April 25, 1988

(Friday, 27 February 2009)

They still talk of a Soviet Union and of Gorbachev’s fresh new look into foreign policy. Al Gore is a too-young-to-be-credible candidate to the democratic primaries in the US. Awkwardly out-dated technology as “light pens” is being shown as the ultimate IT breakthrough, with pictures of engineers by the side of too big to be true computers to illustrate it.

Also always relevant topics such as stress at work. Drug and gang violence in LA. The need for companies to cut costs and focus on customers to improve performance.

Then, there are other pieces which are incredibly relevant today too, even if some of the names and places might have changed a bit. Soviet financial and military aid to Cuba and Angola. US military presence in Panama. Superpowers messing around with the 3rd world – 21 years after, the same crap.

This is Newsweek’s edition of April 25, 1988, found in a random restaurant in Coban, Central Highlands, Guatemala.

I don’t know why, but I felt intrigued by it. Fascinated.

I asked the owner if I could take it with me. He said yes. It looks like I’ve bed time reading tonight…

Where were you on April 25, 1988?

“A man who loves women” (bottom left corner) – what the f*ck?