My adolescent years were spent mostly fighting my father and reading "The Second
Sex" at the time was a real bomb. Working with the idea that women are the "other," and another statement: "that women is
not born, but made," De Beauvoir delves deep into the history of women's oppression. This was the definitive declaration of
woman's independence. I always felt the same way and this French Existentialist Simone De Beauvoir, just had all the words
to express what i felt and i could not keep it in anymore ( this is one reason i had to leave home at this point starting
Cégep and also reading Jean-Paul Sartre, Kafka, and others ) but De Beauvoir as a philosopher was my favorite because she
draws heavily on his conception of human beings as creatures who are free. Freedom of choice, humanity's utmost value, is
the criterion for morality and immorality in one's acts. Good acts increase one's freedom, while bad ones limit that freedom.
Another favorite writer Germaine Greer, became my favorites more so the latest book "The Whole Woman" , as well as "Women
who run with wolves" by Clarissa P.E., My favorite woman poet Natalia Correia, i had the chance to meet, i must say is not
only considered by the Portuguese one of the greatest woman poets i found to be also a woman of great power with a radiant
beautiful spirit that glowed through her eyes and smile . Manuel Alegre also is a favorite poet and lawyer and i wonder if
he had won the presidential elections would we today be exchanging a national police force for an international police force
inside our borders ? would we be supporting measures that will control every move we make in the near future ? Our dignity
is not to be won or fought for in the Football match results but in everyday choices we should be modest and truthfull and
vote for saving our culture our freedom.
i 'm also fan of reading Umberto Eco, Foucault, Chomsky, sometimes i fall asleep reading Carlos Castaneda, the most depressing
book is by José Saramago "Blindness" for reflection, favorite poets Fernando Pessoa, Arrabal, Serrat, Pablo Neruda, Jack
Kerouac, for history and adventure all books by Christopher Knight & Robert Lomas start with "The Hiram Key", The Animal Farm
by Orwell should be a school book for english class. The Book The Seventh Sense - The secrets of Remote Viewing as told by
a Psychic Spy for the US military by Lyn Buchanan deserves your atention. My favorite movies are THE CANADIAN DOCUMENTARY
"THE CORPORATION" also "Brazil" but the English version,"Baraka" and "Equilibrium" "Motorcycle Diaries", "The Day After "
as well as the Brazilian movie "City of God "and "Caramdiru" my favorite cience fiction see 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the
Galaxy' ( also books by Douglas Adams and radio series, as for the movie Hollywood actually only decided to make the it after
his death...) are movies for meditation . BEST LOVE Story "Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind " de Michel Godry , as
well as Series of Unfortuate Events with Jim Carrey .As for Best Portuguese film of 2004 com a Margarida Miranda, ( para
os que a conheceram em Montreal ) Portugal concorre com O Milagre Segundo Salomé de Mário Barroso, produzido pela Madragoa
Filmes. este filme para mim é quase um documentario historico e politico. Also kingdom of Heaven about the Templars.. i admire
the visuals of most of the Tim Burton movies including Batman, and most superhero movies are topic for discussion...
My favorite music is the FUNAMI C.D. go to their page and hear for yourself
http://www.funami.com/
THE CITY OF TOMAR is one of my favorite cities not only because it is my place of birth as well as my mother's and all her
antecesters but also because SOME SEE RELATION between the reconstruction of Tomar and the Templar knights as described by
UMBERTO ECO –in "O PÊNDULO DE FOUCAULT (X)" some of these who escaped the famous Friday the 13th of 1307 ? One of the
last died on the 27th of April 1656. "Requiescat in pace" e "Esta capella he de Estêvão de Araújo e freitas, cavalleiro da
Ordem de Cristo, para sua sepultura e de sua mulher D. Maria Frois de Azevedo e Andrade e descendentes, correndo a fábrica
della por conta dos Religiosos, para a qual dá 4$000 réis cada anno: tem Missa quotidiana, anno de 1696" (SOUSA, 1903).but
before that in
✠1147: D. Afonso Henriques conquers the region of Tomar
✠1159: TOMAR was given to the " Order of the Temple of the region of Tomar;
✠1160: begins the reconstruction of the Castel
1162: 1.º foral, concedido pela Ordem do Templo;
1174: 2.º Foral, concedido pela Ordem do Templo;
✠end of XII century construction of the "charola"
✠ end of XII century construction of the primitive church of St.ª Maria do Olival
✠1190: cerco de Tomar pelos Almorávidas (that was last destroyed in 1190, by Almóada Aben Joseph, Emperor of Marrocos
and brother of Aben Jacub.)
There is a rebirth of thishistorical period being done
using theater... "As inscrições devem ser efectuadas até à Quinta-feira antecedente (sendo sujeitas a um número mínimo de
55 participantes), pelo preço de 90 euros (100 euros, no caso de incluir transporte, a partir de Lisboa, Figueira da Foz,
Nazaré ou Fátima). As reservas podem ser realizadas pelo telefone 21 467 61 00; pelo telemóvel 91 361 24 11; ou pelo e-mail
joaquim.nunes@gmail.com."
Desde o passado dia 29 de Julho, aos Sábados, entre as 10h30 e as 17h30 – numa organização promovida pela Associação
Cultural Tenmpl’Anima, com o apoio do IPPAR –, decorrem no Castelo de Tomar as sessões de “Um dia com os
cavaleiros templários em Tomar”, representação teatral baseada na evocação histórica, procurando mostrar como era a
vida quotidiana dos monges guerreiros."
http://tomar.wordpress.com/2006/08/02/um-dia-com-os-cavaleiros-templarios/
"Encontra-se já em fase avançada a constituição da Comissão Central da Festa dos Tabuleiros (Festa do Divino Espírito Santo)
a realizar no próximo ano de 2007, sob a direcção do Mordomo, João Vital."
THERE SEEMS TO BE MUCH MISTERY IN THIS CITY and MAGIK, but MUSIC TOO IS MAGIC AND my favorite
as well as the obvious U2, Pink Floyd, Tangerine Dream, Dead Can Dance, Ravi Shankar, Sacred Spirit, Moby, Brian Eno, Lenny
Kravitz, Steve Reich, Buena Vista Social Club, Michael Jackson, Eminem, Nusrat Fateh Ali, Bjork, Seal, Nick Cave, Beck, Enigma,
Maria Joao the classical and Maria Joao the jazz vocalist,Teresa Salgueiro, Amalia Rodrigues, Maria Bethania, Caetano Veloso,
would love a copy of the C.D. FMI, José Mario Branco, Fausto and José Afonso, Sérgio Gdinho,Janita Salomé,Jorge Palma, Leo
Ferré, Pati Smith, Rufus Wainright, Bono, Joni Mitchel, Sting, Buffy St.Marie,Peter Gabriel, Leonard Cohen, and the new C.D.made
with voice only " FUNAMI" that were born in Canada but had to be released in Lisbon are just a few and all the musicians who
support the "greens" and can send a message of "peace and love" still today at the same time fight for a more just society.
On the subject of art - go to www.theartnewspaper.com they have been campaigning in The Art Newspaper whenever they have
seen the world's heritage at risk and we must question how much difference does Unesco make when everyday we read horrible
news like the controlled explosions at an ammunition dump at Hatra, south of Mosul, are threatening to seriously damage an
important ancient site that is on Unesco�s World Heritage list. Colonel Paul Woerner, the senior civil affairs officer
in the US embassy in Baghdad responsible for Iraq�s northern cities, has been trying to control what he calls a �dismaying
situation�. Even if your not planning to immigrate to the moon where ice exists at 280 below zero Fahrenheit, please
let's clean up mother earth and treat her nice ? and as for our mothers ...Here is a video my mother singing FADO the Portuguese
National Song, she has lost autonomy at 72 and i am writing a diary trying to understand how she feels, describing how she
is leaving us, forgetting all everyday, entering another dimention, that place we will all have to pass... without help from
the social services in Montreal, Quebec... ( where " With up to 250,000 Canadians living on the street as winter closes in,
Jack Layton is calling on the Conservative government to declare a national state of emergency " ) ...the cruelty and indifference
of most towards people with Alzheimers makes one wonder what does it mean to be Canadian Citizen and at same time a Luso in
North América ?
People of the Azores Islands tell the legend that in the 13th century victim of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that caused
drought,crop failures and famine they prayed to the Holy Ghost and on the morning of the Pentecost Sunday a ship came into
the Port of Fayal laden with necessities of life.The food was distributed to the people of the various islands and when their
Queen Saint Isabel heard she organized a solemn procession in honor of the Holy Ghost as she carried the crown through the
streets of Lisbon. Also known as the Peacemaker wife of King Dinis she died in battle between the king and their son D.Afonso
who declared war on his father on the 4th of July of 1336. Queen Saint Isabel of Portugal born in 1271 was the first true
socialist from where the expression "bread and roses" is born she performed many miracles for the sick and helped the poor
against the will of the king, in 1612 her body was found incorrupt and was cannonized in 1624, Queen Saint Isabel's body
body still remains in a silver and crystal casket at the Cathedral in Coimbra,Portugal .............................
"Açores! Férias que nunca se esquecem!" é o slogan publicitário que frequentemente ouvimos para divulgar um arquipélago no
qual se pode desfrutar de momentos inesquecíveis. Muitos textos publicitários sublinham ainda as cores predominantes nestas
ilhas: o verde da natureza, o negro da rocha vulcânica e o azul do céu e das águas. Mas será que estas são mesmos todas azuis
? Infelizmente sabemos que já não são. Correspondendo aos três principais centros vulcânicos activos da ilha de São Miguel
a Lagoa das Furnas, a Lagoa das Sete Cidades e a Lagoa do Fogo preenchem caldeiras resultantes do colapso de imponentes cones
vulcânicos que num passado histórico soltaram da própria entranha a lava que soldou a ilha e que constituiu o substrato para
a rara beleza destas paisagens. Estando, deste modo, encerradas em "buracos" de alguma vastidão e profundidade as lagoas impressionam
pela sua beleza ímpar e indescritível que mais parece resultar de alguma intervenção divina. No entanto, duas destas lagoas
deparam-se actualmente com um grave problema - a eutrofização (do grego "trofi" que significa alimento e "eu" que significa
abundante") - fenómeno que não se justifica com o divino e que tem como origem a actividade humana.
A Lagoa das Sete Cidades e a Lagoa das Furnas estão num estado eutrófico o que quer dizer que na água existe um excesso de
nutrientes. O mais preocupante destes nutrientes é o fósforo que provém da agricultura, nomeadamente dos adubos. Este, sendo
muito solúvel na água, facilmente é transportado pela chuva, das encostas das caldeiras, até às lagoas, onde provoca uma série
de problemas em cadeia. Devido à elevada concentração deste nutriente na água há uma extraordinária multiplicação das algas
microscópicas e de bácterias fotossintéticas (cianobactérias) que formando um tapete cobrem parcialmente a superficie da água
dificultando, desta forma, a penetração da luz nas camadas mais profundas da lagoa. Aí, as algas morrem pela diminuição da
luminosidade e como consequência o meio perde oxigénio, pois a decomposição da matéria orgânica implica o consumo deste gás.
Esta carência de oxigénio na água tem efeito directo na sobrevivência dos restantes organismos aquáticos, provocando em muitos
deles a morte por sufocação.
Alguns dos aspectos da eutrofização são traduzidos pelos nossos sentidos, os olhos captam o amarelo-esverdeado das águas e
o tacto pode sentir a espuma que se forma nas suas margens enquanto o olfacto, por vezes, reconhece um cheiro desagradável.
Para a saúde humana a principal ameaça não é visível. As toxinas produzidas pelas cianobactérias quando ingeridas podem manisfestar-se
em gastroenterites, vómitos, dores musculares e de cabeça, irritações cutâneas e outros problemas.
É no meio da ilha que sobressai o terceiro centro vulcânico com a Lagoa do Fogo quase no seu cume. O facto de se encontrar
rodeada por muita vegetação (alguma endémica) e os seus terrenos não serem os melhores para cultivo, faz com que o fenómeno
da eutrofização não se verifique neste local. E, deste modo, as águas transparentes e as suas margens de areia branca conferem
ao local uma natureza única e uma tranquilidade invulgar.
Deste modo, e voltando à questão inicial da entrada do nosso artigo, podemos afirmar que se nada for feito para resolver o
fenómeno da eutrofização, os textos publicitários que frequentemente referem o facto de o azul das lagoas se fundir no azul
do céu, passam a referir que o verde da vegetação se funde com o das lagoas até um dia deixarem simplesmente de referir as
lagoas, pois destas só restarão pântanos e nestes sim, o negro confundir-se-á com o da rocha vulcânica.".........Artigo elaborado
por:......Andreia Róias, Bruna Pimentel, Bruno Pacheco, Carolina Raposo, Cátia Medeiros, Débora Cordeiro , Débora Arruda,
Gui Rego, Hugo Borges, Isadora Moniz, Joana Botelho, João Vital, Kelli Soares, Marlene Carvalho, Marta Botelho; Natércia Andrade;
Nuno Ponte, Ofélia Pacheco, Ricardo Tavares, Rúben Lopes, Sara Ponte, Sónia Melo........Escola Secundária de Lagoa - S. Miguel)
DIAMOND MINING COMPANIES SHOULD PAY COMPENSATION FOR DAMAGE CAUSED
BY MINING ( LAW no. 1/92 )
" While Angola remains one of the poorest and worst war ravaged countries
in the world it is blessed with an abundance of natural resources such as
oil, gold, diamonds and fertile land. The Angolan diamond trade has a
complex history encompassing cold war interests and rampant
corruption. Diamond mining in Angola is a pivotal issue because its level
of success will determine the countries future towards democracy and
peace. Theunregulated mining for diamonds is causing environmental impact. This will continue to be overlooked as long as
the practice provides "any" revenue to help governments fight starvation. Until the countries political problems are sorted
the Bush way, the region will remain semi autonomous threatening United Nations Angola Verification Mission. Angola is the
third largest country in Sub-Saharan Africa, with an
estimated average life expectancy of 45 years and approximately 65% of
the population living in absolute poverty...... Mining specialists divide the African continent into two sectors; South Africa
and the rest. The distinction is made because South African's mining industry has been developed by a technologically advanced,
first world economy. Angola, fights for nationalizations for it's vast diamond potential ( it's normal ? ). Mining experts
consistently agree that the country has the potential to become a major force in the production of gem quality diamonds.
...... Diamonds were first discovered in Angola in 1913 and the major identified resources to date are located in the remote
Lunda Norte province near the boarder with Zaire......For the last forty years the diamond giant De Beers, through its LONDON
BASED CENTRAL SELLING ORGANIZATION (CSO), has held a virtual monopoly on the diamond industry by controlling the sales of
some 80 % OF THE WORLD'S DIAMONDS on behalf of the industriesþ major producers" ............. WAKE UP..... ( take a break
and listen to interview (part 1,2,and 3) with philosopher Agostinho da Silva in YOUTUBE )
Today, 75-80% of the world's natural diamonds are used for industrial purposes ( DO YOUR RESEARCH ) and 20-25% for gemstones
.......
(*U.S. ECONOMY EXPORT OF POLISHED DIAMONDS * /JAN/2005 1,210,116,019 * FEB/ 2005 570,702,365 Hong Kog 348,121,455 and cut
diamonds are the second for *ISRAEL: ECONOMY *Export products: Machinery and equipment, software, cut diamonds agricultural
products, chemicals, textiles and apparel.) ... ( http://i-cias.com/e.o/israel_2.htm ) ...................
Back to Angola... "However, De Beers, in recent years, has lost control of a sizeable portionof its market share as major
diamond producing countries such as Russiaand Angola have realized their bargaining position and sought better deals from
De Beers by threatening to sell outside of the CSO's artificial price level..... Private investment in Angola has been hampered
by the civil war and the uncertainty felt by many firms as to the safety of their investments from government nationalizations
and a general lack of law and order.... Currently three international companies are
investing in Angola's diamond industry, Odebrecht of Brazil, the South
African diamond giant De Beers and Almazi Rossii-Sakha, a Russian
company... For the last two decades diamond mining activities have focused on quick revenues to fuel the civil war. This
has resulted in the use of outdated and environmentally damaging mining procedures and equipment.
At present the major environmental damage resulting from diamond
mining is the diversion of rivers to allow for the mining of alluvial
diamond deposits. After the mining is completed, the rivers are not
redirected to their original courses which in turn results in the pollution
of waters and destruction of surrounding flora and fauna. The mining
activities also degrade the surrounding land by increasing atmospheric
air pollution, contaminating surface and ground water and increasing
soil erosion and leaching. The pollution is, in the most extreme cases,
leading to desertification and permanently changing land use from
agriculture to waste rendering it useless to traditional inhabitants when
the diamonds have all been mined. In the short run the inhabitants of
the region are suffering from sickness and disease related to
contaminated drinking water supplies. Such diseases include dissintry,
Malaria, schistosamiases and Biomphalaria pfeiffer.
The most recent mining law no. 1/92 on geological and mining activities
stipulates the paying of compensation for damage caused by mining.
However, with the shaky political situation, and the fact that UNITA
continues to control the large majority of the diamond region, there is
little inclination that the government either wants to or even can enforce
such legal requirements. Further complicating the problem is the
shortage of trained individuals in the Angolan government capable of
monitoring and analyzing the environmental effects of diamond mining.
The government recognizes the importance of assessing the
environmental impacts of diamond mining, in part to improve
productivity and also to protect the fragile ecosystem, however, the
country is crippled by foreign debt from years of war which brings into
question whether it will choose the environment over profit.
The discovery of diamonds should be seen as a benefit which will bring
wealth and prestige.
HOWEVER, in the case of ANGOLA DIAMONDS ARE A CURSE WHICH FUEL GREED AND THREATEN THE VERY EXISTENCE OF THE COUNTRY.....The
Angolan diamond mining situation is a complicated case in which the future of peace in Angola is closely tied. Without peace
in the region the U.N. will pull out and without the U.N. the country will most likely return to war. A return to war will
not allow for the much needed foreign
investment in the diamond region and the environmental damage will
continue unabated. The detrimental affects on the environment caused
by diamond mining will be the last of the problems to receive an adequate
solution in a country which is paralyzed by many other pressing issues....
Laser-excited diamonds deliver single photons when they fluoresce..... Scientists may be able to harness this unusual fluorescent
behavior for use in screens and flat-panel displays that have a particularly pure and clear image (By Mike Martin January
3, 2005 11:21AM ). (http://www.sci-tech-today.com/story.xhtml?story_id=29409 ) Like Superman squeezing a lump of coal in his
mighty fist, scientists and engineers from the University of Florida and Russia are speeding up Mother Nature's handiwork
through creating ... The resulting diamond shavings may be useful substrates in making computer chips, for example, which
could enable more powerful processors. Likewise, such artificial "gems" can be used to make machine components and gears.
The discovery also suggests how to cut and polish hard diamond crystals in a more efficient way and will enable new applications
for diamonds.....
Diamonds have been a mainstay in science and technology for decades.
"The use of diamonds in industry far exceeds the use of diamonds for jewelry," Gogotsi says. "They are a widely used industrial
product because they have the highest thermal conductivity and are the hardest of any known industrial material that affects
daily lives. The number of potential uses for diamond-based materials and the enormous profits anticipated have engendered
an international race for high-quality artificial diamond production. Technologic breakthroughs for growing diamond production.
Technologic breakthroughs for growing diamond materials and diamond films have come fast and furious in 1990. In addition,
use of purer starting materials made possible the production of isotopically pure diamond films that have properties superior
even to those of natural diamonds: the most exceptional of these is the exceptional of these is the extraordinary ability
of the pure films to conduct heat. Although the cost of making synthetic diamond films with state-of-the-art chemical vapor
deposition (CVD) methods is still high--estimated at around $100 per carat--the price could drop significantly with the optimization
of CVD technology. A few diamond-based and diamond-coated products are already in use commercially--x-ray windows in electron
microscopes, strong abrasion-resistant industrial tools, and diaphragms for tweeters in stereo speakers--but these represent
only a tiny fraction of the anticipated applications. .....
It has taken a quarter of a century for artificial diamond film production to get under way, but, now that it has, the future
for diamond-based materials is likely to be a gem.".......
( http://www.chem.wisc.edu/~newtrad/CurrRef/BDGTopic/BDGtext/dgpfms.html )...Extensive mining of diamonds shifted from India
(17th century), to Brazil (18th century), to the African continent (19th century), and finally Australia and Canada (20th
century). Today diamonds are mined in some 25 countries on every continent but Europe and Antarctica. The top seven producing
countries, that account for 80 percent of the world's rough diamond supply, are Australia, Botswana, Zaire, South Africa,
Russia, Angola, and Namibia.......ABOUT DIAMONDS AND BRAZIL ? A prosperous and fairly independent settlement developed where
is now São Paulo, from where expeditions departed to the countryside in search of gold and Indian slaves; a military establishment
was created in front of Buenos Aires in early eighteenth century; and, when gold was finally discovered in Minas Gerais at
that time, Brazil's capital moved finally from Bahia to Rio de Janeiro, in order to better control the newfound richness.
....
What could confront this convergence of factors and interests? Only a very powerful and money-producing economic activity
in a previously marginal area. This was exactly what happened in São Paulo, which became in the early twenty century the center
of a booming coffee economy, after about one hundred fifty years of stagnation and isolation which followed the establishment
of the Portuguese' control of the gold mines. With the emergence of São Paulo as an autonomous and independent force, more
closely related to the international economy than to the Brazilian political center, the issue or regional integration or
autonomy reappears in terms of political federation vs. political centralization(5). In the late nineteenth century the country
becomes the "Republic of the United States of Brazil", with a political regime which reflected the balance of power between
the centralization and decentralization tendencies in the country, but which left São Paulo very much on its own to pursue
its specific interests. The Federation was considerably reduced in 1930 and abolished from 1937 to 1945, with Getúlio Vargas'
Estado Novo, and again considerably reduced when Brazil ceased to be a "United States" to become a "Federalist Republic",
in 1966.
from "POLITICAL INTEGRATION IN BRAZIL: A POSSIBLE KEY TO CONTEMPORARY ALTERNATIVES" by Simon Schwartzman (http://www.schwartzman.org.br/simon/pol_int.htm)
