sábado, 11 de febrero de 2012

THE LEGENDARY “EL DORADO “ FOUND IN PANAMA

By Felipe Argote
The latest issue of National Geographic the prestigious North American magazine distributed worldwide presents ion the cover of its Spanish January edition the article:”EL DORADO OF PANAMA”. The very interesting article signed by A R Williams refers to new findings on “Los Caños” in the Panamanian province of Coclé very close, only two miles, from the so called Sitio Conte.
Obviously our Panamanian ancestors, of whom descends the ngäbes- buglés and the Gunas (formerly Kunas) had develop a civilization where the work of jewellery where highly develop and there was a rich in precious metals population.

Indeed the discovery of “Sitio Conte” had been product of chance. Discovery was launched at the beginning of the twentieth century; when the Grande River overflow opened a great channel on the grounds of the ranch of the Conte family. Don Moises Conte was in 1996, when he was a centennial survivor of the discovery, aware that in 1915, when he was thirteen years old, some fishermen saw something dazzling in one of the sides of the flooded Grande River. Then they found a brilliant piece of gold out of the ground. As it was a custom at that time, as it was at the Conte family ranch the fishermen handed over the piece of gold to the owners of the land.

The Conte family made contact with a North American, who lived in the now disappeared canal zone who associated them with two American universities. A contract was then established with Harvard University to start the work of archeological excavation which resulted in the recovery of big golden breast band, earrings, and necklaces of pure gold, carved whale bones, ceramic pieces, and cloves of shark ornaments, agate and serpentine which were unearthed over ninety tombs

Archeoligist Samuel Lothop, an anthropologist who participated in the second excavation that took place twenty years later, ensures that these human groups which the ngäbes come from, were the one of the tribes that reseated the Spaniard invasion in early 16th century.
The Spaniards describe in their chronicles that Indian military chiefs were covered in gold as a way to show their ranks to enter in combat. Taking advantage of the superiority of their armament the Spanish pointed their muskets rather than to fight the enemy, for stealing his gold. Then they unearthed the tombs in the cemeteries where they took the gold from the ancestors of the current ngäbes. According to the notice of National Geographic stated that only in one thumb they carried more than 100 pounds of pure gold.

 
Today it is believed that tombs found in Sitio Conte are much older than that found by the Spaniards. It is believed that the Sitio Conte tombs are from the 8th century to 10th century A.C. or about five hundred years before.

However the recent discovery is located at two miles from Sitio Conte in a placed named El Caño. The Spanish archeologist Julia Mayo was dedicated for many years to study the area of Gran Coclé, began excavation in 2005. Following the route drawn in 1925 by a north American fortune-hunter named Hyatt Verrill who spotted a row of monoliths and decided to dig holes in a crude and destructive way, and then claimed to have found only three skeletons and any gold, something that can’t be assured. In 2010 the archeologist Julia Mayo decided to excave a circular area with small elevation in a range of about 44 yards. It was there where was digging from January to April last year a chieftain whose chest was adorned with two sandglass, four bracelets, a ring of bells, a belt with two thousand tiny gold spheres. Then in a second excavation were unearthed four shields of gold, four bracelets and an emerald.
Radiocarbon tests established the date of skeletons near the year 900 DC. It must be the reason why it was not sacked by Spanish fortune hunters. But the analysis developed by the Smithsonian institution where the archeologist Mayo is investigating, determined that natural impurities from the unearthed gold demonstrates that the metal was mined and worked by goldsmiths of the area, then it rules out the it was brought from the Inca empire of the south.

 
This also shows that the ancient ngäbes people possessed enough economic development to allow devote part of its inhabitants to engage in the art of goldsmith in a level of cultural development necessary for the existence of a population who has the skill to appreciate their fine work.

 
Features presented by this monumental discovery that appears on the cover of National Geographic make some people, including the archeologist Julia Mayo, consider that legendary “El Dorado” put in writing in Spanish chronicles, has been found in Coclé. This is the place where in their supine ignorance (redundancy is purposely), the Iberians claimed there where chieftains who bathed in gold.

martes, 10 de mayo de 2011

THE MIRACLE OF PANAMA

By: Felipe Argote


A GDP growth average of nearly 9% in the past seven years. Projections that exceed this average for the coming years. Everyone who comes to Panama after not visiting it in the last ten years is surprised to see the city so changed. It seems like a first-world city, some claim. Everyone wants to do business in Panama. After the global financial crisis, some are intended to cover the reduction of their income from sales in their countries of origin, moving their expectations towards this small country of 78,200 square kilometers and three point five million people. WE received $2,362 million in foreign investment in 2010, an increase of 33% over the previous year.

Why is this sudden appearance of our country as an example for the economies of the area, if just a few years ago a well-known Panamanian Economist stated that "in economy when United States sneezes Panama for sure will have pneumonia?"

Of course that the previous Government and the current boast of being the architects of these wonderful results; as the strategists who have led us even to be considered within countries with investment-grade by companies as Moody's, Standard & Poor's (S & P) and Fitch Ratings. They claim it while all but the very clueless, know that the Government of Martin Torrijos had no idea where he was its political or ideological and therefore economic compass, and the current Government, from the beginning was defined as of the pendulum to the right but they has committed so many rants and made many improvisations that it is difficult to think that they have a defined path or at least a coherent economic approach. Keep in mind that after installing in the Government they had to engage the services of the prestigious firm American consultant Mc Kinsey & Co so define you the economic direction of the Government, at least in the tax field.

In my point of view there is no such miracle and if someone is to foist the alleged miracle is that large group of Panamanians who fought for the reversal of our canal and the ratification of our sovereignty (sovereignty is a good business). Maybe that´s what Donald Trump tried to say.

When we received back our canal and recover all our territory with the departure of foreign troops, the country received the sum of 30 billion dollars in assets. Controlling our canal the country received directly from this operation in less than two years more than we had received since 1914, when opened the via, until his reversion to our country in December 1999. Keep in mind that United States only paid 500,000 dollars annually to us since 1904 until the signing of the Torrijos-Carter Treaty and not a single penny for the 14 military bases, or for the use of water.

Let’s take a look at the economic activities that are pushing the economy and make grow GDP to ratify this assertion. Our economy was based on banana and fishing, it is now the transport, tourism and the construction of high buildings that pull the economy. In the period 2004-2010 only three industries had average growth rate of two-digit: the construction with 14.07%, transport with 13.57%, mines and quarries with 13.6% and hotels and restaurants with 10.4%.

The growth in transport has much to do with terminals of the Atlantic and Pacific ports, which were previously military centers controlled by the US Army for its logistics and are now civilian installations, after a bad experience with Panamanian government administration. This has allowed exploiting our geographical position as a centre of collection and redistribution of containers.

Hotels and restaurants have been the great increase in tourism as the cause of their growth. While the Causeway, Gamboa, Koobe Beach and around the Canal area was previously of security area, and efficiency use to mean less time for vessels, boats and sailboats to leave the country, there are now restaurants, hotels, resorts, marinas, and everything you need to ensure that you boat and sailing ships stop in our territory to get all they need for the trip.

The building has grown due to the growth of the economy based on the exploitation of our geographical position, before it was rejected by the fenced area and close monitoring, to not allow the easing of the blockade of military security.

The increase in the income of the government has allowed the development of the entire infrastructure especially roads and bridges.

Just enough to compare the visitor centre of the Miraflores locks of which earlier invited you out of there as soon as possible and is now a holiday area with restaurant, Museum and gift shop including.
So I repeat that there is no such miracle. The miraculous, if you want to search a prodigy, is that many senior businessmen and professionals in our country that today they're doing good business and walk by the reverse areas, insisted that was not desirable to the departure of the military bases nor the reversion of the canal just because for them it was a business to sell meat, beans and alcoholic drinks to the north Americans or because they had a well-paid job in the military bases. They claimed frightened that the Panamanians were unable to administer the canal, that at the time we the Panamanians take control of the canal it would be a matter of time when it would be swallowed by the weed, while the people from ghettos would swim in the locks with their tubes of tires of the trucks.

martes, 24 de agosto de 2010

ONE YEAR OF THE BLOG

By: Felipe Argote



After twelve months of continuous writing, training and installation diagram of the blog, I am very pleased with the support received. Add Sense Currently, according to the meter hits the blog, we have averaged more than 2,100 hits a month from readers.

We thank you for your interest and hope that in this second year can exceed your expectations. It is of much value their commentary although most send it to my personal email always serve as a stimulus. I appreciate any criticism or contribution to the topics as you can see include not only the economy but a wide range of issues.

Here I present a list of all published articles segmented by topic. You can access the article with ctrl + click just in case you did not read before and find it interesting.

CHRONICS


PARIS : AN OUTDOOR MUSEUM
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/10/by-felipe-argote-with-collaboration-of.html
ORLANDO AND THE SEMINOLS
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/11/by-felipe-argote-when-first-spanish.html
LA MARSEILLAISE
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/10/marseillese.html
CAROLINA
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/01/carolina.html
MAYAIMI
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/02/mayaimi.html
VIVA LAS VEGAS
http://elblogdefelipeargote.blogspot.com/2010/07/viva-las-vegas.html
BORINQUEN
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/08/borinquen.html

ECONOMICS AND FINANCE

THE BASIC BASKET KEEP RISING
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/09/basic-food-basket-still-raising.html
 A CONTRIBUTION TO THE ANALYSIS OF THE 2009 FISCAL REFORMS
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/09/new-bill-for-tax-reform.html
LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE COLLEGE OF ECONOMISTS
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/09/economists-association-of-panama-re-tax.html
PANAMA: 2010 STATE BUDGET
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/09/panama-presupuesto-general-del-estado_9274.html
GLOBALIZATION: WHAT IT MEANS
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/09/by-felipe-argote-often-used-as-crutch.html
GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/09/neoliberal-model-was-walking-smugly.html
DOLLARIZATION
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/10/written-by-felipe-argote-photos-felipe.html
GROSS DOMESTIC INCOME
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/10/by-felipe-argote-photos-felipe-argote-i.html
THE AMAZING STORY OF DOW JONES AND
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/11/by-felipe-argote-charles-dow-was-born.html
THE STOCK MARKET
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/11/when-spanish-jews-fled-south-of-spain.html
A SEPHARDIC CALLED RICARDO
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/11/por-felipe-argote-we-can-not-finish.html
THE GREAT DEPRESSION
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/11/great-depression.html
THE WEALTH OF NATIONS
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/11/wealth-of-nations.html
INFLATION WATCH
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/11/beware-of-inflation.html
SIR JOHN MAYNARD KEYNES
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/12/sir-john-maynard-keynes.html
2010 TAX REFORMS
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/12/new-tax-reform.html
THE GREAT DEPRESSION
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/11/great-depression.html
THE DANCE OF THE MILLIONS
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/01/oil-crisis-of-seventies.html
FINANCIAL FRAUD
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/01/financial-fraud-by-felipe-argote-every.html
NEOLIBERALISM I
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/01/neoliberalism.html
NEOLIBERALISM II
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/01/neoliberalism-ii.html
TAX REFORMS . WHO WINS WHO LOSES
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/03/tax-reforms-who-wins-who-loses.html
ADJUSTMENTS TO 119 BILL
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/03/adjustments-to-bill-119-now-act-8-of-15.html
SUMMARY OF TAX REFORMS
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/03/summary-of-2010-fiscal-reforms.html
MERCANTILISM AND PHYSIOCRACY
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/02/mercantilism-and-physiocracy.html
BRETTON WOODS
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/02/bretton-woods.html
A GREEK TRAGEDY
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/04/by-felipe-argote-financial-crisis-is.html
THE NEOCLASSICS
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/03/economy-and-finance-neoclasics.html
TOXIC ASSETS
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/06/toxic-assets.html
BASKET BASICS : THE LEAP OF SALAD
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/05/basic-basket-saladinos-leap-by-felipe.html
THE BROKERS : LOSE LOSE
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/08/lose-lose.html

INTERESTING ARTICLES

VOLCANOES
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/11/volcanoes.html
THE END OF THE WORLD ACCORDING TO POPOL VUH
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/11/2012-end-of-world-popol-vuh.html
THE KILIMANJARO : A MOUNTAIN IN NEVADA THROUGH AFRICA
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/12/snow-mountain-in-middle-of-african.html
HAITI THROUGH FIFTH THIRD WORLD HELL
 http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/01/haiti-from-third-world-to-fifth-hell.html
FISH AND ALIEN CULTURES : THE FISH WITH LEGS
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/01/10-years-after-reversion-of-canal.html
THE PYRAMIDS OF EGYPT
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/02/pyramids-of-egypt.html
THE ISLANDIC VOLCANO
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/04/islandic-volcano.html
THE TWINS WHO STOLE THE MOON
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/04/ones-who-stole-moon.html
THE TRIBE OF INDIANS OF DARIEN RUBIOS
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/05/tribe-of-blond-indians-of-darien.html
GRIGORY And The Poincare Conjecture
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/07/grigory-and-poincare-conjectur.html
ARDI AND THE LIGER
http://elblogdefelipeargote.blogspot.com/2010/07/ardi-y-el-liger.html

OPINION

CHILDREN GO HOME
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/09/by-felipe-argote-photo-daja-editions.html
A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/09/what-about-public-transportation.html
CENTRAL AMERICAN PARLIAMENT : AN HISTORIC STUBBORNNESS
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/09/central-america-parliament-historical.html
THOSE DUST BROUGHT THESE SLUDGE
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/10/electoral-code-amendments.html
THE PLANET BIZARRO
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/10/bizarre-planet.html
DAVID RUIZ ANEL IS NOT AT THE NEWS
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/11/anel-david-ruiz-is-not-at-news.html
RIGHTS OF THE CHILDREN
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/11/declaration-of-global-children-rights.html
FABLE OF THE FROG AND THE SCORPIO
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/12/fable-of-frog-and-scorpion.html
THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/12/maldives-will-sink-under-indian-ocean.html
CHAFLANESCO
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/01/chaflanescus.html
THE SUBWAY
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/01/metrorail.html
TOO LITTLE TOO LATE
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/03/too-little-to-late.html
PHILOSOPHIZE ABOUT THE IMMORTALITY OF THE CRAB http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/02/philosophy-on-inmortality-of-crab.html
THE EDUCATION CRISIS
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/05/curriculum-reform-and-educational.html
CERTAINTY OF PUNISHMENT
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/05/certainty-of-punishment.html

CULTURE

THE BOY WITH striped pajamas
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/03/boy-of-striped-pajamas.html
TWELVE PILGRIMS TALES
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/03/twelve-pilgrim-tales.html
THE ISLAND UNDER THE SEA
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/04/island-under-sea.html
THE MALINCHE
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/04/malinche-of-laura-esquivel.html
THE KITE RUNNERS
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/04/kite-runner-by-khaled-hosseini.html
THE BOOK OF JUANITA
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/03/juanita-castro-book.html
BIG RIVER : THE ADVENTURES OF Huckleberry
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/06/big-river.html
THE MAYA TESTAMENT
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/08/maya-testament-of-steve-alten.html

2010 SOUTH AFRICA

DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/06/diamonds-are-forever.html
ZAMINAMINA
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/06/zaminamina.html
THE FIRST HEART TRANSPLANT
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/06/south-africa-first-heart-transplant.html
MADIBA
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/06/madiba.html
THE LADY PLEA AND CHILD TAUNG
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/06/ples-lady-and-taung-child.html
THE GOKOMERE EMPIRE
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/05/gokomere-empire.html
THE KALAHARI : Suricata and Bushmen
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/06/to-north-of-south-africa-southern.html

SPORTS

Field hockey
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/06/field-hockey-in-panama.html
WHY HOLLAND AND SPAIN WHY NOT BRAZIL AND ARGENTINA http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/07/why-holland-and-spain-why-not-argentina.html

Ephemeris

BORN NOVEMBER 3
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/10/born-on-november-3.html
20 YEARS OF THE INVASION A PANAMA
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/12/20-years-of-invasion-of-panama.html
10 YEARS OF THE REVERSAL OF CANAL
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/01/by-felipe-argote-31-december-of-2009.html
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/03/interational-womens-day.html
THE FIGHT IS FIGHTING: VICTORIANO LORENZO 15 MAY 1903 http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/05/fight-is-fighting.html
 MARTYRS OF CHICAGO. May 1, 1886
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/05/martyrs-of-chicago.html
LITTLE BOY: 65 YEARS OF THE NUCLEAR BOMB IN HIROSHIMA http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/06/ples-lady-and-taung-child.html

martes, 10 de agosto de 2010

THE MAYA TESTAMENT OF STEVE ALTEN

By: Felipe Argote

Hun-Hanahpu
I was at first annoyed by the lies and exaggeration that Steve Alten used to justify the supposed prophecy of the Popol Vuh, the so called sacred book of the Mayas where supposedly prophesy the end of the world in December 2012 through cataclysms.

Then I opted for a provision to read just for what it is: a book of science fiction. Maya really is a language, not an adjective. The Spanish aliens decided to put the title of Maya to all those who spoke that language when they arrived to our continent lived in what is now Guatemala, part of southern Mexico and Honduras.

The Popol Vuh, the so called sacred book of the Mayas is also an invention. The book was written by a Catholic priest named Fray Francisco Ximenez in the seventeenth century, as he translated the so-called "book of the community” received from the Quiche Maya who had saved for many years. Thus the book contains some references, as well includes some contributions of the Spanish priest who makes the book in some parts like the Bible

Quetzlcoatl
In any case , viewed from the perspective of a science fiction novel "The Testament Maya" is very entertaining and original, is worthy of a Hollywood movie. It always seems much more imaginative version of Roland Emerich in the movie "2012, We Were Warned . "

All the movie version has to develop the argument is called the Mayan calendar long count. Alten however, develops an interesting argument from a couple of archaeologists, Julius Gabriel and Mary who are step by step discovering a series of clues that lead them to conclude that indeed the world is in danger of extermination and that their child is nothing less than Hun-Hunahpu, who according to Mayan mythology was the god of fertility and the ball game.

The son of Julius and Mary, with an IQ of 160 is held paranoid schizophrenic and confined in a sanatorium like a maximum security prison. A youg girl student psychiatrist falls in love with him and helps him escape so that, contrary to what she believed in, saves the world from apocalypse. On the way Mick, which is the name of the reincarnation of Hun-Hunahpu, makes love with her so Dominique became pregnant, who gave birth to the twin gods Xbalanque and Hunahpú.

Kukuxklan
The interesting copious 586 page book is that the author develops interesting elements such as the origin of life on the planet, taking in fact the theory of Russian Alexander Oparin, the writer of the famous book "The Origin of Life" and also takes elements from the very famous book by Stephen Hawking "From Big Bang to Big Crunch"

Of course that in Maya mythology, which is inherited from the Toltecs, including Kukuxklán, the feathered serpent, which is the same God Quetzalcoatl of the Aztecs, does not appear anywhere the cataclysm, the end of the world, nor the trial end that appears in the Bible of the Jewish religion. Therefore, to read "The Mayan Testment" should be seen only as a historical book, a science fiction novel.

Steve Allen
Written in 2000, Steve Alten's novel predicts the first black president of the United States in 2012 would be from the Republican Party, after being vice president occupies the top position after the suicide of the president, in the midst of international crisis nuclear missiles

From this perspective I recommend "The Mayan Testament" by Steve Allen, for being an entertaining read, interesting, and imaginative.

LITTLE BOY

By Felipe Argote


CHURCHILL, ROOSEVELT Y STALIN
While in Potsdam, a town near Berlin in Germany, Joseph Stalin, Harry Truman and Clement Attlee, discussed the distribution of the planet, or rather the remains, after the unconditional surrender of Germany, in the desert of New Mexico United States ended late the last argument for the defeat of Germany and Japan. The conference was developing smoothly. It was the second part of the conference which began in February at Yalta. That is the reason it is generally referred as Yalta and Potsdam. But the actors of this conference had varied by 66 % compared to February in Yalta. Of the three, Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin, there was only the Russian dictator there. Franklin D. Roosevelt had died at his desk in Warm Springs, Georgia. He died of brain cancer, despite many years to grieve after surviving polio. Winston Churchill began the conference, but was later replaced by Clement Attlee, who had defeated him on the British elections.

In the midst of the conference Harry Truman discussed separately with Attlee and Stalin. He reported to both that U.S. had developed a lethal weapon of mass destruction. A few moments earlier he had received a telegram informing him that in Alamogordo, New Mexico, had been carried out successful test of a nuclear explosion equivalent to 20,000 tons of TNT.

Truman then sent a telegram on July 26 to Japan in which he requested their unconditional surrender, surrender to all territories outside Japan and threatened to prosecute military Nipponese leaders. This became known later as the Potsdam Declaration. He never mentioned the atomic bomb. Japan rejected the ultimatum, though they had lost all their possessions in the Pacific and expected land invasion. According to the agreements of Yalta the Soviet Union declared war on Japan and attacked him in Manchuria, northeastern China controlled by the Nipponese.

On August 6, 1945 began one sunny morning in Japan. In Hiroshima looked like the population was going to spend a normal morning in the plight of the war. This was one of the few large cities that had not been devastated by the B-29 which since 1944 dropped thousands of bombs on population centers of the Japanese islands. Its inhabitants had no idea that during the night had taken off three B-29 bombers. One of them was the Enola Gay piloted by Col. Paul Tibbets. The Colonel had put the airplane name on behalf of his mother. This bomber was wearing a uranium bomb named with the suggestive name of Little Boy. He was accompanied by two similar bombers, one carried scientifics and one with a camera crew.

At 8:15 a.m. the hell arrived from the air. First there was a flash with a white light such as magnesium, which blinded those who directly observed. Those who were nearby were vaporized. Some bodies were changed into a shadow on the pavement. Others were burned, turned to dust when touched. After that, a whirlwind destroyed everything in its path with temperatures of 600 degrees Celsius. Finally, acid black rain, full of radioactivity loaded bathed who remained alive. These would have a slow and painful death. 180,000 people died in Hiroshima, 100,000 at the time of the nuclear explosion and the rest in the following weeks. It was the most devastating attack in the history of mankind. The second took place three days later on Nagasaki. They killed 80,000 people, 50,000 at the time of the explosion of another bomb, this time of plutonium.

At 65 years of this extreme show of barbarism there is no argument to justify such a crime against humanity, killing men, women and especially innocent children in the stupidity of war.

lunes, 2 de agosto de 2010

BORINQUEN

By: Felipe Argote



I was tempted to expect a little more time to know better the island and its people before writing this article, but then I decided to write the first impression it gave to me at the arrival to this country so full of contradictions.
I got a surprise that Puerto Rico was not what I imagined, a Caribbean city like Panama, The Havana and Santa Marta. On the contrary, I found a city like Miami just with Puerto Ricans rather than Cubans. With JC Pennys , K mart , Sears and Macys. All connected by a network of highways. To get a taxi is not enough to stand on the street and raise your hand. _You must call it on the phone. To rent a car it took a row of two hours. In the hotel of 14 channels only 3 are in Spanish even though only 3% of the population is bilingual. This population is mostly white (80%) with a few Afro-Caribbean and no Indians. Although a recent study found that Puerto Ricans have in their high level of Taino DNA, the ancient inhabitants of the island and Guanche from the island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands.

When the Spanish first arrived on the island was inhabited by the Taino Indians . They called Boriken or Borinquen. These were a very peaceful people that gave gold and necklaces of shells to the invaders as they saw them only as decorations. This attitude of the Tainos, contrasting with the Spanish barbarians who did not have the bath as part of their customs and disloyalty, treason, and the ill were part of their tradition, as well as tell their own stories, confused this hospitality with consider repeated stupidity that the natives believed they were gods.

Diego Salcedo was one of the first developed it by contacting the peaceful Taino commanded by the chief Agüeivaná decided to enslave them by forcing them to seek more gold. Such conduct after tamely decided to rebel against their oppressors drowning him in a river. The Spanish story says they did it to see if he was a god. The real story is that however noble the Tainos were not withstand the extreme cruelty of the Spanish who paid with his live for his greed.

Eventually, the huge Spanish technological advantage, their greed, their diseases and brutality eventually submit first and then extinguish the noble race of the Taino, whose genes are, as noted, still running through the veins of the current Puerto Rican.

Perhaps because of this meekness Puerto Rico is a town that has never known freedom, and independence. While since the early nineteenth century a large number of American territories got free from Spanish oppression, was not until 1868, with the “shout of Lares” given the attempted emancipation of the island, which was quickly controlled by the Spanish colonizers. Until 1897 Puerto Rico achieves the called “Charter of Autonomy”, which gives autonomy but not independence to the island by Spain, with the bad luck that exploits a year after the U.S. war against Spain which the nascent empire wrested the past colonial territories to the Spanish crown once invincible. Puerto Rico, Cuba and the Philippines become the property of the United States. As Cuba continues its identity and achieved independence and the Philippines achieved independence but loses some of its identity, as it was forced to change its Spanish language for English, Puerto Rico remains a colony status or something very similar. Cuba gained its independence in 1902 but with a level of U.S. intervention, the Philippines continued its war for independence that started against Spain, then against the United States, where they die more than a million Filipinos, but achieved independence in 1946. Puerto Rico was formed with its commonwealth status that it still possesses.

In the referendums that have been developed on the island to comment on their status or the majority voted to remain what it has termed commonwealth or have voted to become a star in the United States flag. In fact, the independence party has only managed in the last election by 2.5 % of the votes thus lost what they call franchise like a baseball team or a fast food restaurant. A superficial analysis will show the reason for this attitude.



In Borinquén live about 4 million people, although living in the United States four million Puerto Ricans. So it's a population slightly larger than Panama's very similar to that of Costa Rica.

BORINQUEN DESDES EL ESPACIO
While in Panama and Costa Rica Gross domestic product per capita is $ 7,000 a year in Puerto Rico is $ 18,000. While in Panama there are 25.000 teachers there are 42.000 in Puerto Rico much better paid. In Puerto Rico, 9.8% of the budget goes to university education.

Borinquen total GDP is U.S. $ 90.000 million. Nearly four times bigger than in Panama or Costa Rica. 44.5% of its GDP comes from industry, 55% of the service sector and only 0.5% of the primary sector. It has a trade surplus of 3.600 billion. Although it has a 16% unemployment and inflation of 14%.

Recently, with the bailout of the economy of the U.S. president Barack Obama has been directed toward an economic boost Puerto Rico in the order of 5.000 billion dollars. This is almost a quarter of Panama's GDP, and very similar to the 7.000 million it costs us the canal expansion.

LOSE LOSE

 By: Felipe Argote


Do not owe to rich neither promise to poor, my mom said in her infinite repertoire of proverbs. Such is the case of highways. During the election campaign in this cornucopia of promises when it became the presidential candidate and his campaign, promised a meter in three years, to lower the food basket, reducing unemployment and in turn inflation. Among a myriad of promises pledged to the nationalization of the runners and the gratuity of the same.

Reality is always richer than any theoretical scheme. But the five-year recurrence candidates promising the moon and the stars, but once exalted in power are dedicated to give excuses for the reasons that this same promises are not possible and that people over and over again believe them again is what moves to tenderness for the Panamanian electorate, not to use sadness at how shocking the term is.

But let’s talk about the highways.

It now appears that we the people are going to buy the highways more than double what we receive by 49 percent of the shares of the National Institute of Telecommunications, now Cable & Wireless.

To buy it the government is ready to spent part of the 1.200 million dollars from the Development Trust Fund, whose funds come from the privatization of INTEL and IRHE and some other minor sales. They come from state enterprises that cost more than twenty years to rise, we gave to foreign capital and at least the positive side, the government sold them, the Perez Balladares at least not spent these funds as if he did that of Guillermo Endara to the proceeds of the sale of Cemento Bayano. On the other hand was placed in a fund called the Development Trust with the ban by spending bill or current spending or investment spending disguised. However his interests were deposited to be spent in a institution called the FES. This institution quickly became a piñata for the incumbent government as Mireya Moscoso promised in the campaign to close it. On reaching the government she kept her promise: FES was closed but immediately opened the FIS (Social Investment Fund) with the same features as its immediate predecessor. Then the candidate Martinelli promised to close the FIS. On reaching the government decided that it was not so bad and we're still hoping to at least see the Audit promised.

It is now intended to dismember the fund devoted to buying some of the highways and the other party will come out of depositors' funds Social Security. It expects to pay $650 million for the northern highway corridor and 420 million for the southern highway for a grand total of 1.07 billion dollars.

This means that if the project fails we ran out of domestic savings and no retirement fund of thousands of Panamanians, with serious consequences for the country's financial situation. If the highways are profitable with the current pricing structure, so that users with high rates choked the corridors will not see an improvement in their situation and if prices come down the corridors to the satisfaction of users it won’t be profitable, so we lose our investment as a country.

To paraphrase Stephen R. Covey this is a lose lose situation.

jueves, 8 de julio de 2010

GRIGORY AND THE POINCARÈ CONJETURE

By: Felipe Argote

Because I was watching the soccer World Cup I did not finish what I had been building for years and was about to end: to solve the Poincare conjecture. Due to my negligence Grigori Parelman, a Russian mathematician, 44 years old, was ahead of me solving the puzzle.

I would not worry too much if it were not for the Clay Mathematics Institute had offered a million dollars to whoever solved the conjecture.

It was not so difficult. In 1904, a Frenchman named Henri Poincaré conjecture that the result obtained for the sphere n = 2 dimensional space 3 was an analogue for the field n= 3 of the 4-dimensional space. In other words, in four dimensional space, any variety of dimension n = 3, closed and simply connected, it would be homeomorphic to the sphere of dimension n= 3. But Poincaré, the mathematician who developed the so-called theory of relativity by Einstein then developed his theory of relativity was born in Meurthe-et -Moselle, Nancy, France, failed to verify his guess. This was more than 100 years ago, in 1904. From that point nobody had been able to confirm the guess until it was solved by Parelman. Maybe not this would have been at the news if it were not for the eccentric doctor rejected the prize of one million dollars.

It is not the first time Parelman rejects an award. Already in 2006 had rejected the award from the International Mathematical Union to mathematicians less than 40 years old for his contribution to the discipline.

Grigori Perelman was born in St. Petersburg in 1966 into a Jewish family. In 1982, at the age of 16 years represented the Soviet Union in international math Olympics where she won the gold medal. At the end of the eighties he earned a doctorate at the University of Leningrad. His thesis: Areas chair in Euclidean spaces. Lectured at the Steklov Institute in Russia, then he moved to lecturing at universities in New York, Stony Brook and Berkeley. But in 1995 he returned to the University of Steklov.

Today is said to Grigori Perelman is unemployed, and he has retired of any activity related to mathematics because of his disappointment over the ethics of the mathematical community in general. Moreover the solution of the Pointcare conjecture was not published in any scientific journal but in a website.

To get an idea of what we are talking let’s say that there are commonly four dimensions, three spatial and one temporal. If we draw a square it is two-dimensional. If, however, we draw a cube it is three dimensional. The fourth dimension is time. Then let’s use a hot item today: a soccer ball. This is a two-dimensional sphere in a three dimensional space. It is wide and long but not deep. This is a two dimensional case. Each piece of the sphere is not nothing but a flat piece bent slightly related. The term used to sound more complicated is homeomorphism. Then there is only one homeomomorfic variety of dimension n =2 closed and connected: this is the sphere or soccer ball. Ok ?

To test surround ourselves imagine that something elastic like a big gum. If we can compress it to make it a point not to step out of the surface we have an area two and it is a related area.

The problem is that Henri Poincaré conjecture introduced in 1904 that this result obtained for an area two, a soccer ball for example, in a three-dimensional space, had an analogous four-dimensional space in a sphere of dimension 3. Of course this is complicated to the point that it is very difficult to draw, but I will try. This should be seen like this:


This became one of the biggest problems of mathematics course with implications in physics and geometry until at last our friend Grigori rid us of this heavy burden. We can relax from this problem and return to our peaceful lives. To St. Petersburg where he lives with his mother retired at the age of… 44 years, we say:

Thanks Gregory

WHY HOLLAND AND SPAIN ? WHY NOT ARGENTINA AND BRAZIL ?

By: Felipe Argote



After the drawing everybody knew what numbers were going out. Those are the "Monday morning break office coach" that is, the technical experts on Mondays in the recess of the office in the morning. Never mind. As this is not a sports blog and we spent the last month writing about South Africa, we need to do the analysis, although superficial, of what happened in the world cup. What led to the final to the Netherlands and Spain, while Latin American teams where let behind in the middle of the road.

I will not analize all Latin American countries, because the publisher is strictly on the number of bands that I use on each item, so that they are not that long that takes readers to boredom. Enough is to say that Mexico simply did not have enough. It had no human material to go further than they arrived and the coach Aguirre, who likes to kick opposite players, also has serious limitations. Much less Honduras with the loss of their best players even though many do not know that Honduras had a better line up than Mexico. Nor Chile, that although they have good players and had a good qualifying stage, these figures are not first class. Mad Bielsa, their coach at least did a better global role than in 2004, when he led Argentina, a great team, favored to win the World Cup and was out in the first round winning only one game to Nigeria. Paraguay did what they could without their top scorer Salvador Cabanas, who although only playing in Mexico, he should have to be playing in Europe for years.

Consider Argentina. Despite having an overwhelming front led by Messi, the best player in the world, Iguain, scorer of Real Madrid in the Spanish league, Tevez and Aguero suffered from the spine: they didn’t have a creator. Maradona 's thesis was that the axis of the equipment was to be Juan Sebastian Veron, the leader of the Estudiantes de la Plata football club. This did not work as Leo Messi finished playing the role of creator, to seek the ball down to the lack of this driver, therefore limited in their ability to get goals. Messi did what he could, but remember that he is not Xavi or Iniesta. In the generally he receives at Barza club passes from Xavi and Iniesta but they were not there, because they were busy playing in the Spanish team.

The case of Brazil is sadder. Dunga, a defender, who captained Brazil in 1984 and was coach of the Brazilian team at the World South Africa, decided to disappear Brazilian style, the famous Jogo Bonito, he said they had to choose between the jogo bonito, or to win games as if they were contradictory. So he not called Ronaldinho to the team, I know he is not still the best player in the world, but he is one of the best. In contrast to its ranks was Julio Cesar Baptista who almost did not play in the Rome of the Calcio. It was sad to see Brazil lose to Holland trying to play a practice football against a team that historically has the patent for the practical football: the so-called the mechanic orange.

The jogo Bonito instead was brought by Spain and a little by Germany because of his good creation midfield with Xavi and Iniesta in Spain and Bastian Schweinsteiger in Germany. Who would have thought...?

The next World Cup 1914 will take place in Brazil. It is time for Brazil to retrieve the style against Dunga's philosophy because that style is what has led them to five championships. Argentina should in turn take four years to get at least two midfielders of creation, to retire Veron and Riquelme.

miércoles, 30 de junio de 2010

THE KALAHARI DESERT: MERKATS AND BUSHMEN

To the north of South Africa, southern Botswana and Namibia stand reddish 70,000 kilometers of desert. It is the Kalahari Desert which means "great thirst." It is the territory of the Bushmen and meerkats.

Its climate ranges from 40 degrees Celsius in summer to freezing temperatures in winter. It has, of course, little wildlife, but in the short winter the river Okavango Delta forms a swamp where come to drink lions, leopards, buffaloes, rhinos, zebras and wild boar among many other animals. This impressive diversity of members of the wild kingdom disappears with the completion of the rains since immigrating in search of better pastures. But they always return the following winter. In areas of this vast desert wild melons grow like carpets and a cactus-like plant called Hoodia Gordonii is a fundamental part in the diet of the Bushmen and whose property has been recently discovered by western physicians to lose weight. In fact it is almost impossible to find a bushman obese.

The Kalahari is the land of the meerkat, a type of mongoose mind which sudden raise to fame after appearing timon a character in the film helm of Disney’s “The Lion King”. Interestingly the position to take on two legs raised and as they take turns keeping watch while the other group members hunt or dig with their curved claws. Meerkats have a complex organization with different roles depending on the position in the social scale.

The Kalahari is the land of the Bushmen an ancient genetic group who was the first homo sapiens-sapiens moved out of Africa into Asia Minor thousands of years ago. Those who stayed are tribes that are not related to what we know as black Africans; as a matter of fact they are related to the Tasmanians. The Tasmanians are a so-called lost tribes located on the island of Tasmania south of Australia. They are entirety extinguished. After hunting them like animals in 1836 when there were only 2000, were persuaded by George Robinson, a Christian missionary "friend" to be located on a small island north of Tasmania called Finders. They were forced to dress like Westerners and converting to Christianity. They could not adapt to this radical change in their ancestral customs were banned. Eleven years later only 47 Tasmanians survived. In 1865 the last male died and in 1876 the last Tasmanian woman. Her name was Truganini .

The Bushmen are very different to anything known even in Africa, although the term Bushman or man of the forest is a term coined by the Netherlands immigrants. Actually the correct term is San. The most peculiar is the language based on clicks where no fewer than 80 click using different lips, teeth and tongue. Some sound like a kiss, others are admitted, entering air into the mouth and other graduates taking air from the mouth. It is believed that they are also related to pygmies.

Since the arrival of Europeans the Bushmen have been decimated to the point that currently they are less than 65,000. In the eighties were discovered potential diamond deposits in the Kalahari Desert, so that the Bushmen have been evicted from their land, and give it in concession to the European company which operates the sites.

The Bushmen have organized in a group called “First People of the Kalahari” and have developed a struggle to maintain possession of their desert lands.

In 2006 the organization won a victory when Botswana’s high court ruled that the San or Bushmen were entitled to return to their lands and hunting without a license, as until now demanded the authorities to press the exit from the mine diamond area.

FIELD HOCKEY IN PANAMA

By: Felipe Argote



It is not required to the general public to follow in detail the national tournaments of dominoes, checkers, or poker. Neither it is necessary for everyone to know when are the national water polo tournaments, racing canoes or equestrian. Usually most of the population follows up the most popular sports like baseball, football and boxing. Otherwise, we are talking with a sports journalist. In this case ignorance is not a merit.

I have witnessed in recent weeks to confirm that, due to the common sense of the Panamanians, very few sports journalists who bother to investigate what happens in sports and many just read the news in the paper and discussed with generic arguments.

So it is a shame that more than a sports journalist insist on saying that Panama cannot play hockey just because ... I’ve never seen it. That is to want to make ignorance a talent.

For six years, I knew that at the Episcopal San Cristobal Institute made the first calls were to start the practice of a sport that is becoming more and more popular in Central and South America; the hockey. In the Caribbean is already one of the most popular sports because of its relationship with Europe which magnified the sport, which is considered originated in India and Pakistan and imported by the Europeans when they were colonies. In fact previously dominated Pakistan and India in international championships , but now they do Germany, Holland , England, Spain , Argentina , Australia and China. In Spain it is called grass hockey. If we had Brazil we have no almost all the finalist of the football World Cup finalists.

It is very likely; due to field hockey is a dynamic very similar to football, although both the technical as the rules differ in this popular sport. As in the United States soccer is not very popular, field hockey is viewed as a sport for women's eminently as they play that wild ice hockey, where players make a cover themselves from head to toe to withstand the hard knocks to the players.

I attended in Panama as a spectator at least two national championships in field hockey where I have seen teams of Coclé, Chiriquí, Colón and Panamá both women and men. Although they do not play as current world champions Germany and the Netherlands neither do the Panamanians football players, or any other sport.

Perhaps these writers should attend these sporting activities and not shocked by what they not know, only to return from the Central American and Caribbean Games to say, “The sport in Panama is a shame!” I have found that in the Games Central American and Caribbean neighboring countries like El Salvador and Costa Rica presented teams of field hockey and Panama was only with the same baseball and football teams! How bad we are! What a shame! Stupid.