Friday, July 30, 2010

WTIAS Answers No. 5 - Ali Hewson

Please read WTIAS No. 5 first!

My main drive has always been my children and since having had my children I became much more aware of what was going on in the atmosphere, the environment and I wanted to be able to buy clothes for my children that weren’t made by other people’s children. [Right]

So there was a couple of different ideas that kind of converged together. And if you look at any developing country one of the first industries that starts is the clothing industry, starts with a couple of sewing machines, little factory develops. In Africa the cotton industry was already there so it seemed like the right direction to go, but at the moment we go into factories that already exist. [Ok]. And at this point what they need in most of those  developing countries is trade. They just need more business to keep their present factories opened.

[So you purchase from the businesses that are already established and then help them distribute it elsewhere. Ok. Got it. Great].

Exactly. And plus by working with, I mean, being such a tiny company, you know, it’s very much experimental at this point, but working with factories to help develop their skills, you know, designers go down there. They see what they can do. They try and help them do new stitches or whatever. So it makes them more attractive then to other companies coming in  if they have new skills.       

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Kopy - The Cat

Kopy the cat didn't have a thinking cap
Kopy the cat it's time to take a nap
All that copying left you tired
Hopefully tomorrow you'll be inspired
Go now and be good
Your insecurity is understood




Image: Kyle-Brady.com

Sunday, July 25, 2010

WTIAS No. 4 - Ali Hewson



My ____ ____ has always been my ____ and ____ having had my ____ I ____ much more ____ of what was ____ on ____ the ____, the ____ and I wanted ____ be ____ to buy ____ for my ____ that ____ made ____ other people’s ____. [Right]

So ____ was a ____ of ____ ideas that kind of ____ ____. And if you look ____ any ____ ____ one ____ the first ____ that ____ is the ____ ____, starts with a ____ of ____ ____, litlle ____ ____. In Africa the ____ ____ was ____ there so it seemed like the ____ ____ to ____, but ____ the ____ we ____ ____ factories that ____ ____. [Ok]. And ____ this ____ what they ____ in ____ of those ____ ____ is ____. They just ____ more ____ to ____ their ____ factories ____.

[So you ____ ____ the ____ that are already ____ and then help them ____ it ____. Ok. ____ it. Great].

Exactly. And ____ by ____ ____, I mean, ____ such a ____ ____, you know, it’s ____ much ____ at this ____. But working ____ ____ to ____ ____ their ____. You know, ____ go ____ there. They ____ ____ they can ____. They ____ and ____ do ____ ____ or whatever. So it ____ them more ____ then to ____ companies ____ ____ if they have ____ ____.

Friday, July 23, 2010

Brazilian DJ invites you to his double birthday bash in Dublin

DJ Marcelo Falcao invites you to both his birthday parties this Saturday, July 24th in Dublin.

The first party will be held at Think Tank, Eustace Street, Temple Bar and you can put your name on the guest list until 11.30 by sending an email to marcelofalcao[at]live.ie or an sms to 087 9604149.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Rio Style by Brazilian Fashion Journalist Leticia Ribeiro

Leticia Ribeiro
Brazilian fashion journalist Leticia Ribeiro prepared a special post to Connection Rio's podcast listeners on her blog Canal Moda and I thought my readers who are planning to visit Brazil would benefit from learning about the carioca fashion style. Cariocas are the native people of Rio.

She also gives tips on social etiquette for the night time and how not to look foreign, which is a great way to avoid attention from sellers on the beach. Also if you can get a fake tan before going it would help in this regard. 

To see the pictures taken by the Brazilian street style website Rioetc that Leticia selected click hereHere is the podcast hosted by Dennis Asche from Connection Rio:

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

It´s Addictive. It´s Hurts.

So there I was checking my friend's updates on Facebook when I saw this little ad on the right hand corner of the page asking me if I like Keane and encouraging me to download the Hurts' single.

To be honest I don't think Hurts have the same sound as Keane. What they have in common is that they both sound great. Keane is happy-to-be-sad type of music, which is a different type of sad than let's say Radiohead, which is unhappy-to-be-sad-oh-please-God-help-me.

Hurts is more of a combination of Depeche Mode and Pet Shop Boys. It may have a bit of sad poetry, yet it has subtle uplifting beats like Pet Shop Boys.

Today I've been listening to Better Than Love and Wonderful Life repeatedly whenever I´m on the computer. I chose the latter for this post because of the dramatic and unusual moves of the British dancer. Well, I suppose she's British like the band. 

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Diário de um Cão


Posso garantir que o diário acima não retrata a vida de nenhum cão meu. A questão é que ter um cão requer planejamento a longo prazo tanto no que refere-se a tempo quanto a gastos. 

Um cão não deve passar o dia inteiro sozinho ou na companhia de pessoas que não lhe dão qualquer atenção, por exemplo. Caminhadas diárias são importantes. Escovação faz-se necessária na proporção da quantidade e tipo de pelo.

O bom trato não impede o surgimento de doenças próprias de cada raça. Um tratamento com antibióticos pode durar de 18 a 21 dias. Vacinas são essenciais. Ração de qualidade não é barata. Banhos em pet shops são a saída para quem é atarefado ou simplesmente não dispõe de espaço, especialmente no caso de cães de grande porte em apartamento. Problemas de pele podem significar rações e shampoos especiais. Viagens podem traduzir-se no dispêndio com hotéis próprios para cães.

Isto são alguns dos fatores a serem considerados antes de se comprar ou adotar um cão. Logicamente imprevistos ocorrem, mas na pior das hipóteses é mais humano contar com grupos de apoio para cães e encontrar um novo lar a abandoná-lo. 

Eu sou a favor da colocação de microchips em animais domésticos e da punição de quem os abandona. Isso já acontece em alguns países europeus, tal como a Itália e os Estados Unidos. Em São Paulo há lei municipal desde 2007 nesse sentido. Em Florianópolis o projeto de lei foi aprovado no começo de 2010, mas a lei ainda não foi efetivada.

Talvez os políticos precisem sofrer pressão popular para proteger os animais. Esta é uma medida simples e efetiva. Entendo que é delicada, pois no nosso país muitos sequer podem tratar da sua família direito, mas isso não pode ser empecilho. Entrei em contato com a UIPA. Alguém mais tem interesse nisso?

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Answers LE No. 3 - Larry Mullen



You dont know me but my story is a common  one 
because my life has  changed since I became HIV positive.
Now I live my life at  the  back of the queue
At the doctor, dentist. They see everyone before  me.
They have their own  reasons I suppose but its  hard
Always at the back for everything
Always last for everything


Not my words but the real live experience of someone forced  to live with the stigma we attach  to people living with or affected by HIV.

The thing is there is now good treatment for HIV but  where is the treatment for the way the rest  of  us think.

Friday, July 16, 2010

WTIAS No. 3 - Larry Mullen

Sugiro tentar uma vez sem ler.


You dont ____ me ____ my ____ is a ____  one 
because ___ life ____  ____ since I ____ HIV ____.
___ I ____ my life ____  the  ____ of the ____. 
____ the doctor, ____. They ____ everyone ____  me.
They ___ their ____  reasons I suppose ____ its  ____
Always ____   ____  ____ for everything
Always ____ for ____

___ my ____ but the real ____  ____ of someone ____  to live ____ the stigma we ____  to people ____  with or ____  by HIV.

The  ____  ____ there is ____ good treatment ____ HIV but  ____  ____ the treatment ____ the way the ____  of  ____ think.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Veja o cúmulo do machismo

Eis o cenário: uma revista, 8 colunistas, 1 suspeito e 1 vítima. Na página principal vê-se 3 colunistas do sexo masculino sempre destacados antes ou à frente de qualquer um do sexo feminino. 

Uma das colunistas é médica psicanalista, especializada na França e escritora com livros publicados na Europa e Ásia. Ela trata de uma gama infindável de assuntos complexos e importantes. Sua coluna é reduzida às palavras sexualidade e consultório sentimental. 

Passemos ao suspeito com destaque na mídia no momento. Ele é acusado de cometer uma sequência de crimes que levaram ao mais sério deles: o homicídio com maior ¨desrequinte¨ de crueldade de todos os tempos. 

Alguns dirão que a revista deu o nome do mais provável criminoso ao caso, pois ao contrário da vítima, ele é famoso e que o objetivo das revistas é vender. 

Todavia este argumento é simplista. Não leva em consideração que ao intitular o caso com o nome do possível criminoso, a revista perpetua a fama, mesmo que negativa, de quem deveria ser esquecido. Colabora não somente para o esquecimento do nome da vítima, mas para o mais importante: que este crime representa a concretização da mais recente e cruel violência cometida contra uma mulher na sociedade brasileira. 

Se reduz-se uma médica à palavras triviais, desintegram uma mulher vítima da própria sorte de uma forma quase tão fria quanto o foi fora das páginas. 

Isto, contudo, não é feito propositalmente. É fruto do machismo, que é tão arraigado na cultura brasileira que poucos veem ou questionam. 

Se o que nos é oferecido perpetua a valorização dos feitos dos homens em detrimento do das das mulheres devemos questionar o que é posto à nossa frente. Temos que desenvolver a igualdade dos sexos para alcançar os países já desenvolvidos nesse sentido urgentemente! 

Saturday, July 10, 2010

WTIAS Answers No. 2 - I am lion by The Cast of Cheers

Press F5 if the audio does not appear.
<a href="http://thecastofcheers.bandcamp.com/album/chariot">Goose by The Cast of Cheers</a>

Morning, just another day
I have seen so many that my heart could give away
Oh these days all blend into one
Lunchtime after deadline after evening meets the sun

I fail to be unimpressed (with)
The actions that you carry with your actions under stress...
...show me more about your character
Than you could ever show me had you known that I was there

I lion will eat you
The closer that you cometh
The closer is the fool
My open jaw on the amber blue
The closer that you cometh
The closer I am to you

Hear this, I can never wait
I will keep on spinning
I will never stay the same
Hour glass, you are a true guide
Of my nature and intention you are by my side
lyrics

Friday, July 09, 2010

Bono donates hat to charity auction in Brazil

Bono Brasilia
Bono outside Granja do Torto where he had barbecue with Brazil's President in 2006.


Bono has donated one of his hats to be auctioned by a Sao Paulo based charity who teach Paraisopolis slum children how to read. 

Celebrities hair dresser Wanderley Nunes runs the project and met Bono during his visit to Brasilia in 2006. 

According to Kiss FM Bono wrote Love and Pizza on the hat. When corruption is investigated and no one is found responsible, which is very often the case in Brazil, it is said "It ended in pizza". 

Tough it cannot be said that Bono had this in mind when he signed the hat as he paid Brasilia a visit after an invitation by President Lula, who was accused of being aware if not directly involved in the bribery scheme called mensalão the year before his visit.

The auction will take place in August and it is believed the minimum bid will be €8,000.

Thursday, July 08, 2010

WTIAS No. 2 - I am lion by The Cast of Cheers

Sugiro tentar ao menos uma vez sem ler a letra.
<a href="http://thecastofcheers.bandcamp.com/track/i-am-lion">I am lion by The Cast of Cheers</a>
Press F5 if the audio does not appear.
Morning, ____ another ____
I have ____ so many that my ____ could ____ _____
Oh these days all ____ ____ one
Lunchtime after ____ after _____ meets the ____

I ____ to be unimpressed (with)
The ____ that you ____ with your ____ under stress...
...show me ____ about your _____
Than you could ____ show me ____ you ____ that I was there

I ____ will ____ you
The closer that you ____
The closer is the ____
My open ____ on the ____ blue
The closer that you ____
The closer I am to ____

____ this, I can never ____
I ____ keep on ____
I ____ never ____the same
Hour glass, you are a ____ guide
Of my nature and ___ you are ____ my ____

lyrics

Wednesday, July 07, 2010

WTIAS Answers No. 1 - Bono at Croke Park



*... in a long line of U2 accessories, our very own space station. It’s gonna take us [to] all kinds of places over the next year, but before we put a deposit down we wanted to make sure  that it would also get us home so, I mean, actually home, if you know what I mean, safe and sound type of thing.  Anyway we had a top night last night but we’re gonna top it tonight easily.  And then we’re gonna top ourselves on Monday night. It should make a few people happy but they’re not here. You’re here! It’s like a big Irish wedding this whole thing. And people fighting in the toilets, babies being made, babies being born, love making, all kinds of stuff going on for our visitors from out of town from Chile or Brazil or…


[This is what we brought home the latest]...


Use going to instead of gonna in your English tests.

Tuesday, July 06, 2010

WTIAS No. 1 - Bono at Croke Park



*... in a ___ line ____ U2 accessories, our ____  ____ space station. It’s gonna take us [to] all ____  ____ places over the next year, but before we ____ a deposit ____ we wanted to ____  ____  that it would also ____  us home so, I mean, actually home,  if you ____ what I ____, ____ and ____ type of thing.  Anyway we had a ___ night last night but we’re gonna ____ it tonight ____.  And then we’re gonna ____  ____ on Monday night. It should make ____  ____ people ____ but they’re not here. You’re here! It’s like a big Irish ____ this whole thing. And  people ____ in the toilets, babies being ____, babies being ____, love making, all ____ ____ stuff going ___ for our visitors from ____ ____ ____ from Chile or Brazil or…


[This is what we brought home the latest]...


The answers will follow tomorrow. 

Monday, July 05, 2010

Incrível Animação: Big Bang Big Room

Um ponto de vista não científico sobre o ínicio e a evolução da vida e como ela  poderia terminar - BLU*. 



Eu decidi conferir esta animação porque ela recebeu o aval do ator John Cusack. Imaginei que valeria a pena e se você já assistiu deve concordar comigo. O vídeo me surpreendeu pela originalidade. As paredes literalmente ganharam vida com as cores de Blu

Espero que ganhe tanta repercussão quanto à Guerra das Camisetas que foi dirigido e editado pelo nosso conterrâneo Joe Penna: o famoso MisteryGuitarMan. Volta e meia ele é destacado na página inicial do YouTube aqui. O sucesso deste paulista rompeu a fronteira irlandesa também. 


*BLU é comandada pela empresa Tokyopop, a maior fornecedora de desenhos manga fora do Japão desde 2005.

Sunday, July 04, 2010

Gale & Blight Warning by Met Éireann

Met Éireann is the Irish meteorological service. I checked their website late this morning to find out today´s wind speed as it´s been humming fiercely (65 km/h or 41 miles) . I found out there is both a gale and a blight warning in place. This is not the first gale warning I know of and certainly won´t be the last because Ireland is an island - I tell myself. 

Every now and then you feel like you´re out in the ocean when you´re trying to sleep and hear the strong winds. It doesn´t concern me anymore as nothing happens as a result of it - I tell myself again. 

Now the blight warning is something new to me, but very close to Irish people´s hearts because it caused the destruction of the potato plantations in 1840 and culminated with The Hunger. Potato plights are no longer a concern nowadays as potatoes can be imported from England and poverty as it were is well in the past. 

Thus I´m not concerned about the blight warning either. I don´t know if potato growers feel the same way. I hope they can overcome this, continue to make a living out of it and last, but not least, that we can carry on eating potatoes as often as we have been. Potatoes have just about replaced rice in my diet and I just love mashed potatoes.

Below an audio of the wind in our kitchen and a video footage taken outside the house. The sound in the video is more telling than the image, I guess. 



Best Selling Contemporary Irish Writers

This post is for Karen Senoo and everyone who is interested in reading books by acclaimed Irish writers other than Marian Keyes, Maeve Binchy and Cecilia Aherns. 

If you click on the writers' names you will see their books. The names below are in no particular order.

Female:   Roisin Meaney,  Ciara Geraghty,   Lorna Byrne,  Valerie O´Brien.

Male:   Aidan Storey ,  John Quinn,  Brian Friel,  Richard Moore,  Colum McCann.

These writers are the best selling Irish writers nowadays according to Eason which is the equivalent of FNAC for books in Ireland. This country has a constellation of authors and this list doesn´t do them justice. There are  hundreds of books by Irish authors being sold in Ireland today. When I have a chance I'll update this post. 

Saturday, July 03, 2010

Dancing to Harissa May

I have been listening to Harissa May’s soul covers over a year now. Today I was pleasantly surprised when I heard her new dance song Not My Baby. I think she did justice to dance divas Madonna and Kyle Minogue. I find it impressive that she can sing in English without any accent. She’s from Belgium and obviously sing in her native language too. 

Song by Derrick Clarcq.

Friday, July 02, 2010

Liam Brady: Holland didn’t win with good soccer

That was one of the things he said after Brazil v Holland on RTE Sports today. I say Holland won due to better mentality.

Dunga has a strong character and that is one of the reasons why he became Brazil’s coach. His players, however, didn’t manage to replicate it on the field today.

Brady also said Robinho lost it after Julio Cesar missed the ball that led to the first goal. I believe Robinho started to lose it right in the beginning of the game when the Dutch gave it a cynical tone.

I say cynical as to reproduce Bradys second most telling word to describe the match. To me it sounds as a lighter way of saying violent. The first most telling word he used was terrible. He said Brazil v Holland was a terrible game.

Again Brady said that if the referee had started giving yellow cards from the beginning things may have been different. He said that fault Van Bommel committed against Lucio was worthy of a red card. "How he managed to stay in the pitch, I don’t know", he said. I believe the referee let Brazil down and the cynicism from both teams to go on.

Finally, Brady said unlike Holland, Brazil lacked self-discipline. I agree and believe Kaka didnt show his best soccer either. On top of that Robinhos inability to stay cool destabilised the team. Sneijder was the star of the match. He appeared more determined to do a good job and displayed more flare than our players.


Below 2 Brazil supporters n 1 Holland supporter:World Cup 2010




Photo of the Dutch: Getty Images 

Thursday, July 01, 2010

NASA spot aliens playing football on planet Zinux

By Danny Rogers at Printee Art Gallery.


NASA astronaut Marcos Bridges has issued a report stating his team spotted aliens playing football on planet Zinux.

Bridges team used high tech Translator devices to hold a press conference and found out aliens became increasingly upset with the performance of their favourite teams on planet Earth and decided to quickly organise a World Cup of their own.

Brances coach told NASA he watched the qualifying games on Earth closely and disguised himself as a leprechaun because he thought it was a good camouflage. He explained he felt bad when his favourite football star used his hands to guarantee a place in Africa and that he later became depressed because TITA wouldn’t let him change his team’s name to Trialand.

Bridges’ team then asked Brances coach what team his nation supported instead. The coach burst into tears and explained he preferred not to answer that question as they have all been knocked out of the World cup.

Bridges’ team finished the press conference by asking Brance’s coach if he didn’t feel Brazil would be a safer bet. He replied that Brazil is a large country with too many supporters and that if their own biggest TV channel has started a negative campaign against their coach that he wouldn’t be the one to support this team. He finished by saying he is supporting Ghana based on humanitarian grounds.