Fashion update !

I forgot about this, I read about this in the newspaper a few days ago.
Pay attention, this is the kinda stuff that makes our world so great. I had no idea but apparently this is tradition; in Shanghai for decades people have been wearing their pyjamas in the middle of the street to show that they are doing good in life. As a sign of good fortune !
here are some pictures, you've got to love this.

But now the government actually wants to crack down on people wearing their nightgowns in public. It's a disgrace to the city of Shanghai and to China they say.

It's no ordinary revolution certainly, it is about the revolution of the mind.

Gomorra

When I visit my family in Naples people think I'm going to a place that looks like this.

Why is in some places of Naples cancer up over 20% ? For years the south of Italy has been under attack by organized crime and unfortunately the pictures I take in Naples remind the viewers more of places like Sao Paulo Brazil. It's tyranny from within that is destroying the once beautiful Naples. The Mafia (in Naples called Camorra) is responsible for this.

Ofcourse we have all seen The Godfather, Goodfellas and Scarfacebut if you expect anything like that you will be disappointed. Gomorra is a documentary done in movie style.

The movie Gomorra gives you a never before seen insight into the Camorra. Having seen the places the movie talks about and having a basic understanding of the operations that occur daily in the region I thought it was a great ! It's has won several prizes and now also has a nomination for the upcoming oscars. I saw it with my mates in Italy, it blew us away, mostly because the locations were so familiar to us.

In Holland it will be in the cinema's at the end of January.
note: I just saw the movie with dutch subtitles and its pretty off in some places, here is my new suggestion; go to naples, study italian and THEN watch the movie. Because the translation just ruins all the emotions and depth of the movie.

Cameras will spot crimes before they happen ! Minority report is coming to you !

Beeing questioned for a crime that you have not committed yet ? This scary prospect is becoming reality in England. Street camera's analyze your behavior and an officer will be sent to the location of the camera to question your behavior. The streets already are hellish enough as it is in England where there are 4,2 million cameras taking more than 300 pictures (2007) of you a day if you live in London and where some cameras nowadays even can speak to you and will order you how to act and behave !

The daily mail reports: "Computers are programmed to analyse the movements of people or vehicles in the camera frame. If someone is seen lurking in a particular area, the computer will send out an alarm to a CCTV operator.
continue reading here.

Will this technology be integrated with recognizing face scanners that will link up to databases bringing up questions like why is this person here ? Probably right ? They already exist so why wouldn't they ?
What's next, a micro-chip implanted at birth ? Warrant less spying by the government ?

This system changes the basic principles of western society; Innocent until proven guilty right ? Think about it, is it reasonable to live in a society where you are guilty until proven innocent ??
'Those who give up essential liberty for security deserve neither and will lose both' - Benjamin Franklin told us that, let's not forget that !

Asian economies will rule !

Yeah that's right, and you'd better prepare for it psychologically too ! At least, that is what Kishore Mahbubani today says in an interview with RTL-Z. Ofcourse we have heard this all before but I found his statements about the future (and also the past) very interesting and very sensible. Click here to see the video interview. I definitely recommend this to anyone who likes to think about the future.

The last lecture

Time Magazine included this man, Professor Randy Pausch, in the list of 100 most influential people of 2008 and this lecture here below is the reason why he was included. He has got a few months left to live and this is the message he wants you all to see before he leaves us. I definitely recommend it to everyone, I suggest you watch it until the very end.

duration: 1 hour 16 minutes

Has Dick Cheney been a bad boy ?

A lot of things have been said about Dick Cheney, and a lot of things have been said about 9-11. This is what I have to say about the both of them in this little video I produced myself. In 2 minutes I raise some questions which I feel are very important. See it for yourself

The Power of Nightmares (BBC)

Adam Curtis (BBC) received numerous awards for this series of films.
The films compare the rise of the Neo-Conservative movement in the United States and the radical Islamist movement, making comparisons on their origins and claiming similarities between the two. More controversially, it argues that the threat of radical Islamism as a massive, sinister organised force of destruction, specifically in the form of al-Qaeda, is a myth perpetrated by politicians in many countries—and particularly American Neo-Conservatives—in an attempt to unite and inspire their people following the failure of earlier, more utopian ideologies.

You can watch the three parts for free, and can even download (legally) them for your ipod right
>here<. I truly believe this is a must see for everyone. to view

part 1 'Baby it's cold outside'
part 2 'The phantom victory'
part 3 'The shadows in the cave'

More information about this documentary can be found >here<.