- Shrek the Third is decent, but not as good as the previous ones. I give it a 7.
- the White Stripes' newest single (Icky Thumps) sounds promising.
- Brandon Flowers (The Killers) lost his voice on their last show in Denver (allegedly due to a bronchitis crisis); 8 hours previous to the scheduled time they also postponed Seattle's presentation by one week, meaning two things: (1) I won't see them (because I will be out of town next week) and (2) neither hundreds of other alternative music fans will (because the new time conflicts with Sasquatch). Bleh.
Monday, May 21, 2007
Friday, May 18, 2007
Starcraft 2
www.starcraft2.com currently redirects the user to www.blizzard.com, which shows a list of all games published by Blizzard along with their year of release. The list ends with a big question mark. Guess what? Yeah, baby. We will be saving the universe once again. En Taro Adun!
(19-May-07) Update: Blizzard has officially announced Stacraft II. The above mentioned website now contains a variety of media material, including screenshots, artwork and videos. My initial impression was disappointment - after so long, I was expecting a lot more innovation. The screenshots showed a new 3D engine and pretty much the same game. Still hopeful, I went to watch the cinematic trailer. Those 4 minutes changed my opinion entirely; after watching it I was cheering in front of my PC. Blizzard did a perfect job of reminding me that the original formula was fantastic, and that keeping it could only lead to another great game.
Hell, it's about time.
(19-May-07) Update: Blizzard has officially announced Stacraft II. The above mentioned website now contains a variety of media material, including screenshots, artwork and videos. My initial impression was disappointment - after so long, I was expecting a lot more innovation. The screenshots showed a new 3D engine and pretty much the same game. Still hopeful, I went to watch the cinematic trailer. Those 4 minutes changed my opinion entirely; after watching it I was cheering in front of my PC. Blizzard did a perfect job of reminding me that the original formula was fantastic, and that keeping it could only lead to another great game.
Hell, it's about time.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Sunday, May 13, 2007
deserted cities thoughts
I watched "28 Weeks Later" yesterday. As its prequel, it features amazing takes of these post-apocalyptic, deserted, abandoned cities. Vanilla Sky's scene where Tom Cruise finds himself alone in the middle of Times Square also comes to mind. I find these scenes terribly appealing.
When I was younger and more rebellious, I liked those because they represented a start from scratch, a new chance to do things "right". Today my beliefs in "right" or "wrong" are less radical, and I see that having everyone else killed is likely not a best bet. Still, the empty streets have a deep impact on me. I figured why: it's about humanity.
Have you ever wondered what is humanity's goal, what is it we really care about as species? It's survival. And being all alone on the remains of the civilization is all about that. The survivors carry the immense responsibility of keeping mankind alive. They carry not only the genes, but also part of the knowledge we accumulated over thousands of years. If left alone, would you be able to help rebuild the planet? Would you truthfully teach our past history and myths? Would you build bridges or electricity generators? Would you cook, sew, medicate, repair, create, govern? Which values would you choose, which culture would you create?
These thoughts appeal to my innermost humanity, they make me feel responsible for and part of a greater entity. Each of us carry all the human generations in ourselves, and that's what should guide us and keep us together. "Humanity" is the ultimate moral value.
When I was younger and more rebellious, I liked those because they represented a start from scratch, a new chance to do things "right". Today my beliefs in "right" or "wrong" are less radical, and I see that having everyone else killed is likely not a best bet. Still, the empty streets have a deep impact on me. I figured why: it's about humanity.
Have you ever wondered what is humanity's goal, what is it we really care about as species? It's survival. And being all alone on the remains of the civilization is all about that. The survivors carry the immense responsibility of keeping mankind alive. They carry not only the genes, but also part of the knowledge we accumulated over thousands of years. If left alone, would you be able to help rebuild the planet? Would you truthfully teach our past history and myths? Would you build bridges or electricity generators? Would you cook, sew, medicate, repair, create, govern? Which values would you choose, which culture would you create?
These thoughts appeal to my innermost humanity, they make me feel responsible for and part of a greater entity. Each of us carry all the human generations in ourselves, and that's what should guide us and keep us together. "Humanity" is the ultimate moral value.
Monday, May 07, 2007
Sunday, May 06, 2007
Thursday, April 26, 2007
coachella!
Backpack is ready: tent, sleeping bag, soft clothes for the desert, a white towel, a spreadsheet with the list of all bands and a bunch of mp3 to make choices on the flight to LA. Yay!
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Against the war
Answering my sister's requests, the result of a lazy Sunday afternoon: my friend and I went to see a "protest" against the war here in Seattle. When we finally got there, most people were already gone. The scattered crowd which remained there was enough for a somewhat funny video. Comments in Portuguese.
camera by me; video and sound edition by Hermann; comments by both of us
camera by me; video and sound edition by Hermann; comments by both of us
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Monday, March 19, 2007
Farewell
(free translation of Cecília Meireles' poem: Despedida. Suggestions for improvements are welcome.
to a friend who reminds me of her)
For me, and for you, and for all that
that is where others will never be,
I leave the angry sea and the peaceful sky:
I want loneliness.
My path has no signs nor landscapes.
And how do you know it? - they will ask me.
- By not having words, by not having images.
Not a single enemy and not a single brother.
What do you look for? - Everything. What do you want? - Nothing.
I travel alone with my heart.
I don't walk lost, but unfound.
I carry my way on my hand.
The memory flew off my face.
Flew my love, my imagination.
Maybe I'll die before the horizon.
Memory, love and the rest where to be found?
I leave my body here, between the sun and the earth.
(I kiss you, body of mine, all delusion!
Sad banner of a strange war...)
I want loneliness.
to a friend who reminds me of her)
For me, and for you, and for all that
that is where others will never be,
I leave the angry sea and the peaceful sky:
I want loneliness.
My path has no signs nor landscapes.
And how do you know it? - they will ask me.
- By not having words, by not having images.
Not a single enemy and not a single brother.
What do you look for? - Everything. What do you want? - Nothing.
I travel alone with my heart.
I don't walk lost, but unfound.
I carry my way on my hand.
The memory flew off my face.
Flew my love, my imagination.
Maybe I'll die before the horizon.
Memory, love and the rest where to be found?
I leave my body here, between the sun and the earth.
(I kiss you, body of mine, all delusion!
Sad banner of a strange war...)
I want loneliness.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Pratchett's notes on physics
I'm currently reading Terry Pratchett's Discworld. The mere fact that I hadn't done so in 25 years is an unforgivable character flaw. Anyway, aside from all other objects of his sarcasm, he seems to have a special warm place in his heart for advanced physics... So, here are a couple quotes from the books I've already read, to share the wisdom.
"While I'm still confused and uncertain, it's on a much higher plane, d'you see, and at least I know I'm bewildered about the really fundamental and important facts of the universe." Treatle nodded. "I hadn't looked at it like that," he said, "But you're absolutely right. He's really pushed back the boundaries of ignorance." They both savoured the strange warm glow of being much more ignorant than ordinary people, who were only ignorant of ordinary things.
[Terry Pratchett - Equal Rites]
The only thing known to go faster than ordinary light is monarchy, according to the philosopher Ly Tin Weedle. He reasoned like this: you can't have more than one king, and tradition demands that there is no gap between kings, so when a king dies the succession must therefore pass to the heir instantaneously. Presumably, he said, there must be some elementary particles -- kingons, or possibly queons -- that do this job, but of course succession sometimes fails if, in mid-flight, they strike an anti-particle, or republicon. His ambitious plans to use his discovery to send messages, involving the careful torturing of a small king in order to modulate the signal, were never fully expanded because, at that point, the bar closed.
[Terry Pratchett - Mort]
Friday, March 02, 2007
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
new layout
I'm experimenting a new layout here. If you read this blog every once in a while, would you be so kind as to leave a comment saying whether you like this better than the other (or that you don't care)?
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
changes
Gondolin was converted to English, since Renato, André and I were already writing in English. If you see reminiscences of Portuguese somewhere in the template, please let us know. No, we're not translating old posts to English - arbitrary estimates say that only about 7.2 people read this blog regularly.
We also got rid of the Haloscan comments. They started to put ads even in the RSS feeds and I finally got sick of them.
We also got rid of the Haloscan comments. They started to put ads even in the RSS feeds and I finally got sick of them.
On the Radio
Regina Spektor, proving simple can be very good:
No, this is how it works
You peer inside yourself
You take the things you like
And try to love the things you took
And then you take that love you made
And stick it into some
Someone else's heart
Pumping someone else's blood
And walking arm in arm
You hope it don't get harmed
But even if it does
You'll just do it all again
No, this is how it works
You peer inside yourself
You take the things you like
And try to love the things you took
And then you take that love you made
And stick it into some
Someone else's heart
Pumping someone else's blood
And walking arm in arm
You hope it don't get harmed
But even if it does
You'll just do it all again
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Coachella
From Wikipedia:
I already got my concert tickets, airplane tickets and a tent. Yay!
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (also commonly referred to as simply Coachella) is now a three-day annual music festival (2-day until its 2007 edition) held at the Empire Polo Fields in Indio, California. The event features many genres of music including alternative rock, hip hop, and electronica.
I already got my concert tickets, airplane tickets and a tent. Yay!
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Carioca
I've just bought Chico Buarque's latest album Carioca and I must confess I'm kinda disappointed with both the lyrics and the music. Anyway, I know that may change as I get more used to the new stuff --- that's what happened with As Cidades, for example.
Below, the lyrics of my favourite song from the new album:
Ela Faz Cinema
(Chico Buarque, 2006)
Quando ela chora
Não sei se é dos olhos para fora
Não sei do que ri
Eu não sei se ela agora
Está fora de si
Ou se é o estilo de uma grande dama
Quando me encara e desata os cabelos
Não sei se ela está mesmo aqui
Quando se joga na minha cama
Ela faz cinema
Ela faz cinema
Ela é a tal
Sei que ela pode ser mil
Mas não existe outra igual
Quando ela mente
Não sei se ela deveras sente
O que mente para mim
Serei eu meramente
Mais um personagem efêmero
Da sua trama
Quando vestida de preto
Dá-me um beijo seco
Prevejo meu fim
E a cada vez que o perdão
Me clama
Ela faz cinema
Ela faz cinema
Ela é demais
Talvez nem me queira bem
Porém faz um bem que ninguém
Me faz
Eu não sei
Se ela sabe o que fez
Quando fez o meu peito
Cantar outra vez
Quando ela jura
Não sei por que deus ela jura
Que tem coração
E quando o meu coração
Se inflama
Ela faz cinema
Ela faz cinema
Ela é assim
Nunca será de ninguém
Porém eu não sei viver sem
E fim
PS: I've decided to post to this weblog in English too, so I can practice my writing a little bit... Corrections and suggestions are welcome.
Below, the lyrics of my favourite song from the new album:
Ela Faz Cinema
(Chico Buarque, 2006)
Quando ela chora
Não sei se é dos olhos para fora
Não sei do que ri
Eu não sei se ela agora
Está fora de si
Ou se é o estilo de uma grande dama
Quando me encara e desata os cabelos
Não sei se ela está mesmo aqui
Quando se joga na minha cama
Ela faz cinema
Ela faz cinema
Ela é a tal
Sei que ela pode ser mil
Mas não existe outra igual
Quando ela mente
Não sei se ela deveras sente
O que mente para mim
Serei eu meramente
Mais um personagem efêmero
Da sua trama
Quando vestida de preto
Dá-me um beijo seco
Prevejo meu fim
E a cada vez que o perdão
Me clama
Ela faz cinema
Ela faz cinema
Ela é demais
Talvez nem me queira bem
Porém faz um bem que ninguém
Me faz
Eu não sei
Se ela sabe o que fez
Quando fez o meu peito
Cantar outra vez
Quando ela jura
Não sei por que deus ela jura
Que tem coração
E quando o meu coração
Se inflama
Ela faz cinema
Ela faz cinema
Ela é assim
Nunca será de ninguém
Porém eu não sei viver sem
E fim
PS: I've decided to post to this weblog in English too, so I can practice my writing a little bit... Corrections and suggestions are welcome.
Sunday, January 21, 2007
etc
Long Islands are not your friends, specially if they come in groups.
The Pan's Labyrinth is finally being shown here. I liked it a lot, even though I feel I may have missed some of the references.
Children of Men is also pretty good. It's specially interesting to see how our projected fears are now leading to a quite different dystopia then what we saw in the last century in 1984 or Brave New World.
The Pan's Labyrinth is finally being shown here. I liked it a lot, even though I feel I may have missed some of the references.
Children of Men is also pretty good. It's specially interesting to see how our projected fears are now leading to a quite different dystopia then what we saw in the last century in 1984 or Brave New World.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
cold
Back to Seattle (coming from two warm weeks in Brazil), having fun with the snow and ice:
1) After one of the worst days of snow here, traffic to get back home is awful. To take advantage of the carpool lane, two friends come to my office so we can go together in my car. On their way out, someone asks:
"Does your friend have a 4x4?"
"No, he has courage"
2) In the morning, the radio plays the weather forecast music; the DJ starts the program yelling:
"Global warming my ASS!"
3) http://youtube.com/watch?v=BQuwyURdymc
1) After one of the worst days of snow here, traffic to get back home is awful. To take advantage of the carpool lane, two friends come to my office so we can go together in my car. On their way out, someone asks:
"Does your friend have a 4x4?"
"No, he has courage"
2) In the morning, the radio plays the weather forecast music; the DJ starts the program yelling:
"Global warming my ASS!"
3) http://youtube.com/watch?v=BQuwyURdymc
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
