Driving through the leafy, latte fuelled suburb of cults the other day, I was reminded of how one awful building can really bring an area down (rather like having a bird shit on a nice suit)

The monstrosity in question is the beige dragon which lurks at the bend in the road opposite the Cults hotel. Not only is it a low quality mash-up of a Glasgow tenement (some 150 miles too far north?) but far worse; the designer has managed to site the block apparently without any reference to the actual site. There is one hilarious bay window which looks onto a corner return wall (as if the chump who drew it up thought the site had space all around it)

I shall be publishing my awful Aberdeen architecture tour soon. This will be a highlight I’m sure

Ad

It’s not the same Aya that we’ve grown to love with her breezy beats and lounge aura, but it’s a new jazzy Aya fro South Africa. She just released her debut album A State Of Aya and it’s sounding good right about now. South Africa seems to have a great niche for jazzy wander. We’ll keep an eye out for her.

Soccer is a rough sport with a lot of contact and rough play no matter what non-soccer fans tell you. As a former goalie, I can admit to some rough play and some things I would only do if the ref wasn’t looking. If those guys had seen what I did, I would have been banned for a while.

New Mexico’s Elizabeth Lambert clearly doesn’t care if the ref or AR see what she’s doing. The video above gets progressively worse and worse as Lambert just gets downright dirty taking down her opponents, even if it means yanking them down by the pony tail.

There is rough play and there is endangering the opponent and this falls clearly on the latter end of that spectrum. The fact that the ref and AR let the game get to this point is ridiculous and if I were the New Mexico coach, I’d think about kicking Lambert off the team immediately.

I’ve gotten progressively angrier as I wrote this post because Lambert disrespected her opponents, her own team, the fans and the integrity of the game. Shame on you.

[via FanIQ]

Why is it that builders, joiners, plumbers and electricians command such ridiculous hourly rates? I saw an advert on tv today that sought to convince people to re-train as tradesmen. The guy (actor) in the add talks about being a professional. This I think is key to the problem

Guys who do things with their hands are not professionals, they are tradesmen, craftsmen or otherwise. Guys who do things with their heads are professionals. I am in no way trying to belittle the work of a skilled tradesman, anyone who has seen plasterer work will recognise that you might need to do this a few times to get good at it. However, there is a vast difference between someone who gets good at one thing (learning all the tricks from another geezer) and someone who can solve complex problems of infinite variation.

As an architect, I sometimes have ocassion to tell clients my hourly rate. Most gasp in horror and are glad that they are on fixed fees (more fool them?). These same peoe would simply accept the hourly rate of some hairy arsed plumber who drops past to tighten a nut or bend the odd pipe.

For some reason we have become accustomed to the fact that tradesmen are expensive and that only they can command these rates. Perhaps this is a consequence of us not ‘doing things’ any more. I’ve watched guys drain a radiator and fit a new valve it really is pretty bloody simple. Why we can’t do these things for ourselves is a very sad question indeed.

Until such a time when we can fend for ourselves and skilled workers have to bid for work, prices will continue to rise, we’ll continue to be held to ransom, we’ll continue to bolster the social position of the trades and we’ll all be a great deal worse at looking after our own houses

Imma let you finish

1.  Obnoxious way to interrupt someone and steal their moment, while wryly mocking that media train wreck that is Kanye West.

Based on West’s instantly infamous interruption of Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards for Best Female Video with his insane microphone-stealing shout out to Beyonce.

Bob: “Thank you Mr. Brown for having us in to give this sales presentation. We’d like to talk to you today about…”

Alfred: “Yo, Bob, I’m really happy for you, and Imma let you finish, but I just got to say our product is is one of the best products there is!”

2.  What Kanye West says when he has no intent on letting someone finish.

“Imma Let You Finish, but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time.”

View Source.

shame on you

OMG.. this is totally worth posting!  I can’t stop laughing!  Seriously!

So, Twitarded has a funny blog up today– a hilarious slap in the face to all the legal drama that went down with the recent leak of Rob’s photo shoot from Interview magazine.  OMG, you have GOT to check out their photos & the video.  WHO-LARIOUS!

DISCLAIMER:  Oh, also.. please, please keep in mind as they do have this posted on their website which goes hand-in-hand with what we’re about to post here:

Twitarded is intended for mature adult/18+ Twilight fans. Gratuitous use of strong language and sexual content ahead!

OK.. you’ve been warned… we all have!  So, if you don’t fit that category and you get in trouble for reading it— don’t blame me.  I warned you!!!  And if you read it and you like “OMG, I am like totally offended!”  Umm.. did you NOT read the disclaimer?  ANYWHO.. bring on the filth….

From Twitarded:

I’m sure by now most of you, if not all, are aware that a bunch of blogs have gotten their twi-wrists slapped for posting the infamous ‘what-the-f*ck-are-you-wearing-but-damn-that’s-hot’ RPattz outtakes.

Even though we didn’t get any threatening emails from The Powers That Be, we still took down our pictures and videos, just in case. Frankly, if we’re going to get shut down I want it to be for our gratuitous use of foul language and constant references to vaginas and penises, not f*ck-hawt pictures of RPattz in sweatpants and f*cking vest [what IS up with that outfit?!].

Regardless, STY and I were disappointed, mainly because we want nothing more than to share our Twi love with all of you. It was a blow to our egos to have to remove the videos that, in our humble snarky opinions, were harmless. Plus, we don’t like anyone telling us what to do.

We were both wandering around, a little bummed that the long arm of the law was lurking when we came up with the most fabulous idea EVER.

Let’s do our own photo shoot. So we, um, like, totally, called RPattz up and asked if he didn’t mind stopping by for an impromptu Twitarded photo session.

He agreed, because he’s f*ck-awesome like that. Personally, we think our photos came out WAY better than the ones that were pulled, despite our obvious… inability to actually take photographs.

** Thanks to OWard for posing, Ms. OWard for providing wardrobe and Mr. Snarky and ML for not calling those nice folks in white coats on us.

Special Thanks:  ElusiveKoolaid :O)

View Source.

OMG, I am beside myself.  I had pretty much given up on SNL, let’s face it.  It’s just not funny anymore.  Shame on you….. What are you thinking?  Seriously? SERIOUSLY!

This chick is totally one of the reasons I was giving SNL another chance.  I guess that solidifies my vote.  NEXT!

Check out some funny business after the blurb!  I put my my favorite skit Michaela Watkins has ever done on SNL & now.. never AGAIN.  Ugh, SNL, you make me sick. It’s her skit for The Weekend Update as Angie Tempura:  Celebrity Blogger.  OMG, I crack up everytime… ROFLMAO!

From TV Guide:

SNL Fires Michaela Watkins and Casey Wilson

Michaela Watkins, Casey Wilson

With the recent addition of two cast members to Saturday Night Live comes news that Michaela Watkins and Casey Wilson will no longer be on the long-running series.

Saturday Night Live adds two new cast members

Watkins began her short stint on SNL in November and had several memorable characters and impersonations, including Arianna Huffington and Today host Hoda Kotb.

“The only explanation I got from [Lorne Michaels] — and he’s not known to say things just to make people feel better — was that he felt deep down that I should have my own show. And I agreed,” Watkins told EW.  “SNL was a dream come true for me. It was a fantastic year. I don’t have any regrets.”

Check out one of Watkins’ Today show sketches

Wilson was less prominent during her time on the sketch comedy series and plans to return to performing at the Los Angeles theater of the Upright Citizens Brigade on Sept. 24, according to Variety.

 

View Source #1, Source #2.

Massive eaves flaps

Why do so many buildings in aberdeen have massive overhanging eaves? it it a planning condition that new buildings totally ignore the details that have been developed over centuries? When I worked in Edinburgh, there was not the same requirement that architects deviate from the existing building line.

There are a few cracking examples of big eaves; The building at the corner of Great Western Road and Anderson Drive is a peach but the new Stewart Milne monopoly houses near the egg & dart are my personal favourites. They have the additional ‘feature’ of upper floor windows hard up against the eaves soffit so that a significant amount of light is deprived from the room…Nice!

The only generator for this kind of poor urban integration is poor design skills as far as I can see. The designers of these buildings must design them in isolation without any reference to the surroundings. I would imagine that there is no context on elevations or sections, the craft of drawing is reduced to mechanical reproduction of base parts.

If anyone (ever) reads this and recognises that they are part of this developer machine, trust me, you can change. A developer is a beast fed by money and he will probably never notice that you have worked a little harder to resolve the building into its surroundings, but the rest of us will and you will feel a little happier in doing so.

CM – AD

I find it utterly distasteful that Aberdeenshire Council would consider granting an application for planning permission for Trump on land that he doesn’t own! When I say ‘land’ what I actually mean is houses, where real people live, work, sleep, laugh and f**k,  not just ‘land’!

Prior to this latest round of national shame he’s somehow (money?) managed to convince the Council that; an important natural resource is not as worthy as a golf course, that we should ignore the planning guidelines laid down to prevent this sort of pollution and that any god awful pastiche shite can pass for a clubhouse. And all the way through, the Council have been lured with the promise of ….. (fill in blanks with latest economic excuse).

The truth of the matter is that the Council have been shown to be weak and helpless in dealing with someone who uses economic bullyboy tactics to get his way. The usual argument of “good for the northeast” always misses the point that the North east is, like every part of this country, a unique landscape. Making decisions on economic grounds alone is a very odd manner of governance, but that seems to be the primary standpoint of the council in Aberdeen and Shire. What are they hoping for? Jobs? Tourism?

Maybe it’s just me but I can’t see the jet-in-jet-out golf brigade that Trump hopes to attract being bothered to visit anywhere else in the area, so tourism is a very minor factor. I have never met a golfer who would pay for the use of a championship course and decide to miss out on a couple of holes to go sight-seeing. Jobs might be created but realistically the ‘local ceiling’ will stop all but the lowest end jobs going to incomers (raising house prices as they arrive?). This development is no different from a supermarket rolling up outside of town, employing shelf-stackers and checkout clerks while whisking the profits away. So there we have it, a few groundsmen, barmen and bellboys. A few extra pennies in the pockets of the local businesses. All in return for losing a wild place and being made to look like grovelling idiots.

The prospect of the Council lying back and taking one more shafting to oust some poor buggers from their houses just to keep this man sweet makes me sick.

I’m off to read a book about the highland clearances.

BG – Archidiarist

http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1376109

This official statement was released to Access Hollywood from actress, Rachelle Lafevre.

Rachelle Lefevre

 

LOS ANGELES, Calif. –

Summit Entertainment announced the replacement of “Twilight Saga” star Rachelle Lefevre in the series’ third film, “Eclipse,” on Tuesday night – and fans weren’t the only ones surprised by the news — Rachelle was shocked as well!

“I was stunned by Summit’s decision to recast the role of Victoria for ‘Eclipse,’” Rachelle said in a statement to Access Hollywood.

On Tuesday, Summit announced that Bryce Dallas Howard would be taking on the role in “Eclipse,” due in May 2010.

 

Trading Roles: Rachelle Lefevre & Bryce Dallas Howard

“I was fully committed to the ‘Twilight’ saga, and to the portrayal of Victoria,” Rachelle continued, explaining the turn of events that led to the casting change. “I turned down several other film opportunities and, in accordance with my contractual rights, accepted only roles that would involve very short shooting schedules. My commitment to ‘Barney’s Version’ is only ten days. Summit picked up my option for ‘Eclipse.’ Although the production schedule for ‘Eclipse’ is over three months long, Summit said they had a conflict during those ten days and would not accommodate me. Given the length of filming for ‘Eclipse,’ never did I fathom I would lose the role over a 10 day overlap. I was happy with my contract with Summit and was fully prepared to continue to honor it. Summit chose simply to recast the part.”

Rachelle will appear in the series’ next film, “New Moon,” due Nov. 20th.

 

 

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Jeg viser til det siste i lang rekke av helt latterlige oppslag signert db.no. På tross av at vi har fått forsikringer fra norske helsemyndigheter om at dette ikke vil være noe mer alvorlig enn en vanlig influensa-sesong, fortsetter Dagbladets journalister å overdramatisere situasjonen. Å spekulere i at frykten for denne sykdommen vil selge flere aviser og tiltrekke flere lesere, er så usmakelig at jeg nesten mangler ord for å beskrive min forakt. Åpenbart har jeg ikke helt mistet munn og mæle siden jeg her nok en gang må ty til sterk kritikk av Dagbladets dømmekraft. De bør snart se å finne noe mer fornuftig som kan redde avishuset fra en snarlig død. Uansett må det vel være bedre å gå ned med en viss grad av verdighet.

For å servere det eneste fornuftige som står skrevet i denne grøten av informasjon, viser jeg til følgende sitat fra den alltid så sindige smittevernoverlege Andreas Christensen:

“Vi innstiller oss mentalt på en influensasesong lik den vi har i Norge hver vinter, bare at den nå er om sommeren. Sykdomsforløpet er mildt og kortvarig, og man kan som regel friskmeldes etter en knapp uke, sier Christensen.”

Se forøvrig bort i fra alt det andre Dagbladet har tatt seg friheten til å røre sammen. Det er uvesentlig svada, som kun er leseverdig for fullblods hypokondere.

There is an old saying that only architects and prostitues have clients. There is a good reason why this is: both have to bend over and take it in order to pay the bills.

Architects and clients have a strange relationship with each other: each thinks that the other knows nothing. Clients control the money and “know what they want”, architects have vision and “know what is required”. Both things tend to be mutually exclusive.

Don’t get us wrong, some clients are great and bestow a great deal of trust on us in the hope that we perform. Unfortunately it is these poor souls who seem to be taken for a ride again and again in Aberdeen by the poorer practices (who ironically are rich in terms of fees)

Point in case is ‘fox lane’ garden centre. A mish-mash of disjointed buildings pretending to be a traditional conglomerate of farm buildings but instead succeeding in looking like a temporary refugee centre. What a missed opportunity. I’m sure the clients like it only because it’s new and the don’t know any different.

clients need to become wise to design, a garden centre might be small beer in terms of economic impact to the north east but to the owners it is their livlihood. Good architecture is like good branding, it adds to the whole and makes the business more attractive. Would Aston Martin accept a cheap building which didn’t match the brand? I don’t think so

PS: the best place leilane should look for me.

Who is the master?
Who the pupil?

Well, well, well, women’s tennis has come out of the stupor it’s been in for quite some time just in time to inject a whole lot of drama into the French Open. Venus never looked comfortable and crashed out to Agnes Szavay. Maria Sharapova survived a couple of nailbiters but is still in it, proving me wrong in the process (I’d picked Petrova to take her out; D’oh!). Safina and Ivanovic are both looking strong, and I still think one of those two will wil the title.

Despite the number of hard-fought, close matches, the REAL drama came from the catfights. First, the whole grunting debate (natural part of the game or a tactic of distraction?) came to a head once again, thanks to plucky, noisy 16 year-old Michelle Larcher de Brito. I must say, I grunt myself, but young Michelle is something else, on a whole different level than Seles or Sharapova. She may call it being “aggresive,” but it sounds more homicidal than anything else (click on below for an auditory sample, if you dare). The Frenchwoman Rezai took her out, but not before the two both started snipping at each other and the chair umpire after Rezai started complaining about Brito’s grunting. Meow, meow, ladies, play nice.

The best catfight of them all came earlier today, and perhaps not surprisingly, it involved the grande dame of drama herself, Serena Williams. But to her defense, Serena was absolutely in the right in this situation. Here’s what happened: Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez hit a drop shot. Serena rushed to the net and crushed a backhand at Maria. The ball hit Maria’s forearm THEN her racket and went over to Serena’s side of the court. The umpire awarded the point to Maria, to Serena’s understandable dismay. The umpire didn’t even bother asking Maria if the ball hit her, which instant replays show it clearly did.

Here’s the video:

Serena was absolutely livid (I would have been, too), but she came back to win it in three (Hurray for justice!) After the match, she called Maria a cheater, while Maria dismissed the whole situation, saying it was “stupid.” Hmm. No, Maria, what IS stupid is trying to pretend that you didn’t feel a nearly 100 mile-per-hour rocket crashing into your arm. For that, here is a song dedicated just for you and your (lack of) honor:

Shame On You – Indigo Girls

I seriously can’t believe that May has come and almost gone. My month has been a whirlwind  so far and I still have so many exciting things coming up! Sadly, this is leaving me very little time to catch up with my blog life (and my home life for that matter).

I promise to come back very soon and share loads of cool things with you…please don’t break up with me! I still love you!

xxxo,

SJ

Reuters reported last week that Oprah Winfrey is giving Jenny McCarthy her own syndicated talk show on TV. At face value, there is nothing particulary unusual about this story – just another face being added to Oprah’s television whirlwind of influence. But Jenny McCarthy is not merely just another face – McCarthy’s increased exposure means the rapid spread of misinformation about vaccinations and autism, which in the long-term will cause the needless spreading of infectious diseases – and that’s not an exaggeration.

Jenny McCarthy, a showbiz veteran, has in recent years turned into a self-styled “crusader for autism”, or to put it more accurately, an anti-vaccinationist. The claim that McCarty and other anti-vaccinationists (who are a prolific bunch, one of the most vocal of them being McCarthy’s partner actor Jim Carrey) make is that vaccinations contain toxins which cause autism when injected into young children. Simply put, there is no scientific basis for this.

First of all, there is strong evidence to suggest that autism is a genetic disorder, not a disease. My knowledge and understanding of science does not extend past my ongoing secondary school level education, so I am not going to attempt to explain why. To read more on the genetics of autism, read this excellent article by Dr Steven Novella.

The second reason is far easier to understand – even in my lowly secondary school biology syllabus, the underlying principle of vaccination is taught. I’ll try to summarize it as simply and quickly as possible. (You might want to skip this paragraph if you know the biology behind vaccines already.) Infectious diseases arise due to the prescene of pathogens in our bodies. Pathogens are the infectious agent, and they can be anything from a virus to bacteria to fungi. Most pathogens can be distinctly identified by the antigens attached to them. These antigens stimulate the human immune system to produce antibodies, which attack the pathogens in a variety of ways. These antibodies are specific to the antigen their formation was stimulated by. The problem with our immune system’s response is that the amount of antibodies produced the first time the antigen is detected is low, and the response itself is relatively slow. After the first instance, the immune system develops a memory for the antigen and can respond better and quicker in repeat infections. A vaccination basically introduces an antigen (without the pathogen itself) or inactivated pathogens are introduced into the body to stimulate the immune system. When an infection actually occurs, the immune system has a memory for the antigen and produces antibodies quickly.

So, tell me, Jenny McCarthy, where does the autism come in? Vaccinations are an effective, cost-effective method of fighting against infectious diseases. The greatest example of this is the eradication of smallpox – in the 20th century, hundreds of millions of people died from smallpox. But through a huge campaign of vaccination against the disease, it was slowly beaten down until the World Health Organization finally declared that it had been eradicated completely in 1979. Think about that for a moment – a disease which killed hundreds of millions of people within one century was completely eradicated by vaccination. Countless other diseases are less prevalent in our society today because of vaccinations. The effect of not administering vaccines on a large scale would be, plain and simple, the return of infectious diseases to the developed world at a level we haven’t seen in decades. For more on the anti-vaccination movement, this article from scienceblogs.com is a great jumping-off point and this comprehensive article by Steven Novella (again) is about as informative as it gets.

The upshot of this story is that Jenny McCarthy, the pseudo-leader of the anti-vaccinationist movement, is now being promoted by Oprah Winfrey. Oprah has a massive following in the US, and we have all experienced her power in some way or another (be it on Twitter or on TV). Jenny McCarthy is already a well-known figure in the western world (apparently she is the “fourth-most admired mom in America”), but this will add to her clout to an extent that she couldn’t have pulled off herself.

It is not hard to understand why the anti-vaccination movement is popular – taglines like “autism is curable” are certainly appealing to the parents of autistic children that have not been exposed to the complex scientific literature concerning the nature of autism. But the spread of this kind of misinformation has ramifications far beyond panic or pseudo-scietific medicine. This is worse than homeopathy – we are talking about vaccinations here, something that is a basic element of modern disease prevention. If this movement gains strength, the future is not bright. I only hope that it is stopped before an outbreak of an infectious disease shoves reality back in our faces.

Oprah is, at the end of the day, a media mogul. She wants to make money, like anyone else, and Jenny McCarthy’s lies are gaining popularity. However, this decision shows gross irresponsibility, especially from a woman whose website has the tagline “live your best life”. Really, Oprah? Is a life without vaccines the best life for the next generation of children? I think not.

UPDATE: When writing this post, I forgot to link to the fantastic website JennyMcCarthyBodyCount.com, which monitors the direct consequences of the anti-vaccination movement. I strongly encourage you to go and read that website if you want to get a better understanding of what McCarthy and her cohorts are doing.

Shame on you, Oprah Winfrey. Shame on you.

Dalla padella alla brace, dalle stelle alle stalle… anche le Commari nel loro piccolo piangono, hanno le loro cadute dal cuore. Apriamo la nuova rubrica Shame on you! con uno di quelli che anni fa ci faceva palpitare il cuore: il caro buon vecchio Arne Friedrich.
Eletto a furor di commari il più bello del mondiale 2006 (ok posso dirlo… io volevo Aimar al primo posto!) ecco che oggi invece ci mete la pata, un modo tenero spagnolo per dire… cagarla! Il nostro Arne, dopo averci fatto toccare il cielo con un dito cade rovinosamente dal nostro cuore.
Cos’avrà fatto? Si sarà sposato? No, peggio! Ha manifestato platealmente, con il suo fu bel visino, con tutte le sue lentiggini, il suo sostegno all’introduzione dell’ora di religione nelle scuole di Berlino (oltre alla già esistente ora di etica). Lui capitano dell’Hertha, è un po’ come se Francesco Totti chiedesse di ampliare l’obbligo scolastico al PhD. Bella buccia di banana, Arne… Come direbbe un Pippo Baudo di DriveIniana memoria… “Arne, arne… questo non me lo dovevi fare! Hai toppato Arne!“.
Ma come è possibile che tutti i Paesi vogliono assomigliarci nel peggio? Non è che vogliono espandere i Patti Lateranensi a tutto il mondo? Ormai la chiesa è ovunque e sono quasi certa  di aver visto un fumetto su Topolino pro-Vaticano? Come dire, il Vaticano è cosa nostra…
Ora, Arne dicci perché?????? Perché????? Come se no bastasse, la pubblicità è la morte della laicità… si parla di libera scelta e un paio di righe più sotto, scritto come se fosse Aut. Min. Ric., si legge che lui vuole che i piccoli ignari scolari e scolarette di Berlino possano scegliere, possano dire la loro sul referendum per introdurre l’ora di religione obbligatoria, una cosa che esiste già anche in altri Lander. Come dire, Berlino datte una svegliata! Per fortuna i berlinesi hanno votato no all’aggiuntiva ora di religione… come avrebbe detto JFK “Ich bin Berliner” e sicuramente avrebbe aggiunto: Shame on you, Arne!

Indignatamente vostra,

Maria Honta

p.s. Ringraziamo la commare Daniela per l’indespensabile aiuto linguistico.

I adore the Ting Tings song “That’s Not My Name”. My favorite part is when he says Jane…which is really not my name, just part of it! But that’s not the point of this post…

I think it may have been an early 80’s fad to drop the “h” in Sara , but I’ve grown to love it. When I was younger it didn’t bother me all that much when people didn’t spell my name correctly, but as an adult, it’s become one of my biggest pet peeves!

I don’t mind so much when my customers mess up in the beginning, but it seems like they aren’t the one with the problem. The problem lies with my co-workers, and only the co-workers that already get under my skin that can’t seem to get it right.

It kills me. Seriously. This is why…

1. When searching for my name in our company data base, I am listed as S-A-R-A

and

b. I sign off all emails as S-A-R-A

It’s not a hard thing to do. As sales reps, it’s our job to notice the little things in life.

I’ve debated on how to address this issue, and this is where I turn to you my readers for help.

Do I…

a. Let it go? – I fear that if I do this I will be angry with them for something else and explode and say, “Why would I expect you to get it right when you can’t even spell my name correctly?”. This would not be good for my sanity or career.

b. Start adding an unnecessary extra “h” to their name,  like “Thanks Dough” instead of “Thanks Doug”? I think this may be my best idea yet.

c. Act like a grown up and politely tell them that they are spelling my name incorrectly and that I would appreciate if they corrected them self?  No fun, and honestly it can be hard not to come off like a snooty beast via email.

d. Plan B…this is where you tell me your ideas!

Help me blogosphere, before I go mad, take plan A or B…

Obama has decreed that its time for the testing of nuclear weapons to be banned. Addressing his audience of 20,000 in Prague he said the surrendering of nuclear weapons must be a global all for one endeavour.

It is not the first time that this has been called for. In 1996 there was a comprehensive test ban treaty signed by US President Bill Clinton. The Republican Senate however refused to ratify it and when George Bush came to power he never pursued the matter. Shame on you!

America is perhaps one of the biggest players not to have ratified the treaty. It is not alone however. China, Pakistan and Israel have declined to sign the treaty.

With the North Korean missile launch strongly in the media spotlight, however, Obama has argued that US ratification banning the testing of nuclear weapons must be immediately and aggressively pursued. Will this mean we can count on less loose nukes ? It would be nice to think so. The risk of terrorists gaining access to such materials to create a nuclear device would have devastating consequences for global security.

Below is a reminder of US President Bush on the global scene.

Até então: até eu olhar pra baixor e, oh crap, i shit myself.

Barriga: tapa olho.