Archive for May, 2007
A new videoblog signed by George Moisescu (the 2006 winner of the Romanian PR Awards)
Click here to see what Geo has to say about the local wine brands…
BOEING
Russian airline S7, formerly called Sibir, has signed a $2.4 billion contract for 15 Boeing 787 “Dreamliner” (BA.N: Quote, Profile, Research planes, Russia’s Interfax news agency quoted a company statement as saying on Tuesday.
It said the deal also included an option for 10 more Dreamliners.
Last month the company signed a $705 million deal with Boeing, ordering 10 Boeing 737-800s and securing purchase rights for another 10 of the same model.
A spokesman for S7 told Reuters he was unaware that any press release had been issued and declined to make any comment. S7 is scheduled to hold a news conference later on Tuesday | more…
AIRBUS
Finnair took delivery from Airbus of its first long-range A340-300E (E for Enhanced), the first of an initial order of three placed in December 2005. Since, Finnair has increased its order for Airbus long haul aircraft, adding seven A330/A340s and 11 A350XWBs. The A350XWB is Airbus’ latest medium capacity long range airliner and will join Finnair’s fleet in 2014.
The A340-300Es will replace Finnair’s MD11 fleet and will be put into service on its long-haul destinations to Asia. Finnair’s new A340-300E will accommodate 269 passengers in a very comfortable two-class cabin configuration (42 in Business, 227 in Economy).
Finnair started operating a pre-owned A340-300 in June 2006 | more…
First…
A senior British diplomat has been beaten by two unidentified assailants while on an official trip in provincial Russia. Nigel Gould-Davies, first secretary at the British embassy in Moscow, was attacked at 1am on Saturday as he walked across the theatre square in the Siberian city of Chita, police said.
Mr Gould-Davies needed hospital treatment for bruises to his face. His glasses were broken in the attack and he was unable to see his assailants, police said.The beating is the second assault on Britons in Russia in two days, and follows an attack on Sunday by anti-homosexual protesters on the British human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell. Mr Tatchell was punched, knocked to the ground, and kicked while protesting about gay rights with a group of European parliamentarians. Yesterday embassy officials described the attack on Mr Gould-Davies as a random assault carried out by drunken teenagers celebrating the end of the school year… The Guardian
And then…
Britain’s ambassador to Moscow yesterday delivered a request for the extradition of the man suspected of murdering former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko in London.
Last week the Crown Prosecution Service said there was enough evidence to charge Russian businessman Andrei Lugovoi with the murder.Mr Litvinenko, a vehement critic of the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, died on November 23 2006, after being poisoned with radioactive polonium-210.
The British ambassador, Anthony Brenton, submitted the extradition request to the foreign ministry in Moscow, a spokesman said. “I can confirm that today the ambassador submitted to the Russian foreign ministry papers requesting the extradition of Mr Lugovoi,” an embassy spokesman said… The Guardian
Avaaz.org (Avaaz means “voice” or “song” in Hindi, Urdu, Farsi, and other langauges) is a community of global citizens who take action on major issues around the world. They say that they have members in every country on earth, and operate in twelve languages. Their aim is to ensure that the views and values of the world’s people -and not just political elites and unaccountable corporations – shape global decisions.
The video above helped launch their campaign against the so-called Clash of Civilizations – starting with a call for real Middle East peace talks now.
They also have a blog and you can check it out here…
Bill Maher’s REAL TIME – The first guest was Michael Moore, who gave his first interview in 2 years to Maher to promote his upcoming movie Sicko. Moore also snuck in an endorsement for Gore as the Democratic presidential nominee.
Senator Fred Thompson addresses the Michael Moore Federal investigation. You might think that the expression regarding his “buddy, Castro” was just a figure of speech. It’s not. Michael Moore’s left wing propaganda brings up memories from the Cold War – recent history tells us that the European and American left wing politicians were heavily financed by the KGB.
Since we live the modern times, maybe we should remember some of the old slogans promoted by the new wave of propaganda and conspiracy:
- the US presidents are liars;
- the US troops are killing innocent people in Irak;
- the US corporations are causing the global warming;
- the US corporations are exploiting the hard working Americans;
- etc.
Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments -> Romania
We find out that the Acting Romanian president is Nicolae Vacaroiu. The news should be updated because the re-elected president Traian Basescu is now back on the job.
Btw, the new website layout is quite cool.
LATER UPDATE:
While the guys at CIA were lauching the new website, the Russian FSB announced the 2007 LITERATURE AND ART OF THE FEDERAL SECURITY SERVICE competition (you can enter the competition before October 1st, 2007 – the results will be concluded in December 2007).
What’s next? A world class ballet performed by Mossad?
The massive wave of cyber attacks which have hit Estonia’s websites this month are a security issue which concern NATO,the Alliance’s Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said Friday.
“These cyber attacks have a security dimension without any doubt and that is the reason that NATO expertise was sent to Estonia to see what can and should be done,” he told a meeting of lawmakers from NATO member states held in Funchal on the Portuguese island of Madeira.
“Does this have a security implication? Yes, it does have a security implication. Is it relevant for NATO? Yes, it is relevant for NATO. It is a subject which I am afraid will stay on the political agenda in the times to come,” he added.
NATO nations have sent cyber experts to Estonia, one of the 26 members in the military alliance, as has the United States to help it combat the cyber attacks which have jammed mostly goverment websites.
Estonia has said that some of the cyber attacks came from Russian government computers, including the Kremlin. Moscow denies any role.
The cyber attacks on the high-tech country began after Estonian officials removed a statue on April 27 from central Tallinn which commemorates Soviet troops killed fighting the Nazis.
Related:
- The Sydney Morning Herald – The first newspaper printed today (since they’re in Australia 
)
- speaking of Australia, the weather seems to be sunny over there
- The lastest global news on the matter
- my previous post: Cyber-terrorism targets Estonia
- Russia Today:
- Russian NGO reactions:
- and we have the viral movies and the viral campaigns going on over there – after all, Estonia is really hi tech (the russian response was to post footages from the Russia vs. Estonia soccer games – Russia always wins ):
- in the end, a movie to remember (the photos are quite nice) and a book to read – Kremlin Rising – Vladimir Putin’s Russia and the End of Revolution, Updated Edition, Peter Baker and Susan Glasser:
If you enjoyed the movie, you should probably check again the picture shown at 01:04 – young Vladimir Putin with a sailor
Via Ferrari Romania:
THE 1962 LE MANS-WINNING, PHIL HILL/OLIVER GENDEBIEN
I VINCITORI DI LE MANS NEL 1962: PHIL HILL/OLIVIER GENDEBIEN
Specifications:
390 bhp 3,967 cc single overhead camshaft V-12 engine with six two-barrel Weber 42 DCN carburetors, 5-speed manual transmission, coil spring and wishbone independent front and rear suspension, 4-wheel disc brakes. Wheelbase 2,420mm (95.3″)The first car in a series is good. But the last car is best. It is inevitably refined, improved and developed. Its weaknesses have been addressed and its strengths have been enhanced.
Technical sophistication is important, particularly if it represents a unique and successful configuration. A real, documented and important history makes it better, more so if it includes a roster of the best drivers. But most important of all is success. Commercial success is good, but success in competition is better and the overall winner of the 24 Heures du Mans is the best of all.
The expression of all these attributes is the 1962 Ferrari 330 TRI/LM, chassis number 0808, offered here. The only 4-litre Testa Rossa built, it also is the last Testa Rossa and the last front-engined sports racing car built by Ferrari. Driven by the incomparable endurance racing pairing of Phil Hill and Olivier Gendebien, it is the last front-engined car to capture the overall victory at Le Mans, and the Hill/Gendebien team’s epic third Le Mans win. It is, in so many important and meaningful ways, unique.
The Ferrari Testa Rossa is the most famous series of sports-racing cars ever built. This is the ultimate Ferrari Testa Rossa. Its provenance is impeccably documented. It is incomparably and absolutely unique. Frequently driven by its current owner, it is “on the button” and ready to demonstrate its prowess on the track or in the most demanding, satisfying and exciting open road events.
LOT: 221
Estimate: €6.000.000-€7.500.000
Chassis No. 0808
AUCTION RESULTS: Lot was Sold at a price of €6.875.000
Iulian tagged me into a new blogging game. Started by Oana, I have to say what I wish for and I don’t have near… first thing that came into my mind was the “evil twin” thought – but that’s way too cool and quite impossible to have, so I have to say that the only thing missing from my life right now is a blue cow…
WASHINGTON – Swiss police who closely monitor the circulation of counterfeit currency have challenged the Bush administration’s assertions that North Korea is manufacturing fake American $100 bills.
The Swiss federal criminal police, in a report released Monday, expresses serious doubt that North Korea is capable of manufacturing the fake bills, which it said were superior to real ones.
EXCERPT FROM THE REPORT:
“According to the US Secret Service, $50 million worth of `super-fakes’ were confiscated worldwide over the past 16 years, only a small portion of them within the United States. Measured against the US annual counterfeit damage of $200 million, the damage from $50 million worth of `super-fakes’ is not that significant. The Federal Reserve Bank produces genuine $100 dollar bills mainly for the foreign market. On their return to the U.S., the issuing bank after examination can easily distinguish the `supernotes’ from originals using banknote testing equipment, due to altered infrared characteristics. For this reason, the United States over the years has hardly suffered economic damage due to the `super dollar.’
“A (banknote) printing press like the one in North Korea can produce $50 million worth of bills in a few hours. Using its printing presses dating back to the 1970’s, North Korea is today printing its own currency in such poor quality that one automatically wonders whether this country would even be in a position to manufacture the high-quality `supernotes.’ The enormous effort put into the making of the 19 different `super-fakes’ that we know of is unusual. Only a (criminal) governmental organization can afford such an effort. What defies logic is the limited or even controlled amount of `exclusive’ fakes that have appeared over the years. The organization could easily circulate tenfold that amount without raising suspicions.”
Claudia Himmelreich in Berlin contributed.
The full story here…
Keywords for this story: organized crime syndicates, Chinese gangsters, Asian banks, ex-KGB agents, North Korean diplomats…
Lebanon
Thousands of Palestinians fled a battered refugee camp in north Lebanon on Tuesday when a fragile truce eased three days of fierce battles between Lebanese army troops and Islamist militants.
Thailand
The attacks took place in Yala, one of three violence-torn southern provinces bordering Malaysia. The homemade bomb, which was hidden on a roadside, went off when a police team was inspecting the body of a Buddhist man who had been shot dead.
Turkey
An explosion in a shopping mall in Turkey’s capital Ankara, left five people killed and 60 injured according to the AP. Technical teams are trying to determine its cause.
Great Britain
British officials said Tuesday that they will seek the extradition of Andrei Lugovoi from Russia to face a charge of murder in the poisoning death of former Soviet agent Alexander Litvinenko.
Russia
Russia cannot turn over Lugovoi – “a Russian citizen cannot be extradated to a foreign state” – article 61 of the Russian Constitution.
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Monster Worldwide Inc., owner of jobs Web site Monster.com, said on Monday it will partner with privately held Community Newspaper Holdings Inc. (CNHI) on joint career and recruitment sites.
Monster and CNHI, the parent of 93 daily newspapers, will co-brand about 80 sites with a local focus, serving communities with about 1 million subscribers, to make Monster more relevant to small- and medium-sized employers, Monster said.
The partnership with Birmingham, Alabama-based CNHI is the latest step in a roughly year-old strategy at Monster to team up with local media. Its previous partnerships comprise some 200 newspapers and eight television stations.
Extrait de “35 ans de pub à la télé” documentaire réalisé en 2004 par Rémy Devèze pour France 5. Avec Jean-Jacques Annaud, Jacques Séguela:
Estonia urged Nato to develop a unified strategy against “cyber-terrorists” yesterday after suspected Russian hackers launched a third wave of attacks on leading government, banking and media websites this week.
The three-week cyber-offensive, which has been linked to a furious diplomatic row between Russia and Estonia, is believed to be the first time that a single state has come under concerted attack by hackers.
Some officials in Estonia, one of the most wired countries in the world, have suggested that the Russian government was behind the campaign.
I might ad that Romania also has several vulnerabilities and the NATO cyber-terrorism strategy should be an impotant matter for the local government.
LATER EDIT:
- Piticu has something to say here
- Orlando is still connected to the pipeline
They say that the Internet is the biggest library in the world. They should ad that it’s also the biggest puzzle
Catalin Paduraru and Cezar Ioan talk about the best Cabernet Sauvignon – River Route Limited.
A modern wine made by Carl Reh Winery – only 5.261 bottles.
BUCHAREST — Romanians to decide today whether they still want their President in office
Some 18 million Romanian voters are invited to decide today whether the country’s suspended President Traian Basescu returns to office or is dismissed in a referendum that has brought havoc on the political stage in Bucharest.
The vote comes one month after the April 19 decision by the Parliament to suspend Basescu on grounds that he breached the Romanian Constitution on many accounts.
The referendum is the climax of a political crisis that has lasted for more than a year, pitching President Basescu against both Liberal prime minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu and much of the Romanian Parliament.
The conflict has got out of control shortly after Romania joined the European Union on January 1 this year, as many politicians were commented to have drawn back their support for anti-corruption and Justice reforms of which Basescu and his ally, ex-Justice minister Monica Macovei, were seen as major defenders.
Polls over the past week have shown popular President Traian Basescu will receive the backing of most Romanians in today’s referendum despite a fierce campaign by both the opposition Social Democrats (PSD) and the main governing party, the Liberals (PNL.
The questions asks voters: “Do you agree with the dismissal of President Basescu from office?” The two possible answers are “Yes” and “No”.
Thousands of voting sections in Romania opened at 8 a.m. Romanian time this morning and will close at 8.00 p.m. A total of 17,000 voting sections at home and abroad are/will be open for voting today.
Millions of Romanian workers in Spain, Italy and Romanian citizens living across the globe are expected to have a major say in today’s referendum.
Ionut Bratu was there for a short visit today and has some nice photos on his blog.
Tomorrow, after voting, you should check out the RACE!
This is the most read political blog in Romania these days (before the presidential referendum) and I’m the one responsible for the project. A few days ago, we had a viral campaign involving Ceausescu (the ex-communist dictator) and since then my life changed a little bit as I received several messages from unknown sources threatening to kill me.
I don’t want to be the first person killed over blogging but I have serious concerns about my personal security.
For the Romanian readers, please read this…
Oracle announced a record breaking TPC-H Three Terabyte (TB) benchmark for a database running on the Windows operating system, demonstrating the superior performance of Oracle Database 10g Release 2 running on Microsoft Windows and an HP Integrity rx8640 Server.(1) With this latest achievement, Oracle now holds nine of the top 10 performance world record benchmark results for the TPC-H 3TB scale factor.(2)
Read the press release…
Traditional agencies involved in a successful viral campaign:
1) a creative agency (planning, creating the viral marketing campaign)
2) a media agency (strategy, planning the budgets)
3) a production agency (someone to do the work )
And you might think you have it right… here are 2 more companies you can use:
4) seeding agency (implementing the viral campaign resembles to the traditional media placement but you cannot buy “viral ad space” on tv – this is why the seeding agencies have their own methods and techniques and I’m thinking that this can be a new business idea)
5) viral tracking agency (of course, in the end, you’ll ask for the results so tracking a viral campaign can be another service – similar to press monitoring agencies but using other methods)
So, I’m waiting for the first private multinational Seeding and Viral Tracking Agencies. Till then, enjoy the new wave of viral media:
The famous Romanian dictator is alive and enjoying a quiet secret life in a resort in Cuba.
Nicolae Ceausescu is now old but he is still conected to the latest global news – he has a new citizenship and he says that he wants to vote on the 19th of may.
Here is an exclusive interview that will probably blow the Romanian political scene…
And this is how the advertising industry works:
I remember my first NLP courses a few years ago – loads of fun
10 Disturbing Trends in Subliminal Advertising
Subliminal advertising has gone mainstream – fake news, mind control scripts, propaganda and stealth voicemail are in wide use by corporations, government bodies and industry groups.
By Martin Howard
Source: HowTheyChangeYourMind.comSome of the biggest advertisers are taking their advertising away from full page ads and television spots and spending up on hidden persuasion. You won’t find these secret messages in ice-cubes or flickering film footage like they were in the sixties. Subliminal advertising has gone mainstream – fake news, mind control scripts, propaganda and stealth voicemail are in wide use by corporations, government bodies, and industry groups. Have you spotted any of these?
1. Point of Sale Mind Control Scripts
Clothing store staff and car salesmen use them to close the deal – carefully planned questions and subverbal cues to get you to sign. If you’ve ever walked out of a store, after spending twice as much as you wanted to, chances are you’ve fallen victim to one of these scripts. The GAPACT is used by Gap staff to upsell you. Other salesmen use word techniques to make you buy, even when you don’t have the money – because they make more by selling you ‘easy’ finance. When a car salesmen takes you on a test drive and asks you “Is this the type of vehicle you would like to own?”, he is using a subtle mental framing trick – it can create an embarrassing distraction while you drive. The technique is called disassociation – which is the ideal state for mental manipulation.2. Doctor-Patient Drug Kick-backs
When a doctor recommends a certain heart medication or an antidepressant, chances are he has been paid a cash bonuses and perks by the manufacturer, making it difficult to give objective advice. Some pharmaceutical firms have gone so far as to invent and promote a new syndrome in order to create a market for a new drug! Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) was devised in 1998 and publicised by planting fifty press stories and quizzes such as: “Do you have social anxiety disorder?”. Soon after, Smithkline Beecham released Paxil – the ‘cure’ for SAD.3. In-Store Sensory Manipulation
Scientifically tested visual displays, Muzak tapes, and even mind altering scents combine to maximize impulse spending. Specially designed music loops can keep shoppers in the supermarket for 18% longer. One study into use of airborne aromas, pumped into a Canadian mall, resulted in an increase of over $50 per customer that week. In supermarkets, scientifically generated Planograms create the ideal shelf arrangement for certain products, skewing the shopper’s eyes towards high value items. Companies pay slotting allowances for favoured placement. Aisle layout are change regularly – which prevents systematic shopping – forcing extra trips past the impulse item displays.4. Private Conversation Rental
Positive buzz can be triggered artificially for a price. Marketers now recruit secret ‘buzz agents’ to promote to their friends and family. One buzz agency claims to have an army of agents in every major US city. Their job is to mention or display certain products as they go about their day, using their relationships as marketing channels. Music labels, book sellers, entertainment venues, and fashion outlets are using this method to establish new brands. Today’s billion dollar 12-16 year olds are so immune to traditional advertising, mass media is no longer a reliable persuasive device – so the alternative is a ’synthetic grapevine.’5. Neuromarketing
Corporations are going to enormous lengths to probe the minds of consumers – literally tapping into their brains. The Brighthouse Institute for Thought Sciences, in Atlanta, is one lab that is scanning people’s brains with MRIs, in an effort to decode and record our subconscious thoughts and devise more seductive advertising. The process is being called neuromarketing. They are hoping to determine specific biological triggers that can be used by language engineers to stimulate purchases. This is the hi-tech fulfilment of pioneer psychologists Freud and Jung who established the connection between language and behaviour.6. Chatbots and Stealth Voicemail
Personal phone messages from businesses or political campaigners can turn up in your morning voicemail, having been delivered late the previous night. Voicemail broadcasters like DialAmerica uses massive computer installations to deliver identical copies of spoken messages to millions of householder simultaneously. On the internet, chat room ‘bots’ masquerading as personal real buddies are actually distributed simultaneously by powerful computers 24 hours a day. Virtual word-of-mouth communication is replacing other promotional technologies because of its speed and price.7. Real-time Bugging of Personal Data
Your browser is probably revealing more than you might want: your location, the software and hardware you are using, details of other links you clicked on and your browsing habits. Many third party dataminers use ‘cookies’ to track your path across the web. Extensive realtime information is processed to target you. Larger databases harvest your personal medical and financial records to be bought and sold by interested companies and government departments. Datamining is a fuzzy science that filters you personal information for links about your personal behaviour and finances. These details are used in turn to create elaborate marketing campaigns to sell you more stuff.8. Sidewalk Stalkers
The public space of streets, neighborhoods and communities is being mapped and targeted by viral marketers and fake grassroots organizations. In some cases the campaigns are overt but, increasingly, street ‘agents’ are making unannounced social approaches. Fake tourists flash around the latest camera-phone to passing crowds. ‘Product seeders’ circulate at sports events to find influential young players to wear their gear. Others wander the street wearing colored corporate tattoos. Personal space is the last frontier for commerce. As citizens attempt to retreat from the deluge of media advertising they can now be stalked when they step out the door.9. Planted News Stories
Industry front groups, public relations firms and government departments are planting news stories on TV, radio, newspapers and the web. Those ‘miracle drug’ stories or research reports are often Video News Release (VNRs). TV newsrooms love these prepackaged news items that are distributed across the networks. It saves them time and money but it is killing community news and genuine investigative reporting. Real news items are being replaced by slick corporate promotions and political messages. According to one Nielsen Media Research Survey, about 80 percent of U.S. news directors air VNRs several times a month, and all American television newsrooms now use VNRs in their newscasts.10. Government Propaganda
When it’s time to launch a war or promote an unpopular policy, the government needs special help to sell the idea through the media. Opinion engineers are paid to “manage” public perception of inconvenient facts, and turn them around for better. Using the universal tools fear, patriotism, and phrase repetition, these high flying spin doctors can easily sway the population. The most successful public relations campaigns aim to change public perception without our awareness of the campaign. They are typically launched by governments, institutions and countries who need to change their public image, restore their reputation or manipulate public opinion. There are PR firms today who advise dictatorships, dishonest politicians and corrupt industries to cover up environmental catastrophes and human rights violations.Martin Howard is a media researcher and author of “We Know What You Want: How They Change Your Mind”.
Source here
Related article (Bizarre Subliminal Technique Works for Good) here
They created a software so that they can process over 45 million pages of shredded documents from East Germany’s communist State Security Service (STASI).
They say that the German programme could be tweaked to solve the even tougher problem of sticking together machine-shredded documents.
You can read story here and here.
On the BBC article we find out that the German government is helping to finance the 6.3m euro (£4.3m; $8.5m) project in this battle to find the last secrets of the old regime. That’s expensive software
HANOI: Tadayoshi Okimoto, an auto company executive from southern Japan, recently met with dozens of Vietnamese in Ho Chi Minh City, excited by the chance to get a piece of Vietnam’s nascent stock market.
Okimoto was on a tour, organized by a Japanese travel agency, that brings Japanese retail investors to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s budding financial center, to open share trading accounts. The tour is so popular with Japanese who want to take advantage of a growing stock market that it takes place almost every business day.
“In many countries, the stock market is mature and goes up and down a lot,” Okimoto, 41, said. “But in Vietnam, the stock is very new so the chart is going up all the time. In two or three years’ time, we will receive a lot of money from our investment.”
Driven by low interest rates at home, Japanese investors are eyeing Vietnam, a Communist-ruled country that is now experiencing fast economic growth and recently joined the World Trade Organization. The Japanese see Vietnam as an alternative to China and India.
Happened today in Sofia:
As you probably already know (seen on TV, read in the press), Emma Hackforth was one of the top headhunters involved in the Bucharest Career Fair (TCB).
Her blog is available here and today she wrote her first thoughts about our event.
LOS ANGELES, May 7 — ABC announced on Monday that it would broadcast three more seasons of its hit castaway mystery, “Lost,” ending the show in 2010 after a run of six seasons.
The announcement has been expected since January, when the creators of the show told a group of television writers that they wanted the network to set a definitive end date for the series. The full story here…
All the greatest Sawyer nicknames
Here is a breaking news for the 100$ laptop fans. As you probably already found out, Negroponte’s machine, now seem to cost $175 per unit.
The breaking news comes from INDIA – HRD hopes to make $10 laptops. The government of India wants to produce this $10 laptop and indeed, the amazing part is that they are on their way to building the gadget.
The technical details of their laptop is secret as we speak and I wonder if the Chinese have plans (maybe a 5$ dollar laptop).
