The Era of López Obrador

Since the political climate is more interesting than my recent climax, here’s someone that’s giving me good vibes: the new President of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

The inauguration, last week, of Mexico’s new President, was a remarkable occurrence in several ways. Not least was the fact that he is the only left-winger to come to power this year in a hemisphere swinging fulsomely to the right, in one country after another.

In an inauguration ceremony unlike any other in Mexican history, Andrés Manuel López Obrador called neoliberalism a disaster. (Good point, just look at France)

During his acceptance speech, López Obrador made it clear that his Presidency will be very different from previous ones: he pledged to reduce his salary by sixty per cent, to sell the lavish Presidential jet, and to eliminate the Presidential guard corps. He arrived for the inauguration in his white Volkswagen Jetta, having also foresworn the Presidential limousine.

In an emphatic reiteration of the main plank of his campaign, López Obrador also promised to extirpate public corruption, which, he said, had degraded the governments of his predecessors and shamed the nation in the eyes of the world.

With Peña Nieto (his unpopular predecessor) seated only feet away, he described the outgoing President’s term in office as “inmunda” (“unclean”) and raised the issue of what to do about bringing corrupt public officials, including ex-Presidents, to justice. 

HAHA!! I won’t lie, I like this guy. Although LGBTQ rights and femicides (a Latin America epidemic) are not part of his policies.

I used to have a friend who used to work for the Mexican consulate here in Montreal in the early 2000’s and he used to tell me of the scandalous ways the government spent in the image of the country, and the lavish lifestyle of the diplomats abroad (the cars, the residencies, etc,) while the Mexican population had all type of necessities. 

And that was just a consulate. Nevermind an Embassy. 

Anyhow I don’t dislike the election of López Obrador. Hopefully, a change for the better.

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Non-stick Pans = Smaller Dick

A chemical commonly found in non-stick cookware has been found to have an effect on penis size, according to a new study.

The researchers, based in Padua, Italy, revealed that water contaminated with Perfluoroalkyl compounds (PFCs), which have already been found to harm hormone signalling in the reproductive system, is responsible for smaller penis development.

It also caused young men who consumed it to have sperm that was less mobile, and abnormal male reproductive tract development.

Wrote the researchers: “This study documents that PFCs have a substantial impact on human male health as they directly interfere with hormonal pathways potentially leading to male infertility. We found that increased levels of PFCs in plasma and seminal fluid positively correlate with circulating testosterone and with a reduction of semen quality, testicular volume, penile length, and AGD [anogenital distance].”

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to get rid of your Teflon pans. And also to visit Pradua if ever you can’t take a big dick. You won’t have a gag problem over there.

Day of Rage

Paris is on lockdown as 1,000 protesters are arrested and 135 are injured during riots in ‘Day of rage’ across France. Protesters smashed store windows, set fires around Paris, and clashed with police, who fired tear gas throughout the day in the French capital.

Although I do condemn the destruction, I also understand the frustration.

This goes beyond higher taxes, it’s also about immigration and all the negative consequences that implies being part of the European Union, where those on the bottom get robbed while the bosses and bankers get richer.

People had enough. Capitalism has failed.

It’s time for the European Union to end and national sovereignty to return to all nations.

Winners of the 2018 Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest

Young photojournalists from around the world showed off their incredible skills by entering the Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest. Russia’s only vehicle for unearthing up and coming photojournalists, the competition is open to photographers age 18 to 33 years old.

The contest is named after Russian photojournalist Andrei Stenin, who tragically lost his life in 2014 at age 33 while on assignment in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.

Following in his steps, young photojournalists from 77 countries submitted nearly 6,000 images in an effort to demonstrate the power of their craft.

Hailing from Iran, Belarus, Israel, Russia, and South Africa, among other countries, these photojournalists do vital work in helping the public understand what’s happening in the world.  Some of the winners below:

“How I Fell Ill” by Alyona Kochetkova (Russia). First place, Gran Prix, series. “Everyone knows the word ‘cancer,’ and people are afraid of it, although they hardly know anything about this disease. When I was diagnosed with cancer, I, too, knew nothing about it, and I did not have the slightest idea of the road that I would have to travel: from fear for my life to hopes for a recovery.”

“The desire for life” by Taisir Mahdi (Iraq). First place, Sport, single.

“Red Cow” by Maria Plotnikova (Russia). Second place, My Planet, single.

“Stand Off” by Justin Sullivan (South Africa). First place, Top news, single.

“Cranberry heart” by Sergei Gapon (Belarus). First place, My Planet, single.

“Gemini” by Shiva Khademi (Iran). First Place, Portrait.

“Rosebud” by Oded Wagenstein (Israel). First Place, Portrait. A Hero of Our Time, single. “A child from the Serotetto family, part of the nomadic Nenets tribe, standing on the family’s wooden sleigh, during their migration over the river of Ob. Yamal Peninsula, Siberia, Russia. March 2017.”

Powerful!

Trump’s favourite Things

Randy Rainbow takes lyric-writing to new heights (The Alps!) with a special holiday edition video “Sound of Mueller” sing-along to the tune of  “My Favourite Things”.

Just brilliant!!

Tumblr I’m Already Missing You

Since the tragic future of Tumblr unfolded few days ago, I’ve been checking the blogs I read often and it’s pretty much chaos everywhere. People is blue and nostalgic.

However, Tumbrl users have a  type of sense humour I related to.

Even a columnist of the Washington Post wrote a great article about it.

And article Tumblr users (and myself) feel related to. Such as:

“Ultimately, what I appreciated about Tumblr when I first started using it was that it introduced me to a new kind of person — one who read books, watched porn, liked memes, was a feminist and was super, super gay, all at once. This was a person for whom sex wasn’t bad or scary. It was just part of your personality, another interior terrain of likes and dislikes. You like “Adventure Time.” You like Harry Potter. And you like BDSM. Oh, and “The Great British Bake-Off.” They’re all just parts of you”

In short Tumblr was a place for brilliant minds who enjoyed sex and a good laugh.

Honteux

People has the right to protest and march for whatever cause, but that doesn’t give them the right to vandalise and commit criminal acts. 

Over the weekend, the “gilets jaunes” (yellow vests) rioters torched cars, smashed windows, and looted stores all over. And at l’Arc de Triomphe, rioters plastered the monument in graffiti and smashed several sculptures, including one by François Rude depicting Marianne, goddess of liberty and a national symbol of the French Republic.

SHAMEFUL!

Even HITLER had some respect for l’Arc de Triomphe and Napoleon.

During a ceremony to revive the flame of the Unknown Soldier in Paris, Secretary of State to the Minister of the Armed Forces Genevieve Darrieussecq says the protesters who vandalised the Arc de Triomphe “attacked France.” And I totally agree.

Those are not civilians, those are CRIMINALS! Period.