tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148782332009-03-01T17:00:26.393-08:00Giselahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17920061582544183453noreply@blogger.comBlogger138125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14878233.post-17542575849141472762008-03-19T11:47:00.000-07:002008-03-19T11:54:41.531-07:00

It is time to come back. I know I have said it before, but it truly is time now. Here in DC it is all business as usual. The presidential elections right now dominate my life, and in typical Gisela fashion I am already dreading the end of this fantastic, super-alive period in my life. I mean, what else can one ask for? Except, perhaps, for the Fifa World Cup this summer instead of the Olympic

Giselahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17920061582544183453noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14878233.post-21036412240569023262007-05-23T11:00:00.000-07:002007-05-23T13:33:22.002-07:00

So many things to write about and so little time. Wait, that's more an excuse than anything else. Fact is, I missed out on writing about so many relevant (to me, at least) topics because I was just not organized enough in the last few months. A shame.Lately I have felt the itch. And today the itch became unbearable, and it even has a name: Monica Goodling. And this is regardless of her

Giselahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17920061582544183453noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14878233.post-61796979697499099422007-01-26T10:48:00.000-08:002008-12-11T14:47:54.109-08:00

Giselahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17920061582544183453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14878233.post-9164005169491267502007-01-03T10:23:00.000-08:002007-01-03T10:28:10.225-08:00

I have been awfully quiet on the blogging front, but in the meantime I have encountered some terrific new books. Or at least very interesting ones.I just finished the very entertaining Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth", and at the same time I am working my way through the incredibly well-written "The Wise Men" (Walter Isaacson and Evan Thomas). Fantastic book. And yesterday I found this little

Giselahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17920061582544183453noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14878233.post-61532869267880911902007-01-03T10:16:00.000-08:002007-01-03T10:17:57.717-08:00

"And truth of the matter is, a lot of reports in Washington are never read by anybody. To show you how important this one is, I read it, and our guest read it." — El Presidente speaking along with Prime Minister Tony Blair about the Baker-Hamilton Report, Washington, D.C., Dec. 7, 2006

Giselahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17920061582544183453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14878233.post-1165953867182892562006-12-12T11:53:00.000-08:002006-12-13T07:11:54.163-08:00

This is it - the senile (open to interpretation, I guess) former dictator of Chile died at 91. I will not join those strange people who are mourning his death. The man was positively mean, and I don't care if Chilean economy works. There are plenty of examples of dictators throughout history who fed their people with one hand while killing them with another. I will not cite those examples here

Giselahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17920061582544183453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14878233.post-1165953145798970402006-12-12T11:18:00.000-08:002006-12-13T07:44:51.980-08:00

We all know this Iranian president is on the lunatic side. No doubt his perception of history is, well, unique. I used to laugh at him. Now I don't laugh anymore.This man has made denial of the Holocaust his favorite hobby and this hobby is quickly turning into a mission. He certainly seems to devote an enormous amount of his own and public time refuting evidence it ever happened, and it is no

Giselahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17920061582544183453noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14878233.post-1165951071384248512006-12-12T11:13:00.000-08:002006-12-12T11:17:51.400-08:00

...coming. But I think now I am here.

Giselahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17920061582544183453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14878233.post-1155157947857784972006-08-09T14:10:00.000-07:002006-08-09T14:12:27.876-07:00

Dear Sir,I very much hope you will provide an Israeli official with the opportunity to write a melodramatic piece such as the one you published by the Lebanese Prime Minister, Mr. Fouad Siniora. Not that this high official will seize the opportunity, being that he might be busy fighting this war instead of running a public relations side business; still, the courtesy of equal opportunity would do

Giselahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17920061582544183453noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14878233.post-1155149743270080022006-08-09T11:53:00.000-07:002006-08-14T10:16:25.350-07:00

Mr. Siniora,You are the Prime Minister of Lebanon and I know this is a job with many responsibilities and challenges. I also believe that for one to hold such a high office certain characteristics and qualities must be present.The first one that comes to mind is leadership. One can not lead an entire country if he has a shaky sense of leadership. Mr. Siniora, it is clear to the world that you

Giselahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17920061582544183453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14878233.post-1154638005291506202006-08-03T13:32:00.000-07:002006-08-03T13:48:29.520-07:00

Every bit of news on Israel latey has been extremely painful. I have not been able to read one single article without getting angry at the way the conflict in the Israeli borders is being treated by the media - among other things. Consequently, I have been associating following the news with agony. I have been staying away from newspapers because, frankly, it hurts.But, it is impossible to

Giselahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17920061582544183453noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14878233.post-1153429232938066812006-07-20T13:58:00.000-07:002006-07-20T14:00:32.943-07:00

What follows is a statement in rebuttal to a Corriere della Serra article that claimed the Lebanese PM had called for Hezbollah’s disarmament: “What the prime minister said is that the international community has not given the Lebanese government an opportunity to deal with the problem of Hezbollah`s arms, since the continuing presence of the Israeli occupation of Shebaa Farms is the reason for

Giselahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17920061582544183453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14878233.post-1152729312477094562006-07-12T10:27:00.000-07:002006-07-12T13:27:09.736-07:00

The situation in Israel only got worse. Not only the Gaza incursion still has not produced the desired effect (that is, the release of Cpl Shalit), but now two other Israeli soldiers were captured by Hezbollah.Hezbollah had been relatively quiet for the past few years since Israel left Lebanon, and especially after the assassination of Rafik Harari last year. This new move comes at a crucial time

Giselahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17920061582544183453noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14878233.post-1152652634358091242006-07-11T13:38:00.000-07:002006-07-12T08:26:01.840-07:00

It turns out some Italians, overly excited by Italy's World Cup victory, decided to paint a few swastikas on the walls of Rome's ancient Jewish cemetery. I have yet to grasp the connection between winning the World Cup and vandalizing old Jewish graves (as if Jews in general represented a major football threat to the Azzurri), but apparently there exists one.Maybe they think that Jews are behind

Giselahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17920061582544183453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14878233.post-1152644321664291202006-07-11T11:35:00.000-07:002006-07-11T12:11:41.803-07:00

The cup is over and Brazil did not win. Heck, Brazil did not even make it to the semifinals, let alone the finals. My countrymen were a sorry sight running around the soccer field without ever kicking the ball to goal - it was indeed embarrassing. And during that game, Zidane shone.And shine he did again during the final against Italy. That is, until he decided that whatever it is that Materazzi

Giselahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17920061582544183453noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14878233.post-1152214063841672762006-07-06T12:26:00.000-07:002006-07-06T12:27:43.876-07:00

"We shouldn't fear a world that is more interacted." - El Presidente, June 27, 2006.

Giselahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17920061582544183453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14878233.post-1151702606888171122006-06-30T13:43:00.000-07:002006-06-30T14:23:26.916-07:00

I am reading all those pieces about the latest in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and getting irritated by the minute.At first glance, one might ask - why kidnap a 19-year-old soldier who obviously has no real advantageous knowledge about anything remotely relevant? Is the release of those women and children really what the Palestinian terrorists want?I say no. This was a carefully planned

Giselahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17920061582544183453noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14878233.post-1151595877379945462006-06-29T08:38:00.001-07:002006-06-29T08:44:37.426-07:00

So far, things are okay. I am still living out of boxes etc and I am ready to move on to the next stage... Of course moving across the country is not easy, but does it have to be this complicated?!?! Just a thought.My computer at home sits on top of its own box, on the floor. And if I want to use it, I need to sit on the floor with the keyboard on top of my legs. Now, this is doable for a while.

Giselahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17920061582544183453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14878233.post-1149878190269664012006-06-09T11:35:00.000-07:002006-06-09T11:37:53.700-07:00

Giselahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17920061582544183453noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14878233.post-1149869651523482282006-06-09T08:56:00.000-07:002006-06-09T09:14:11.653-07:00

El Presidente, Zarqawi, Iraq, Iran, Israel, gay marriage - all this will have to wait because today the 2006 FIFA World Cup begins! What can I say... I never feel more Brazilian than when the cup is on, and I love every minute of it!The only thing though - when did it happen, or better yet: how did it happen that the USA got ranked 5th in the world??? Alongside Spain? Where was I, where I was

Giselahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17920061582544183453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14878233.post-1149773071604721852006-06-08T06:19:00.000-07:002006-06-08T06:24:31.606-07:00

Giselahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17920061582544183453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14878233.post-1149704001099015942006-06-07T11:10:00.000-07:002006-06-08T06:16:23.566-07:00

"I was not pleased that Hamas has refused to announce its desire to destroy Israel."—Washington, D.C., May 4, 2006I am sure I must be reading this wrong - can anyone out there please show me the light??

Giselahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17920061582544183453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14878233.post-1149689260467487402006-06-07T06:48:00.000-07:002006-06-07T07:40:35.840-07:00

Back to life. It has been a while, and I can't say it has been the easiest while. In one breath, I got up and left Southern California (where I was for the past 11 years) for Washington, DC. Sure, it is what I wanted to do. Still, not easy.So here I am. New job, new town, new everything. I miss my friends and the odd familiarity of LA, a city I never even liked. But at least I knew where the

Giselahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17920061582544183453noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14878233.post-1146179298534777472006-04-27T16:04:00.001-07:002006-04-27T16:08:18.633-07:00

Time to break the news, my friends - I am moving to Washington, DC!! Yes, that is right. Twelve years in California will be left in the past very soon. It will be a fresh start in an exciting place where things happen! Where people walk in the streets, where the community makes regular use of public transportation! Where there is humidity in the air, where the streets are tree-lined!And just to

Giselahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17920061582544183453noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14878233.post-1144561843906544832006-04-08T20:53:00.001-07:002006-04-08T22:50:43.926-07:00

It is indeed good timing - right before Good Friday, newspapers are brimming with articles on the publication of the Gospel of Judas by the National Geographic Society last week.The gospel is very interesting because it is yet another evidence of the divisions within the early church. As a Catholic friend put mildly tonight over the phone, history is told by the victors. According to him, the

Giselahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17920061582544183453noreply@blogger.com0