Thomaz Wood Jr., Carta Capital. A íntegra pode ser lida aqui.
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Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Dick Durbin. You make us all proud.
On behalf of the great state of Illinois, crossroads of a nation, Land of Lincoln, let me express my deepest gratitude for the privilege of addressing this convention.
Tonight is a particular honor for me because, let’s face it, my presence on this stage is pretty unlikely. My father was a foreign student, born and raised in a small village in Kenya. He grew up herding goats, went to school in a tin-roof shack. His father -- my grandfather -- was a cook, a domestic servant to the British.
But my grandfather had larger dreams for his son. Through hard work and perseverance my father got a scholarship to study in a magical place, America, that shone as a beacon of freedom and opportunity to so many who had come before.
While studying here, my father met my mother. She was born in a town on the other side of the world, in Kansas. Her father worked on oil rigs and farms through most of the Depression. The day after Pearl Harbor my grandfather signed up for duty; joined Patton’s army, marched across Europe. Back home, my grandmother raised a baby and went to work on a bomber assembly line. After the war, they studied on the G.I. Bill, bought a house through F.H.A., and later moved west all the way to Hawaii in search of opportunity.
And they, too, had big dreams for their daughter. A common dream, born of two continents.
My parents shared not only an improbable love, they shared an abiding faith in the possibilities of this nation. They would give me an African name, Barack, or "blessed," believing that in a tolerant America your name is no barrier to success. They imagined -- They imagined me going to the best schools in the land, even though they weren’t rich, because in a generous America you don’t have to be rich to achieve your potential.
They're both passed away now. And yet, I know that on this night they look down on me with great pride.
They stand here -- And I stand here today, grateful for the diversity of my heritage, aware that my parents’ dreams live on in my two precious daughters. I stand here knowing that my story is part of the larger American story, that I owe a debt to all of those who came before me, and that, in no other country on earth, is my story even possible.
Tonight, we gather to affirm the greatness of our Nation — not because of the height of our skyscrapers, or the power of our military, or the size of our economy. Our pride is based on a very simple premise, summed up in a declaration made over two hundred years ago:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
That is the true genius of America, a faith -- a faith in simple dreams, an insistence on small miracles; that we can tuck in our children at night and know that they are fed and clothed and safe from harm; that we can say what we think, write what we think, without hearing a sudden knock on the door; that we can have an idea and start our own business without paying a bribe; that we can participate in the political process without fear of retribution, and that our votes will be counted -- at least most of the time.
This year, in this election we are called to reaffirm our values and our commitments, to hold them against a hard reality and see how we're measuring up to the legacy of our forbearers and the promise of future generations.
And fellow Americans, Democrats, Republicans, Independents, I say to you tonight: We have more work to do -- more work to do for the workers I met in Galesburg, Illinois, who are losing their union jobs at the Maytag plant that’s moving to Mexico, and now are having to compete with their own children for jobs that pay seven bucks an hour; more to do for the father that I met who was losing his job and choking back the tears, wondering how he would pay 4500 dollars a month for the drugs his son needs without the health benefits that he counted on; more to do for the young woman in East St. Louis, and thousands more like her, who has the grades, has the drive, has the will, but doesn’t have the money to go to college.
Now, don’t get me wrong. The people I meet -- in small towns and big cities, in diners and office parks -- they don’t expect government to solve all their problems. They know they have to work hard to get ahead, and they want to. Go into the collar counties around Chicago, and people will tell you they don’t want their tax money wasted, by a welfare agency or by the Pentagon. Go in -- Go into any inner city neighborhood, and folks will tell you that government alone can’t teach our kids to learn; they know that parents have to teach, that children can’t achieve unless we raise their expectations and turn off the television sets and eradicate the slander that says a black youth with a book is acting white. They know those things.
People don’t expect -- People don't expect government to solve all their problems. But they sense, deep in their bones, that with just a slight change in priorities, we can make sure that every child in America has a decent shot at life, and that the doors of opportunity remain open to all.
They know we can do better. And they want that choice.
In this election, we offer that choice. Our Party has chosen a man to lead us who embodies the best this country has to offer. And that man is John Kerry.
John Kerry understands the ideals of community, faith, and service because they’ve defined his life. From his heroic service to Vietnam, to his years as a prosecutor and lieutenant governor, through two decades in the United States Senate, he's devoted himself to this country. Again and again, we’ve seen him make tough choices when easier ones were available.
His values and his record affirm what is best in us. John Kerry believes in an America where hard work is rewarded; so instead of offering tax breaks to companies shipping jobs overseas, he offers them to companies creating jobs here at home.
John Kerry believes in an America where all Americans can afford the same health coverage our politicians in Washington have for themselves.
John Kerry believes in energy independence, so we aren’t held hostage to the profits of oil companies, or the sabotage of foreign oil fields.
John Kerry believes in the Constitutional freedoms that have made our country the envy of the world, and he will never sacrifice our basic liberties, nor use faith as a wedge to divide us.
And John Kerry believes that in a dangerous world war must be an option sometimes, but it should never be the first option.
You know, a while back -- awhile back I met a young man named Shamus in a V.F.W. Hall in East Moline, Illinois. He was a good-looking kid -- six two, six three, clear eyed, with an easy smile. He told me he’d joined the Marines and was heading to Iraq the following week. And as I listened to him explain why he’d enlisted, the absolute faith he had in our country and its leaders, his devotion to duty and service, I thought this young man was all that any of us might ever hope for in a child.
But then I asked myself, "Are we serving Shamus as well as he is serving us?"
I thought of the 900 men and women -- sons and daughters, husbands and wives, friends and neighbors, who won’t be returning to their own hometowns. I thought of the families I’ve met who were struggling to get by without a loved one’s full income, or whose loved ones had returned with a limb missing or nerves shattered, but still lacked long-term health benefits because they were Reservists.
When we send our young men and women into harm’s way, we have a solemn obligation not to fudge the numbers or shade the truth about why they’re going, to care for their families while they’re gone, to tend to the soldiers upon their return, and to never ever go to war without enough troops to win the war, secure the peace, and earn the respect of the world.
Now -- Now let me be clear. Let me be clear. We have real enemies in the world. These enemies must be found. They must be pursued. And they must be defeated. John Kerry knows this. And just as Lieutenant Kerry did not hesitate to risk his life to protect the men who served with him in Vietnam, President Kerry will not hesitate one moment to use our military might to keep America safe and secure.
John Kerry believes in America. And he knows that it’s not enough for just some of us to prosper -- for alongside our famous individualism, there’s another ingredient in the American saga, a belief that we’re all connected as one people. If there is a child on the south side of Chicago who can’t read, that matters to me, even if it’s not my child. If there is a senior citizen somewhere who can’t pay for their prescription drugs, and having to choose between medicine and the rent, that makes my life poorer, even if it’s not my grandparent. If there’s an Arab American family being rounded up without benefit of an attorney or due process, that threatens my civil liberties.
It is that fundamental belief -- It is that fundamental belief: I am my brother’s keeper. I am my sister’s keeper that makes this country work. It’s what allows us to pursue our individual dreams and yet still come together as one American family.
E pluribus unum: "Out of many, one."
Now even as we speak, there are those who are preparing to divide us -- the spin masters, the negative ad peddlers who embrace the politics of "anything goes." Well, I say to them tonight, there is not a liberal America and a conservative America -- there is the United States of America. There is not a Black America and a White America and Latino America and Asian America -- there’s the United States of America.
The pundits, the pundits like to slice-and-dice our country into Red States and Blue States; Red States for Republicans, Blue States for Democrats. But I’ve got news for them, too. We worship an "awesome God" in the Blue States, and we don’t like federal agents poking around in our libraries in the Red States. We coach Little League in the Blue States and yes, we’ve got some gay friends in the Red States. There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq and there are patriots who supported the war in Iraq. We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America.
In the end -- In the end -- In the end, that’s what this election is about. Do we participate in a politics of cynicism or do we participate in a politics of hope?
John Kerry calls on us to hope. John Edwards calls on us to hope.
I’m not talking about blind optimism here -- the almost willful ignorance that thinks unemployment will go away if we just don’t think about it, or the health care crisis will solve itself if we just ignore it. That’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about something more substantial. It’s the hope of slaves sitting around a fire singing freedom songs; the hope of immigrants setting out for distant shores; the hope of a young naval lieutenant bravely patrolling the Mekong Delta; the hope of a millworker’s son who dares to defy the odds; the hope of a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place for him, too.
Hope -- Hope in the face of difficulty. Hope in the face of uncertainty. The audacity of hope!
In the end, that is God’s greatest gift to us, the bedrock of this nation. A belief in things not seen. A belief that there are better days ahead.
I believe that we can give our middle class relief and provide working families with a road to opportunity.
I believe we can provide jobs to the jobless, homes to the homeless, and reclaim young people in cities across America from violence and despair.
I believe that we have a righteous wind at our backs and that as we stand on the crossroads of history, we can make the right choices, and meet the challenges that face us.
America! Tonight, if you feel the same energy that I do, if you feel the same urgency that I do, if you feel the same passion that I do, if you feel the same hopefulness that I do -- if we do what we must do, then I have no doubt that all across the country, from Florida to Oregon, from Washington to Maine, the people will rise up in November, and John Kerry will be sworn in as President, and John Edwards will be sworn in as Vice President, and this country will reclaim its promise, and out of this long political darkness a brighter day will come.
Thank you very much everybody. God bless you. Thank you.
Liverpool, além de uma equipe bisonha de futebol com seu nome, jogou sobre um mundo desprevenido os talentos dos quatro rapazes que formavam uma banda chamada de Beatles.
Devido a tudo isso e o fato bizarro de lhe caber o título de “capital européia da cultura para o ano de 2008”. Um mimo dado por comissões da União Européia, que, desde 1985, vem nomeando insólitas cidades com o cobiçado título.
Já foram capitais européias da cultura cidades como Helsinki, Pécs (calma, fica na Hungria) Istambul, Patras (essa é na Grécia) e Sibiu (na Romênia, é claro), para citar apenas algumas que mais culturalizaram de forma altiva, embora amena, a União Européia.
Infelizmente para Liverpool, este ano, o título é dividido com duas outras cidades da União, ambas situadas na Noruega: Stavener e Sandnes. Não sei os planos dos noruegueses, nem o que fizeram até agora, meados de março, mas, ao menos, não chatearam ninguém. Que é o mínimo que uma cidade cultural pode fazer na vida.
Para o ano, 2009, Vilnius, na Lituânia, será o centro das atenções culturais do EU. Promete.
Convictos de sua missão cultural, os liverpudlianos insignes que participam sejam lá qual for das comissões que decidem essas coisas, já tomaram a primeira decisão cultural de impacto: pensam em tacar uma proibição para menores de 18 anos em filmes de Walt Disney.
A cultura liverpudliana em marcha
Não estou brincando. O Conselho Liverpudliano, já preocupado com a imagem da cidade como também capital dos grandes pifões europeus, houve por bem passar por cima da Comitê Britânico da Classificação de Filmes (mas pode me chamar de censura), e castigar os clássicos de Walt Disney com a tal da proibição para menores de 18 anos, válida inclusive para DVDs, que, diga-se de passagem, nunca estiveram tão em moda.
Que alegam os iluminados de Liverpool? Que muitos dos desenhos animados mostram gente (às vezes até bichinhos adoráveis) fumando. Fumar, todos sabem, é uma questão de emulação. Emulação. Palavra aliás que, bastante semelhante em inglês liverpudliano, foi bastante pisoteada, tal qual bola de futebol ou bêbado chato, durante as conversações que precederam a inédita decisão.
Pois bem. Os menores de 18 anos, impressionáveis que são, vêem na tela do cinema ou da televisão uma pessoa ou animalzinho fumando e, assim que puderem, vão até a esquina, assaltam o primeiro cidadão (liverpudliano culto ou inculto) que passar para comprar um daqueles maços de cigarro que, além de custarem uma fortuna, têm estampados dizeres alarmantes, para os alfabetizados, evidentemente, que os há em grande quantidade em Liverpool.
Desanimadores desenhos animados
De desenho animado a ser agraciado com a futura proibição alguns clássicos: Peter Pan, Alice no País das Maravilhas e Pinóquio.
101 Dálmatas, com Cruella de Vil, mesmo “viloa”, e sua longa piteira?
De jeito nenhum. Os liverpudlianos estão meio por fora em matéria de Walt Disney.
Sou capaz de jurar que, em Dumbo, aqueles pássaros pretos que debocham do orelhudo e simpático mamífero proboscídeo fumam enquanto cantam aquela musiquinha sobre o fato de nunca terem visto um elefante voar.
Bambi? Aquele coelho não puxa um cigarrinho na hora das apresentações? Sou capaz de jurar.
Outro desenho animado (ou semi-animado) que vai ganhar carimbo proibitivo: Uma Cilada para Roger Rabbit. Com as sensualíssimas curvas de Jessica Rabbit, tudo bem. O cigarrinho das pessoas no clube de strip-tease? Em hipótese alguma.
9 em cada 10 astros e estrelas tragam
O slogan original, violentado aí em cima, era do sabonete Lever. Por ter sido fumante, fui e fiz a safarnagem com ele. Por que me irritou de sobejo saber que, no bolo proibitivo, foram-se Humphrey Bogart e, com toda certeza, Bette Davis, uma vez que nunca vi um casal na tela que fumasse tanto – e com tanta classe.
Meus primeiros cigarrinhos comprados na venda do português (avulsos, 4 por 200 réis) foram tudo culpa de Ânfora e Béti, conforme eu os pronunciava e chamava.
Só parei de fumar em 2001, quando, finalmente, me dei conta que Bogey (peguei intimidade com o tempo) morrera mesmo. Dona Bette Davis, via-se no pouco que aparecia, não ia lá muito bem. Mas sempre teremos Casablanca, parafraseando um dos inúmeros diálogos célebres do filme com esse título, por sinal também na lista negra liverpudliana.
Reparação, que outro dia mesmo estava concorrendo a Oscar que não acaba mais, e que acabou levando um por, acho, “melhor homenzinho sem graça barbeado”, também vai pegar uma boa proibição pela proa. Idem os chatos todos dos Piratas do Caribe, embora ache pouco provável que os corsários da série fumem. Os liverpudlianos devem ter confundido com espada enterrada no peito de um moreno. A vida é dura em Liverpool. Duros são seus habitantes.
Conclusão
E o Harry Potter? Nada pra ele? Esse negócio de jovem estudando para ser mágico (ou “mágico”), boa coisa não me parece.
Há dez anos surgia o primeiro tocador de MP3 do mundo, de acordo com o site 'The Register".
De fabricação coreana, o MPMan tinha memória flash de 32 MB (suficiente para cerca de oito músicas) e um pequeno visor LCD com informações básicas sobre a faixa em execução. Segundo o site, o aparelho revolucionário foi apresentado como protótipo na feira alemã de tecnologia Cebit em 1998. Em maio do mesmo ano ele começou a ser produzido em larga escala para o lançamento nos Estados Unidos e na Europa.
Com 16,5 cm de altura - equivalente a dois iPods colocados um sobre o outro - o MPMan era fabricado pela Saehan Information Systems e custava US$ 250, mas passou a ser vendido por US$ 200 no ano seguinte para concorrer com o Rio PMP300. O rival também tinha 32 MB de memória, mas contava com entradas para aumentar sua capacidade.
Apenas para lembrar, o atual modelo IPOD CLASSIC 160GB, da Apple, comporta até 40.000 músicas, 50.000 fotos e até 200 horas de vídeo - ou qualquer combinação destes itens, toca até 40 horas sem parar, possui conexão USB e pesa cerca de 160 gramas.
Evolução considerável para um período tão curto de tempo.
2003
24/07/2003 - 20:30 - Flamengo-RJ 2x1 Internacional-RS
29/11/2003 - 18:00 - Internacional-RS 3x1 Flamengo-RJ
2004
16/05/2004 - 16:00 - Flamengo/RJ 1x2 Inter/RS
08/09/2004 - 21:50 - Inter/RS 0x0 Flamengo/RJ
2005
08/05/05 - 16:00 - Internacional/RS 1x0 Flamengo/RJ
08/09/05 - 20:30 - Flamengo/RJ 1x1 Internacional/RS
2006
30/04/06 - 16:00 - Internacional/RS 1x0 Flamengo/RJ
02/09/06 - 18:10 - Flamengo/RJ 1x2 Internacional/RS
2007
16/06/07 - 18:10 - Flamengo/RJ 2x2 Internacional/RS
08/09/07 - 16:00 - Internacional/RS 3x0 Flamengo/RJ