A STATEMENT OF LOVE

For Gitta Lindemann

«Translated and edited by us»

My first concert of Rammstein. I was suddenly surrounded by people dressed in black. They spoke calmly about study assignments; over time, I realized it was a surprisingly intelligent conversation. The concert was delayed half an hour. What happened was that the guys (of the band) took the time to consider whether the program (raised for the show) was questionable, if there was anything that could upset the mother. I had come to in secret and it was not my intention to intrude. But he had discovered me. Later, in large arenas and stadiums, I was naturally a guest. But then, as now, whether it is a small club or a huge stadium, the experience remains the same.

I stand with the crowd and the music rushes toward me: roars and vomits, it run up walls, rises to the sky, falls back and stated in his chest. Breathing becomes shallow. I’m dumbfounded with the music and atmosphere. I feel a lot of admiration. The Great figure on stage is my son.

He leads the masses with a gesture, raising his hand, he hits his forehead and burned, his voice travels through space and time. What a responsibility! Enchant to all these people, who enthusiastically encourage him and would follow him wherever he takes them.

But I am afraid. What is done to himself, all the effort which should do for be himself, what it could cost all that delivery. Night after night, country after country, from continent to continent.

He is relaxed when I’m backstage before the concert and cares about me, just like when we were at home.

The house is in Mecklenburg. His house, his roots, his source of strength.

Even as a child –in holiday– led by plantations, she got up early in the morning and went to the field with milkers of cows. He slept outdoors under the wide sky, listening to the falling apples or squawking ducks in the pond. In the fall, he ran the forest looking for mushrooms, took long walks through the snow in winter, with his cat in the shelter, because the animal could not cross between the snowy hills.

And the town. «Tell me about the past» –He used to ask his father and the guests in the village inn. «How they lived here in ancient times?». He could spend hours sitting, –as now– while listening to the people of the village, with a wide smile on his face, no matter how funny or sinister that were the stories.

He is very popular; many seek his company. This has nothing to see with his profession. His father has written a book about him, in which tells of his astonishment at seeing their friends think he would be capable of anything. One wants to repair his old motorcycle. The father asks, surprised, «Do you think he can do that?» The guy says: «Till can do whatever». The father thinks all are gullible and fools. He is surprised when the engine starts to roar again. «He can do everything: How much grip! How much confidence!» –Wrote his father.

Confidence, that’s the word. And he trusts; trusts himself. He approaches the limits and exceeds it; –And what pass if ...?– He doesn't know that question. He tries, he proves everything. His texts are not a matter of value, which is already in him. After all, he does not talk about himself, about his desires or his pain, but he screams and cries in his poems. A friend wrote: “There are wounds of despair and hope. Thoughts beyond fired from the solitude of a heart full of courage and desire”.

When his grandmother died, he was beside her, stroking her hand until his death. In a poem, he can handle the pain of a very different way, while painful to read. I asked him where he gets his ideas. «They simply appear»; told me. But sometimes it is the grace of ideas too. Sometimes they lie in wickedness, are hidden, locked, then I’m standing in the rain. But something always exists is the family, which has now grown. And now that he is the boss of yours; makes sure not to neglect anyone.

There are many reasons to sit together at the table any day. Then come his friends and he asks them to bring, in turn, their families, whether Christmas, Easter, birthday or just a nice evening to sit together under the summer sky and talk.

Who would not want to try their dishes, prepared excellently, especially venison and fish? He likes to try new recipes and, although all foods have excellent taste, he try to innovate it constantly...

Sometimes he invites us to his big car and headed to the lake or going down the river by canoe, always the whole family. We sat in our boat and we will drive through the water to a shady corner by the branches. Then find a good place for a picnic in a meadow and all threw ourselves to the ground. He brings of his own refrigerator meatballs, bread, candy for kids and drinks, a bottle of Prosecco. He goes fishing, then we had tea in the afternoon. For evening there will be fish with garlic. At such times it is himself.

This is a part of his life; the other is on stage; his "work"; as he says. Sometimes they match. If he is, for example, sitting on the beach in Costa Rica and three young men approach him and ask him for an autograph, this will still find something embarrassing for him. However, he firms, courteous and friendly.

My favorite memory. He takes a path to the right in Santa Rosa and go through the endless streets and bumpy, dusty roads; despite that, he goes more and faster; I say «Wait, I want to see the sunset» but he hit the accelerator and we arrived finally at the top of the hill and then stops so I can see the sunset over the sea. Red intense as it goes down. It’s the right time to see it from up here!

We arrived and while cooking, sing to himself. It is becoming darker and darker; around us, the sky and we are alone with our conversations, it lasting well into the night. We have a glorious week, traveling around the country, swimming in rivers and flying over the forest, tied in a rope endless. Below us, the green thicket; above us the blue sky. And now suddenly, there comes a great sense of anxiety in the stomach; I’m the slope safety harness, aware of my heartbeat 65 years.

Without him, I wouldn't have had the confidence for this adventure. He inspires confidence. I remember once we went on a walk through the fields –he was about 14 or 15 years– when we came upon a herd of bulls. I was afraid and he probably noticed, but the he were brought the animals and told me to just keep me behind him. Then we had to cross a stream, and I felt something giddy, but he put some planks and helped me across the other side.

Until recently, in the vacation, almost five generations gathered around his table. He took his grandmother in a wheelchair that was in his car and he fed him with her grandson sitting on her lap. Everyday family life is their support.

Likewise with Nature. He goes under the wide sky crossing the sea and meet the animals that live there. He tells things as beautiful as amazing. He recognize the most countries in the world, and they recognize him. When I was in Moscow, many young people wanted to shake my hand, because I am the “Mother of Rammstein”; until there was a man in my age, that he said enthusiastically, his taste for the uniqueness of this band.

In the videos of their performances as guest artists in each country, we see how the public with reverence and fervor sing the lyrics in German, as in the case of Mexico City. Also in Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, Manchester or in Budapest. Everything he experiences... But that's nothing compared to a sunrise of Mecklenburg above the cloudy swamp, as he says, when one see the deer out of the bushes and one can be distinguished in the great silence, the sounds of different animals. This peerless sky, clouds and the earth beneath your feet, this landscape makes him grow up and also makes him humble.

I’m –like many people– eager to be with him. The fact that he is famous does not matter. But sometimes I wonder, amazed, what kind of person would be if I had not been his mother? If I had not been his mother, I would have loved to be his friend.

Gitta Lindemann with her son, Till Lindemann

UNA DECLARACIÓN DE AMOR

Por Gitta Lindemann

«Traducido y corregido por nosotros»

Mi primer concierto de Rammstein. Me encontraba inesperadamente rodeada de personas vestidas de negro. Ellos hablaban calmadamente acerca de las asignaciones de estudio; al pasar el tiempo, me di cuenta que era una conversación sorprendentemente inteligente. El concierto se había retrasado media hora. Lo que pasó fue que los chicos (de la banda) se tomaron ese tiempo para considerar si el programa (planteado para el show) era cuestionable, si había algo que pudiera disgustar a la mamá. Yo había llegado en secreto, ya que no era mi intención importunar. Pero él me había descubierto. Más tarde, en grandes arenas y estadios yo fui, naturalmente, una invitada. Pero entonces, como ahora, tanto si es un pequeño club o un gran estadio, la experiencia sigue siendo la misma.

Me paro junto a la multitud y la música se precipita hacia mí: ruge y vomita, corre por las paredes, asciende hasta el cielo, cae de nuevo y se afirma en su pecho. La respiración se vuelve superficial. Estoy estupefacta con la música y el ambiente. Siento admiración. La Gran figura sobre el escenario es mi hijo.

Él se dirige a las masas con un gesto, levantando su mano, se golpea la frente y se quema, mientras su voz ronda a través del espacio y el tiempo. ¡Qué responsabilidad! El encantar a todas estas personas, que lo animan con entusiasmo y lo seguirían a dondequiera que él los lleve.

Pero siento miedo. Lo que se hace a sí mismo, todo ese esfuerzo que debe hacer para ser él, lo que le pueda costar toda esa entrega. Noche tras noche, país tras país, de continente a continente.

Él está relajado cuando estoy detrás del escenario antes del concierto y se preocupa por mí, así como cuando estábamos en casa.

La casa está en Mecklemburgo. Su casa, sus raíces, su fuente de fortaleza.

Ya de niño –en vacaciones– conducía por las plantaciones, se levantaba temprano en la mañana y se iba con los ordeñadores al campo de las vacas. Dormía al aire libre bajo el ancho cielo, escuchaba las manzanas caer o el graznar de los patos en el estanque. En el otoño recorría el bosque en busca de setas, daba largas caminatas por la nieve en pleno invierno, con su gato en el abrigo, porque el pequeño animal no podía cruzar entre las colinas nevadas.

Y el pueblo. «Cuéntame del pasado» –solía pedirle a su padre y a los huéspedes en la posada del pueblo. «¿Cómo vivían aquí en la antigüedad?». Él podía pasarse horas sentado, –tal como ahora– mientras escuchaba a las personas de la aldea, con una amplia sonrisa en su rostro, sin importar lo divertidas o siniestras que fueran las historias.

Él es muy popular; muchos buscan su compañía. Esto no tiene nada que ver con su profesión. Su padre ha escrito un libro sobre él, en la que nos habla de su asombro al ver que sus amigos piensan qué él sería capaz de todo. Uno quiere que repare su vieja motocicleta. El padre pregunta, con sorpresa: «¿Crees que él puede hacer eso?» El chico dice: «Till puede hacer lo que sea». El padre piensa que todos son unos tontos crédulos. Se sorprende cuando el motor empieza a rugir de nuevo. «Él puede hacer de todo: ¡Cuánto agarre! ¡Cuánta confianza en sí mismo!» –escribe su padre.

Confianza, esa es la palabra. Y él confía; confía en sí mismo. Se acerca a los límites y los sobrepasa –¿Y qué pasaría si...?– Esa pregunta no la conoce. Él lo intenta, lo prueba todo. Sus textos no son una cuestión de valor, eso está ya dentro suyo. Después de todo, él no habla de sí mismo, sobre sus anhelos, su dolor, sino que grita y llora en sus poemas. Un amigo ha escrito: “Hay heridas de desesperación y de esperanza. Pensamientos que escapan disparados desde la soledad de un corazón lleno de coraje y deseo”.

Cuando su abuela murió, él estuvo a su lado, acariciando su mano hasta su muerte. En un poema, puede manejar el dolor de una manera muy diferente, tanto que resulta doloroso al leerlo. Le he preguntado de dónde saca sus ideas. «Ellas simplemente están», me ha dicho. Pero a veces es la gracia de las ideas también. A veces radican en la maldad, están ocultas, encerradas, entonces yo estoy de pie bajo la lluvia. Sin embargo, algo siempre existente es la familia, que ahora ha crecido. Y ahora que él es el jefe de la suya; se asegura de no descuidar a nadie.

Hay muchas razones para sentarse juntos a la mesa un día cualquiera. Luego vienen sus amigos y él les pide que traigan, a su vez, a sus familias, ya sea Navidad, Semana Santa, un cumpleaños o simplemente una velada agradable para sentarse juntos bajo el cielo de verano y platicar.

¿Quién no querría probar sus platos, preparados de manera excelente, especialmente la carne de venado y pescado? Le gusta probar nuevas recetas y, aunque todos los patillos tengan un gusto excelente, busca innovarlos constantemente...

A veces nos invita a su gran coche y nos dirigimos hacia el lago o vamos por el río en canoa, siempre toda la familia. En nuestro bote nos sentamos y vamos a conduciendo por el agua hasta un recodo sombreado por las ramas. Luego busca un buen lugar para el picnic en un prado y todos nos lanzamos a tierra. Del refrigerador trae albóndigas, pan, caramelos para los niños y las bebidas, una botella de Prosecco. Se va de pesca, luego tomamos el té por la tarde. Para la noche habrá pescado con mucho ajo. En esos momentos es él mismo.

Esta es una parte de su vida; la otra está en el escenario; su "trabajo" como él dice. A veces coinciden. Si está, por ejemplo, sentado en la playa en Costa Rica y tres jóvenes se acercan a él y le piden un autógrafo, esto le resulta todavía algo embarazoso. Sin embargo, lo firma, es cortés y amable.

Mi recuerdo favorito. Él toma un camino a la derecha en Santa Rosa y nos vamos por las calles sin fin y llenas de baches, caminos polvorientos; a pesar de eso, él va cada vez más y más rápido; le digo «Espera, yo quiero ver la puesta de Sol» pero él pisa el acelerador y llegamos, finalmente, a la cima de la colina y se detiene entonces para que pueda ver la puesta del Sol sobre el mar. Rojo intenso a medida que va hacia abajo. ¡Es el momento justo para verlo desde aquí arriba!

Hemos llegado y, mientras cocina, tararea para sí mismo. Se va haciendo más y más oscuro; alrededor de nosotros, el cielo y estamos solos con nuestras conversaciones, que duran hasta bien entrada la noche. Tenemos una semana gloriosa viajando por todo el país, nadando en los ríos y volando por encima de la selva, amarrados en una cuerda sin fin. Debajo de nosotros, la espesura verde; por encima de nosotros el cielo azul. Y ahora de repente, me viene una gran sensación de ansiedad en el estómago; estoy al pendiente del arnés de seguridad, consciente de los latidos de mi corazón de 65 años.

Sin él, yo no hubiera tenido la confianza para aquella aventura. Él inspira confianza. Recuerdo una vez que nosotros íbamos en un paseo por los campos –él tendría unos 14 o 15 años– cuando nos topamos con una manada de toros. Yo temía y él probablemente lo notó, pero se interpuso a los animales y me dijo que solo me mantuviera detrás de él. Luego tuvimos que cruzar un arroyo y me puse algo atolondrada, pero él colocó unos tablones y me ayudó a llegar al otro lado.

Hasta hace poco, en las vacaciones se reunían casi cinco generaciones alrededor de su mesa. Tomaba a su abuela en una silla de ruedas que traía en su coche y le daba de comer con su tátaranieto sentado en su regazo. La vida familiar cotidiana es su respaldo.

Igualmente con la Naturaleza. Él va bajo el ancho cielo recorriendo el mar y conoce a los animales que viven allí. Nos cuenta cosas tan bellas como asombrosas. Conoce la mayoría de los países en el mundo, y ellos lo reconocen. Cuando estuve en Moscú, muchos jóvenes querían darme la mano, porque soy la "Madre de Rammstein"; hasta había un hombre de mi edad, que me expresó con entusiasmo, su gusto por la singularidad de esta banda.

En los videos de sus actuaciones como artistas invitados en cada país, vemos cómo el público con reverencia y fervor canta la letra en alemán, como es el caso de la Ciudad de México. Lo mismo sucede en Tokio, Río de Janeiro, Manchester o en Budapest. Todo lo que él experimenta... Pero eso no es nada en comparación a un amanecer Mecklemburgo por encima de la ciénaga nublada, como él dice, cuando se ve al ciervo de salir de entre los arbustos y se pueden distinguir en el gran silencio los sonidos de diferentes animales. Este cielo sin par, las nubes y la tierra bajo sus pies, este paisaje lo ha hecho crecer y también lo hace humilde.

Yo estoy –al igual que muchos– deseosa de estar con él. El hecho de que sea famoso no importa. Pero a veces me pregunto, asombrada ¿qué tipo de persona sería si yo no hubiera sido su madre? Si no me hubiese tocado ser su madre, me habría encantado ser su amiga.

Gitta Lindemann junto a su hijo, Till Lindemann

HOW TO WIN THE T.E.G

The T.E.G. or Tactical and Strategic Plan of War is an argentinian game of table manufactured by Yetem and based to the Risk, its US equivalent.

Nowadays, you can play T.E.G. through internet using your IP address and downloading an application on the following page: www.tegnet.com.ar/[1]

In this opportunity, we will provide the reader with a series of recommendations for the win decisively in this CLASSIC board game to which we refer. For this purpose, we will try to be brief, trying to avoid metaphors, allegorical references or any other type of literary device of ornaments.

JERO: The keys to win the T.E.G. are the following:

[1] Know the rules. As obvious as it may seem, it is necessary to understanding the workings of the game and of each of its rules. The player with fewer mistakes, will minimize the negative role of chance and will become worthy winner. HERE [2] is a copy of the regulations in Spanish.

[2] Keep in mind the 15 secret objectives. We can have a list of those objectives (printed or transcripts); this will serve to quickly discover, through movements and moves of our rivals, what their secret missions are, thus able to frustrate and prevent them succeed.

[3] Control the movements of our opponents. This means being attentive to the possible moves of our rivals and visually check –in every moment– to the other players fulfill strictly the regulations and don't commit fraud, putting more chips or armies , stealing or modifying mischievously letters, etc. One should never abandon or lose sight of the board.

[4] Be discreet. In the unlikely event that we have committed an inadvertent error (i.e. we completed the turn and put our countries unprotected), we should not regret it aloud or advertise our mistake because opponents will benefit from this setback to defeat us. The die is cast and maybe the other players don’t realize our own neglect.

[5] Load armies to carry out attacks with three dice. As we said, the luck factor should be minimized. Those who think that the T.E.G is "just a game of chance" are not used to win and are the same as leave the game when they have to argue a bad deal or have pretexts –which insult our own intelligence– to withdraw from the enclosure, when they have almost lost.

In the following figure, are plotted the probabilities (in percentages) emerging victorious one has the opportunity to roll the dice –both in attack and defense–, which supports this recommendation and is closely related to the next.

[6] Don't attack with a single die. Upon attack we must consider the risk involved in losing our armies. Unless we lack a country to complete the continent, or that the opponent has left compromised access to "their" continent with one army, or be strictly necessary to obtain a card, or that we have in our possession the card neighboring country, we must NOT attack with a single die.

[7] Conquer a continent in the first round. When loading coins (first + 5 and then + 3), we position our armies in a particular continent and / or destination countries bordering on that.

Depending on our perception, we will choose the continent that is less sought by the other players and which have a certain number of countries.

If we pour chips on a single continent, we will intimidate opponents then continue from us and it is likely that their chips are distributed by other latitudes. Perhaps our opponents try to face us but with few chips, as they can't neglect their other goals. In both scenarios we came out winning: the first for obvious reasons, and second, because we have more armies and therefore more advantage.

Conquer a continent in the first round is not impossible, and will be really useful to have our armies regrouped and load more chips in future rounds. Africa (+ 3), South America (+ 3) and Oceania (+ 2) are the best choices (in that order), except that the cast we have touched three or more countries in Europe (+ 5) or North America (+ 5). Discard Asia (+ 8) because it is a vast continent and, therefore, difficult to conquer and protect.

[8] Don’t give importance to compliance with the secret goal, in the first instance. Most of the time, the countries that touch us in the cast don’t help the timely development of the mission. Moreover, if the secret goal is to destroy the army of a certain color or it is located on our right, we must use the expansion strategy (preferably to conquer continents), which can give us a long term advantage.

[9] Defend the borders of the continent conquered. A good defense is to group multiple armies in the access of the continent (i.e. In the case of Africa, Sahara and Egypt are your tickets) or make a nonaggression pact between neighboring countries (i.e. Between Sahara and Brazil). It is recommended to propose the conclusion of a pact characteristics such only when we have the entire continent in our possession.

[10] Progress in one direction. It is important to close the continent conquered in a sector, and progressing gradually from there. This we have learned from the historical wars, since it is not advisable to address several fronts simultaneously.

[11] Order and prudent to regroup armies. This is one of the key strategies of the game. We must be in good standing to suffer the fewest possible casualties. It is important to understand that a paltry and single coin can make a difference. Once we remove the card by our conquest or start the turn rival, we can’t regroup our armies.

[12] Risking and be unpredictable for the opponent. For more exciting than the game gets, we must not forget that this is a simple board game. In this sense, the game can overextend and, with the passing of time, one will feel the lack of concentration and mental fatigue. It is in this period where commit as many mistakes. To avoid mistakes, we must attack (i.e. Attack from Iceland to Greenland, though the latter have 64 armies).

[13] Make strategic pacts. Agreements between countries, global nonaggression treaty or international agreements zone are very useful for our game proliferates. It is better to celebrate treaties for its benefits before suffering the effects of the agreements between rivals. When the covenant is no longer useful to us, because we have a remarkable supremacy, it's time to break it and wait the turn where we can attack in that area.

[14] Destroy the player with fewer countries. We will make a favor to him; and he will do for us, as we are left with all the cards he possesses countries (or at least one or two cards, if we have three or four unredeemed, respectively). In addition, we will eliminate any risk: in the hypothetical case that any of the rivals should destroy the dying, must now meet the common goal.

[15] Achieve the common goal: conquer 30 countries. We must wait until the moment that this is feasible and where we lack only eight to six countries to reach it. The key is not to overreach and wait for the exact moment of the game you must choose one or other of the aforementioned positions: prudence or risk, covenants or full enmity.

Conclusion. We have shared much of our knowledge, transcribing them in the most understandable and methodically as possible. We did it selflessly, with the sole aim of finding worthy opponents in the future, i.e., any player with resistance to respect and we affirm the above without fear to commit sin of pride.

In particular, we have adopted certain ways to play from our friends, to which we attach to them the following: a Seba the no. 11; to Guido the no. 12; and Pachi the no. 13.-

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[1] http://www.tegnet.com.ar/

[2] http://www.yetem.com/reglamentos/teg.pdf

CÓMO GANAR AL T.E.G.

El T.E.G. o Plan Táctico y Estratégico de la Guerra, es un juego de mesa argentino fabricado por Yetem y basado en el Risk, su equivalente estadounidense.

En la actualidad, Ud. puede jugar al T.E.G. a través de internet, empleando su dirección de IP y descargando una aplicación en la siguiente página: www.tegnet.com.ar/[1]

En esta oportunidad, brindaremos al lector una serie de recomendaciones para lograr la victoria de manera contundente en este CLÁSICO juego de mesa al cual hacemos referencia. A tal efecto, procuraremos ser breves, tratando de evitar metáforas, menciones alegóricas o cualquier otro tipo de recurso literario de ornamenta.

JERO: Las claves para ganar al T.E.G. son, a saber:

[1] Conocer el reglamento. Por más obvio que resulte, es menester la comprensión del funcionamiento del juego y de cada una de sus reglas. El jugador que menos errores cometa, reducirá al mínimo el papel negativo del azar y se convertirá en justo ganador. He AQUÍ [2] un ejemplar del reglamento en castellano.

[2] Tener presente los 15 objetivos secretos. Podemos tener una lista con dichos objetivos (impresos o transcriptos); esto servirá para descubrir rápidamente, a través de los movimientos y jugadas de nuestros rivales, cuáles son sus misiones secretas, así poder frustrarlas y evitar que ellos triunfen.

[3] Controlar los movimientos de nuestros oponentes. Esto implica estar atento a las posibles jugadas de nuestros rivales y verificar visualmente –en todo momento– que los demás jugadores cumplan a rajatabla el reglamento y no cometan fraude, ya sea cargando ejércitos de más, hurtando o modificando cartas maliciosamente, etc. Está de más decir que uno jamás debe abandonar o perder de vista el tablero.

[4] Ser discreto. En el hipotético caso que cometiéramos un error involuntario (v. gr: dejamos desprotegido uno de nuestros países al finalizar nuestro turno), no debemos lamentarlo en voz alta ni anunciar nuestro error porque los oponentes podrán aprovechar este traspié para derrotarnos. La suerte estará echada y quizás los otros jugadores no se percaten de nuestra propia negligencia.

[5] Cargar ejércitos para efectuar ataques con tres dados. Como dijimos, el factor suerte debe ser reducido al mínimo. Aquellos que piensan que el T.E.G. es “solo un juego de azar” no están acostumbrados a ganarlo y son los mismos que abandonan la partida cuando les toca un mal reparto o aducen pretextos –que insultan nuestra propia inteligencia– para retirarse del recinto, cuando ya casi han perdido.

En la siguiente figura, están graficados las probabilidades (en porcentajes) de salir victorioso que uno tiene la oportunidad de lanzar los dados –tanto en ataque como en defensa–, lo cual avala la presente recomendación y guarda estrecha relación con la posterior.

[6] No atacar con un solo dado. Al efectuar el ataque debemos tener en cuenta el riesgo que implica perder nuestros ejércitos. A menos que nos falte un país para completar el continente, o que el oponente haya dejado comprometido el acceso a “su” continente con un solo ejército, o que sea estrictamente necesario para obtener una tarjeta, o que tengamos en nuestro poder la tarjeta del país limítrofe, NO debemos atacar con un solo dado.

[7] Conquistar un continente en la primera ronda. Al momento de cargar fichas (primero + 5 y luego + 3), deberemos posicionar nuestros ejércitos en un determinado continente y/o en países limítrofes con destino en aquel.

Dependiendo de nuestra percepción, elegiremos aquel continente que sea menos pretendido por los demás jugadores y en el cual tendremos una cierta cantidad de países.

Si derramamos fichas sobre un único continente, intimidaremos a los adversarios que continúen luego de nosotros y es probable que sus fichas sean distribuidas por otras latitudes. Quizás nuestros oponentes intenten hacernos frente pero con pocas fichas, ya que tampoco podrán descuidar sus otros objetivos. En ambos escenarios salimos ganando: en el primero por evidentes razones, y en el segundo, porque contamos con más ejércitos y, por ende, con más ventaja.

Conquistar un continente en la primera ronda no es imposible, y será realmente útil para tener a nuestros ejércitos reagrupados y cargar más fichas en las futuras rondas. África (+ 3), América del Sur (+ 3) y Oceanía (+ 2) son las mejores opciones (en ese orden), excepto que en el reparto nos haya tocado tres o más países en Europa (+ 5) o en América del Norte (+ 5). Descartamos Asia (+ 8) porque es un continente muy extenso y, por lo tanto, difícil de conquistar y de proteger.

[8] No darle importancia al cumplimiento del objetivo secreto en primera instancia. La mayoría de las veces los países que nos tocan en el reparto no ayudan al desarrollo puntual de la misión. Más aún, si el objetivo secreto es destruir al ejército de un determinado color o al que esté ubicado a nuestra derecha, debemos utilizar la estrategia de expansión (preferentemente para conquistar continentes), lo cual puede darnos una ventaja a largo plazo.

[9] Defender las fronteras del continente conquistado. Una buena defensa consiste agrupar varios ejércitos en el acceso del continente (v. gr: en el caso de África, Sahara y Egipto son sus entradas) o efectuar un pacto de no agresión entre países limítrofes (v. gr: entre Sahara y Brasil). Se recomienda proponer la celebración de un pacto de tales características solo cuando tengamos la totalidad del continente en nuestro poder.

[10] Avanzar en una sola dirección. Es importante cerrar el continente conquistado en un sector, e ir avanzando progresivamente desde ese lugar. Esto lo hemos aprendido de las guerras históricas, ya que no es recomendable atender varios frentes al mismo tiempo.

[11] Ser ordenado y prudente al reagrupar ejércitos. Esta es una de las claves estratégicas del juego. Debemos quedar bien parados para sufrir la menor cantidad de bajas posibles. Es importante entender que una mísera y única ficha puede hacer la diferencia. Una vez que retiremos la tarjeta por nuestra conquista o que empiece el turno del rival, no podremos reagrupar nuestros ejércitos.

[12] Arriesgar y ser impredecible para el rival. Por más apasionante que se torne la partida, no debemos olvidar que se trata de un simple juego de mesa. En tal sentido, el juego puede extenderse demasiado y, con el paso de las horas, uno sentirá la falta de concentración y la fatiga mental. Es en ese período donde se cometen la mayor cantidad de errores. Para evitar los errores, debemos atacar (v. gr: atacar de Islandia a Groenlandia, por más que este último tenga 64 ejércitos).

[13] Efectuar pactos estratégicos. Los pactos entre países, tratados de no agresión mundiales o pactos de zona internacional son muy útiles para que nuestro juego prolifere. Es mejor celebrar los tratados para obtener sus beneficios antes que padecer los efectos de los pactos entre otros rivales. Cuando el pacto haya dejado de ser útil para nosotros, ya que contamos con una supremacía notable, ha llegado la hora de romperlo para esperar el turno en el que podremos atacar en dicha zona.

[14] Destruir al jugador que tenga menos países. Le haremos un favor; y el también a nosotros, ya que nos quedaremos con todas las tarjetas de países que él posea (o al menos, una o dos de las tarjetas, si es que nosotros tenemos tres o cuatro sin canjear, respectivamente). Además, eliminaremos cualquier riesgo: en el hipotético supuesto que alguno de los rivales deba destruir al moribundo, ahora deberá cumplir el objetivo común.

[15] Lograr el objetivo común: conquistar 30 países. Debemos esperar hasta el instante en que esto sea viable y en el que solo nos falten entre ocho y seis países para alcanzarlo. La clave está en no extralimitarse y esperar el momento exacto del juego en que se deberemos elegir una u otra de las posturas precitadas: prudencia o riesgos, pactos o enemistad total.

Conclusión. Hemos compartido gran parte de nuestros conocimientos, transcribiéndolos de la manera más entendible y metódicamente posible. Lo hicimos desinteresadamente, con el único objetivo de encontrar rivales dignos en el futuro, es decir, que ejerzan alguna resistencia al respecto, y afirmamos lo anterior sin temor alguno a pecar de soberbios.

Particularmente, hemos adoptado ciertas maneras de jugar de nuestros amigos, a los cuales les adjudicamos las siguientes: a Seba el nro. 11; a Guido el nro. 12; y a Pachi el nro. 13.-

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[1] http://www.tegnet.com.ar/

[2] http://www.yetem.com/reglamentos/teg.pdf

TORTURE & MARTYRDOM

We refer solely to torture as the act of breaking physical pain or cause psychological torment to one or more persons by a public authority or a subject covered by it, in order to obtain the confession of a crime or any kind of information to clarify a crime or given fact. In this regard, the torturer must be an agent of the state, or at least the act must have some degree of official approval.

Torture –according to the above concept– was born in ancient Greece and was gradually becoming a common practice in all subsequent civilizations. Slaves and foreigners were tortured when testifying in a trial to ensure that told the truth. On the contrary, it was considered that the word given by a free citizen because he possessed was enough honor, lacking the slaves of such status.

In the early nineteenth century the torture was outlawed in all European and American judicial systems. In Argentina slavery was outlawed with the enactment of the Constitution (1853), which, in his art. 18 states: "(...) are forever abolished the death penalty for political reasons, all forms of torture and flogging (...)".

Unfortunately, torture is established as a negative habit during the last century, when used by the fascist, communist regimes and by democratic states such as France [1] (v gr. In Indochina and during the Algerian War) and by de facto governments in Latin America (by application of the doctrine of national security) [2].

War crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the Second World War (1939-1945) were published in the Military Courts of Nuremberg and Tokyo, composed of a presiding judge of each of the victorious countries (USA, France, UK and the U.R.S.S) and their respective alternates, where laws dictated by the victors were applied. That is, the leaders of the victorious powers did not sit on the stand to be tried for the atrocities committed themselves.

Given the previously described scenario and the resulting commotion generated worldwide, the international community became aware of repudiating the acts of martyrdom by the official bodies of a state.

As a result several countries signed various instruments on public international law, including the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading of 1984 [3] within the framework of the O.N.U, under which it undertook States to prevent the use of torture within their borders, leaving it clear that there is no justification for admitting torture of any kind on people.

However, it is virtually impossible to make a full assessment of the overall scale of torture, since it takes place in the shadows. This is an international crime, a political and diplomatic embarrassment and abuse that most governments recognize as a wrongful act and condemn rhetoric but no effective action.

Often, governments devote more efforts to deny or conceal the existence of torture to conduct transparent investigations into the allegations to prosecute those responsible.

Why is kept awake so long a prisoner? —Fragment of the German film "The Lives of Others" [4]

An innocent prisoner increasingly becomes furious as the hours go by, because he suffering injustice. He will be enraged and cry with angry. By contrast, a "guilty" prisoner will go calming down or cry. The latter knows is detained for a reason. The most effective way to establish guilt or innocence it is a continuous interrogation. People who tell the truth can re-formulate his sayings, and does. A liar has prepared sentences that repeat when you feel pressured. In the absence of such indicators, there is sufficient reason to exert psychological pressure on the even more intense prisoner (saying, for example, that if he don't confess we arrest his wife and his son will be given for adoption to another family) The prisoner is interrogated for the last time confesses. This macabre mechanism is difficult to breaking.

In many countries torture is probably underreported. This is because the victims are less able to defend themselves against abuse by the authorities, or their complaints are easily ignored or dismissed.

Perhaps a part of society recognizes morally correct use of torture provided there is no other alternative. Which, personally, we consider abhorrent.

In the American television series 24 (twenty four) [5] the main character, Jack Bauer, torture and tortured; occasionally the wrong person, often using methods unholy (v. gr.: improvising a cattle prod with a lamp), always clandestinely and avoiding obstacles of justice.

What disturbing is that Jack Bauer is the hero, not the villain of the series, and he is never punished for his actions. Far from pity, the camera revels in torture instruments and vexation, as it explained that "there is no alternative: the enemy must suffer so that thousands of people were saved".

With this kind of examples, we see how absurd it may be the lavage of brains that we are exposed and the existing ignorance of news characterized by demonstrated aberrant acts such as those occurring in the naval base of Guantanamo Bay (Cuba) and Abu Ghraib prison (Iraq). Both prisons belonging to the –never well weighted– United States of America.

With this kind of examples how absurd it may be the lavage of brains that are exposed and the existing ignorance of news characterized by demonstrated aberrant acts such as those occurring in the naval base of Guantanamo Bay (Cuba) and Abu Ghraib prison (Iraq). Both prisons belonging to the -never well weighted- United States of America.

Institutions relevant as the army, police, security forces and guard prisons can easily fall into the habit of mistreatment of people. Some people are not interested in the note of cruelty, when it comes to keeping people within the limits of obedience.

Drowning or "submarine" sleep deprivation, overcrowding, lack of medical care, deprivation of air, health or grooming , intimidation with dogs, forced feeding, exposure to cold or heat, electric shocks , electric shocks on the wet ground, whipping, beating and mutilation in any part of the body, sexual abuse and humiliation. It's impressive how far the human ingenuity with the application of the methods of torture can. There are thousands and some are truly medieval.

Torture is nothing but a primitive and inhumane act. NEVER justified. It is wrong and counterproductive practice that vitiates the rule of law, replacing terror. When governments allow their use nobody is safe. The prohibition of torture and other ill - treatment should be and is absolute, no exceptions are permitted; and compliance with the ban cannot waver even in emergency situations.

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[1] "The Battle of Algiers" (1966; director: Gillo Pontecorvo; screenwriters: Gillo Pontecorvo and Franco Solinas) is one of the best films made ​​about colonialism, terrorism and revolutionary movements. The torture scenes were censored in several countries.

[2] The torture at the hands of Argentina police under the so –called reorganization process– based on the doctrine of national security is seen in the film "Night of the Pencils" (1986; director: Hector Olivera; screenwriters Daniel Kon and Hector Olivera). During the first months of the last civil-military dictatorship Argentina, seven teenagers in the city of La Plata were kidnapped, tortured and killed for claiming a reduction in the price of transportation for students.

[3] This international instrument has constitutional status under art. 75 Inc. 22 Constitution of Argentina.

[4] "The Lives of Others"; 2006; writer - director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck.

[5] 24 (twenty four). American television series; years 2001 - 2010; creators Robert Cochran and Joel Surnow.