Edward Hopper and the Usher

The painting on the right is Edward Hopper's "The Usher" and the right is a print screen of the movie "Shinning Through".

Stephen Fry has been working occasionally for Bill and Melinda foundation?

50:30 OMG! Stephen has been working occasionally for Bill and Melinda foundation? This is appalling! I'm extremely disappointed with Stephen! I love him so much but after listening some of his statements in this interview it's clear he lacks some information.
Queen Elizabeth as a totem? She is a ... Ok... Do your research for I'm not the one who will spoil the party. 
Stephen being a part of technocracy?
No Stephen, don't be in the center. Be outside this system. This is your place.
Now I'm going to cry.
Stephen working for agenda 2030... Oh! Bill, the murderer.

I'll keep admiring Stephen. I don't think he is aware of what this foundation is all about.
He has been fighting cancer and I wish him a very quick recovery.

Start by this article. Do your research.

Report Slams Gates Foundation for Self-Serving Agenda, Corporate Ties
NonProfitPRO

January 26, 2016

By Sean Norris

Just days after Microsoft announced it would donate $1 billion in cloud-computing resources to 70,000 nonprofits worldwide, founder Bill Gates is in the crosshairs for his philanthropy.

In a 54-page report released Thursday, U.K. social advocacy group Global Justice Now slammed the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for using its enormous giving-power to influence global health policies in the foundation's own interests. The report also claims the Gates Foundation often invests in the same health care and pharmaceutical companies it funds, creating “a corporate merry-go-round" that benefits corporations while undermining support for basic public health systems.

"The [foundation's] program is not a neutral, charitable strategy for which the world should be thankful that a rich man is deciding to spend his money on good causes," reads the report's introduction. "Analysis of the foundation's programs shows that it has an agenda—it is a specific ideological strategy that promotes neo-liberal economic policies, corporate globalization [and] the technology this brings, and a long outdated view of the centrality of 'aid' in helping the 'poor.'"

Among the report's allegations against the Gates Foundation:

It provides a disproportionate amount of funding to health organizations in high-income countries, "exacerbating unequal research and development infrastructures between poor and rich regions." The report cites as an example the foundation's "overwhelming focus" on developing and promoting new vaccines at the expense of already-proven preventative measures for diseases that most affect poverty-stricken areas.
Its projects are primarily "vertically funded interventions targeted at specific diseases or health problems" and do little to strengthen public health systems, leaving underdeveloped nations ill-equipped to combat the root causes of disease. The report backs this claim with comments from Margaret Chan, director general of the World Health Organization (WHO), who said in an interview with The New York Times that the WHO's budget is "driven by what I call donor interests." This limits the organization's ability to maintain fixed support staff "to build response systems" when there is no active health emergency. Adds the report: "The inference in Chan’s remarks is that the WHO, whose largest donor is [the Gates Foundation,] is unable to respond adequately to ebola and other disease outbreaks because donor interests prevent it from being able to build public health systems in developing countries.
It "prioritizes support for corporations." The report notes that the Gates Foundation has funded a huge number of projects for major corporations—including Monsanto, Bayer, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck and Coca-Cola—and that the corporations often stand to profit. According to the report, the foundation has owned or still owns shares in some of the corporations it funds. "The foundation is profiting from its investments in corporations which contribute to social and economic injustice," reads the report.
***

Perhaps the most troubling allegation, though, is one we've heard before—that the Gates Foundation, through massive donations and global influence, has effectively bought the silence of would-be critics. The Seattle Times addressed the issue in 2008:

“The danger isn’t in what people do tell you—it’s in what they don’t,” departing foundation CEO Patty Stonesifer warned in the 2007 annual report.

In other words, Stonesifer says, the Gates Foundation needs honest feedback and criticism to help it figure out how best to improve the health of the world’s poor, boost food production in Africa and improve schools in the U.S.

Honesty can be hard to come by, though, when you’re handing out staggering amounts of cash.

And some question how sincere the foundation is about listening to critics.

“They’re not really fostering tough debate,” said Pablo Eisenberg, a columnist for The Chronicle of Philanthropy and senior fellow at the Georgetown Public Policy Institute. “They have not solicited and gone after people who will tell them the truth.”

The Global Justice Now report reinforces those claims. It notes that the Gates Foundation has spent $1 billion on policy and advocacy, investing heavily in training programs for journalists at major media organizations, and funding research and articles in scientific journals. It also notes that the foundation supports a number of NGOs that "might otherwise be expected to criticize aspects of the foundation's agenda," but have been notably silent.

In other words, many of the organizations capable of holding the foundation accountable are unwilling or unable to do so. Adds the report, quoting Sophie Harman, an academic at Queen Mary University in London: "One explanation for the silence is that 'everyone is scared of challenging Gates and the foundation’s role because they don’t want to lose their funding.'"

It makes sense that the organizations receiving funds wouldn't actively criticize the foundation providing the funding. But if the reports are true, it's led to an echo chamber of sorts—one in which the Gates Foundation cannot be criticized. From The Seattle Times story above:

Countless blogs and websites spout off on Microsoft’s every twitch. A single blog, The Gates Keepers, watchdogs the Gates Foundation. Few people ever weigh in with comments. The moderators say they remain anonymous out of fear of lawsuits and what they call “Bill Chill.”

“If we criticize the foundation in our own names our funding will be cut or we will lose our jobs,” reads one exchange.

***

It's a complicated ethical dilemma. The Gates Foundation is the world's 12th-largest donor, spending more on aid than most countries—including Canada, Belgium and Italy. It is a vital source of funding for hundreds of nonprofits, NGOs and other organizations in almost every sector, providing critical support for their missions. According to the report, the foundation issued 6,210 grants from 2010 to 2014 alone, and has spent $23.9 billion since 2000.

Even if the Gates Foundation is a bully that stands to benefit from its own philanthropy, as Global Justice Now alleges, it's hard to argue that it's not making a positive difference in world affairs. At one point, the report notes that The Global Fund, an organization that the foundation supports, has spent just 10 percent of its total output since 2002 on strengthening public health systems. It is intended as a knock against the Gates Foundation, but the math says otherwise. The Global Fund has spent a total of $25 billion over that span—10 percent of that is still $2.5 billion. That's not inconsequential.

It's also worth noting that many of the report's positions are subjective. Has the Gates Foundation prioritized vaccines? Yes, but those vaccines have saved an estimated 5.812 million lives. Has the foundation invested heavily in genetically modified organism (GMO) research and advocated for genetically modified crops? Sure, but a large portion of the scientific community believes GMOs could end world hunger. Global Justice Now counts these and other claims as a strike against the Gates Foundation, while largely ignoring the positive outcomes.

Still, the report's top recommendation—that the Gates Foundation should receive an independent review and evaluation—seems fair. More accountability, especially from organizations of this size, isn't a bad thing. As Nonprofit Quarterly's Martin Levine writes, "Beyond debating merits and downsides of specific strategies, the growing influence of a small number of very large foundations should cause us to consider if their work is sufficiently transparent and accountable."

For its part, the Gates Foundation stood by its philanthropic approach. In a written response, the foundation said its chief goal is to "improve quality of life for the world's poorest people," and that doing so requires collaboration from organizations across all sectors—nonprofit, for-profit or otherwise.

"Governments are uniquely positioned to provide the leadership and resources necessary to address structural inequalities and ensure that the right solutions reach those most in need," said the foundation. "The private sector has access to innovations—for example, in science, medicine and technology—that can save lives. And we believe that the role of philanthropy is to take risks where others can’t or won’t."

America according to D. H. Lawrence

"The essential American soul is hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer. It has never yet melted."
D. H. Lawrence

Wordless Monday

"The Evening Star", 1995.

Michael Brooks interview Glenn Greenwald on the archives about Car Wash operation crimes

This is the free version of TMBS for June 11, 2019. Radio interview. Support Michael Brook.



Michael Brooks said "Lula Livre" (Free Lula) perfectly!
Thank you Michael!

Glenn Greenwald on the Leaked Brazil Archive Exposing Operation Car Wash

Glenn Greenwald explains the political scene in Brazil especially the imprisonment of Lula and it's reasons and the consequences of the leaking of the three archives of The Intercept.
The political consequences of the Car Wash operation done by the judge Sérgio Moro, trained in US to construct the prison of Lula without a single prove.
"Sérgio Moro is a liar."

Stephen Fry: Casablanca

"Casablanca for God's sake! If you have not seen Casablanca you might as well just simply show up. to anything. You don't deserve to live. It is as simple as that."* (Click on the video that is set to the time he says that.)

*I'm whispering. I hadn't seen Casablanca. I don't know what happened but our paths didn't cross. One day I was at a shop and I found Casablanca in DVD. I bought it. Quite a relief! I deserve to live!

Lately: I'm watching movies. Yesterday I watched again "Peter's Friends",

It was great watching it again. 

I'm not feeling like talking about the movies. I have a lot to watch today. This is a good review* I found from a British perspective. The image above was a print screen but it is the same of the article with tiny difference.

Have a great Sunday. Don't tell anybody you didn't watch Casablanca. Do what I did..

*Revisiting Peter's Friends

Simon Brew
Mar 14, 2018

...where you feel most like yourself

"Hopefully, you'll be the first to listen. 

On your day off, get as far away from this place as you can. 
Go someplace where you feel most like yourself."

Quote from the movie "The Lake House"

I caught fallen stars

Last years I did post the music "Catch a fallen Star". That week I found some paper stars on the floor of the street.
I found it funny and I caught some of them.
Today I changed the handbag and I found the stars. Funny I'm going through some rainy days. 
I'm smiling.

Nighthawks parodies

Enjoy. First one here.

Leaked Messages Confirm: Imprisonment of Brazil's Lula da Silva was Politically Motivated

Source: The Real News Network. 

June 12, 2019
The website The Intercept received a massive archive of communications between prosecutors and judges, involving Brazil's corruption cases. Initial analysis reveals that former president Lula da Silva's prosecution and conviction were politically motivated. Mike Fox discusses the ramifications 

I fear I'm falling apart

It is human, all too human.
Sometimes we fall apart and when we fear we are falling apart we have already fallen.
There is no comfortable place, people don''t understand as if they forgot their fallen periods.
When we fall it is like it never happened before. 
There is strength deep inside but we can't reach it. We are fearing something that has already happened.
Time, we need time, patience.  We need to accept the grief. Grief, grief...
That will also pass. 


Source of  Amelie gif here.
Source of selfhug here.

Julian Assange’s father visits him in prison

Heartbreaking. 
Justice, where is justice in this world?

Lula American Political Prisoner: not a single evidence of wrongdoing

Not a single evidence was produced by the ex judge Sérgio Moro during the whole trial.

You may say it is not up to a judge to produce evidences and you are right.

But this judge didn't respect any law or the constitution. He did what CIA instructed him to do.

Now the evidences of the crimes committed by Sérgio Moro are out in the open.

Free Lula NOW.

Hands of Brazil!

Frankie and Johnny - Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer

Frankie - "I wish you'd stop looking at me like that."

Johnny - "Like what?"

Frankie - "Like that. It's too intense. You don't look, you stare. It makes me nervous."

I love this movie.The words that come to my mind are loneliness, friendship, compassion, love...
Find more about the movie here.


Frankie - "No matter what?"
Johnny - (nods)
Frankie - "I'm 36."

URGENT: Lula is innocent: Car Wash operation corruption probe

HOW AND WHY THE INTERCEPT IS REPORTING ON A VAST TROVE OF MATERIALS ABOUT BRAZIL’S OPERATION CAR  June 9 2019, 5:57 p.mWASH AND JUSTICE MINISTER SERGIO MOROTHE INTERCEPT BRASIL today published three explosive exposés showing highly controversial, politicized, and legally dubious internal discussions and secret actions by the Operation Car Wash anti-corruption task force of prosecutors, led by the chief prosecutor Deltan Dallagnol, along with then-Judge Sergio Moro, now the powerful and internationally celebrated justice minister for Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.

These stories are based on a massive archive of previously undisclosed materials — including private chats, audio recordings, videos, photos, court proceedings, and other documentation — provided to us by an anonymous source. They reveal serious wrongdoing, unethical behavior, and systematic deceit about which the public, both in Brazil and internationally, has the right to know.

These three articles were published today in The Intercept Brasil in Portuguese, and we have synthesized them into two English-languagearticles for The Intercept. Given the size and global influence of Brazil under the new Bolsonaro government, these stories are of great significance to an international audience.

This is merely the beginning of what we intend to be an ongoing journalistic investigation, using this massive archive of material, into the Car Wash corruption probe; Moro’s actions when he was a judge and those of the prosecutor Dallagnol; and the conduct of numerous individuals who continue to wield great political and economic power both inside Brazil and in other countries.

Beyond the inherent political, economic, and environmental importance of Brazil under Bolsonaro, the significance of these revelations arises from the incomparably consequential actions of the yearslong Car Wash corruption probe. That sweeping scandal implicated numerous leading political figures, oligarchs, Bolsonaro’s predecessor as president, and even foreign leaders in corruption prosecutions.

Most importantly, Car Wash was the investigative saga that led to the imprisonment of former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva last year. Lula’s conviction by Moro, once it was quickly affirmed by an appellate court, rendered him ineligible to run for president at a time when all polls showed that Lula — who was twice elected president by large margins in 2002 and in 2006 before being term-limited out of office in 2010 with an 87 percent approval rating — was the frontrunner in the 2018 presidential race. Lula’s exclusion from the election, based on Moro’s finding of guilt, was a key episode that paved the way for Bolsonaro’s election victory.

Whole article here.

Now it is proved that Lula is a political prisoner. He has to be freed today. 

PS: Brazilians are astonished by what is happening. The vast majority knew that Car Wash was orchestrated in US and the whole operation is criminal. Those citizens who were brainwashed by the mainstream media will follow the steps of denial, cognitive dissonance and acceptance.

The case is so serious that if there were any dignity left or the sense of morality of a Japanese by those who committed these crimes suicides were going to happen. But we live in a strange period all over the world.

David Harvey discussion animated by RSA

Published on 28 Jun 2010

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"In this RSA Animate, celebrated academic David Harvey looks beyond capitalism towards a new social order. Can we find a more responsible, just, and humane economic system? The RSA is a 258 year-old charity devoted to creating social progress and spreading world-changing ideas. For more information about our research, RSA Animates, free events programme and 27,000 strong fellowship."Produced and edited by Abi Stephenson, RSA.

Animation by Cognitive Media. Andrew Park, the mastermind behind the Animate series and everyone's favourite hairy hand, discusses their appeal and success in his blog post, 'Talk to the hand': http://www.thersa.org/talk-to-the-hand/

This is the David Harvey entire interview:

Jobless and Citizenless Democracy

I once had a quarrel with a far right man here in Brazil.
I didn't say too much but he yelled and shout like it is happening all over the western world.
Divide and conquer worked in this country thanks to USA masters of this strategy.
He said: "I'm a citizen."
This week I remembered him and I started questioning if we still can call ourselves "citizens",

I don't know why I started searching for this word: "citizenless" and I found it!

A democracy without citizens... without people... 

I'll watch this video now:

Hella Heaven is 10 years old

"...I want to be able to live the life of a human being, where every individual is respected, in my lifetime." Anna Politkovskaya

This was the first post I published on March, 13 2009.
It's hard to believe ten years have passed. This desire Anna couldn't see is in the mind of the vast majority of the people in this world.

Chris Hedges awarded the American Academy of Arts and Letters

"The American Academy of Arts and Letters on Wednesday May 22 in New York City awarded one of eight prizes in literature to Chris Hedges. In the citation the academy wrote: "Chris Hedges's big brash impassioned voice is a reviving tonic, an accelerant to our weary spirit's fresh resolve to confront the powerful institutional attacks on our environment and political integrity. His many books and columns on the website Truthdig about our broken democracy, corporate tyranny, and ecocidal madness inspire us to articulate action. His work is enlightening and intense--a furious necessity.""
Source: Truthdig