Monday, June 30, 2008

And if it means civil war, then let it come.

La Amistad (1997)

Adams: Your Honors, I derive much consolation from the fact that my colleague, Mr. Baldwin, here, has argued the case in so able and so complete a manner as to leave me scarcely anything to say.
However, why are we here? How is it that a simple, plain property issue should now find itself so ennobled as to be argued before the Supreme Court of the United States of America? I mean, do we fear the lower courts, which found for us easily, somehow missed the truth? Is that it? Or is it, rather, our great and consuming fear of civil war that has allowed us to heap symbolism upon a simple case that never asked for it and now would have us disregard truth, even as it stands before us, tall and proud as a mountain? The truth, in truth, has been driven from this case like a slave, flogged from court to court, wretched and destitute. And not by any great legal acumen on the part of the opposition, I might add, but through the long, powerful arm of the Executive Office.
Yea, this is no mere property case, gentlemen. I put it to you thus: This is the most important case ever to come before this court. Because what it, in fact, concerns is the very nature of man.
These are transcriptions of letters written between our Secretary of State, John Forsyth, and the Queen of Spain, Isabella the Second. Now, I ask that you accept their perusal as part of your deliberations.
Thank you, sir. [to court officer]
I would not touch on them now except to notice a curious phrase which is much repeated. The queen again and again refers to our incompetent courts. Now what, I wonder, would be more to her liking?
Huh? A court that finds against the Africans? Well, I think not. And here is the fine point of it: What her majesty wants is a court that behaves just like her courts, the courts this eleven year-old child plays with in her magical kingdom called Spain, a court that will do what it is told, a court that can be toyed with like a doll, a court -- as it happens -- of which our own President, Martin Van Buren, would be most proud.
Thank you. [takes document from Baldwin]
This is a publication of the Office of the President. It's called the Executive Review, and I'm sure you all read it. At least I'm sure the President hopes you all read it. This is a recent issue, and there's an article in here written by a "keen mind of the South," who is my former Vice President, John Calhoun, perhaps -- Could it be? -- who asserts that: "There has never existed a civilized society in which one segment did not thrive upon the labor of another. As far back as one chooses to look -- to ancient times, to biblical times -- history bears this out. In Eden, where only two were created, even there one was pronounced subordinate to the other. Slavery has always been with us and is neither sinful nor immoral. Rather, as war and antagonism are the natural states of man, so, too, slavery, as natural as it is inevitable."
Now, gentlemen, I must say I differ with the keen minds of the South, and with our president, who apparently shares their views, offering that the natural state of mankind is instead -- and I know this is a controversial idea -- is freedom.

Is freedom.
And the proof is the length to which a man, woman, or child will go to regain it, once taken.
He will break loose his chains, He will decimate his enemies. He will try and try and try against all odds, against all prejudices, to get home.

Cinque, would you stand up, if you would, so everyone can see you. This man is black. We can all see that. But can we also see as easily that which is equally true -- that he is the only true hero in this room.
Now, if he were white, he wouldn't be standing before this court fighting for his life. If he were white and his enslavers were British, he wouldn't be able to stand, so heavy the weight of the medals and honors we would bestow upon him. Songs would be written about him. The great authors of our times would fill books about him. His story would be told and retold in our classrooms. Our children, because we would make sure of it, would know his name as well as they know Patrick Henry's. Yet, if the South is right, what are we to do with that embarrassing, annoying document, "The Declaration of Independence?" What of its conceits? "All men...created equal," "inalienable rights," "life," "liberty," and so on and so forth? What on earth are we to do with this? I have a modest suggestion. [tears up a facsimile of the Declaration] The other night I was talking with my friend, Cinque. He was over at my place, and we were out in the greenhouse together. And he was explaining to me how when a member of the Mende -- that's his people -- how when a member of the Mende encounters a situation where there appears no hope at all, he invokes his ancestors. It's a tradition. See, the Mende believe that if one can summon the spirits of one's ancestors, then they have never left, and the wisdom and strength they fathered and inspired will come to his aid. James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, John Adams: We've long resisted asking you for guidance. Perhaps we have feared in doing so we might acknowledge that our individuality which we so, so revere is not entirely our own. Perhaps we've feared an appeal to you might be taken for weakness. But, we've come to understand, finally, that this is not so. We understand now, we've been made to understand, and to embrace the understanding that who we are is who we were.
We desperately need your strength and wisdom to triumph over our fears, our prejudices, our-selves. Give us the courage to do what is right. And if it means civil war, then let it come. And when it does, may it be, finally, the last battle of the American Revolution.
That's all I have to say.

Sunday, June 29, 2008

42

Caracterize o Brasil numa só palavra.

Excessivo.



"Alright," said Deep Thought. "The Answer to the Great Question..."
"Yes ...!"
"... Of Life, the Universe and Everything ..." said Deep Thought.
"Yes ...!"
"Is ..." said Deep Thought, and paused.
"Yes ...!"
"Is ..."
"Yes ...!!!...?"
"Forty-two," said Deep Thought, with infinite majesty and calm.
Douglas Adams; "The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"

Thursday, June 26, 2008

confucional

Fazer tremer os outros não é uma má sensação mas fazê-los rir ainda tem mais força.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

google this

Answer to life, the universe, and everthing
Google Loco
Google Goth
Google BSD
Google Linux
Google Easter Egg
Google Mirror
Google Fudd
xx-piglatin

Kappkadavu

Monday, June 23, 2008

A Selva

Sendo M99: o macho que está na moda.o mais rentável, é o macho que está na moda nos Estados Unidos devido à sua insuperável fertilidade e alta viabilidade como reproductor.
A sua prógenie apresenta uma excelente conversão alimentícia e óptimo ganho de peso.
O macho branco [o M99] foi selecionado para oferecer aos produtores o melhor quociente carne por osso aos mais baixos custos de vida.

..... machos que podem ser combinados com fêmeas do tipo Clássico, Flex ou Yield de acordo com os requerimentos do produto final.






Thursday, June 19, 2008

vaga-lumes e crazy google

Disse, e é verdade, que o google está cada vez pior. Pelo menos comigo.
Não dei provas, na altura, porque decidi ir dando-as em 'tempo real'.
Também já aqui comentei as incríveis descobertas científicas, he he he!, que vão acontecendo no Parque Biológico de Gaia.
Agora, para vossa edificação, meus caros improváveis leitores, vou juntar as duas coisas:




Aconselhar 'procuras' às quais não correspondem resultados não era coisa que o google fizesse, há uns tempos atrás. Desconcertante, não?


Desta vez a descoberta científica parece que é a sério mas "nada surpreendente" -"Surpreendente? Não."
A mim surpreende-me que ninguém - a não ser eu, claro - tenha notado que já não há pirilampos. Lembro-me bem de ver os caminhos ladeados por incontáveis luzinhas esverdeadas e há já tantos anos que não vejo nem um que a expressão já não há (pelo menos referida ao meu território) é justa.
Por outro lado quando os melros estiveram praticamente extintos, não vi ninguém importar-se com isso; nem sequer notar. Aparentemente só eu dei conta disso e da actual explosão demográfica: há melros por todo o lado a ponto de me questionar mui cientificamente que raio é que eles descobriram para se safar assim tão bem, logo a seguir a estarem a morrer.
Quando vi as primeiras andorinhas - depois de 2 ou 3 anos sem ver uma - também não encontrei ninguém que tivesse reparado (nem numa coisa nem noutra) ou mostrasse o mais leve contentamento aliviado por tão familiar companhia ter regressado.
Há que dizer que um amigo meu me explicou categoricamente o porquê de não querer saber dos pirilampos para nada: -"Metiam-se dentro das casas, chatos do caralho! Que se fodam."
Foi o que ele disse.
Um pirilampo tem o natural anseio de encontrar um habitat apropriado. Que outro melhor poderia um vaga-lume encontrar do que aquelas casas da altura?

Como se passará a escrever vaga-lume? (Estou a brincar!)

clouds lover




smoking around

É nestas alturas que eu tenho pena de não ter milhares de visitas: talvez alguém me pudesse elucidar.

Queriam 64 € (sessenta e quatro euros) para desalfandegar os cigarros que me custaram 15 € (mais 10 € de envio, 25 €).
Vejam lá bem se não é de dar em terrorista! Estão a ver: um imposto sobre consumo - o que já é, só por si, razão bastante para ser revolucionário - no valor de 427 %! - cabum! bang! pum!
No cu!

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

how to do a favicon

DO IMAGE:
px: 16 X 16

name: favicon.ico

GOTO:
tubeimage.com

WRITE:

just before the closing head html tag is the best place
.....
(open sign)
link rel="SHORTCUT ICON" href="http://tubeimage.com/files/...whatever.../
(close sign)
.....

TubeImage.com

the end

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Frita células

Não lhes passa pela cabeça o efeito neles próprios! Como são felizes os idiotas.

google

A minha experiência pessoal indica-me que, desde já algum tempo, o google - a marca mais poderosa do planeta - está a perder qualidades.
Tudo o resto me leva a crer que isso não é possível mas como se rebate uma experiência? Simplesmente os resultados já não são o que eram, chegando a ser desconcertantes.

Há que tentar colmatar os actuais maus resultados de procuras com procuras mais certeiras mas não antes de primeiro substituir o google.com por este google.sem affiliates: http://www.givemebackmygoogle.com/

2_minutes_to_google/

ou aqui.

Democracia

"Libertas argued that the Treaty would undermine Ireland’s influence in Europe, would open the door to interference in taxation and enshrine EU law above Irish law. "

Desde a UE que nunca foi tão evidente o modo como os europeus, essa cambada de fascistas, encara a democracia: se o resultado interessa há congratulações festivas; se não, repete-se o processo até o resultado ser o desejado (investindo o que for preciso para fazer a cabeça às massas) ou pura e simplesmente se ignora esse resultado e se continua como se nada fosse.

É por isso que o povoléu, ao que parece, se habitou a votar no sentido de provocar entretenimento político, e mais nada, como um adolescente que se entretém a chocar os pais apenas para apreciar as suas reações.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Ram-ram

Descobri uma raridade: um site português funcional e eventualmente útil. Está nos links, aí, à esquerda.
















Ah, e já agora:

Passagem pródiga

Os cães rodearam-na, farejaram os sacos, mas sem convicção, como se já lhes tivesse passado a hora de comer, um deles lambe-lhe a cara, talvez desde pequeno tenha sido habituado a enxugar prantos. A mulher toca-lhe a cabeça, passa-lhe a mão pelo lombo encharcado, e o resto das lágrimas chora-as abraçada a ele.


Acabei de ouvir Saramago, o autor d'O Memorial do Convento, a dizer que ficaria feliz (lá onde quer que esteja depois de morrer?!) se fosse recordado pelo autor que criou a cena do cão que vem e lambe as lágrimas à mulher que chora no abandono do desespero, sentada num chão imundo.
Vale a pena anotar.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Indy

Acerca do Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, em duas palavras: estupidamente grotesco.