Buscaraons
Les syndicats publics et le r?ing?nerie de la province
Hier les syndicats publics et parapubliques ont fait une 'journ?e de disruption' pour protester les changements du Code du travail qui peremttra le gouvernement ? conclure des contrats de soustraitance. Moi, je m'en fous des syndicats car ils devront motiver pourquoi leurs jobs sont si importants si sacroscants que le gouvernmenet ne puissent jamais les toucher.
La derni?re fois que j'ai r?gard? la s?curit? ne figurait pas dans le 10 Commandements. La raision que le monde s'en fout carr?ment c'est parce que les membres des syndicats sont tr?s bien pay?s par rapport aux emplois comparables au secetur prive?, ont moins heures du travail, de longue vacacances pay?es et sutout c'est quasimment impossible de les licenser lorsqu'il y a un changement ?conomique ou technologique.
Comme contribuable, je veux de bons services, efficace, etc mais si on peut les avoir pour moindre co?t pourquoi payer plus cher? Voil? la question pour les syndicats qu'ils devront r?pondre avec coh?rence.
Colours in Catalan
Like any other languages, Catalan has names for colours. Further, it's always interesting to compare and contrast the names with other European languages.
In Catalan there are several names for red. The most common word is vermell, vermella. According to the dictionary, it's an 'arterial red' (i.e. that of blood) also vermell is a red tending to orange (tarjona) Vermell is from Latin vermiculus a dimunitive of vermis worm. The word is also applied to ladybugs from which a scarlet dye was obtained.
Another word for red is roig, roja. This is a red tending towards yellow. The word is from Vulgar Latin ruiu. Classical Latin it's rubeus, -a, -um, derived from ruber, -bra, -brum. Scarlet is escarlet, escarleta which is from carlet. Interestingly, aside from being a colour, it's also a type of mushroom According to the etomology the word comes from Larin cardetum- a thorn place- so that people could see the mushroom with thorns. The Latin word went through a partial dental dissimulation.
Carmesine is carmes?, carmesina is a red that tends towards blue. It's from an Hispanoarab word: qarmaz? derived from q?rmaz (from qirmaz- ladybug) from the Persian kirm;worm. Blue is blau/blava. It derived from the Germanic blau older bl?o. Verd,verda is green the etmology indicates glass (Latin vidiris)
Yellow is groc,groga it's derived from Latin crocus- saffron and Greek krokos. White is blanc, blanca is from the Germanic blank signifying white, brilliant. Alb, alba is arachic and only used in poetry. Negre, negra is black and that's derived from niger, nigra, nigrum. Gris,grisa (the s is pronounced like a z sound as in buzzard) grey. The word is derived from the Frankish word gris and is identical with the French word.
Les cr?anci?res aux ?-U: Salut connard!
En moins de 24 heures de la decision du P?ntagon ? exclure les pays qui se sont oppos?s ? l'invasion d'Iraq comme contracteurs principaux, les creanciers dont la Russie, France et l'Allemange, qui sont l'objet privil?g?s de cette decision, ont cat?goriquement r?j?t? l'appel de Bush d'annuler la dette irakienne.
?a commence bien dej?. En outre le processus d'octoyer les contrats pour la reconstruction du pays a ?t? r?tard? et les Europ?ens scruntent les lois du commerce international afin d'assurer ou non que la decision am?ricaine contraviendrait les r?glements de l'OMC. En tout cas, dor?anavant les Am?ricains se trouverent parfois tr?s seuls lorsqu'ils demondront de l'assistance. ?a m'attriste beaucoup car chaque division et chaque refus de s'entraider facilite la t?che des terroristes integristes.
The Alexandria Library exhibit and the Protocols of the Zion
According to
Damian The Alexandrian library exhibitors have withdrawn the Protocols booklet from the current exhibit. Interestingly, it was UNESCO which demanded that the fradulant booklet be removed Like Damian, it's a miniscule victory since the exhibitors' attitudes haven't changed, they simply complied para ingr?s ver (i.e. a Brazlian expression: for the English to see which signifies to make someone look good in front of company/strangers/officialdom and then revert to form once they're gone.)
The payback euphoria: uncomfortablable questions
Throughout much of the American bloggerdom, most bloggers and commentators to the blogs, are euphoric over the exclusion of France, Germany, Russia and others who opposed the war from submitting as prime contractors.
Most justify the exclusion on several ground. First, rewarding friends and punishing enemies is an important policy; second that Amrican taxpayers should finance those countries that obstructd American interests; third to send a message that actions have consequences. The justifications are reasonable enought but most bloggers except for one don't seem fazed that Saudi Arabia and Egypt are on the list nor that American taxpayers fund some of their worst enemies.
Yet despite all the bombastic rhetoric about teaching reclacitrant countries a lesson about obstructing American interests, the fact that Saudi Arabia and Egypt are on the list raises uncomfortable questions. The first that comes to mind is what do the DOD officials hope to accomplish with their vindictive attitude towards the excluded countries? Second, how credible can the exclusion as policy when some of the same countries are regarded as threats to American strategic interests and Iraqi wellbeing when they can be trusted with deploying troops Afghanistan or arresting suspected terrorists and accomplices?
It's the sheer incongruity to reality that's so deeply offensive about the decision to exclude those countries that opposed the war. Saudi Arabia is completely responsible for Islamojihadism through the funding and the encouragement of religious hate; Egypt as the Arab world's most culturally important country, provides the intellectual soil to the rancid hate that grows within the region. And yet they're far less threatening to fundamental American strategic interests than Chile and Canada. The policy doesn't suffer from cognitive dissonance, it's highly imprudent. It's simply impossible to explain coherently, logically and sincerely how Saudi Arabia and Egypt aren't threats while Canada and others are.
Iraqi reconstruction and NATO allies: payback will be a bitch
According to various news sources that Wolfowitz will limit outside contractors in Iraq's reconstruction to those Coalition countries that supported the U.S. OK fair enough even though I think it's countrproductive. Nonetheless, when I saw some of the countries that the U.S. has permitted to submit tenders my jaw dropped.
It's one thing for Spain or the Phillipines to benefit but Egypt?! Saudi Arabia?! What the fuck!?! Why don't the Americans just cut off relations with those NATO allies that opposed the invasion and be done with it? Instead, the Administration insults its closest allies, both NATO and non-NATO by shutting them out of Iraqi reconstruction 'to protect vital American strategic interests' but allows Egypt and Saudi Arabia to compete for contracts.
Think about this for a moment, Egypt which recieves 2 billion$U.S./yr in subsides very recently had an exhibition at the Alexandra Library where the organizers placed that rancid fraud called the Protocol of the Elders of Zion beside the Torah The justifications were so loathsome that they're evil. Yet Egypt is far less of a threat to 'essential American strategic interests' than Canada or Chile. This policy decision will bode so well for the upcoming renegotiations on Iraqi debt. Those very same countries, that are regarded as threats to 'essential American interests' and excluded in consequence from Iraqi reconstruction, will ferociously oppose the debt be declared odious. Payback's going to savage the Americans just as much as those that opposed the war. The current Administration never loses an opportunity to alienate close allies and sympathetic countries whenever the occasion presents itself.
I'm deeply consternated by the consequences of this decision. This policy will haunt the Administration and future ones for some time.
Update: No Professor The French, German and Russian creditors won't be worried about holding worthless paper. In fact, it's the Americans who'll be sweating; not only over the Iraqi debt renegotiations but the fact that the Americans have successfully aliented sympathetic countries than when the next request for help comes, those countries will simply ignore it. Since no matter what they do or won't do the latter will be equally castiagted by the Americans. Also why should France and Germany heed Japan's decision to send troops to Iraq? The Americans will simply sneer at the French and Germans as a bunch of lazy, shitty, cowardly appeasers who only advance their interests. Better to stay home than to offer help that isn't wanted.
Update2: Here's the official document (PDF 272 kb) that lists the eligible countries that can participate in the
With all due respect to Georgia and Rwanda, what can they offer to Iraqi reconstruction? Georgia just had a peaceful coup d'?tat and needs to gets its house in order before it can help out in Iraq's reconstruction. There are other countries that you also wonder just how they'll contribute to Iraqi reconstruction.
L'investidura de Maragall a la Generalitat: el mal auguri
Llegint les justificacions dels republicans per escollir els socialistes i els communistes en lloc dels convergents per formar el pr?xim govern em cau malament. Els republicans volen un govern d'esquerres i nacionalistes. Francament no veig com concertaran un govern catal? amb un partit pol?tic surcursal. Encara que Caraod-Rovira exercir? els poders de govern i Maragall ser? una figura gaireb? ceremonial, no veig com els republicans avan?aran llurs pol?tiques tal com un nou estatut, el financiament amb Madrid etc etc. Ad?m?s Zapateo ja pr?cticament ha donat permis als republicans a pactar ambs els socialistes catalans tant que el model governatiu no trontolli 'l'unitat espanyola.' Papa ho veu aquest pacte coma bona cosa perque provocar? baralles amb Madrid de les quals exposaran el centralisme dels socialistes catalans i temptaran els partits nacionals a transposar la pol?tica basca a Catalunya. Per a mi, reitereixo el meu punt principal: Carod Roviria aposta que el catalanisme republic? es m?s fort que el succursalisme dels socialistes catalans.
El pacte tripartit: una aposta vergonyosa
Nom?s hi ha un partit polit?c catal? i no es pas l'Esquerra republicana. Carod Rovira aposta que el cataliamse dels republicans es m?s fort que el sucurralisme dels socialistes catalans. Es una aposta que perder? i adem?s es vergonyos. El pacte es descarat perque el socialistes i els communistes perderen les eleccions per? els republicans els l'hi donen les claus del poder. ?perqu?? Per un supposat govern d'esquerres. Papa ho pren filos?ficament per que els socialistes i els republicans es barrallan mot avait i s'haur? de concovar de noves eleccions. Es a veure. Zapalno ja es queixa que un pacte triparit es instable. ?Qu? collons es pensava que els socialistes catalans governarian tot sols o que els republicans no dirian ni piu si dongu?ssin el seu aval a Maragall? En tot cas, ser? molt per? molt interessant a veure si Maragal recolzar? un canvi del Estatut o si obeir? els directius de Madrid.
The attacks on Coalition personnel: a change in tactics?
This morning I read that 2 South Korean enginneers died in Iraq. I'm wondering if the shift in the nature of the attack from trying 'to plink' an American soldier or vehicle here or there to killing Coalition personnel is a change in tactics?. In sum, that the Iraqi holdouts realize that killing American soldier is a futile act because the former shoot back and achieve high kill ratios. Unfortunately, the Iraqi holdouts are committing a fatal mistake by killing Coalition personnel, especially civilians.
While the Coalition countries with smaller contributions might not yet be psychologically prepared for casualities, nothing will outrage them and galvnize them more than the killing of its citizens who are there for a noble purpose: help rebuild a devastated country. Further, most of the Coalition militaries face far less inhibitions with respect to media scruitny and rules of engagement.
As I pointed out when the Italian and Spanish personnel were killed, I wouldn't be in the least bit surprised if the special units from both countries are actively pursuing the killers; quietly and ruthlessly. So in the end, teh Iraqi holdouts will invariably commit a fatal mistake- if they haven't yet- and slowly but surely be killed, captured or driven out
La r?formation ? la chr?tienne dans l'Islam: un fin non-recevable
Dan r?pond ? un article ant?rieur de Bill qui d?fend William Tyndale consid?r?e par certains comme le p?re du Bible en anglais. En realit? le d?bat entre les deux bloggeurs centre sur si c'est possible d'initialiser une r?formation dans l'Islam ? la chreitienne.
M
a r?ponse est bien sur que non mais pas pour les raisons typiquement pr?sent?es. La rasion princiaple c'est que l'Islam est fissiporeux par rapport non seulement entre les sectes d'interpr?tation mais ?galement aux doctrine. Regardez la controverse qui entoure le djiade. S'agit-il d'une lutte spirituelle contre la tentation? Ou plut?t un cri aux fid?le ? soumettre le monde sous l'empire d'Islam? Voil? le probl?me: pour certain musulmans, c'est le premier; pour d'autre le deuxi?me et encore ce sont les deux.
Donc il n'a pas de magist?re islamique qui articule, d?fend, clarifie et l?gue le d?pot de la foi ? chaque g?n?ration. Or, comment pr?consier une r?formation de ce d?p?t s'il y a tellement des interpretations qu'auncunes font doctrine mais plut?t un choix que les fid?les peuvent ou non accepter? C'est pourquoi plaidoyer pour une telle reforme s'av?re illusioire; cependant, on peut encourager les musulmans a r?flchir sur certains aspect de leur doctrine et demander pourquoi ils ont tellement de difficult? ? vivre en paix ou laisser les autre tranquilles lorsque les muslmans sont en majorit?. Peut-?tre un telle r?fl?ction permettra une refonte d'Islam.
The blizzard: a winter wonderland
Yesterday my region finally got that storm that had ben moving its way up the Eastern seaboard of North America. My town got 30 cm (Yes! I was correct with my prediction as to how much fel! Snow up to ankles=30 cm) I heard in the American news that some people died in the snowstorm. That's deeply regrettable. In the midst of tragedy, there's also some good news: for the ski mountain operators, this is probably the best ski season in some time.
La defense europ?enne: la schizophr?nie am?ricaine
James Robbins articule l'ambivalence
am?ricaine envers les efforts europ?en pour mettre ? jour sa d?fense. D'une part, Robbins constate qu'une Europe unif?e, militairement harmonsi?e, arm?e avec des armes nucl?aires n'est pas dans les int?r?ts am?ricaines. D'autre, les Am?ricianes chialent apr?s les Europ?ens et les engoulent d'?tre des pique-assiettes qui d?pensent trop pour leurs etats bien-?tre au dep?ns de leurs militaires. En effet, Lord Roberston, s?cretaire-g?n?ral, n'y cro?t pas que l'OTAN avec 5 million de soldat sous les coleurs ne peuvent pas trouver entre 50-150 000 soldats qui peuvent se d?ployer en Afgahistan. En tout cas, les Europ?en se sont tann?s de messages contradictoires des Am?ricains. Les Am?ricains veulent que les Europ?ens soit plus fort militairement mais pas trop. Les Am?ricains veulent que les Europ?ens d?ploient les m?mes capacit?s que les militaires anglo-am?ricains mais que les premiers ne les imitent trop non plus! ?galiser c'est rivaliser selon certains yeux au duex bords de l'Atlantique. C'est malhereux car les Europ?ens n'auront aucun incentif de moderniser leurs militaires sous l'empire de l'OTAN car les Am?ricains emp?cheront quelle que soit strat?gie, unit? ou capacit? qui peut potentialement miner son h?g?monie. En plus, chercher un contrepoids dans l'Europe central causera des ennuis pour ces pays-l?. L'E-U est loin mais la France et L'Allemange sont tr?s proches. Donc, les Am?ricains et les Europ?ens devront trouver une solution de comment am?liorer la d?fense europ?en qui ? la fois ne rivalise pas avec son homog?ne et ? la fois r?pond au besoins strat?giques l?gitimes europ?ens.
