Repúblika Banana

Signs of endearment

The Australian
LAST LOOK
Jane Fraser
October 07, 2006

THERE seem to be so few rules left about public displays of affection and protection. Men, for example, no longer open car doors for women or give up their seats on buses and trains, and this is neither here nor there; we all have to stand on our own two feet when the cows and birds come home to roost, and whatever it is that cows do at home.

One particularly irksome ingrained habit, however, lurks in the male psyche and that is the primitive urge to walk on the roadside of a woman. Everywhere in the world, even as we speak, hundreds and thousands of men are doing little sewing machine-like movements around women so that they are gallantly saving them from being run over by the proverbial escaped horse or having mud splashed on their hooped skirts by a runaway landau.

But we still snort at overt physical gestures that we consider untoward. Snogging on the train station platform, for example.

In general, kissing is a bone of contention. Apparently Xanana Gusmao insists female reporters kiss him on the lips after an interview. Yuck; not that I have anything per se against the man; he's a revolution junkie's pin-up. It's the principle of the matter. Cheek-pecking is OK, and that's that.

Recently, the politics of the more anodyne hand-holding became the conjecture du jour after Margaret Whitlam was quoted as marvelling at John and Janette Howard's habit of holding hands in public. "For god's sake, they've been married for over 30 years!" she expostulated.

This casual sort of commentary was a bandwagon just waiting to be climbed upon, and an umbrage tree ready to be climbed. Broadcaster Neil Mitchell bought into the brouhaha, accusing Treasurer Peter Costello of lacing fingers with his wife, Tanya. "I did notice you with your wife the other day. I am afraid, disgracefully, you were holding hands," he thundered amiably. Costello's riposte was that he had been married only 25 years, so perhaps you are supposed to stop after the 26th.

Cherie and Tony Blair were photographed leaving the British Prime Minister's Labour conference farewell function holding hands and Bill and Hillary Clinton were often caught with hands linked, even after his brief excursions into infidelity were made public; after all, as she once memorably and forgivingly said, he's a hard dog to keep on the porch.

Funnily enough, grumpier though I become by the minute, I have nothing against hand-holding; some of my best friends do it, but I am, as a rule of thumb, a lot shorter than most men, which means I have to raise my arm to about the same position as I would were I executing an overhead smash. This means I am not in control of the situation and feel as though I am being led along like a wizened orang-utang by the zookeeper.

At the end of the day, it's just not me.

Ramos Horta no seu discurso de campanha fez uma série de promessas que sabe que não vai cumprir. Primeiro porque confunde as competências do Governo com as de um Presidente da República; Segundo porque tem demonstrado na prática que é fraquinho em matéria de gestão tanto económica como administrativa. Elenca uma série de assuntos que são da competência do Governo, constitucionalmente consagrado. Na sua tentativa deseperada de angariar votos, faz uma aproximação à Igreja, adoptando uma atitude caricata e patética de “oferecer” um apoio anual de 10 milhões de dólares às duas Dioceses. Não será um suborno? A CNE não vê isso?

Mas vejamos o que disse Sua Santidade o Papa Bento XVI, ontem Domingo de Ramos:

Depois de dedicar o Domingo de Ramos aos jovens, o Santo Padre sublinhou que, para seguir a Deus é necessário ter "mãos inocentes e coração puro". "Mãos inocentes são aquelas que não recorrem a actos de violência" e "não estão contaminadas pela corrupção e subornos". O que Ramos Horta está a prometer é um autêntico suborno.

Corrupto é tanto aquele que oferece como aquele que recebe, estando cada um no seu papel, de corruptor e de corrompido. O que dizem a isso Senhores Bispos?

O Santo Padre na sua homilia de Domingo de Ramos condenou ainda os que consideram “a mera utilidade das coisas, o lucro, a carreira e o sucesso como o fim último da vida”.

Eduquemo-nos para educar os jovens, “ esperança do futuro”!

(comments from a reader)

The proposed flag for Xanana's new CNRT party:

Now we know why Jorge Teme (centre) was replaced as Timor-Leste ambassador to Australia.

Jorge Teme is a member of the "Fretilin Mudanca" and is a spokesperson for Ramos-Horta's campaign bid to become the next president.

After returning to Dili Teme had fallouts with Fretilin and was subsequetly alienated. Now it is clearer that his replacement resulted from his indisciplinary behaviour. Teme is understood to have served his post in Canberra with his wife and children by his side!

Jorge Teme is a sexual criminal. Perhaps he now hopes that he could regain his place in Canberra again? Or maybe New York? Gosh!!! I hope Ramos-Horta looses for the sake of Timor-Leste!

You can hear an interview of Jorge Teme by the ABC here.

Northern Territory News (Australia)

April 4, 2007 Wednesday

Diplomat in court

EAST Timor's first ambassador to Australia is being sued by a
Territorian for alleged sexual harassment.

Jorge Da Conceicao Teme, now a spokesman for a Fretilin group
supporting Jose Ramos Horta in East Timor's presidential election,
will contest the allegation.

The complaint has been made by Margarida de Araujo, who lives in Darwin.

The case is alleged to have arisen from when she worked at the East
Timor embassy in Canberra between 2004 and 2005.

Comment away....

Xanana models himself after Suharto?

«Para mim, Suharto, apesar de tudo o que lhe possamos acusar, é o 'pai' do desenvolvimento da Indonésia»

"For me, Suharto, apart from everything that we can accuse him of, he is the 'father' of Indonesian development"

"Ba ha'u, Suharto, apezár buat hotuhotu ne'ebé ita bele dún ba nia, nia maka 'aman' dezenvolvimentu Indonézia nian"





Suharto's "development" in Timor-Timur:




Suharto's "Family Planning" ? -- see more at (http://www.interet-general.info/article.php3?id_article=3141)






Notice the military uniform?





Suharto the President


Suharto wannabe?


Just Do It!

FAVOR HILI ITA-BOOT NIA KANDIDATU
HO HAKEREK "X" IHA KAISA IHA BESIK
BA FOTO HO BANDEIRA: