Morning everyone! Today is the final game of the World Cup. Although I was not paying too
much attention at the beginning, these last couple of weeks my life is
been absolutely football-centered, also my two favorite teams reached the
final and I'm happy. I know that is contradictory to like Germany and Argentina, but honestly, I couldn't care less. There will be World Cup stories in our news section, including a very peculiar one where Brazilians consider Mick Jagger some sort of football jinx. Also in news, a great reportage by Canal + Spain tells the story of Alcatraz, the rugby team of the Hacienda Santa Teresa in Venezuela and its unbelievable origin. Very inspiring.
Robots will take over the world by 2045 according to physicist Louis del Monte's prediction in our Science & Technology section, and watch out for the summer super moons. In Culture & Entertainment we share the trailer of the controversial James Franco/Seth Rogen film The Interview, and an interesting exploration of the young French filmmaker Raphaële Bezin about appropriation techniques in cinema. Finally, In Dog We Trust by La Guía del Perro share some tips to protect your pets from the heat.
Kabbir Chibber's article in The Atlantic titled The Best World Cup Ever? is not super fresh (Brazil still had hopes of winning the World Cup) but some of his points are right, as by a lot of measures, it's been an unusually exciting, convention-defying tournament, and "no matter who wins, this is the start of a new era in world soccer." Read full article in The Atlantic. E.T.P. 3'
Screenshot of the BBC compilation via BBC.
This is the first time that I get to watch the World Cup outside Latin America and I can truly say that I miss South American commentators. The English definitely lack passion. Maybe that is why I found cool this mini-compilation made by the BBC of the best commentaries in foreign languages. "Watch and listen to how fans from other parts of the world experienced some of the World Cup's best goals. James Rodriguez's stunner for Colombia against Uruguay,
Miroslav Klose's record-breaking goal for Germany and Argentina's
semi-final shootout win against the Netherlands all feature in our
round-up of TV and radio commentaries from other countries." Watch video in the BBC. E.T.P. 3'
An attempt to use the Curse of Jagger against Argentina. Photo: AFP Photo/Odd Andersen/Getty Images via The Guardian.
"Since appearing at a USA game with Bill Clinton at the World Cup in 2010 - and subsequently watching them lose - Mick Jagger has become something of a footballing curse. After witnessing Germany's 7-1 thrashing of Brazil earlier this week, the Rolling Stones' singer has now been forced to defend himself against angry tirades on social media. "I
can take responsibility for the first German goal but not the other
six!" he said." Read full article in The Guardian. E.T.P. 3'
Image: Screenshot of Informe Robinson: Alcatraz via Canal +
Thanks to my friend Su, I had the opoprtunity of watching the report Informe Robinson: Alcatraz produced by the Spanish TV channel Canal +. This is an incredible story that shows the best and the worst of Venezuela taking as a case study the Alcatraz Project, developed by Alfredo Vollmer, the CEO of Santa Teresa, one of the most important companies of Venezuela that makes our famous Santa Teresa rhum. Back in 2003, when three robbers assault his property, Mr. Vollmer, instead of looking to punish them and let things spiriling down as it use to happen in the country so often, decided to make that event an opportunity for implementing a real social change, because in that community as in the world in general, "we win together, or we all lose." The Estimated Procrastination Time for this video is 34' and I swear, it will be the best half an hour of your day. Just click here. (The video is in Spanish and it takes a little bit to charge, but be patient, is worth it).
Photo via BBC.
Finally, the WTF news of the section is also about Venezuela: "We're used to a seemingly endless range of taxes and surcharges when we
fly - passenger taxes, departure taxes, fuel levies. But Maiquetia
International Airport in Caracas has taken this a step further -
passengers flying out now have to pay 127 bolivars tax (£12; $20) for
the air they breathe." Read full article in BBC. E.T.P 2'
This week has been really tough, but only if you've been paying attention. I've realized how easy is to go through life paying little to no attention to what happens around you unless someone burst into flames right next to you on the Tube. Not that I didn't know that, but sometimes these things become more painfully evident.
Venezuela had a week-long nightmare, as well as Ukraine. I notice that most of the people that visited the blog during the last week were from Ukraine (second after the US), and I felt bad about not having anything about them in the News section. Is true that they have a lot of attention of the media, that Europe is not indifferent to what is happening with them (unlike Latin America to what is happening in Venezuela), and more important, to be perfectly honest I don't know much about Ukraine, other than the things I could have read in the newspapers, and I know, how infuriating and frustrating it is to read inaccurate information about your reality, interpreted by people trying to accommodate it to their ideologies and their structures, making no effort at all to really understand.
The News section this week features Ukraine including a couple of links that I think were helpful for me to understand what is happening and a lot of photos. And of course, Venezuela and its ongoing protests that as violence and censorship escalates are getting more attention from international media. Finally.
The rest of the edition is short, but sweet, as they say. Please have a look at the Culture section that includes one really sexy film list by the BFI; The Guardian's review of the new Henri Cartier-Bresson exhibition in the Pompidou, and little more on Spike Jonze's Her. In Design, Business and Innovation there are articles about storytelling, Google Glass and the Toy Fair. And finally in our Science section is cyborg time.
Happy Sunday and happy reading.
NEWS
Kiev's Independent Square Before and After. Via The Atlantic.
Anti-government demonstrators remain in Independence square, on February 22, 2014. (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images) via The Atlantic.
The images that came from Kiev's violent clashes this week were devastating. By the time I'm writing this the situation is as follows: the government had agreed a pact to call early presidential elections, the quick formation of a coalition government with the opposition, and ruling out a state of emergency, but people remained on the streets, as presidential election promise was not enough to satisfy the protesters after the bloody clashes leave dozens dead. Ukraine's parliament voted to remove Yanukovych from office and he denounces the actions as a "coup". His whereabouts are unclear. The barricades surrounding Independent square are still in place; the leaders of the paramilitary police who fought protesters have appeared on television to say they are “with the people”; the opposition leaders in the streets surrounding the presidential building, that used to be under custody of the police, say that Yanukovych is not coming back in there. Only the new president will step in. Have a look at the links below, and if you're from Ukraine and you want to share something with us, please do so.
The Economist: Ukraine's New Dawn. Shots called, now what? "As the outside world was digesting the deal between the Ukrainian regime
and the protesters, and the unexpectedly helpful role of Russia in the
European Union's mediation efforts, everything changed. President Viktor
Yanukovych fled the capital, Kiev and protesters who only hours earlier
had been dodging sniper bullets found themselves guarding the
presidential palace."
Photo from the 18F, this is the opposition demonstration in Caracas,
I love this image. Reuters via Buzzfeed.
Photo: Manifestations in London. The Procrastinator (some) Times.
Yesterday there were yet more manifestations in Venezuela, and also more repression. Táchira state is been fighting really tough and in isolation because the government shut down the Internet in the area, as well as electricity and water in some sectors, while threatening them in national TV with taking stronger measures. Also Venezuelans outside the country called for demonstrations around the world to show their support to the students, and claim for more international media attention so the world can find out about the clear violation to human rights that the Venezuelan government keeps inflicting on their people.
The Guardian: Venezuela's poor join protest as turmoil grips Chávez's revolution. "...As demonstrations sweep several major cities, even the people of Petare
have taken to the streets to protest again surging inflation, alarming
murder rates and shortages of essential commodities."
Gawker: How Venezuela became a "warzone"?Even as the near-apocalyptic imagery of Ukraine's violent protests have
captured the top of the news, Venezuelan cities have gone from dangerous
to "warzone" overnight. Boing Boing: Venezuela: 15 Years of Solitude. "The governments of Hugo Chavez and Nicolas Maduro, amongst the most
corrupt and inefficient in the world. . . Very few authors (Will Dobson, Michael Penfold, Javier Corrales)
have studied Chavez as a new form of authoritarianism. Public opinion
in general, for the 14 years of the Chavez regime, viewed him as a
modern-day Robin Hood."
The answer to Channel 4, is yes. Venezuela is burning while the world
watches Ukraine, Sochi, memes about Whatsapp and the girl scout that
sold 177 boxes of cookies.
Caracas Chronicles: The other side of communication hegemony. "Just remember, guys, it’s the opposition who practice “media terrorism.” And Eurasia has always been at war with Oceania." (Added Monday 24F) The Telegraph: Venezuela, the lefts favourite socialist paradise is sliding into poverty and dictatorship. ¨How is Venezuela doing? Well, tens of thousands of protesters are in the streets, the army's been sent to crush revolt, an opposition leader has been arrested and supporters of the government just shot dead a former beauty queen. It's going to hell in a handcart, that's how it's doing."(Added Monday 24F)
The Daily Beast: Venezuela's Useful Idiots. "Defenders
of the Venezuelan regime would never allow the White House to arrest
opposition leaders and shut down unfriendly media outlets. So why the
double standard?" (Added Tuesday 25F)
The Huffington Post: Venezuela and the hypocrisy of the international left. "As students and the middle class protest for almost two weeks in the
streets of Venezuela, the international left remain silent. Why is this
wide swath of Venezuelan society protesting? Because of meddling from
the United States in preparation of a fascist coup, says Venezuelan
President Nicolás Maduro. Certainly lines borrowed from the Cuban/Soviet
handbook." (Added Tuesday 25F)
BBC: Venezuelans Stop Traffic in Anti-government Protests The BBC invite people who has witness the protests to email them at haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk adding 'Venezuela' in the subject heading. to send pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (International). If you have a large fil you can upload it in the website. (Added Tuesday 25F)
Fast Company: Why Venezuela is exploding, explained in simple charts. Even as political arrests intensify and injuries and deaths mount, Venezuelans remain on the street, making their voices heard. The reasons for their persistence are clear from Gallup's 2013 World Poll data - they see their lives and the economy getting worse, and they feel less secure than ever in their own neighborhoods. (Added Thursday 27F)
El País: La soledad de los estudiantes venezolanos. Mientras el país se encamina hacia una dictadura, en Latinoamérica
hay un apoyo al chavismo por parte de la izquierda derivado, en el
fondo, del prestigio menguado pero extrañamente vivo de la Revolución
cubana. (Added Friday 28F)
Esquire: Before and after: Venezuela on Instagram. 30 photographs of how normal life changed in a matter of days when
the people stood up to what they feel is an oppressive regime. (Added Friday 28F)
