Starter pack

Research in Germany found that German shepherds (sometimes also called Alsatians) can sniff certain types of cancer in humans.

Great news! So if you own one (or more) of these lovely pooches just let them sniff you daily. Be it your testicles, your head or your breasts. It’s for a good cause. As long as they don’t start licking the same spots….

Human behavior can be guided by dogs’ sniffs.

Meanwhile Tripoli is free. The mad dictator is – as this is being blogged – just in charge of a couple of square meters. From an absolute ruler to a cornered fool. The rebels, with NATO air support, have rushed to and through the capital like nobody could have expected. Gadhafi’s regime and military has imploded faster than a cake that is being taken too early out of an oven. His threats of an impending bloodbath and annihilation of all opponents have been hot air. Evaporated faster than the eye can witness. His sons already arrested and enroute to the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Sadly the US still hasn’t signed on to this international judicial body. Although it’s the only permanent international court the world has to charge, arrest and trial leaders for crimes against humanity.

Gadhafi’s spokesman who regularly briefed the media in the Tripoli hotel looked more and more like that famous Iraqi spokesman who kept denying there was anything happening,…. even as the US troops were camping on the main square in Baghdad. History as a merry go round and round.

And as Tripoli was witnessing the end of a dictatorial era, the Yemeni ruler put tanks on the streets of the capital Sana’a out of fear that the unfolding events in Libya would give the freedom forces in Yemen a boost. Dictators are not sleeping too well these days. The butcher in Syria must also be a bit more nervous. Yesterday he quickly went on state TV to announce more promised reforms. But all very much just promises we heard before and that sound very hollow in comparison with his onslaught against all forms of protest against his dictatorship.

The Arab spring, turned summer, has got another scalp. Who’s next?

For sure any overthrowing of the autocratic rulers in Tunis, Egypt and now Libya does not automatically mean what comes next in those countries will be a simple and smooth transition to democracy and the rule of law. These countries have lived for so long under the crushing boot of oppression that democracy – and all its values and institutions – are practically unknown to the citizens there. And thus it takes time for the seeds to grow. And during that period lots of things can go wrong and off-track. So the world, the so called free world, needs to nurture these democracies carefully but without too much interference. More monitoring than taking the lead. Challenging times. Like bursts of fresh air across the Arab world. Keep it going!!! Roll on, roll on!!!

Human behavior can be strong as a force of unity for good.

Meanwhile back in the US of A, tea party presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann has slipped up again.

In the last blog entry we wrote she urgently needs classes in politics, history, etc…. And we wrote that she should know that the Soviet Union is no more. But guess what….. there Michele speaks about the Soviet Union in the present tense. The American schooling system must really be bad. The right-wing lady who wants to make history by becoming the first female US president, is lacking serious historic knowledge. She’s gotta hit the update button in her brain urgently. Dear Michele, the Soviet Union has collapsed many many many years ago. Let’s not go further into details because that might just cause some wire-tripping in your head.

So the need for some serious after-hours studying is more than ever needed. Avoiding it might become a clear and present danger…. to the world.

So Michele, maybe write the following yellow post-it notes and stick them on your fridge. So when you reach for the milk to put in your morning tea you can have a quick refresher kick about world history (and related developments).

Yes the US has already been on the moon. And JFK is dead. No America is not at war with Japan anymore. The US bombed them into submission in 1945. Yugoslavia has imploded. The Soviets have left Afghanistan. The Taliban is not a Christian rock band. These days the US has troops deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq, not in Vietnam. And the US is also assisting NATO operations over Libya. But don’t worry about this because that’s over by the time your presidential race really becomes important. Strangely but yes The Rolling Stones are still around,…and this despite all the booze and drugs. Such an anti-Christian behavior! But John Lennon is dead. Yes there is a black man in the White House. Strange things happen indeed. Even in America. Ronald Reagan is dead. And his movies have still not made it as blockbusters. No the Titanic doesn’t sail anymore, and the QE2 is not a space ship but a British cruise liner. China still considers Taiwan a renegade province. Ai,… I know that’s a complicated issue. Yes, the United Kingdom is still…… a kingdom. Oh, and the Boston Red Sox owner has bought Liverpool football club. You know, that funny sport where one kicks a round ball. Those funny Europeans! Global warming is not a fashion trend, but about CO2 concentration in our atmosphere. Oh sorry,… are you too confused now. Reality TV is not about reality. Oh that’s really pushing the confusion limits! The American hostages have been freed from Tehran. Some decades ago. So no need to send SWAT teams to Iran for now. But keep an eye on the mad ruler there. He is really evil. The boss of the axis of evil. With cheerleaders in North Korea and Syria.

We know Michele, it’s a complex, and crazy world out there. But you’re a big girl now,…. so act up!

Human bahavior needs wikipedia. A simplified version for some. Like a starter pack.

Throw out. Italo-German rocker Unantastbar (untouchable) just released their sophomore full-length called “Schuldig” (guilty). Kick ass tunes with a tight production. Send a copy to Gadafhi,… and an Arabic-German dictionary.

C -Ya

collateral – August 2011 is the end of an era