plasticmadness

Saturday I watched “Shutter Island” with my friends @tilatil and @carlagene.  I went out for the company, not the movie per se, thus had I no clue about the plot whatsoever – no reviews, no synopsis, no nothing. I knew it had the word “island” somewhere in it’s title and Leonardo DiCaprio played the leading character – instant bad dejà vu here, since the only DiCaprio+island movie that I had ever seen was trully bad.

Before the movie, a promotional short-film/advert for the 2014 FIFA World Cup was exhibited (such edition of the World Cup will take place in Brazil). The short movie location: Israel. The characters: Palestinian arabs and Israeli jewish, adults and kids. One of the kids is playing soccer in the alley, when the ball decides to go for a ride, take a detour and land just in the middle of a group of palestinian arabs. After one moment of silence and tension, arab and israeli kid look at each other, realizing that, underneath the habitual attire, both are wearing the yellow brazilian soccer uniform shirt. The kids then smile at eachother, and go play soccer together. A message at the end said “Brazil’s soccer brings people together all over the world.”

Hippieness apart, I really liked that ad. Anyway, back to the movie.

So, there was I, expecting nothing beyond the joyous company of my friends. That was only until the opening credits rolled in – by then I already loved the film. A ferry boat coming out of the mist just to land by the docks. Year 1954. Suspenseful soundtrack. Had it been anything of trully awful that came out of that intro, I’d still keep for “Shutter Island” a tiny room in my heart – because I love films that take place in past decades, specially the 40′s to 60′s;  because I love stories that involve ships and boats and sailing, in spite of being scared to death (yet not less fascinated) of the ocean, this worldwide mass of water that surrounds me and could swallow me far into it’s deepness to never bring me back to surface again. </ramble>

The good surprise is what followed was a fairly elaborate and interesting plot. Leonardo DiCaprio did a great job – and I immediately sympathized with his character’s seasickness. I was impressed by the subtlety and skillfullness of his acting: he slowly, smoothly – almost imperceptively – goes from  ‘dutiful-sane-Marshall-with-dramatic-past’ to  being a ‘stone-cold-psych-ward-crazy-dude’.  I know he’s familiar with playing crazy men, but none of them had made that transition so smoothly. It’s not a repetition of  his role in The Aviator. Mark Ruffalo’s was noteworthy as well. No comments needed on Ben Kingsley.

The film brings up a few topics: the dark side of psychiatry and it’s legitimacy and ethics, being that criminals deemed mentally ill were sentenced to Shutter Island,  guinea pigs to a bunch of old arrogant psychiatrists’ experimentations. Martin Scorsese succeeds in making psychiatrists look bad. Doctors apart, anyone who ever entered a psychiatric hospital knows reality is not too far behind fiction. Actually it happens to be quite loyal to many and many hospices out there.  Trully sad,  filthy and decadent.

I have to confess I figured out what the ‘plot twist’ was 45 mins into the movie, which made my friends very angry, because I made a comment (assuming they’d figured it out too, naturally), so I kind of spoiled it… anyway, I guess I’m not to be taken as the rule here: I have seen way too many films of this kind, enough to guess the plot twist very early in the story. Reckon everyone else’s reaction, I wouldn’t say it’s a predictable plot. Can’t remember any plothole for the momment.

“Shutter Island” is rated 8.1 at IMDB, and, until I finished this post, it was #218 on IMDB’s Top 250 list.

Similar films: Memento, Identity, A Beautiful Mind, The Machinist, Secret Window, The Others, Hide and Seek.

1 Comment | In: Cinema, Culture & Entertainment, Olivia, Uncategorized | tags: cinema, Culture & Entertainment, films, movie reviews, movies, spoilers. | #

Happy Anniversary, Porto Alegre!

Today the city where I live, which also lives in me, turns 238 years old.

“Porto Alegre é Demais” is a song written in honor of the town. There are quite a few songs written as a tribute to Porto Alegre, and I don’t know of many other cities that get so much love from its inhabitants (other very sung cities are Rio de Janiero, São Paulo & New York).

• Soundtrack:

1. Porto Alegre é Demais
   
2. Deu Pra Ti
   
3. Horizontes

• Images:

MARGS – Museum of Arts of Rio Grande do Sul

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Memorial of the State of Rio Grande do Sul (tower w/ clock)

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Porto Alegre Public Market

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• Videos:

I found this pearl at Travel Film Archive, portraying the south of Brazil in 1942.
Porto Alegre appears on the 16th minute.

Comments Off | In: Olivia, Uncategorized | tags: poa, porto alegre. | #

Two days ago Goldfrapp released their new album, titled “Head First”. It has nine tracks. It’s very synth-poppy, 80′s and cheesy cheery. As you listen, what first comes to mind is fake blonde perms, colored leggings and lavish stamped tops with huge shoulder pads. First track, “Rocket”, is so strongly based on synthesizers that immediately it reminded me of Van Halen’s “Jump”.  Same thing for “Believer”.  “Voicething” closes the album with almost 5 minutes of voice sample loops on a synth background.  Alison’s voice is great, as usual.

• Favorite track: “Alive” – it’s deliciously sticky, dance and radio-friendly.
• Official Site: http://www.goldfrapp.com/
• Listen & buy: you can hear music samples and buy it via the official site, and here.
• Official release date: March 22nd, 2010.

Comments Off | In: Music, Olivia | tags: electronica, Music, pop. | #

• It’s been now three full days since the beggining of the trial of Alexandre Nardoni & wife Ana Jatobá, both charged with murder 2 years ago, being the victim Isabella Nardoni, 5 years old, child of Alexandre’s first marriage with . Since the very beggining the case caused commotion nationwide due to it’s ever growing media coverage as forensic evidence quickly & strongly pointed towards Isabella’s father & stepmother as the authors of the crime. Since then the couple has been held captive in the prison of Tremembé, in the State of São Paulo, known for being ‘home sweet home’ to the most notorious Brazilian criminals.

  Global Voices has a post about on the media circus built around the Isabella Nardoni Case.

• Today, March the 24th,  is World TB Day. For the curious and uninformed,  “TB” stands for Tuberculosis.  This day in 1882 Dr. Robert Koch brought to public his discovery of the tuberculosis bacillus, a.k.a. Koch bacillus. Hence the date is used as means to increase people’s awareness of such prevalent burdensome illness.

• Today is Ada Lovelace Day!  Hurray for us women in science.
  http://findingada.com/

• Reminder: Phase 2 of the Brazilian National H1N1 Vaccination Campaign goes until April 2nd . Go to the health care facility next to you and take your shot: if you are pregnant, in any gestational age; children from 06 months to 2 years old – and don’t forget to bring the child’s vaccination card with you; if you are under 60 and has any of the listed chronic diseases. Important: ALL PREGNANT WOMEN MUST GET THE VACCINE. In case you get pregnant after the vaccination period ends, you will get the vaccine too. Just look for the health care facility next to you, as soon as possible. For further questions you can check the following site, in portuguese:  http://www.vacinacaoinfluenza.com.br

Comments Off | In: Health, Olivia, Public Health Matters, Uncategorized, Women's Rights & Feminism | tags: flu, h1n1, Health, immunization, influenza, news, public health, public utility, swineflu, tb, tuberculosis, vaccination, women in science. | #

• Today Mr. not-so-governor José Roberto Arruda left jail – only to go to the Cardiology Institute for a cardiac procedure.  After catheterised, he was sent back to jail.  He should go through an angioplasty soon (apparently, the man happens to have a heart indeed). His lawyers are trying to use his heart disease as an excuse for him to be under house arrest rather than in prison, but their attempts have so far been in vain.
• Today the infamous Paulo Salim Maluf, the greatest and more notorious Brazilian corrupt politician, made it to the Interpol “hall of fame”, and he’s now Wanted in every square inch of the planet earth – but Brazil, since there’s an issue that states that one country cannot extradict it’s very own citizens.
• A major political fight is going on over the royalties of the pre-salt off-shore oil reserves, with people’s protesting the streets and everything else. Reminded me of the 80′s “Diretas Já”.
• President Lula made a visit to the Mideast. While visiting Israel, he declined an invitation from Israeli government to visit the tomb of  Theodr Herzl, father of zionism, and he deffended the creation of a Palestine nation and also visited the tomb of Yasser Arafat, presenting his memory with a flowers garland.
• Today is the last day for the Brazilian health care personnel to take their shot against H1N1 Influenza. This ends Phase one of vaccination campaign. Phase 2 starts on Monday, the 22nd through April 2nd, and the target public are pregnant women, infants from 6 months to 2 years old, and not elderly people with chronic diseases.

Comments Off | In: Brazil, Health, International, Olivia, Politics, Public Health Matters | tags: brazil, corruption, International, israel, mideast, palestine, Politics. | #

I’m an avid enthusiast of Flickr Commons and a Flickr addict, and I couldn’t help but to feel uber-ecstatic with this pearl by the Smithsonian Institution. By the occasion of International Women’s Day they put together a collection of photographs, presenting us with an album named “Women in Science”.  Bellow is a photograph  of Irene Curie, the daughter of Marie Curie, taken from the Smithsonian Collection. The image is public domain (no copyright restrictions)

“Physicist Irène Joliot-Curie (1897-1956) is shown in full academic regalia on May 23, 1921, when she accepted an honorary degree at the University of Pennsylvania on behalf of her mother Marie Sklodowska Curie (1867-1934). Accompanied by her daughters Irène and Eve, Marie Curie had an exhausting schedule of appearances during her 1921 U.S. tour, accepting awards and a gift of radium for her research, arranged by various women’s associations and scientific groups. The photographer, James Stokley, was teaching school in Philadelphia and in 1925 became a science journalist on the Science Service staff.” *

*Description from the Smithsonian Inst.

Comments Off | In: Activism, Olivia, Science, Uncategorized, Women's Rights & Feminism | tags: feminism, history, history of science, Science, women, women in science, women's rights. | #

• Soon-not-governor of GDF José Roberto Arruda remains behind the bars.

• Increase in Brazilian taxation over American imports is now supported by the Wold Trade Organazation.

• President Lula’s still (fairly) getting lots of criticism for his words on the Cuban political prisoners, and he has been having to apologize and retreat, as he always does when he says the usual bs that he always says. And then everyone goes back to liking him and putting him on a pedestal as they always do, as if nothing ever happened. And as the world turns, we’re still stuck in the same old s***

• President Lula is visiting Middle East in order to put his finger on the palestinian cake and pretend that we’re a too important nation and that He’s doing something for them.

• Today is the day when Indy races came to Brazil, in the Indy300 race that took place in the streets of São paulo.

• Glauco, a crazy but famous brazilian cartunist, has been murdered. He was the leader of a crazy hippie mistique cult (“Sant Daime”) that, amongst other non-sense, preached against psychotropic drugs (yet they have no problems with pot). He was murdered by a schizo guy who was hallucinating (claiming he was Jesus) cause he wasn’t taking his meds cause the cult forbid it.

Comments Off | In: Brazil, International, Olivia, Politics | tags: brazil, corruption, indy, mideast, news, religion, sports, updates. | #

Today in Brazil:

• The soon-not-so-governor of the Federal District in Brasilia, José Roberto Arruda, remais in jail. That’s the record time a politician has spent behind bars in this land called Brazil, beating the infamous Mr Paulo Maluf. Mr. Arruda tried to call in (or out, in this case) sick in order to be released from jail, but the doctor who inspectioned on him said Arruda’s health was in perfect condition.

• Brazil is not going to give in on it’s decision of increasing the taxation over aproximately 100 products that it imports from the United States. The measure is a retaliation against US subsides that jeopardize Brazilian main exports. The US says it wants to negotiate. I don’t see this going anywhere good, but I understand both sides.
• President Lula spoke in favor of the Castros while in Cuba, agreeing with the regimen’s policy of keeping political prisoners – Lula, who has been himself a political prisoner. I’m sick and tired of his incongruencies. That means he’s against people like the brave @yoanisanchez, who tweets from Cuba via SMS with the help of some good souls out there. Frankly, Mr Lula. 

• This week’s issue of national circulation “Veja” magazine brings new denounces involving banks and PT, Lula’s party, in yet another corruption scheme. Parties involved deny everything, will file a lawsuit against Veja etc etc etc same old same old.

Comments Off | In: Brazil, International, Olivia, Politics | tags: brazil, corruption, internacional, Politics, usa. | #

Brazilian National Campaign of Vaccination Against Influenza H1N1 starts today, March the 8th, 2010.

The vaccination is provided by the government for free to all the major risk groups. People not eligible for free vaccination will be able to buy it, or have it for free in case there’s any leftovers from the government’s lot.

The campaign has been divided in 4 stages, each one will target specific risk groups.

Here is the H1N1 Influenza Vaccination Campaign Calendar for Brazil, as announced by the National Health Department (Ministério da Saúde):

1. March 8th – March 19th:  Indigenous People and Health Care Professionals.
2. March 22th  -  April 2nd:  Pregnant Women, Infants 06 months to 02 years old, and NOT ELDERLY People with Chronic Illness ¹.
3. April 5th – April 23rd:  Young Adults from 20-29 years old.
4. April 24th – May 7th:  Elderly from 60 years old on, with Chronic Illness²
   
5. May 10th – May 21th: Adults from 30-39 years old.

¹ Elderly with chronic illness will get the H1N1 vaccine during the National Yearly Elderly Vaccination Campaign for Seasonal Influenza, from April 24th to May 7th.

² For H1N1 vaccination purpose, are considered chronic illness and/or risk factors: morbid obesity (3rd degree obesity), chronic respiratory disease (severe asthma, cystic fibrosis, CPOD, Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia), diabetes, neuromuscular disease with respiratory impairment, immunosuppressed patients (under chemotherapy, HIV, etc), chronic hepatic disease, chronic renal disease, haemoglobinopathy, cardiac insufficiency (clin. syndrome), structural cardiopathy with haemodinamic repercussion (pulmonary art. hypertension, valve disease, etc), people under 18 years old that make continuous use of salicylates (for instance due to Kawasaki disease or other rheumatic auto-immune diseases)

Comments Off | In: Health, Olivia, Public Health Matters | tags: campaigns, h1n1, Health, immunization, influenza, public health, swineflu, vaccination, vaccine. | #

Tomorrow, Monday, March 8th, we have International Women’s Day coming.

To remark the importance of such date, me and the psychologist from one of the clinics where I work will be doing a workshop on Women’s Health & Violence Against Women.

The target public is selected women from factories and offices whom, for reasons too long to explain here, end up missing the lectures offered by public primary care facilities¹. The workshops started out last week, and will go on throughout next week as well.  The event is pro bono. The number of atendants ranges from 20-50 women per session. We took care not to extrapolate that number in order to keep quality over quantity, allowing better participation of the public via questions and debate.

I’m the one talking about women’s health, while the psychologist will aproach violence  against women.

I’m trully excited about this since I’m a public health doctor gone rogue, and I miss doing preventive and educational work directly with the public.

I’m writing a little essay on women’s health to be published in the form of a flyer/booklet to be distributed to general public and firms associated with our clinic.

I consider education and information the best weapon to fight violence against women. Im’ still young but in half a decade of seeing all kinds of unimaginable absurdities as a consequence of my work, I know enough no know that education and information are a  critical issue, independent of any religious or racial aspect. If you try to educate someone and they don’t get it the first time, then you try a second time. If they don’t get it the second time, you try a third time. And so on. And if still they don’t get it, someday something will happen to them that will make them understand it . Then they’ll know what you meant. And then my friends, it all pays off.

¹ In Brazil, public primary care facilities are called “PSF” (Posto de Saúde da Família or Family Healthcare Unit) and/or “ESF”(Estratégia de Saúde da Família or Family Healthcare Strategy) – it’s all the same thing, govt just keep changing names all the time.

Comments Off | In: Activism, Health, Human Rights, Olivia, Women's Health | tags: Activism, commemorative dates, feminism, human rights, iwd, vaw, violence against women, women, Women's Health, women's rights. | #