Lady Liberty Calls

If there is one thing that never ceases to capture the human mind - it is freedom and liberty. And the national monument of the Statue of Liberty - Lady Liberty, the enlightened one still holds her torch for liberty just south of Manhattan in NY. From 1886 to 1902 functioning as a lighthouse.

Today, the original flame has been replaced, but the original flame can still be seen in the basement to the entrance of the museum within the sculpture itself.

The enlightened Lady Liberty from 1886 conceived by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi is enchanting because of the mystery that surrounds her and the Freemason sculpture and building. With the significant seven rays in her crown to symbolise enlightenment.

And now for the enlightenment paradox: Although I felt much more enlightened after a trip to the museum, sadly you have to book way in advance to get all the way up to Lady Liberty's crown, so I wasn't fully enlightened on this particular tour. Next time...

Kandinsky At Large

Right next to Central Park on Fifth Avenue in NY is the amazing Guggenheim museum. Named after founder Solomon R. Guggenheim. He started collecting Vasily Kandinsky paintings in 1929, and I was in luck to be in NY just as a very comprehensive Kandinsky exhibition opened for the 50th Anniversary of the Guggenheim.

In particular, it included his paintings and his amazing water colours from the founder's and from the Hilla Rebay collections. The exhibition runs from 18th September 2009 to 13th January 2010. This is an exhibition that I would very much like to revisit.

For further information, please see:
http://www.guggenheim.org/new-york/exhibitions/on-view-now/

SG Encounters

News about the Iranian uranium facility were the topic during a UN press conference Monday with the Turkish Secretary General Ihsanoglu of OIC (Organisation of Islamic Conference), representing 57 member states with at least 50 percent Muslims, and is the second largest international organisation after the UN. He responded to the questions about the facility and of possible sanctions towards Iran:

'Any country has the right to produce safe nuclear power. IAEA, the international atomic energy agency, should be the decisive authority. And there should be no double standards. Neither towards Iran nor other countries. Sanctions won't help, because they also affect populations. As we witnessed in Iraq. And we shouldn't repeat mistakes from Iraq,' was the immediate response from OIC Secretary General Ihsanoglu.

To the specific question of a harder line towards Iran from USA, he mentioned that with the help from ambassador Dr. Ali Akbar Salehi, assistant Secretary General for science, technology, cultural and sociale affairs in OIC - a man who also happens to be from Iran - has investigated the recent information, and that Iran had already briefed IAEA about the uranium station. So eventhough the OIC Secretary General saw no problem in casu Iran, he did express an understanding for the worry from the international community, that nuclear weapons might fall into the hands of the wrong states.

'We don't want to be taken hostage to the fanatics,' the OIC Secretary General stated.

When the same question was posed to UN Vice-Secretary General B. Lynn Pascoe at a later press conference at the UN, he expressed himself in a more balanced way.

'We are against the spreading of nuclear weapons, and we want to promote the ideal of non-proliferation. We lean on the IAEA. There is nothing new in our position, it has been consistent. Iran should respect all of the resolutions by the Security Council, and should negotiate effectively. We don't believe in sanctions,' B. Lynn Pascoe stated Monday on behalf of the UN Secretary General, before his press conference Tuesday.

The press conference Tuesday was set from 10-10:30 am, but exceded the time frame by ten minutes. And the questions were mostly about the uranium facility in Iran. Apart from a few questions about the situation in Afghanistan and Somalia. About the meeting between the UN Secretary General and Ahmedinejad, the UN SG took on the same diplomatic approach as the UN Vice-SG:

'I encouraged him to open to the full inspections of the IAEA. I encouraged him to take on a constructive role. When he argued for a peaceful use of nuclear energy, I said that Iran has the burden of proof. I said to him, that despite this good conversation, there was still a gap in the mutual understanding. I encouraged him to bridge this gap. I am to meet with the Iranian leader again later today. This meeting will be on topics like nuclear energy, food security, powerty, and other topics. But I can't reveal more about the contents of a private meeting with Ahmedinejad,' Ban Ki-moon (sic!) stated.

Cable News

Arabs At Large

Outside the UN building on Manhattan in New York an estimated 20.000 people had gathered to protest for very different reasons.

There were widespread protests against the participation at the UN meetings by Libya's Muammar Al-Qaddafi (Qaddafi), leader of The Socialist People's Party Arab Jamahiriya. One group was there to protest against Qaddafi's presence and to ask for the release of Sayed Musa Al-Sadr from prison, who was kidnapped during a visit to Libya in 1978 and imprisoned, and who many view as the Gandhi of the Middle East. Another group called Nation of Islam leans on orthodox Islam, that from 2005 established so-called hate groups, welcomed Qaddafi to the UN.

Another group protested against the participation by the Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmedinejad at the assembly, because he ’has blood on his hands’ and the lives of many Iranian people on his conscience.

United But Divided

In New York on 21st September, on the eve of the UN Secretary-General's Climate Summit, The Alliance of Small Island States/AOSIS convened a one day High-Level Summit on Climate Change. Paradoxical News was there to cover the meeting.

The demand from AOSIS was that the UN Summit on Climate Change in December take into account their vulnerable position. With some island states, like pacific Nauru, the highest point above sea level is about 12 metres. Which means that they will be flooded when the effects of climate change sets in.

With the president of the Maldives heading their representation in demanding that global temperature increases be kept as far below 1.5°C as possible to limit the anticipated devastating effects of climate change on the world's most vulnerable countries. These are also to a far extent some of the poorest countries. This puts pressure on the leading UN economies at COP15, come December 7th-18th, since the goal to be met has been suggested at a maximum increase of 2°C. This leaves the United Nations split before the Copenhagen summit. United but divided.

For further information about AOSIS, please see:

http://www.sidsnet.org/aosis/

NY Scenes - Part Two

Central Park in NY is the centre of leisure for most New Yorkers. It breathes. And it makes you feel comfortable in a very busy city. This is a view of the park from one lake towards the luxury flats on Fifth Avenue.

I stumbled into this odd couple on Fifth Avenue during the annual Steuben Parade, which takes place every year in September to celebrate German-Americans.

And if you weren't around for the historic Boston Tea Party, you can always enjoy Alice in Wonderland and her mad tea party friends of The Mad Hatter and The Chessire Cat among others. Sitting at the centre of the park close to a lake and The Boathouse restaurant.

Or you can slip on your 80ies bandana and enjoy a disco moment with these guys...

NY Scenes - Part One

Funky drummers. This was one of the first things that met me on Times Square in NY. And what more do you really need than an old green bucket to entertain crowds of cheerful bypassers? This bucket master was born to drum.

An Apple A Day

An apple a day keeps the doctor away - if you can hit him, that is. Paradoxical News has taken the full consequence of this old saying and taken a huge bite of a fresh apple. The big one. More paradoxical news to follow as a result.

Happy 1st Anniversary Paradoxical News!

Paradoxical News has the priviledge to announce its 1st anniversary today. And at the same time the great honour to announce that PN just won The Big Murphy Prize - an Against All Odds award given for perseverance and dedication in producing paradoxical news on limited funds, employees, and time. PN couldn't have done this without the help and support from an endless list of people.

Please see the THX Alternative Award Speech list below:

http://paradoxicalnews.blogspot.com/2008/10/award-speech.html

Paradoxical Update

The Silver Handbag Prize 2009

Yesterday former Secretary of State Uffe Ellemann-Jensen from The Liberal Party of Denmark (V) was awarded the Silver Handbag or Marianne Prize 2009, so named after former party leader Marianne Jelved from The Danish Social Liberal Party (B).

The event took place this weekend at the Social Liberal national congress on the mid-Denmark island of Funen. Aptly so to build bridges in Danish geography as well as politics.

The award was motivated by current Social Liberal party leader Margrethe Vestager:
'His opionions are characterized by freedom of speech, equality for all, respect for minorities, and tolerance. So much so that he has been accused of being 'just as bad as a Social Liberal person'.'

Why the handbag is merely cast in silver is unclear. But as the old saying goes, Speech is Silver, Silence is Golden - it fits the prize winner, who puts his nose into everything, speaks out on any political issue, and can't be stopped. Always in a forward fashion. Which is very un-Danish as most Danes go. This has earned him the nick name of The Big Nose, and he also has several Big Noses to his name - which is a term for a political blunder, and the opposite of an award - some of them even with Social Liberal votes. He even sticks his nose out a decade after his leadership of The Liberals and his high ranking position in Danish politics. Why he was never appointed Prime Minister was once pinpointed by former PM Poul Schlüter from The Conservatives (C) when asked if Uffe Ellemann-Jensen could someday become PM: 'Yes, maybe - but not in Denmark'.

After receiving the prize, the prize winner Uffe Ellemann-Jensen responded to Paradoxical News:
'It's a reminder that you can't trample the Social Liberals under foot, and I think awarding me was quite Liberal and broad-minded.'
Thus referring to the current political position of the Social Liberals after being dumped by the two major opposition parties.

Among other things Uffe Ellemann-Jensen was suggested to use the silver handbag for storing all of his Noses. And Marianne Jelved herself commented on this:
'He always leads. And is not afraid of being unpopular and taking the hits in battles. The Noses haven't all been fair.'

Meta-Comment No. 11

10.000 billion. That's right - you heard it first here: There are about 10.000 billion reasons why Paradoxical News was founded. For one, people don't appreciate real news. They don't even want it. They demand virtual news. Paradoxes. Games. So that's what they will be served in truck loads at PN. Paradoxical News has played along to the market demands the whole way - from fully and completely, to semi-participating, and has even tried to abort the news market completely. With no such luck. So the paradoxical status on this 9/11 is: The worse it gets, the better it gets.

He Will Prevail

Photo provided by:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BarackObamaportrait.jpg

To Move On From a Nasty Break Up

I'm sorry for the less fluent flow of Paradoxical News lately, but immediate action for other crisis matters has been necessary. On Friday last week The Social Democrats (A) and The Socialist People's Party (F) made their romance clear to everyone, as they dumped The Social Liberals (B) for their closer commitment up to their state budget proposal.

Party leader Margrethe Vestager from The Social Liberals has taken it nicely. She's confident that this new late summer romance will pass after they both wake up to realities after an intense honeymoon. And convinced that they will all talk and bond again in the new season this fall.

Right now the polls couldn't be worse for Margrethe Vestager and The Social Liberals - with only a few percent supporters for her government leadership. But the thing is, The Social Liberals have always had support from just about five-seven percent - and has never been in play for the position of PM. So for the very reason that she's taking these severe punches with a smile right now, and the current polls aside, Paradoxical News predicts that in probably less than two years she will have a high ranking ministerial position. Because she never fails to believe in negociations. And in building bridges. The very stuff that parliament is made of.

A State Budget Paradox

Today, Paradoxical News tried to cover the first draft of the negociations for passing the state budget for 2010. 'Tried' is the operative word here. Two weeks ago the budget proposition was made by the Minister of Finance (covered in a different connexion). And this past week and the week to come the opposition and other parties give their proposals. Today, the debate itself more had the characteristics of a rhetoric exercise to get in shape again - after a long summer and all. On both sides, the opposition and the supporting party want to speed up the public spending and investments to produce more jobs. Apart from that not much new was said, with the government and opposition parties blaming each other for economic set backs. Hopefully more substance will come at the real opening in October.

Glance, Bang Bang

Yesterday a friend made a sudden suggestion to go to an album release venue and to hear/see the duo Mads Mouritz and Lone Hørslev perform tracks from their new album Blik, Bang Bang (roughly: Glance, Bang Bang) in Huset i Magstræde in Copenhagen. The concert had a very independent singer-songwriter, bluesy feel to it, and was all done laid back and in very good ambience. And paradoxically no Bangs.

Try this for a taste (and below for further information):
http://www.myspace.com/mouritzhoerslev
http://paradoxicalnews.blogspot.com/2009/05/poetry-framed-in-music-two.html

A Michael Jackson Paradox

Whenever news about Michael Jackson emerges, I don't believe it. Like so this summer. Whatever you hear, trust me, he lives on.