i'm 21 and i never voted by now!(Although i'm allowed since 18)

I’m 21 and I never voted by now…

I’m not into politics that much, although I admit that sometimes I speak very passionately about the matter, when I have the necessary amount of information about the subject held to debating.

I have to admit that the political campaign taking place for the city hall has caught my attention a little. The only three candidates that got my attention were at first, in the first tour, the PD-L candidate Vasile Blaga, the Independent Sorin Oprescu and the PNL candidate Ludovic Orban.

For three years now I have the right to vote, but I have never done it. I know that it is a civic right and duty, but no candidate has ever convinced me that his words are true. In what these elections are concerned, after Blaga and Oprescu managed to handle the fight, I have to say that I’m not convinced to chose any of them. I was sure before, that if Orban would have continued the race I would have definitely went to vote against him, as it was clear to me that he is a manipulator of the masses. Last year, he participated as a guest at one of my courses and all he could think of back than, when he was not campaigning, was to spill dirt on his future counter-candidates, although he was there to help teach us something about being a liberal.

Now, after the choice got easier because from the two candidates that remained to run for mayor you could only chose one, again I find myself thinking about not going to vote. I would if I was sure that the now-Independent ex-PSD candidate Oprescu wouldn’t return to his old party once he got the vote of the citizens of Bucharest. But although he assured the people he wouldn’t do that, I can’t offer him my vote of trust in that regard, because if my fears were to become true I wouldn’t stand having a person from the Social Democrat Party at power again. They’ve had plenty of chances before, but managed to do only bad things for the people.

Moreover, now, after his former party colleagues had seen that he came first on the citizens’ choice in the first tour, they are offering him their support and showing off in the media with him in a very disturbing manner. His quality as a possible mayor is something that I can’t make a sure estimate upon, but the projects he had had in mind throughout his campaign were a little improbable for a city built with this infrastructure.

In what the other candidate is concerned, I believe that voting for Mr. Blaga would mean assuring the continuum of the former type of ruling on the city hall’s offices. The type that encouraged that parks should be private property for businessmen without morals that built business centers and malls on the scarce green space provided for Bucharest’s citizens, the type of manipulator that changed the curbstones 3 times in four years on the same boulevard, the type that only did what it’s master told him to and was politically influenced by the head of state, the type that would leave citizens in the same mess, lack of order and unbearable traffic jams… and so one. Voting for him would mean that one is in peace with this city’s way of providing the environment for its citizens and that he/she doesn’t need change nor wants it. And this is something that in my opinion no one, in their right mind or un-corrupted, could ever say: that they don’t want things to change. Not with today’s Bucharest. I for one hate that we only say “Little Paris” now about Bucharest in a contemplative manner, thinking about the Bucharest that once existed between the 2 World Wars, with the voice overwhelmed by sadness. I hate the dusty, strangled city that I live in and I want nd need a change to happen to make me proud that I was born here, so I would never leave it drown in the same waters by voting for Mr. Blaga.

In conclusion, I won’t take part of the casting vote for mayor either, fourth time by now without formally expressing my point of view, because the list of pros and cons for both of the two candidates led me to the same standing point: none deserves it.

Nevertheless, I don’t advise anyone to take this stand in what exerting their civic duty and right is concerned. I am not even saying that I’m doing the right thing, in fact, I advise anyone who has a favorite candidate to give him their full support. I think that I’m only doing what’s best for me. Probably you can accuse me of being selfish, maybe I even am so, but what future candidate will ever think of me individually? Who ever does that even for the masses?

And I was really looking forward to be convinced…

I’m 21, and I never voted by now!

the NATO summit in Romaina-behind the scenes

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is the planet’s biggest military alliances; therefore its summit held in Romania was our countries largest and most important event after the Revolution in1989, as political annalists had described it at that time.

Not many people know even know – 2 months after the summit - the truth behind the masquerade shown on television. What was obvious to me was that for the extent of the summit the traffic was bearable in Bucharest, the streets were cleaner than ever before, police was all across the city and order seemed to rule everywhere. Beyond all the journalistic speculations, I believe that it is a hard thing to say what the exact consequences of the reunion our country hosted were. If you think about the matter in international measuring systems, the only conclusion that one would get to is that almost nothing had changed after the summit, nothing got any clearer, and all political disputes that existed before the event remained on the same level.

Therefore, the position that Greece had towards making official the name and status of Macedonia managed to postpone the republic’s admission to membership. As usual, this turned into a media scandal. The agreement upon Albania’s and Croatia’s joining didn’t come as a surprise for anyone, since NATO’s spreading towards these parts was a known fact. In what Afghanistan is concerned, the news were not good for Washington, as Canada’s decision to maintain it’s troops there and Romania’s and France’s deal of offering a soldier supplementation of troops weren’t sufficient for US ambitions. Another predictable event of the summit was the debate upon the installation of the anti-racket shield, which led to no conclusions, and remained on the agenda of the next summit. The problem of NATO’s spreading towards the ex-soviet space by joining with Ukraine and Georgia had also a result to be expected, as it showed not only the predictable refusal of Russian officials to have the alliance so close to its borders, but also the quarrels on the subject between NATO officials on one hand, and of the two countries targeted, on the other. In conclusion, the big decision that all media were waiting for vanished in the dust of a political show and nothing else.

For Romanians, the summit had only a cosmetically produced effect. The Parliament’s Palace got in the Book of Records and the officials of the guest countries got to see a city which seemed to be placed in a decontaminated medical facility, as it was never shown to its inhabitants until present times.

Obviously, taking care of organizing this event so politically correct and immaculate in all senses will not get us, Romanians, any better, will not make our name triumph all across the globe and won’t even make us witness a tourist boom. Our President only managed to show, again, that he is a very well adjusted individual, as he unconditionally supported US’s intentions, only to try a few days after a close encounter with the Russian President in which he would warm up the relationship with Putin. Of course that for the unadvised and the people who can’t see behind the political statements, this is a great hit in what our president’s image is concerned, because he seemed very slick in bonding with two of the planet’s greatest people. For us, the others, the political diplomacy of our country looks as blind, incapable and in a total lack of leadership as it had been for years now. What is worse is that the obvious European ascension of the past years remains without an answer from our country’s part, as we seem to be living in a country that is almost on a metaphysical search of its own, singular, trajectory.

To conclude, I believe that that fact that the NATO summit was held in Romania was only dust in the wind for us, as citizens. And I have some solid argument to support my statement with: we didn’t manage to solve the problem with the elimination of visas, no conclusion was made in the Teo Peter case (and at least this one could have been solved by the Americans, at least as a political incentive for us) and not even the image boost wasn’t as our authorities imagined it to be.

Hey, at least we got amused on watching the news about the dogs walking on the unique corridors before official conveys!

The Great Debaters - recenzie

The Great Debaters

Un film cutremurator regizat de Denzel Washington, dublu castigator al premiului Oscar pentru “Cel mai bun actor in rol principal” (Training Day – 2001) si “Cel mai bun actor in rol secundar” (Glory – 1989), produs de asemenea de Denzel Washington in colaborare cu Oprah Winfrey, Joe Roth, Todd Black si Kate Forte.

Printre actorii care se regasesc in acest film se numara fostul laureat al premiului Oscar , Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland – 2006), Denzel Whitaker (nu are nicio legatura cu Forest :D), Kimberly Elise, John Heard, Nate Parker si Jurnee Smollett.

Denzel se pare ca se identifica cu personalitati din istorie. Dupa ce i-a interpretat pe Reuben Carter in The Hurricane (1999), Malcolm X in filmul cu acelasi nume (1992), Herman Boone in Remember the Titans (2000), Frank Lucas in American Gangster (2007), Steve Biko in Cry Freedom(1987), acum revine pe marele ecrane interpretandu-l pe cunoscutul poet Melvin Tolson in The Great Debaters.

Pelicula spune povestea adevarata a lui Melvin B. Tolson, un profesor al colegiului Wiley din Texas .In 1935, el i-a inspirat pe studentii sai sa formeze prima echipa de dezbateri a scolii, ce a ajuns sa concureze cu Harvard in finala nationala a campionatului de dezbateri. Se prezinta situatia reala a negrilor in State in vremea aceea precum si diferentele rasiale pe care acestia le indurau. Filmul spune de asemenea si povestea reala a scriitorului Dr. James Farner Sr. si a fiului acestuia James Farner Jr., fondator al Congresului pentru Egalitate Rasiala si liderul miscarii pentru libertate sociala din America.

Un film ce merita vazut, cu o distributie de exceptie si un scenariu de nota 10, care din pacate a fost lansat prea tarziu pentru a fi introdus in preselectiile pentru nominalizarile la Premiile Oscar ce au avut loc luna trecuta.

Sugestii de filme cu caracter biograpic, istorice sau filme care merg pe aceleasi idei (libertate rasiala, egalitatea tuturor raselor etc.) : Amazing Grace, Amistad, Glory & Honor, Ghandi, Malcolm X, Schindler's List, Freedom Writers, Remember the Titans, Crash, Rosenstrasse, Hotel Rwanda.

Marian Crisan continua traditia

Aflat la prima sa participare, regizorul Marian Crişan a câştigat premiul Palme D'or la secţiunea de scurtmetraje la cea de-a 61-a ediţie a Festivalului de film de la Cannes, cu producţia "Megatron".

Filmul spune povestea unui băieţel, care trăieşte numai cu mama sa într-un sat nu departe de Bucureşti. În ziua în care care împlineşte 8 ani, cei doi merg la un fast-food, în capitală. Aflat în oraş, Maxim va face tot posibilul să îşi găsească tatăl.

Scurtmetrajul are doar două personaje, Maxim Trinu, băieţelul de 8 ani şi mama, interpretată de Gabriela Crişu.

Acesta este al treilea Palme d’Or pentru scurtmetraj obţinut de filmul românesc, după "Scurtă istorie" de Ion Popescu Gopo şi "Trafic" de Cătălin Mitulescu.

sursa imagine : mediafax

Marcile de bere si promovarea

Investitiile nete in publicitate ale primilor cinci advertiseri din categoria “bere” s-au ridicat, in 2007, la peste 20 milioane de euro, potrivit clasamentului intocmit de NewsIn AdRating.

La sfarsitul anului trecut, Heineken Romania a renuntat la colaborarea cu agentia Grey Romania pe conturile Heineken si Golden Brau, iar din ianuarie 2008, compania lucreaza cu echipa McCann Erickson. Pentru anul in curs, Heineken si-a bugetat investitii de peste 50 milioane de euro, in marirea capacitatii fabricilor de bere, in lansarea de noi ambalaje, in mijloace fixe si in strategii de marketing, potrivit oficialilor companiei. In 2007, compania a cheltuit peste 6,1 mil. euro pentru promovare, cea mai mare parte a investitiei nete fiind directionata catre TV (5,6 milioane de euro).

Ursus Breweries, a carui investitie neta in promovare se ridica, in 2007, la aproape cinci mil.euro, a platit pentru publicitatea pe TV circa 4,2 mil. euro. InBev, situata pe cel de-al treilea loc in clasamentul advertiserilor din categoria “bere”, dupa investitiile totale nete estimate (4,7 milioane de euro), a rulat in 2007 zece campanii de publicitate pentru marcile sale. Cea mai mare parte a bugetului de promovare a mers catre TV (4,2 mil. euro).

Investitia European Drinks&European Food pe promovarea Burger, marca de bere din portofoliul companiei, se ridica la 1,7 mil. euro, in timp ce United Romanian Breweries Bere Prod a investit in promovare, in aceeasi perioada, aproape 2,5 mil. euro. Sumele fac referire la investitiile in publicitatea pe canalele TV, presa scrisa si radio. Discounturile considerate sunt de circa 90% pentru TV, 50% pentru radio si 50% pentru presa scrisa, potrivit firmei de consultanta Media Hub. Clasamentul NewsIn AdRating va fi lansat la sfarsitul acestei luni si va curpinde, printre altele, topuri ale agentiilor de publicitate romanesti si ale principalilor advertiseri.

Top investitii nete in promovare 2007 (euro)
Advertiser	TV	Radio	Ziare	Reviste	Total
Heineken Romania	5.638.031	54.017	106.419	345.886	6.144.353
Ursus Breweries	4.275.901	66.020	393.425	194.174	4.929.519
InBev	4.244.367	69.863	206.167	249.442	4.769.838
European Drinks& European Food	1.691.179	39.270	50.108	3.315	1.783.872
URBB	2.163.179	166.706	25.028	145.052	2.499.965
Surse: Media Hub si Alfacont

Sugababes din nou in Bucuresti

Formatia Sugababes va sustine un concert la Bucuresti pe scena Orange PrePay Music Party. Petrecerea va avea loc marti, 3 iunie incepand cu ora 19:30, pe Complexul Sportiv Iolanda Balas Soter - baza sportiva de langa Stadionul National de Rugby Arcul de Triumf.

Sugababes sunt un trio format in 1998, castigator al BRIT Awards. Formula actuala le include pe Keisha Buchanan, Heidi Range si Amelle Berrabah. Numai in Marea Britanie Sugababes au vandut peste 5 milioane de discuri si au scos 21 de single-uri (6 dintre acestea au ajuns pe locul 1 in Marea Britanie), 6 albume si au avut mai multe piese de top 10

Clientii Orange PrePay care au activat planul tarifar PrePay Music isi pot ridica din orice Ora nge shop invitatia de doua persoane la PrePay Music Party.

In 2006, Sugababes a sustinut un recital in cadrul galei de decernare a premiilor muzicale MTV, care s-a desfasurat la Cluj Napoca. Sursa : www.bestmusic.ro

vezi videoclip Sugababes - About you now

Adevar, minciuna si advertising de Jon Steel

Adevar, minciuna si advertising Jon Steel "Adevar, minciuna si advertising nu este numai o carte extraordinara despre account planning, este, in acelasi timp, o carte extraordinara despre advertising." - JANE NEWMANN, STRATEGIC PLANNING DIRECTOR, MERKLEY, NEWMANN, HARTY. Scrisa de Jon Steel - director de account planning si vicepresedinte al prestigioasei agentii de publicitate americane Goodby, Silverstein & Partners - cartea "Adevar, minciuna si advertising" isi propune sa familiarizeze cititorii cu o fata mai putin cunoscuta a advertisingului si anume account planningul. Autorul prezinta campanii publicitare celebre, urmarind sa evidentieze importanta pe care account planningul o acorda intelegerii si acceptarii consumatorilor ca parteneri in procesul dezvoltarii advertisingului. Intr-un capitol de exceptie este prezentata povestea unei campanii de succes - Got milk? - fiind urmarita fiecare etapa a dezvoltarii respectivei campanii: brief-ul initial din partea clientului, cercetarea consumatorului, procesul de creatie, mergandu-se chiar pana la evaluarea rezultatelor dupa primii trei ani pe piata. Mesajul care razbate din paginile lucrarii este acela ca account planningul bine gandit determina eficienta in marketing si advertising, atat pentru agentii, cat si pentru clienti. In consecinta, aceasta este o excelenta carte despre advertising, despre planning si chiar despre relatiile interumane, esentiale nu numai pentru succesul comunicarii in advertising, ci si pentru o relatie profesionala productiva intre agentii si clienti. Titlu original: Truth, lies and advertising. The art of account planning. Cartea intr-un minut: Jon Steel are o profesie cotata, conform studiilor, pe locul 25 din 26, ca grad de incredere, publicitarii fiind depasiti, ca grad de neincredere in profesie, doar de dealerii de masini. Cum isi exerseaza profesia in agentia sa, vedem in aceasta carte care are sanse sa devina pentru cititor ceea ce este advertisingul pentru autor. O persoana pe care o intalnesti la o petrecere, si cu care alegi imediat sa continui discutia, pentru ca o placi. Click aici: Adevarul despre Advertising