Title:forgot the title. (repost)

Our friend Gabriel demonstrates how to offer someone a Mate.

Consider yourself lucky if someone does. 

Mate is still king in Uruguay. 

Coffee may be the drink on the way up, but the cultural gatekeeper is this messy, inconvenient and bitter 'tea' like drink that most people still enjoy with alarming regularity.

It has a bit of stigma as of-the-previous-generation or a bit too country for the swank set, but I feel it's the benchmark for being Uruguayan. 

Still, the wife is a dyed in the wool Uruguaya and never aquired a taste for it and seems some of the younger generation will not fall in with this tradition. Sadly time marches on.

For the present, we take it, as we take life here in the ROU, easy.  And hope against hope that things can remain as they are for a bit longer.

Toma, dale.

 

Cops, chillin' just let the kids hop on. No problem.

 Things go easy around here. At first you find yourself resisting, then giving way to not-fighting-about-everything.

It's nice, you'll see.                                                

The 'ferias' or street markets are a big part of life here. This is Tristan Nervaja in city center and happens each Sunday, but smaller neighborhood ferias are in every neighborhood each week are where the smart buy as much as they can. Supermarkets are convenient and enticing, but too expensive for what most earn. Staying away as much as possible is the only way to fight back.

Remarkably, plenty of wealth on display in this modest city experiencing the same financial adjustments as the rest of the world.

No problem with that at all, but is everybody ready to pony up?

Let's see.






I still love the Ami 8 from Citroen. It's a flimsy antique powered by a squirrel, but I smile every time I see one.

That's worth something.

Equilibrium

Hacktivists are evening the score some.

Anyomous and his ilk are disrupting the web for some of the world's most egregious offenders.
I noticed they are bothering Monsanto . Good, let them know that we know.

Actually effecting change will be the real test of this latest approach to fighting evil.
I don't hold out much hope. Average people, people who don't give this stuff a thought, people who work in this (or another similarly secretive and harmful industry) need to join in the fight.
It's not "a personal choice" or "necessary to feed my family" or "none of your business".
They need to understand it's everybody's business.

You may not be ready to admit that you work for a skunk. Fortunately, there are people out there who will admit it for you.








"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." Abraham Lincoln.

Schizophrenia.com

Peter Green is crazy! Me too, I'm crazy about maybe the best blues guitarist I know of.
The Fleetwood Mac story is super fascinating to me and it's what lead me to want to know more about the guy. His story is a tough one.
Here's an article on everybody's must read list; Schizophrenia!
Schizophrenia.com

Check 'em out if you can.

World News

This just in from the "Change the World" dept.

Occupy Wall Street is gaining traction. Detractors and deniers are finding it harder and harder to ignore. Here
Michael Moore does a good job of explaining "Occupy Wall Street" to BBC's Jeremy Paxman of 'News Night '.

What's your take on this?

Local News

 

Here's another glimpse of Uruguay from a local news item. Reprinted (without permission) from Montevideo Portal. I wasn't able to link directly to this article, only the site, so here it is.
 
19.08.2011 14:40 /

Give him the lie

(I am not sure if the translation is correct for this title.)

The former Secretary of Interior, José Diaz, assured that Pedro Bordaberry’s initiative to lower the age of criminal responsibility is “fake and full of lies.”

 “Fear is reactionaries’ resource”, said José Díaz, former Secretary of the Interior, to La República newspaper. 

Regarding Pedro Bordaberry’s claims, which accused Tabaré Vásquez of promoting crime, Diaz said that “Bordaberry’s initiative is fake and full of lies and therefore uses fake arguments.” 

“Bordaberry said that by means of the Humanization Law, I released 1,200 dangerous criminals, and that this is why national crime and delinquency rates increased. But this is not true, neither in quantity nor quality. In fact, only 800 people were freed” he stated.

About the political leader’s campaign to lower the age of criminal responsibility, Diaz stated: “Let’s not frighten people. Fear is the resource of reactionaries and conservatives, and leads to restoring authoritarian structures. It’s not by chance that a dictator’s son is behind this.”

 This guy Bordaberry is the right wing party candidate and  the son of a former president. Not exactly a dictator, but the president who aided the military take over of the government. It's fools like that who 'legitimized' the power grab by militants, which of course led to a disaterous 8 year  dictatorship.

Good going Dorkaberry!  As everywhere in the world, these dolts appeal to the wealthy and aspiring, promising to keep the status quoe. Then they work up the rank and file with fear tactics. Hold steady Uruguay: the world's last sane place.

There is a Light

The issue of repealing the amnesty law created just after the military dictatorship still looms here in Uruguay. President Jose Mujica continues to prefer leaving things as they are, only investigating disappearances and certain specific crimes, not all the abuses or illegality of those regimes. Uruguayans have twice voted not to repeal the amnesty and key figures in this administration and the Frente Amplio are also unwilling to press on with any attempts at repeal. Follow this compelling and complicated issue about democracy, fairness and the current state of affairs in Uruguay here in this June 4 article from Montivdeo Portal (Titled: Interview with Huidobro) or in this thread of dialogue from a blog geared toward expats.


Disgusted with politics as usual? Discouraged about the future? Fed up with bleak, cynical forcasts (like this blog)?


Here's a great article with loads of links to strong, creative, even inspiring approaches to fixing what ailes us all.


I say capitalism is a plague upon society, but that does nothing with the exception of irritating people. I have no alternative in mind, I only know this is not working for MOST people.


For those who dare to imagine that; A) change is needed and B) change is possible! READ THIS ARTICLE and as many of the supporting articles as possible.


Reimagining Capitalism: Bold Ideas for a New Economy | The Nation
We now return to my regularly scheduled chronic dissatisfaction with endlessly proliferating apathy.


You're Welcome

Osama still 'dead', as far as we know

Hello everybody.

Please click the links for source confirmation and collaborating viewpoints as reported in the media from around the globe. 

With many unanswered questions and a checkered history that include tales now known to be lies (watch this short video), the US government appears to be getting away with what I believe is another hoax designed to distract people from seeking the truth. 


As regurgitated here in Daily Uruguay, celebrating did occur all over the US following the news of OBL's death. That is how many people reacted. An impromptu gathering occurred at Ground Zero, even though there is absolutely no evidence linking this guy to that tragedy. The president himself used the site to make a memorial speech on the subject.

All I'm saying is on reviewing what we've been told so far, there is still much to question about this and there is very little questioning going on.

• The details of this raid seem off to me; the DNA evidence, NO body (hastily buried at sea?), No photographic evidence even for journalists, etc.
• It could be construed as a way to sway public opinion and deflect attention from other serious issues.
•  If you want to believe in the current president, especially in comparison to the last, it becomes much easier to accept without scrutiny.
• There are credible reports of OBL's death prior to this last one.

Criticism of the USA will kept on a low boil, picking on any country too much undermines the seriousness of the message here; We should all be skeptical of 'official' government information (propaganda) and work to keep journalism and entertainment separate.


It seems this blog will to continue to explore differences in opinion on world issues like political corruption or pollution.  It's quite frustrating to imagine yourself as part of a corrupted system, however circulating dissenting opinions and 'fringe' reporting can help reduce the strain by turning the taboo into a topic.


Thanks to those still following;


Sticking to your principals can prove to be highly unpopular.