The Classic

378, 378, 378

When I was a boy, I am a big man right now, my favorite thing to spend money on were CD's. I reckon I built up a pretty extensive collection until a couple of years ago when, God bless the Internet, Napster and other download sites showed up, allowing everyone to get the music they wanted without having to pay the outrageous prices imposed by the record companies. I am a liberal and a true believer that capitalism is indeed the right way for an economy but regarding music my roots lie deep with hard core communism.

As a broke teenager, only able to buy one CD per month, I would listen to each album I possessed endlessly until I piled up enough money to go back to the shop. One thing that is true is if you spend long periods of time with the same thing in hands, you get bored and automatically start looking for new details, feeble as they might be, in order to keep it interesting. I reckon I didn't reinvent the wheel since I have spoken to a lot of people with similar opinion, but something told me that what I realized was not only a mere coincidence.

You must be wondering what the hell is he on about and why am I wasting my time reading this. The answer is simple. In every CD I bought tracks 3, 7 and 8 were always the best. Ah, you don't believe me? If you are my age and started to enjoy music in a serious way around 1994, Dookie from Green Day and Smash from Off Spring were milestones difficult to ignore. Taking a close on the line up of both albums and we can see that Basket Case is track 7 and Self Esteem is track 8. That's not all. Vs. from Pearl Jam sure can contain hits like Animal, Daughter and Go but which fan of Pearl Jam is going to deny the status of masterpiece to Rearview Mirror? In other hand try the same exercise with Use your Illusion from the Guns and see the results. Even Nevermind from Nirvana. Come as you are and Live and Let Die are track 3. It is not my intention to present an extensive justification. If you want to see more results just go through your CD collection for a bit and see for yourself.

As a good teenager back there I thought this was some kind of Conspiracy engineered by label companies or a certain sign to be taken into consideration only I never knew very well what to do about it. A little wiser nowadays I came up with the idea of doing a playlist with all tracks 3, 7, 8 of every rock album released in the 90's. haven't finished it yet but so far so (very) good. I definitely recommend it to everyone who loves music and with little to do. The last bit is not my case but when it comes to music there is always time. Till then a classic for all of you...

Reminiscences from 1944 plus a Greek Tragedy (Another)

If tonight Poland had remembered the wise words of George Santayana who stated that "Those who fail to learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them." perhaps they would have avoided getting screwed by the U.S. once again... Only this time it was a simple football match instead of a war.

When it comes to us I´ve just checked that we lost 2-1. It appears that the results of both matches between Portugal and Greece during the EURO 2004 weren´t exceptions but yet rules.

Spring has arrived! It's snowing?!?

Nunca liguei muito as alteracoes climaticas, mas quando chega a Primavera e ainda tenho de sair de casa de sobretudo, cachecol e luvas comeco a achar que se calhar o Greenpeace tinha razao.

Economically (cow)speaking

SOCIALISM: You have 2 cows; you give one to your neighbour.

COMMUNISM: You have 2 cows. The State takes both and gives you some milk.

FASCISM: You have 2 cows. The State takes both and sells you some milk.

NAZISM: You have 2 cows. The State takes both and shoots you.

BUREAUCRACY: You have 2 cows. The State takes both, shoots one, milks the other, and then throws the milk away...

SURREALISM: You have two giraffes. The government requires you to take harmonica lessons

TRADITIONAL CAPITALISM: You have two cows. You sell one and buy a bull. Your herd multiplies, and the economy grows. You sell them and retire on the income.

AN AMERICAN CORPORATION: You have two cows. You sell one, and force the other to produce the milk of four cows. Later, you hire a consultant to analyse why the cow has dropped dead.

A FRENCH CORPORATION: You have two cows. You go on strike, organise a riot, and block the roads, because you want three cows.

A JAPANESE CORPORATION: You have two cows. You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk. You then create a clever cow cartoon image called 'cowkimon' and market it worldwide.

A GERMAN CORPORATION: You have two cows. You re-engineer them so they live for 100 years, eat once a month, and milk themselves.

AN ITALIAN CORPORATION: You have two cows, but you don't know where they are. You decide to have lunch.

A RUSSIAN CORPORATION: You have two cows. You count them and learn you have five cows. You count them again and learn you have 42 cows. You count them again and learn you have 2 cows. You stop counting cows and open another bottle of vodka.

A SWISS CORPORATION: You have 5000 cows. None of them belong to you. You charge the owners for storing them.

CHINESE CORPORATION: You have two cows. You have 300 people milking them. You claim that you have full employment, and high bovine productivity, and execute the newsman who reported the real situation.

AN INDIAN CORPORATION: You have two cows. You worship them.

IRAQI CORPORATION: Everyone thinks you have lots of cows. You tell them that you have one. No-one believes you, so they bomb you and invade your country. You still have no cows, but at least now you are part of a Democracy....

WELSH CORPORATION: You have two cows. The one on the left looks veryattractive.

AUSTRALIAN CORPORATION: You have two cows. Business seems pretty good. You close the office and go for a few beers to celebrate

A BRITISH CORPORATION: You have two cows. The Government says you have to buy a licence to milk them, but first you have to do a risk assessment, which only the government Quango is allowed to carry out. They charge you 5 times the cost of doing it. You sell your milk to the supermarket chain that pays you next to nothing for it, and then they sell it to their customers for four times what they paid you. Then they release a press statement about how wonderful they are to support British Cows. The rest of the world thinks your cows are mad but you and your cows know that it is not true. You sell your cows to a Polish Migrant worker and your farm to a Russian 'investment bank' and then you buy a villa by the sea in a country where it is sunny and the milk costs a tenth of the price at home.

The impossible perfect risk model - FT 16/03/08

The essential problem is that our models – both risk models and econometric models – are still too simple to capture the full array of governing variables that drive global economic reality. - Alan Greenspan

UEFA CUP 08

QUARTER FINALS (03 & 10 of April)
Leverkusen - Zenit
Rangers - Sporting CP
Bayern - Getafe
Fiorentina - PSV
SEMI-FINALS (24 of April & 1 of May)
Bayern/Getafe - Leverkusen/Zenit
Rangers/Sporting CP - Fiorentina/PSV
FINAL (Manchester 14 of May)
Bayern/Getafe/Leverkusen/Zenit -
Rangers/Sporting CP/Fiorentina/PSV

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 08

QUARTER FINALS (01/02 April & 08/09 April)

Arsenal - Liverpool

Roma - Man. United

Schalke 04 - Barcelona

Fenerbahce - Chelsea

SEMI-FINALS (22/23 April & 29/20 April)

Arsenal/Liverpool - Fenerbahce/Chelsea

Schalke 04/Barcelona - Roma/Man. United

FINAL (Moscow 21 May)

Arsenal/Liverpool/Fenerbahce/Chelsea -

Schalke 04/Barcelona/Roma/Man. United

R.I.P. DN

A partir de hoje deixarei de ser um leitor assiduo do DN. Ja nao bastava a seccao Cidades onde, desde a algum tempo, e frequente encontrar gordas como "Homem mata tres a paulada e atira-se ao rio" ou "Dona Gertrudes conta que: Isto ja nao e o que era!", titulos dignos de um Correio da Manha ou 24 Horas, para agora ter como cabecalho a relacao de Rogerio Samora e Alexandra Lencastre.

Por vezes sinto saudades da Rua Sesamo e daquela rapariga sem peito, de cabelo encaracolado, que falava animadamente com o Poupas ou com o Ferrao, mas chegar ao ponto da sua vida amorosa ser assunto de primeira pagina de um diario nacional? Da-me vontade de parafrasear alguem por quem tenho um odio de estimacao, mas que, aquando da interrupcao da sua entrevista devido a chegada de Mourinho ao aeroporto de Lisboa, teve uma atitude exemplar ao indignar-se e dizer: Esta tudo doido!

Dartacao

Às vezes lembro-me das tardes de infância. Aquelas em que a avó punha como condição de ver os desenhos animados que os T.P.C. estivessem feitos. Acabava-os com avidez pois desde que tinha acabado de almocar que contava as horas os minutos e os segundos para as quatro e vinte, altura em que o nosso herói saltava de espada na mão para o televisor lá de casa. Sentava-me no chão e durante aquele periodo não desviava o olhar das peripécias do meu amigo Dartacão. Lutava com ele contra o Cardeal Richelieu sofria a tristeza de estar longe de Julieta (Eu nessa altura ja achava piada brincar aos medicos. Sempre fui um gala) e alegrava-me de encontrar os meus amigos Athos Porthos e Aramis. Quando acabava já imaginava como seria a próxima aventura e só queria que as tempo passasse a voar até às quatro e vinte do dia seguinte e enquanto o fazia, lá vinha a voz da avó da cozinha, a chamar para o bem merecido lanche, depois de tantas emocoes. Pão com fiambre e um copo de leite morno adoçado com Suchard Express.

Weeds

O (BLOG DO) PEDRO FAZ FALTA

Sugestoes do chefe

A transicao do modo estudante para o modo trabalhador requer algumas mudancas nos habitos diarios. O levantar cedo aos dias de semana, sem ressaca da quantidade estupida de cerveja da noite anterior, e uma delas. Mas a mais significativa, para mim, foi talvez o ritual de sexta-feira a noite. Vamos a um antes e um depois?

ANTES (Modo estudante):

18H - SUPERMERCADO

- Carrinho de compras:

- Garrafa de vodka Wyborowa

- 2 latas de Red Bull

- 1 litro de sumo de maca/laranja

22H - CASA DO XIK0 (Ele gosta de escrever o nome com k e de por um zero em vez da letra o no fim. E artistico)

- Beber a garrafa de vodka, o Red Bull e o sumo a meias com outro parvo

- Ir a bomba de gasolina comprar mais vodka, ao dobro do preco do supermercado, porque meia garrafa nao e sufciente (a.k.a. ser polaco)

01.30H - DISCO

- LUX (quando o alcool nao puxa para as cabeleireiras do DOCKS)

- Beber Vodka de qualidade duvidosa a 6 euros os 2 cl.

- Pagar bebidas a qualquer rabo de saias que se ria para nos e achar que nos vamos safar.

- Acabar a noite com um patini, levar porrada por ter tentado sacar a loira da noite, ser expulso da discoteca por individuos com o cerebro do tamanho de um amendoim (a escolha do fregues).

06.00H - Roulote

- Comer um hamburger frito em oleo preto ( A ASAE aparentemente nao trabalha de madrugada) que naquela altura sabe a mel.

07.00H - CHEGAR A CASA.

14.00H - SABADO

- Acordar com a maior ressaca do mundo e passar o dia/resto do fim de semana a ser um inutil.

DEPOIS (Modo trabalhador):

20H - SUPERMERCADO
- Carrinho de compras:
- Garrafa de vinho tinto Monte Velho/Periquita

- 1 Queijo de Cabra

- 1 Chourico p/ assar

21H- CASA ou CASA DE AMIGOS (Claro que se inclui a casa do XIko. Aquilo nao e so um antro de porquidao com a Cuca a mistura)

- Beber o vinho, comer o chourico o queijo e outras iguarias afins que os convivas possam ter trazido.

23.30H - CASA DA NAMORADA

- Abracar a namorada giraca, inteligente e seduzida pelo vosso sucesso.

- Practicar o amor durante um par de horas (Exagerado! Hora e tres quartos)

- Dormir

10.30H - SABADO

- Practicar desporto, voltar para casa por volta do meio-dia e levar a namorada a almocar a um restaurante ao pe do mar (Ou rio, ja que estou em Frankfurt).

ou

- Ler um livro numa esplanada, tomar um cafe e levar a namorada a almocar a um restaurante ao pe do mar (Ou rio, ja que estou em Frankfurt).

Nota final - Nao e que a javardeira de ser puto ja nao me seduza. Quem nao sente saudades de uma bela mocada a acabar com os intervenientes a beber mais uma jola no bar e a ficarem grandes amigos? Mas e que as vezes, e por vezes ate vezes a mais, das vezes que queria que acontecesse, comeco a achar, mas mesmo a ficar convencido que, para utilizar uma frase que odeio, ja nao tenho idade para isso!

Sobre ASAE

A polemica nao e de agora, mas li isto num blog e tive vontade de escrever sobre o assunto:

Se eu quiser ir a uma tasca e comer uma alheira com oléo que já foi usado mais dez vezes do que esta gente acha ser indicado, porque é que não hei de poder ir? Ou bolas de berlim que estiveram ao sol tempo de mais? O que é que esta malta tem a ver com isso? Vem mal ao mundo? Prejudico alguém? Cada um escolhe. Para quem este tipo de coisas é muito grave, é simples: Não compram.

Nao percebo esta atitude de ser contra a ASAE. No fundo o que faz confusao a muita gente e ver uma entidade que efectivamente verifica e fiscaliza o cumprimento da lei. E num pais onde as mesmas sao muitas vezes papel escrito, uma mudanca de mentalidades demora tempo a entrar.

Se alguem quer comer uma alheira frita num oleo que ja foi usado previamente dez vezes ou se quiserem comer uma bola de berlim que esteve ao sol tempo a mais, sem problema. Ate percebo alguns dos comentarios inflamados ao facto de terem pedido ao senhor que vende bolos na praia que use um saco geleira e uma pinca. E que comer um bolo sem este ter passado por maos suadas e gastas de mexer em dinheiro, nao e a mesma coisa. Do ponto de vista economico tambem representa um esforco enorme para o comerciante. Ao que parece, depois da noticia, o preco de mercado destes utensilios subiu para cerca de 5 euros cada um. Mas se mesmo assim nao conseguem viver sem este toque, comprem a bola e ponham-na ao sol umas horas e da proxima vez que forem a tasca pecam ao Sr. Vitor que vos frite a alheira no oleo mais preto que por la tiver.

Como consumidor medio, eu quero ter a certeza que aquilo que consumo esta dentro de um padrao minimo de higiene (Como nao sou adivinho, se algum produto nao tiver rotulo por exemplo, nao consigo chegar a conclusao se esta ou nao dentro do prazo de validade). E como diz o Ze, na sua resposta a este comentario « ...muitos ha – arrisco a dizer inclusive a maioria da populacao – que nao conseguem (distinguir entre aceitavel e improprio para consumo) e e por isso que existe a ASAE, nao e para te chatear, mas para salvaguardar que um dia alguem nao vai parar ao hospital com uma infeccao grave. » Lembro-me de que quando classificaram a agua de algumas praias da Foz do Douro como perigosa para a saude publica, uma banhista disse em entrevista ao telejornal que « Nao havia mal nenhum pois que quando chegasse a casa tomava um duche ». O sistema de saude ja consome o dinheiro que consome e nos ainda temos de contribuir para a conta de hospital destes imbecis?

Como portugueses gostamos muito de fazer o que nos da na real gana. E tique nacional (cheira-me que o 25 de Abril deveria ter sido pro-anarca e andava tudo feliz) e eu, mea culpa, tambem nao fujo a regra. Mas ja e tempo de saber que para se viver em sociedade com relativa qualidade de vida e preciso abdicar de algumas (pequenas) liberdades. Nao e necessario nenhum pensamento juridico complexo para perceber tao simples merda (desculpa o termo mas e mesmo). E obrigar os vendedores de peixe ou os restaurantes a nao passarem o pescado da semana anterior por fresco ou nao deixa-los por na mesa mostarda com prazo de validade de 2006 parece-me um pequeno esforco comparado com os resultados que tais restricoes possam impor aos meus direitos pessoais.

Lucky Number Slevin

- The first time someone calls you a horse punch him in the nose. The second time he calls you a horse call him an idiot.The third time he calls you a horse... well then it's probably time to go shopping for a saddle.

Hamburg International Airport - 1st of March 2008 (II)

Haven't been able to post the video from Youtube don't know why. Nevertheless here are the links to the landing footage.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dW4oLXFAFSg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z42fchrzhHY&feature=related

A lot has been said about this incident. I believe there is little more to add but still I find particularly odd some of the comments made. Especially those calling the pilot negligent or an idiot. I am sure I would be in favour of these if I was inside that plane, but then my pants would have been wet so I guess i would have had the right to go irrational.

I am not a pilot or an aviation expert to evaluate the maneuver accuracy. Nonetheless all this discussion reminds me of people when they talk about football ( I am sorry to all Americans and Irish people but I simply refuse to enter the word soccer in my vocabulary). Every now and then, people like to talk about of how one team didn't deserve to loose since they played much better than the other team, or of how unlucky they were in not winning. Fact of life, the only goals that count are the ones that go in.

In this case the same logic applies. The weather conditions were extreme in that day. Still the pilots are well trained to these kind of situations (I have a friend who flies these planes and he tells me that in the simulator, the minimum emergency you get is flying with a single engine). They didn't deliver the first landing but they managed to do it on a second attempt having the passengers arrived safe and sound in Hamburg. Isn't that what we require the crew to do?

PS – Next time I fly Lufthansa I would like to request these pilots. They passed through an imminent crash situation, which I believe is a far more valuable experience than a simulator.

Hamburg International Airport - 1st of March 2008

A Lufthansa Airbus A320 on a flight from Munich to Hamburg hits the left wingtip and almost drags the right engine on runway 33 during extreme weather and gusting crosswinds caused by storm Emma.

Aircraft are certified to land in steady crosswinds and crews are trained for this and do practice maximum crosswind landings in the simulator several times per year. The crosswind component at the time was 90 kilometer-per-hour (56 miles per hour) which is within the croswind limitation of the aircraft. Storms like this one called "Emma" on the 1st of March 2008 with high winds and gusts are however very demanding on the crew.

Initially they had the required crab angle but during the transition from crab to slip (upwind wing has to be low) the plane caught a severe gust during the touchdown maneuver. The gust then lifted the wing leading the aircraft to roll to the left and drift across the runway. The only correct option at this point was to go around. They landed about 20 minutes later on a different runway without further incident. Over 70 flights were canceled in Frankfurt due to the storm Emma on 1st of March 2008.

The adventures of Cristiano Ronaldo

Yes, I know I look like one of those teenage girls still listening to Backstreet Boys and screaming everytime Cristiano Ronaldo or Justin Timberlake show up on TV.
Well then, the man doesn’t fail to impress game after game and I reckon 30 goals in the season, so far, it’s a pretty big mark for a football player. Especially if we take into account that he's not a striker.
I will use this moment also to make a promise (We Portuguese people like to ask God for something and then, if it becomes real, we then go and walk on our knees for several hours in some sanctuary). Since I am not so devoted I can only say that that, if he leads us to the EURO 2008 title, I'll put a (small) poster of him on my wall (Shirt on of course) and that from then on, I'll slightly jump off my chair everytime he appears on the telly. I wanted to add that I would scream OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD!!! as well but I suppose I'll leave it to the day I find Sienna and Giselle sitting on my couch when I get home from work.

Premier League: 21 goals

Champions League: 6 goals

FA Cup: 3 goals

TAP Airbus A310 Low pass turn Portugal Airshow 2007, Evora

I wonder if I would like to get on a plane again.

Mike is a nerd... - Man stroke Woman