Rotten Tomatoes

The expirence at the Geriatric's ward

2012-02-05T14:39:00.002+01:00

One month after starting working at the Geriatric's ward, there are several things I would like to share. It is not new that the population demographics are changing very fast and the different fields of the economy are struggling to ensure fair systems to senior people.

This ward accept senior people over 80-85 years of age. As a part of the department of Internal Medicine and Metabolic disorders of a public hospital it is fully supported by the Czech government. However, as I understood later, the purpose of this ward is not to be used as a social dump for dependent senior people, but as a diagnostic centre. In a few words and in practice, this is what happens: senior people come to the Emergency department with their particular complains, through the General Practitioner or through the Paramedic services. Then, after a quick stabilization they are sent to the Geriatrics ward. Here we have the function of assessing the social situation of the patient and the prognosis, keeping in mind that old people are more fragile, and amenable to subtle changes with much greater consequences when compared to the 70kg, 35 years old male model.

We have a goal of a hospital staying of no longer than 1-2 weeks because the lying in bed and all the inactivity results in muscle atrophy without the possibility to walk again (you can really see the muscles getting atrophied). According to the particular comorbities of each patient, we have the chance to discharge them to their homes without additional care (ideal); with some Home Care service that will bring them food and do minor hygienic procedures; to discharge to long-term care hospitals (LDNs - léčebna dlouhodobě nemocných) in case of a high-degree of dependency (dementia, complicated diabetes mellitus, long-term catheterized people, chronic infectious diseases); to senior houses (DD - domov důchodců) in cases of loneness despite good health; and to hospices in case of terminal stage diseases. So, Geriatrics is thrilling because of the fast changes occurring in the bodies that lived already 80, 90, 100 years and, at the same time, demands knowledge about the best social service to provide to the individual patient.

"Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul." Samuel Ullman

Let the banks to fall!

2011-05-11T19:40:00.000+02:00

We achieve a point where the consumer (the client) no more knows which taxes/fees he is paying. Economists have their own language and people are unable to learn it because they are busy earning some money to eat and a big slice for bank fees. We no longer have access to our own money (bank account) without paying to see it! Paying money to see our money! Curious...

This letter was addressed to a Portuguese bank and reflects well this absurdity:

Dear Sirs,

I would like to know if you would accept to pay a small monthly fee for the existence of this bakery, located near your bank; or for the existence of the petrol station or the pharmacy or the kiosk, all indispensable for our daily routine.

It would work in this way: all clients would pay a small fee to maintain these services (bakery, pharmacy, kiosk, mechanic, grocery store). A fee that would not guarantee any extra right to the client. It would be used only in the maintenance of a high quality service and to amortize investments. What do you think?

Well, yesterday I got out of your bank sure that you Sirs would agree with such fees. For a reason of equity and honesty. My certainty derives from a simple chain of thoughts.

Let us imagine the following situation: I go to this bakery to buy some bread. The baker complies with kindness, sells me the bread and charges me a fee to pack the bread. Besides he imposes fees for "accessing the bread", "storing the bread", and even a fee for "having the bakery opened". Everything fulfilled with cordiality and professionalism, of course.(...)

Do you want some enlightenment?

- fee to open credit = fee to access the bread
- fee to open bank account = fee to open the bakery store
- fee to see your bank account = fee to the existence of the bakery store
- fee to maintain a special limit of funding (every trimester, no advantages) = fee to keep the bread warm
- fee in any account money transfer = should I pay to breath the air of your facilities?!

(...)After I payed all the taxes maybe you would answer, always with such cordiality and professionalism, that a bank service is quite different from a bakery store. That your responsibility is much bigger, that there are many legal requirements, that the business risk is huge, etc, etc. That besides being profoundly sorry about this situation, you cannot do anything, because you are not inflicting the law. I know that. I also know that you are covered by some special legal advantages that protect your business from any disturbance. I presume a bakery store does not have as much risk and also that does not count with the influence power that you Sirs have.

I know that everything you do is within the law, but I also know that it is immoral.

Imagine now that you do not just laugh with this adapted letter, but that we really do it. That we start fighting for special benefits (introduction of stupid fees) in every single private branch. Companies from which people depend on their daily activities... On the other hand, should we all go to jail for trying to rise up some morality and mutual help between people of this crazy world? Examples of success, of what is accepted as right in this society are corrupting the basic human principles and if we do not do something, these legal fees might become a reality.

As a wise man said once, save your money under the mattress!

Fuck The System

2011-04-09T18:01:00.001+02:00

The Human being is a social being, more precisely, its nature and interactions are based on the biopsychosocial model, first theorized by the psychiatrist George L. Engel in 1977. An individual cannot develop without social interaction. In fact we would not fit in this world without the surrounding social environment, so important for the development of language, values, religious views, and, ultimately, of crucial importance for the perpetuance of our species once we still do not know how to reproduce asexually. This social interaction begins at the time we have not seen a light beam, when our development is influenced by our mothers’ mood, stresses, personal problems, cuddling over the tiny piece of skin that separates us from the outside world. Then, we are fully dependent on the touch we receive from the caregivers (mother, father, others). If we are not held on the arms of our caregivers we simply die, we do not acquire the notion of self-esteem, self-confidence; we do not develop our ‘self’.

Being so dependent on the environment for our correct development, one might ask, what is the best environment to raise a human being? The answer is so obvious that does not even deserve discussion. What is of extreme importance is that the role of the closest persons in our lives is being lost to the big scramble of information, politics, propaganda, wars, crimes, lists of death people, educational programmes, etc, etc. Every single person knows the power of the media in the transmission of information, nowadays so easy with the development of our technology, the creation of social networks, online newspapers, and wide range of TV channels. It is so widespread and it does its work (transmission of information and entertainment) so well that its control is desired by the most evil people living on Earth.

This ‘social’ interaction is killing our species.

Nowadays we simply accept the options that were first given to us. We live in a capitalist system and if you do not share this common sense notion, you are called anti-capitalist; if you believe that the government can have some power over private companies you are called fascist; if you defend a more patriotic and nationalist approach, you are called nazist; if you think everyone should have some social support from the government, you are called communist! All these words are so negatively-charged that people are suppressed by them when trying to make a point that has no similarities with any of the true definition of these terms. More, when arguments fail, people with new ideas are simply ignored or, even worse, called anarchists simply because they do not feel as a part of the system the world has to offer.

Contas Feitas

2010-09-10T18:32:00.002+02:00

John Cory, from Reader Supported News, does some simple maths about the war between the east and the west:

One man decided to set the world on fire. It didn't take much.

It took 19 men to kill 3,000 people on September 11, 2001.

It took a small lie to invade Afghanistan and one big lie to invade Iraq.

7 and 9 are the numbers of years of war.

6, 806 is the number of soldiers (US and NATO) killed in this endless war.

40,000 is the number of wounded soldiers.

320,000 plus is the estimated number of US troops suffering from PTSD and TBI.

1.3 million is the estimated number of Iraqi civilians who have died. No one knows the real number, but studies point to an average of 200,000 Iraqi deaths per year of war.

10,000 is the best estimate of Afghan civilians killed, so far.

Civilian wounded or maimed numbers are not really tracked, but carry high numeric guesswork, just like the estimated 4 million Iraqi and Afghan refugees who have sought escape from their homelands.

There are invisible and secret numbers before 9/11 and after 9/11 and the harm and sadness of those numbers will never be known in our lifetime, nor admitted to by those who refuse to believe anything prior to 9/11. It is a zero sum argument.

In 2001, I was in Saudi Arabia. My Arab friends were shocked and stunned into disbelief at the events of September 11th. From my Jordanian, Syrian, Egyptian and Saudi workmates and friends came condolences and heartfelt sympathy and empathy at the horror of that day. This was not Islam. This was not right or holy, they told me. And after a suitable period of mourning, we all sat down over tea and dates to discuss those secret invisible numbers that had piled up and then exploded on that September day.

In 2006, I was in Afghanistan when riots erupted from Kandahar to Kabul to Kunduz over the publication of a Danish cartoon disrespectful of the Prophet Muhammad, Peace Be Upon Him. Hundreds of people protested. Scores were injured, with fires and bullets everywhere in the streets.

But it was not only Afghanistan, it was also Somalia, Yemen, Thailand, Indonesia, Syria, Iran and other places.

One cartoon - a dozen countries - thousands upon thousands of protesting Muslims, and hundreds of injuries and deaths were the result.

50 people at the piously named Dove World Outreach Center intend to burn the sacred scriptures of 1.5 billion people and label them "evil" and despised by God.

What new numbers will be generated on the calculator of death and destruction by burning the Qu'ran?

9/11 is a number - A sacred number for us, and them, and the world of war.

One man and then another set the world on fire and millions continue to burn.

One or fifty - it wouldn't take much for -

-PEACE-

Ainda sobre Sarkozy

2010-09-07T19:36:00.006+02:00

Não posso estar mais de acordo com este post.

O Estado Social está a tornar-se insustentável e a França foi, de facto, o primeiro país a aperceber-se de tal situação e a implementar medidas, ainda que xenófobas. É certo que grande parte dos Portugueses não hesitaria em tomar partido de medidas semelhantes. Medidas essas que são indispensáveis para prevenir o colapso do Estado Social.

A fatia de população que depende de apoios sociais é grande. Muitas não têm qualquer alternativa, outras vivem 'bem' à custa de outros contribuintes e, sendo latinos de coração, estão bem assim. Falta motivação, falta uma política impulsionadora que chame os cidadãos a uma sociedade em movimento. Porque não o trabalho comunitário? Não se teria, assim, evitado que em 2010, 5 anos depois de grandes incêndios terem devastado o país, ardesse parte do único Parque Nacional do país?

Será impossível encontrar-se um equilíbrio entre trabalhadores da Função Pública e cidadãos sem emprego e a viver em dificuldades?

Nestes tempos em que somos obrigados a questionar as medidas sociais, falta, sobretudo, o exemplo de toda uma classe política que insiste na extravagância, no luxo, no snobismo político, na dicotomia nós e os outros, os contribuintes.

Casa Pia: Setembro 2002 - Setembro 2010

2010-09-04T12:04:00.003+02:00

Chegou ao fim o demoroso e longo julgamento do processo Casa Pia.
As sentenças são:

- Carlos Cruz - 7 anos de prisão efectiva, provado que abusou de 3 menores;
- Carlos Silvino - 18 anos de prisão efectiva, principal suspeito e confessor;
- Hugo Marçal - 6 anos e dois meses de prisão efectiva, 2 menores;
- Manuel Abrantes - 5 anos e nove meses de prisão efectiva, 4 menores;
- Ferreira Diniz - 7 anos de prisão efectiva, 3 menores abusados;
- Jorge Ritto - 6 anos e oito meses de prisão efectiva;
- Gertrudes Nunes - absolvida, provado que recebeu dinheiro para que a sua casa de Elvas, fosse usada para os encontros com os menores.

Foram precisos 8 anos para dar como culpados 6 dos 7 arguidos. As penas são leves e tanta salganhada nos processos judiciais portugueses leva, invariavelmente, à perpetuação de crimes desta ideologia.

A Justiça está estagnada e corrompida. Basta dar uma vista de olhos no número de processos graves a serem analisados actualmente, muitos deles envolvendo o próprio primeiro-ministro. Basta ver o número de recursos apresentados por arguidos dados como culpados e que, uma vez mais, contribuem para esta lentidão inadmissível.

A expulsão de Ciganos

2010-08-28T16:27:00.003+02:00

Em consequência das recentes medidas anunciadas por Sarkozy, iniciou-se o repatriamento voluntário de ciganos (sobretudo Romenos e Búlgaros). A estas pessoas, em situação ilegal, foi dada uma ajuda de €300 mais €100 por criança, para que possam iniciar uma nova vida nos seus países de origem.

Nazismo? Estalinismo? Sim e não!

Sim, pelas razões invocadas pelo presidente francês. Ao atribuir, exclusivamente, a culpa de actos de violência e desordem pública a grupos minoritários (apesar de as estatísticas apontarem um maior número de pessoas destas nacionalidades), Sarkozy estigmatiza e discrimina um grupo étnico.

Não, porque, apesar da Roménia e da Bulgária serem estados-membros da UE, estes cidadãos encontram-se em situação ilegal, não estão inseridos em programas de integração na sociedade e não fazem parte do sistema jurídico e financeiro do país acolhedor.

Sendo duro, esta situação é o resultado de imigração livre, sem perspectivas, recursos, horizontes ou futuro. Em vez de se criarem instituições e organizações que promovam movimentos migratórios orientados, com objectivos, que preencham lacunas e empregos negados por cidadãos dos países acolhedores, enfim, que orientem a vida e dêem uma nova oportunidade a pessoas sem nada; vemos intermediários sem escrúpulos a enriquecer, fazendo entrar milhares de escravos em camionetas sem ar e barcos sobrelotados. Sanções ainda mais severas deveriam ser aplicadas a estes "libertadores", por prometerem uma vida utópica, por estarem directamente envolvidos na morte de muitas pessoas que padecem durante estas viagens angustiantes.

Em vez de se promover uma imigração consciente, em que os próprios países envolvidos, pudessem colaborar, trocar informações; vemos grandes centros urbanos serem invadidos por pedintes, delinquentes, sem-abrigo, crianças perdidas, sendo isto fruto de uma "esquerda" irresponsável que, ao promover tão aberta circulação de pessoas, não é capaz de lhes assegurar um emprego e vida condignos.

Muitas vezes, estes mesmos imigrantes, não tiveram outra opção. Fugiram de conflitos, de situações instáveis, de catástrofes naturais. Mas estes não devem ser considerados imigrantes. São refugiados que merecem toda a ajuda necessária, pelo menos até estarem reunidas as condições necessárias ao seu regresso.

Agora também, há que ser moderado. Cada caso é um caso. Não podem ser feitas generalizações. Não são os Romenos, ou os Búlgaros, ou os ciganos. Muitos deles fazem parte da sociedade em que se inseriram e não podem, em qualquer altura, ser discriminados, nem tratados de forma menos igual do que os seus concidadãos.

As coisas complicam-se quando os países envolvidos pertencem a uma União, dita, de livre circulação de pessoas e bens, e quando o lema da França inclui as palavras Liberdade, Igualdade e Fraternidade.

Life

2010-08-09T01:54:00.002+02:00

What is life? A thing of dynamism, fragility, beauty, danger and evanescence, gushing forth from a single source, to be sure. But here the certainties end: what does it take to be alive? Are viruses and prions alive? How many branches are there on our tree? The harder we look, the more complexities we find. With the recent creation of synthetic bacteria (Mycoplasma laboratorium, seen issuing from its own domain) even the surety of a single common ancestor disappears into smoke.

Um passo atrás!

2010-08-03T17:28:00.002+02:00

"Hospitais sem especialistas
Os hospitais de Santa Maria e Pulido Valente, em Lisboa, que integram o Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Norte, não têm médicos especialistas nas escalas de serviço para assegurar as urgências internas no período diurno, das 08h00 às 20h00, nos dias úteis da semana."

Como forma de diminuir a despesa pública o governo decidiu cortar as escalas de médicos especialistas nas urgências durante o período diúrno. Obrigatoriamente um serviço de urgência tem duas equipas principais, uma de cirurgia - que recebe casos cirúrgicos, traumas, hemorragias - e uma de medicina interna que assegura os casos patológicos menos sensacionalistas, com menos sangue - infecções, problemas metabólicos, enfartes do miocárdio.

Dependendo da gravidade pode ou não ser necessária uma consulta pelo especialista, seja ele um Neurologista, um Otorrino, um Oftalmologista ou de uma outra área. O que acontecia até aqui é que estas especialidades estavam asseguradas nas escalas de urgência. Não todas mas as mais comuns. Cardiologia para enfartes graves do miocárdio. Neurologia para AVCs graves. Neurocirurgia para traumas graves na cabeça. Otorrinolaringologia para complicações de infecções respiratórias.

É óbvio que a manutenção destes profissionais nas urgências é dispendioso. No entanto se um paciente chegar às urgências com um destes casos graves, o que antes demorava uns míseros 5min a reunir a "equipa de ataque", agora pode demorar muito mais do que isso.

O médico especialista pode estar a meio de uma cirurgia programada e ter de abandoná-la para prestar uma urgência. Outro pode estar no meio de uma consulta externa e ter de atrasar os seus 50 doentes para dar um salto às urgências e ver outro, enquanto os primeiros já não vão jantar a casa porque o médico se atrasou num procedimento complicadíssimo que salvou a vida do segundo.

Não é ético. Dá a sensação de uma perda enorme de credibilidade dos profissionais de saúde. Eu pessoalmente não gostaria de ver o médico a sair do seu consultório quando a minha consulta estava marcada há vários meses. Em vez de progredirmos para uma maior qualidade dos serviços de saúde parece que se perdeu a noção das áreas certas onde proceder a tais cortes financeiros.

Nestes casos mais graves deveria haver uma avaliação pre-hospitalar ainda no veículo de transporte (ambulância, etc) de modo a evitar uma passagem pelas urgências centrais. O paciente seria assim encaminhado directamente para a unidade mais adequada à sua patologia, como por exemplo, para os cuidados intensivos da cardiologia, da neurologia, para o isolamento da infecciologia (falando nas admissões mais comuns e excluíndo a medicina interna).

Caso para dizer, se estiver prestes a ter um ataque de coração, espere só mais um bocadinho até as 20h!

Estará a Democracia condenada?!

2010-08-03T15:08:00.004+02:00

Embora discordando de alguns pontos do texto original (que pode ser visto aqui), fiz um pequeno resumo e algumas afirmações/questões.

Ao longo dos tempos temos passado por diferentes modelos de Estado.
Começámos com o Estado Feudal em que a figura do rei/imperador era principalmente simbólica, em que a autoridade se exercia localmente (barões, condes, etc). Com o passar do tempo o rei conseguiu impôr mais firmemente a sua vontade aos seus vassalos e, entrámos no Absolutismo, cujo ponto alto se deu na Revolução Francesa. Já após os conflitos entre constitucionalistas e absolutistas no século XIX entramos na era da democracia em que se abandona a ideia da figura soberana e se adopta a ideia de que o povo é soberano, que o Estado é seu servidor com todas as suas responsabilidades sociais.

Funções atribuídas anteriormente à família (ou igreja) - ajuda na doença, nos acidentes, no desemprego, na velhice - passam para o Estado e os cidadãos tornam-se dependentes deste Estado social que, tentando ser responsável, visa a ajuda e integração dos cidadãos mais fracos, menos favorecidos e menos sortudos.

Posteriormente entramos numa fase em que o Estado balança as suas contas tendo em conta o défice produzido e as ajudas europeias o que permite uma época de ideias igualitárias, decadentes, em cima do joelho e sem fundamento. Transmite-se a noção de que vivemos num país cor-de-rosa. Que, apesar das dívidas constantes, poucas são as mudanças porque as políticas europeias permitem esta folga e a população activa ainda é relativamente grande, o que permite que se assegurem os rendimentos mínimos e pensões aos mais desfavorecidos.

A longo prazo o país torna-se insustentável. O Estado vê-se obrigado a pedir ajuda ao estrangeiro transformando-se ele próprio num pedinte, num parasita. Sendo isto consequência do excessivo aumento de impostos, do excesso de dívida pública que se tornou crónica, do desincentivo à produção, do sentimento de bem-estar e 'deixa-andar' da classe média.

A consequência lógica que se pode tirar destes pontos é a perda de soberania nacional que tantas batalhas, conquistas e sangue derramado tinham assegurado até aqui. Os governantes estrangeiros passam a mandar, a defender os seus interesses e o de empresas e cidadãos dos seus países. O mais grave é que apesar de o Estado se sentir conquistado prefere este conforto de outros países que asseguram uma economia pequena em vez de tomar medidas de austeridade sérias que incidam no corte da despesa pública, no corte nas áreas estatais que dão despesa, no corte das grandes obras públicas, no investimento em empresas estrangeiras que queiram sitiar em Portugal, no apoio aos pequenos comerciantes de tantas baixas citadinas, no apoio responsável aos mais desfavorecidos, no corte do rendimento mínimo garantido a quem esteja desempregado há mais de um ano e que não se tenha formado entretanto em tantos centros de emprego...

A continuar desta forma o Estado social cai por terra, torna-se insustentável.

Recentemente foram muitos (e ainda são) os países à beira da bancarrota. Felizmente criou-se o Banco Central Europeu que actuou e actua como salvador, assegurando as dívidas desses países. Felizmente? Outra consequência lógica: os Estados-membros, ao saberem que seram ajudados em caso de dificuldade não vão fazer esforço absolutamente nenhum para controlar as suas contas. Pricipitando-me para a conclusão: sabe bem ser político num país a beira da bancarrota nos dias que correm. O sentimento de representatividade de um país há muito se desvaneceu, a protecção do povo é assegurada em forma de fachada, não por mérito do Estado claro que, agora, só olha para cima, para os interesses da UE e dos senhores do Banco Central. Estes últimos, sem ter sido disparado um único tiro, controlarão a maior parte dos países da união sendo que os seus membros serão maioritariamente dos países que mais tempo aguentaram - Inglaterra, Alemanha e França.

E, mesmo assim estaremos condenados. Com os apertos financeiros a taxa de natalidade baixa ainda mais, a populção activa decresce e a população sénior que trabalhou uma vida inteira aumenta exponencialmente. Torna-se insustentável assegurar as reformas e surgem tumúltos e revoltas por todo o lado. Os movimentos locais e regionais proliferam. O conflito, a estagnação e a opressão regressam.

Que soluções? Serão as políticas liberais capazes de reacender a economia?
Surgirão mais movimentos nacionalistas na tentativa de abrandarem ou mesmo pararem esta evolução?
Estará sequer este texto correcto em termos cronológicos?

A ver vamos...

Conjoined Twins Krista and Tatiana

2010-07-22T17:59:00.004+02:00

Tatiana and Krista Hogan were born on October 25, 2006 in Canada. They are craniophagus fused on the back and sides. The operation to separate them was a priority but, unfortunately it is impossible. The majority of the blood supply of Krista's brain comes from Tatiana's heart, who started to suffer from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The challenges posed by these twins do not end here!

At the age of 4 months they underwent a CT-scan which shown a "medical marvel". They have independent brainstems (separate vital functions) but they share some brain matter and furthermore, they share the same thalamus!

This means that the sensory inputs of Tatiana can be felt by Krista and vice-versa. When we tickle Tatiana, Krista also giggles.

National Geographic Channel made a documentary about them called "The Twins Who Share a Brain" and I gathered this information from there. Watch it!

These might be the only twins on the world that are sharing neurological connections. The limits of these synapses are far away from what we can imagine. Because of this sharing, the twins are able to "see" through each other eyes. The visual information is received by the common thalamus and then it is sent to both visual cortices. Further tests were able to conclude that the "brain of one twin records signals from the other's visual field". When Tatiana is "looking" throught Krista's eyes, her own eyes show nystagmoid movements, according to their mother Filicia.

Are they also sharing thoughts? Can they see each other thoughts?
Those are scary questions and I am sure that more discoveries will be made from them. Unfortunately, despite they are having a normal but much slower development, Tatiana's heart will eventually get too tired in the following years.

You can see some pictures of these prodigious babies at http://www.shareordie.in/the-conjoined-twins-krista-and-tatiana/ and a small video at http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/video/conjoined-twins-medical-10915371.

The sky is the limit!

Carnival costumes

2010-07-19T21:33:00.002+02:00

Throughout Europe the debate about the Burqa and Niqab is being surpassed by the direct action of governments to forbid their use. It is forbidden in France and Belgium. Some debate is now starting in Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Austria and Switzerland with the aim of the banning.

Sarkozy, affirmed "In our country, we cannot accept that women be prisoners behind a screen, cut off from all social life, deprived of all identity". This is also the reasons alleged by people who defend the banning.

I am no expert in religion and as written in previous posts it is hard for me to speak about it. Nonetheless these reasons do not make sense to me. They go against the freedom of people to live and express themselves as they want. If we forbid the use of a vestment that covers the whole body, why not to forbid also all the carnival disguises in that particular time of the year?!

One can say that these women are prisoners of their selfish husbands. I doubt (and i just doubt) that this can be generalized. Measures have to be taken against those men (the harasser) and not against the women (the victims).

Treating the problem the right way is always more difficult than suppress/forbid/discriminate.

Sempre os mesmos!

2010-07-02T15:07:00.004+02:00

Nada muda... Tudo fica!
Os mesmos nomes, cargos diferentes...
Os favores que se ficam a dever em tempo de eleições e que são depois pagos mais tarde...

Os mais velhos recordam os tempos em que "as pessoas eram avaliadas pelo que sabiam, não pelo que tinham; pelos livros que liam, não pelos autógrafos desenhados na primeira página de um livro nunca aberto; pela experiência de vida". Nos pilares da democracia as pessoas eram avaliadas pelo esforço individual, pelo mérito, pelo conhecimento, pela cultura, por todo um curriculum acumulado ao longo de uma vida.

Hoje em dia valoriza-se a esperteza, a rapidez com que se enriquece, com que se engana o próximo sem ser apanhado... Exigem-se os subsídios estatais como se se tratassem de meras obrigações e depois quem os recebe nem sequer os investe nas áreas que compete, no desenvolvimento, na prevenção de tornar a acontecer mas sim em bens materiais do momento, da nossa época, nos plasmas, no carro novo, nos óculos de sol e roupas de marca...

As pessoas encostam-se ao rendimento mínimo garantido. Rende mais não trabalhar. Num país onde se combate a crise (o que é a crise?!) com um aumento de impostos e com a introdução de portagens em acessos vitais ao desenvolvimento em vez da redução da despesa pública, dos ordenados e regalias dos deputados, do cancelamento das grandes obras públicas.

Entrámos num ciclo vicioso sem retorno. Como podemos mudar esta mentalidade do "deixa-andar" quando os próprios políticos não dão o exemplo?! Há muito que os valores essenciais da política e o sentimento de se estar a lutar pelo desenvolvimento de um país melhor em prol da população que nele habita, se desvanceram.

Um bom político, tal como as pessoas de outros tempos, deixou de ser avaliado pela sua experiência e conhecimento e passou a ter o dom da palavra, do fala-barato que consegue convencer um grande público e um certo número de investidores a suportarem as campanhas eleitorais. O "poder" é agora a palavra-chave, a "quintinha" de uns quantos que fazem "favores" uns aos outros, que se fecham nesta especíe de legião, de clube nocturno.

Vamos a factos:
- Manuel Pinho, ex-ministro da economia, que protagonizou o célebre par de chifres, é agora presidente da Fundação Arpad Szenes-Vieira da Silva (um economista num cargo cultural).

- Mário Lino, ex-ministro das obras públicas, que ficou conhecido pela afirmação relativa ao deserto que é a margem sul do Tejo, tem agora um cargo no Conselho Fiscal da área de seguradoras da Caixa Geral de Depósitos (Mário Lino é licenciado em Engenharia Civil).

- Maria de Lurdes Rodrigues, ex-ministra da educação, que reformou numa altura que era preciso reformar mas de maneira desajeitada (para poupar críticas mais duras), é agora presidente da Fundação Luso-Americana para o Desenvolvimento (sendo que é doutorada em Sociologia).

- Castro Guerra, ex-secretário de Estado da Indústria e da Inovação é agora presidente da gigante Cimpor.

- Filipe Baptista, ex-secretário de Estado adjunto do primeiro-ministro chegou a administrador da Anacom.

- Finalmente, Ascenso Simões, ex-secretário de Estado das Florestas adquiriu o cargo de administrador da Entidade Reguladora do Sector Energético.

O que têm estes ex-políticos em comum? Fizeram todos parte do anterior governo PS. Numa altura de contenção, em que a selecção das melhores pessoas para os melhores cargos é imprescíndivel, de modo a optimizar os recursos o governo escolhe os "amigos", os "conhecidos" a quem deve favores. O ciclo perpétua-se.

A esperteza reina! A "fachada" da aparência impera!
Os museus, as bibliotecas, as livrarias, os teatros estão vazios.
Os centros comerciais, os carros, os apartamentos de luxo, os restaurantes caros, esses... esses estão sempre a abarrotar!

Esta crise não é, portanto, uma crise meramente económica. Nem a economia o ponto mais afectado, mesmo com estes grandes lobbies. É, sobretudo, uma crise enorme de valores, valores morais, uma crise de prioridades, uma crise de reflexão, em que o povo, apesar de revoltado apenas olha para o sistema com o intuito de o contornar e não de uma perspectiva exterior com o objectivo de ver o que, realmente, se passa.

baseado no Editorial da revista SÁBADO e no artigo "Quem és tu? Ninguém" de Maria João Lopo Carvalho"

Uma nova Bélgica?

2010-06-23T15:08:00.002+02:00

Numa altura de grande contenção económica por toda a UE, eis que num país com pouco mais de 11 milhões de habitantes e uma área de 92090km2 começam reboliços populares (e não só) que visam a procura do conflito entre as regiões do Norte e as do Sul de Portugal.

À margem da Constituição Portuguesa um grupo de pessoas está a tentar formar um partido político para defender unica e exclusivamente os interesses de uma determinada região de um país: "O movimento Pró-Partido do Norte está a ser formado com o objectivo de formar um partido político do Norte através do qual a região tenha uma voz e uma representação a nível nacional" (in JN).

A Constituição é bem explícita quanto à formação deste tipo de partidos. Segundo o 4º parágrafo do Artigo 51 "Não podem constituir-se partidos que, pela sua designação ou pelos seus objectivos programáticos, tenham índole ou âmbito regional".

Passadas as questões legais que impedem tamanho disparate, não esqueçamos que vivemos num País em que toda e qualquer lei pode ser posta em causa sendo que os elementos que constituem este movimento ainda não partidário já apelaram à revisão e revogação deste Artigo de um dos únicos documentos oficiais que ainda dignificam Portugal.

Os nortenhos sentem-se discriminados em relação aos mouros! Nós todos que somos Portugueses, que deveríamos defender as mesmas causas, os meus objectivos, sempre com o fim de nos tornarmos um país mais competitivo, com maior voz de expressão.

Vejamos porquê:

O que salta já à vista são as SCUT que deixaram de as ser. É verdade que a maior parte destas auto-estradas localiza-se no norte do país. É também verdade que a Via do Infante no Algarve não tem alternativas viáveis e a implementação de portagens aqui significaria o regresso ao enorme tráfego numa estrada que já foi a mais mortífera do país (EN 125). O mesmo se aplica com a A23 que liga Torres Novas à Guarda e à A24 que liga Viseu a Chaves (curiosamente esta está situada no território norte do país e não se perspectiva a introdução de portagens).

É impensável a taxação destas últimas duas auto-estradas (A23 e A24) por fazerem a ligação ao interior do país. A introdução de portagens nestas vias significaria uma exclusão ainda maior destas áreas pobres do país que estão a recuperar alguma riqueza com o investimento e estabelecimento de muitas empresas que viram as potenciais vantagens oferecidas (menos impostos, auto-estradas sem custos adicionais).

Claro que ninguém deseja ver uma infra-estrutura nova, do Estado, tornar-se paga! Ainda para mais quando pertence ao Estado e a sua construção saiu do bolso de cada contribuinte. Estamos todos de acordo neste ponto mas temos formas diferentes de defender a não introdução das portagens. Os nortenhos decidiram que seria a altura ideal de se rebaixarem perante Lisboa e falar em palavras fortes como "discriminação".

Um país tão pequeno deveria estar de braços dados e não a separar-se ainda mais. Infelizmente em Portugal toda a gente fala no que lhe convém e interessa e não no bem comum para uma sociedade.

A reflexão sobre as portagens já vai longa.
Há dias, enquanto fazia zapping no leque de canais cada vez mais alargado oferecido pelas inúmeras empresas de televisão por cabo, parei uns minutos no Porto Canal, que nem sabia da sua existência. Estavam a transmitir a meteorologia para o próximo dia mas apenas na região norte do país, na Madeira, nos Açores e também nas principais cidades europeias. Sendo um canal privado, o conteúdo e escolha da transmissão é da inteira responsabilidade do próprio mas, porquê lançar mais combustível na fogueira?! Mais uma vez lembremo-nos que estamos na ponta mais ocidental da UE, um dos mais pequenos do mundo (109º maior país do mundo em termos de área geográfica), com uma população pequena e que deveria estar a juntar ideias e políticas de modo a tornar-se 'maior' e mais competitivo.

Num país com uma área tão pequena e uma economia tão mediana, fará sentido falar-se em regionalização? Em vez desta medida extrema o que deveria estar a ser mudado são o número e limites geográficos de freguesias e concelhos. Precisamos de uma reestruturação ao nível das autarquias. Temos sedes de concelho com menos habitantes do que vilas do mesmo concelho, temos populações separadas por limites de freguesias, freguesias sem ninguém e com uma área demasiado pequena, freguesias com muitos habitantes e áreas enormes...

Estará Portugal a tornar-se uma nova Bélgica, ainda que por motivos diferentes?
Encontrarão algum consenso os Portugueses do norte e os do sul?

The society of numbers

2010-01-24T22:30:00.002+01:00

"Conventions and traditions, I suppose, work blindly but surely for the preservation of the normal type, for the extinction of proud, resolute and unusual individuals... Society must go on, I suppose, and society can only exist if the normal, if the virtuous, and the slightly deceitful flourish, and if the passionate, the headstrong, and the too-truthful are condemned to suicide and madness. Yes, society must go on, it must breed, like rabbits. That is what we are here for... But, at any rate, there is always Leonora to cheer you up, I don't want to sadden you. Her husband is quite an economical person of so normal figure that he can get quite a large proportion of his clothes ready-made. That is the great desideratum of life..."

Ford Maddox Ford 1915 The Good Soldier

Environmental Concerns

2009-12-15T13:49:00.002+01:00

Petar Pismestrovic, «Kleine Zeitung»

The swine flu hoax II

2009-12-02T17:45:00.005+01:00

Again and again... Flu here, flu there, diseased people here., diseased people there!
This is the approximate translation from a text I found quite interesting.

Written by Teresa Forcades i Vila on the 11th of October of 2009:

The 2 first cases of the new flu (virus A/H1N1, strain S-OIV) were diagnosed in California (USA) on the 17th of April of 2009 [1].

The new flu is not new because is of the type A, neither because the subtype is H1N1. The epidemic flu that occurred in 1918 was from this particular strain and since 1977 that H1N1 viruses belong to the annual flues [2]. The only thin new here is the strain S-OIV [3] [4].

About 66% of elderly people over 60 years of age appear to have immunity against this type of virus of the new flu [5].

Since it started till 15th of September of 2009, 137 people died from this disease in Europe and 3,559 in all over the world [6] [today this number ascends to 8000]. Note that between 40,000 and 220,000 people die every year in Europe due to the seasonal flu.

As many famous health professionals - Dr. Bernard Debré (member of the National Council of Ethics in France) and Dr. Juan José Rodriguez Sendim (president of the Association of Medical Colleges in Spain) - the data from this season, among which the countries from the South hemisphere are included, demonstrates that the mortality and complications rates of this new flu are lower than the ones of the seasonal flu [8].

Irregularities must be explained.

At the end of January 2009, the Austrian filial of the American pharmaceutical company Baxter, distributed to 16 laboratories in Austria, Germany, Czech Republic and Slovenia, 72kg of material to prepare the vaccines against the seasonal flu. The vaccines would have to be administered to the population of this countries between February and March. Before the administration of any of these vaccines, a technician from the BioTest laboratory in Czech Republic decided, by its own, to experiment these vaccines in Ferrets [Portuguese = Furões], which are the animals used since 1918 to study the flu vaccine. All of them died!

Further investigations to the material sent by Baxter, demonstrated that the contained live viruses from the avian flu (virus A/H5N1) combined with live viruses from the seasonal flu (A/H3N2). If this contamination would not be found in time, the pandemics that, without a true background, the WHO and other national entities are announcing, would be now an amazing reality! The combination of these live viruses could be particularly lethal because it combines a live virus with a mortality rate of 60% but not so contagious (the avian flu virus) with other highly contagious but with a mortality rate much lower (the seasonal flu virus) [9].

On the 29th of April of 2009, when only 12 days passed since the first cases of the new flu, Dr. Margaret Chan, general-director of WHO, declared that the alert level for a pandemic was in phase 5 and ordered to all governments, members of the WHO group, the activation of emergency plans and maximal level of alertness. A month later, Dr. Chan declared that in the world we had already a pandemic (phase 6) caused by the A/H1N1 S-OIV virus. How could she made such statements when, according to the scientific data above, the new flu is, in fact more benign than the seasonal flu, which is not a new virus and to which part of the population is immune?

She could do it because during May, the WHO changed the definition of Pandemic: before May 2009 a pandemic to be declared would have to involve and infectious agent that caused a significant proportion of deaths among the population. This requirement - which is the unique giving a clinical concept to the associated political measures - was eliminated from the new definition on May 2009 [11], after the USA declared themselves in a "national emergency status", when in the whole country there were only 20 people infected, among each none death [12].

Polical consequences of the statement of pandemics:

In the context of a pandemics, it is possible to declare the vaccination obligatory to certain groups of professionals or even some group of citizens [13].

What can happen if a person refuses to be vaccinated? Until it is not declared obligatory, nothing can happen. But if we arrive to a situation in which the vaccination would be obligatory, the governments would have to make the people to comply with the law. Who would refuse would have to pay a fine or go to prison (in Massachussetts the fine can reach 1000€ per each day that passes without the individual being vaccinated)[14].

According to this, some people might decide "ok... i will vaccinated myself when it is compulsory". The problem is, like the seasonal vaccines, there are no shots for everyone.

We must know that there are 3 differences comparing the new vaccine with the seasonal flu vaccine. The first is that the majority of the laboratories are designing the vaccine in order to one injection will be not enough and we will need 2 doses. The WHO also recommends that who takes the new vaccine should not take the seasonal flu one because it increases by 3 times the risk of adverse effects, which are not even known yet since there were no trials. The second news is that the responsible labs for the fabrication of the vaccine, added 2 co-adjuvants that are stronger than the ones used nowadays for the seasonal flu. Co-adjuvants are substances added to stimulate the immune system. For example the vaccine being produced by Glaxo-Smith-Kline, has an adjuvant, AS03, a combination that multiplies by 10 the immune response. The problem is that no one can ensure that the usage of these substances will not cause, on a long-term basis, autoimmune diseases such as the Guillain-Barré syndrome [15]. The third innovation is that the pharmaceutical companies that are producing the vaccine are requiring/demanding that the countries sign agreements that confer impunity to the companies, in case there are further adverse effects than the expected ones (for example, it is predicted that Guillain-Barré syndrome will develop in 10 people among 1 million of vaccinations. The USA already sign such an agreement that guarantee to the pharmaceuticals and also to the politicians, full immunity (no responsibility) for the possible adverse effects of the vaccine [16].

References:

[1] Zimmer SM, Burke, DS. Historical Perspective: Emergence of Influenza A (H1N1) viruses.. NEJM, Julio 16, 2009. p. 279
[2] 'The reemergence was probably an accidental release from a laboratory source in the setting of waning population immunity to H1 and N1 antigens', Zimmer, Burke, op. cit., p. 282
[3] Zimmer, Bunker, op. cit., p. 279
[4] Doshi, Peter. Calibrated response to emerging infections. BMJ 2009;339:b3471
[5] US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Serum cross-reactive antibody response to a novel influenza A (H1N1) virus after vaccination with seasonal influenza vaccine. MMWR 2009; 58: 521-4.
[6] Dados oficiais do Centro Europeu para o controlo e prevenção de doenças (www.ecdc.europa.eu).
[7] Dados oficiais do Centro Europeu para o controlo e prevenção de doenças (www.ecdc.europa.eu)
[8] Cf. Le Journal du Dimanche (25 juliol '09): Debré: 'Cette grippe n'est pas dangereuse'; cf. La Razón (4 septiembre '09): Rodríguez Sendín: Cordura frente el alarmismo en la prevención de la gripe A
[9] Cf. Virus mix-up by lab could have resulted in pandemic. The Times of India, sección de ciencia, 6 marzo 2009.
[10] http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2009
[11] Cohen E. When a pandemic isn't a pandemic. CNN, 4 de mayo'09. http://edition.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/05/04/swine.flu.pandemic/index.html
[12] Doshi Peter Calibrated response to emerging infections VMJ 2009;339:b3471
[13] Falkiner, Keith. Get the rushed flu jab or be jailed. Irish Star Sunday, 13 septiembre '09.
[14] Senate Bill n. 2028: An act relative to pandemic and disaster preparation and response in the commonwealth. 4 agosto '09. Cf. Moore, RT. Critics rage as state prepares for flu pandemic. 11 septiembre '09. WBUR Boston.
[15] Cf. Vaccination H1N1: méfiance des infirmières. www.syndicat-infirmier.com/Vaccination-H1N1-mefiance-des.htlm
[16] Stobbe, Mark. Legal immunity set for swine flu vaccine makers. Associated Press, 17 Julio '09.

Teresa Forcades i Vila is a Benedict monk in the San Benedict Monastaire in Montserrat, Barcelona; she has doctorate in Public Health and specialization in Internal Medicine from New York University. She is the writer of many books among which "Los crimines de las grandes companias farmaceuticas" [the crimes of the big pharmaceutical companies].

Comment please!

Wake up call for Cholera

2009-11-20T14:43:00.002+01:00

A better video can be seen here

People depend on water for living! what is the other option of these people other than risk drinking water from contaminated wells?! One fast measure to try to implement would be the simple acidification of water with some local acidic product (some vegetable or fruit). Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent does not tolerate acidified water for example with lemon (easy accessible in Europe).

I keep pick on swine flu and i will keep being astonished about the amounts of money spent to eliminate a barely lethal disease of the developed countries while people are dying within 24h (of uncontrolled diarrhea) when the most vulgar acidifying agents could be used as prevention of Cholera in the developing countries.

"Arguments are to be avoided; they are always vulgar and often convincing", too often in my view... Actions are simple, they just need some strength of willing.

Swine flu vaccination II

2009-11-02T13:00:00.003+01:00

News from Sweden:

"There are reports from Sweden of possible deaths linked to the H1N1 vaccine";
"An unconfirmed source says Swedish news sources are reporting at least 350 adverse reactions to the vaccine";
"Hungary has reported one death associated with the H1N1 vaccine";
"Glaxo-Smith-Kline (...) expects to make one billion pounds from the H1N1 vaccine alone"

And news from Ireland:

"The teenager fell seriously ill after receiving the injection, along with thousands of other pupils across Northern Ireland last Friday".

Whether or not these are just some sporadic cases of adverse reactions of this new vaccine, as expected (because it did not followed the normal clinical trials), one fact is pure true: pharmaceutical companies are going to become, not just richer, they are going to be even more powerful entities achieving a dangerous position on the health system that will end up to limit the action of the other professional health staff.

Hopefully we will eradicate this new strain of virus but is it worthful? Do the expenses compensate the results? What about the other more epidemic diseases that do not affect the small minority of developed nations?

What about on the future? Are people going to have to take the vaccine even against their willing?! After all this is a rapid contagious disease despite the mild symptoms associated with it on the normal healthy population. And, who says H1N1 vaccine says also any other vaccination... How are the legal rights of a mother to deny the vaccination of her son because of the fear of adverse reactions?!

We are focusing on the wrong problems and because of that a group of few companies will become so rich but so rich that negligent judicial processes will be covered really easy and the company will proceed as richer as never on the detriment of the health conditions and the patient's rights.

The swine flu hoax

2009-10-29T20:16:00.006+01:00

Conspiracy theory for the swine flu!
Let the discussion begin!

Produced by Dr. Ron Paul, an American physician and a Republican Congressman for the state of Texas.

You can watch one more interesting video by clicking here
Dr. Rauni_Lenna Luukanen-Kilde is the former chief of medical officer of the Lappland province in Finland and she is known by trying to take a deeper look in some questions by exposing her conspiracy theories.

Two Strikes

2009-10-23T15:21:00.003+02:00

Freedom of the press

"Reporters Without Borders" is a Paris-based international non-governmental organization that advocates freedom of the press. Recently a new list of the countries where the freedom of the press is respected came out. Portugal fell 14 positions to the 30th place being now at the same level as Mali and Costa Rica! Last year Portugal occupied the 16th place together with Holland, Lithuania and Czech Republic. European countries are falling on the list as the governments are controlling more and more the Media. Other more dramatic examples are Italy and Spain, which occupy the 44th position together. This ranking is made every year. In the first position, with the biggest freedom of the press we have Denmark and as the last ones we have Cuba, Iran and Eritrea.

Countries with the biggest gaps between rich and poor

It is well known that developed countries have an increased tendency to have bigger gaps between richer and poorer people. The UN Development Program came out with a world list of the countries in which this difference is noted the most. In the first place we have Hong Kong, the most vertical city in the world! While rich people show themselves through the streets on big expensive Ferraris, about half the population lives in government-supported or -subsidized housing estates. Singapore, another fast-growing city occupies the 2nd position. Already in the 3rd, surprise or not, we have USA. Then we have Israel and, in the 5th position we have Portugal! A tiny country, considered stable, not involved in wars, member of the EU, country of the sun and the beach! Basically a country that could be on the last places of this list but, by unexplained reasons appears already in the 5th position worldwide! "While Portugal emerged from recession in the second quarter, the unemployment rate tops 9%. The ruling Socialists retained power in elections last month but lost seats to parties on the far left". The next countries appearing on the list are New Zealand, Italy and Britain (together in the 7th position), Australia, Ireland and Greece. On the other side of this ranking, we have more surprises! The countries where the rich-poor gap is less noted are Scandinavian countries, Japan and Czech Republic!

The twists this world gives, are sometimes not understandable...

No comments

2009-10-21T20:20:00.003+02:00

More on the peace Nobel and the role of USA in the world

Texting while driving

2009-10-17T18:22:00.002+02:00

This video is from an English campaign against the writing of SMS's while driving. Maybe, being objective and realistic, people will think twice before grabbing a mobile phone inside the car.

"Protect the lives of others while driving"

Referendum

2009-10-15T15:22:00.002+02:00

The meaning of the word "Referendum":
- "The submission of a proposed public measure or actual statute to a direct popular vote"?
- "a diplomatic agent's note asking for government instructions"?

No.
The true definition is: "a consultation about some proposal with the people in order to introduce debate among the country and control the media so in some years the mind of people is changed and Government can approve the new proposal"

Should the word Re-referendum exist?!

The Lisbon Treaty

2009-10-15T15:20:00.001+02:00

This is tough subject to try to talk about, even more to say it correctly!

The treaty was first signed in Lisbon on the 13^th of December, 2007. We are now in the long period of ratification by the different countries that always try to obtain the best for themselves.

The main goals of the treaty are:

- Not to serve as an autonomous document but rather an amend to the previous European treaties (times change, laws change and need to be adapted);

- Implement a “Charter of Fundamental Rights” to save the people’s political, social and economic rights;

- To officially name the European Central bank as an EU institution;

- To change the name of the “court of justice of the European communities” to “court of justice of the EU” and create a new emergency procedure for individuals in custody abroad;

- To fully introduce the “qualified majority voting” as standard method for voting in the European Council, meaning that “a qualified majority is reached when a at least 55% of all member countries who represent at least 65% of all EU citizens vote in favour of a proposal”

- Among other articles making minor changes in the hierarchic organization of the representatives of the EU.

The EU will have exclusive competences (does not need member’s approval and members have to accept it) in:

- The customs union;

- The establishing of the competition rules necessary for the functioning of the internal market;

- Monetary policy for the member states whose currency is the euro;

- The conservation of marine biological resources under the common fisheries policy;

- Common commercial policy.

Strict economic rules can ruin the small countries on their attempt to satisfy and meet these rules!

The Europe will become stronger and more unified with the treaty, making global important decisions to be held by many different cultures, together in an attempt to promote well-being and justice and at the same time it will face other big world potencies (USA, China, and Japan). Those are really important goals that EU should focus on because a single country does not have the same influence as a union of countries.

However, each and single country should not let this politics, to change their beliefs, culture and traditions. Small countries should not accept the proposals of the EU with indifference. The consequences should be carefully monitored because it might be the last chance of saying a world of yes or no.

Before its approval (which is done) and ratification, each country can try to have “opt-outs”, meaning they do not have to participate in certain policy areas. As much as the union tries to make equality to every country, there are always agreements and disagreements to certain policies, especially when they limit the activity of the particular country.

For example, Portugal has the largest sea territory but it is not the country of the EU that fishes the most because on the right time we did not impose our right.

Of course I am not writing this post just because I wanted to know more about this new European document. Vaclav Klaus, president of Czech Republic did not sign the treaty yet. This man is the second president of the Czech Republic and he is now on his second mandate after re-election in 2008 through the Civic Democratic Party (ODS), the right-wing main party. He is known to be a strong eurosceptic and he is trying to make sure that the ratification of the treaty will not change the economics of Czech Republic, especially now that the country is in a fast-growing period.

So, what is his main reason to ask for an “opt-out”?

After de second world war many Germans were expel from Czech Republic. The West Bohemia, where Plzen is was really influenced by many German families that set their lives here during the war. As the Charter of Fundamental Rights” is now, post-war German deportees could claim their old properties in Czech soil leading to hundreds of justice processes in court that would be judge by members of the EU that are not inside the History and do not know exactly what happen at those times. He is trying to get a special amend to Czech Republic to avoid this new conflict with Germany. At least this is what the big media say.

The 2009 Nobel Peace Prize

2009-10-10T16:19:00.002+02:00

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 is to be awarded to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. The Committee has attached special importance to Obama's vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons.
Obama has as President created a new climate in international politics. Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play. Dialogue and negotiations are preferred as instruments for resolving even the most difficult international conflicts. The vision of a world free from nuclear arms has powerfully stimulated disarmament and arms control negotiations. Thanks to Obama's initiative, the USA is now playing a more constructive role in meeting the great climatic challenges the world is confronting. Democracy and human rights are to be strengthened.
Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future. His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world's population.
For 108 years, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has sought to stimulate precisely that international policy and those attitudes for which Obama is now the world's leading spokesman. The Committee endorses Obama's appeal that "Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges."
Oslo, October 9, 2009

What is going on in our world?
Where is the truly spirit of the peace Nobel Prize?
How can a person be awarded and at the same time be on active war in several places around the world?

This nomination fell as a bomb on my thoughts and the immediate thing that I asked to myself was “where is this world going?” I like the president of the USA. He is still a good choice to try changing what he inherited from Bush and Americans are satisfied with his work. However I think it is extremely premature to award him. A person should receive some prize for what he or she has done and not for his or her wishing of discovery, willing to change something, effort in some project. I mean, first you should expose your theory, show your results and then be awarded if it justifies. Not the opposite, as it happened just now.

If one wants to be ironic, the motives of this surprising award were/are:
- He still didn’t close the Guantanamo prison;
- High risk prisoners and enemies continue to be tortured, threatened and treated in the margin of the US constitution;
- He authorized CIA to capture enemies and take them to countries where human rights are not respected;
- In Pakistan the civilian attacks multiply and we count tenths of people dead per week, despite the presence of American troops;
- He is (directly or indirectly) continuing with the oil wars in several countries, naming Iran, Uganda, Djibouti, Sudan, Pakistan and Afghanistan causing (again directly or indirectly) the dead of millions (yes millions!) of people;
- He just approved the sending of extra 40,000 troops to Afghanistan;
- He authorized the order to kill in case of a pirate attack to a ship (instead of trying the diplomatic way to solve the problem);
- He is doing a great job in the relationship between Palestine and Israeli by prolonging this important conflict and again by letting thousands of people to die;
- He did nothing (yet) for the global warming problem.

The man pointed almost as a saver of a nation is falling on the nets of corruption, hidden motives when helping someone and influences from really powerful people, specifically located on the fields of oil industry and banking.

Washington Post wrote: “Obama is pushing to restart Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, stop Iran's nuclear enrichment program, pass legislation to slow global warming, and strengthen international nuclear nonproliferation protocols”

“Pushing to restart”? And meanwhile he is 1 million euro richer (not that he needs the money) and people continue to die! Trying to change the world is not so difficult but it should be recognized and motivated (however, not by the Nobel Prize). Changing it is the great challenge and if Obama changed something was the promises he made on the elections compared to what he is doing now.

The same newspaper says then “In some respects, the prize could make his [Obama’s] approach more difficult on issues as diverse as climate change and Afghanistan, where Obama has largely failed to secure significant new resources from NATO allies eight years into the war”. Isn’t this obvious?!

“Obama is the world leading speaking” does not mean he is the one deciding the meaning of the word “peace”. There are always two sides in a war and many times it is impossible to calculate which one is the good before the consequences are noted. I hope I can say this was the right decision in some years.

Once again, this is not a direct critic to the President of the USA. In my personal opinion, his general ideas fit with my beliefs. I just do not understand how a prize that is attributed for peace can be given to someone on war with half of the world. There are other ways to stimulate the “good work” made till now.

We should not put the cart in front of the bulls!

Documentary suggestion

2009-10-04T22:37:00.003+02:00

I found this video some days ago and it is extremely interesting. It is not new that USA is involved in some kind of blurred wars all over the world being the most known example the Iraq and the Afghanistan wars.

The 4 parts documentary shows the intelligent manipulation of a nation that supposedly has the duty of maintain the peace worldwide over some small but strategically really important African countries. It shows the reality lived and being lived by defenseless people in the insatiable search of oil at any human cost. Those countries are the Djibouti, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo (also dominated by powerful multi-national companies looking for rare minerals) and Sudan.

It is available in:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

The swine flu vaccination

2009-09-17T17:24:00.004+02:00

The swine flu vaccine is almost ready! Millions of shots will be ready soon and millions of people are going to receive it. The pandemic flu will be controlled. There will be less outbreaks and the strain of this H1N1 virus will almost disappear. Everything sounds perfect! However more and more people are questioning, not just the efficacy of this flash-done vaccine but also the origin of the disease itself (which, despite the controversy, should not be questioned). While the common citizen is completely afraid of this infection, tenths of companies are enriching! Roche pharmaceutical company has the registration for Tamiflu (almost nobody knows that the active substance is Oseltamivir and there are other companies producing it). Millions of hand disinfectant containers are now available in the most crowdie places, face masks are being used everyday especially in Asiatic countries, making these companies richer than they ever imagine.

These prevention measures are showing to be quite effective to avoid the spreading of this new virus. But, do all these means justify the ends?! Is this infection as bad as the media tells us?! Since the first case in Portugal, 9600 people were infected. This number ascends to more than 15000 in Germany. In both countries there were no deads yet. 20000 are infected in Hong Kong and there were only 13 deceased people making a 0,065% mortality rate (and I did not forget to multiply by 100 to obtain percentage). More, most of the people die from previous conditions that complicate the H1N1 infection. Aren’t there much more lethal diseases in the world? Are the diseases that kill millions per year (tuberculosis, AIDS, malaria, pneumonia, dysentery) starting to be forgotten?

The new vaccine is being made in a record time in order to control this pandemic. Normally a new drug needs more than 7 years of strict trials before it is approved. Is this going to reduce its safety for the population? Even more, the priority groups (children and pregnant women) should be the ones to which a new drug is available later, after several studies proving its effectiveness and safety.

According to the newspaper The Mail (USA), the Health Protection Agency sent a letter to senior neurologists to evaluate the connection between the shot and the Guillain-Barré syndrome that develops within few days after the injection. It is not new that vaccine against the seasonal Influenza can cause this ascending paralyzing syndrome, but the percentage is really low and the condition has, normally, a benign course with a complete recovery in 80% of cases. 20% of people die, do not regain movement or become dependent on breathing machines. This percentage can be higher in this new vaccine. There are no studies yet.

What exactly should we be worried about?
Are we making some few people millionaires to save ‘nothing’ while others really die elsewhere in the world?
Is this new vaccine safe and should it be commercialized without following the normal clinical trials?
Is this a truth pandemic or no more than a different strain of a flu virus slightly more contagious than seasonal ones?

Some curiosities about the Human body

2009-09-13T15:45:00.000+02:00

- The brain needs 10W of energy to work (the sum of the small pieces making a computer needs more than 300W and just the motherboard needs 20-30W);
- Each single neuron responsible for memory has a storage capacity that is equivalent to 5 British Encyclopaedias;
- 80% of the brain is made of water and it uses 20% of the total oxygen body consumption;
- After decapitation the consciousness is preserved for 15-20sec (morbid!!);

- During the whole life we produce enough saliva to fulfil 2 swimming pools;
- By the age of 60 we lost already more than half of the gustatory papillae;
- A sneeze can achieve 160km/h and travel 300m;
- The liver has more than 500 known functions;

- The human heart creates enough pressure to project the blood 10m away;
- Women’s heart beats faster than men’s;
- Monday is the day with higher risk to have a myocardial infarction;
- We have around 96,500km of blood vessels in our body, twice the Earth’s circumference;

- It is impossible for a person to tickle him/herself;
- Each hair follicle can support a weight of 110g;
- The hand’s middle finger nail grows faster than the others;
- Feet can produce up to 500mL of sweat per day;

- The smallest and the biggest human cells are the ones that originate life, the spermatozoa and the egg, respectively;
- Most of men have erections during sleep every hour or hour and a half;
- Each day there are around 100million sexual relationships on Earth which makes 4,17million per minute;

Adapted from Sábado

Muslim's on the world

2009-09-11T19:21:00.000+02:00

Should we be concerned?!

E foi assim há 5 anos...

2009-09-11T02:08:00.000+02:00

A 8 de Outubro de 2004 noticiava-se o afastamento de Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa da TVI, por pressão governamental, da então coligação PSD-CDS. Um comentador que muitas vezes colocava o governo em posições desconfortáveis mas que, como qualquer cidadão, tem o seu direito de liberdade de expressão. O mesmo acontece agora, por um governo de partido diferente mas que também se sentiu de certa forma ameaçado com as investigações jornalísticas de Manuela Moura Guedes. Primeiro o chefe da casa, depois a pivot de sexta-feira, não pelo seu estilo muitas vezes satirizado pelo público mas pelas pressões exercidas por um governo democrático, defensor das liberdades dos cidadãos. As mesmas liberdades que levaram a um trabalho sério por parte da jornalista (que nem sempre foi imparcial), mostrando que é possível a informação e não apenas a intoxicação de “desinformação” e “deseducação” a que estamos já habituados. Dois grandes casos mediáticos foram investigados e desenvolvidos por esta estação televisiva, o caso da Universidade Independente e o caso Freeport. Por se terem tornado um obstáculo em plena campanha eleitoral, afastam-se os indesejados, aqueles que expõem a realidade política. Continua a máxima de fazer o que for preciso para ganhar, assegurar um lugar em vez de se lutar pela liberdade de expressão e se defender os direitos dos cidadãos.

Portuguese police vs. Czech police

2009-08-27T19:59:00.000+02:00

Not declaring and not even guaranteeing the efficacy of these different countries institutions, I would like to show you some pictures showing the 2 stereotypes. Even if there are men and men (or women) I think the idea running in the society is quite good expressed.

Portuguese example:

And the Czech example:

With these images I don't want to say that Czech police is better than Portuguese one. I want to stress that changes are needed in the Portuguese police way of admittance, formation and training of the society protectors. The authority is the police, not the thieves. The punishments are monetary fines (when applicable) and prison, not the (literally) term of identity and residence (the obligation of a person that committed a crime to present himself to the police once every week/month). The police as an institution that defends the citizens that fullfill the law has the duty of controlling the outlaws and calling them to the court, not the simple presence of the officers, which does not discourage the crime. Action is needed!
The number of people wanting to become a policeman in Portugal is quite good. however there is a limit number of candidates by law. This number should be increased, not to increase the number of policemen formed, but to increase the range of selection. More accepted candidates would permit also a greater exclusion of people that are not qualified for the job.

The symbolism of the Swastik cross

2009-08-27T15:41:00.000+02:00

During my trip to Hong Kong, I had the possibility of visiting the Tian Tan Buddha statue, located on Ngong Ping village in Lantau island. I was extremely surprised by the symbol carved on the chest’s statue. A swastika! This brought me to search a little to become a bit less ignorant. I was a complete layman when looking at the statue. I was just thinking “WTF is wrong here?!”

Well the swastika is indeed an ancient symbol with many different meanings that became corrupted by the bloody chapter of the Nazism period. It can be seen in the art of Egyptians, Romans, Greeks, Celts, Native Americans, Persians, Indian, Hindus and Buddhists.

The list is extensive so let’s just focus in some of the crowd.

To Buddhists, the swastika represents the Dharma (“one's righteous duty or any virtuous path in the common sense of the term”), auspiciousness and good fortune as well as the Buddha’s footprints and heart. It can be found oriented to both sides (clockwise – to the right; and counter clockwise – to the left). In the first case, it represents strength and intelligence (ura manji) and, when facing left, it expresses love and mercy (omote manji). In China and Japan, the Buddhist swastika is seen as a symbol of plurality, eternity, abundance, prosperity and long life.

To Hindus the clockwise swastika is a symbol of the sun, the god Vishnu (the supreme God), the evolution of the universe; while the counter clockwise represents magic , Kali Yuga (“last of the four stages that the world goes through as part of the cycle of yugas described in the Indian scriptures”), the involution of the universe.

The Native Americans also used the swastika, with different meanings among the several tribes: the octopus that created the world (for the Kuna people), a ritual of healing (Hopi people)…

Finally when it was adopted by Adolf Hitler’s party the swastika could be understood as “the symbol of the creating, acting life” and as “race emblem of Germanism”. The red colour of the flag represented the social idea of the movement while in white the nationalistic idea. This horrific period of History added wrong interpretations to the ancient swastika and all the mysticism around it, especially in the youth population of the western world where its representation is even prohibited in some countries and always associated with slaughter and death.

“People only see what they are prepared to see”

Grandes Obras Públicas

2009-08-16T00:27:00.000+02:00

Aqui pela Ásia, enquanto faço tempo para que amanheça, descobri um email enviado por um amigo onde se encontrava parte da crítica escrita por Miguel Sousa Tavares e publicada no Expresso.
Apesar de, pessoalmente, desgostar do autor, este texto tenta elucidar aos Portugueses a maneira como somos vistos lá de fora: eternos ignorantes caídos na tolerância da arrogância dos sucessivos governos que têm marcado a política nos últimos anos. Resumindo:
- auto-estradas sem veículos,
- potencial agrícola sub-aproveitado e até abandonado,
- falta de iniciativa para a modernização das linhas ferroviárias já existentes,
- o projecto ridículo do TGV e a comparação com o TGV escandinavo (que não existe nem há planos para existir nestes países evoluídos, tidos como modelo para os restantes),
- alternativas pouco estudadas à construção de raíz de um novo aeroporto,
- investimentos que prometiam mais e melhor e continuam sem estarem concluídos.

Vale a pena ler este balanço, em tom de conversa:
http://aeiou.expresso.pt/esta-noite-sonhei-com-mario-lino=f523352

Hannah Clark

2009-08-07T21:29:00.000+02:00

She is a 16 year old girl whose story travelled around the world. During early childhood she had a cardiomyopathy and to overcome this situation a heart transplant was necessary. At the time, doctors decided to perform it using the “piggy-back” technique. This means, like in a kidney transplant, that the original organ(s) stays inside the body. For the kidneys it is really convenient because a retroperitoneal operation, which is extremely difficult, is avoided. However, in the case of the heart, the original diseased organ is normally removed and replaced by the donor’s one. Well, after transplantation she needed immunosuppressant therapy for life to avoid the rejection of the new organ. The drugs depressed her immune system and eventually she got lymphoma. Doctors had now a new challenge. To treat the tumor, chemotherapy was needed but for that, the immunosuppressant drugs had to be stopped leading to the rejection of the donor’s heart by Hannah´s immune system. Luckily she still had her original heart, which recovered from the cardiomyopahty through all these 14 years after transplantation. The chemotherapy solved the lymphoma, the donor’s heart was removed and Hannah has now a completely normal life without needing of almost any medication. Doctors were not expecting such a recovering from her heart. This opens new thoughts for the future heart transplants in children!

O Testamento Vital

2009-08-07T15:43:00.000+02:00

Não percebo muito sobre o “Testamento Vital”. Não fazia ideia do que se tratava até pesquisar um pouco mais. Fiquei surpreendido ao constatar que muitos países Europeus terem adoptado um documento semelhante, antecipando-se, como sempre, às mudanças em Portugal. Foi proposto pela primeira vez por Louis Kutner em 1969, nos Estados Unidos. Trata-se de um documento que pode ser assinado quando uma pessoa se encontra em perfeita lucidez mental e que visa expressar a sua vontade de limitar as intervenções médicas em caso de uma doença incurável; determina “quais os cuidados de saúde que deseja ou não receber no futuro, no caso de, por qualquer causa, se encontrar incapaz de prestar o consentimento informado de forma autónoma". Assim, ao ser assinado o documento limita as actividades médicas à manutenção do conforto do doente e controlo da dor. Desta forma, depois de se confirmar que a doença é incurável e irreversível, o paciente evita intervenções invasivas que poderiam ou não melhorar o seu estado de saúde geral. No entanto, é direito do doente a defesa da sua dignidade, pelo que o documento, depois de devidamente analisado e avaliado deve ser adoptado, mesmo tendo como consequência a limitação do acto médico. Consta então que a proposta apresentada pelo Governo não reunia todas as condições para a sua adopção, tendo sido reprovado pelo Conselho Nacional de Ética para as Ciências da Vida. Este diploma tinha já sido aprovado em Assembleia da República pelo PS e PCP, com a abstenção do BE e votos contra do PSD e CDS. O Governo decidiu então não levar o diploma a Belém com receio de um veto do Presidente da República. Com tantas dúvidas pelo meio torna-se evidente que o documento deve ser revisto o mais depressa possível de modo a ser aprovado e dignificar os doentes em Portugal. Caso curioso segue-se a estas múltiplas encruzilhadas... O Prof. João Lobo Antunes foi afastado do Conselho Nacional de Ética para as Ciências da Vida por razões ainda por esclarecer o que, segundo o semanário SOL deixou o Presidente da República “estupefacto”. Muitas confusões que só prejudicam e atrasam um documento simples, tornado em mais um caso de burocracia e política com desacatos entre o Governo e um orgão independente (que muitos dizem pretender controlar). No final, a mesma conclusão de sempre, trocam-se as pessoas nas diferentes instituições da maneira que vais convém aos governantes e não de forma a trabalhar e lutar por um País melhor, mais transparente e menos burocrático.

Farmacêuticos vs 'Delivery boys'

2009-08-06T14:38:00.000+02:00

Elisabete Mota Faria, Presidente da Ordem dos Farmacêuticos propõe um novo estatuto para os inúmeros farmacêuticos em Portugal. Depois de 5 anos de estudos no Ensino Superior, muitos outros como licenciados, os farmacêuticos recebem agora a sugestão de fazer o acompanhamento de qualquer medicamento que saia de uma farmácia hospitalar até chegar ao doente. Apesar da medida parecer sensata, já que aumenta a segurança neste trajecto (isto depois dos recentes casos de cegueira por explicar no Hospital de Santa Maria, em Lisboa), há que relembrar que existem Auxilares de Saúde, Voluntários e outros que poderiam assegurar o correcto itinerário de qualquer medicamento dentro de um hospital. Será mesmo necessário colocar os próprios farmacêuticos, que já têm de se preocupar com muito, a fazer de ‘delivery boys’?!

O Serviço Nacional de Saúde

2009-08-04T14:51:00.000+02:00

O SNS (Serviço Nacional de Saúde) foi criado em 1979 com objectivo de assegurar cuidados de saúde a todos os Portugueses. Nos seus fundamentos originais, um sistema nacional de saúde pretende assegurar que todos, independentemente do status social, recebem os cuidados de saúde adequados e, ao mesmo tempo gratuitos. Há muito que a introdução de taxas moderadoras acabou com a definição de uma saúde gratuita.

A própria Constituição Portuguesa levanta dúvidas quanto à interpretação do artigo 64, ponto 2, alínea a) que explicita: “O direito à protecção da saúde é realizado através de um serviço nacional de saúde universal e geral e, tendo em conta as condições económicas e sociais dos cidadãos, tendencialmente gratuito”. O que se entende pela expressão “tendencialmente gratuito”? Onde se encontra a transparêcia da própria Constituição quando são utilizadas expressões que levantam tais dúvidas? Ainda há semanas atrás pudemos ver a facilidade como, pelas diversas interpretações que se podem fazer, a Constituição pode ser posta em causa! Refiro-me ao episódio de Alberto João Jardim e à tentativa de proibição do comunismo enquanto partido político: "a democracia não deve tolerar comportamentos e ideologias autoritárias e totalitárias, não apenas de direita, caso do fascismo, esta expressamente prevista no texto constitucional em vigor, como igualmente de esquerda, caso do comunismo". Tais dúvidas não devem surgir no documento de uma Nação e por isso este não deve ser algo estático, fixo mas sim um documento passível de alterações, de modo a preservar a sua transparência, à medida que os tempos mudam.

Voltando ao SNS, agora vendo outra perspectiva. É imcomportável, nos dias que correm assegurar um serviço totalmente gratuito, onde o investimento provém dos impostos pagos pelos contribuintes. Primeiro porque a corrupção e a falta de transparência tingem o próprio SNS. Por exemplo para se chegar a director de um serviço de medicina, um médico não precisa de ser competitivo à partida, já que este cargo é designado pelo Chefe de Serviço e não por um concurso em que se prima pela qualidade do médico em si. Ou seja, se o médico aspirante a director, seguir as directrizes do chefe está em vantagem em relação a outro médico que, apesar de não ser da opinião do chefe, terá desenvolvido e mostrado mais trabalho e competência do que qualquer outro.

Segundo porque o serviço público não abrange apenas o tratamento dos doentes mas também o ensino da arte que é a Medicina. Isto tem custos adicionais e torna o serviço público mais caro do que qualquer outra instituição de saúde privada. Estamos a formar médicos às custas dos contribuintes para depois exercerem a sua profissão no privado, onde o próprio contribuinte que pagou parte da formação de um médico, não pode agora aceder aos seus cuidados!

Terceiro o SNS foi criado tendo por base a carreira médica, pelo que a sua implementação primava a igualidade entre médicos que atingem determinados patamares da sua carreira. Isto é, cargo igual, salário igual. Esta medida cai na mediocridade e na má produtividade pois não premeia o esforço individual na procura de melhores cuidados. Uma vez mais, os hospitais privados ultrapassaram este sistema, premeando a eficácia, conhecimento e produtividade de médicos individuais.

A meu ver, o SNS deveria ser então um Sistema de Saúde que englobasse quer as instituições públicas, quer as instituições privadas de modo a garantir um acesso justo aos cuidados de saúde. O sistema público por si só, tem obrigação de assegurar os cuidados de saúde primário de modo a receber qualquer paciente e encaminhá-lo às diferentes especialidades médicas. Estas poderiam fazer parte ou não da instituição pública, sendo que se não o fossem, deveriam existir acordos entre o Estado e a instituição privada em causa de modo a aumentar a qualidade dos serviços de saúde e, paradoxicalmente, diminuir os custos da saúde em Portugal.