Friday, 27 of January

The weekend is here and i am very happy about it. Today













Issues that i think are interassant for me in the current times

-Hamas won the palestinian goverment. The first thing that happened was the confrontation between Hamas supporters and Fatha supporters. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4654220.stm

-The Chinese map of the world that is said to have 600 years old and says that the Chinese knew the world in those times might be fake. Specialist say that this map might be a version of XVII century french map. Historician specialist also say that the possibility of the Chinese were the first to arrive to west Africa is also fake, the maximum that the chinese might have arrived was South Africa http://geography.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/01/0123%5F060123%5Fchinese%5Fmap.html

Have a nice week where ever you are are what you are.
i have just joined the http://www.geekcorps.org/ i really hope i am chosen.

Açores2

S.Jorge is another of the central islands, the product more know for the comun people is it's cheese, "queijo de S.Jorge", and in my opinion a very good one. The main towns in S.Jorge is Velas with 5546 and Calheta with 3976 inhabitants



Terceira is the second more important island in the Açores. Angra do Heroismo is the second more important city in Azores and has 34941 inhabitants. Like i said in previous posts Angra is Unesco patrimony of mankinde. The second more important town in Terceira is Praia da Vitória with 20055 inhabitants. It's near Praia da Vitória where there is the American base of Lajes where took place the bad meeting that preceded the invasion of Iraque.

São Miguel is the biggest and most important island in Açores. The main Açores City is here, it's Ponta Delgada that has 64616 inhabitants. The other main towns are Ribeira Grande, Vila Franca do Campo, Nordeste, Lagoa and Povoação. the main atractions include the cozido das furnas, a dish that is cook inside the soil, the land is so hot because of vulcanic activity that food can be cooked by putting the food inside a hole. the second big atraction is Lagoa das Sete Cidades, an old vulcano mouth that is now a lagoon.

Santa Maria is a small island, with São Miguel they are the eastern Açores Group. Santa Maria was the first island to be colonized by the portuguese, much because of her location, it's the most southeastern island. The most important town is Vila do Porto and the all island has 5490 inhabitants.




I really dream to go to Açores, see the vulcanic view, eat the good food, drink the good wine, enjoy the calmness and the green fields, the ocean, the birds, the wales, the tipical portuguese architecture.

The source of the photos are from city halls

Açores

Now I am working for a project to Açores without leaving my room and that it's a big torture.
I want to share the beauty of Açores islands, the most remote Portuguese region, in the middle of the Atlantic. All the photos belong to the Açores city halls. Corvo is the smallest island in the Açores and i also the most remote island, this island only has 435 inahabitants.


Flores island is just near Corvo. Flores and Corvo constitute the western group. Flores has two main towns, Lajes das Flores and Santa Cruz das Flores, in the all island there are about 3949 inhabitants.

Faial is already in the central group of islands, a group that is constituted by Pico, São Jorge, Graciosa and Terceira island.
It's in Faial that you can find the Capelinhos Vulcano, that nows is inactive but last eruption was in 1957.
The main city in Faial is Horta, the 3º most important city in the Açores. the island has 14934 inhabitants.
The pico island is the second bigest island in the Açores, and i spoke about it in previous posts.Pico has great viniards and is also the where it is the higgest point in Portugal, the pico mountain with 2351 m.
the main towns in Pico are Madalena, Lajes do Pico and São Roque do Pico, each one with 6074, 3605 and 4900 inhabitants.


Graciosa is a very small island but not the smallest, it has about 4706 inhabitants. The main town is Santa Cruz da Graciosa. Graciosa is the most north island of the Açores.

Tomorrow i will show the rest, Terceira, S.Jorge, Santa Maria and S.Miguel

WHO calls for an immediate halt to provision of single-drug artemisinin malaria pills

This kind of articles always reminds me of the constant gardener film

New malaria treatment guidelines issued by WHO


19 JANUARY 2006 WASHINGTON, DC -- The World Health Organization (WHO) today requested pharmaceutical companies to end the marketing and sale of “single-drug” artemisinin malaria medicines, in order to prevent malaria parasites from developing resistance to this drug.
The use of single-drug artemisinin treatment – or monotherapy – hastens development of resistance by weakening but not killing the parasite. When used correctly in combination with other anti-malarial drugs in Artemisinin Combination Therapies (ACTs), artemisinin is nearly 95% effective in curing malaria and the parasite is highly unlikely to become drug resistant. ACTs are currently the most effective medicine available to treat malaria.
"It is critical that artemisinins be used correctly," said Dr LEE Jong-wook, WHO's Director-General. "We request pharmaceutical companies to immediately stop marketing single-drug artemisinin tablets and instead market artemisinin combination therapies only. The new treatment guidelines we are releasing today provide countries with clear and evidence-based direction on the best treatment options for malaria."
According to the new WHO malaria treatment guidelines, uncomplicated falciparum malaria must be treated with ACTs and not by artemisinin alone or any other monotherapy.
“So far, no treatment failures due to artemisinin drug resistance have been documented, but we are watching the situation very attentively,” said Dr Arata Kochi, the newly appointed director of WHO's malaria department. “We are concerned about decreased sensitivity to the drug in South-East Asia which is the region that has traditionally been the birthplace of anti-malarial drug resistance.”
In Thailand, sulfadoxine-pyrimethanime (SP) was initially almost 100% effective in curing malaria when introduced in 1977, but within five years was curing only 10% of cases due to drug resistance. The once-popular chloroquine has lost its effectiveness in almost every part of the world. Between 1999 and 2004, 95% of African children treated for malaria were given chloroquine, even though the drug only cured half of malaria cases in many countries. Resistance to atovaquone developed within one year of introduction in 1997.
WHO also announced other measures it will take to maximize the benefits and correct use of ACTs. In order to contain the circulation and use of counterfeit antimalarial medicines, WHO plans to strengthen its collaboration with international and national health and regulatory authorities. It is estimated that up to 25% of medicines consumed in developing countries are counterfeit or sub-standard. In parts of Africa and Asia this figure exceeds 50%, according to a WHO report on counterfeit drugs.
Additionally, to anticipate and prevent the onset and spread of drug resistance in the long term, WHO urges the global malaria research community and the pharmaceutical industry to rapidly invest in the design of the next generation of antimalarial drugs. By creating ACTs with multiple-drug combinations and transmission blocking components, resistance can be prevented.
“Our biggest concern right now is to treat patients with safe and effective medication and to avoid the emergence of drug resistance. If we lose ACTs, we’ll no longer have a cure for malaria,” said Dr Arata Kochi,“ and it will probably be at least ten years before a new one can be discovered.”

Unesco 2004

Landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture

The Portuguese people are directly connected to the wine culture, the last landscape to enter the Unesco list shows it very well. This is the second landscape that enters because of the wine culture.
The last one I talked about was in the north of Portugal in the Douro valley, this one is Pico Island in Azores.
Pico is the second largest island in Azores but with very few inhabitants. The wine landscape consists of 987-ha site of long linear walls running inland parallel to the rocky shore. These culture remotes from the first times of occupation of the island in the 15th century and is considered a very good example of response of viniculture on a small volcanic island.
All the area is beautiful, the Wynyard’s, the island, the houses, the wine cellars, churches and ports.
I have never been in Azores but more time passes more I want to go there.

http://www.cm-madalena.pt/

Hamas is coming to power

I can't talk much about this matter compared with one great friend of mine that lives there, and I hope that one day she sends me photos from HAIFA.Israel is again, has always in the news. For the past few weeks the health of the prime-minister was everywhere, and then there was an interview with the chief of Palestine where he said he doesn't think to stay more that this current time. This with the constant attacks from parts, problems near Palestine politicians home, problems at the border with Egypt. Problems are a constant in Israel and Palestine.Now the problem has always, its Hama’s power and possibility of him joining the Palestine legislature. The main problem is if Hama’s joins the Palestine authority, Israel and the North countries threat to cut ties with PA (Palestinian authority).Hama’s is very powerful now and has won the majority of urban areas in the municipal elections. But contrary of someone would expect the Hama’s rule at local level has been similar to the former rulers. The local politicians emphasize good governance, economic development; social and personal conflicts leaving the Israel and religious conflicts conflict behind.Hama’s seems to be less radical, calmer, and more political than terrorist. The west is still a bit suspicious with this behavior and believes that Hama’s is just waiting for the right moment to attack back. Has a response to the winning power of hamas in local power the west cut aid to these places.After reading the crisis group report I have to agree with the group, I think is wrong and mistake to cut aid to this cities, this will only increase the hate that this people have to the west. If the west continues with the aid, and this aid is managed properly this may be a way to encourage the Islamists to "focus on day-to-day matters and facilitate a process of potential political integration and gradual military decommissioning".If its people will that hamas enters the government, international governments should accepts in the limits of the reasonable and only act if they are really a risk.I really enjoy reading the crisis group summary and I advise everyone to read it and I agree totally with their recommendations but I think that no part in the process will care or do anything that is there.Safaa if you read this I would like to know what is opinionhttp://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?l=1&id=3886p.s. I am against any act of war. Violence is no response to anything. War is only good for the weapon builders and to the war bosses and greedy man not for the people

Unesco-Portugal(2001)

Some time ago i started to post the portuguese world patrimony but i didn't finish so today i am going to post 2 of the last to join the list.
In 2001 2 more sites entered the list and both of them are from the north of Portugal far away from Algarve and not even very near the sea.
The first one i want to talk about is Guimarães Storical center (it's always the storical part because the new is normally ugly has hell). Guimarães is called to be the nest of Portugal because it was here that was born the first king of Portugal, D.Afonso Henriques, a nice guy that fought his mother so Portugal could be now a indepedent country. This took place in 12th centrury.
The second is associated with most famous Portuguese export, the port wine that become famous expecially because of the english that apreciated it so much.
The Alto Douro Wine Region joins the list because of it's beauty and human, cultural landscape. It 's shows how man addapted to the clifs and to the Douro Valley.
This region is in general associated to wine.
An advice, there are two very good ways to enjoy the douro valley, the first one is the historical train trip that you can do in a track very near the douro river. The second one is going on a very nice cruise in the river douro.

dakar is over

Lisbon-Dakar 2006 is over and was full of adventure and difficulty and unfurtunely with some sadness because of the death of 2 children and one motorcicle pilot.
The winners of moto and car were diferent from last year, this year the big winner of cars was the French Luke Alphand that assumed the first place only in the last stages after his team mate in MITSUBISHI, PETERHANSEL. The winner in motorbikes was the spanish Marc Coma in KTM. Finnaly the winner in trucks was the Russian VLADIMIR CHAGIN in Kamaz.
The best Portuguese in cars was the pilot Carlos Sousa that is from my city Almada and was 7th. The best Portuguese biker was Helder Rodrigues that was 9th.
Next year we will have more.

Women Rulers

Good afternoon!
A new working week starts today!
yeasterday was elected for the first time a women for president in South Latin America, her name is Michele Bachelet and was supported by the left in Chile. She is going to join the short list of women liders that include the first african women president( the Liberian Ellen Jonhson) and the prime-minister of Bangladesh.

The full list of current women presidents and prime-ministers:

Presidents:

Michele Bachelet- Chile

Tarja Kaarina Halonen-Finland

Ellen Jonhson-Liberia

Mary McAleese-Ireland

Vaira Vike-Freiberga-Latvia

Maria Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo -Philipines

Prime-ministers:

Luísa Dias Diogo -Mozambique

Khaleda Zia -Bangladesh

Helen Elizabeth Clark - New Zealand

Angela Merkel -Germany

Maria do Carmo Silveira- São Tomé e Principe


Queens:

Elizabeth II - UK

Margrethe II- Denmark

Beatrix-Netherlands

Governor-General:

Dame Calliopa Pearlette Louisy -Saint Lucia

Dame Sian Seerpoohl Elias - New Zealand

Dame Ivy Leona Dumont - Bahamas

Michaëlle Jean -Canada

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle_Bachelet

Macedonia

Every day i enter in train i imagine i continue my trip till the end of the world, continue traveling with out stoping.
One the countries i would like to visist would be Macedonia, this country that i thought it was so quiet with no problems and that i saw yeasterday in the crisis reports.
The modern macedonia came from the extintion of the Yugoslavia being the poorest. Problems came imeadiatly after the indepedence:
-albanian minority asked for autonomy in some parts of the country asked for autonomy(this was ignored)
-Greece feering that Macedonia would like to have the Greece region of Macedonia demanded that name would be diferent that is why Macedonia is now "Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia"
In 2001 the problems came back, when Albanian National Liberation Army(ANL) started riots and atacks with the goverment. This short conflict ended with the recognition of the Albanian language in the country and the end of NLA.
Nowadays Macedonia is applying to belong to EU and there is hope that something changes, but the report of international Crisis group still indentifies some very serious problems being them the corruption and the need of reform the police and the judicial system.
Did you know that Macedonia is appointed has a major human and heroin trafic transhipment point?
http://www.macedonia.co.uk/client/index1.aspx?page=378
photo origin:

Uganda

Just last month i saw some volunteer position to this country UGANDA, to teatch gis for 2 years but like must of the volunteerships you have to pay everything (food, accomodation, etc).

I am just in the newsletter of international crisis group for a week and already received 3 reports about conflicts in Africa being Uganda the last one.

The Uganda Conflict is connected with the LRA(Lord's resistance Army) that has about 20 years old. The LRA is responsible for attacking humanitary aid agencys.
The International Criminal Court has sent warrants for the arrest of the LRA commanders of this movement for atrocities crimes but unfortunely nobody is putting it to practice.
LRA fights the central goverment with excuse to represent the Acholi people in North Uganda and has also the support of Sudan. In this years LRA has been responsible for abduction of children and teenagers to serve has soldiers or cocubines.
It's really needed to end LRA and stop war in North Uganda
for more information and how international crisis advice how to end the conflict
http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?l=1&id=3864

for more news about LRA
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord

Just a interesting thing is that the lider of LRA proclaims himself has a spirit medium and wants to establish in the Acholiland region a state based on his unique interpretation of the Bible. How can a man that kills inocent people talk about religion? did he knows the madament that says "you shell not kill"

the picture is f the uganda turism site http://uganda.pukweb.com/

Pulquerio at the movies

Yeasterday i started in London to leave a some minutes later to kenya and then passed to germany and stop in sudan finishing my trip in Tanzania, this happened all without leaving Lisbon.
I went ot the cinema yeasterday and saw to very good movies: The constant gardener and Darwing Nightmare.
The first one was great for me in all the main aspects, the story, the actors, the scenary, and in some parts i was thinking "what a hell i am doing here i should be there" looking at the action taking place in Kenya. The constant gardener was directed by Fernando Meirelles the director of Cidade de Deus, the main actors were Ralph Fiennes "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire , Schindler's List " and Rachel Weisz ( Constantine and The Mummy ) and was based on the John le Carré novel. The main plot is about the death of the wife of a english diplomate and his investigation to know what is behind her death. Great film
The second was the documentary Darwin's Nightmare that is passed in Tanzania. This movie follows all the activities and life that is conneted with the Nile perch fishing in the Victoria Lake. This movie shows the cruelty of the world and in some way how the rich north affects the poor south, and how contradictory is a country to be the main exporter of fish to Europe having misery and famine in their country, how food is being trade in change of wepons, how the supposed Tanzina economy is better because of this comerce when the truth is that the big ones get rich and the majority of the population wins less than a dollar per month, how all this fishing activity is based in a fish that is not original from the Lake Victoria and is killing all the endemic fishing, and one that most irritated me is to see the fat powerfull guys.
i recommend this film to everybody to wake up and see really how world is outside Europe.

The photo of the kenya slums present in the constant gardener taken from this website http://www.imcworldwide.org/index.shtml

Cascais

Lisbon metropolitan area is the biggest metropolitan area in Portugal and is composed by the folowing local goverments(include cities and towns), Alcochete, Almada, Amadora, Barreiro, Cacais, Lisboa, Loures, Mafra, Moita, Montijo, Odivelas, Oeiras, Palmela, Seixal, Sesimbra, Setúbal, Sintra, Vila Franca de Xira.
I am 100% from this metropolitan area, i was born and i work in Lisbon, live in Almada and my roots are from Sesimbra. So i am a true metropolitan guy.
The metropolitan area can be also divided in 2, the south and north, being separated by tagus river and then you can also distinguiche between the more rural areas and the urban areas.
Cascais is located in the west of Lisbon and is knowned has one of the most rich area. This fame comes mainly because it's here that you can find some of the most richest neighbourhoods and big houses. It's also in Cascais that there is the biggest comunitie of E.U.15 imigrants in Lisbon.
Cascais is a good place to go a for a walk, you have here the most western point in europe(cabo da roca), you have part of Sintra-Cascais natural park, some beaches and the most known casino in Portugal, the Estoril Casino.
So some weekends ago i took the train and i went there and visited the public garden and city hall

RD Congo, Sudan

i just want to divulge for 2 international situations so people can aknowledge what is hapenning in the world.
Sudan- There is big risk of agravating the conflict in the east of Sudan that can be worst than darfur and also can spread to Eritreia and Ethiopia

Democratic Republic of Congo- katanga conflict at the most rich mineral region in the country that is risk of becoming bigger after the march country elections. in this regions there are 3 main conflicts; north against south, natives with outsiders, mai-mai militias and national army. Can you see how much conflicts you can get that are always directly or indirectly with money.


A pilot in Dakar (Andy caldecoot) died this morning he was in 10th palce at general classificiation and had won a previous stage.

good news: a professor from my course is going to be responsible for a international study in antarctida about permafrost(soil that is permanently frosen)


if you have a good news for today it would be great

Not everything is bad

Last post i put here wich conflicts are agravating but in the same report you can also so find that some situations area had a litle improovement.

Democratic Republic of Congo-Had the first democartic vote in four decades and the majority aprouved the draft of a constitution

Afghanistan- The country has a new parliament in 30 years

Bolivia- For the first time in history the head of the state is an indigenous
Curiously he was the leader of coca plant production( not all the coca is for drugs)

Ivory Coast- all the partys accpeted the new prime-minister.

It would be great that the improvement was everywhere and not in only some states.

Have a nice weeked

http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/images/i/it-peace.jpg
(sorce of the flag)

The conflicts in December

The year is beggining but a lot of things go wrong in the world.
Folowing the International Crisis Group report of 2 of January, 11 conflict situations around the world deteriorated in December of 2005.

-Sri Lanka, this beautifull country that suffered a lot in the end of 2004 with the Tsunamy and a long time ago belonged to Portugal, has now the potencial to restart the war between the tamil and the goverment, the tamil want the independece of the west side of the island based in the diference between the tamil and the indian descendent population.

-Palestine,internal divisions inside Fatah, conflicts in the border with egipt, this is not new but the truth is that hamas has won the biggest cities in West Bank and now people fear the January elections, and even this morning i heard i heard that the israel prime-minister is not very well.

-Egipt, the parliamentary elections was replect with violence

- China, the tensions continue to increase in the rural areas, more and more there is two Chinas, the one of the big developed cities and the other form the poor countryside.

-Bangladesh, the tensions between the major partys are big, but the problems with the radical muslim minority has increased, only this summer exploded around 300 small bombs wile i was there.

-Chad, conflict between the rebels and the goverment that suffer an increase because of the refugees coming from sudan has well has tentions between this 2 countries.

-Colombia, the complicated conflic between the milicia, rebels and the goverment much conected with the droug trafic

-Lebanon, a very complicated situation that started with the death of an ex-minister and still continues, for more details http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=3818&l=1. journalist and MP Gibran Tueni killed by car bomb 12 December, latest in series of political murders. Cabinet called for international probe into killings. In protest, 5 pro-Syrian Shiite ministers suspended participation in government, putting already fragile coalition in jeopardy. UN investigators presented second report into assassination of ex-PM Hariri, confirming Syrian officials key suspects. UN Security Council extended Hariri investigation by 6 months; asked UNSG Annan to look into expanding commission’s mandate to investigate other attacks on top Lebanese officials."

-North Korea, the continued tensions between this country and the outside world, and continued intention of continue with their nuclear program and the problem with

-Peru "Government declared state of emergency after Shining Path guerrillas killed 8 police 20 December in Huanuco region northeast of Lima; earlier guerrillas killed 5 police near southern town of San Francisco. Former army officer Ollanta Humala, leader of brief revolt against former president Fujimori in 2000, registered as Peruvian Nationalist Party candidate for 9 April presidential elections"

-Pakistan "Violence escalated in Waziristan tribal area and Balochistan province. In South Waziristan 12 killed by market bomb in Jandola while 22 killed in separate clashes between Islamist students and bandits in neighbouring North Waziristan. Balochistan unrest worsened as insurgents attacked railway line, fired rockets at government buildings and blew up bridge in response to military operation launched 18 December; unconfirmed reports of heavy casualties. Madrasa leaders rejected government deadline to expel foreign students from religious schools by year-end."

the message between ""the sorce is http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm

Lisboa - Dakar 2006

This year the ancient motorsport race to dakar has started, and guess where did it start? Yes, Lisbon. In a couple of years Lisbon has been in the center of important sporting competitions, if people don't know portuguese will thing that we are really sporty active.
Since Dakar race is Portugal i decided to go see the cars, i promise that one day i am going to participate and get somethings first
-driving licence
-good car
-mecanical knowledge
-money
-team
The photos were taken not in Lisbon but in Portimão at the end of the first stage. here goes the link with all the info about this race, and since i am portuguese FORÇA CARLOS SOUSA (portuguese best car driver in competition), FORÇA FARIA (the best classified portuguese in Motorbikes), FORÇA JACINTO(portuguese women in trucks)
http://www.dakar.com/

Albufeira

This new year i went south, to Albufeira in the Algarve region one of the most turistic place in all Portugal. During summer Algarve is full of people because is well known because the sun and beach, during winter the new year day is the exception day of a region without anyone. Now to avoy the desertification during winter the turism operators are betting in golf.
Albufeira is a good example of what can happen to a place when there is no management, with the savage conquest of the coast by ciment, and even if this is not enought the sea continues to erode this part of the coast.
In April i was in a very interesting conference about coastal managment and i learned some very interesting things, and one of them was that the erosion is being increased because of marinas that are km aways that change the normal function of the currents the sea increases inthis place his power of taking the sediment transporting them more to east. So here the beach and clif disapears and near the marinas the sand increases.
One funny thing is that you don't see in the pictures is that some new hotels are beiing built very near the clifs.
!I love ciment!

New Year Again

Here we are in 2006, a new year in life. I really hope that this year wiil be better than 2005.
How was your new year night?What would be the perfect night for you?
The perfect night for me would be in an exotic country, in the midle of nowhere, in the midle of the desert or mountain, just be and the perfect girl, i don't need fireworks or music, or crouds or drinks, for me this components are essencial.
This year i was sorrounded by people, i had fire works, i had music, i was with some friends, i had a good view of the ocean i was even on the beach, i had drinks, but this was not enought for me.
Well, i hope next year will be better and i really hope to continue to change my life.

Happy new year for everyone