Bertrand Russell

Happy Yom Kippur everybody! Let's celebrate with a slightly non-Kosher dish (thank you Philippe!): 

a 1959 interview of Bertrand Russell (pbuh!) on God.

"Well there can’t be a practical reason to believing what isn’t true. I rule it out as impossible. Either a thing is true or it isn’t. If it is true you should believe it and if it isn’t you shouldn’t. And if you cannot find out if it is true or isn’t you should suspend judgement. It seems to me a fundamental dishonesty and a fundamental treachery to intellectual integrity to hold a belief because you think it is useful and not because you think it is true."

Bertrand Russell caricature

Nostalgia

Many a Portuguese person lives in more than one century (usually not even consecutive centuries).

Yet the country is a "fortress of spume"

image of Lisbon from 'El Atlas del Rey Planeta', by Pedro Teixeira, 1634

Map of the Portuguese Colonies - 1970s

Estado Novo Propaganda "Portugal Is Not a Small Country" - map of the Portuguese Empire vs. Europe

Estado Novo Propaganda "Portugal Is Not a Small Country" - map of the Portuguese Empire vs. the USA

Downtown Lisbon - Terreiro do Paço in September 1936 - Luftschiff Zeppelin 129 Hindenburg

Live Hangings - Denver Airport August 2010 newsletter on Colorado attractions:


"Cañon City, Colorado: The death penalty has long been a fixture of American justice, and here you can witness a live hanging, then snap a photo of the unfortunate victim as he swings lifelessly from his noose - perhaps not the perfect postcard to send home to mom, but certainly memorable..."

... errr and there is also Colorado's "Cannibal Trail"!

I just love Americana!!!!

What next? The Saddam theme park in Baghdad? The full Saddam experience, with the execution as the cherry on the cake?

"Keep Turkey Outside the European Union"

Turkey: Saying no is Saving Europe

Facebook cause

"Keep Turkey Outside the European Union" has now reached 5.000 members."

Join it for a European future for Europe. Ottomans were once at the walls of Vienna, now they are at the walls of Brussels. Help defend the ramparts!

Gaza's borders

Map of Gaza, a territory wich borders both Egypt and Israel

All this emphasis on the Gaza blockade sounds rather silly when you look at the map.

Gaza has a border with Egypt, the Arab and Muslim "friends" of Palestine.

Gaza is not an enclave in Israel!

Yet, the Egyptians choose to have the Rafah border closed or on reduced flow most of the time. This applies both to people and goods. Even if the Egyptians consider most Gazans to be to unsavory to cross the border, they could choose to allow imports and exports.

So, no fleet of trucks to be sent across the Sinai desert?

All the Arab rhetoric sounds very cynical when Egypt chooses to keep its own border everything but close.

May we guess that Egypt is not terribly in love with Hamas?

... on the other hand it is scary to think that Turkey is! The AK party shows its true colours.

Rafah crossing - links Egypt to Gaza

Portugal twined with Sonangol

Cartoon from "Inimigo Público". Blood stained, petro-corrupt Angolan dictator Eduardo dos Santos (Zédu) is buying half of Portugal.

"Portugal 'gemina-se' com Sonangol"

Kennedy and Kruschev... the wives!

American vs. Soviet glamour in the 1960's...

Mrs Kennedy and Mrs Kruschev...
(Нина Хрущёва и Жаклин Кеннеди)

...and how tables turn and times change:

Princess Letizia of Spain, French First Lady Carla Bruni and.... Michelle Obama - left to right... from behind.

(the 'derrières')