Casos Maitê vs. Saramago

Esta última semana e meia tem sido propícia a idiotices! Primeiro foi o caso "Maitê Proença". E aqui não confiro o grau de idiota à actriz brasileira, mas a toda a gente que deu importância ao vídeo feito por ela. Chiaç! cambada de energúmenos sem nada para fazer. Dar tempo noticioso a isso? capas de revistas? Até parece que nunca um português cuspiu no Cristo Redentor ou mijou aos pés da Torre Eiffel... Nem nunca um português ridicularizou costumes de outros povos... Claro... Somos sim um povo sem capacidade de auto-crítica, refém de um complexo de inferioridade, e com um sentimento paternalista em relação às ex-colónias. É pena. Poderíamos crescer muito mais se trabalhássemos o nosso quintal ao invés defender exacerbadamente tudo o que vai mal nele. Somos nós que nos rimos do Sasha Baron Cohen quando veste a pele de "Borat" e goza com os americanos. Isso já vale a pena? Também somos nós que nos rimos da personagem "Wanderlei" interpretada pelo Jel, que estereotipa um brasileiro, no seu programa "Vai Tudo Abaixo", Estará correcto isso? Claro que sim! É humor. E quer queiramos quer não, também nós podemos ser "vítimas" dele. Depois veio a segunda idiotice. José Saramago critica a Bíblia, caracterizando-a como "um manual de maus costumes, um catálogo de crueldade e do pior da natureza humana". 

Até aí tudo bem, afinal de contas nenhuma outra fábula serviu de pretexto para tantos massacres, nem continua a servir hoje em dia para sustentar desigualdades de carácter social, como esta fábula. Depois veio a declaração idiota da semana: "Tenho vergonha de o ter como compatriota! Ou julga que, a coberto da liberdade de expressão, se lhe aceitam todas as imbecilidades e impropérios?", questiona o eurodeputado Mário David para www.news-bite.com. Podia jurar que liberdade de expressão conferia ao senhor Saramago esse mesmo direito, o de expressar o que sente. Estava enganado portanto. Ao que parece em Abril lutou-se para se poder dizer o que se quisesse desde que fosse de acordo com o que certas pessoas permitissem. "Se a outorga do Prémio Nobel o deslumbrou, não lhe confere a autoridade para vilipendiar povos e confissões religiosas, valores que certamente desconhece mas que definem as pessoas de bom carácter". Mais uma vez vejo uma crença minha a ir por água a baixo. Podia jurar que eu era boa pessoa, e com carácter. Mas ao que parece por ser ateu, e consequentemente desprovido de crença religiosa, não se me pode ser associada essa característica. Chiça, sou uma cobra! Já Salazar, era um senhor religioso. Hitler era temente a Deus também.

Magalhães atravessa o Atlântico até à Venezuela

Acho óptimo que o Magalhães vá para a Venezuela em força. Acho óptimo que já tenham ido 50 mil unidades, e que se preparem para ir mais 300 mil. Mas, será que não se deveria primeiro entregar a todos os alunos em Portugal primeiro? E não será de estranhar que este apoio internacional a José Sócrates apareça na altura que aparece? Até porque na Venezuela um ano lectivo desenrola-se de Fevereiro a Dezembro, o que torna Setembro uma altura caricata para Hugo Chavéz aparecer na televisão a tão bem dizer do Primeiro Ministro Português.

¿Por qué Alquilar un Coche?

Los motivos para los que tendría que recurrir a una empresa de alquiler de coches son de los más variados, de la utilidad a la comodidad. Por ejemplo, una empresa de alquiler de coches Rumania es útil si su coche está averiado, si necesita una sola vez algo más grande o si se encuentra en otra ciudad y desea desplazarse cómodamente sin depender de las horas fijas o de las condiciones del transporte público. La comodidad de estos servicios viene dada por el hecho de que todos los coches disponibles en la flota están completamente dotados y equipados de modo que no le falte nada en el momento en que empiece su viaje, sea uno corto sea una excursión. Según lo que necesita, puede optar para un coche acompañado por un chofer, en caso de que no desea manejar, no conoce la ciudad o no tiene permiso, pero, sin embargo, desea un viaje confortable y elegante.

Los servicios de traslado del o hasta el aeropuerto están también incluidos en la oferta de las empresas de alquiler de coches, ofreciendo con máxima seriedad transporte a cualquier hora que necesite. Si organiza un evento y necesita coches con más de 4-5 plazas para llevar a los invitados, estas empresas vienen a tu ayuda, ofreciendo coches para alquiler de hasta 8 personas. El periodo para el que puede alquilar cualquier tipo de coche está fijado sólo por usted, como también el modelo del coche y los equipamientos con los que está equipado. Algunas de las empresas que se hacen cargo con los alquileres de coches tienen en su oferta meramente generosa también la compra del vehículo que posee y que es antiguo y su reemplazo con un nuevo. También, según la fidelidad y el periodo para el que desea alquilar un coche, beneficia de ofertas cada vez más ventajosas y de distintos beneficios que tienen como objetivo la satisfacción de los clientes.

Learning to Say No

That is number one the hardest thing about rescue. "No". Why? Because no means death! I am not being dramatic, it is the truth. If I am sick, stressed out, overwhelmed, busy, have things going on where I can't take in dogs in need that means death to those dogs and I have to live with that forever! As a Rescuer (dog, cat, horse, etc). There are no breaks! There are no holidays, there are no vacation, there is nothing called me time. As a rescuer you might go on vacation but you are never far from a phone or your email b/c what if someone (meaning animal) needs you? If you aren't there for them they will die. I believe 100% there is nothing more stressful then being in the rescue business. Ok, maybe a emergency room nurse but at least patients can talk to you and tell you what happened and the end result isn't I saved his life but he was aggressive and the decision was made to humanely euthanize.

I work a 50 hour work week and just want to go home and take a nap, make dinner, go to the grocery store, etc. Well too bad! You have dogs to feed, walk, clean up after, give attention to. Dogs that no one else wanted that some jerk face dumped and made your problem. You have the flu and you can't get out of bed. Too bad you have to you have dogs to take care of. You hurt your leg and are on crutches, doctor's orders you must stay in bed with your leg elevated. Too bad you have dogs to take care of. Do you know how much money I spend on people taking care of dogs, rescue dogs not even my own dogs when I can't! My car could be paid off by now. It is hard to learn to say no I can't take that super cute dog in this week because you know that you are probably there last resort but you have to remember that you can't help anyone if you are stressed out, overwhelmed, not feeling well, etc. It is hard to learn to have that balance. Very hard! And it sucks majorly! To all the dogs I said no to this week, I am sorry.

The Atlanta Ballet and Big Boi

On Friday night I had the opportunity to see Big, a collaborative production between Antoine "Big Boi" Patterson and the Atlanta Ballet. In a word it was... mesmerizing. The Atlanta Ballet really is a dance company to be reckoned with both in sheer talent and innovation. Tara Lee, the lead dancer, was phenomenal; she blended modern dance with classical movements that resulted in a sort of articulated flow that’s reminiscent of an emerging butterfly, a little awkward a little ethereal. The high points were Tara’s opening, a piece choreographed to Church, a pas de duex where one dancer was suspended from the ceiling, a double pas de duex with a balance bar (outrageous), and the amazing and show stopping performance with Janelle Monae singing "Sincerely Jane". Wearing a silver lame’ jacket, tutu and ballet slippers, Janelle fluttered, hopped, glided and moonwalked along with another dancer while she belted out the tune. The crowd loved it. It was awesome, and not in the California dude way, but awesome in the way that you notice the sun turning a burning orange before it plunges into the horizon.

There were low points as well. The performance was cut short, very short. According to www.news-bite.com there should have been at least four or more choreographed pieces, including another performance by Janelle. There was also a terrible clash of the different ends of the spectrum on "Kryptonite" which seemed to just be too loud and out of place with the movements of the dancers, something that was indeed a struggle on many of the pieces. There was so much to take in you were sometimes distracted by one art form at the expense of the other. Big Boi seemed completely out of place whenever he was on stage and his need to interact with the audience seemed desperate. I was grateful the performance didn’t turn into a concert, where the dancers were drowned out by loud whistling and dancing in the aisles, though some of the "cousins" were acting up. Even if food is served in a venue, it is the ballet, popcorn and chips are not appropriate. It was a limited engagement so I doubt one will be able to experience it again, but I do know that it has inspired me to dance again.

Black Hair - Still Tangled in Politics

Silky straight hair has long been considered by many black women to be their crowning glory. So what if getting that look meant enduring the itchy burning that’s a hallmark of many chemical straighteners. Or a pricey dependence on “creamy crack,” as relaxers are sometimes jokingly called. Getting “good hair” often means transforming one’s tightly coiled roots; but it is also more freighted, for many African-American women and some men, than simply a choice about grooming. Straightening hair has been perceived as a way to be more acceptable to certain relatives, as well as to the white establishment.

Ooops!

Okay, so any of you who drop in fairly regularly have probably noticed I've been playing around with my blog lately. I tried fancy and cutesy and streamlined.  So far streamlined is the winner. Much easier on the eye and much less cluttered. (I hear the de-cluttering is somehow related to sunspots or solar flares or something like that). Anyhow, I also tried the Disqus comment system. Loved it... for about two days. I really liked being able to answer everybody's comments right below their comment. I wanted to connect with everyone leaving comments, but is it really connecting? Do most people come back to see if you answer their comment with a comment? After receiving five emails back from bloggers...

On whose posts I commented, I realized how great it felt to really connect...even if only for a minute - with these authors, these new online friends. I've finally realized the problem with the commenting system is all in my neurotic little head. Everyone has their own way of handling responding to the comments on their posts and I just have to bite the bullet and not try to do it both ways. There's just not enough time to answer all comments by leaving comments and also send the answers by email (and that should tell you just how neurotic I am that for a while I actually did that much copy and pasting and adding and rewriting...). So, how do you do it? E-mail? Comments? Or are you the royalty of commenting and do both? Just wondering. Heart you all - and I'll look forward to connecting by email.