Putin’s website down by hacktivist group

TOP STORIES 

BEST OF

A more incisive and creative way to show protest. Hacktivist group Anonymous has been up to its old tricks again, this time briefly taking out the web site of the Russian president as a show of support for the growing opposition to newly re-crowned leader Vladimr Putin. Like most of the group's DDoS campaigns, the attack only temporarily disrupted the kremlin.ru site, which is back online now.

Anonymous tweeted from its Op_Russia Twitter account this Wednesday referencing OpDefiance, its new campaign designed to protest against what it claims were unfair elections in Russia which swept former president and prime minister Putin back to power. 

Putin’s work to change legislation allowing him to get back to power has just paid back, but anti-Putin rallies have been increasing even after his reelection. 20,000 people took part in a protest on Sunday against Mr Putin's inauguration, though police put the figure at 8,000. 

Even in the US, Obama’s office came with a disapproval of the "mistreatment" of peaceful protesters. 

The US and Russian leaders will meet during the G20 summit in Mexico in June, but so far it’s highlighted growing tensions between the two nations over the US missile defence plans in eastern Europe, our correspondent adds.





THE WORST

Brand new Russian jet crashes in Indonesia

46 people died in a jet crash this Wednesday in Indonesia. The wreckage was found only today (Thursday) near a volcano. The airline operated a demonstration flight especially arranged to sell the merits of this new civilian model, called SSJ100, who had just received her certification in April to fly in Europe.

The demonstration flight, to which were invited several journalists, was part of a tour organized by Soukhoï in the region and should take SSJ100 to Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Burma, Laos and Vietnam.

The SSJ100 is often presented as the hope of Russian civil aircraft, which went into decline after the end of the Soviet Union. With the capacity to carry between 75 and 100 passengers, the aircraft was designed to compete with the Brazilian Embraer and Canadian Bombardier in the regional aviation market. Its first commercial flight, from the Russian airline Aeroflot, happened a year ago, in April 2011.

Perigee and full moon but no werewolfs

FEARS

THE BEST

At 5 o'clock in the morning last Sunday the moon has been at its perigee, the closest point in the orbit of the Earth. The fact that the approximation coincided with a full moon, provided the most spectacular phenomenon.

For many people it was just a beautiful moon overhead that good bigger due to its coming closer to earth, but for many others it was a recipe for disaster.

Though scientists agree that moon is capable of making some impact on earth, but it is limited to some moderate high tides near beaches and nothing more. Others who claim that the moon may impact the earth adversely claim that the moon is most dangerous when it becomes a super moon.

There are people who have been predicting disasters every time there is super moon. Richard Nolle who is credited to have used the term of super moon for the first time says, “Supermoons have a historical association with strong storms, very high tides, extreme tides and also earthquakes”. But in the last few years there was neither any earthquake nor extreme tides on the occasion of super moon.

Moon’s impact on earth is well known. Just like the orbits of planets around the sun, the moon’s path around the Earth is more elliptical than circular. So within each lunar cycle, there is a part of the orbit when it is closest to Earth and a part when it is farthest away (perigee and apogee, respectively). The tides normally change as the moon goes from perigee to apogee, and next week will be no different. 

A NASA official says, “You tend to have stronger tides near the full moon…These will be the strongest tides of the month, but they won’t be much different from last year. They’re not that unusual from other tides around the full moon.

At perigee, the moon is 363,000 miles away, on average, the Earth. In the heyday, when the star is farther away, is 405 000 kilometers. This difference causes the moon tomorrow is 14% higher and 30% brighter.

But the best time to observe this difference is a few hours before, even on Saturday, during the moonrise, at 20h09, when it always seems bigger

If u didn't see it there will be more opportunities. the phenomenon is cyclic. The last time it had happened was on March 19, 2011 and the next opportunity to observe a moon as big will be the March 19, 2013 and August 10, 2014.

Powdered human flesh capsules in  South Korea 

THE WORST

South Korea says it will increase customs inspections targeting capsules containing powdered human flesh.

The South Korea Customs Service said it had found almost 17,500 of the capsules being smuggled into the country from China since August 2011. The powdered flesh, which officials said came from dead babies and foetuses, is reportedly thought by some to cure disease and boost stamina. But officials said the capsules were full of bacteria and a health risk.

"It was confirmed those capsules contain materials harmful to the human body, such as super bacteria. We need to take tougher measures to protect public health," a customs official was quoted as saying by the Korea Times.

Inspections are to be stepped up on shipments of drugs arriving from north-east China. A local newspaper said that capsules were being dyed or switched into boxes of other drugs in a bid to disguise them. Some of the capsules were found in travellers' luggage and some in the post.

Allegations that human flesh capsules were being trafficked from north-east China into South Korea emerged last year in a South Korean television documentary.

Ministry spokesman Deng Haihua said China had "strict management of disposal of infant and foetal remains as well as placentas. Any practice that handles the remains as medical waste is strictly prohibited."

Look out don't miss Lockout

MOVIES

Lockout (2012)

THE BEST

As a fan of antecipation science fiction movies, one doesn't get many chances to see a decent movie per year. From the Terminator saga to Minority Report, and including Surrogates, for example. Well, i'm one of those fans and Lockout is overall the best production in its genre i've seen in months. Let us conced it lacks some scripting density, but it compensates with the cynical humor perfectly carried by Guy Pearce.

Directors Stephen Leger and James Mather are still giving their first steps and they've taken a good one with this work about a man wrongly convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage against the U.S. to whom is offered his freedom if he can rescue the president's daughter from an outer space prison taken over by violent inmates.

It may not have the visual appealing of idiotic Hunger Games, but overall it's a much more acceptable movie.




Wuthering Heights (2011)

THE WORST

Emily Bronte's novel seventh adaptation to cinema. It all started in 1939 with William Wyler's version and it has been ten years since Peter Kosminsky's movie starring Juliette Binoche and Ralph Fiennes.

Still working on difficult family bonding, director Andrea Arnold had raised up the scale with previous Fish Tank, but now she couldn't jump higher and sets with an low medium quality adaptation, too pretencious and a low pace induced by all the artistic nature imagering. It just didn't work.

One can suppose it was intended to enhance powerful description, state of mind, suffering, but it happens to display a series of failed cinematic metaphores.

When your number's up

TV SERIES

Person Of Interest (SEASON 1)

THE BEST

Here's a realistic and fresh entertainment. Shown on CBS, Person of Interested (POI) is a well succeeded creation of Jonathan Nolan (brother of director Christopher Nola) who wrote the screenplays for Christopher's movies "Memento", "Batman Begins", "The Prestige", "The Dark Knight", as well as the upcoming "The Dark Knight Rises", and "Man of Steel.

A significant portfolio doesn't certificate the quality of this TV Series. It happens this monitored world where each one of us can be screened at any real time is not science fiction for a long time. The only unrealistic aspect is the benevolent approach on the vigilance. I'm sure nobody would really mind being watched by the funny computer genius named Finch.

He developed a machine they say it's used to detect information leading to acts of terrorism before they happen. But he also developed a back door into the system which only spits out the social security number of a central person involved in the crime.

Supposedly dead in the authority's eyes, Finch hires John Reese, an ex-CIA special operations agent, who, too, dropped out of life after his girlfriend was killed as the result of a professional incident, and he was dissatisfied with the government's handling of the situation. Go figure...




Seinfeld, get back

Veep (SEASON 1)

THE WORST

From POI to VIP, pardon, VEEP it's a long way down. The long empathy of Julia Louis-Dreyfuss from her unforgettable participation in classic humour series Seinfeld vanishes after two episodes of miscarried comic sense in VEEP.

A single travelling camera that never stops intended to give rhythm and action to the vice-minister office is even more tiring than the senseless dialogues produced in what should be a satire to the political agenda of top government persons.

One gets the feeling this could be a fairly good TV series if it had a background of good and imaginative scripts, which is not definitely the case. If you have by any chance an urge to get bored, take a look at this VEEP.

Real Madrid clinches 32nd spanish title

 SPORT

THE BEST

Football season's near the end in most european leagues. FC Porto and Ajax assured national titles in Portugal and Netherlands, but at the moment the strongest european league is the Spanish, where Real Madrid has just conquered its record-extending 32nd Spanish soccer league title with a 3-0 win over Athletic Bilbao. Barcelona’s Lionel Messi settled with a European goal-scoring record.

Gonzalo Higuain, Mesut Ozil and Cristiano Ronaldo scored - as the "merengues" pushed their single-season Spanish scoring record to 115 goals - to give Real its first La Liga title since 2008 and end Barcelona’s three-year reign as champion. New champion has 94 points, seven more than its arch rival with two matches left. “The league is even harder when you fight for it with a team like Barcelona,” Ronaldo, who missed a penalty kick, said in comments on Real’s website. “We were better than them.”

The victory gives Real manager Jose Mourinho (seven) championships in four different countries, following titles with Porto, in his native Portugal, Chelsea, in England, and Inter Milan. 




“I won the league title in Portugal, Italy and England, but this one has been the toughest,” Mourinho told RealmadridTV. “I’ve won seven league titles overall and I know what it feels like.”

Ronaldo lifted his league tally to 44 goals, two fewer than Messi, who scored three times last night in a 4-1 win over Malaga to break the record for goals in a European season.





Hilarious political boycott on Euro'2012

THE WORST

Austria, Belgium and the Netherlands announced this week they would not send government ministers to the Euro 2012 soccer tournament because of the way that co-host nation Ukraine has treated imprisoned former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko. 

It is a laughable statement considering they have not been selected to play. However, meant as political signal to Kiev this move has been the only media decision they could think of in order to get some sort of reaction. As it was in the past, governments are still using sport as a political instrument to do their job. 









This statements are even more silly considering that none of the European soccer federations involved in the tournament have boycotted the event and UEFA chief Michel Platini said in an interview last week that the European Championships would continue on as planned.

Calls for the snub first came from two German ministers and EU justice commissioner Viviane Reding at the weekend. In recent days Austria, Belgium and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said they will not go. The Netherlands has also threatened to stay away.

The President of Poland - which is co-hosting Euro2012 with Ukraine - has accused EU politicians planning to boycott Ukrainian matches of ulterior motives. Bronislaw Komorowski said the crackdown on opposition in Ukraine is not comparable to events which prompted previous Western boycotts - of the Moscow Olympics in 1980 and the Beijing Olympics in 2008. "These were the effects of war which Russia launched against Afghanistan or the bloody repression of Tibetans' aspirations for freedom, where blood was spilt, where there were mass arrests, jailings and so on. But the situation in Ukraine is not like that. We all understand this perfectly. So it is possible to speculate there are some other calculations being made."

Komorowski's remark on "other calculations" is an allusion to concerns that some EU countries are using human rights as a pretext for harming EU-Ukraine integration.The countries on the boycott list have in the past opposed moves to give Ukraine a promise of future EU accession.

The man made his point.

MY WEEK

CHOOSING THE BEST ONLINE SCHOOLS

THE BEST

I’ve been considering for a long time to take a free online university course. I was told some of the best universities in the world offer online courses even though they don’t actually give certification or verification for completing the course.

Nevertheless, it would be great to add up some new knowledge and to enhance my academic studies. I was suppose the prestigious MIT, Stanford, Carnegie and Berkeley are very appealing, and i’m still gathering information about which would be the best online school for me.

I’ve been reading about it before i make a decision and i would appreciate if you come forward with any information about this courses, specially if you have some sort of experience with these online schools.

I’ve already been to university and completed the course on human and social sciences, in the branch of journalism. But now i feel i could go further in-depht in some disciplines.

GETTING OVER MY ASTHMATIC CONDITION

THE WORST

It’s has been a difficult week as my asthmatic condition is giving me a hard time. I prefer to avoid using my asthma pump because i don’t want to be dependent on it, but one of this nights i had no other chance. I was having trouble in breathing.

I don’t want to upset you with this problem and there could be worse problems than asthma. I’m already feeling better, i know it’s also a weather climate related problem.

My asthmatic condition gets worse when there’s above average humidity in the air. Hopefully it will go away in the next few days.

SPORT

Zenit high above takes Russian title

THE BEST


A hard-fought 2-1 win over Dynamo Moscow gave Zenit an unassailable 15-point lead with three games remaining, a victory they achieved despite playing most of the second half with ten men. It is Zenit's second-straight title and third since 2007.

Russia’s second largest city was celebrating the victory on Saturday night. After the game, thousands of fans came to the city centre with team flags, chanting and greeting each other. The Palace Square and the Nevsky Prospekt were most crowded, and many fans say they would stay there until morning.

Luciano Spalletti’s team, backed by Russian energy giant Gazprom, only needed a draw in the top-of-the-table clash the title. Zenit midfielder Roman Shirokov fired the home side in front on the half-hour and fellow Russia international Alexander Kerzhakov doubled the lead from the spot six minutes later.

Moldova defender Alexandru Epureanu pulled one back for the visitors just before the break but Zenit held on for a deserved win to stretch their lead over Dynamo to 15 points. Zenit had to play with 10 men for most of the second half after their Russia midfielder Konstantin Zyryanov was sent off after picking up a second booking.

“We had a good team when we won our first title (in 2010) but we were even better this season,” said the Italian coach Spaletti. “I can only congratulate my players for a job well done.”



Shocking missile to secure London 2012

THE WORST

UK authorities might place surface-to-air missiles on a water tower in a densely populated London neighbourhood as part of security for the Olympic Games this summer, a ministry official said this Sunday.

Residents in an east London community have received leaflets warning them of the possibility. Site evaluations and exercises have taken place.

A former water tower within the Bow Quarter gated private estate would be the location for the proposed missiles. Bow Quarter is a former match factory containing a number of large buildings, converted into hundreds of residential flats and houses.
"Ground-based air defence systems could be deployed as part of a multi-layered air security plan for the Olympics, including fast jets and helicopters, which will protect the skies over London during the Games," said an official, asking not to be named in line with British government practise.

Some of the receivers of leaflets about the possible missile system have shown their disapproval. "This is a highly built-up area. I can't imagine any situation in which you could safely use a high-velocity missile over Tower Hamlets," as the neighbourhood is called. There is "obviously the security issue around the Olympics", but missiles would be an overreaction. "This is meant to be reassuring, but it creates a lot of anxiety", they say.

London is hosting the 2012 Olympics from July 27 to August 12 and the Paralympics from August 29 to September 9.

TOP STORIES

CRIMINAL CREDIT CARD WEBSITES SHUT DOWN

THE BEST

Dozens of criminal websites offering credit card details and other private information have been taken down in a global police operation in Australia, Europe, the UK and US. The scheme had been in practise for over two years offering credit card numbers or bank account details of millions of unsuspecting victims. These were sold for as little as £2. According to the news reports, two british men and one from Macedonia were arrested, with 36 sites shut down, but more arrests are expected. Joint operations in Australia, the US, Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, Ukraine, Romania and Macedonia led to the websites being closed down this Thursday.

Criminal gangs try to recruit the smartest hackers or code-writers to both steal data from unsuspecting internet users, and make their own websites as secure and hard to trace as possible. But many senior figures at the big internet service providers and domain name registration companies are traditionally anti-establishment and can be suspicious of police interference. They are often reluctant to agree to anything that could be perceived as curtailing the freedom of the web, such as preventing anonymous domain registrations.

The authorities say traditional "bedroom" hackers were being recruited by criminal gangs to write the malware or "phishing" software that steals personal information. Other IT experts are used to write the computer code that enables the websites to cope, automatically, with selling the huge amounts of data.

Automated computer programs can register thousands of similar, but different domain names, and it can be difficult to trace them back to their owner. That's the reason authorities are trying to influence the industry to introduce more secure systems so they do know who is registering these sites and they have a more comprehensive customer database, and do more aimed at preventing criminals buying websites and using them for criminal ends.



NO TRUCE IN SYRIA

THE WORST

It became clear this Thursday that the truce in Syria is not holding up. It is estimated that 70 people have been killed in an attack on several houses in the Masha at-Tayyar district in southern Hama, which  were destroyed by a big explosion. The violence comes despite a UN-brokered ceasefire - part of a peace plan proposed by the joint UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan.

Searching for survivors after the blast in Hama

Following the blast in Hama, activists posted video on the internet showing a scene of devastation, with bodies being pulled from the rubble. It has been said that the the blast was caused by government shelling or even a Scud missile attack, but no one seems to be sure.

The opposition Syrian National Council has called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting "so that it can issue a resolution to protect civilians". It says nearly 100 people have been killed in Hama in recent days. A UN Military intervention is again being required.

MOVIES

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN (2011)

THE BEST

The most impressive example of an excellent low budget movie. It required not only a poignant script but also a set of perfect artistic performances. It challenges ones dark emotions as it fails to provide a simple answer... about the essence of Kevin's diabolic behaviour and actions.

Eva (Kevin's mother) soon realises her soon is a dangerous and manipulative boy, with the sadistic pleasure of hurting others. No one sees this except her. Her husband (John C. Reilly) thinks he's a normal boy but soon tragic events will change all of their lives.

A powerful psychological thriller, this significantly atmospheric, foreboding, unsentimental and constantly intriguing mystery is a profound cinematic achievement which is reinforced by the versatile and accomplished acting performance by British actress Tilda Swinton in an emotionally complicated role, the unrelenting and expressive acting performance by American actor Ezra Miller, the fine supporting acting performance by American actor John C. Reilly and the impressive acting performance by Jasper Newell as the young Kevin in his debut feature film role.

An incisive, metaphoric and horror-ish psychological drama.




MIRROR MIRROR (2012)

THE WORST

For time to time, some more gifted writers, producers and directors come up with a brand new fairytale. Let's not forget the fabulous lapidary work of Tim Burton, the most prolific contemporary creator. But even him was unable to resist in recreating a famous fairytale (Alice in Wonderland) which proved to be just interesting and not the usual high standard. A set back. Indian director Tarsem Singh falls in a different category and tries to make his way to some sort of epic tales (his previous movie was the Immortals, but the most promising work has been The Fall).

Mirror, Mirror could only generate some box-office success, as it did, due to Julia Roberts' participation. The Queen takes over the movie shrinking Snow White Lily Allen's performance. Overall, it's an incredibly lame, simplistic and predictable movie I'm not sure even little children will enjoy

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TV SERIES

GAME OF THRONES (SEASON 2)

THE BEST

Based on the novel book A Song of Ice and Fire, from George R.R. Martin, the story has a huge club of fans all over the world. But you don't have to particularly be a fan of this type of narrative to enjoy this powerful TV adaptation. In short, it's about a medieval dispute. Seven noble families fight for control of the mythical land of Westeros.

If you haven't read the book nor have watched the first season, it will take some time do understand which sides are which, but you'll surely be surprise by the pervasive political and sexual intrigue. Even if it seems to have lost some of the initial magical and mystical strengh and intensity, Game of Thrones remains as one of the best on the air.

NYC 22 (SEASON 1)

THE WORST

The structure of the first episode of NYC 22 takes us back to the old Hill Street Blues, a famous TV series of the 80ies, but after 30 years of cops running and driving like crazy in pursuit of the bad guys, we are now presented with six rookie cops fresh out of the academy.

Brand new cops in action on NYC 22

The don't run nor drive. In fact they walk as they talk with each other. Not in the pace of New York, it's more Malibu rhythm without the music.
After all, they are dropped on a street corner to patrol a foot beat and they don't really know what they are doing there. Neither do we (waiting for the next job, i suppose).

Unconvincing acting in a surrealistic presentation from CBS.
It's also not the line of work director's James Mangold is used to.

FEARS

IMAGES OF TISSUES IN 3D MAY HELP TREAT CANCER

THE BEST
Scientists from the University of Leeds, in England, have created a technique to generate hi-resolution, colour 3D images of a piece of tissue. The images can be rotated on a computer screen and examined from any angle. Cancer Research UK said the technology could help researchers understand how cancer grew and spread, and learn how to treat it more effectively. These findings have been published in the American Journal of Pathology.

In many applications this three-dimensional nature is important as it will help provide much more information than a simple 2D scan, creating a realistic image that a researcher can manipulate and spin around. This may help spot small tumours that could be missed by conventional approaches and if there is a major blood vessel fairly nearby, it will be possible to see if a tumour has reached it. And if it has not, it can be probably cut out safely.

It is the same with organs. If a surgeon wants to remove a tumour near a very sensitive organ, the main question is about the safety of the procedure. A tumour is a complex three-dimensional 'organ' made of cancerous and healthy cells, including blood vessels, immune cells and other 'normal' cells.
In the past, there have been attempts to create 3D images of tissue samples. But the images were low resolution and hence not very detailed, generated after taking photos of slides on a microscope with a camera, one by one, and then assembling them digitally.

But the Leeds University team said that their approach was the first time a standard digital scanner had been used to produce high-resolution images.




CHILDREN CONTROLLED BY MICROCHIP

THE WORST

And now it's in Brazil. The microchip technology that allows schools and parents to know students whereabouts in real time has begun in a college of Vitoria da Conquista, State of Bahia. This outrageous experiment has been already released in several private companies to control their worker and now extended to schools in a worldwide phenomena that threats to become universal. In Victoria, students have to wear shirts which carry a chip that allows monitorization of the frequency of each student and generates the record of the time in real time to parents via SMS.

Initially, there will be about 25 000 children and adolescents between 6 and 14 years, haunted with the project. By 2013, it is planned to include all current 42,725 students in the municipal. They can always undress their uniforms, and try a taste freedom.

But soon there will not exist such possibility as this so-called project will evolve to microchips implanted in the body.  For the control, was applied to radio frequency identification technology called RFID, developed by a core of Senai and generally adopted by private companies for workers' control. All parents have the phones registered and receive alerts via cell phone on the entry or exit from school. The system does capture through sensors that are installed in the units. They are automatically read the chips and pass the information via text message parents.

SPORT

BORUSSIA DORTMUND CROWNED AGAIN

THE BEST

German side Borussia Dortmund were crowned German league champions for the second consecutive season after a win at home to Moenchengladbach which leaves them eight points clear with two games to go. Jurgen Klopp's team suffered the last of their three league defeats back September and have now extended their record for the longest unbeaten run in a single German league season to 26. Having amassed 75 points, they can still beat the record of 79 for the most league points won in a season which Bayern achieved twice in the early 1970s.

This is the first time for 16 years Bayern have been denied the German title for two seasons running when Dortmund last earned back-to-back titles in 1994/95 and 1995/96 before winning the 1997 Champions League title. Bayern still have the chance for revenge when the teams meet for a third time this season in the German Cup final on May 12 at Berlin's Olympic Stadium.

With Bayern on the verge of the Champions League final after their 2-1 first-leg semifinal win over Real Madrid last week, Dortmund's group stage exit proved to be a helping factor in Klopp's team defending their title.

Dortmund failed to make it past the group stages of Europe's top club competition this season, but have won 23 of 32 matches in the German league and will face Bayern in the final of the German Cup on May 12. Croatia midfielder Ivan Perisic opened the scoring in the 23rd minute with a header from Marcel Schmelzer's free-kick, while Japan international Shinji Kagawa settled any nerves of the 80,720 sellout home crowd at Signal Iduna Park with the second goal on the hour mark to seal the club's eighth title since forming in 1909.

PLAYERS STRIP FOR GENOA FURIOUS FANS
THE WORST

Spotlight for the Italian football for the wrong reasons once more. This Sunday, in Genoa, there were trouble in historical city of Genoa, as home football hooligan fans fire smoke bombs into the pitch and forced the referee to halt the match against Siena side. A large group of Genoa fans accumulated around the tunnel area at Luigi Ferraris Stadium and threatened to invade the pitch early with their side was 4-0 behind. After a break of 20 minutes, the match officials and the Siena team left the field with the furious fans applauding them, but not letting the Genoa players approach.

Home captain Marco Rossi spoke with the group, who demanded the Genoa players took off their shirts before leaving the field. The club's ultras wanted the players to hand their jerseys over on the grounds that they were not "worthy" of the colours.

All of the Genoa players incredibly co-operated, except loan striker Giuseppe Sculli, with tears in his eyes, confronted the supporters, making it clear that he would not cave in to their demands, while wing-back Giandomenico Mesto also broke down in tears.

After several more minutes, Rossi went round and collected his team mates' shirts, but Giuseppe Sculli refused to take his off and, with tears in his eyes, confronted the supporters, making it clear that he would not cave in to their demands.

In the meantime, referee Paolo Tagliavento managed to enter the dressing room, while club president Enrico Preziosi also made his way to the pitch and gathered the players in a huddle.

Sculli then appeared to try to negotiate with his shirt still on, along with Sebastien Frey, who tried to pull his back and was quoted in the Italian media as saying: "This is my shirt, we are all for Genoa."

Frey seemingly played the role of peacemaker between the ultras and players, as he then pleaded Siena to come back out onto the pitch and complete the game, which still had 37 minutes remaining.

Play finally resumed after a 40-minute delay, with the Bianconeri eventually winning 4-1. The home side’s only goal was scored by a Siena player, Grosso, on his own goal. His team mates Brienza (2), Destro and Giorgi score the goals that enraged ultrafans. Many tiffosi abandoned the stadium when Siena reach the fourth goal.

FEARS

NEW HOPE IN BREAST CANCER TREATMENTS

THE BEST

 

A landmark scientist research study identified 10 categories of breast cancer and by doing so brought new hope for the treatment of each type.
 In this early stage, the findings will not have an immediate impact on breast cancer cases but sets out a new field of research which will allow investigation to follow more precise paths.
It means it’s now possible to predict survival more accurately, to draw a map of the disease.


Hopefully, this will also help doctors to have a more precise information of their patients needs.

For the moment, only one of these 10 breast cancer types have a targeted treatment (Hercepin).

The new findings will open new fields of medical research to the other nine types of the disease, which are dealt with chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

The majority of breast cancers (more than 70 per cent) respond to hormone therapies, but the reaction to the treatment varies wildly. But there’s hope of more efficient treatments in a few years. 

TYCOONS’ TAKE OVER

THE WORST

Twelve of the richest people on the planet joined an initiative which consists in giving at least half their fortunes to humanitarian causes.
The campaign baptised by one of the mentors, Warren Buffet, as “Giving Pledge” is announced as the result of a common understanding of the need for positive changing in the world.  Buffet, Bill Gates, Steve Bing, Elon Musk and John Sobrato are some of the names of this campaign, also subscribed by Michael Bloomberg, Mark Zuckerberg, David Rockfeller, among others.
We should be aware some of these men’s fortunes is high above gross national product of most of world countries.

They are more powerful than most of worlds political leaders and they certainly have for a long time the technological and financial resources to operate “positive changings” in the world. Not to mention their huge capacity to lobby interests.
So, the question is: why did they come forward with this marketing campaign. Are they trying to look as the saviours of humanity, our guardian angels?
Are the funds they say they’ll give away the same disappearing in real state speculations, financial and stock markets and increasing national debts all over? Let us keep an eye on tycoons. They are a lot more than meets the (common man’s) eye.

MY WEEK

SEX, BLOGS AND VIDEOTAPE

THE BEST

Presented with this bold and provocative title, you'll surely search for the spicy words. Dear reader, i won't feed your anxiety any further. To elaborate about what has been extremely pleasant, i was introduced (so to speak) to this parallel world of exchanging fluids and fluids (ergh...) of information. Making out (...) these Blogs has been an exciting experience so far. I'm having fun as i caress the keybord and let my fingers talk. In the course (this sounds funny) of last week, i absorbed a lot (in Blogs and Videos, of course!). Hang on, my boyfriend is laughing at me, what's wrong with him?!

It's a different stage of my life. I'm a journalist used to have a strong commitment with facts and usually i distrusted blog material, but i could acknowledge during this last few days there is a lot more quality than i could imagine, even in blogs dissociated of professional media people or newspapers. It was specially rewarding to observe the literary pertinence of many writings. I regard this recent experience as the best of the week. Nearly as good as... sex (there you go!).






SHORT ON CASH

THE WORST

Even if i regard this writing as entertaining and some stimulating, it's unavoidable to remember it's not a rewarded task. An me, as anyone else, i presume, need the cash. I must confess i also miss to see my words on paper, in a printed edition. I'm not the kind of girl who would grab about it, but it feels good to see your material on a newspaper or in a book. Hopefully, I'll do it again. 

TOP STORIES

DON'T CRY FOR REPSOL, ARGENTINA

Applause in Vaca Muerta

THE BEST

"I'm the head of State, not a thug!". Words of the Argentinian president, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, avoiding a direct answer to the question: How will Argentina face the reprisals from the markets, and the prospect of scarce foreign investment in the future, as they will be inhibit by this protectionist policies?
All these questions emerged after the announcement of the nationalisation of YPF, the most important oil company in the country, controlled by 57,4 per cent by Spanish oil company Repsol.  The expropriation happens shortly after the discovering of one of the world's largest deposits of shale oil and gas at Vaca Muerta, in western Argentina.

It has been said that Repsol wants a compensation of 10 billion dollars, but the Argentinian  government has already state it won't meet that value, not even close, arguing speculation price.
One can be tempted to say this is not the way to do business. And it's true. But the large accepted conventional ways are out of order. For all it's possible to understand, people in Argentina are all in favour for this move. So, they found a huge deposit of oil and gas. Where would the money go? Some big time players in Wall Street or in other stock markets?






THE NORWEGIAN SEWER

THE WORST

A brainless man, whose name is not worth mention, stated in court he would repeat the massacre of July 22  in Norway if he had the chance. This creature adds he either want to be killed or acquitted. Of course, he won't be neither. But one can only hope Norwegians find a way to put the man cleaning toilets or in the sewers for the rest of his life, as those are his natural habitats.

Victims of the 22 July massacre

MOVIES

LÀ PIEL QUE HABITO (2011)

THE BEST

A film with the special signature of Almodovar, meaning you can expect a  narrative of the unexpected, provocative, eager to create unrest among the viewer. Fully succeeded. 

An incursion through the unforeseen mysteries of love and hate. A movie to display a set of philosophical and ethical questions which will not lose interest in a second viewing.

The story of a doctor (Antonio Banderas plays Dr. Robert Ledgard) whose wife barely survives a car accident, with major skin burns. His medical speciality is precisely cosmetic surgery and reconstruction of skin tissues with synthetic material and he puts his best efforts on his wife.It becomes an obsession and we will deal with it in an horrifying way. 

ACT OF VALOR (2012)

THE WORST

Let's try to accept the idea America needs to nourish and preserve the concept of a nation of exceptional men, willing to risk their lives and their sanity for the good of the nation. That being said, and aside all the political opinions one can have about the subject, it's not understandable how this movie became a box office success. 

It's a surprisingly anachronic product - we can see this conceptualisation in the propaganda movies from the forties and fifties. 

Apparently, this film was initially produced for the Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewman. It should never have left that drawer.

TV SERIES

CSI -CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION LAS VEGAS (SEASON 12)

THE BEST

A cosmetic change in the casting of this long-running series resulted in a significant  boost in the dramatisation quality. First with Ted Danson, as D.B. Russell, heading the CSI team, and more recently, with Elizabeth Shue as blood and ballistic expert Julie Finlay. Both manage to give depth and some mystery to their characters, Danson playing a caring father and husband – often on the phone explaining his wife he’s caught up with his work – Shue unwilling to commit in any kind of relationship, choosing to avoid meaningful bonding in her life. The murder stories keep up with the traditional surprising outcome. The best of the three CSI series still running.

LAW AND ORDER - SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT (SEASON 13 )

THE WORST

According to the rumours, this series was a victim (send out CSI crew to unveil it) of budget cuts, Christopher Meloni (Elliot Stabler) went home sooner, after 12 years on the job.

The show must go on? Well, not the same thing. Mariska Hargitay (Olivia Benson) is wasted and clearly tired of this job, the new characters are low profiles unable to enhance the stories. After all these years, Law and Order SVU has definitely run out of interest.