Sorry. I didn't resist to do it again...

Congratulations Mum and Dad

Congratulations!!!
What else can I say. It's been 25 years since they got married!!! It has been a very long way with some happy moments, but also with some tuff obstacles.
It's everyday that you find couples that long married and nowaday is getting harder to find!
As a good son (hey my birthday is not that far...) I made a partnership with my brother and sent the 2 to Vienna for a week!!!! Not bad hum....
Well... maybe not!!!

Habemus papam!!!!

Nothing new I'd say. It's amazing how fast these things go. It's funny to see people who don't care about church or anything related to it are interested in knowing the result of the white smoke...
Ok I'm not as lucky as Zé who could be in Saint Peter Square to welcome Benedictum XVI.
To be honest I'm really disappointed. Josef Ratzinger was the one I didn't want. I was expecting the Joker and not the strong Ace. I was expecting a non-European but I knew it was hard to get.
I had several reasons for it but waited to hear some wise people talking before writing them here.
One thing seems certain: he won't last long. He is just 6 younger that the deceased Karol and already had 2 brain vascular accidents which mean that his health might not be the best.
Health apart, everyone agrees that he is very conservative and I really think this wasn't the moment to stop a certain renovation that was under course. No I'm not saying that the church should give up what it believes and stands for but it was getting closer to younger people and was showing signs of vitality. Asking for forgiveness to Jewish people for not standing for them during the WW2 and the atrocities of Inquisition can be appointed was one of them.
If my memory doesn't fail on me Ratzinger was one of the people who made some claims a few months ago about refusing some innovations that led wider acceptance to different peoples of Africa, Asia and even Europe.
After listening to a wise priest, friend of mine who has stayed in Rome 3 years studying not long ago, this is going to be a transition period. My fear is that instead of slowing down the process that was under movement, it will be completely stopped or even be turned back.
Several people say this is a very bright and intelligent man and gave a lot of support to Joannnes Paulus II, specially in some important documents.
As usual time will tell.
Well... maybe not!!!

Changing strategies

There is movie going out in Movie called Hitch with Will Smith. It's one of those relax movies with a simple plot but pays attention to a very interesting detail.
For a very long time society expects the charming knight to flirt the lady on the top of her tower. Well knights' shiny armours have become very much different as well as Lady's towers. Even though, in most cases, men have to overcome their own barriers and try to conquer the one girl in their heart. The movie explores the idea of some guys who are to shy to show what thy feel...
Commenting this whit some friends made me realize that women still have a lot of power concerning this matter. Men are still expected to fight to get the top of the tower. And girls, be honest: you love a guy fighting hard to get to your heart.

Thinking a little made me realize that why is it that men have to do difficult part of taking the 1st step? Well I've decided to change strategy. Let's also give women the chance of trying to get to us... Maybe they'll see what costs to pleasure them... It might fail but in the mean time it may work?!
Well... maybe not!!!

It surely feels good

It's 17:00 and you just left a work seminar...
25ºC degrees... The sun is shining again.
You get in your car, full open your windows, put some nice music and start driving back home. You could take the highway but since you left work earlier today you go for the "by the Tejo" road...
You see some people just playing around at the beach. It sounds nice...
You stop for and ice cream and take a walk around the Belém tower.

You get home in time to catch the sunset...


(click it to enlarge)

It surely feels good to have different day sometimes...

Well... maybe not!!!

"Por um referendo diário sobre o aborto"

"Por um referendo diário sobre o aborto
António Pinheiro Torres


Neste e noutros referendos sobre o aborto a única resposta que faz sentido, corresponde aos desejos do coração humano

São muitos os argumentos para negar pertinência a um novo referendo sobre o aborto.
O direito à vida, como primeiro e condição dos restantes direitos humanos, não pode ser, por uma questão de princípio, objecto de referendo a não ser que desejemos recuar séculos na história e deitar fora todas as noções de dignidade e igualdade das pessoas humanas. Em 1998 o povo português já decidiu e a única coisa que mudou foi a "subida de tom" dos abortistas e o empenho de uma comunicação social que lhes é francamente favorável. Antes do último debate parlamentar em Março de 2004 os partidários do novo referendo andaram oito meses, com exaustiva cobertura dos "media", para recolher 122 mil assinaturas, enquanto aqueles que se opõe a uma modificação da actual lei, reuniram 217 mil assinaturas em apenas quatro semanas. E por ai adiante.
Mas, paradoxalmente, faz falta mais do que um referendo sobre o aborto. Faz falta que a questão se ponha realmente na sociedade portuguesa e de uma vez por todas sejam obtidas respostas inequívocas. Isto é que todos os dias os portugueses, e quem nos governa, se ponham e respondam à questão: "Concorda que em Portugal seja possível uma mulher dizer: "eu abortei porque não encontrei quem me ajudasse"?". Ou "Concorda que o trabalho de apoio às grávidas em dificuldade e no acolhimento de crianças que a sociedade civil desenvolve, não encontre quase nenhum apoio do Estado?". Ou "Concorda que o Estado não sinta qualquer responsabilidade perante uma rapariga pressionada pelos seus parentes ou um namorado irresponsável a abortar, e a deixe sem ninguém a quem recorrer?". Ou "Concorda que o Estado esteja disposto a dar mensalmente 50 contos a uma família de acolhimento de uma criança e os negue aos pais da mesma?".
Como também faz falta outro referendo com a pergunta: "Concorda que o problema do aborto não seja conhecido na sua real extensão, para além dos discursos ideológicos, e que a realização de um estudo, consensual entre todos os partidos, com excepção dos comunistas, se arraste na Assembleia da República?". Na mesma ocasião (seguindo o princípio da poupança eleitoral) se poderia juntar algumas outras perguntas, como, por exemplo: "Concorda que sistematicamente aconteça na sociedade portuguesa que os "técnicos" e os "moderados" digam "vamos consentir nisto como excepção e não como prática recorrente" e depois se verifique, como aconteceu na pílula do dia seguinte, que a prática é generalizada, os números assustadores e se está perante um "rombo" nas políticas de saúde pública?".
Ou então "Concorda que Portugal seja o único país do mundo onde se faz um escândalo pelo facto de mulheres serem julgadas, em claro desrespeito pelos mais elementares princípios da igualdade de género?". Poder-se-ia na mesma ocasião perguntar ainda: "Concorda que grupos de radicais vão para a porta dos tribunais dizerem que fizeram abortos as pessoas que estão lá dentro a defenderem-se da acusação, negando a prática desse crime?" ou "Concorda que seja considerado apenas um assunto de mulheres, a gravidez e o aborto, apesar de ser do mais elementar conhecimento que existem sempre homens envolvidos?".
Por fim, uma última pergunta: "Concorda que um Governo que no seu programa se afirma determinado a mudar o regime legal do aborto, não tem uma linha sobre o apoio social às grávidas em dificuldade e não mais de cinco linhas sobre a educação para a cidadania e a saúde?".
Neste e noutros referendos sobre o aborto a única resposta que faz sentido, corresponde aos desejos do coração humano e não tenta dobrar a realidade a propósitos ideológicos, é a de um rotundo Não! Todos os dias, empenhando as nossas vidas, essa é a campanha que fazemos, num referendo diário, pela defesa da Vida. Movimento Juntos pela Vida"

in Publico.PT 2005/03/28

Well... maybe not!!!

Happy Easter

Starting work sucks! No more long holidays and available time to participate properly in scout camps.
I must sound crazy but I miss those long walks with my backpack under memorable storms... There is always something funny about it...
By the way I'd like to wish you all a Happy Easter. May the Easter bunny (or you godparent) leave you something sweet.
To my godchildren, patience is a virtue! Just wait and see...

Well... maybe not!!!

Mai nada

in www.abola .pt
Well... maybe not!!!

Trip to Guimarães

Forgot to post the pictures...

Time for nothing

Hi everybody
You probably be wondering where I might be. Do you really miss me already?
Work is being very hard and keeping me very very busy. I don't turn on my computer and barely have time to check mail.
It's very very cold and getting up earlier makes it harder, specially with icy roads.
Last weekend I went up north to Guimarães. It snowed for a while but it melted when it touched the ground. Even tough was funny. It made me relax a little in spite of driving 700km back and forth...

Well... maybe not!!!

Meeting new old friends

Have you ever thought about those people you say one of these days we should get together for a drink or something?
Well I finally managed to meet a friend from University which I promised a cup of coffee since September.
It was interesting to open up with someone I usual didn't do that much with. I missed some of my University friends and I can't remember when the last good conversation I had with them was.
It's funny because now that I see some people less often I feel more attached and more open to talk with. Maybe I'm more mind-opened to welcome some friends.
It is funny to feel like an insider of someone you didn’t expect to become one of.
I hope I can repeat it again sometime soon.
Well... maybe not!!!

Crazy working days back...

Well for those who know a little bit of my work, I just want to say, purifying days are back!!!!
For those who don't, just let me say, that is a long month work from dawn to dusk and so on, and in the end, I lost weight. Imagine 200L of letters soop and in the end you only got the 20mg of N's....
So I'll be tired and annoying again, beware!!!!
Well... maybe not!!!

What the 90's done to you....

1. You try to dial your pin on your microwave display.

2. You don't play solitaire with real cards for ages or never knew other way to do it...

3. You ask the person next door by e-mail if its going for lunch and he replys "give me 5 minutes", also by e-mail.

4. You have 15 different phone numbers for your family of 3 people.

5. The reason for loosing contact with your friends is they changed e-mail...

6. You don't know the price of the standard envelope.

7. For you, being organized is having several kinds of post-its

8. Most jokes you know, got them by e-mail (and laughed them alone)

9. Your tell your company name when you answer your home phone

10. You dial 0 before any call at home

11. You go to work when it's dark and return home when is already dark again

12. When your computer stalls you feel like you heart stopped. You get confused without knowing what to do.

13. You feel naked when you forget your mobile phone

14. You read this list and nod with head on several items

15. You're already thinking who you're going to send this to...

THERE YOU ARE SMILING ALONE AGAIN

Well... maybe not!!!

É MEU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's mine all mine!!!
Finally one of my long waited goals has been achieved. I said around X-mas I would have news and one month later I got it!!! It's mine!!! All mine!!!
As usual here are the photos...