Thursday, November 13, 2008

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Harpswell Foundation- "Where Elephants Weep"





As I mentioned previously, one of the things that struck me the most when I visited Cambodia was the extent to which Pol Pot tried to eradicate culture. While my experience confirms that culture is still alive in Cambodia, I was very excited to find Cambodian Living Arts, an NGO that actively promotes a fusion between Khmer traditional arts and contemporary culture.

Their most ambitious -and I think more exciting- project is "Where Elephants Weep," a Cambodian Rock Opera which was previewed in Lowell Massachusetts (very close to my university!!!), and will have its world premiere on November 28 in Phnom Pehn! The show tells the love story between a Cambodian-American refugee and a beautiful Cambodian pop-star by mixing traditional Cambodian music with Western rock and rap.

I have attached some pictures, but I also invite you to copy the following URL address to your browser window so you can see a video about the show. Enjoy!!

http://www.whereelephantsweep.net/inner/docs/promo-movie.mov

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Harpswell Foundation- Sampot


Apsara dressed in Angkorian-style sampot cloth. (Source: Wikipedia)




Exhibit at National Palace, Phnom Penh



When I visited Cambodia for the first time this summer, all my knowledge about the country was limited to what I had read in my 2002 Lonely Planet Guidebook. Visiting 2008 Cambodia with a 2002 mindset was mind-boggling--I could see the devastation my book referenced, but I also saw healing, optimism, and a growing and vibrant culture. In my ignorance, I was amused by everything… I hope I can properly capture my enthusiasm and admiration for Cambodian culture with a series of travel photographs and blogposts, of which this is the first.

Pol Pot tried to eradicate culture. To a certain extent, he destroyed intellectuals and the fine arts. But he was not able to eliminate popular culture and customs. These profound expressions of identity were firmly engrained in people’s lives; they survived Pol Pot.

A clear example of this is the Cambodian national garment, the sampot. This item can be traced back to the Funan era and linked to the traditional dress of neighboring Laos and Thailand, which are derived from it. Sampots range from the every-day sarong to the elegant sampot chang kben. They are special because they can be worn by everyone: women, men, the poor, the rich, the traditional, and the more westernized.

There is a high degree of sophistication and historical continuity in the production of the silk employed in these garments. I knew this before coming to Cambodia, but I was still impressed by the luscious and rich heritage staring at me in the humblest stalls and city streets. I grew up admiring my uncle’s ikat collection, hung and illuminated like world-class works of art in his Lima home. Having listened to his explanations about the precision and diligence necessary to weave an ikat (the silk threads are dyed before they are woven,) I couldn’t believe they were all around me.

All of this reminded me of Peru, my home, where the traditionally underappreciated garments used by the Andean people now grace the pages of the most exclusive fashion magazines. There is something paradoxical about Cambodia--an exotic quality that fascinates me, but that somehow always connects to home.






(source, Vogue 2008)

Published on Thursday, October 16, 2008. http://www.harpswellfoundation.blogspot.com/

Harpswell Foundation- The importance of women's education in Cambodia

According to a paper published in 1999 by the Cambodia Development Resource Institute, girls in this country are under-represented in formal education at all levels. Boys and girls enroll in schools in equal numbers, but the gender gap increases as the level of schooling rises. This phenomenon is related to direct costs, opportunity costs, and social attitudes towards gender roles. Especially among poor and rural households, the labor of all members of the household can be crucial for survival. Nonetheless, traditional gender stereotypes of men as breadwinners and women as housewives mean that girl's education is not prioritized.

This makes it harder for women to compete for professional and decision-making skills positions, which are also the jobs that command status and wealth. In addition to constraining women's life opportunities and choices today, the scarcity of women in such situations deprives the future generation of positive role models. The World Bank has identified female education as the best hope for breaking the cycle of female deprivation; but since the benefits are societal and the costs are private, there are few economic incentives for individuals to invest in girl's education.

The Harpswell Foundation tackles this incentive problem at the core- providing economic assistance, balancing traditional and modern gender roles, as well as presenting positive role models.

Published on Thursday, October 9, 2008 on http://www.harpswellfoundation.blogspot.com/

Vogue en Cuzco- fotos Testino, Mayo 2008

El Perú... es fashion. Me encanta que por fin los peruanos- en este caso el fotógrafo Mario Testino- estamos reconociendo lo nuestro como un producto de calidad y refinado. Como ya ocurrió con la gastronomía, la estética peruana está rompiendo las barreras de lo étnico para establecerse como una verdadera expresión de nuestra identidad.



















Friday, October 31, 2008

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Heights Cartoon- Oil Exporters of the World, Unite!



Traté de usar el siguiente afiche político comunista como base del diseño de la caricatura, pero se me hizo difícil dibujar a los políticos usando el estilo del afiche...




BBC NEWS
Gas exporters' group to be formed

Russia, Iran and Qatar have taken the first tentative steps towards the creation of an organisation of gas exporting countries.

The three countries have agreed to form "a higher technical committee" that could lead to a gas equivalent of Opec.

"We can say that today witnessed the birth of a major gas troika," said Alexei Miller, chief executive of Russian oil giant Gazprom.

He said other countries would be encouraged to join the consortium.

Technical committee

At a meeting in Tehran, Iran's oil minister Gholamhossein Nozari, Qatar's energy minister Abdullah al-Attiyah and Mr Miller agreed to establish a high-level natural gas committee.

The committee will meet for the first time in Doha in the next few days.

Mr Nozari said: "Our three countries have reached a consensus on forming a common gas organisation... on accelerating its implementation and on preparing its statutes."

A formal announcement on the establishment of the organisation has not been made. Mr al-Attiya said: "The next meeting in Russia will witness the birth of this organisation."

Western fears

Russia, Iran and Qatar hold the largest reserves of natural gas in the world.

Fears over energy security and the price of natural gas mean a formal organisation of gas exporting countries would be deeply unpopular in Europe and the US. Such an organisation could hold a monopoly on world supply and could set prices to suit its own needs.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/business/7682085.stm

Published: 2008/10/21 12:16:49 GMT

© BBC MMVIII

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Heights Cartoon- Banking Rescue


BBC NEWS
US unveils $250bn banking rescue

President Bush on US government plans to buy shares in banks

The US government has announced a $250bn (£143bn) plan to purchase stakes in a wide variety of banks in an effort to restore confidence in the sector.

President George W Bush said the move would help to return stability to the US banking sector and ultimately help preserve free markets.

US federal authorities will also temporarily insure most new debt issued by US banks.

The moves echo similar steps taken by the UK and other European countries.

"This is an essential short-term measure to ensure the viability of America's banking system," Mr Bush said.

We must do this to restore confidence in the financial system
Henry Paulson, US Treasury Secretary

"This is not intended to take over the free market, but to preserve it."

Mr Bush also said that the Federal Reserve would finalise work on a new programme that would make it the buyer of last resort for companies' short-term debt, known as commercial paper.

Furthermore, government deposit insurance is being expanded to cover accounts used by small businesses.

'Objectionable'

The money will come from the $700bn bail-out package approved by US lawmakers earlier this month.

The US plan - effectively part-nationalisation - comes after the bosses of the country's largest banks were summoned to a special meeting at the US Treasury on Monday.

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said that the lack of confidence in the financial system was a threat to the US economy.

He said that taking equity stakes in banks "was objectionable to most Americans, including myself".

"We regret taking these actions," Mr Paulson said.

"But we must do this to restore confidence in the financial system."

Mr Paulson said the government would buy stakes in a "wide variety" of banks and thrifts - financial institutions similar to building societies in the UK.

Nine banks, which Mr Paulson described as "healthy institutions", have so far signed up to the deal.

Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke said that the US strategy would evolve and adapt to new developments:

"We will not stand down until we have achieved our goals of repairing and reforming our financial system," he said.

Share surges

The US announcement - and its anticipation earlier in the day - has had a major impact on global shares:

* Wall Street's main Dow Jones index opens up 376 points or 4%. However it subsequently falls back, closing down 76.62 points, or 0.82%, at 9,310.99 amid profit-taking
* The UK's FTSE 100 closes up 137 points or 3.3% at 4,394
* France's Cac 40 ended up 97 points or 2.75% to 3,629, while Germany's Dax adds 137 points or 2.7% to 5,199
* Japan's main Nikkei index ended up 1,171 points, or 14%, at 9,448, the biggest one-day rise in its history

Restrictions

The US government said it would buy preference shares in the banks.

Preference shares pay a fixed rate of interest instead of a dividend, which has to be paid before other shareholders receive anything, but they do not carry voting rights.

Banks that receive the cash injections will be subject to restrictions on executive pay.

US taxpayers may even end up making a profit from the shares if the rescue packages work and the banks recover, but that is not guaranteed.

European lead

The US move comes a day after the UK said it would inject up to £37bn of taxpayers cash into British banks Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds TSB and HBOS.

And European governments that share the euro are putting aside more than 1 trillion euros to protect banks through guarantees and other emergency measures.

The bulk of the money will be used to guarantee lending between banks.

The cash will also be used to take stakes in ailing banks.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/business/7668704.stm

Published: 2008/10/14 21:09:01 GMT

© BBC MMVIII

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Heights Cartoon-Rescate


BBCMundo.com
Senado de EE.UU. aprueba el rescate
Redacción BBC Mundo

El Senado de Estados Unidos aprobó por 74 votos a favor y 25 en contra el paquete de rescate patrocinado por la Casa Blanca con el fin de sacar de una inminente crisis al sistema financiero del país.

De esta manera dio el visto bueno al plan de US$700.000 millones que, se espera, evite que Estados Unidos entre en recesión.

Los senadores aprobaron el proyecto de ley tras agregarle modificaciones que intentan dar beneficios impositivos al ciudadano común.

"Es un buen voto, ahora hay que pasarlo a la Cámara (de Representantes)", dijo tras la aprobación el líder de la mayoría demócrata en el Senado, Harry Reid.


CAMBIOS DEL SENADO
Aumenta a US$250.000 la garantía para depósitos
Amplía exenciones impositivas para contribuyentes con ingresos medios
Incentivos fiscales para tecnologías "verdes"
Desgravaciones pra investigación y desarrollo e inversiones productivas
Reforma de la práctica "mark to market", donde las empresas asignaban a los bienes en su poder el valor actual de mercado
La respuesta de los mercados, sin embargo, ha sido mixta. En Asia, la bolsa de Tokio cerró con una caída de 1,9% y también se registraron caídas en Corea del Sur, Singapur y Taiwán.

En Europa, sin embargo, la apertura ha sido positiva en dos de las principales plazas. La bolsa de Londres comenzó la apertura con una alza de 0,5%, impulsada por grandes ganancias en las acciones bancarias.

La bolsa de París también tuvo también una apertura positiva pero en Alemania la tendencia fue negativa al principio, para luego recuperar terreno.

Apoyo de los candidatos

Los candidatos presidenciales y también senadores, Barack Obama y John McCain, dieron el sí a la iniciativa que, se espera, sea sometida a votación nuevamente por la Cámara de Representantes este viernes.

La corresponsal de BBC Mundo en Washington, Lourdes Heredia, informó que esa es justamente la prueba de fuego de la iniciativa.

"Para que el plan se convierta en ley tiene que ser aprobado por la mayoría de los representantes, que no se han mostrado muy entusiasmados con la idea. Además tienen que votar el proyecto de ley sin ningún cambio o el proceso se puede retrasar", explicó Heredia.

Como se recordará, el pasado lunes los representantes rechazaron de manera sorpresiva la propuesta, por 228 votos en contra y 205 favor.

La Cámara de Representantes empezará a discutir el plan desde este jueves.

Los cambios introducidos

El plan aprobado por los senadores mantiene la autorización dada al Departamento del Tesoro para comprar créditos de alto riesgo a las instituciones con problemas por valor de US$700.000 millones, pero incorpora mayor protección para los depósitos bancarios y alivios fiscales para los contribuyentes.

El "Acta de Estabilización Económica de Urgencia 2008" -nombre formal del paquete de 451 páginas- dispone US$250.000 millones para uso inmediato, con un monto adicional de US$100.000 millones a discreción del presidente George W. Bush si lo considera necesarios.

El Congreso se reserva la capacidad de bloquear los restantes US$350.000 millones si considera que el desempeño del plan del gobierno no es satisfactorio.

Entre los cambios más significativos incorporados por los senadores destaca la elevación del límite para los fondos asegurados por el gobierno federal, en un intento por evitar las corridas bancarias.

Esto significa que los ahorristas tendrán garantizada la devolución de sus depósitos en cualquier entidad que se presente a quiebra hasta US$250.000, a diferencia de los US$100.000 que rigen en la actualidad.

También se amplían las exenciones a la llamada "Tasa Mínima Alternativa", beneficiando a millones de contribuyentes con ingresos medios.

Exención de impuestos

Además habrá desgravaciones fiscales e incentivos para empresas y particulares que inviertan en energías renovables o en la compra de vehículos con tecnologías que disminuyan el impacto medioambiental.

Para que el plan se convierta en ley tiene que ser aprobado por la mayoría de los representantes, que no se han mostrado muy entusiasmados con la idea
Lourdes Heredia, BBC Mundo, Washington
Igualmente se aprobaron exenciones fiscales a los fondos destinados para investigación y el desarrollo y a las inversiones productivas de pequeños comercios.

Finalmente, se autoriza a la Comisión de Valores a reformar la normativa conocida como "mark to market", por la cual las empresas asignan a los bienes en su poder el valor actual de mercado.

Esta práctica llevó al "rojo" el balance de muchas entidades tras la depreciación de las hipotecas en medio de la crisis inmobiliaria.

Lo que venía de antes

Además de los cambios añadidos, la propuesta original del gobierno ya incorporaba otras medidas que permanecerán en el paquete que se ponga a votación de la Cámara de Representantes.

Los contribuyentes recibirán derechos de compra de acciones que los beneficiarán si las empresas que son socorridas con este paquete se recuperan.

Los ejecutivos de aquellas compañías que participen en el programa tendrán un límite para sus ingresos y no podrán beneficiarse de paquetes de retiro -conocidos en el mercado como "paracaídas dorado"- sin son despedidos.

Se aumentarán los impuestos a aquellas compañías que paguen a sus directivos más de US$500.000 anuales.

Se conforma un organismo de supervisión del programa de rescate financiero, que incluirá al presidente de la Reserva Federal, el de la Comisión del Mercado de Valores, el director de la Agencia Federal de Financiación de Viviendas y el secretario de Vivienda y Desarrollo Urbano.

Vea cómo en España se está apelando a la risoterapia para lidiar con los agobios de la crisis económica.

Haga clic en la imagen de este video de BBC Mundo.

Nota de BBCMundo.com:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/hi/spanish/business/newsid_7647000/7647577.stm

Publicada: 2008/10/02 09:17:40 GMT

© BBC MMVIII

Thursday, September 25, 2008

The Heights Cartoon- N.Korean Nuclear Program


New crisis over North Korea's nuclear plans
· Plutonium reprocessing to restart, country says
· Deal on ending weapons programme under threat

* Ian Black
* The Guardian,
* Thursday September 25 2008
* Article history

A 2002 satellite image of the Yongbyon nuclear reactor in North Korea

A 2002 satellite image of the Yongbyon nuclear reactor in North Korea. Photograph: AP/Space Imaging Asia

North Korea has triggered a new crisis over its nuclear ambitions by expelling UN inspectors and pledging to resume plutonium reprocessing - a precursor to producing atomic weapons.

The International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN's nuclear watchdog, confirmed yesterday that it had, at Pyongyang's request, removed seals and surveillance equipment from the Yongbyon plant, delivering a blow to the 2007 deal scrapping its atomic weapons programmes.

In a closed session of the IAEA's board in Vienna, the deputy director-general, Olli Heinonen, said North Korea had informed the inspectors that it planned to "introduce nuclear material to the reprocessing plant in one week's time".

The move cast new doubt on years of attempts to denuclearise the isolated state at a time of deepening uncertainty abut the health of its reclusive leader, Kim Jong-il. Six-party disarmament talks stalled last month when North Korea stopped disabling Yongbyon in protest at delays in being removed from a US blacklist of states supporting terrorism.

The White House called the latest development "very disappointing". Any resumption of reprocessing would "further isolate North Korea", said a spokesman. But Condoleezza Rice, the secretary of state, insisted that negotiations were still alive even if they appeared to be unravelling. "We've been through ups and downs in this process before," she said. "But this is a six-party process, and that means that there are other states that are carrying the same message to North Korea about their obligations."

Analysts were uncertain whether Pyongyang was manoeuvring in pursuit of new concessions on aid, trade and political ties or reneging completely on last year's disarmament-for-aid agreement, which followed a test nuclear explosion in 2006.

"It's hard to say whether this is a negotiating tactic or if they've decided to pack up their marbles and go home," said Mark Fitzpatrick, a nuclear proliferation expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. A Jane's Defence analyst, Christian Le Mière, said: "This could still be resolved by a last-minute deal but it's hard to see it recovering."

Experts agree that it will take several months at least to bring the installation back on line, so reprocessing cannot resume immediately.

Pyongyang's move will fuel doubts about the condition of Kim, 66, who has not been seen in public since mid-August and is thought to be incapacitated after suffering a stroke. Kim, unlike his father Kim Il-sung, has not appointed a successor. This has given rise to speculation about the role of the generals now running the country. "Upping the ante is a change of posture so someone is clearly making decisions," said Fitzpatrick. "And it could be a fateful decision. This is escalating in a very serious way."

The 2007 agreement was reached after negotiations with the US, Russia, Japan, China and South Korea. North Korean scientists began disabling the reactor last November and in June blew up the cooling tower. Eight of the 11 steps needed to disable the reactor were completed by July.

But later that month Washington made an additional request: detailed verification of the process, including soil samples and interviews with scientists. The US then pinned one of its concessions - removing North Korea from its list of nations that sponsor terrorism - on verification. North Korea rejected that demand.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/sep/25/korea.nuclear/print

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Porcón, Cajamarca


Después de tanto viajar por países ajenos, acompañé a mi papa en un viaje de negocios a Cajamarca, una ciudad del norte del Perú que él visita mucho. Nos escapamos un rato a Porcón -una granja de pinos preciosa, que es además famosa por sus truchas y la religiosidad de sus habitantes. Las fotos que siguen las tomé en su zoológico.

Me sorprende lo turista que parezco posando al costado de las paisanas, casi tanto como en mis fotos de la China. Y es que, como en la China, nuestra geografía tan accidentada ha aislado al interior del desarrollo y el poder de la costa por mucho tiempo. Pero si sumamos la inmigración masiva a la capital a las carreteras y las comunicaciones de hoy, esta separación es cada vez menor. Tendremos que aprender a celebrar la diversidad pero fomentar la inclusión, a apreciar lo autóctono sin folklorizar costumbres y pensamientos. Definitivamente... un balance que yo no logré en la foto de abajo y que los chinos Han no han logrado con muchos de los grupos étnicos de su país.



Cambodia




Mi foto favorita de Cambodia- un país definitivamente maravilloso con una historia inédita, pero que todavía tiene que digerir el trauma de Pol Pot.

Aunque he visitado algunos países y ciudades "complicados," las zonas turísticas siempre tienen una cierta inmunidad a las complicaciones... pero no en Cambodia. Allí todo lo maravilloso está tan entrelazado con el desastre que es imposible ver uno sin ver el otro. Angkor -el complejo de templos más importante del país- queda cerca a uno de los antiguos campos de trabajo forzoso. Camino a Siem Reap (el pueblo donde nos estábamos hospedando) se puede parar en uno de los templos modernos, donde descansan los restos de sus trabajadores en una columna de calaveras. El soundtrack de Angkor lo presentan músicos que han perdido piernas por minas antipersonales. En las entradas a los templos esperan niños que tratan de venderte postales, o collares, o lo que puedan. Hablan perfecto inglés de tanto conversar con turistas y no ir al colegio.

Cambodia es el país más pobre del sudeste asiático, que en sí es horrible. Pero además, su gobierno en términos reales es una red de ONGs y el genocidio borró toda una generación y su cultura. Como peruana, se me hace muy fácil empatizar con ellos- aunque yo no viví conscientemente el conflicto armado de mi país, sé que dejó a cada familia una pequeña tragedia personal, especialmente en los Andes. Si quieren saber un poco más sobre el conflicto de Cambodia, les recomiendo el libro de Christopher Hudson "The Killing Fields" o la película del mismo nombre.

Suzhou- El Jardín del Administrador Humilde


Como ya había explicado antes, los antiguos funcionarios chinos enfatizaban la organización social del Confucianismo en sus labores administrativas, pero luego se retiraban a explorar el Tao de la naturaleza en su tiempo libre. Algunos funcionarios preferían hacerlo en la comodidad de sus casas; de allí nació el arte taoísta de la jardinería.

El Jardín del Administrador Humilde en la ciudad de Suzhou (provincia de Jiangsu, al noroeste de Shanghai) es uno de las más increíbles expresiones de esta estética tan particular- tanto así que es reconocido por la UNESCO como un World Culture Heritage Site.

A diferencia de los jardines de Versalles y otros ejemplos antiguos de jardinería occidental, este jardín fue cuidadosamente planeado pero no pretende "controlar" la naturaleza. En cambio, todo el jardín tiene una cualidad etérea y fluida... el lago se convierte en jardín, y las rocas parecen ser parte de los arbustos y hasta de el patio que está a su costado. Pero lo que a mí más me gustó fueron los rincones; un jardín taoista debe estar lleno de sorpresas, cada rincón que voltees debe presentarte un nuevo detalle. El jardín te invita a caminar, a descubrir sus sorpresas; y eso es precisamente lo que traté de fotografiar. Ojalá disfruten de las fotos.





Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Catolicismo en la China


No me debería haber somprendido tanto ya que el Catolicismo llegó a la China en el siglo 13 (¡antes que a Latinoamérica!), pero me pareció súper raro encontrarme con un matrimonio católico cuando caminaba por Guangzhou con Rita. Supongo que es muy apropiado haberme encontrado con algo tan occidental en Cantón, la puerta de China al occidente.


Sunday, September 14, 2008

Heights Cartoon- The Lipstick War


Barack Obama forced on the defensive over Sarah Palin 'lipstick on a pig' comment
Senator Barack Obama has been forced on the defensive over remarks in which his opponents claimed he compared his rival's running mate Sarah Palin to a pig.


By Alex Spillius in Lebanon, Virginia
Last Updated: 12:40AM BST 11 Sep 2008
; http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1488655367/bctid1786789768 http://www.brightcove.com/channel.jsp?channel=1139053637

The furore came as Mr Obama struggled to cope with the explosive impact of that the Republican vice-presidential nominee has made on the race for the White House.

It centres on an apparently innocent comment the Democrat candidate made at a rally in which he derided John McCain's claim to be the true agent of change by saying: "You can put lipstick on a pig. It's still a pig."

Many in the crowd at a school gym in Lebanon howled with delight, clearly thinking he was referring to Mrs Palin, who joked that the only difference between a "hockey mom" and a pitbull was lipstick.

The McCain camp response was swift, releasing an internet advertisement accusing Mr Obama of sexism.

At a speech in Norfolk, Virginia that was meant to focus on his education policy, Mr Obama had to digress into a lengthy condemnation of his Mr McCain's tactics.

"They seize on an innocent remark, try to take it out of context, throw up an outrageous ad, because they know that it's catnip to the news media," he said.

"The McCain campaign would rather have a story about phony and foolish diversions than about the future."

Though it was clear that Mr Obama meant no offence to Mrs Palin, he missed the fact that lipstick is now irrevocably associated with her in the political discourse.

The row highlights what even Democrat strategists concede has been a very bad period for the Illinois senator.

They have struggled to find an appropriate response to Mrs Palin, an ultra conservative mother-of-five with a reputation as a reformer, who has energized Republican voters and helped Mr McCain to his first lead in the polls.

White women are now deserting Mr Obama is droves with her emergence, according to an ABC/Washington Post survey which recorded that an eight point lead the Democrat had over his rival had been switched to a 12 point lead for Mr McCain.

Despite the widely-regarded brilliance of his campaign so far, Mr Obama and his staff, many of whom are working in their first presidential battle, have handed easy gifts to Mr McCain.

They have been readily exploited by sharply focused and highly aggressive veterans of George W Bush's 2004 victory now running the Arizona senator's campaign. Some Democrats worry Mr Obama could be a victim of the same negative tactics that helped defeat Senator John Kerry then.

The day Mrs Palin was selected, Obama spokesman Bill Burton drew flak for demeaning Wasilla, the town where Mrs Palin was mayor for six years, and by extension all of small town America.

The campaign also questioned Mr McCain's honour after he approved a misleading online ad on Mr Obama's education policy, a risky jibe against the former prisoner of war in Vietnam.

Joe Trippi, a veteran Democratic consultant, said: "Rule number one at the moment had to be 'don't mention lipstick', or anything feminine. The Obama people have clearly missed a beat or two. They are reacting to things they shouldn't, or over-reacting to some things, but you can't go through two years of campaigning without that happening. They have time to recover."

Doug Schoen, who advised former President Bill Clinton through his second electoral victory, said: "Obama hasn't developed a narrative that focuses on John McCain and he is suffering. He has to say in very simple terms that this election is about the weak policies of McCain and Sarah Palin and make clear he is a non-partisan, centrist candidate dedicated to delivering results. If he can't do that he is in trouble."

Other Democrats were however less gloomy. Matt Bennett, a former aide to Mr Clinton and Al Gore, said mistakes were inevitable in any campaign.

"Campaigns are young people's games, and they have 18 months' experience up against Hillary Clinton, who is no slouch, and they outfought her which is no small thing. Bill Clinton won in 1992 with some advisers with no experience and others who had just run Senate races, like many of Obama's team," he said.

Berenberg Gallery- Inauguracion de Jennifer Harrison

Este sábado asistí a la inauguración de los nuevos trabajos de Jennifer Harrisson -una artista autodidacta de Toronto- en la galería Berenberg de Boston. Observando la simplicidad de sus líneas, la riqueza de sus texturas, y lo humilde de su temática recordé todo lo que me hizo enamorarme del llamado “outsider art”- el arte autodidacta o de gente con ciertas condiciones como autismo, síndrome de down, etc. Encontré en esta pequeña galería en el “south end” de Boston un arte auténtico, puro, libre de la glorificación del artista que ha distorsionado la visión occidental del arte, alienándolo de la vida cotidiana, relegándolo a las paredes blancas de museo.

Jennifer, una de las artistas emblemáticas de la galería, representa todo esto. Sus trabajos- más dibujos que pinturas, ya que dibuja las imágenes con “modeling paste” y luego sólo lo “colorea” con capas homogéneas de óleos- no pretenden revelar el significado de la vida, ni representar la decadencia de la sociedad… son sólo lo que ella ve, lo que le gusta hacer, y las técnicas que va aprendiendo cuando trabaja. Libre de tantos humos y pretensiones, se me hace mucho más fácil intuir su proceso de trabajo, que como estudiante de arte siempre me ha parecido lo más interesante de las artes plásticas. De alguna forma quitándolo tanta escarcha y brillo al proceso creativo, Jennifer revela la verdadera magia del proceso.