mara « WordPress.com Tag Feed

1001 domande sull'open source

marapieri — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 22:51:08 +0000

Il primo capitolo del libro di Weber “The success of open source” mi è sembrato molto interessante per diversi motivi.

In primo luogo, perchè parte da alcune domande di fondo forse scontate, ma proprio perchè scontate, facili da perdere di vista nel momento in cui ci si avvicina ad analizzare il fenomeno dell’open source: perchè dovremmo interessarci al fenomeno dell’open source? Perchè il tema ci affascina e ci appare intrigante sotto moltissimi punti di vista diversi? E, infine, perchè costituisce un fenomeno differente da molti altri sviluppatisi nell’”era della comunicazione”, pur condividendo con alcuni di essi molteplici aspetti?

L’impianto del ragionamento sviluppato da Weber si basa sul concetto di proprietà, e questo costituisce un secondo elemento secondo me piuttosto interessante. La proprietà come la intendiamo comunemente, infatti, nella riflessione dell’autore, non è che una delle accezioni possibili del concetto. Attraverso spunti che passano dal filosofico al sociologico, passando per esempi di tipo economico (quello della Coca Cola, in particolare, molto significativo), Weber arriva a definire uno dei punti più importanti del capitolo: il concetto di proprietà, calato nel fenomeno dell’open source, diventa intrinsecamente legato alla volontà di distribuzione. Così, il diritto a possedere è sostituito dal diritto a diffondere la conoscenza creata e modificata, e a distribuire il proprio lavoro tra moltissimi altri utenti autodeterminati e, in modo ideale, paritari.

Da qui, il passo successivo del ragionamento chiama prevedibilmente in causa i fondamenti di tutte le teorie dell’organizzazione del lavoro e della gerarchia di potere ad essa legata.

Il fenomeno dell’open source, infatti, smonta tali fondamenti, di fatto facendo emergere numerosi interrogativi sulla natura della governance che si crea all’interno di un processo produttivo che per dimensione e impatto ha raggiunto livelli estremamente complessi. In altre parole, come può accadere che tante persone in così diverse parti del mondo, e in tali quantità, si dedichino per scelta volontaria e senza retribuzione allo sviluppo di un software che non porterà gloria a nessuno di loro? Come può venirsi a creare una dinamica di coordinamento e divisione del lavoro senza la creazione di una gerarchia?

Weber, chiaramente, non risponde a queste domande in questo capitolo, e non so se lo faccia nella parte restante del libro; certamente, tuttavia, lascia intravvedere che la questione è meno idealistica e idilliaca di quello che si potrebbe pensare. Ovvero, che sarebbe troppo rassicurante pensare che non si formino gerarchie di potere all’interno di questo processo, o che la maggior parte degli sviluppatori siano mossi da una genuina volontà di contribuire alla libera conoscenza come ideale tout court.

L’autore infine presenta quattro macro-aree all’interno delle quali può muovere il ragionamento sull’open source:

il contesto della rivoluzione di internet, per le sue caratteristiche, porta a ritenere come non siano la presenza dell’open source in sé, né tantomeno la diffusione di Linux o di Apache, a costituire una rivoluzione, quanto piuttosto l’insieme dei processi che hanno creato questi fenomeni
il contesto potremmo dire relazionale, ovvero lo spazio simbolico nel quale la comunità di sviluppatori di software open source interagisce, costruisce, definisce le proprie pratiche e le proprie identità; in altre parole, come stabilisce i propri principi organizzativi
lo stretto legame, già evidenziato, tra processi economici e nozione di proprietà all’interno del contesto dell’open source, e la fondamentale differenza tra il diritto a possedere e il diritto a distribuire e diffondere
la portata del fenomeno, soprattutto in relazione al futuro, ovvero pensando all’esistenza di altri ‘knowledge domains’ in grado di essere assimilabili, dal punto di vista della struttura, all’esperienza dell’open source

Infine, dunque, il testo pone diverse questioni, che in qualche modo mi sembra abbraccino più o meno tutti gli ambiti che il dibattito sull’open source chiama in causa: quello economico, quello sociologico, quello politico. Proprio per questo, ho l’impressione che l’apparente banalità e semplicità delle domande non debba lasciar presumere che le risposte, se presenti nella parte restante del libro e da parte di altri partecipanti al dibattito, saranno pacifiche, univoche o di facile formulazione.

Miss Windswept, Miss Vintage, Miss Bennett...and Rob, presents

Aleksandra Blåstrømpe — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 19:05:19 +0000

Teatime in Lauren’s kitchen:

“And she keeps asking me if I know what the different vegetables are called, if I have tasted them and if we have them in Germany. I’m a vegetarian! What would I eat else than vegetables?” – Mara

“And then she said: ‘oh, Germany, that’s right next to Asia, isn’t it’?” – Mara

Mara: I don’t understand why people don’t know these things. Like, who doesn’t know where Oslo is?
Alex: Well, most people don’t know where it is.
Lauren: I remember you being so surprised when you told me you came from Oslo and I went ‘that’s the capital, right?’ and you just went “Yes, yes, yes! Yes, it is!”

“And then she asked me if I was Jewish and I replied no. And she went: ‘are you sure?’ ‘Oh, now that you ask I’m not sure! I’ll call my parents. Hello, mum? I didn’t know we were we Jewish? Since when?!’ […] And later he came into my living room and for some reason my grandparents Hanukah chandelier stood on the floor, but they’re not Jewish so I don’t know why they had it. And he just said ‘oh, so you are Jewish?’” – Mara

Lauren: What does he do when he’s taking the underground though, being colour blind? […] They’ve not really thought it through; what colour…coloured…col-
Alex: [Laughing] What coloured people do when they’re taking the tube?
Mara: Oh Lauren, you’re such a rascist. I’m offended, as an Asian, Jewish, Nazi, I’m offended.

Mara on Twilight:
“And how long does it take her to realize that he’s a werewolf? The best part is where the wolves are coming and she’s like ‘run for your life!’ He’s even got the same tattoo as them and they’re wearing identical outfits. It’s not like they’re in a boyband!”

Lauren: You are posh aren’t you? You have ensuite bathroom?
Alex: Yes, I do.
Mara: Oh you’re posh? We can’t hang out with you then as we’re strictly working class people. We’re werewolves and you’re a vampire!
Alex: Hurray, I’m sparkly!

Alex: Oh, you’ve also put up the Globe poster. I have mine on the wall facing my bed so I can look at it.
Lauren: I thought about that, but I’m easily scared. I don’t want to wake up, see the poster and be frightened.
Alex: Frightened by that poster? ‘Oh no! It’s a roof! Help!”
Mara: ‘Wait, something is wrong: there’s a roof on my wall!’

Nine hours of shopping:

“Last night I was so tired that I suddenly began speaking Welsh to myself. It was just random words, because I can’t even speak it properly!” – Lauren, who is going insane

Lauren: ‘Women blink twice as often as men.’
Alex: What?
Lauren: It says so on the Snapple cork.
Alex: Oh, I thought it was just a general observation.

“Wait, let me write that down: ‘women blink twice as often as men’. What’s the drink called? Which date is it today? [Writes] I shall write this down for future generations to enjoy. One day I’ll have enough to just talk like that, ‘a ripe cranberry will bounce.’ I’ll never say anything else than what’s written on the Snapple bottle.” – Mara describes her future plans

“Girls, focus! Focus on what we came here for!” – Mara as Lauren headed for the turquoise 1950-dresses and Alex strolled about hunting for Jane Austen inspired clothing.

Mara being satirical, or how some people (not Lauren, though), thinks that there isn’t any vegetables or spoons in Germany:
Lauren: What are you having?
Mara: It’s just tomato, spinach and such.
Lauren: Your first time isn’t it? How do you like it?
Mara: Oh, vegetables! Can I please eat it with a spoon? Back in Germany I used to eat everything with my hands and I got burned when I tried to eat soup. But now I have a spoon!

Mara being satirical II, or how some people believe that there’s polar bears roaming the streets of Oslo:
“I can imagine you on the tube, right next to a polar bear going: ‘oh, hello, erm… Yes, yes I’m also going off at this station.’ Because everybody knows that polar bears on the tube are completely usual in Oslo.”

Mara: [Picking up a stuffed polar bear] Aleksandra, does this remind you of home?

Alex: [Holding her shopping bag with he teeth while putting on her coat]
Mara: Do you want some help with that?
Alex: Thanks, I’ll manage.
Mara: So that’s how you do it in Norway! You have to carry your bags in your mouth to have your hands free to fight off the polar bears!

Mara: […] I have my wooden spoon and Aleksandra has to defend herself against polar bears…
Lauren: While I run around in Wales with flowers in my hair.
Mara: You know the Oktoberfest, right? I have never been to one, no Germans ever go to them, they’re just for American tourists.
Lauren: But the Welsh stereotype is actually true, though.

While strolling around Strand and Trafalgar Square:
Random 40-50ish business man named James: Oh my god! Here I was thinking it was 2009, but when I look at you it’s suddenly 1949! [Kisses Mara’s hand and goes on talking about how men nowadays never looks at a woman’s face and that the man should never ask for the woman’s number, just give her his and hope she’ll call him] It is like a chocolate he is offering and it is up to her when she will open it. So, could I give you my number?
Mara: Erm…
James: Would you call me back?
Mara: They didn’t have cellphones in 1949.

Alex: [Blocks the way of a random man walking down Regent Street]
Mara: [Sarcastic] Aleksandra, what are you doing?
Alex: I’m dancing with strangers!

Lauren: Do you want some food?
Rob: I didn’t bring a fork.
Mara: Why? I told you to bring a fork, didn’t I?
Rob: Yes, but I didn’t understand what for.
Mara: What did you think?! What did you think we wanted a fork for?
Alex: To poke you with it?
Mara: ‘I have a wooden spoon here in my purse, you brink a fork and let’s fight!’

Rob: The actual Timewarp that’s being danced in clubs all over the country is actually easier. The one in the film is more complicated.
Mara: Erm, it’s just a jump to the left and seven steps to the right?
Alex: And then your hands on your hips.
Mara: How is that complicated?
Alex: Well, I suppose it is if you don’t have any legs or arms.
Mara: [Laughing] You can still wriggle your hips, though!

Lauren: I can’t remember if I read that somewhere or Stephen Fry told me.
Alex: I don’t think Stephen Fry told you it personally! It was probably on QI.
Lauren: That would have been something! [Mimes she’s on the phone] ‘Hello, this is Stephen Fry, I was just calling to say that [random fact]. That’s all, bye Lauren!’

Mara, to Rob: “You can’t kill someone. You can’t even run!”

While watching Some Like It Hot:
Mara: Where did she [Marilyn Monroe] get the ice from?!
Alex: It’s winter, so she probably broke it off from the roof of the train or something.
Mara: Well, that’s perhaps how you do it in Norway, but…

Arara de mara 12-01-2008

Santiago del Río — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 04:34:52 +0000

DIARIO DE SANTIAGO DEL RÍO. 12 DE ENERO DE 2008. A la madrugada se oyeron grandes pisadas alrededor

A Message to the Prime Minister of Canada

operationwatch — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 06:34:37 +0000

I’ll start this blog by posting an email exchange between the office of our prime minister, the Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper, and me. I’m leaving out the names of the people directly involved in the exchange.

What follows is the first of the emails in the exchange. I wrote and sent this email to the Prime Minister’s office at pm@pm.gc.ca

September 30, 2009

Dear Prime Minister Harper,

Thank you very much for taking the time to read my letter. I’m a Canadian citizen. I partly want to address your statement about Canada not having a history of colonialism, but the contents of my letter go beyond this topic. I understand that a lot of letters pass through your office, so I have put a lot of thought into the content of this letter.

In addition to the issue of Canada’s aboriginals who are undoubtedly upset by this comment, I would like to point out another issue that I have not seen raised as often.

As we know, your comment was made in the context of the G20 conference where much of the discussion involved the topic of international trade. It’s clear to me that several Canadian mining companies are operating in economically underdeveloped countries around the world, and are doing so in a way that is unmonitored by us in Canada. These operations are often carried out under the pretext that they bring economic development to poor regions of the world, which is in part true. However, at the same time there is the implicit assumption that the countries where these operations are occurring are sufficiently developed to be able to deal with the dangers to life and health and human rights that are brought about by these activities.

In the interest of keeping this letter short, I won’t give a long list of examples. One example that comes to mind due to its immediate urgency is the North Mara mine in Tanzania. This mine, which is operated by Barrick Gold Corporation with headquarters in Toronto, has been accused of spilling toxic chemicals into a river that supports people, their livestock, and wildlife. The North Mara mine is expected to increase production this year. I don’t understand how we in Canada could allow companies such as Barrick Gold to continue to operate unmonitored while such a reality exists. Certainly such a thing would never be allowed to occur in Canada.

I would like to bring attention to the fourteenth report of The Canadian Parliament’s Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade which unequivocally states that “more must be done to ensure that Canadian companies have the necessary knowledge, support and incentives to conduct their activities in a socially and environmentally responsible manner and in conformity with international human rights standard.”

In addition, the Committee urged our government to “establish clear legal norms in Canada to ensure that Canadian companies and residents are held accountable when there is evidence of environmental and/or human rights violations associated with the activities of Canadian mining companies.”

As such, I would like to respectfully recommend a retraction of the colonialism statement that has caused so much controversy. I would also like to request the acknowledgement of two important realities: 1) that Canada has a history of colonialism that has impacted and is continuing to impact our own aboriginal population; and 2) that Canada is currently allowing companies, that are based in Canada, to operate abroad in a manner that is endangering human life, human health and human rights.

Again, thank you very much for taking the time to read my letter. I understand that you and the people in your office are very busy, so if you can find the time to respond I would be extremely grateful.

—————————————————————

Some links of interest follow.

1) The Fourteenth Report of The Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade :
http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=1961949&Mode=1&Parl=38&Ses=1&Language=E

2) An article from a Tanzanian newspaper discussing the pollution created by the North Mara mine: http://www.thisday.co.tz/News/6034.html

3) An article from Dow Jones Newswire discussing the same issue:
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/dj-tanzania-barrick-ltd-says-north-mara-wont-be-closed

4) An article by Ray Naluyaga from Bloomberg.com stating that the North Mara mine is expecting to increase production this year:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601116&sid=aTObv3CbGX70

The link from the Tanzanian newspaper was available at the time, and the Prime Minister’s office had an opportunity to view it although it’s currently not available. The article in question was published in the newspaper This Day. It’s titled Independent researchers detect high levels of pollution around North Mara gold mine and has been cached by Google here:
http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache:LE4-vvcVApcJ:www.thisday.co.tz/News/6034.html+site:thisday.co.tz&hl=en&strip=1

What follows is the reply that I received from the Prime Minister’s office. I didn’t have the foresight to inform them that I may decide to post their reply on the internet. However, given that their response is very similar to public statements that I have seen made by them about the colonialism comment, I decided that the fairest thing was for their point of view to be presented here.

October 23, 2009

On behalf of the Prime Minister, thank you for your recent correspondence regarding statements made by the Prime Minister at the G-20 Summit in Pittsburgh, and your concerns over the international operations of Canadian mining companies. We are pleased to have this opportunity to respond.

The Prime Minister’s remarks at the G-20 concerning “colonialism” were in regard to Canada’s history in foreign relations and were clearly understood as such by those that were present. The marginalization, mistreatment and racism towards Aboriginal people in the context of Canada’s domestic history, including colonialism within Canada, has never been denied or minimized by our government.

This past June marked the first anniversary of the Prime Minister’s formal apology to former students of Indian Residential Schools. We recognize that while the formal apology put all Canadians, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal, on the road to reconciliation together, there is still a long journey ahead. We are moving forward with implementation of the Indian Residential Schools Agreement and have established a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to document that sad chapter in our history and help chart a new course of reconciliation.

Our Government has taken real and tangible actions to come to terms with Canada’s past treatment of our indigenous people. We look forward to building on this progress, and continuing to work together to better the lives of Aboriginal people throughout Canada.

With regard to Canadian mining companies, we have taken the liberty of forwarding a copy of your correspondence to the office of the Hon. Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs. His office is in the best position to respond to the concerns you have raised.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write.

cc The Hon. Lawrence Cannon, P.C., M.P., Minister of Foreign Affairs

I was of course happy to receive a reply acknowledging the negative impact that history has had on Canada’s aboriginal people. The issue of whether or not our aboriginals are satisfied by this reply is something that I will leave up to them. Meanwhile, the other issue of importance from my letter has been passed on to our Minister of Foreign Affairs. I waited a month and did not receive a reply. I decided to send a new email to the Prime Minister’s office. That email follows.

November 23, 2009

Dear Prime Minister Stephen Harper:

Thank you very much for taking the time to respond to my letter. Let me start by saying that I’m very happy to be a citizen of a country where we are able to engage in open and free dialogue with our government and to make our concerns heard.

Thank you also for taking the time to pass my concerns on to our Minister of Foreign Affairs. A month has passed since your office sent my message to the Hon. Lawrence Cannon. I have not heard from his office. As such, I feel that the concerns that I expressed regarding the international operations of Canadian mining companies were not addressed. I understand that both of your offices deal with a lot of correspondence, and I understand that the work that you are doing is important, so I have put a lot of thought into what I am writing, and I am writing to you only because I consider my concern to be an important one.

We are in agreement that your statements at the G20 summit were made in the context of foreign relations. Let me remind you of what statement it is that I’m referring to. The press quoted you as having said the following: “We also have no history of colonialism. So we have all of the things that many people admire about the great powers but none of the things that threaten or bother them.” [1] In my previous letter, I mentioned the Fourteenth Report of The Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade [2] where it’s stated that “mining activities in some developing countries have had adverse effects on local communities, especially where regulations governing the mining sector and its impact on the economic and social well-being of employees and local residents, as well as on the environment, are weak or non-existent, or where they are not enforced.” Given this observation, I believe that the statement that you are quoted as having made at the G20 summit is false. From the conclusions that were given in this report, it is clear that companies with headquarters in Canada are being allowed to operate in a way that does threaten and bother people. We all say things that we later regret, or that come out differently from how we intend, so my interest is not to dwell on something that you have said. Instead, I would like to take this opportunity to bring awareness to the issues that the Committee has addressed, in the hope that we can fix the problems that their report has brought attention to.

In my previous letter, I provided the example of the North Mara mine that is run by Barrick Gold Corporation with headquarters in Toronto. This mine is located near Serengeti National Park in Northern Tanzania [3] and has been widely accused of poisoning people, livestock and wildlife following a spill of toxic chemicals from a mine that is expected to increase production in the coming year [4]. I also pointed out that I was aware of other issues, but did not discuss them in the interest of keeping my letter short.

I would like to now provide another example. About twelve kilometers outside of the highly-populated city of San Luis Potosí in Mexico, New Gold Inc., with headquarters in Vancouver, has been involved in a project that entails the demolition of the small mountain of Cerro de San Pedro [5]. Metric tonnes of explosive and sodium cyanide have been used daily in order to leach out silver and gold from the demolished remains of this mountain. If the project were to continue to completion, a crater measuring approximately a kilometer in width and 250 meters in depth is what would remain of Cerro de San Pedro, along with some heaps of waste and demolished rock that may pose a toxic hazard to the surrounding community.

For a moment, let’s pretend that it could be considered reasonable to allow a dangerous operation such as this one to be carried out a few kilometers away from a heavily populated area, in a country that’s known to be afflicted by corruption, unmonitored by us. Let’s also assume that, if something were to go awry, the safety of the people of San Luis Potosí would be considered to be more important than the uninterrupted operation of the mine. It would still be essential to consider that the demolished mountain is a site of important historical and cultural significance, and that explosions have been taking place only dozens of meters away from a centuries-old church.

San Luis Potosí itself is a very beautiful city of important historical and cultural significance. UNESCO hosts on its website a list of sites that signatory countries of their World Heritage Convention, countries such as for example Canada and Mexico, hope will be nominated for inclusion in UNESCO’s List of World Heritage sites. Mexico’s list has an item pertaining specifically to San Luis Potosí in which the mountain of Cerro de San Pedro is mentioned as being the genesis of this historical city [6]. On the coat of arms of San Luis Potosí, their patron saint, King Louis IX of France, is shown standing atop Cerro de San Pedro. This coat of arms was given to the people of San Luis Potosí by Viceroy Francisco Fernández de la Cueva, Duke of Albuquerque, at the time that San Luis Potosí was officially granted the title of City in 1656 [7]. I hope therefore you will agree that Cerro de San Pedro is of very important historical and cultural significance to the people of Mexico. Imagine for a moment how Canadians would feel if a foreign entity, motivated by profit, were to arrive in Canada and to obliterate an equivalent cultural landmark. Fortunately, the most recent news of this project is that it is in the process of being shut down by the Mexican authorities, although cyanide leaching operations are still continuing and the small mountain of Cerro de San Pedro has for the most part been destroyed [8]. If we in Canada had been more watchful, it would not have been necessary for things to go so far before the mine was shut down. It would have even been possible to prevent the project from going forward at all.

I would therefore like to ask you, our Prime Minister, if you would consider fixing this situation. Do people feel bothered or threatened when their sources of water are contaminated by toxic waste, or when a historical symbol that supports their patron saint on their coat of arms is demolished, soaked over a period of years in highly toxic substances, and replaced by an enormous crater and piles of rubble, a few kilometers outside of a city inhabited by a million people? Do you think that the reputation of Canadians around the world might not be affected by activities such as these? Please consider fixing the problems outlined in the Fourteenth Report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade. For your convenience, I’m providing the following assertions that have been extracted from this report:

The Government of Canada has a stated commitment to corporate social responsibility standards and international human rights norms.

Canada does not yet have laws to ensure that the activities of Canadian mining companies in developing countries conform to human rights standards.

It’s important for us to be clear that Canadians do indeed believe in social responsibility and human rights, and that we value the environment that we live in and care about other people’s cultural heritage.

Let me close by pointing out that it does not make sense for us to argue in favour of hazardous operations such as the ones that I’ve discussed as a way of bringing economic growth to poor regions of the world while simultaneously implying that the countries where the operations are occurring are sufficiently developed to be able to handle the challenges of these operations on their own. Furthermore, how can we argue that we can bring forward a positive example by doing trade with countries that are struggling with corruption if we then allow our own companies to engage at their own discretion in harmful practices in these same countries? I do not believe that the mining business is inherently bad. There are obviously very many good, honest, hard-working people who are involved in the mining sector. But hoping to navigate by chance the difficulties that these activities present is a very serious mistake.

Thank you very much for reading my letter and for hearing my concerns. I will be sharing the contents of my letters as well as the contents of your reply with fellow Canadians and with other people who care about and are affected by the issues that I have addressed in this letter. I look forward very much to receiving your reply.

—————————————————————

[1] An article that discusses this statement can be found here:
http://news.globaltv.com/money/Every%20nation%20wants%20Canada%20Harper/2037877/story.html

[2] The report may be found here:
http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=1961949&Mode=1&Parl=38&Ses=1&Language=E

[3] A map showing the location of the Tarime District where the North Mara Mine is located can be found here:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode&q=tarime&&sll=-1.944207,35.925293&sspn=7.515939,11.195068&z=6

[4] In my previous letter, I also provided a link to the following article from the Tanzanian newspaper This Day:
http://www.thisday.co.tz/News/6034.html.
If that link is unavailable then it is cached here:
http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache:LE4-vvcVApcJ:www.thisday.co.tz/News/6034.html+site:thisday.co.tz&hl=en&strip=1
Another article that discusses the same issue is available here:
http://www.thisday.co.tz/News/5970.html or here:
http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache:9Fh2F0A9BGoJ:www.thisday.co.tz/News/5970.html+site:thisday.co.tz&hl=en&-a&gl=us&strip=1

[5] A map that shows the location of the mine and the city of San Luis Potosí can be found here:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=22.198,+-100.814&sll
San Luis Potosí has a population of about one million people.

[6] To read the mention of Cerro de San Pedro, see the item on UNESCO’s website that is titled San Luis Potosí on the Mercury and Silver Route of the Intercontinental Camino Real, which is located here: http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5163/

[7] One possible place to read about this piece of history is the website of the tourism office of the municipality of San Luis Potosí:
http://www.sanluis.gob.mx/turismo/Historia-escudo.php (in Spanish).
A rough computer-generated translation of this site can be found here:
http://translate.google.com/translate?js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sanluis.gob.mx%2Fturismo%2FHistoria-escudo.php&sl=es&tl=en

[8] For information about the shutdown of this mine, see the following Forbes article:
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2009/11/19/business-materials-lt-mexico-canada-mine_7142909.html

In the version that I sent to the Prime Minister’s office there was a typo in footnote [7]. I said that the link on the history of Cerro de San Pedro was from the San Luis Potosí state tourism office, but it is in fact from the tourism office of the municipality of San Luis Potosí. Which tourism office it’s from is neither here nor there, but I mention it for the sake of being clear about anything that’s been changed from the version that the Prime Minister received.

Now it’s a matter of waiting for a reply.

arara de mara 11-01-2008

Santiago del Río — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:15:53 +0000

DIARIO DE SANTIAGO DEL RÍO. 11 DE ENERO DE 2008. Curvas y más curvas. Arara avanza por horas pero es

Rate East Africa

rocketscientress — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:18:53 +0000

1) Zimbabwe (Victoria Falls) 3.5 Stars

Pro:

intriguing political atmosphere and its effect on the people
Many action packed activities: Walking with lions, riding elephants, the infamous bungee jump, Gorge jumping
Enjoyed the hippy dive bar I went to

Con:

Victoria Falls did not live up to its name (atleast in May)… I like Niagra
Activities are high priced

2) Zambia (Zambezi River) 2 Stars

Pro:

Campsite on Zambezi River was beautiful
I love monkeys and there were thousands everywhere, also animals invade your campsite.. ever see the book “Monkey Portraits” (LOVE IT!)

Con:

lack luster overall

3) Malawi 4 Stars – Personal Favorite

Pro:

the reason it is my favorite is not because it is the best but because it involved connecting with the culture and the people
People in Malawi are very friendly and happy even though they are the poorest (makes you open your eyes ALOT)
The Area is beautiful, very lush, very relaxed and most of Malawi is on Lake Malawi

4) Tanzania 3.5 Stars

Pro:

All about safaris, and Masaii Mara culture, Snake Park is a must campsite
Ngorongoro crater is absolutely the most amazing spectacle in nature

Con:

Serengeti was lack luster, in fact null luster (but only because of bad timing… MAKE SURE TO GO ON SAFARI WHEN THE MIGRATION IS THERE BEFORE YOU SPEND $400

5) Zanzibar 5 Stars

Pro:

An island in the Indian Ocean almost speaks for itself. All Day Snorkeling, boating and huge lunch was well worth the $10?!?!? what
GO TO KENDWA ROCKS BAR ON HE NORTH SHORE AND DON”T FORGET THE MARKET ON THE SOUTH PART
It is not just an Island, it has sooo much culture, history, and don’t forget to take a Spice Tour… well worth it!

6) Nairobi, Kenya 3 Stars

Pro:

It is Nairobi, you must say that you have been there
You are instantly a celebrity if you are White. I felt like Britney Spears (maybe not a pro)

Con:

People Stalk you and hassle you
It is not particularly safe
Sites are nothing spectucular, unless you go kiss a Giraffe like me look at my travel page

7) Masai Mara (mostly Kenya) 4.5 Stars

Pro:

The GREAT MIGRATION WAS HERE…. sort of. Not in full force but it was here.
Felt like I was on the National geographic, scouting around… Kenya has more liberal laws about driving right up on animals
The Masaii Mara culture is interesting. From circumsizing girls/boys to killing lions for manhood.

If you would like to see pictures check out my Flickr or you can facebook friend me (let me know who you are and why you are adding me!!!) And as always, leave comments and feel free to ask questions.

UNICHUMMS

skotchtape — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:17:57 +0000

MRCJ

(: LOL

LEFT: ANGEL SINGER / RIGHT: CHAZZA & JAYZ.

(: RAHH . LOL

EATING TIMEEEE !!

REGINE’S BRUCHETTA — THEY WERE SO YUMMMY !!

*DROOOL.

jayzel : are you hungryy ??

arish : nahh – i`ve been progressively eating.

LOL !!

ARISH AND MARA- THE TURON ! ( WELL DONE GUYS .. ) / JAYZEL – PANCIT (: / REGINE – CUPCAKKESS !

88 FTW !!! AND BIG LOL AT MONIQUEEE . HAHA

TOP – MARA AND BIBZ “PLAYING” 3-LETTER WORD BOGGLE. ( HAHA LOVE YOU’S ) / BOTTOM – MRCJ / SIDE – ALI !! LOL

” JAYZEL, STOP ACTING LIKE YOU CARE ” – ARISH. LOOOOOL

MARA. REGINE. CHAZZA. JAYZEL

… the rest are on faceboook .

… thanks francis for taking the photoss

… we finally got to give chazza our birthday present. LOL

… awesome day !

i love you guys .

xoxox

Эксклюзивное интервью: Pidde Andersson

vxga — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:19:14 +0000

Pidde Andersson Расскажите немного о себе: кто вы, как вы начали работать в киноиндустрии? Ну, мне 4

Ma dau batuta.

Teodora — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:07:07 +0000

Oficial, ma dau batuta. Nu mai suport “Mara”. Mai am 100 de pagini si imi vine sa arunc cartea aia cat colo. E cea mai ingrozitoare carte pe care am citit-o vreodata. Ma scoate din sarite faptul ca vorbeste numai prostii si nu se concentreaza aproape deloc pe subiect. Astept de vreo 50 de pagini sa plece odata Persida la Viena, nu se intampla. Pai cand, Doamne iarta-ma? Dar deh, trebuia sa-si scoata si Slavici numarul de pagini, nu?

Deci gata, nu o mai citesc. Am incercat sa citesc pe sarite, nu se face conexiunea. Ei, imi pare rau. Am citit rezumatul ultimelor capitole pe net, asa ca stiu cam ce se intampla. “Morometii” am auzit ca e si mai oribila decat “Mara”.

Si apropo de “decat”. In fiecare dimineata aud la Kiss Fm, “decat la Kiss Fm”. Pai cum sa zici asa? Cum sa folosesti “decat” in loc de “doar”? Mi-a zis matusa mea ca ar zice asa doar ca sa ii imite pe incultii aia care folosesc “decat” in acest mod. Pai nu-i mai imitati! Apareti si mai prosti decat ei! Fereasca Domnul Dumnezeu, ce a ajuns si lumea asta?!

“Au apărut telefoane mobile inteligente. Unele mai inteligente chiar decât posesorii lor.” – Valeriu Butulescu.

“Un prost nu spune lucruri inteligente, dar un om inteligent spune multe prostii.” – G. Ibraileanu

O seara frumoasa!

Echipa de invingatori

andrasiatat — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:45:10 +0000

Am o buna prietena.Imi este una din cele 4 de suflet.

Am promis ca o voi promova ,nu fiindca imi este prietena,si nu fiindca are talent la scris si nici fiindca stiu ca intr-o zi imi va scrie biografia pentru ca deh cine as fi eu daca nu as fi AndraSiAtat(vorba asta este impumutata din biografia Edithei Piaf),ci pentru cei din articolul ei ,cei carora soarta le-a dar ceva in care sa creada ,desi poate la prima vedere niciunul din noi nu am crede in ei.Sunt de admirat,sunt de laudat,sunt de jos palaria.

Articolul il gasiti aici : http://www.adevarul.ro/articole/constanta-joaca-baschet-din-scaunul-cu-rotile.html ,

iar pe prietena mea o gasiti ca fiind autorul acestui articol, Mara Demir pe numele ei.

Semnat ,

Andra ,prietena Marei(si a Flaviei ca se supara ,si a lui Ivan si a Adrianei ca sa nu faceti urat! )

Marea

paulgsandu — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:39:10 +0000

(Marei, pe care o imbratisez numai si mult mai mult de atat)

Să mă risipesc în lucruri mărunte, fără sens, şi să mi se pară firesc. la marginea fiecărei zile, ca o călăuză obosită, umbra mea recade în mine şi suntem unul. când am învăţat să scriu a trebuit să dau ceva mult mai important în schimb. mi-am dat seama prea târziu de asta. şi aşa a început totul, apoi a fost o dimineaţă în care m-am trezit lângă trupul gol al Marei, prins în îmbrăţişarea ei, respirând aerul respirat mai înainte de ea, ca şi când cu picioarele care-mi ieşeau de sub pătură aş fi putut face fotosinteza. pe rând o să-mi aduc aminte de toate, sunt sigur de asta, o să recuperez tot ce-am pierdut începând de atunci, şi nu în cuvinte, ci în altceva.

Respiraţia Marei îmi ventila plămânii şi căldura ei ţinea loc oxigenului de care eu aveam până la urmă nevoie. Mara râdea în somn, era felul ei de-a visa, şi trupul ei tremura vag, ca şi când ar fi fost scuturat de o criză uşoară de epilepsie care trecea imediat sau mi se transmitea mie. trupul meu se bucura de visul Marei, şi râdea deodată cu ea, numai că pe mine începuse de atunci să mă doară starea de trezie şi câteva locuri din cameră. unele lucruri nu pot fi spuse, aşa cum oricât ai alerga de repede nu te poţi depărta nici o clipă de tine. cuvintele nu sunt numai pleoapa care descopără, ci şi pleoapa care acoperă, surâsul care se ascunde în surâs, vederea care se ascunde în privire. era prea puţin, nu mai era nimic în afară de îmbrăţişarea Marei, camera era goală numai trupul ei adormit se răspândise în câteva lucruri pe care le păstrase ea acolo. doar eu eram treaz şi sufeream de gânduri care se multiplicau şi îmi îmbolnăveau organismul, nu înţeleg de ce mă trezisem, în îmbrăţişarea Marei ar fi fost atât de uşor să nu mă mai nasc, să fiu deodată cu ea şi să-mi fie de-ajuns. pe rând o să-mi aduc aminte de toate, sunt sigur de asta, o să recuperez tot ce-am pierdut începând de atunci, şi nu în cuvinte, ci în altceva.

Toate amintirile mele sunt dizolvate în cuvinte, numai întunericul dinaintea amintirii e tot ce-mi amintesc şi tot ce am trăit cu adevărat. apoi, imediat naşterea, îmbrăţişarea adormită a Marei, genunchii ei pe care îi mângâiam zguduit vag de râsul ei, de umbra visului ei care ne învelea ca o pleopă. când mă născusem nu ştiu, lucrurile erau dinaintea mea şi mă priveau fără să mă privească. eram dintr-o dată acolo cu buzele lipite de sânul Marei ca şi când aş fi sărutat un ochi închis, ea râdea, amintindu-mi dizolvam totul; mă mutam înainte de amintire, numai acolo se poate trăi. apoi, brusc, cineva mă proiecta în astăzi ca pe o piatră în geamul unei clădiri. cu o violenţă, cu o intensitate de nesuportat devenisem eu însumi, mă mişcam în lume ca un păianjăn printre cuvinte şi lucruri. întunericul fusese înlocuit de ţipetele luminii, îmi era silă de aerul tare şi rece. eram viu într-o lume dezmărginită, invadat de zgomotul aiuritor al respiraţiei miliardelor de oameni, de insecte, de lucruri. totul se învâtea ameţitor cu mine, până când m-am prăbuşit pe asfaltul moale al lumii, inconştient. lumea e locul în care am pierdut totul. pe rând, o să-mi aduc aminte de toate, sunt sigur de asta, o să recuperez tot ce-am pierdut începând de atunci, şi nu în cuvinte, ci în altceva,

Am auzit-o spunându-mi, şi am recunoscut-o abia atunci când a izbucnit în râs şi trupul ei a fost străbătut de spasmul unei stări vagi de delir. Mara râdea de mine, de inocenţa gândului pe care îl purtam cu mine ca pe o scoică în care aş fi putut auzi, din când în când, Marea.

Morre a atriz Mara Manzan de câncer no pulmão

Fillipe — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:20:58 +0000

A atriz Mara Manzan, de 57 anos, morreu de câncer no pulmão. Ela estava internada desde sábado (7) no Hospital Rios D’or, em Jacarepaguá, na Zona Oeste do Rio, onde fazia tratamento. Sua última novela foi “Caminho das Índias”, como Ashima, uma indiana residente no Brasil.

Segundo o hospital, a doença estava em fase de metástase. A atriz faleceu às 8h15 desta sexta-feira (13).

A doença foi agravada, segundo ela mesma, por causa de um enfisema pulmonar causado pelo cigarro, que fumou durante 40 anos. Por causa do câncer, ela precisou deixar mais cedo a novela “Duas Caras”, onde interpretava Amara, para ser operada, e depois, já em “Caminho das Índias”, ficou algumas semanas afastada por causa da quimioterapia.

No último dia 5 de outubro, Mara escreveu um desabafo esperançoso em seu blog. “Hoje li uma frase do Neguinho da Beija-Flor que vale para todos nós: ’só da gente ter direito a vida, é o suficiente para viver sorrindo’. Quero morrer bem velhinha, ver meus netos grandes e trazendo alegria ao meu coração para meus queridos fãs que estiveram o todo o tempo do meu lado”, dizia a atriz.

1 THING 2 SAY 3 WORDS 4 YOU

skotchtape — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:59:09 +0000

If you are Sagittarius:
You are truly romantic. You are very trustworthy. You tend to get sentimental and feel very bad if someone breaks your trust. You enjoy a great rapport with the opposite sex. Acting mushy comes naturally to you. You are very active and adventurous in your romantic quests. Commitment is a feared word for you. You take time to commit. You do not get too possessive. You love fun and excitement in your relationships. You love to flirt with the opposite sex. You like your independence and want space in your relationships.

Your kissing style:
You are an impulsive kisser. Your deeply passionate kisses are remembered forever.

To attract you, the opposite sex must be:
encouraging, adventurous, stylish, witty, romantic, etc.

You are more compatible with – Gemini, Aries, Leo, Aquarius
You are less compatible with -Cancer, Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn

If you are Aquarius:
You are an exciting person to fall in love with. Your partner will feel lucky to be in love with you. You have a good sense of humor and your sweetheart will never feel bored with you. You are a very caring person. You like to flirt with the opposite sex. The opposite sex likes you because of your creative and innovative ideas. You are very loyal to your loved one and do not leave their side whatever be the case. At the same time, you are sensitive and emotional. You like to surprise your beloved with something or the other.

Your kissing style:
You are a seductive kisser. Truly enticing.

To attract you, the opposite sex must be:
Imaginative, different, must not be clingy, etc.

You are more compatible with -Aquarius, Gemini, Libra, Leo, Sagittarius
You are less compatible with -Taurus, Virgo, Cancer

If you are Libra:
You are fantastic and a very sexy lover. You love mush and romance in your relationships. You like to flirt even when you are committed but most of it is harmless fun. You tend to trust anyone very fast. So be careful because you fall in love too fast. You love peaceful dinners and relaxed evening walks with your partner. You are an extremely passionate lover and the opposite sex adores you for that. You express your love whenever and wherever you can. You take great care of your sweetheart and shower all your attention on your sweetheart.

Your kissing style:
Your kisses are wild and amazing.

To attract you, the opposite sex must be:
Stylish, sophisticated, attentive, mysterious, etc.

You are more compatible with – Aries, Aquarius, Gemini
You are less compatible with – Scorpio, Virgo, Capricorn

If you are Cancer:
You crave for more and more love. You are very emotional and very romantic. There are no bounds in love for your partner. You tend to have relationships that do not last for a long time. You are devoted and a gentle-hearted lover. You pour your everything in a relationship. Sentiments are very important for you. You do not go overboard in displaying your romantic feelings but you ensure that the object of your affection knows how much you care for them.

Your kissing style:
Your kisses are sensual and fabulous.

To attract you, the opposite sex must be:
expressive, sensitive, romantic, intimate, etc.

You are more compatible with – Cancer, Capricorn, Scorpio, Pisces
You are less compatible with -Aries, Gemini, Sagittarius

LUNCH&COFFEE

skotchtape — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:33:58 +0000

Today was such a fun dayyy ! CHAZZA WE MISSSSSED YOU SOOO MUCHHHH )= … met up with regine and marsbars for lunch and coffee … COUNTLESS LOL MOMENTSSS … !! — but i`ll let the photo’s do all the talkingg

… the rest are on faceboooook ! (:

1. just took a shower — SOOO GOOOOD.

2. feeling tired but happpy .

3. still laughing about inside jokes from today .. ” soo insensitivee ” … ” mara’s DRESS … from zero ” .. ” this is so mara’s … it’s backless and frontless ” … ” aw, it’s okay woman — practice , for our dad ( HAHAHA, freakin loser .. that’s disturbingg in so many level .. LOL ) …” 30 minute ruleee ” .. ” she asked me if he’s touched my …. * man on the next table leavessss * ..HAHAHA… *sighing in amusement .. lol *

4. eyes are so heavy.

5. everything is ay-okay teddy bear.

6. goodnight, sweetdreams (: