I can sing a rainbow

Understanding the History of Halloween : Jack-o-Lanterns in Halloween Hi...

Dear Miners

I can no other answer make, but, thanks, and thanks. William Shakespeare

Forty years ago...

Forty years ago I landed in Lisbon.
Lisbon was a kind of a myth for those who lived so far away as I lived. My mom used to tell me stories about a sophisticated town, about ladies wearing gloves and hats, about kind gentleman, about a lake where lovers could sail...
I knew nothing about a Portuguese feeling named "saudade". One month later that feeling was part of me.
Here I am, paying my tribute to this wonderful town. It is also my town. It's one of my towns.

John Lennon quotes

"As usual, there is a great woman behind every idiot."


"Reality leaves a lot to the imagination. "

John Lennon

Smile

World Teachers' Day 2010

Today, October 5th, millions of teachers and education workers will be joined by children, young people and parents across the globe to celebrate World Teachers' Day. They will pay tribute to the teaching profession and its unique role - and promote their union.

From the global economic crisis which destabilized many developed economies in the last year, to humanitarian disasters such as the earthquake in Haiti and floods in Pakistan, the role of teachers is vital to the social, economic and intellectual rebuilding of communities in which we all live and work.

Fred van Leeuwen, General Secretary of the global union representing 30 million education workers around the world, said. "Being a teacher means belonging to the most valuable profession. Wherever communities face hardship, teachers are immediately present on the frontline to help promote recovery. Sadly, in many countries, being a teacher also means being paid an unfair wage, being treated unfairly or harassed, and in some cases, living in danger of losing your life."

Despite these challenges, teachers continue giving to society by teaching and improving the life chances of millions of learners. As UNESCO confirms: 'Without teachers input to shape education reforms, recovery processes are not likely to achieve all their goals.'

At a time when the international community faces an unprecedented shortage of qualified teachers, when 10 million more teachers must be recruited and trained to achieve goals of quality education for every child, marking World Teachers' Day is a small step to pay homage to millions of extraordinary heroes in our global community.

In an official event in Paris today, teachers from Haiti, Lesotho, Mali, Laos, France and Israel will discuss the role of teachers in their societies.

C C B

Centro Cultural de Belém (CCB) is managed by a private Foundation of public interest, its mission being the production and hosting of cultural events, from theatre to dance, from classical music to jazz, from opera to cinema. As part of its mission, CCB also hosts a conference centre, available for any kind of professional meetings.
So beautiful and so near the river...

THE REPUBLIC

The Portuguese First Republic has, over the course of the recent past, lost many historians to the New State. As a result, it is difficult to attempt a global synthesis of the republican period in view of the important gaps that still persist in our knowledge of its political history. As far as the October 1910 Revolution is concerned, a number of valuable studies have been made, first among which ranks Vasco Pulido Valente’s polemical thesis. This historian posited the Jacobin and urban nature of the revolution carried out by the Portuguese Republican Party (PRP) and claimed that the PRP had turned the republican regime into a de facto dictatorship . This vision clashes with an older interpretation of the First Republic as a progressive and increasingly democratic regime which presented a clear contrast to Salazar’s ensuing dictatorship.

A republican Constitution was approved in 1911, inaugurating a parliamentary regime with reduced presidential powers and two chambers of parliament. The Republic provoked important fractures within Portuguese society, notably among the essentially monarchist rural population, in the trade unions, and in the Church. Even the PRP had to endure the secession of its more moderate elements, who formed conservative republican parties like the Evolutionist Party and the Republican Union. In spite of these splits the PRP, led by Afonso Costa, preserved its dominance, largely due to a brand of clientelist politics inherited from the monarchy. In view of these tactics, a number of opposition forces resorted to violence in order to enjoy the fruits of power. There are few recent studies of this period of the Republic’s existence, known as the ‘old’ Republic.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MR. STING

Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, (born 2 October 1951), known by his professional name Sting, is an English musician, singer-songwriter, activist, actor and philanthropist. He is 59! Happy birthday!

Quote of the day

"You play music because you want to play it, you have a choice. Its always been rewarding for me. I was a very solitary musician when I was younger. In fact, I wouldn't speak. I had a guitar and I would go in a corner and just play it myself." Sting.

Listen to this song...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz7Giz9clMM