious tribes could start a new Sunni-Shiite religious war; the oil interests are too important to be deserted and it`s too puerile to affirm that oil-income would finance Iraq`s reconstruction and establishment of democracy: the country is divided into multiple ethnic and religious groups which are impossible to be ruled under authentic democracy.

Under which consideration will the USA withdraw its`s troops? Will they consider it as a victory or as a defeat? Will they be considered as winners or losers?

Iran is waiting for this event and the withdrawal of troops would debilitate the region, thus leaving doors open for the way to Israel, where things are actually very hot.

Dictator Sadam Hussein created an effective firewall between Iran and the Occident by oppressing the many religious and ethnic groups in his country and by maintaining a constant conflict against Iran. Of course, the internal situation was unsustainable but, does anybody in his right mind (and who has been studying local history) really believes democracy, unity, peace and freedom will ever be established in this complex country with so many opposite circumstances and interests?

President Obama has a lot of work ahead, he is young, atypical, humanitarian, with plenty of illusions, energic and Harvard educated.

Former President George W. Bush`s character and personality were an opposite passiveness of own criteria and delegated major issues (such as the one on the Iraq War) to Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who led the USA into this stupid war. The poor intelligence (this is really ununderstandable!) with misinformation on the WMD, started the opening of the Middle East Pandora Box, where an apparent solution isnot the immediate withdrawel of troops by installing a simil of democracy in 2010, and this could be the first big mistake made by the new President.

The solution is other and starts by studying and understanding the local idiosyncrasy, religions, tribes and history, then work on a profound reform of the United Nations Organization and its resolutions, but that`s another story, Mr. Obama. Want to know more? You can leave your comment on this blog!

The quote is from Mr. President Barack Obama:

"I know my country has not perfected itself. At times, we've struggled to keep the promise of liberty and equality for all of our people. We've made our share of mistakes, and there are times when our actions around the world have not lived up to our best intentions. "
--© - Jean Paul Bastiaans –2009
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The Grasshopper and the Ants.

2009-01-18T10:58:00.012+01:00

Jacob Lawrence -Ink on Paper

Aesop`s Fable, “The Grasshopper and the Ants".

Classical Version:

The Ants work during the whole summer tooth and nail under an overwhelming heath building their house and storing up food for winter.

The Grasshopper thinks the Ants are stupid and spends the summer visiting tourist sites, dancing, singing and having a great time.

When winter arrives the Ants shelter in their house, where they have everything needed until spring.

The Grasshopper shivers and, without food, perishes of cold.

The End

Spanish Versión( I have received this version by mail, this isnot my text, only the translation is mine but I found the concept very close to the spanish actual reality, reason enough for the publication in this blog):

The Ants work during the whole summer tooth and nail under an overwhelming heath building their house and storing up food for winter.

The Grasshopper thinks the Ants are stupid and spends the summer visiting sites, dancing and having a great time.

When winter arrives the Ants shelter in their house, where they have everything needed until spring.
One day, shivering with cold at the exit of a Whisky Bar, the Grasshopper organizes with La Sexta- TV a pressconference in which he asks why the Ants have, any time they want, the right on shelter and food, being himself cold and hungry.

La Cuatro-TV, the rest of state-owned TV Channels and Cadena SER, organize a live program showing the Grasshopper being cold and his calamities: simultaneously showing video-extracts of the Ants, cosy and warm at their shelter and with plenty of food on their table.

The spanish people were very much surprised to know that in such a modern country as theirs, the poor Grasshopper was suffering, while others were living comfortably. The Unions Against Poverty demonstrate in front of the Ant`s house. TV1 broadcasts the protest live.

Journalists from El País and El Periódico write a serial of articles in which they question how the Ants have enriched themselves behind Grasshopper`s back and urge Zapatero`s Government to increase the Ant`s taxes, as an act of solidarity.

In response to the Gallup Polls, Zapatero`s Government draws up a law about economic equality in which the Ants are qualified as a hindrance from Franquism, and promote a retrospective anti-discrimination law in Congress against the Ants.

Ian Gibson publishes his book “The Ants and Franquism” that the Government includes in the subject “Educaton for Citizens”.

Ant`s taxes have been increased and moreover they receive a fine for not having contracted the Grasshopper as assistant during summer time, furthermore typified as being the cause of “producing a psychological abuse” to the Grasshopper.

Garzón impounds the Ants`house because they don`t have enough money to pay the taxes and the fine.

The Ant`s leave Spain

El Tomate produces a report where the Grasshopper is shown with excess weight: he consumed almost all the Ants` provisions long before spring arrived... The old Ant`s house is now converted into a social lodging for Grasshoppers but the house gets soon damaged because nobody does anything to maintain it in good condition.

The Government is being reproached for not putting enough resources, reason why Rubalcaba and Garzón set off an Investigation Commission that will cost 10 milion Euros.

Zerolo, Gays and Lesbians, demonstrate in Chueca as solidarity with the homosexual, lesbian and transsexual Grasshoppers.

Meanwhile the Grasshopper perishes of a cocaine overdose.

La Cope and Telemadrid comment the Government`s failure of attempting to correct social inequalities.

Cadena SER, EL PAIS, Iñaki Gabilondo and the Catalan tribe of PSOE (Carles Francine, Angels Barceló and Gemma Nierga) declare that the only to be blamed for, are: Aznar, Irak, Franco and Falange.

The old Ant`s house has now been occupied by a nest of morocco immigrant spiders and Zapatero`s Government comment on TV1 being glad about the spanish cultural plurality, paradigm of succes for the Alliance of Civilizations.

The quote is from Clarence Day:

“Ants are good citizens they place group interests first”--© -translation only, Jean Paul Bastiaans –2009

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Spain is Different

2009-01-11T12:58:00.015+01:00

www.photobucket.com

Spain was once the best place on earth to live in.

Friendly and nobel people, excellent and varied food, beautiful clima, good business opportunities and many more positive elements made this country the final destination for many foreigners, including myself.

However, this beautiful Mediterranean Country with over 4.000 kilometers of shore, has seen it`s idiosyncrasy being changed over the last decades. Today, the so many drastic turns on the spanish society, imposed by the so many mediocre –mostly left- politicians, have changed Spain profoundly.

The Iberian Peninsula is a country of strong contrasts: not only geographical and climatological, but also characterwise: intense love can suddenly change into intense hate: it`s the Pendulum Clock character and mentality. from the extreme left, then comes back to the extreme right, no free middle position will stand for a long time..

The reason for that is easy to explain: every Spanyard is a Monarch by himself. In principle, no authority or rules are being accepted (you can observe that, waiting at a pedestrian red light: nobody respects this basic traffic sign, not even elder people..). Spanyards are born anarchists; they like to possess an own opinion and reject rules: they own a Genuine Reality Concept on Things, and seldom will realize an argumented dialogue with an opponent. The dialogues or conversations use to be unsubstantial and without any concessions. Sentiments are over logics.

Without a strong (imposed) authority-moderation, the situation tends then to a confrontation, raises in tension and finally concludes by personal disqualifications.

Many conversations or debates are just multiple, simultaneous monologues where no ears exist for the opponent´s arguments. There is no interest for other assertions: mine is right, yours is wrong!

And, if somebody`s attention has been attracted on a negative behaviour, don`t expect any apology, most likely this person will try to justify his acts using either one of the following expostulations:

1. You did the same (probably worse) in the passed
2. It wasn`t my fault
3. I didn`t know
4. Lying about the motives or denying the facts
5. Who are you to rectify me?
6. Explanation with vague arguments that have no link to the subject

It`s so easy to say: “I`m sorry”, however you won`t hear these 3 little words often here in Spain..

The cultural education of the Spanyards has been undermined by the Fourth Branch of Government (4th Power), in other words, the press in general. Almost monographically in hands of left wing parties (Grupo Prisa), has been faultcultivating, miseducating and disinforming the spanish audience, in order to mold them for determinated predispositions which have resulted in important social and political conversions.

The last 5 year’s liberal left policy could be resumed as: “The Law of the Minimum Effort”, in spanish: “La Cultura del Pelotazo”. The result has been a momentary artificial Welfare State, but with tragic results as soon the Financial Crisis started.

Of course, the Crisis is a World Crisis and affects many other countries, however not in the grade which Spain is suffering it. The cause is “La Cultura del Pelotazo” and the late and mis-information from part of the Government: in my post “Spanish Economic Crisis 2008” some examples of that have been shown.

The consequence: a too late reaction on what was being told many months earlier in the rest of the world: with an outcome of a mayor jobless increase (13,5% in December, when the average Eurozone has a 7,7%..) an unproportioned immigration problem; one of the mayor world defficits,; the closing of many industries, et al..

Again the Spanish Pendulum Character has brought us to following extremes:

--The largest Trade Deficit of the European Union
--The highest Jobless Rate of the 27 EC Countries (500.000 jobs were destroyed during the last three months of 2008..)
--The mayor Cocaine Consumer in the World (together with the USA)
--The lowest Education Qualification in Europe
--The highest toll rate of obese youngsters in Europe
--The mayor falls on Stock Markets in the EC, last year
--The highest rate of prisoners in Europe (157 for every 100.000 inhabitants
--The largest shelter for criminal (Mafia) groups of Europe (Interpol considers Spain as a Mafia Paradise..)
--Et al

A country is like a family. Discipline, coexistence, dialogue, information, norms, sharing, respect and moderated tolerance is needed for the well functioning of this unit.

Little discipline is imposed and many tendencies are allowed in Spain of the XXIst Century (no mayor traditional values have survived the left Heresy: take only, among many others, the example of the permissiveness for ANV, illegalized basque political party that, in spite of the illegalisation by the TS, is still officially active in many Municipalities, without any intervention..now that`s Justice!): the most probable consequence will be a lasting deterioration of the country, with an increasing tension and nervousness; with an increase in crime, jobless rate, immigration problem, independency demands, excision of the spanish society and many more elements that have converted Spain into a much less attractive country to live in, compared with a couple of decades ago.

The quote is from Warren Buffett:

“Should you find yourself in a chronically leaking boat, energy devoted to changing vessels is likely to be more productive than energy devoted to patching leaks”

--© Jean Paul Bastiaans –2009
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PALESTINE

2009-01-06T11:08:00.010+01:00

David Ben Gurion picture from: www.popularpersons.org

PALESTINE: Jews and Arabs have been coexisting in Palestine for thousands of years in different tribes and as nomades. Although –and following the Bible- there once was a Kingdom of Israel, a Kingdom of Judah and Palestine City States, these regions have historically been ruled later by outsiders such as the Persians, the Macedonians, the Romans, the Byzantines, the Caliphates, the Umayyads, the Crusaders, the Mamluks, the Ottomans, the Egypts and finally becoming a British mandate after the end of World War I.

In 1917, the “Balfour Declaration” favoured the establishment, within Palestine, of an independent nation for the Jewish People, starting the Zionism Movement: this crucial Declaration caused the first important tension between the Jews and Arabs due to apprehension based upon the interpretation of the meaning.

Since then, this tension has only been increasing, specially after the "Biltmore Conference Resolution" (New York -1942) : “Palestine should be established as a "Jewish Commonwealth”.

David Ben-Gurion (from Polish origin), who would serve Israel as the first Prime Minister and Defence Minister , opposed, in principle, the League of Nations` proposal of Partition in two independent States as being a non-acceptable long term solution: the Jewish people consider Palestine as a whole and theirs, but so do the Palestinians: the preventive organization of a first class jewish Army, became a fact.

On the 29th of November of 1947, the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 181, finished the British Mandate of Palestine and founded the bases for the creation of two independent States, one Jewish and one Arab, with Jerusalem under international control.

The Partition Plan was approved by majority and accepted by Israel, however the Palestinian Arab leaders rejected it and refused to negotiate.

When, in May of 1948, the Official British Mandate expired and the Independent State of Israel was proclaimed, all neighboring Arab States ( Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq ) attacked Israel, known as the First Arab-Israeli War. The Implementation of the Partition Plan would never be a fact.

The consequences were continuous international conflicts (the 1967 Six Day War; the 1973 Yom Kippur War; and other defensive attacks in Iraq and Lebanon), with the capture of the West Bank, Golan Heights and the Gaza Stripe (from Egypt).

In my personal opinion, the Palestinians missed the historical opportunity to become a recognized independent state in 1947, by refusing to negotiate the terms for an official international recognition and a later peaceful coexistence with the UN accepted new State of Israel. The non-acceptancy of the 181-UN-Resolution and the loosing of the different conflicts against Israel positioned the Palestinians in a weak international situation, making any kind of further negotiations very complicated. Moreover, the Palestinians have double-weakened themselves by dividing their home in two extremes: the fanatic HAMAS ( Islamic Resistance Movement) and the slightly more moderated FATA (PLO-Palestine Liberation Organization): “Divide et Vinces”, Julius Caesar is right again..

Israel is a strong military state, backed by the USA and the majority of the occidental nations: Israel can impose strong influences through her jewish lobbies all around the world: it`s also true, that Ben-Gurion still has a lot of followers in some sectors of the jewish society, which makes any kind of territorial negotiation quite difficult, specially when constant terrorist provokations are targeting the jewish civil population, which isnot the best way to gain popularity..

The actual implemented measures (bombing of Gaza and invasion by israeli troops) as a reaction on the constant Hamas`missile firing on jewish civil targets, seem unproportioned, however is the only possible way to guarantee an immediate ceasefire, stop terrorist aggression and look for a new perspective, if there is any mutual will for peace and negotiation. A bad thing would be the inclusion of religious arguments as justification of the injustifiable.

The quote is from George Bernard Shaw:

“Nothing is ever done in this world until men are prepared to kill each other if it is not done..” --© Jean Paul Bastiaans –2009
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AMERICAN DREAM

2009-01-01T11:26:00.010+01:00

Sketch Concept Vehicle Design 1967 © Jean Paul Bastiaans

AMERICAN DREAM: In July, 2007, my post “Port Huron” related my wonderful stay as a 16 years old kid in this great country called U.S.A. That was in 1967, so over 4 decades ago..

The unpopular Vietnam War (Second Indochina War) had just started a couple of years earlier. Communist North Vietnam and it`s allies fought against South Vietnam, supported by the USA and other members of the SEATO, who tried to impose a Containment Policy with the purpose of preventing Communism from spreading like a “domino effect”.

Although majority of all international Allies supported the war, many detractors raised, specially under students and left wing parties, including strong american internal oppositition leading to the Counterculture Youth Movement (“Flower Power”, “Make love not War”, etc). The War finished when North Vietnam finally captured the South Vietnamese Capital City of Saigon in April 1975.

Meanwhile a vaste human spaceflight programme (Apollo) was established, with the final target of a manned moon landing, accomplished on July 1969 by the landing of astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, during the Apollo 11 mission.

During my stay in the States, I contacted FORD Motor Company in Detroit, with the purpose of presenting my Futuristic Vehicle Concept Designs and Ideas: I was quite good in creating and designing concept cars (see one of the rough sketches of 1967), that much later were to be seen (similars) on the road..

FORD sent me a 3 pages proposal contract in triplicate that I showed my english teacher in Holland for the translation of some legal terms: he almost fell from his chair. “Are you aware what that means?”, he asked me completely incredulously, "that`s the American Dream!", he said.

The contract wasn`t quantified (because I was a minor) and I had the sensation it was more a “you send me the ideas and sketches (renouncing any rights) and we will evaluate the possibilities of a collaboration..”.

I was young but not fool and sent a letter back thanking the person in question (of the design department) for his interest but I was not willing to give away my ideas, including the rights, without getting any formal compensation for that. My english teacher almost fell again from his chair when I showed him my answer.. “a missed American Dream”, he said.

The United States have caused an economic and social world drama by permitting the existence of subprimes without any control: the liberal American Dream is a wonderful philosophy that I have always endorsed: however the too liberal and uncontrolled “everything is valid if this makes you rich”-policy, has led to the actual situation, frustrating in first place the creators themselves, then the rest of the world.. The American Nightmare..

The quote is from Leonardo Da Vinci:

“He who wishes to be rich in a day will be hanged in a year” --© Jean Paul Bastiaans --2009

Back to home: www.ideaforliving.blogspot.com

Cold War

2008-12-27T10:21:00.014+01:00

Thirty Five Years separate both pictures: the first one shows my Dad`s team during a local football match in the late thirties, just before World War II would break out, devasting the mayor part of Europe (although, observing the picture, you would suppose the devastation had already begun..).

He would enrol himself during the war as a volunteer with the British Army to fight against the Nazis.

The second photo was shot in 1971 and shows me and my military team mates of the “121 Rayon Liaison Company” in Ede-Wageningen-Holland. Curious is the exact same position my Dad and I occupy within the team on the picture. We both are squatted on the inferior left part. Genes?

During those late sixty, early seventy years, the Cold War (1947-1991) between the East and the West Blocks knew a critical moment (similar to the 1956- Hungary invasion or the 1962 Cuba-Missile Crisis) caused by the invasion of Czechoslovakia, crushing Alexander Dubcek`s Prague Spring of 1968, through Warsaw Pact Joined Armed Forces.

During several ocasions our Company was sent to northern Germany, close to Hamburg, where the Dutch military forces had been assigned their logistical geographical area within the NATO status and for whom communication had to be established and guaranteed.

No internet in those days and the three forms we had to establish communication were: by telex, radio and morse.

The telex was encrypted and the signal was launched through a 15 meters high antena that had to be set up as soon we arrived our destination. The complete electronic equipment was built into a 3 Tons DAF truck, feeded by an external Diesel Electrical Aggregate.

The quote is from Golda Meir:

“I don`t know why you use a fancy French word like Detente, when there`s a good English phrase for it: Cold War.” --© Jean Paul Bastiaans –2008

Back to home: http://www.ideaforliving.blogspot.com/

2009 HOROSCOPE

2008-12-25T14:22:00.012+01:00

This is probably my last Post of this quite difficult and strange year of 2008. Many changes have occured in this period of time: traditional strong financial and economic structures have fallen down as weak and vulnerable card castles, as a result of that, mayor social insecurity, unsteadiness and uncertainty: governments don`t know what to do and how to react in this unknown situation, nothing is secure and nothing can be forseen.

Before you continue reading this post: I`m neither Nostradamus nor the great Susan Miller; I`ll better leave the esoteric part to the genuine professionals; this, in spite of my one-time transient, noetic and mystical experience related in my post : "Hunebed Dream".

The following is a sober analysis of what the immediate future (2009) will bring in economic and social global aspects.

What`s for sure is that the consequences of a much too liberal and a much too free market (few controls), combined with a much too optimistic growing welfare state, had given certain countries and institutions the possibility of building up an enormous and gigantic financial Fata Morgana.

The result of that has been the universal investment contamination caused by the “cheating subprimes”, a mayor swindle that has mined the bases of global economy.

158 years old financial institutions such as “LEHMAN BROTHERS” and many others, more recent ones (FORTIS, etc), have gone into bankrupty leaving behind a black hole of debts and mayor losses for industries and privates. The latest big scandal provoked by the jewish swindler Bernard Madoff, with his pyramidal “Ponzi-Scheme”, left, under many others, specially the american Jewish Community, desvasted.

The last 20 years have been contributing to this situation: the too quick development of technology; the globalization; the too extreme confidence in a continuous welfare state development; the overall tolerance and the increasing loss of traditional and established values; the mediocre and too technocrate politics: world leaders with weak, tolerant and permissive left policies; the too speculative real estate- and stock market.

The European Parliament is the best showcase for this failure: paradigm of inefficiency, “babel-tower policy”, and inaccurate international decision making (Kosovo, Beijing Olympics, etc).

An important identity crisis without values has brought us where we belong now: it´s like a warlike state of affairs, but without deaths. Just as during all wars, many elements will be filtred, values will be restaured, new conditions will be adapted, and renovated norms will be imposed.

The problem is that we donot know when this “war” will be over and if the consequences of this global disaster (credit and funds restrictions, prominent enhance of jobless, the closing of industries, state interventions on private funds, the immigration drama, the boost of criminality, et al ) willnot end into a real war or into some other unforseen tantrum.

I`m not optimistic and my opinion is that the actual global situation will worsen in 2009, with unknown consequences and reactions: only the best will survive, the rest will have to struggle for survival. Others will “perish”.

My X`mas and New Year wishes are based on the hope that my reflections and intuitions are completely wrong and that the world will react soon, in a positive way, with efficient measures and better values!

Listen to following historical jewels, performed by mayor groups such as PROCOL HARUM, HEROES OF SILENCE, DEEP PURPLE, THE DOORS.
--Soldier of Fortune
--Heroe de Leyenda
--People are Strange
--Repent Walpurgis

--When a blind man cries

The quote is from Ralph Bunche:

“There are no warlike people, just warlike leaders.” --© Jean Paul Bastiaans –2008

Back to home: http://www.ideaforliving.blogspot.com/

MIGUEL BERROCAL

2008-11-23T11:27:00.019+01:00

1985, Reina and I decide to organize and enjoy a carjourney through southern France and Italy. The places to visit on our way: Cannes, Nice, Monaco, Ventimiglia, Milan, Pisa, Verona and Venice.

The first stop was at the excellent Martinez Hotel in Cannes: movies and festival air all over the places, we had a very good bouillabaisse at the “Chez Tétou” on the Golfe-Juan beach.
Next ones on our gastronomic route: “Il Capitano” located at the seaport of Cap d`Ail, and “Le Petit Bec” in Monaco.

From the beautiful but dangerous Route de la Turbie ( where Princess Grace Kelly suffered her fatal car accident) with beautiful views over Monaco, we are on our way to Ventimiglia, the Italian bordercity.

And then the “one thousand tunnels” autostrada Milano, Verona, Venezia: very narrow and crazy driving on those hectic highways that were built when cars were the size of dinkytoys..

Arriving Verona we made a programmed stop at the palace-residence in Negrar (Palazzo Rizzardi) , where Miguel Berrocal (the famous spanish artist from Malaga, known for his puzzle sculptures) had installed his workshop. A friend of ours had phoned him and prepared the visit. Large monumental statues in a carefully maintained park welcomed us.

Berrocal`s spouse, Princess Maria Cristina Blais ( daughter of Maria Pia of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Braganza- Duchess of Braganza and claimed daughter of King Carlos I of Portugal) gave us a very warm reception, showing us the palace, the many artworks collected from artists like Picasso, Miró, Bacon, et al, and finally Miguel`s workshop. The elegant and friendly Princess excused her husband who, by that time, was in Paris, working on the urban monument “Sarabande pour Picasso”.

We purchased one of his original mini puzzle sculptures multiples (363/500) ALICE II, beautiful art piece that holds a preferent site at my home. Alice II is a tribute to Lewis Carroll composed primarily of bronze. Two of the 14 elements are finger rings- one in sterling silver surrounding the neck of the sculpture and the other containing a negative relief of Carroll, the setting of which forms a pendant on a necklace of the sculpture. (Alice's looking glass is easy to spot!) Complete disassembly requires manipulation of Alice II's spring-loaded right arm to release the left arm.

Actually this visit-experience eclipsed any of the good bouillabaisses in France, the canals in Venice or even the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Miguel Berrocal died on May 31st, 2006.

The quote is from Joseph Addison:

“What sculpture is to a block of marble, education is to the soul”
--© Jean Paul Bastiaans –2008

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http://www.ideaforliving.blogspot.com/

SEYCHELLES

2008-11-08T13:25:00.026+01:00

picture: www.seychelles.travel/en/home/index.php

SEYCHELLES 1980: During our honeymoon trip, my (recent) spouse Reina and I went to the exclusive and beautiful island of Seychelles, actually a group of 115 islands (42 granitic and 73 coral) in the Indian Ocean, some 1.500 kilometers east of Tanzania and northeast of Madagascar.

Internet didn`t exist and there was no updated information by then, so we weren`t aware of the political unrest in this, per capita, most highly indebted country in the world, with a total public debt around 122.8% of GDP.

The Seychelles were just in the middle of a political transition stage, from the June 5, 1977 coup d`état that brought France Albert René to become the one party state President, towards different failed coup attempts e.g. by Mike Hoare in 1981 and another one in 1982, repelled by loyal troops, reinforced by Tanzanian militaries.

So the political situation wasn`t very stable by then and, close to our hotel -the Barbarons Beach Hotel-, (now Meridien Barbarons Beach) different military movements could be observed, specially by angry, violent and dangerous looking Tanzanian soldiers.

Our journey to The Seychelles was a large one: Zaragoza-Barcelona-Paris-Marseille-Djibouti-Seychelles (28 hours), being the most impressive stopover the Djibouti one: arrival at 06.00AM at the desertic Ambouli International Airport. After the Air-France 747-doors were opened, an incredible heat invaded the cabin. Outside, several french military vehicles surrounded the jumbo plane: a safety measure. At the other side of the Red Sea, in Yemen, a terrible, flagrant and cruel Civil War was being fought between The Kingdom of Mutawakkilite and the Arab Republic of Yemen..

Our headwaiter at the incredible Barbaron`s hotel´s open-air grill restaurant told us he had been the former PA in exile of criminal, buffoon and antropophagy dictator Idi Amin Dada of Uganda (“His Excellency, President for Life, Field Marshal Al Hadji Doctor, VC, DSO, Lord of All Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Seas and Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular..” LOL): an exquisite person with most refined manners giving us an excellent service during the 15 days stay at this paradise resort.

We rented a small jeep from a local rent-a-car company, a MINI MONK with rightwheel steering, in order to explore Mahé, the largest of the island groups, with Victoria as the capital city. Again we encountered many groups of not very friendly looking Tanzanian soldiers, specially outside the capital, close to the agrarian parts. One of the largest building we passed was that of the Chinese Communist Embassy..

At the end of one of the few asphalted roads, we were suddenly stopped by a couple of uniformed guards who indicated us that picture taking was not allowed from that spot on. A large handwritten placard (see original picture) unauthorized the personel to shoot any picture of the large and luxurious group of mansion houses where the, by that time corrupt and undemocratic politics, had their residences.

Not to mention that, as soon the guards had left, I activated my Olympus and shot a range of different pictures: the tentation was too big..however, my attention was too much focussed on the camera and I wasn`t aware of the fact that the Mini Monk was slowly moving forward. When I realized I was heading to the abyss, I was just able to prevent the worse jumping out of the left seat of the car to the ground, however the jeep had fallen into a profound ditch: nobody was hurt but the General Purpose (jépé= jeep) Vehicle was immobilized. Again, and after a while, another group of menacing Tanzanian soldiers arrived and started laughing like little kids when they saw us close to the ditch where only the back part of the Monk was visible.

We felt quite unsecure, however I faced the leader of the group and asked him firm but politely: "Pouvez-vous nous aider à sortir la bagnole?" He looked at me for a while; two pearlwhite eyes contrasting an anthracite black scarface. He was playing with a large machete that he pointed suddenly to the group, shouting some loud tanzanian instructions to his fellow mates and a couple of minutes afterwards, the soldiers had torn our vehicle out of the hole and put it on the road again.

Without any other communication, they followed their way into the jungle; we drove back to the Barbaron`s Hotel.

Handbig creaping insects on the room; an otitis ear-infection (the room maids singing: "il est malade, il est malade..") that was treated at the local “hospital” (at the hut entrance a significating placard : “Vomitings”-left, “Diarrheas”- right..); a roaring savage beast that approached the, in the middle of the jungle situated tennis court; my overwhelming (6/1-6/0) tennis victory over the Seychelles-National Champ; the life-saving out of the treacherous Indian Ocean currents of one of the german co-owners of “Underberg” (digestif bitter); and the mysterious white KALU (fermented juice of the coconut palmtree)- obtained by the local barman - supposedly brewed at a secret place in the jungle-, were some of the other many anecdotes that we could experience on our hectic honeymoon.

In between, the incredible time I spend with Reina, Queen of Seychelles, beauty on the beach..

The quote is from Bishop Desmond Tutu:

“When the missionaries came to Africa they had the Bible and we had the land. They said, “Let us Pray”. We closed our eyes. When we opened them, we had the Bible and they had the land.” --© Jean Paul Bastiaans –2008
Back to home: http://www.ideaforliving.blogspot.com/

ONE HUNDRED POSTINGS

2008-10-26T09:02:00.016+01:00

ONE HUNDRED!

It`s Sunday the 26th of October of 2008.

The One Hundred Publishings Target has been reached! Four months later than forseen dued to different circumstances whereunder EXPO2008; however I made it!

I have given my opinion on different matters; I have described different anecdotes from my life and I have been writing about special persons, that have marked my life in some way.

“Velocity Meter on Tennis Racquet” and “The Snertworst” are two super inventions, that surely will have a future place in history, once commercialized. For details on both (technical or exploitation rights) you can always contact me!

Over 15.000 real unique visitors have been on my Blog since last year`s release: some of them have given their comments and have enriched the contents. The most visited page has been the “Undertaker`s Convention” with a 12% of the total visits, mostly from Germany and Switzerland. The second in popularity has been the “WTC Twin Towers” (7,6%) , followed by “Shqipria” (7,1%), “Alcazaba Beach” (6,6%), “Cifras y Letras (6,2%) and the “928-S4 Porsche” (6,1%).

Fifteen years after his death, “James Hunt” (4,4%) is still enjoying a wide popularity among my readers and the curious positive result has been booked by the globally unknown “Mons Monkey”, with 3,7%. The “Molecular Cuisine” (3,5%) has also got a good score, just as the “Belot Velocity Meter in Tennis Racquet” (3,4%).

Concerning the visiting countries, Spain (39,5%) stands on number One, followed by the United States (15,8%, Germany (6,0%) and the United Kingdom (5,1%). The Netherlands (4,6%) and Belgium (3,3%) have done very well. A total of 105 (!) different countries have been identified; Mauritius and Ugande closing the long list.

My intention is to go on writing and publish my opinions, critics and thoughts about personages and situations; about sites and experiences.

Thanks for reading me.

This time the quote is one of mine:

“Always behave just as you are if you want to be just what you pretend”.
--© Jean Paul Bastiaans –2008
Back to home: http://www.ideaforliving.blogspot.com/

Enjoy both videos, the second one of the Galician Group "Celtas Cortos": "Patches of my Life.."(very appropiate and excellent audiovisual)

WALL STREET CRISIS

2008-10-25T12:09:00.013+02:00

WALL STREET CRISIS

The modern world hasn`t known any similar situation of crisis ever. Not even during and after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 that started a period of economic decline in the industrialized nations.

The following years after the crisis, many new financial reforms and trading regulations were introduced by all of the affected nations (actually only in the United States and Europe), in order to avoid a similar situation in the future.

Normally, extreme revulsive scenes lead to a restructure of society and to the reestabishment of forgotten values within this society, which are the real bases of the authentic Welfare State.

Just as in the twenties, the actual picture has been created by an overestimation of the Confidence Interval, as a result of a long period of prosperity originated by high amounts of speculation on all fields.

Simply explained: earnings haven`t come out of hard work, but out of global speculation, mostly generated with credits, which has lead to a change in society, stimulating and rewarding the speculative gains over the traditional effort.

While this has been the overall trend of the passed 10 years or more, a complete new generation has been accustomating to the “Easy American Dream”; facile credits, prosperity by continuous price increases, generous markets absorbing shares and properties.
Kindhearted bank directors and sleeping politicals were not able to read history and left the situation go on and on...untill the inevitable and unprepaired crash of Black 2008.

A new Great Depression has started and, in spite of the already 60% share value loss on the stockmarket; in spite of an unexisting property market with price decreases of over 50% and in spite of a zero economic growth; increasing poverty, job cuts and closing industries, THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING!

The penance will be long (at least 5 years for complete recovery), severe, and will unavoidably lead to the clean-up and restructuring of civil and industrial society, introducing new values and norms that will put everyone again in his dued position.

Politicals and financial institutions are the big culprits of this anti-climax and a big lesson has to be learned on what kind of leaders are needed for the future: I know, giving vices is easier (and more popular) than quitting vices, however a real Welfare State is based on quitting vices and controlling domestic matters making it`s economy unvulnerable to outside elements.

A big lesson should also be applied for GLOBALIZATION: not everything can or must be globalized at this stage of history. Part of the world crisis is owing to the “Tentacleization” (© Jean Paul Bastiaans) of world`s interests. The percentage of the industrial and financial tentacleization should be restricted to reasonable limits that could never destabilize or undermine domestic economy.

Now, here are some immediate measures to be taken by the world leaders:

**Close the stock markets to general public untill global situation has bettered

**Cut interest rates and hold domestic inflation (not the statistic one..)

**Sane the real situation of the banks (credits) and impose strict norms for the refund. Impose commercial bank activities over speculation ones; impose important cash reserves as guarantee

**Impose fixed rates and values on oil prices and currency (reducing speculation)

**Impose new restrictions on mortgage grants and individual credits

**Revise fiscal and social laws in order to sane society and put the people back into reality

**Each country should prepare an important currency and cash reserve; there should also be a central world bank, able to control and back any kind of desviation of normality.

**The countries debts should be limited and controlled by a supranational council

**There should exist total transparency over international economies

**Speculating countries (oil, prime material, currency etc) should be internationally banned from the markets, even if this creates scarcity or discomfort in certain periods.

The Welfare State that we all are aiming must be gained with efforts and sometimes suffering, but never bowing to speculation.

The quote is from Vince Lombardi:

"Dictionary is the only place that success comes before work. Hard work is the price we must pay for success. I think you can accomplish anything if you're willing to pay the price."

Back to home: http://www.ideaforliving.blogspot.com/

JUAN CARLOS I, KING OF SPAIN

2008-10-17T17:40:00.013+02:00

Consul at the Royal Audience, October 2007 Royal Palace Madrid.

Juan Carlos I, King of Spain.

“Por qué no te callas-Why don`t you shut up”: Marvelous 5 historical words that would silence Hugo Chávez `s motormouth during the Ibero-American summit in Santiago de Chile on November 12th, 2007.

The narcissist Venezuelan autocrat couldn`t moderate his speech and Fidel Castro`s buddy launched his usual verbal diarrhoea, accusing the democratically elected former Spanish Prime Minister, José Maria Aznar, of being a fascist who, in 2002 supposedly , supported a coup against him.

The too weak and ineffectual attemp of the actual spanish Prime Minister Zapatero, to reconduct the situation into a normalized dialogue, trying to explain in the middle of constant interruptions of the former Sub-Lieutenant, that José Maria Aznar was a democratically elected Prime Minister, provoked a vehement reaction by the Spanish Monarch, pronouncing the five words that would go into diplomatic history.

It has to be said that the spanish Monarchy was not having it`s best time during the months before this event, being critisized by certain (in the beginning) extreme sectors of the iberian society, but later also by rightist sympathizers, accusing the Monarch of favoring the socialists. Also the numerous family and the unnecessary, dubious jobs created for his sons in law, together with a costy maintenance of the people around the King, his yachting, etc. didn`t help to create a real favorable clima that should have guaranteed the continuity of the Parliamentary Monarchy after the Juan Carlos era.

Voices already considered the revision of the Constitution, in order to make an end to the “useless” and very costy existence of the Spanish Monarchy.

Four little words, “Porque no te callas” expressed at the right moment to the right person and at the right place, would act as an extremely strong revulsive that would not only shut Hugo Chávez`s mouth but also the many detractors opinions, who regarded the King as only a decorative figure.

OK, Juan Carlos didn`t exactly follow the diplomatic protocol and has been the only National Leader or State Representant, having had enough guts to face the Motormouth in public, leaving the Venezuelan Autocrat, angry grumbling in his seat.

Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia are beloved Monarchs: the King has been determinant in important political state issues of the recent passed that could have changed the course of spanish history, surely to the worse. His acts and decisions in punctual matters and events have enriched this country and have brought a truly positive evolution, not only representing the State on official acts and ceremonies, but specially by reinforcing our own idiosyncrasy by identifying the spanish nation with the (historical) Monarchy.

I have met King Juan Carlos personally twice and my opinion about him cannot be more positive:

The first time at the Royal Palace in Madrid, during the official State visit of the Slovak President, Ivan Gasparovic, to Spain (see picture of the Royal Audience).

The second time during the official reception at the Zaragoza City Hall, after the Military Parade during the Day of the Armed Forces.

He is a completely normal man, with completely normal goodnesses, normal defects and with an extremely high sensibility. He jokes, laughs and conversates but will also cry without any pudor at the funeral of his mother or fallen soldiers in Afghanistan.

C.:"Majesty, we have something in common".

King:" Huh?"

C.:" La Reina!"

King:" HUUHHH???"

C.:" My wife`s name is Reina...."

King: "Ooohh.....hahaha"

The quotation is an italian proverb:

“When the game is over, the king and the pawn go into the same box”
--© Jean Paul Bastiaans –2008

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EXPO 2008- SLOVAKIA

2008-10-10T19:30:00.034+02:00

H.Consul Bastiaans, President Paska and spouse upon their arrival at the Military Air base in Zaragoza

Bart, one of our Dutch MeetingpuntNL-members in Zaragoza but also good friend and assiduous reader of my Blog, asked me recently what was happening with my Publishings: no Postings since quite a long time, no stories, no critics, no recalls and no adventures. Actually, Bart is completely right, I wanted to reach the “One Hundred Postings Target” by July of 2008 ( there are -97-now), which would enable me to consider printing a book out of my Site, however different circumstances have occupied too much of my time during the last 4 months thus making an updating and refreshing of the IDEAFORLIVING Blog almost impossible.

One of the mayor reason that prevented new publishings, was the EXPO-Zaragoza 2008.

From the 14th of June, until the 14th of September, Zaragoza has been hosting one of the mayor global events: The International 2008-Exposition marked the Capital of Aragón as a world reference on the map and more than a hundred different countries showed their particular interpretation of the motto “Water and Sustainable Development” in their individual pavilions. The number of visitors started on a low gas in the beginning, however got increased towards the end of the EXPO with peaks of over 125,000 entrances/day.

The total number of visitors reached the 5.7 milion, slightly under the estimated premise-figure of 6.5, but the overall opinion showed a complete succes and that, in spite of the many, sometimes six hours (!!) long waiting lines, before being able to enter particular pavilions (Germany, Japan, Korea Kuwait, among others).

Our Zaragoza located Slovak Consulate had a very hectic time before and during the EXPO and contributed to the enormous succes that the Slovak pavilion booked with it`s splendid set-up (beautiful music, impressive ceiling-high wallpictures, bottomless well, extremely kind and pretty hostesses), multiplicating by FIVE the forecasted visitors-number.

Commissionary Dusan Horniak and the Pavilion Director Ivana Magatova did both a fantastic job and it was a real pleasure working with them before, during, and after the event had reached it`s end.

Slovakia has given a proof of maturity, modernity and complete European Integration, ending for once and for all the continuous and constant mistakes made by foreigners: Slovakia still being confused with Tchechoslovakia or Slovenia, or still being considered as part of the Communist Block (since May 2004 Slovakia is one of the 27 fully integrated members of the EC, Schengen and Eurozone).

Minister Jahnatek, H.Consul Bastiaans and Spouse Reina.

The day before the Slovak National Day of the EXPO ( August 3rd), a wide representation of top politics, whereunder the Speaker of the Parliament, President Pavol Paska and spouse; Minister of Economy Lubomir Jahnátek; State Secretaries; Regional Presidents and Political Parties Representatives, arrived the Zaragoza Military Airbase, on board their Tupolev-154 State-Jet.

Private dinner offered that evening by the Consul in honour of President Paska and his VIP retinue at the always fantastic “ASADOR ARANDA”, broke the official atmosphere, and the multi course, splendid traditional regional food, the cava, the white and the red wines from different regions (Somontano, Rioja, Duero) together with the, for the Slovak guests unknown “Patxarán”-liquer, but also the friendly relaxed mood; my “improvised” speech in Slovak that completely "ruined" this beautiful slave lenguage, were motives enough to have a wonderful time together with the modern political Slovak topclass.

President Paska and H.Consul Bastiaans

The –3- incredible cultural groups that should entertain the EXPO-mass during the Day, had a big succes: see the Youtube video of Ernest Sarkozy (no, nothing in common with Monsieur le Président..), one of the best Cymbalom players in the world, together with his band, the Gipsy Devils.

The 2008- summer months were warm, interesting and hectic. My yearly holidays at “Alcazaba Beach” would be cut by 10 days and replaced by many alternative events at the EXPO: good and new friendships were established during this succesful WORLD-EXPOSITION that has boosted the Roman City of Zaragoza into a new era..

1. The Tupolev 154 State Jet with Authorities --2. Slovak Dancing Group -- 3.Slovak Pavilio at Expo 2008

The quote is from: Christina Baldwin:

“Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the Phoenix..”

Back to home: http://www.ideaforliving.blogspot.com/

Spanish Economic Crisis 2008

2008-07-26T09:53:00.010+02:00

jesaal.wordpress.com

Spanish Economic Crisis: Although an accentuated desacceleration of Spanish Economy already started in September, 2007, it wasn`t until June 29th, 2008 that spanish politics started to focus on something else then only on how to make their national football team European Champion, after 44 years of a complete drought (“PODEMOS!”). The best League in the world had not been able to materialize it`s quality by winning any of the international football tournaments between nations, since 1964.

The presence of President Zapatero in the final between Spain and Germany at the Ernst Happel Stadium of Vienna wasn`t, this time, that of Jonah the Hoodoo, just as it happened during the last year`s Eurobasket final against Russia, where Spain lost the final by one single point, having largely dominated the entire match. Someone even launched a web called (“zapaterodontgo.com”), knowing the black looser`s shadow this Geppetto`s creature usually brings to his protégés : Kerry, Schröder, Ségolène Royal, precipitated their defeats against Bush, Merkel and Sarkozy respectively, after receiving the personal support of Jonah during their election campaigns

Pinoccio wouldn`t even recognize the extreme severe economic situation until a couple of weeks ago: In fact, Spaniards of all political stripes are increasingly annoyed with Zapatero’s now-legendary refusal to acknowledge that Spain is facing an economic crisis. The Socialist government, which likes to make-believe that all problems are imaginary, recently provoked uproar by downplaying the scale of Spain’s economic troubles. In an interview with the Socialist mouthpiece El País, Zapatero asserted that the idea that Spain was actually in trouble was “opinionable.” He said that “it all depends upon what we mean by crisis.” (from “The Brussels Journal”).

So, with a milion more unemployed than last year; with a negative spanish growth for 2008; with a severe bankcrisis; with a damned inflation; with increasing interest rates; with desastrous shares-values on the stockmarket; with a strong immigration problem; with separating regions within the nation (Ibarretxe calls for a Referendum on Basque Independence in 2008), the negative situation is, in words of the “Hoodooman” still “opinionable”.

Here are some socialist pearls and comments on the actual situation, (from “The Brussels Journal”):

The following is a brief selection of comments by Zapatero and his chief economic advisors on Spain’s economic non-crisis and their artful semantic dodging of that hated word “crisis.” It sheds some light on the postmodern approach to economic policymaking in the land of today’s “European Champions.”

· On September 11th Zapatero said: “We are in the Champion’s League of the world economy.”
· On December 14, Spanish Agriculture Minister Josep Puxeu advised consumers to counteract spiraling inflation by “eating rabbit meat” for Christmas dinner, which at 5 euros per kilo is far cheaper than the traditional pork or lamb.
· On December 15, Spanish Economics Minister Pedro Solbes told Spaniards that they were to blame for rising consumer price inflation because they had failed to “internalize the euro” and thus were leaving inappropriately large tips for waiters at restaurants.
· On January 6, Zapatero said the outlook for the Spanish economy was “positive.” The problems in the construction sector will “normalize.” He said: “We have governed very well and have known how to save [money] like no other government since the transition to democracy.”
· On January 9, Zapatero said that those warning about an impending economic crisis were being “antipatriotic.”
· On April 28, Zapatero said: “Criticizing the economy is unpatriotic.” He accused those who are worried about the economy of “demagoguery” and “exaggeration.”
· On May 9, Zapatero called the economic crisis “a transitory deceleration, now more intense.”
· On June 19, Zapatero justified his government’s approval of an 8.0 percent increase in the cost of electricity by saying that Spanish “families should use less”energy.
· On June 23, Zapatero said the Spanish economy would “overcome serious difficulties.” He then announced that he would freeze his annual wage at 92,000euros.
· On July 3, Zapatero said things are now “going less well.”
· On July 4, ex-Labor Minister Jesús Caldera addressed the Socialist Party national congress in Madrid, saying the current economic situation “has a lot to do with the neo-conservative thinking preached by US President George W Bush, which has resulted in capitalism without ethical limits.”

Ok, so the “less-well” economic situation is provoked by the bad neo-conservative Americans! No wonder all of the important international world leaders disdain Zapatero strongly(see video).

How about the largely accepted official ground speculation carried out by the administrative institutions, municipalities and others, that increased the global price for a m2, Mr. Pinoccio?
How about the permissiveness and liberal policies with respect to bank policy and their mortgages, Mr. Pinoccio?
The spanish real estate jungle has been under no audit during the passed 5 socialist years, with price increases of over 100%, savage speculation, corruption (e.g. Marbella and many other municipalities) and ecological and urbanistic lack of control. Knowing that more than 50% of spanish economy depends directly or indirectly on the construction, this wild policy has it´s negative consequences now, much more pronounced than in other, more seriously ruled countries.

The quote is from Aldous Huxly:

“At least two thirds of our miseries spring from human stupidity, human malice and those great motivators and justifiers of malice and stupidity, idealism, dogmatism and proselytizing zeal on behalf of religious or political idols.” --© Jean Paul Bastiaans –2008

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World`s Most Beautiful Women

2008-07-09T17:53:00.032+02:00

Beautiful Miss Regina Di Casta -nobody has been on her level.. copyright Regina Di Casta pictures: jp bastiaans

It`s the 9th of July 2008, warm outside, very cool inside my office: the LG airconditioning, “smooth as silk”( just as THAI-Aiways) is doing a good job and keeps my mind and body on a good scaled temperature. My last post “IF” was just a month ago; since then Rafa Nadal won both Grand Slam Tournaments “Roland Garros”, and also “Wimbledon” in two completely different matches against the number one seeded Roger Federer. In Paris and on clay court, Rafa imposed his superior “sand-tennis” in three straight sets, the third set becoming a humiliating 6/0 against the world number One! Very impressive stuff. However, more impressive became last sunday`s Wimbledon final between the two idem opponents. Almost 5 hours of a, dued to the rain, twice interrupted match, of an incredible Power Game: Elegancy and Technique Versus Physical condition and Mentality. Both powerful and intelligent players performed a supreme final, very well comparable to the legendary Borg-McEnroe or McEnroe-Connors finals of the early eighties.

Are both Federer and Nadal the best players in history? The evaluation of such an affirmation-question is quite difficult because of the different factors that have changed during the years in tennis-history, starting with the material. Today`s tennis raquets made out of different fiber composites allow a much better feeling and performance than our first wooden DUNLOP MAXPLY or SLAZENGER racquets.

The importance of physical condition and improved tennis technique in order to hit the balls at much higher speed would make this kind of comparison unequal, however affirming that both Federer and Nadal are the best players of the last 25 years, even above Pete Sampras, Ivan Lendel, Boris Becker, Agassi and others, would not be a wrong confirmation.

I was just wondering: if these both players are the best in the world, why not making another question: who would be the most beautiful lady out of my favorites?

*-1-Melissa Theuriau , the beautiful french TV presentator? Pamela David? Elsa Pataki? Liz Hurly? Michelle Pfeiffer? Valeria Maza? Sophia de Boer, Claire Forlani? Or the misterious Regina Di Casta?

Sophia de Boer

Tell me your preferences, not including any other beauty; the list could be too long..

*-9- Regina Di Casta

The quote is from unknown:
“The difference between pretty and beautiful is- pretty is temporal-whereas beautiful is eternal.” --© Jean Paul Bastiaans –2008

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"IF"

2008-06-08T10:21:00.011+02:00

ECHOES: It`s Sunday the 8th of June 2008, 05:00 AM, I just woke up. Can`t sleep anymore so I`m sitting here at my PC viewing some YOUTUBE videos, mainly good pop music from the seventies. I have started with Pink Floyd, one of my all time favorites.

Just now I`m listening to ECHOES (Pink Floyd at Pompeii) and that send`s me back to my student`s time in Brussel, recalling PF`s music as a soundtrack in a movie: I thought the movie`s title was “IF” (that small island close to Marseille, having a big castle where, between others, Alexander Dumas`fiction personage “The Count of Monte Cristo” was enjailed), but I can`t remember the details and I`m mixing up several movies in my memory, “Zabriskie Point” and “More”.

The end is a big explosion and there is also a scene about “cult to the sun”. However, “More” is located in Ibiza and the 1970 Antonioni`s “Zabriskie Point” in the Los Angeles desert. So, is there another movie called “IF” and located on the isle of IF, with Pink Floyd music? Can`t find any reference on the internet about it, besides the Lindsay Anderson film about a British Boy`s School.. If anybody knows what I`m talking about, I would appreciate some information, so I can clear my doubts.
I`m listening to “Any colour you like”, at Earl`s Court, a 1973 performance. Next is: “Comfortably Numb”.

It`s 05:44 AM right now and swith to Brian Ferry, ex “Roxy Music” lead singer. Wonderful and original sounds such as “Love is the Drug”, “More than this”, “Angel Eyes"

The actual 2008 videos show a mid sixty old (but as creative as always) Brian Ferry performing Bob Dylan`s creations in his recommendable tribute album “Dylanesque”, where my absolute favorite is under no doubt “All along the Watchtower":
“Simple Twist of Fate” and then “Positively 4th Street” plus “Don`t think twice” , will finish my Brian Ferry-session.
A single Steely Dan, "Babylon Sister" will do it for today.

It`s getting clear outside, it`s 06:20 now. Windy and cold: it should be a “stay at home day”today; some emails-answering, slow breakfast, toast with prosciutto-ham and honey, cups of black coffee and reading the newspaper. Rafa Nadal challenges Roger Federer and viceversa at the Roland Garos` Paris Grand Slam final this afternoon. I won`t miss this splendid battle between two giants, neither will I miss thereafter the Canadian F1-Grand Prix.

The quote is from Louis Armstrong:

“Musicians don't retire; they stop when there's no more music in them.”
--© Jean Paul Bastiaans –2008
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PEDRO MUÑOZ RFET

2008-06-06T14:39:00.015+02:00

photo: www.adn.es

PEDRO MUÑOZ: Mr. Muñoz, President of the Real Spanish Tennis Federation is probably the worst President this mighty national Tennis Federation has ever had.
He has been in the news lately dued to his frontal confrontation with the spanish top players, including Rafa Nadal (nr. 2 ATP-ranked), Moya, Ferrero, Ferrer, Moya, all of them under the best 20 world seeded. Together with their captain, Emilio Sánchez Vicario, they sent an official letter to the spanish Federation asking Muñoz to resign.

Actually the highest responsable of the Federation is acting under a sort of dictatorship, not even considering the player`s interests in increasing the probability of a victory against the United States during the next to be played Davis Cup Semi Final on september 19th, 2008, venue at the "Las Ventas" Plaza de Toros, Madrid.

The players donot agree in considering the Semi Final to be celebrated in Madrid (700 meters altitude), because of the different atmospheric pressure, compared to the lower pressured sea-level courts, thus increasing the ball`s speed between a 10 and 15%, which will largely benefit the american players, used to play on hardcourts.

Financial (sponsorship) interests and others (..) seem to overlapse the interest for the final result which should classify Spain for the Davis Cup final: this has caused the anger among the team and the complete paralyzation of communication between the players and Muñoz: they even declared they will not assist any event where Muñoz will make his presence.

Muñoz is that kind of person who believes, being the head of an official organism, makes him untouchable, unbeatable and above any kind of critics. This is a tipically conceited uneducated, uncultured and uncivilized character of an insignificant person who uses his charge to transform himself into a little dictator, getting rough and uncouth towards anyone not agreeing with his decisions. His acts, presumily close to illegality (or surpassing this border) and undemocratic, are backed, at least that`s what he believes, by his status. The puerile menacing SMS to all individual components of the Davis Cup Team, is really pathetic.

Since his confrontation with the top-ranked spanish players there are now several other accusations of passed illegal undertoken acts, raining on his head.. It will be merely a question of time and this personage will get his probably well-deserved dismissal. Some of his presumed offences are e.g. the overpricing of Penn tennisballs purchase contracts including commissions; the “recommendation” for Tennis Clubs to contract newbuilt hardcourts with a determined company(including commission), in order to be sure these courts would be “federated”.. etc. (source: "MARCA" June 6th 2008. Note: "MARCA" is the largest spanish sports publication.)

But, why am I so critic with him; what has Muñoz done to me? Actually this uneducated creature didn`t respond my official letter I sent to him on September 6th, 2007, by email, by regular correspondence and also by fax. I consider my complaint to be very serious and important: I never received any reaction from this guy, the usual modus operandi for an uncultered specimen when he knows he`s wrong.

My complaint was dued to an official letter received from the RFET in september last year (Real Federación Española de Tenis), signed by Pedro Muñoz (President), in which he incites the more then 100.000 federated members, to gamble and bet online with “bet-at-home.com”. A letter of Bet-at-home was included, using the RFET-logo(!!) for it`s promotion.

Two mayor abuses: the first one corresponds to the incitation to bet, send to all of the federated members, INCLUDING minors and people who might suffer under addiction to gambling! This is, in my opinion, an extremely important matter which should be considered very seriously. Pedro Muñoz included a tricky Five Euros ticket in his official federative letter, to facilitate and start betting on the given website, at once. Instead of encouraging youngsters to practice tennis, he encourages them to bet online..

The second important abuse is the absolute infringement of the Law for Personal Data Protection (Law 25326), breaking the Privacity of Personal Data and Confidentiality Policy (LOPD).

My official complaint letter (in spanish), with full signature and inclusion of my Federated Licence Number can be found on my Blog:

http://deportesdinero.blogspot.com/

As told, no reaction, no answer. Uneducated, Irresponsible and Irritating personage..I really hope, for the good health of the Federation and for spanish tennis in general, Muñoz will resign or be dismissed very soon!

Further I hope this can be the start of a campaign in order to BAN the whole betting publicity out of sports, just as Cigarettes and Alcohol were banned. I cannot understand why the European Commision has allowed this harmful publicity on a platform that should incite just the contrary: healthy habits by sports practisizing!

The quote is from Winston Churchill:

“It is a good thing for an uneducated man to read books of quotations..”

2008-05-26T19:35:00.011+02:00

picture:www.dkimages.com

THE PEASOUP SAUSAGE: “Erwtensoep (Snert) met rookworst” is one of Holland`s typical and favorite traditional winter meals, together with “Stamppot”, “Zuurkool” en “Bruine Bonensoep”.

Actually it`s a wonderful, delicious and very complete soup-menu, consisting of dry-splitpeas, gammon with bone, bacon, onions, carrots, celery, patatoes, etc. To be consumed very thick and hot, together with Zwart Brood (kind of Pompernikkel bread). In fact a spoon should be able to remain upright in the middle of the pan. Preferently snert should be prepared the day before consumption.

I think my mom prepared the best snert in the world, at the end she added her little trick: many years later she told me her secret: she added a spoonful of sugar, which gave the soup a delicious end flavor (Haha, see the Youtube video of 1930, was it my mom they are singing about??)

My different posts on those silly trends of Molecular Chemical Snob Cuisine, invented and evolved by the King of Kitchen Profanations, Mr. Ferran Adrià and disciples, have inspired me to come up with a real TopHit-Homerun Gastronomic Product: "THE PEASOUP SAUSAGE".

Not Peasoup WITH Sausage, but Sausage WITH Peasoup.. Imagine, UNOX brings a unique and wonderful dutch Novelty on the market: both separated traditional dutch food elements in one, DE SNERTWORST©, maybe one of the best gastronomic inventions of the last decade..

Broodje SNERTWORST© , Blikje SNERTWORSTJES©, en why not combine two traditional dutch menus, like “Stamppot met SNERTWORST©”? And why not go further and also produce the authentic dutch ZUREKOOLWORST©?

That`s Innovation Ferran,.. that`s Innovation!

Oh, and if any larger food multinational is interested in purchasing this SNERTWORST© and/or ZUREKOOLWORST© intellectual property idea from me and wants to know how to produce and present these item, send me an email ( belotblog@gmail.com ): NO Ferran, you aren`t included...keep focussed on your "Rabbit Ear Crunchy and Hare juice with apple jelly-cru with black currant marinated gorgonzola shell..."

The quote is from Leonardo da Vinci:

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” --© Jean Paul Bastiaans –2008
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SANTI SANTAMARÍA

2008-05-22T11:18:00.020+02:00

Foto:www.pieraediciones.com

Well, well, well, I really start enjoying this. The following press article demonstrates I wasn`t too mistaken when I published both my Postings “Molecular Cuisine” and “Madrid Fusion” early this year.

An important reaction and inflection point has commenced, hoping more and more Chefs and journalists will revise their culinary critics and regress to good sense again.

3 Michelin Stars Santiago Santamaría versus 5 Michelin Stars Ferran Adriá..

This is the very first round of an undoubtly, very, very interesting battle between two divinities.

Ladies and gentlemen: at my right, the Deity of Traditional Cuisine Profanations....Ferran Adriatrocity, The Sheriff of NothingHam (deconstructed foam now..). At my left the Challenger Robin Food "HolyMary" Santamaría. An apparently unequal fight, most of the world press, plus all mayor Chefs, are defending the snobbery laboratory atrocity fashion led by "Fizzman", however I appeal for common sense and individual criticism: my personal opinion is that this teasing farce will last for a couple of years more, then will completely disappear as a gastronomic reference, just as la Nouvelle Cuisine disappeared from most of the sane people`s tables.

Hereunder is an integral copy of the text appeared in the “Times Online” of May 21, 2008, article written by Thomas Catán.

Santiago Santamaría launches tirade on Spain's most-celebrated chefs
From The Times May 21, 2008
Thomas Catán in Madrid

As they stormed up the world rankings, Spain’s top chefs went out of their way to praise each other, presenting themselves as a band of merry brothers at award ceremonies from London to New York.

Now, however, the carefully crafted fraternal bonhomie has gone up in flames, with the country’s most-celebrated chefs accusing each other of everything from jealousy to endangering public health.

The furore was sparked last week when Santiago Santamaría, a three-star Michelin chef, unleashed a tirade against his colleagues, accusing them of pretentious cooking that aspired more to art than cuisine.
Training his sights on Ferran Adrià — whose El Bulli restaurant has been voted the world’s best for the past three years — Santamaría said: “Cooks should not be preoccupied with creating sculptures or painting pictures with their work. A table is not an art gallery.” More seriously, he went on to claim that Adrià and his disciples were putting their patrons’ health at risk by using synthetic gelling agents and emulsifiers such as methylcellulose — a substance used to keep food liquid at low temperatures.
“Some chefs are offering a media spectacle far removed from the desire to offer a healthy meal,” he said as he collected an award for his latest book, The Naked Kitchen. “They are giving their patrons dishes that they themselves would not eat.”
Santamaría, whose restaurant, Can Fabes, is ranked 31st on Restaurant magazine’s list of the world’s top eateries, called on health authorities to investigate the kind of dishes that have made Adrià famous: foamed beetroot, pine cone mousse and parmesan snow. Spain’s other top chefs reacted to the broadside against Adrià with outrage and disbelief.
Juan Mari Arzak, the usually avuncular Basque chef who works at the world’s eighth-ranked restaurant, said: “I would prescribe Santi a big dose of humility to learn and reflect upon the ideas of others, from the most humble tavern to a culinary genius like Adrià.”
Andoni Luis Aduriz, whose restaurant, Mugaritz, is ranked fourth, was also angered. “We do an honest job,” he said.
“We give it our all every day, so it seems insulting to question our work to sell a book — work that he has benefited from because Spanish cooking is now recognised around the world.”
But it was Santamaría’s suggestion that they use potentially harmful ingredients that caused the most consternation.
“If he believes what he’s saying, then he should go to court and sue us for crimes against public health,” said Sergi Arola, a chef who studied under Adrià.

Note: Well, maybe this wouldn`t be a bad idea at all..at the same time, sue him for crimes against common sense!
The quote is from Jean Anthelme Brillat Savarin (1755-1826),

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DA LIDIA

2008-05-17T01:22:00.022+02:00

La Mamma Lidia, Alessandro, Consul

DA LIDIA : Probably the best Italian Restaurant in Belgium and certainly one of the best I have known during my many trips around the world. Da Lidia has it all: a wonderful atmosphere, nice decoration, good background music, delicious Italian food and a very personal service. Lidia and Pietro arrived from their beloved Adriatic Coast in 1973, to establish this unique restaurant in Maasmechelen, a residencial area close to the Dutch border.

I have been to this place since 1992, when my brother Phil organized his wedding party there, good life Salsa Music, incredible snack food and a nice service.

The place is divided into three parts, the “Grand Café” with a capacity for 75 diners; the Ristorante, where 90 people can have their Menu and the Garden Restaurant that can seat 180 pax. I recommend the Grand Café.

La Mamma Lidia (72 years young) and her husband Pietro Cellini, her daughter Elvira and her daughter in law Conny (widow of Lidia`s late son Vincenzo) are responsable for the incredible coocking (come and have a look Ferran Adria and you will shame yourself about the molecular circus you are mounting at the Bulli..); the impeccable, elegant and very personal service is done by the 23 years old Alessandro (Elvira`s son), and the 24 years old Leonardo (late Vincenzo`s son). Completing the team are Valentina(22), Leonardo`s sister and Carlotta(21), Alessandro`s sister.

The welcome Prosecco is served at the bar, together with some fresh strawberries. As a starter you can choose between different antipasti and soups, the best is following Alessandro`s recommendations, he will guide you through the Menu-Card with the best professional know how, offering the good daily specialities: try e.g. the Linguine all`aragosta (my favorite..), you won´t know if it`s a piece of heaven you are eating. Calamari, Scampi al ferry, Pesce, Agnello al rosmarino, Carpaccio di capesante co tartufo, risotto con frutti di mare, Cannalloni, anything is done on a special way, the way to have you 100% satisfied as a customer but also as a friend.

The wines, directly from their vaste wine cellar are excellent and well-stored; the deserts amazing: tartufo bianco, tiramisu, sorbetto di limone, dolce Alessandro, panna cotta, different Gelatos and Fromaggios.

DA LIDIA is the place where you will relax and enjoy this special meal in an incredible Italian atmosphere of elegancy, friendhip and gourmet food.

The place is really worth a visit, even if you have to drive a long way for that. It`s located in the Belgium City of Maasmechelen (close to the Dutch border of Maastricht) on the number 215 of the National Road N-78. They have a website: www.dalidia.be. Mondays and Tuesdays they are closed. Tel: 32-89764134 Email: info@dalidia.be .

Please have your comments written once you have been there.This time the quotation is from an old Italian saying:

“Non si puó pensare bene, amare bene e dormire bene, senza mangiare bene.” (you cannot think well, you cannot love well and sleap well, without eating well)--© Jean Paul Bastiaans –2008
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THE PEOPLE`S REPUBLIC OF CHINA -II-

2008-04-19T10:32:00.011+02:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nodx2/371581446/

THE PEOPLE`S REPUBLIC OF CHINA II: As I already anticipated in my November 11th, 2007 Posting, the BEIJING 2008 OLYMPIC GAMES could create an OGEE EFFECT for China, that mean`s an inflection situation as a reaction on an existing situation, created by several internal and/or external factors.

Let`s start with the internal factors: Deng Xiaoping`s multicolour cat has grown into an enormous single colour black striped tiger and the mice aren`t enough food for him anymore. In other words: the evolution in China has been so drastic in the last 20 years that old values and government-phylosophies are now getting obsolete. The state adaptation to actual social and economic changes has only been implemented in metroplies, being the showroom to the world, however wages and modernization outside these urbs are still close to middle ages.

In other words: close to a 15% of the chinese population is living in a modern, wealthy state, similar to western standards; another 30% is moving from poverty to a relative wealth (first needings well covered); the rest -almost half of the 1,3 bilion inhabitants- and specially the people living in the county, are still waiting for reforms in order to lift their status. The Government is working on that.

Enormous figures and a seemingly difficult to hold situation, however with a stable and well governed monitorized evolutionary process towards modernization of the whole country (steady growth of 10+%). In my opinion the chinese leaders are working with good and quick tangible results.

Opening the country towards full democracy, including the modification of the Basic Constitution (and restriction for the militaries) would not be a good idea to be done right now: before that, the whole country should be on the same cultural, social and economic level, with equal opportunities for all chinese. I guess this process can still last for a decade. Doing it right now would create a complete chaos and anarchism: the different mentioned levels aren`t on the same scale yet: from the other side, this strengthens again social contradiction which could lead to confrontations and consequently to the OGEE EFFECT.

Concerning the external factors that could provoke the inflection situation: we have been able to observe the mayor commotion caused by the media and with reference to Tibet, already explained in my Posting BEIJING 2008.

I want to reafirm herewith my pro-China position towards this anachronistic and opportunistic created situation of boycotting the Olympic Games by some international press (b.o. CNN) and political leaders (b.o. The European Parliament), with the only aim of interfering a souvereign national policy and it`s souvereign interests.

But the whole “International Olympic Torch-Conflict” whith the only purpose of undermining the peaceful celebration of an important universal event in China, mixing sports and policy, can have mayor side effects if China starts to legitimate and reciprocally boycott economic interests of foreign multinationals, with unforseen consequences.

This is why I noticed -6 months ago-, the possibility of the appearance of the possible OGEE EFFECT after the 2008 Olympic Games.

I still hope that good sense will triumph over opportunism and that the Chinese People will be able to enjoy “The Best Games in History”.

The quote is from Confucius:

“It does not matter how slow you go as long as you do not stop”

VECTOR MOTORS

2008-04-13T10:08:00.009+02:00

www.flickr.com/photos/heilemann/87365343/

I`m not quite sure of the exact year, but in the mid eighties an american friend of mine told me about a super-car that was being built in the States and that should beat any of the european super exotic beauties such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, De Tomaso, Lotus, etc.

Not only it was supposed to beat the Europeans in performance, but also in concept-style. I was greatly interested in receiving more details about this phenomenon, so I gathered more information out of specialized car magazines. The internet wasn`t existing yet, so I had a harder time searching for facts.

Finally I could collect the information I was looking for; name of the car, pictures, testing-results, name of the factory where it was built, etc.

The Company that produced the car was VECTOR VEHICLE DESIGN and was run by a guy named Gerald (Jerry) Wiegert who stated: "The Vector is advanced aerospace technology for the street."

In 1972 he began his car career when he teamed up with Lee Brown to build a car called "The Vector".

Actually the outside of the W-2 was a hybrid of, between other styles, the Lamborghini Countach and the Lotus Esprit S1: its most captivating parts were of course the scissor doors, swinging up and forward.

The interior was meant to give the sensation to be inside a F/A-18 Hornet Cockpit, all instruments were from the aerospace industry and the seat-belt system was the six-point belt that F/A-18 fighter pilots need to buckle up in their cockpit.

The, in 1985 US$ 150.000,- W-2 had a twin-turbocharged (5.7 L) Chevrolet V8 engine that produced over 600 hp and claimed a top speed of 200 mph (320 km/h).

Convincing information, that increased my interest in testing this car and probably purchase one. So I contacted Jerry who invited me to Venice California for a W-2 test drive on the race track.

Before that he sent me a complete brochure, a green pilot jacket (w/orange reverse) with the embroidered VECTOR logo, and some other promotional material such as stickers e.g.

Unfortunatelly, several unforseen circumstances made my trip to Venice impossible that year and I wasn`t able to perform this undoubtly impressive driving experience.

The 1986 test drive on the Jarama Circuit and the posterior purchase of my brand new 928 S4- PORSCHE cooled down my interest and made me forget about the VECTOR.

In the later years I heard that the W-2 twin turbo VECTOR was more a prototype than anything else, the car wasn`t stable at high speed and there was no factory production: it was all handmade..

The W-8 followed,then the M12 and the SRV8: however these kind of cars need a large budget for investigation and testing to make them reliable and start serial production: Wiegert had the design, had the proyect but was missing a mayor support in technology development which makes his dream, to become the American Ferrari builder, a dead born child.

The quote is from Goethe:
“Dream no small dreams for they have no power to move the hearts of men”.

www.ideaforliving.blogspot.com

BEIJING 2008

2008-04-11T13:40:00.011+02:00

OLYMPIC GAMES 2008: Another ununderstandable and hypocrite resolution taken by the capricious European Parliament:
BRUSSELS -- The European Parliament (EP) on Thursday passed a resolution urging European Union (EU) leaders to boycott the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics despite opposition from the international community to attempts to politicize the games.

The resolution urges for "a common EU position with regard to attendance at the Olympic Games opening ceremony with the option of non-attendance in the event" unless the Chinese government resumes talks with the Dalai Lama.

Again this is a completely erroneous decision, just as it happened with the Kosovo interfering.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has said that there was sufficient evidence to prove that the Lhasa riots were masterminded by the Dalai Lama clique and staged by "Tibet independence" forces in and outside China.

1. The chinese policy towards Tibet and the Dalai Lama (living under political asylum in India since 1959) isn`t new and was well known long before the IOC decided Beijing to be be a valued candidate for the 2008 Olympic Games, so why did the international community not react long before and opposed this nomination?

2. Tibet is a legally and historically region pertaining to China. Separatist and independence movements by the Dalai Lama followers, have created this boycott situation, taking advantage of the large international media respresentation in China with view on the next Olympics. The Chinese Foreign Ministry has said that there was sufficient evidence to prove that the Lhasa riots were masterminded by the Dalai Lama clique and staged by "Tibet independence" forces in and outside China.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said on Monday that the Chinese government is willing to continue contacts and talks with the Dalai Lama as long as he truly abandons advocating "Tibet independence," stops activities aimed at splitting the motherland and current activities to fan and mastermind violent crimes in Tibet and other regions and to sabotage the upcoming Beijing Olympic Games, and admits the fact that Tibet and Taiwan are both inalienable parts of the Chinese territory.

3. China is a Sovereign State with a widely and internationally accepted political system and everybody knows about the lapse of human rights, the One Country Two System policy, the policy with reference to Taiwan and Tibet: this is not new! However, and because of strong economic interests, these situations have always been hypocratically and globally accepted. There exist no international diplomatic relations with Taiwan, and the Tibet situation is 50 years old! Why wasn`t the nomination boycotted??

4. Why should the European Parliament only boycott the Opening Ceremony of the Games, but not the Games themselves? Isn`t that a pure contradiction? You are or you are not, and if you are, take all consequences!

5. The regrettable picture of Gordon Brown sitting at the Parliament with a Tibet Flag on his desk is really lamentable and gives a real poor impression on how the situation has derived.

6. Important countries such as Germany and Sweden and the mayor part of the International Community have openly opposed the boycott and cannot understand why Sports and Politics have to be mixed.

As written, another hypocrite, bad synchronized, anachronistic and poorminded decision from these EP technocrats, that has no sense and is only good for jeopardizing the 2008 O.Games, paradigm of coexistence, sports and unification. WHY DIDN`T THEY OPPOSE THE NOMINATION?

The quote is from Ralph Waldo Emerson:

“Every man alone is sincere. At the entrance of a second person, hypocrisy begins.”

Back to home: www.ideaforliving.blogspot.com

RYANAIR

2008-04-06T14:14:00.006+02:00

BE A MILLIONÈ WITH RYANÈ..

This Aircarrier is undoubtly the most vulgar and ordinary airline in the world. No gentle words or smile from the overstressed staff, only a: “get in as fast as you can and take your seat immediately, we have to take off..”. (If you are lucky enough to take off...more then once the flights have large delays or even completely cancelled --June 6, cancellation of flight Brussels/Zaragoza/Brussels, affecting 280 people on both sides of the traject -http://www.heraldo.es/index.php/mod.noticias/mem.detalle/idnoticia.14554/relcategoria.301)

Only 25 minutes elapse between the arrival and departure of the Boeing 737-800, no cleaning is done inside the cabin; probably the foldable tablet-table and the seats will show you the meal-rests of earlier passengers.

The most uncomfortable, narrow blue and yellow seats cannot be reclined one inch and no place to store a book or any other small personal object in front of you.

The far too expensive food is terrible, I had the worst (and most costly) hot-dog of my life together with a 10 cubic centimeters “delicious gourmet” wine -of vague origin- and presented in a mini sample pet-bottle, priced € 5,50. At that price I can purchase at home a wonderful 0,7 liter bottle of white Rioja Marqués de Riscal Rueda de Verdejo-2006, one of the best quality/price relationed spanish white wines.

And then the “Be a Millionè with Ryanè” Bullshit. So far (and on my over 50 flights with Ryanè) I haven`t seen anybody purchasing these instant-win tricky lottery scratch tickets, with the very vague “by purchasing a ticket you can help children..”- argument. What children? What cause?

The silly trumpet fanfare when a flight arrives earlier or on time, is the most ridiculous expression of stupidity one can imagine. So you pay for a service and must applaude if this is done right? Why don`t they play the Mozart Requiem or the Ave Verum Corpus on the so many times they just arrive 2 hours late without any explanation, or even cancel the flight (see above)?

Fly with Ryanè, yeah, fly with Ryanè if you have no other choice: the only good thing for me is the very suitable connection flight directly from my residencial area Zaragoza to Charleroi, 100 km from my native Holland, and the airticket charge is right, that`s no doubt.

The quote is from Confucius:
"The superior man understands what is right; the inferior man understands what will sell".

--© Jean Paul Bastiaans –2008
Back to home: www.ideaforliving.blogspot.com

MAGICIANS OR ILLUSIONISTS?

2008-03-15T09:59:00.007+01:00

www.haunteddecatur.com -HOUDINI

Magicians or Illusionists? It doesn`t matter: both videos show impactant tricks and the results are amazing.

The guy from the States uses an old trick to tear the lady in a half, provoking an immediate reaction of incredibility and fear, the Japanese illusionist uses high-tech for his well-performed Lacoste-trick.

Since ancient times, human beings have always been in a need for mistery and need to believe in magic, in UFO`s, in superior forces, in druids, religion and the unknown.

This hasn`t changed over the years and people still need to believe in superior beings, able to create mistery and illusion: am I talking about magicians or...politics? Maybe a combination of both would help the world getting better..

The quote is from Ben Okri:

“The magician and the politician have much in common: they both have to draw our attention away from what they are really doing.” --© Jean Paul Bastiaans –2008

Back to home: www.ideaforliving.blogspot.com

GSM MOBILE PHONE

2008-03-09T12:41:00.012+01:00

GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication)-MOBILE PHONES: 1988, I`m just driving out of Barcelona, where an important meeting would change the course of my business: I was only waiting for a confirmation-call from my US-based contact in Lancaster-Pennsylvania.

One hour later and on my way to Zaragoza, the Alcatel phone-system that was built under my Porsche`s dashboard, received the call and I could clear the details of an important operation that would mean a new perspective in my professional life. Several other incoming and outgoing calls tied up the open elements and I thanked God for having had the intuition of installing my first “mobile”phone in my car.

Actually it wasn`t exactly a mobile phone, but more a "transportable" phone. The whole system (including a 3 kgs heavy battery case) could be unscrewed and taken out of the car, e.g. when you went to an hotel or had a meeting at a client`s place. So, these hand portables were the first forays into products which could be used in a car and then removed for the person who couldn't afford to be out of reach...only if you had the right muscles for that!

But anyway, an incredible usefull device that helped me communicating when and where I absolutely needed it.

By that time the system (hardware+communication) was quite expensive and only few professionals could afford one. Twenty years later, and only in Spain, over 50 millions mobile phone contracts have been closed with different Operators: that means more contracts than Spanish inhabitants...!

If you read my earlier Post on Budget Airlines, you will easily be able to establish a similarity between the cheap flights and the actual mobile phones in matter of socialization of both services. But also here, there are some important negative aspects that should be seriously taken into consideration.

It`s not clear whether the constant use of a GSM ( and the consequent exposition to electro-magnetic radiation) can be harmful to your health (brain cancer, leukemia, et al) ; the toxic waste produced by the thousands of millions of obsolete and retired devices and their batteries and, if not properly recycled, can cause an important environmental and ecological problem for the future.

Science and Commerce should be separated: if the large Multinationals will determine and influence Science`s pace and tendencies, many efforts will be directed into the wrong direction, where these large Companies will impose their law, even if this goes in contradiction with our global next generation`s interest.

The quote is from unknown:

“A teenager is always too tired to hold a dishcloth, but never too tired to hold a phone.”
--© Jean Paul Bastiaans –2008

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TONY MELÉNDEZ

2008-03-05T08:18:00.007+01:00

TONY MELÉNDEZ- God`s TOES: Thalidomide was the cause that Tony Meléndez was born without arms. His mother took this medicine while pregnant. The Nicaraguan American singer , composer and guitar player is a wonderful paradigm of excel, an example for many of us who think that our situation sometimes has no exit. Tony`s message is clear and brings no doubt: “If you want, you can: only stand up and say YES”.

Tony started playing guitar with his feet and performed for Pope John Paul II in Los Angeles in 1987: the Pope was visibly touched by Tony`s skills and descended from his chair to embrace the singer, leaving following message: "My wish for you is that you continue to give hope to others and continue in what you are doing", which inspired him.

When he was young he learned to live without arms and was able to surmount and overcome the limits imposed by his disability: he became a famous artist and performs together with his “Toe Jam band”. He married and has two adopted children, forming a happy family.

The first time I saw the YouTube video of Tony`s story, related by himself, I was not only touched by the wonderful sounds coming out of his guitar but specially by his positive minded vision on life.

"If you want...you can, only stand up an say yes"! What a lesson to all of us, what a message!

I won`t make this post a long one, I only pretend to transmit Tony`s philosophy of life to my readers: it`s a simple philosophy but full of truth and hope, which doesn`t leave anybody indifferent. Watch the YouTube video and pass his music and message to your friends, it`s possible some of them are just now in a need of receiving some cheering words..

The quote is from Pope John Paul II:
“I have a sweet tooth for song and music. This is my Polish sin.” --© Jean Paul Bastiaans –2008

Back to home: www.ideaforliving.blogspot.com

BUDGET AIRLINES

2008-03-02T10:39:00.012+01:00

Picture PanAm Flight One bags: www.popgadget.net

BUDGET AIRLINES: AIR BERLIN, EASYJET, RYANAIR, CLICKAIR, VUELING, VIRGIN EXPRESS are only few of the hundreds of other Budget Airlines that started their battle against the big national monopolies some decades ago.

Flying for a couple of Euros from Madrid to London is a reality in 2008: the taxi from the ATOCHA- AVE-Railway Station to the T4-Terminal ( a 20 minutes ride) is MORE EXPENSIVE that the flight to London!

Who could, some decades ago, imagine and foresee that companies like TWA, PANAM, SWISSAIR or SABENA would disappear from the skies? They all were proud flagships for their countries, giving confidence and prestige to the clients they were carrying.

I still cannot believe that SWISSAIR (the excellent and prestigious national Swiss Airlines) would disappear; actually they had no direct low cost-competition in Switzerland. But the september 3rd, 1998 crash of a SWISSAIR Mac Donell Douglass MD-11 over Nova Scotia, killing all 229 passengers aboard, was the final coup de grâce to a bankrupt Company, dragging co-partner SABENA (Belgian National Airlines) into the same destination.

TWA (Trans World Airlines) the Company that once belonged to Howard Hughes, was taken over by AMERICAN AIRLINES in 2001. Bad commercial policy/strategy, specially disregarding the booming domestic market, made this worldknown brand disappear after having been, together with PANAM, the 2 unique Airlines in the USA.

But a new market was born: a new mass clientele that demanded cheap flights to more destinations and on a more frequent base. Flying lost it`s “mystery”, it`s glamour, it`s distinguishing element and became a for all people affordable transport medium. Good for the airplane builders Boeing, Mc Donell Douglass, Lockheed but also specially for the emerging Europeans with the upcoming of Airbus Industry Consortium, nowadays the mayor plane (A-380)-builder on earth.

Today you can fly to almost any part of the world on a daily frequency and at a fraction of the price of what a same flight would have cost some decades ago. Globalization started in the eighties and has been increasing airtraffic drastically: today, there are an estimated 60.000 flights a day, carrying 1,2 billion passengers a year: enormous figures, which was a totally unpredictable and unimaginable scenery in the glamour years of PANAM.

The positive aspect of this evolution is the socialization of travelling. And, by building more and more aircrafts (implementation of more I+D), these are getting safer, thus converting the airplane in one of the safest transporter to travel with...

But this massification of travellers has also different mayor negative aspects such as the increase of large scale illegal immigration and organized crime, the rapid growth of aircraft pollution by burning vast amount of kerosene fuel at high altitudes (one of the causes for the global Clima Change), the noise pollution and the saturation of airports, et al.

Future must bring us less polluting aircrafts (on last February 28th , Virgin Atlantic carried out the world's first flight of a commercial aircraft powered with biofuel showing it can produce less carbon dioxide than normal jet fuels), but also modern, better located airports with direct, unique and easy accesses avoiding traffic jams, and a stronger immigration policy in order to seek for a sustainable but secure regulation of the incoming foreigners.

The quote is from Cyrus Rowlett Smith:

“The future of the airlines lay in hauling people, not in hauling mail for the government..”

Jean Paul Bastiaans –2008

Back to home: www.ideaforliving.blogspot.com

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BUDGET AIRLINES