Irrationality Playstation style

Ok, ok, I've just received my Playstation 3 and this was a photo-finish. I tried to get it through several sites and finally got it almost out of desperation from YesAsia.

The thing is... I really didn't need to get it. I didn't need to overpay to get it now... but I wanted it, I really wanted it.

So this slight irrational behavior has led me to rethink my approach on consumerism (others and my own). It has led me to think that I'm just a (relatively old) spoiled kid who is just doing things for fun. Anyway, more to follow on this.

P.S.: The PS3 is truly an incredible gadget. Although the current games that are out still don't take advantage of its full potential and I do need to get a good HDTV (here I go again... damn it), it is a fantastic machine.

Ironic?

A suite upgrade at a hotel where you will only stay a couple of nights and couple of hours a night?

A special message for you but it's actually for somebody else (as well as the bottle of wine to go with it)?

A bottle of wine and no way to open it?

Is this what Alanis would call Ironic or is it just a strange mix of good and bad luck?

Previous notion of beauty: Found it

A couple of years ago I looked for this Cacharel ad on the Internet. I had seen it some years before in a bus stop and there was something about it. It was the blonde figure on the poster. It just seemed so close to perfection. So beautiful and earthly, yet so ethereal.

Today, I just googled it again. I hadn't tried it in years and ... I found it.

The strange thing is that it did not have the impact I thought it would have. Sure, the blonde girl is still gorgeous, but somehow the notion of beauty that she represented is not longer true. It's as if she is beautiful, but she does not represent perfection, because that notion has simply changed over the years.

No clues on my new notion of beauty. I will just share the poster any way (copyright Cacharel, in case I haven't been clear enough).

Fiction: The butterfly - now properly translated from the Portuguese original

Almada, March 27th 1999

I walked down the dirty streets of the city that had seen me born, grow and almost despair.

I looked at the grey walls that appeared to say almost everything, without ever having such ambition. The walls were the same as always and the screams that echoed in my head as well.

All of a sudden, something happened. The walls got filled with colour, several colours, many colours, I don't remember which.

The screams disappeared and I only heard beautiful laughter: sweet and pure.

Pure, immensely pure, simply pure. Laughter of those who don't expect anything in return, of those who know that we live, not because we expect everything, but because we expect something.

And what "something" was that? What something was now able to fulfil me?

I didn't know. I didn't want to know. I now accepted life with the same ingenuity with which the baby accepts the milk from his mother's breast.

I didn't want anything, but just "something".

I just wanted to be reborn.

And I was finally able to.

Can the butterfly fly?

Maybe, but even if it can't, it is certainly beautiful.

Fiction: The Butterfly - written in 1999 and poorly translated with Google Translate

Almada, 27 of March of 1999

It walked for the dirty streets of the city that had seen me to be born, to grow and almost to despair. It looked at for the cinereous walls that seemed to say almost everything, without having such pretension. E almost despaired. The walls were the same ones of always and the shouts that echoed in my head, also. Suddenly, something happened, the walls had been colored of some colors, many colors, already I do not remember which. The shouts had disappeared and alone it heard beautiful laughs, pure candies and. Pure, immensely pure, simply pure. Laughs of who do not wait nothing in exchange, of who wait to be able to give something, who know that we live, because do not wait everything, but because simply we wait something. E that “something” was this that now filled me? Not wise person. She did not want to know. Now she accepted the life with the same naivety that bébé accepted the o milk of the maternal seio. She did not want nothing, but only “something”. She only wanted re-to be born. E I obtained. It will be that now the butterfly already can fly? Perhaps, but exactly that it cannot, she is certainly beautiful.

Excerpt from Venice Preserved by Thomas Otway

O woman! lovely woman!
Nature made thee
To temper man:
We had been brutes without you.
Angels are painted fair, to look like you:
There ’s in you all that we believe of heaven,—
Amazing brightness, purity, and truth,
Eternal joy, and everlasting love.

Fiction: F-ed up

"I'm so f-ed up."
"Yes, you are."
"Look mate, you're here to help, not pull me down even more"
"Well, the fact is you have been f-ed up for a long time. I can't even remember when you weren't"
"So what do you propose?"
"I propose you stop thinking. It seemed to work for a while, remember?"
"It did, didn't it?"
"Well, you say it did. No proof though"
"Ok, ok"
"What else?"
"What else, what?"
"To help me, you know"
"Look, from what I see you are beyond lost. You are at this crossroads between everywhere and nowhere. This total vacuum of existence."
"Look Mr. Philosophy 101... practical help dude"
"Ok, ok. Practical. Leave your job and go to some island and have fun"
"Yeah, yeah"
"Well, you are reasonably successful. You have done tons of things, but you are not getting closer to your objectives, which were unrealistic in the first place"
"I see"
"Stop seeing man. Just go for it. Whatever It is. And stop the Renaissance man act"
"What do you mean?"
"You know what? You are really an arrogant bastard. You pretend you are not arrogant, but are so, so arrogant. You are in your own strange pedestal and keep reminding the rest of us 'mortals' that you are only after 'perfection' or almost"
"What a pile of shit"
"Oh now, is it? First of all, stop pretending you are normal. You are not. You will never be normal. You are way above the average and you now it. Even your personal life isn't that bad, but you keep pretending it's not good enough. It's not good enough, because you don't want it to be. It can't be or your life would be as close to perfection as it can probably ever be. You see, you would be stuck. Not much more to aim at. Sure you could aim at more money, another cute job, the woman of your life, but in general it would be evolutionary, not a step change and you love step changes"
"Ok, so what if all you've just said is true. What do I do?"
"Live life. Don't think too much. Don't think too little. Just enjoy the good moments you have and don't bring your 'incredible life stories' that show that you are inadequate and life isn't so great after all. It is great, at least for bastards like you. Oh and ignore any advice you are given"
"I will probably will, but this one doesn't seem bad"
"It doesn't, does it?"
"Well, I have to go, but thanks. You are a good friend although you pretend you are prick"
"Ah, you're welcome"

Fiction: The kite

The wind blows and the young boy moves slowly. He is looking up, his head tilted to his left.

He holds something in his hand. A wire or is it rope? He is concentrated as if he is holding more than a rope. As if he is holding some great weight. The weight of something he does not fully understand, but which he is committed to sustain. A weight he takes with him... that he moves left and right.

The young boy smiles for a moment. He tilts his head to his right and then goes serious again. He stops looking up and for a second... just one second he stops looking at his kite. When he will finally look back, he will have lost track of his kite and when he finally realizes where the kite has gone, it will be too late. It will be tangled in some wire or in some structure that outweighs it... that does not let it through.

The young boy will be upset for moment, even cry a tear or two.

Then he will abandon his kite and go home. Only to come back some days later with another rope, another kite, another weight.

Series: Northern Exposure

Difficult to explain Northern Exposure to those who haven't watched in. It is about a small town community in Cicely, Alaska. It's about a New York doctor who shouldn't be there, a radio station host come philosopher, a business woman come pilot come boyfriend "killer"... it's about... well, it's about humanity, life, everything and nothing.

It's the most philosophical series I've ever watched, it's intelectual comedy that does not apologise for being too intelectual. It was also a phenomenon in the early/mid 90s: nominated for over fifty emmys and several Golden globes, it went mainstream by not compromising the vision of its creators.

Anyway, just watch it.

Fiction: Come on

"Come on!"
"Come on, what?"
"Come on, let me see it"
"See what? There's nothing to see"
"You know. You can be a prick sometimes"
"So you keep telling me. Come on, don't be upset. I just"
"You just what?"
"I just think it's too early to show"
"Show it, show it!"
"Now, that's more like a 5 year old"
"As if Mr. Adult here never gets carried away"
"Fair point. No, I won't show you"
"Don't put your tongue out like an arrogant kid, which you are... but you know, it's not proper"
"I'll show you what's proper"
"I'll run"
"Please do"
"Come on, don't do that. We've just had lunch"
"Good exercise. You keep telling me I need to exercise"
"I'm faster than you"
"Yes, but we are in a confined space. I like to believe it's more about strategy"
"Oh, Mr. Strategist. Oh, I'm so scared"
"Girl, you are so going to be caught and then tickled into submission"
"Ok, ok. Take this."
"Why did you throw that water at me?"
"Oh, to freshen you up"
"I'm going to get you"

"Well...we've been running around the room for a couple of minutes, not making much headway"
"Yeah, I'm a bit tired"
"Me too"
"Shall we negotiate?"
"Yeah, I want to see it. I want to read it"
"Ok, but just a glimpse of the beginning of the first chapter"
"Ok, I promise"
"Here it is"
"Ok, ok..."
"Can you please read it without the sound effects?"
"Ok. Sorry"

"So, what do you think?"
"I'm on page 5. Come on. Let me read more"
"No"
"Ok. Well, I have a question: who is the girl you mention. I mean, who did you base it on?"
"Hummm"
"Well, you don't need to share. I'm just a good friend after all"
"You're teasing me"
"Yes, and?"
"How can I say this?"
"Come on, just tell me, even if I don't know her"
"It's... It's you"
"Sorry?!"
"Shit. How can I...? I really like you"
"Yes, you've said that in the past"
"I mean, I really really like you and have failed to express this...emotion for as long as we've been friends. I guess I really like you as a friends, but potentially would like to..."
"Don't say it!"
"Ok, I won't"
"I should go, shouldn't I?"
"No. Look. We are good friends. Let's just..."
"Forget all about this?"
"No, shit. What the hell am I saying? Look, I will not use the big L word, but I want to try it out. To see if we can be more than friends...slowly"
"But you know there's no way back, don't you?"
"I do and I don't know what to say"
"So don't"
"I won't"
"You do"
"Ok, I will shut up ... now"

Just like a pig

You probably know this but here it goes anyway: "In bacon and eggs, the chicken is involved, but the pig is committed."

So, I was just wondering: it's probably time I become more of a pig and less of a chicken.

Now back to our original (and some say quite boring) programming

Three clubs were a big part of my social life in London. This is an ode to them and to Phil, Agatha, Maria, Vladimir, DJ Sweet P, Kerry, Alex and all the others that made that experience so great.

Sure I had a good and full life in London, but these places were almost like home.

"And now for something completely different"

One of the truly outstanding one-liners of all times courtesy of Monty Python. A perfect illustration of nonsense comedy and the ideal interlude between different sketchs... moments and conversations that are apparently not related in any way.

Talking about Monty Python, I leave you with "Always look on the bright side of life". Not a fan of "Life of Brian", but anyway:

"Some things in life are bad
They can really make you mad
Other things just make you swear and curse.
When you're chewing on life's gristle
Don't grumble, give a whistle
And this'll help things turn out for the best...

And...always look on the bright side of life...
Always look on the light side of life...

If life seems jolly rotten
There's something you've forgotten
And that's to laugh and smile and dance and sing.
When you're feeling in the dumps
Don't be silly chumps
Just purse your lips and whistle - that's the thing.

And...always look on the bright side of life...
Always look on the light side of life...

For life is quite absurd
And death's the final word
You must always face the curtain with a bow.
Forget about your sin - give the audience a grin
Enjoy it - it's your last chance anyhow.

So always look on the bright side of death
Just before you draw your terminal breath

Life's a piece of shit
When you look at it
Life's a laugh and death's a joke, it's true.
You'll see it's all a show
Keep 'em laughing as you go
Just remember that the last laugh is on you.

And always look on the bright side of life...
Always look on the right side of life...
(Come on guys, cheer up!)
Always look on the bright side of life...
Always look on the bright side of life...
(Worse things happen at sea, you know.)
Always look on the bright side of life...
(I mean - what have you got to lose?)
(You know, you come from nothing - you're going back to nothing.
What have you lost? Nothing!)
Always look on the right side of life..."

Just as we talked about yesterday

I think You'll like this.

Series: The Sopranos

I have watched "The Sopranos" end-to-end from series 1 to part one of 6 and can only say that it is truly the series that has changed Television and put HBO on the map. It is edgy, violent, grey, but ultimately exceptional.

The acting is close to perfect. The screenplays are tight and guide you perfectly through the stories of this Mob "family".

A must-watch for anyone who believes that TV series can still be high-quality.

A message for You

Well, first thanks for today. I really enjoyed it.

Secondly, we talked about "highlights of the year" and this was definitely one of them. Not sure if it was by design or just ended up there, but it was definitely one.

Finally, I apparently need to give you hints on other posts related to you. So two posts, two hints:
- 2 to 3 weeks ago, you will get it straight away.
- 3 to 4 weeks ago, the trick is really in the abbreviation of your name.

Again, thanks and hopefully see you again next week or the week after.

Of mobile and cinema

The Sundance Institute and the GSM Association - the global mobile trade association - announced that they are launching a special project to develop short films exclusively for mobile distribution.

Although this seems to be a drop in the immense Ocean of mobile entertainment, it does illustrate an interesting point that many seem to forget: mobile is different. It is different not only because one can use services everywhere and at any time, but it is intrisically different from a user experience perspective: lower attention span, much smaller device form factor, among many other distinctive characteristics.

Yet, many seemed to believe - at least for a while - that the key to delivering content for mobile was content adaptation - basically making existing content more appropriate (in size and format) to mobile devices - NOT actually different content for mobile. I have always disagreed with that philosophy, but will not try to explain myself. Rather, I will applaud those that even in sub-scale conditions decide to try new things so that we, more than 2.5 billion mobile users of the world, can at least feel special once again.

Thank you.

Fiction: Speechless

She called him into a room and he said "Ok, what do you...". Her kiss had stopped him. He didn't know what to say after that as he also hadn’t known what to say before.

He was speechless and ultimately could only look at her in awe and then with some tenderness...not too much. He had learnt that women didn't like men who were too sensitive. At least, he thought that much he knew.

She looked at him and saw all his flaws: his inability to just "live the moment", his quirky way of dealing with awkward moments as if he was trying to justify the other person's behavior. She looked at him and said: "Did you like that?"

He thought it was a trick question. Either one that he shouldn't reply to or one where there was something that he was supposed to say, as if it was the dialogue of some movie or TV series that he had unfortunately missed. He kept quiet and just has she was turning her head to the floor as if in dismay ... "Why doesn't he answer?" - he thought that she thought... just as she was turning her head down, he said: "I love you".

Her face turned to shock and he realized there are things you simply can't say like that: without preparation, without a hint. But he should have known this. He had done similar things in the past and had always seemed to suffer from loss of timing, from loss of ability to read an intimate situation not unlike that one.

"Why not?" - he said while moving towards her. He grabbed her and kissed her. Not as if he was taking possession... no, he was just showing her that he belonged to her now. That her kiss had had a price and there was no returning him now to his former self.

She smiled and bit her lips. He smiled as well.

The Internet, Googling and Tie Knots

It is quite difficult to admit this, but until today I was only able to do one tie knot - the double-simple - and barely is the word that springs to mind. I had my friends, my father, my uncle and even my colleagues to do more complex knots for me - namely the Windsor - and never really knew how to do it. I just had the feeling someone would always do it for me or I would use the double-simple when I was in trouble.

This will look silly to most of you, but it's not the point of today's post.

The point is that today I decided to do the Windsor knot. I "googled" 'tie knot' and found several sites showing how to do it. I downloaded some diagrams and managed to do the knot for the first time in my life. It doesn't look perfect, but it's a start.

"So the point is that you now know how to do the damn knot?"

Not really. I don't think I could do it without looking at the diagram again and even if I don't have my laptop with me, I always know where to get it: the Internet using Google or some other search engine.

And this is the point of the post: are we really learning with the propagation of the Internet and the enhancement of search engines?

Probably not, it's almost like there is an immense knowledge on the Internet - more specifically on the World Wide Web - but it's just suspended above us and we pick it up whenever we want. The problem is a lot of the times - not always, granted - we are really not learning, because like me with the knots we take it for granted that we can always get it.

So I thought: what would happen to the world, if the WWW didn't work for 1 day, 1 week? What would happen if this suspended knowledge went away for a while? Other things would go away as well: transaction websites and ultimately if the Internet infrastructure wouldn't work, communication tools like email, among many other things.

I remember someone once wrote a short story about the future where this by then uber-connectivity would stop and people would finally rediscover the world around them: the smells, the landscapes, etc.

Well, this post is getting too deep already, so I will leave you with this thought: I love the Internet and am marvelled at the way it - as well as, for instance, mobile communications - has changed our lives, but I just hope we, and generations to come, don't forget to look around and rediscover ourselves, and those around us ... once in a while.

Whenever Wherever Whatever by Maxwell

Lead me on girl if you must
Take my heart and my love
Take of me all that you must
And if there's a thing that you need
I'd give you the breath that I breathe
'N if ever you yearn for the love in me
Whenever Whwerever Whatever

Wish I knew if I could
Be the one that you would
Love forever 'n a day baby
And if there's a thing that you need
For you 'n your blood I would bleed
Whenever Wherever Whatever

And if there's a thing that you need
I'd give you the breath that I breathe
'N if ever you yearn for the love in me
Whenever Wherever Whatever

P.S.: Just thought about this song. No message at all.