Yesterday’s hijacking of Aeromexico flight 576 shows how wildly inaccurate initial media reports can be. Some media reported seven bolivians with explosives strapped on their bodies were demanding to speak to Mexican president Calderón. But, the truth is so bizzarre, it beats any of the media’s guesses by far.

The suspect, Josmar Flores Pereira, a Bolivian minister. His motive: to warn Mexico of an impending earthquake. Why? Because yesterday was the ninth day of the ninth month of the ninth year of the second millennium in our calendar system (09-09-09). He said that is you turned the date upside down, it would become 666 (06-06-06), and signified the great earthquake of Revelation 16:18. Why he didn’t hijack a plane on June 6, 2006 is anyone’s guess. I guess we’ll have to ground all flights for the Maya calendar’s end on December 23, 2012.

The “bomb” was nothing more than a can of soda rigged up with lights. How this man could smuggle such an object on board is troubling. More troubling is the portrayal of Christians as ignorant and potentially dangerous psychotics.

The song in the background was composed and recorded by Flores, and speaks of when he was arrested and was converted to Christianity while in prison. I have friends who have been converted to Christ while in prison; what a disservice to them this act has made! Let me say this carefully: it is a very public and embarrassing exposure of the widespread fraud committed by many sincere but deluded “prophets” in the Latin American pentecostal movement.

This is exactly the kind of news that is never published in the US. The president of the UN General Assembly, Miguel D’Escoto, has declared himself as a “Sandinista soldier” when asked about his intentions after he concludes his work at the UN:

“En cuanto yo llegue, me reporto. Soy un soldado sandinista más bajo las órdenes de nuestro Comandante (Ortega)”

“As soon as I get there, I’ll report. I am one more Sandinista soldier under the orders of our Commander. (Ortega)”

His comments appeared in the Cuban communist party journal Juventud Rebelde, and were reported in none other than Telesur, an extremely biased Chavista news source from Venezuela.

Zelaya has promised to return to Honduras tomorrow, by land air or sea. He claims that the “civil war”, a term Chávez spoon-fed to the gullible media, has already begun. He invited his followers to flock to the borders of the country to accompany him to the capital.

He used a strange word to describe his return, “apotheosis”. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines apotheosis as:

1. “elevation to divine status, deification”
2. “the perfect example”

Here are his words:

“Sólo Dios puede impedir mi regreso y les puedo asegurar que Dios no está con los golpistas, está de nuestro lado. Mi entrada en Tegucigalpa va a ser apoteósica”

“Only God can stop my return and I can assure you that God is not with the coupsters; he is on our side. My entry to Tegucigalpa will be an apotheosis.”

Apotheosis is used in art to ascribe divinity to leaders. For instance, the cupola of the Capitol in Washington D.C. has a fresco, shown above, named, The Apotheosis of Washington. In it he is enthroned in heaven, surrounded by Athena, Poseidon, Mercury, Hera, Liberty, and an assortment of other deities of the Greco-Roman pantheon.

Mel Zelaya imagines himself amongst them. Not even Chávez has said something so megalomaniacal. Perhaps he imagines himself on a donkey, making a messianic triumphal entry, surrounded by crowds holding palm branches, and placing their clothes on the road in homage to him.

The last time he asked his followers to receive him, a young man was killed. Although I am almost sure he is lying, how many would die if he is speaking the truth?

Image from the Wikimedia Commons

I know I shouldn’t, but I couldn’t help myself. My bed misses me. I haven’t occupied it before 3 AM for almost three weeks now, working full time, and developing a web page on the side.
An cavalcade of parties, late night music-sickness-obsession, video games, and friends has carried me miles away from responsible work, spending and sleeping habits.

Every day I delude myself into thinking it will be the day I go to bed early, an be on time to work the next day. But lo, the day of reckoning looms near. Reality, with a deafening horn, is racing toward me like a speeding freight train.

But let’s see…an average of 3 Christmas posadas (a traditional mexican fiesta) a week for most of December, plus watching movies at a friend’s till 4 AM on New Years. A sleep-over at another friends house, catching up on work until 4 AM once or twice, playing Warhawk at yet another friend’s house til 3 AM, a birthday party, playing Civilization IV or Halo 2 alone til 3 or 5, or playing the keyboards and fiddling with Logic Express.

Reserve my bed at the nearest psychiatric ward, here I come!

Image by “Barbara Backyard”, used with a Creative Commons license

This is one of the most cryptic and meaningless error messages I’ve had the misfortune to receive in all my years as a software developer:

“The current application program detected a situation which really should not occur. Therefore, a termination with a short dump was triggered on purpose by the key word MESSAGE (type X).

Our president’s idol in Venezuela has sent a law to his congress that grants him the power to interrupt any and all telecomunications in Venezuela

“When public order, security, or the nation’s interests demand it” (emphasis mine)

The phrase “the nation’s interests” mean simply Chávez’s interests, as he practically IS the state.

This includes, internet, phone, radio, written text, signals, messages, private networks, voice, data video, sounds, and get this: “any other media that may be invented.” If this law is passed, not even the most bessotted Chávez groupies can deny that Chávez would now be a totalitarian dictator.

Would someone please impeach Zelaya, before he has time to imitate Chávez on this!

Image by Zoomar, used with a Creative Commons license

How do you stay sane? Please I need some tips Ok, I might not need to check myself into the loony-bin just yet, but am curious as how we all manage to remain on this side of sanity.

Image by Gareth Harper, used with a Creative Commons license

Victor Solano, in his blog Desnudos (a pun on the Spanish word for nude and also for untying), is starting a meme that is worth translating into English: “Pass the Ball: We Won’t Shoot a Brother!”. Here is a free translation of his post:

Colombian, Ecuadorian and Venezuelan friend:

• We’ll demonstrate that the bonds that join our peoples of Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela are stronger than the egos of our rulers.
• We’ll demonstrate that we condemn terrorism and respect sovereignty
• We’ll demonstrate that no sovereign will force us to shoot a brother from our countries.
• We’ll demonstrate that there are more of us, many more, who do not conceive a Latin America at war.
• We’ll demonstrate that in spite of our history, we are not condemned to it.
• We’ll demonstrate that our differences are our value, that our diversity is our riches
• We’ll demonstrate that today a new generation is germinating who desires to grow in peace.

“Pass the message, pass the ball”

The Japanese have the best game shows in the planet! They prey on the sadistic streak in most of us, we like to see skillful people suffer, especially when the damage isn’t permanent.

This is another sad example of the Japanese fixation for cute things. Excuse me, I need to go wash my brain of it.

There, I’ve forgotten it. Good.

Seen at cuteoverload.com. Warning: potentially toxic cute images.