I am sure that there will be thousands of images going around from yesterday's historical day, but here are some that I have found to be very interesting:

• Geoeye satellite took an aerial picture of it and it is definitely worth a look. Follow the link and you can even download the high resolution from it
• Cnet has a couple of zoomed images from the original. It's make me wonder as these are pictures taken 423 miles up in the sky by a satellite traveling at 17,000 miles per hour
• The New York Times as a zoomable photo showing the president addressing the crowd. Just hover over the crowd and you will get some help identifying the attendees.
• CNN has 360-degree panorama with the stand before the ceremony
• CNN-Microsoft put together a commemorative 3D portrait of the presidential inauguration using Microsoft's Photosynth Technology and it should be a really interesting view (I have not seen it yet as I cannot install it at work), via PCWorld
• Reuters has put together an Audio Slideshow with the Best of the inauguration and Obama's speech

Enjoy them and share any other good and interesting ones you find.

Labels: news, photography, politics

Chavez has done it one more time, now by putting forward a new Intelligence Law which will create 2 new agencies, the General Intelligence Office and General Counterintelligence Office, both under his control.
"The new law requires people in the country to comply with requests to assist the agencies, secret police or community activist groups loyal to Mr. Ch�vez. Refusal can result in prison terms of two to four years for most people and four to six years for government employees." mentioned the New York Times
The new law for instance authorizes his new intelligence agencies to use ?any special or technically designed method? to intercept and obtain information.
Ram�n Rodr�guez Chac�n mentioned "Basically, we are talking about secret organizations. If someone is part of the intelligence agency, well nobody should know it. On another topic, it also means high level of academic and ideological education is required for those involved" (Read here in Spanish)
Chavez has already talked about the resistance showed by the opposition and media, saying that the media has tried to sabotage the law, and that they are under the influence North American Empire (as he calls the US). That the Empire has a plan "a good strategy, let's not underestimate the Empire, US has experts in psychological war, several centers for psychological operations working 24/7" (Read more here in Spanish)

Wonderful right? I wonder if we will soon go back to the time of the "Seguridad Nacional" secret police, used by Marcos Perez Jimenez during his dictatorship.

Labels: politics, Venezuela

It has definitely been an interesting week for my country (Venezuela), after the first partial results were given by the CNE (National Elections Committee) stating that the constitutional reforms were not approved by the people (check prior post).
Venezuela saw Chavez accept the defeat without the rage or angry message a lot of people expected from him(Check BBC news).
Then Venezuela saw that expected reaction from Chavez while broadcasting with the Military. He qualified the victory of the opposition as a "Shitty victory", and mentioned that he didn't want to win in that way, and that he will put the reform through once more, even if it is not constitutional to do so. During his speech (check the video in Spanish) he mentions "Shit" 4 times, which is against the law; and then Venezuelans saw our "Communications Minister" say that the fact that the President did use the word will allow for it to be permitted in the future(check the video in Spanish).
Venezuela also heard his speech saying that "Here, the S� lost, you let the S� loose, Miranda owes me one, people of Miranda and Caracas you are in debt with me, I have it written down in my planner, let's see if you will pay your debt to me or not", while addressing the facts that his followers did not go vote massively on Sunday, as in prior occasions (best review in English I have read is in Caracas Chronicles blog)
To finish the week, Venezuelans wait for the CNE to give the full and final results of Sunday's polls in the next hours, while some analysts made note that the difference between "No" and "Si" might be significantly smaller that initially thought (Check Caracas Chronicles blog). And also Venezuelans are expected to roll back their clocks by 30 min next Sunday, as the "New Time Zone" for Venezuela gets into effect (Check Reuters for more details)

How much longer will this craziness continue? Well for that I recommend you read The Economist's article "The wind goes out of the revolution" it's worth the read!!

Labels: politics, Venezuela

A large part of the population remains in a state of apathy and media reports are still off air so word is hard to get out. A vast majority continues to lead a normal life without any extra ordinary events visible. However, students across the country have begun a series of protests against what is now widely being referred to as Martial Law. Brutality at the hand of the state is growing but it is also becoming a catalyst for more protests. Today, a number of top universities in the country held processions on campus, with riot police holding off their gates. Read more...

Another useful link for realtime updates: The Emergency Times

Labels: politics

It's now the 4th day since 'Emergency' was declared in Pakistan. Unfortunately, this state of emergency includes certain things that are beyond that Constitution of the country when it defines such a state. In that sense, the vernacular being used is 'Emergency+', while a large majority of people are beginning to call in a euphemism for Marshal Law.

Particularly the things that have happened are:

- Suspension of Civil Rights and Liberties and abeyance of the Constitution
- Sacking of All Supreme court and High Court judges that have refused to take a renewed oath of loyalty to Musharraf. Most have refused
- Suspension of all privately owned media as well as foreign news media broadcasts on television and radio. The only place you get news on on TV is the state run Pakistan Television
- Code of Conduct for privately owned media disallowing them to say anything against the government




This has resulted in some forms of collectivization by groups of people, which has led to a large number of arrests of lawyers, journalists, students, political activists and even well-respected academics. Most of them can be held captive for 30 days or more without being charged, as the constitution is suspended. Authorities have been quick to disperse any groups through these arrests, tear gas and baton charges.

Local Pakistanis' opinion remains divided as some feel that there was no other option for the Chief of Army Staff, given the security situation and an overpowered judiciary. Others see it as an attack not on the security issue, but on the independence of the media and judiciary. This divide, as well as the lack of right of association and assembly is making mass protests more difficult.

Some protests are taking place in London and in NYC by overseas Pakistanis. While foreign governments have condemned Musharraf's actions, little pressure is being put by the US and other 'allies'.

There's a large scale protest scheduled on Thursday by students from various universities across the country. It remains to be seen if it leads to much.

Labels: politics

Although I try to avoid posting or discussing online about my country's Presidency, their decisions and the country's Political, Legal and Economical reality, I can't just avoid blogging this note in Nomadlife, in order to give a different perspective and insight to our community into what is currently happening with my country's Freedom.
Last May 27th one of the oldest TV station in Venezuela (RCTV) was shut by President Chavez (Read more on BBC), their license was not renewed based on accusations that this TV station plotted against him and supported a coup attempt in 2002.
This particular TV station had been broadcasting since 1953 and it started as a Radio Station (Radio Caracas) moving later on into the TV sector. RCTV has had historically a very high (not to say blindly the highest) audience and they had many programs that commonly topped the national ratings
This has open a debate on Freedom of Speech in Venezuela (Read more on BBC) and has created many protests and strikes as Venezuelans look for ways to express their frustration with the regime's decision (Read more on BBC). And furthermore Chavez has already mentioned to Globovision that they should be careful or he will do whatever is needed. Globovision is a 24/7 news station which he called an enemy of the state because of the coverage of the protests against RCTV's closure, during that broadcast he also called Venezuelans to be alert of new unstabilizing plans and to be ready to defend the Revolution (Read more on BBC).

So where will this end? Will all the TV and Radio Stations that speak against the government be closed or silenced? Will the people continue to protests against the decision even if it does not seem to make any difference? Or will things just go on and people adjust to whatever decision is done by the regime?
I can only note that from the comments I received from the friends and family who still live in Venezuela, that already the other National TV stations are reserving themselves to broadcast any news against the government, and as a matter of fact during the last weekend only Globovision broadcasted any news about the demonstrations in Caracas (Read more on BBC), all the other National TV Stations only showed their scheduled programs.
So where will Venezuelans look for news in the near future? What will happen when the next TV station is also shut? Where will this end? Will he be able to continue his revolution bringing Venezuela towards the new Communism of the XXI century? Towards Cuba?
Only time will tell.

Labels: politics, Venezuela

MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin criticized Washington's plans for an anti-missile system in Central Europe and said on Thursday Russia would come up with a "highly effective" response.

The U.S. has proposed stationing a radar station in the Czech Republic and a battery of rockets in Poland to detect and shoot down hostile missiles, which the Pentagon says could be fired from Iran in the future.

Putin dismissed Washington's arguments about defending Europe from Iran and said the anti-missile system would "directly affect" Russia.

"Our specialists don't think that anti-missile systems in Eastern Europe are aimed against terrorists or Iran. Can you really fight terrorists with ballistic missiles?" he told a news conference in Moscow.

Iran, he said, did not possess long-range ballistic missiles, only medium-range devices.
"We are also thinking about how to ensure our external security," Putin added. "All our responses will be asymmetric but they will be highly effective".

Putin said Russia already had systems capable of overcoming missile defenses but promised a future generation of weapon on which missile defense systems "will have absolutely no effect". He did not give details.

"People are always teaching us democracy but the people who teach us democracy don't want to learn it themselves."

A great way to start cold war all over again.

Labels: politics