McCain is getting...

You need more surveillance? Buy the Olympics

I'm really eager to see how much are the Olympic Games in London going to affect the surveillance of regular people in London. The place is already the most tightly guarded city in all Europe and I think no city in US can be compared to it either.

It's strange that the media and politicians always say that Olympic games and politics should never be mixed and that is why China should be allowed to hold the Olympics despite it's political situation. Still leaders of many countries are going to attend the opening ceremony and they are going to be shaking China's political representatives at every possible change.

Somehow all that feels like it's in conflict with the principals of the Olympic movement, what ever that is these days.

"According to the Olympic Charter, established by Pierre de Coubertin, the goal of the Olympic Movement is to contribute to building a peaceful and better world by educating youth through sport practiced without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play." (www.olympic.org)

"In 1992, the first initiatives were launched by the IOC, in collaboration with the United Nations, allowing athletes of the former Republic of Yugoslavia to participate in the Barcelona Games. In 2000, during the Opening Ceremony of the Sydney Games, the South and North Korean delegations paraded in the stadium together under the flag of the Korean peninsula." (www.olympic.org)

"without discrimination" is funny phrase when in fact the IOC can decide which countries are welcomed to the Olympics according to their political situation. Again they are mixing sports and politics.

So the London issue... The idea that police and other authorities are given more power over free citizens because of the Olympics (the movement that is against all discrimination) for me might very well be the final straw. Silencing and observing people because the Olympics are coming to town is not the way to build a better society. Of course we're not still there and what I'm writing is just speculation but usually I'm right on these things :P

What do you think happens to all those surveillance cameras and other spying equipment across London after the Olympics in 2012? Do think they are going the remove all those gadgets? Think again.

The best way to ensure that the future Olympic games can be organised without the fear of terrorism and demonstrations against human right issues is to start using diplomacy in stead of waging war. It's not going to happen immediately but after decades the tactic should start paying off. If it doesn't then we might as well forget the Olympics for just a little while and concentrate on bigger problems we're probably facing.

If all this is too much to ask then maybe at least the media could stop making the Olympic games this huge fight between nations. I dare to say that a Finnish athlete isn't feeling proud of Finland when he wins an Olympic medal. He is feeling proud of himself and proud of the fact that all the hard work has paid off.

Ooops... This post is derailing (as usual) but I guess what I'm trying to say is that long gone are the days when the Olympics were about fair play and respect for other nationalities, if it ever has been about that. I'm quite young so I'm not sure.

Are you dear reader the leader of some rich country (natural resources, industry, banks) with problems with terrorism or some guerrilla movement or just some minorities that are really making your everyday life harder? Don't worry! Just send your application to organise the Olympics in some of your major city and you too are entitled to close your borders and start arresting everyone who looks suspicious.

Our calendar is quite full for the next 3 Olympics but 2020 might be your lucky year!

ps. Your views on commercialism have to match with ours.

Yours truly,
International Olympic Committee. Sponsored by China.


2016 is a tricky year for the IOC.
Wikipedia and the list on nominees.
My guess is the underdog Brazil will be elected given the fact that they have so much forest for industrial use. Of course at the end of the day it all comes down to current WTO negotiations in Geneva between developing countries and first world countries concerning western agriculture benefits and opening borders to international companies in countries like Brazil.

Brazil needs to find a POLITICAL solution to that problem fast since the decision of the Olympics will be made in October 2009. No terrorists there but maybe some "drug dealers" and organised crime could need some extra surveillance.

Jew-dudes and Rasta-dudes

I'm no expert on religious matters so this is jut my view of the present situation. I might change my mind in the future.

It's funny how two quite similar religions have evolved into totally different directions. Both religions hope to return home some day and claim what they think belongs to them. At the moment the other group of people have decided to stay in Babylon and and continue life as it is. They've come to realize that peace is the way to go. The other religion is using every possible method to reclaim what they believe belongs to them. Of course I'm talking of Jew-dudes and Rasta-dudes.

Well of course Jew-dudes aren't really only a religion but a political movement as well.

Which group do you think lives in Babylon? The people who's king lives without the crown or the people who's king is desperately trying to hold on to his crown? Rasta-dudes don't want power and influence where as Jew-dudes want it badly.

So Rasta-dudes decided to chill while jew-dudes went in to action. Of course Jew-dudes have been in action more or less actively for the past 2000 years. Rasta-dudes dropped out of the globalizing world where as Jew-dudes are trying to keep up the pace with all the other groups of the world. Jew-dudes regained some of their country. They've gained some very powerful political allies. Of course with great power comes great responsibility like Spiderman's uncle used to say. How they've done with those powers? Well I guess everyone has their own opinion of that. I'm not going to tell mine because some might accuse me of antisemitism or being a jew-lover.

(By the way.. Don't you just love the freedom of speach. When your views are in line with others you are a smart man and when you think differently you are a hippie, communist, idiot, etc..)

Nowadays religions often have to join forces with political agendas and commercialism if they want to survive. They have to plan marketing strategies to send the right message to people and take care of their image. That's how the world works these days. Of course Rasta-dudes never really got to this marketing stuff and that is why it's not really a rapidly expanding religion. It's still quite a new religion so I guess we have to just give them more time. although I can't see Rasta-dudes trying to change their image of pot smoking dudes in the nature to something else mainly because they are so laid back that they don't give a rats ass what other people think of them.

Rasta-dude is the ultimate response to commercialism and that is exactly what marketing forces have used to make us consume more. They've made Rasta-dudes the new trend. “White boy take dreadlocks and you'll be an individual in this commercialized world!”

Rasta-dudes are cool, Jew-dudes are not. Jew-dudes want to be cool and they try to improve their image but they don't understand that you can never be cool if your trying to be something you are not. Jew-dudes religion isn't a laid back religion/culture that people want to relate to. World sees Jew-dudes as people who spent their time arguing and fighting. No marketing campaign is going to change that image in the near future.

Rasta-dudes are cool because they are real. It's as simple as that.

There is a third religion as well that is oppressed from their point of view. The Buddha-dudes have also lost their crown and live in exile. How do they react? They pray for their enemies and try to share peace and love to people around them. Dalai Lama went in to politics but as a neutral person who just wants to find a solution to current problems. He is using love and diplomacy.

Under some extremely hard times Buddhists some times stand up and fight but in general they do their best to sympathize and pray for their enemies. Buddha-dudes are also popular around the world. People rarely have anything bad to say about them.

So what is the ultimate difference between all these three religions?
I'll tell you what's the biggest difference. Jew-dudes are not considered cool!
How can I be sure of that?

If you travel around the world you hardly ever see a Jew-dudes logo on a t-shirt.

Animation of Lennon's interview

In 1969 14 years old Jerry Levitan interviewed John Lennon in his hotel room in Toronto.

38 years later Jerry published the interview in youtube and after that Josh Raskin directed an animation of those 5 minutes.

I wanted to make this