TV-Tokyo’s half hour weekly Super GT show today reminded me just how rubbish the weather was at Fuji last week. My Nismo hat didnt keep me warm, but the Nismo championship did keep me happy. Which brings me to two things, one of which I did last summer (heh - actually September, so autumn really, but so very much warmer) and another which happened ten years ago.

September was my first visit to KN’s Factory, ten years ago was the JGTC championship win for Masami Kageyama and Eric Comas in this Pennzoil Nismo GT-R. I saw the car as I passed by the store and almost crashed into a bridge. So returned with a camera.

If you were to drive by in September, you would quite likely have seen this.

As raced, with bugs.

The aero was a bit more extreme the following year, but this is still pretty tech looking. Perfect way to Sayonara the ’90s.

Somebody kerbed the wheels. Eric? Masami?

15 years of Nismo! The Nismo Festival at Fuji Speedway on November 30 will celebrate 25 years. Omedeto Nismo! Might be a bit chilly…

Eventually I noticed the sign asking me not to touch the car. Honestly - I didnt touch much of it…

Obviously no truth to the rumour that Japanese cars have smaller towhooks.

Quite a view that must have been. Dont worry - GT5 will have a cockpit view.

A Frenchman sat here. So did his Nihonjin buddy.

I was the freshest of freshy Gaijin at this stage & this was my first JGTC experience, so this image stayed with me until the racket of Fuji’s home straight concrete canyon blasted it out. I blame the VTEC’s.

Remember when SE Racing made those silver wing things, called Wing Things, that you could strap on you arm and be the BMX King of 7 year olds on your block? No? Yeah - Im old - I get sidetracked easily.

At the time, I thought that the Zexel signage detracted from the “purity” of the Pennzoil livery. I quite like it now. Ahh nostalgia… Yep. Old desu.

The products from this vending machine sell themselves. With help from the poster. I couldnt find a machine that vended posters. But the search made me thirsty. A cunning plan indeed…

They sure did. But this post isnt about Z’s.

Or is it?

As you would expect, the engine cover from a Nissan R90C was stashed in the window…

…along with the nose.

On a later sortie along Route 16, I noticed that something had changed here…

Blimey, I thought.

Why, isnt that a Nissan R382? With a 6 litre V12? This one is from 1969, a golden era for Japanese Group 7 sportscars. Any era that produced these Nissans and the Toyota 7 is golden in my book. Porsche turned up with a 917k for the Japanese GP, but Nissan took the top two spots. Gan-san was one of the drivers of the winning car.

If you werent already thinking that KN’s Factory was the best place in the world to be on this particular day, a Tommy Kaira ZZ was parked outside…

7,5 x 16,5 Disponible 40 €

From the album “Affirmation”(1999)

Written by Darren Hayes / Daniel Jones

Cantonese version: 陳冠希 - 牛郎織女

Maybe it’s intuition
but some things you just don’t question
Like in your eyes, I see my future in an instant
And there it goes,
I think I found my best friend
I know that it might sound
more than a little crazy
but I believe…

I knew I loved you before I met you
I think I dreamed you into life
I knew I loved you before I met you
I have been waiting all my life

There’s just no rhyme or reason
Only the sense of completion
And in your eyes, I see
the missing pieces I’m searching for
I think I’ve found my way home
I know that it might sound
more than a little crazy
but I believe…

I knew I loved you before I met you
I think I dreamed you into life
I knew I loved you before I met you
I have been waiting all my life

A thousand angels dance around you
I am complete now that I’ve found you

I knew I loved you before I met you
I think I dreamed you into life
I knew I loved you before I met you
I have been waiting all my life

I knew I loved you before I met you
I think I dreamed you into life
I knew I loved you before I met you
I have been waiting all my life

My good friend, John posed the question, ‘If you were marooned on a desert island what (x) albums would you want to have with you?’. I agree with him that it is a question that is irksome given the number of albums there are out there in music-land. However, I will give it a shot (in no particular order).

1. Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beatles. The numbers are low for albums for which I can sing along to every song included on the jacket. This would be one of them. It was released in 1967 but has thrived through the decades and occasionally makes it onto “the greatest albums ever” lists. And who can forget the Bee Gees film adaptation of the piece some ten years later? I had a crush on Barry, but at that time, who didn’t?

2. Violent Femmes, Violent Femmes. I LOVE this album. I love the cover art. It speaks to me and I do not know why. What is the little girl looking at as she peers through the window? I love the song ‘Please Do Not Go’ and I sing it loudly on Saturdays when my daughter is not home.

3. Born In The USA, Bruce Springsteen. Sorry, I am a child of the 80’s. Bruce was SUCH a part of the 80’s that I can hardly think of one without the other. Glory Days would be the best pick for me from this album.

4. Live At Birdland, Tito Peunte. Although I do not speak Spanish, it does not stop me from trying to ’sing along’. My good friend Favela has asked me (when singing MY version of a Latin number) - WTF are you trying to say? I make up my English version to go along with the beat. I know, I know… But it makes me happy.

5. Rumors, Fleetwood Mac the 2004 edition. I know she is a Wiccan. I do not care. Her voice is mellow. If listened to it while it is raining, I could easily slip into a coma.

6. Lust, Lords of Acid. Go ahead, look it up. I will wait……. Yes, I like it. It is hard, angry music. The kind of stuff you listen to when you are pissed. And there are dirty connotations. When you sing the lyrics you have to look around to make sure you will not offend innocent bystanders. Ha!

7. The Stranger, Billy Joel. I think I have worn out one album version and two cd versions of this classic. Thank God for the MP3 and ripped music.

8. 1999, Prince. Yes, I know. However I actually like him. He is a strange little purple man but I love his music. This album brings back great memories of the early 1980’s for me.

9. Elvis In Concert, Elvis Presley. I saw Elvis in concert before he died (ok, date me by that one if you must). It was one of the first concerts I ever attended (The Gatlin Brothers was first). I think this album is a good mix of his music.

10. Johnny Cash at San Quentin, Johnny Cash. Like the Elvis entry - this has a nice selection of Cash’s work. It was nice to see the movie come out and a renewed interest in Cash. A whole new generation was able to experience him because of it.

I feel that I have left this list shorted because no where on it do I see Al Green, Tim McGraw, Stevie Wonder or Ray Charles. That is why I hate lists of this type. They are nearly impossible to put together and afterwards you are second-guessing your selections.

In re-reading my list, I believe you must think I am a little like Sybil…

After 16 years of happy marriage, Nancy gazed entreatingly at Tim over dinner one evening last spring and softly uttered the words every suburban husband dreads: “Honey, we need a bigger kitchen.”

Tim, naturally, said no. Absolutely not. Unnecessary. Unaffordable. Out of the question. For a while it looked like adding onto the kitchen might become an issue between the two of us…right up until the contractor broke ground.

We can’t figure out how the project came to be a week behind schedule and two weeks over budget – after only one day of work. “Unforeseens,” the contractor said. Apparently his backhoe encountered the grandmother of all tree stumps and other unexpected underground obstacles: big stones, old concrete footings, a prehistoric burial ground, a secret NATO missile silo. For a while we thought we might find Jimmy Hoffa. (This is New Jersey, after all.)

Within a few days our back yard resembled the bluffs overlooking the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, all mud and craters, everything but the bodies. But that might be arranged if the contractor comes up with too many more “unforeseens.”

Once the old concrete stoop and steps had been knocked away, Tim could open the back door and lean out over the hole and help the workers by making comments and suggestions. Too bad they had to nail the door shut. For the kids’ safety, they said.

Speaking of the kids, they finally have recognized that we’re not exactly Ward and June Cleaver. Nancy and Tim were having a spirited dinner-time debate over the lyrics to “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” when Lizzie, almost 14, interrupted to observe, “Do you know I’m probably the most mature person sitting at this table?” One day Nancy took Lizzie shopping, and Lizzie wouldn’t let Nancy buy a pair of shoes that looked good but didn’t fit especially well. “That wouldn’t be very sensible, Mommy,” Lizzie advised. “Never buy uncomfortable shoes.”

Jonny, for his part, turned 11 and passed that time-honored rite of passage for New York area kids: at his parents’ urging, he no longer automatically orders sweet ’n’ sour in a Chinese restaurant. Now he thoughtfully studies the menu for 12 seconds and then orders sweet ’n’ sour.

Jonny also gave the rest of the family lessons in entrepreneurship by selling off his Pokemon cards at the top of the market. He told us he knew the fad had peaked when second-graders started getting interested. He variously did business at a lemonade stand, during sidewalk sale days, outside the theater showing the Pokemon movie, and through discreet cold-calling of select, pre-screened 6-year-old private clients who are known to talk their parents into anything.

On the movie front, Nancy scored a small success when she persuaded the entire family to go see that noted action film Tea with Mussolini. After determining there were no car crashes, space aliens or decapitations, Jonny at first balked. “I really don’t want to go to that movie,” he said. He relented, however, after Nancy said, “Listen. For 10 years I’ve been taking you to movies I don’t want to see. You owe me.”

The big family summer holiday was in the car back to the Midwest. Splurging on a brand-new box of black Hefty garbage bags to hold clothes (our version of matching luggage), we even took our aging mutt Sarge on the trip. En route, we stayed in motels that cost $50 for the four of us – and $20 for Sarge. We felt like we should have given him one of the beds.

Tropical Storm Floyd and the ensuing floods in September caused no structural or property damage for us. No, it was far worse. We were without email for two full days and part of a third. It was pathetic seeing Tim and Lizzie take turns trying to log on, hour after hour.

This just in from the Department of Redundancy Department: all the expensive exercise equipment continues to gather dust. The kids have six-packs, but Tim refuses to settle for that. He’s got the whole beer keg goin’ on. Flabs rather than abs.

Tim had two books come out this year, one of them a tell-all with a co-author who decided at the last minute to remain unidentified by name. Nancy suggested that they call the book Nothing to Hide by Anonymous, but the publisher wouldn’t go along.
As we write this, the back yard is still torn up. The front yard, too. A partial frame has been erected where the new kitchen will be. The old kitchen will soon be off limits, so Christmas dinner – and every other dinner for a while – is probably going to be something delivered or taken out. We do have reason to rejoice during this holiday season, however. The contractor has finally given us a firm date; he has promised that the kitchen will be completely finished by the middle of February.
We just wish he had told us what year.

That’s it from us. Come and see our new kitchen some time in 2000, but call first just to make sure it’s finished. We hope your millenium was as much fun as ours was, and that this new one is going to be even better.

Happy holidays and best wishes for the new year!!

Tim, Nancy, Lizzie and Jonny

             Karen Tipton

Karen Tipton murder Excellent site
Victim is recalled as a devoted mother
DNA shows Moore likely at scene
Brutality of slaying indicates drug use: Pathologist also says crime clues suggest Tipton, killer didn’t have relationship
Chasing clues in Tipton killing: Bloody blanket, paving worker prove meaningless, investigator testifies at Moore trial
Uncle says Daniel Wade Moore admitted being in Karen Tipton’s home when she was murdered
Judge Declares Mistrial in Moore Murder Case (has alot of info)

   Daniel Wade Moore

Movies/Documentaries
48 Hours Mystery: Sex, Lies And The Doctor’s Wife
48 Hours Mystery: Truth On Trial

I started watching TRL in 1998, but 1999 was the year that it became a major part of my life. This is because I had three surgeries and was on my back a majority of the time. I had nothing better to do than watch MTV all day long. Now I know you are saying, “But John, you could have read books!” Have you tried reading huge hardbacks on your back? It’s not easy. This entry will probably be more nostalgic than the others.  Sue me.

10. Bush- The Chemicals Between Us

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMZjy7-AzF0

Ladies and gentlemen I humbly present Bush’s final relevant single.  My friend Steve bought this record the week it came out, expecting it to be better than Razorblade Suitcase.  A week later I asked him how it was, and he sadly told me that it kinda sucked.  The truth is that Bush was never an album band.  Gavin Rossdale knows how to write a single, but he could never translate the magic into an entire record.  “The Chemicals Between Us” is a decent song, but you can tell they were running out of steam.  Bush released one more album to general apathy before Gavin Rossdale retired to be Gwen Stefani’s husband.

Song: 7

Nostalgia Factor: 7

I don’t remember this song being on TRL, but we did discuss at the lunch table.

9. 98 Degrees- I Do (Cherish You)

Look, an advertisement for Men’s Wearhouse!  Behold, the War and Peace of boyband videos.  Doritos girl Ali Landry is sleeping with every member of 98 Degrees, even the one with bleached blonde hair.  Each member proposes to Landry, hoping to grab a piece of her corn chip fortune.  They all are wearing rented tuxedos as they prepare for the happiest moment of their meticulously coiffed lives.  Then, as Landry faces her groom, we discover that she is actually marrying….Dustin Diamond.  Oh the hilarity!  At the time this ending was quite puzzling, but now we know why Landry went for Screech.   Have you seen that dude’s schlong?

Song: 4

Nostalgia Factor: 7

And the parade of suck continues for 98 Degrees.

8. Mariah Carey- Heartbreaker

Has anyone else noticed that Mariah Carey basically released the same song from 1995 to 2003?  There’s a kicky dance sample, pyrotechnic vocals and a cameo from a major rapper.  People bought the formula without even realizing it was a formula.  Her music may be terrible, but she certainly knows how to market herself.  “Heartbreaker” is saved by the Jay-Z cameo.  He was untouchable in the late ’90s, and the Scarface tub is a nice touch, even if Nas did it first.

Song: 6

Nostalgia Factor: 5

At least it’s not anything from the Glitter soundtrack.

7. Kid Rock- Cowboy

This was a bit of a surprise.  I thought they would put “Bawitdaba” on the countdown since that was his breakthrough singles.  Of all the Nu-Metal acts that came and went during this time, Kid Rock is still plugging away, I think it’s because he was smart enough not to get too wrapped up in the scene.  While everyone else was busy growling about their parents, Rock was name-checking Hank Williams Jr.  It gave him an entirely new fanbase, and he continues to sell a lot of records.  I would have chosen “Bawitdaba,” but any of the singles from Devil Without a Cause would have worked.

Song: 8

Nostalgia Factor: 8

Speaking of his other singles, how come “I Am the Bullgod” gets no love?

6. Christina Aguilera- Genie in a Bottle

I always preferred Britney to Christina, which I will thoroughly discuss later.  Christina knows how to make killer pop singles though, and this is arguably her greatest moment.  The thing I like about this song is that she doesn’t oversing.  She hits some unbelievably high notes, but it’s not overkill.  Some of her later work is virtually unlisteneble due to her ridiculous scat singing.  In “Genie in the Bottle,” she just belts the song out.

Song: 8

Nostalgia Factor: 9

Side note: I forgot how awesome she looked in that midriff top.

5. Limp Bizkit- Rearranged

I can’t believe they chose “Rearranged” over “Nookie.”  Granted they are both equally terrible tunes, but at least “Nookie” has a hook.  “Rearranged” just has tons and tons of Fred Durst.  In case you didn’t know, the world does not understand him.  Everywhere he goes he is persecuted by the haters.  He uses an incredibly obscure metaphor for his persecution….he’s in jail!  Because we were too afraid to stand up on behalf of the Bizkit, they were put to death.  We should be ashamed of ourselves.

Song: 4

Nostalgia Factor: 9

The Bizkit man, they were awesome.

4. blink-182- All the Small Things

It sounds weird now, but for a while blink was a very underground band.  When I was in 7th grade, only the hardcore “punk” kids listen to them.  They were kind of like Operation Ivy, a band that I knew the name of but knew nothing about.  I assumed that blink was a totally hardcore punk band.  Then they were all over MTV, and I felt stupid.  The great thing about blink was that they were unafraid to grow up.  However, I think the three singles from this record encapsulate everything that is awesome about pop-punk.  It got overplayed, but “All the Small Things” holds up remarkably well.  I challenge any of today’s emo bands to come up with a hook that huge.

Song: 9

Nostalgia Factor: 9

I still laugh at the girl in the crowd with the sign that says “Travis, I’m pregnant.”  I haven’t grown up at all.

3. *N’Sync with Gloria Estefan- Music of My Heart

Yay! A completely sappy and pandering ballad written for a completely sappy and pandering film!  The problem with this song is that it makes the band seem much older than they are.  Realistically, a band of 20-year olds would not be singing adult contemporary.  The Backstreet Boys sang adult contemporary too, but they had better voices than *N’Sync, so they could pull it off.  At least adult contemporary makes sense here, since it is a duet with Gloria Estefan.  Personally, I would have preferred a cover of “Bad Boys.” *N’Sync could be the cats!

Song: 3

Nostalgia Factor: 5

This song is so sappy I think I got diabetes from it.

2. Backstreet Boys- Larger Than Life

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oj67T29Uxjo

Backstreet Boys were the opposite of *N’Sync.  They could knock a ballad out of the park, but their upbeat tunes are very awkward.  “Larger Than Life” is basically The Spice Girls’ “Spice Up Your Life” from a guy’s point of view.  It fails on every conceivable level.  I never understood why the video was in space.  Aren’t boy bands supposed to be eye candy for girls?  Then why do they have Nick Carter as a robot?  Aren’t you supposed to like, see his abs? His hair isn’t even floppy.  I call shenanigans!

Song: 3

Nostalgia Factor: 7

How did they get up in space again?

1. Britney Spears- Baby One More Time

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiEUoNnh380

MTV chose Britney’s video for “Crazy” as the number one video of 1999, but I had to intervene.   The video for “Crazy” is great, but “Baby One More Time” is the most significant video of my life.  Laugh all you want, but this video is the reason I got up in the morning in 1999 I had just had major hip surgery and was in a full body cast from the waste down.  I was incredibly depressed.  One day, I turned on MTV and I saw a girl in a Catholic school uniform dancing around.  I’ll never forget what I said,

“Who is that? She’s gorgeous!”

Thus began the biggest crush on a celebrity that I have ever had.  When I went back to the hospital for a month of rehab, she was plastered all over my room.  When I had to go to a special school for rehab, the thought of seeing her in concert kept me going.  When saw her in concert, I was given an autographed picture.  No matter what happens, I will always have a special place in my heart for Britney.  I may have destroyed any bit of heavy metal credibility I had with this post, but I don’t care.  She helped me get through the roughest part of my life, and I will be forever grateful.

Song: 10

Nostalgia Factor: 10

Odds and Ends:

TLC- No Scrubs

I think the most interesting thing about TLC is that each record featured a different member as the lead.  Ooh! On The TLC Tip had a lot of Left-Eye.  CrazySexyCool was T-Boz’ record.  Chilli’s moment was Fan Mail. You could not go anywhere in 1999 without hearing this song, and I hated it for a long time.  Nine years later, it holds up pretty well.

Destiny’s Child- Bills, Bills, Bills

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bm8hi99h9rA

This is basically the same song as “No Scrubs,” except with Destiny’s Child there is only one star.  Let me give you a hint, it’s the one in the middle.

Ricky Martin- Livin’ La Vida Loca

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmwzEhwScug

Remind me, why did people think Ricky Martin was good?

Well, that was 1999.  A year of angry white men, boy bands, and an ill-advised salsa trend.  Join me tomorrow, when we discuss the new millennium.

Faye Wong (王菲) singing “Moon at That Moment” (当时的月亮), from her album, Lovers and Strangers (released in Sep 1999) in a 1999 celebration in a large outdoor stadium. I’ve always had the photos but never saw this video until now. Dressed simply and in the middle of a large group of stars and performers in a massive arena, Faye invariably stands out as the brightest star. She looks fabulous.

done

(Source: from a Tudou video)

An old, old, ooooold friend of mine sent me this (thanks Jeremy) scanned photo from the past. It was taken sometime in 1999, during a trip to New York. I was 19. Not the most flattering picture of me, but it’s not about the way I looked. This image was a silly tourist picture until history made it one of the more meaningful shots of my life.

Michael Jackson Attends Party In Korea 1999 RARE CLIP!!

thnx to mjsilverfox

Cast:Salman Khan,Karisma Kapoor,Saif Ali Khan,Mahesh Thakur,Neelam,Alok Nath, Satish Shah

Sonali Bendre,Mohnish Behl,Tabu

Directer : Sooraj R. Barjatyan

Watch Here

El 99 fue el Año Internacional de las Personas Mayores. En el 99 entró en vigor el € en 12 países de la UE aunque todavía no circulaban los billetes y las monedas, se estrenó la serie Ed, Edd y Eddy en EEUU, Michael Jordan dejó la NBA y un terremoto en Colombia dejó más de 2500 muertos.
En el 99 Eurovisión se celebró en Israel y ganó una sueca. Nació Juan Valentín, hijo de Cristina de Borbón e Ikañi Urdangarin. Murieron Stanley Kubrick y Rafael Alberti. El Barça fue campeón de la Liga de fútbol y Ullrich ganó la Vuelta a España. Se estrenó Star Wars Episodio I: La Amenaza Fantasma y American Beauty se llevó el Óscar a la mejor película de ese año. Bunbury canta El Extranjero y Britney Spears se daba a conocer con su Baby one more time.

¿Y tú qué hacías en el 99?

So ya know how sometimes something comes around in life and it causes you to get a little excited, and it may seem silly or no big deal to others?  Well I sort of find myself there right now - for anyone else that really doesn’t know much about me or the college I attended (also where I grew up) this whole post won’t mean much to you and you will probably be lost, but that’s okay.

I got a call a couple weeks ago from my dad - now first thing you should know is that I really don’t do much of the whole phone deal with my mom or my dad - I am pretty slack like that.  It works out nice that I am living and working near my sister because she keeps me pretty plugged in because she talks to them way more than I do.  It is not like there is some big problem or that I don’t love them etc. etc. - that is just sort of how we operate.  It is sort of the whole - if there is something big or important that comes up we will be in touch - but otherwise it is life as usual, sorry if that sounds bad.

Anyway back to the phone call - so since my dad was calling I figured something was up - we made a minute or two of small talk and then he proceeded to the information he needed to receive or give to me.  He asked me about being willing/able to speak at this year’s Gospel Rally (for those that have no clue what the heck that is - it is Roanoke Bible College’s Annual Homecoming and Preaching Rally).  I was being asked to speak for the Friday Morning - “Alumni Preacher” session.  And here is where we get to the crux of the matter.  For me, this is an honor and it is something that I am excited about getting the opportunity to participate in.  For others they see this as something that has outlived its usefulness and should be done away with or either changed greatly, and I hear a lot of valid arguments on the needing some change aspect.  Ultimately though this is something that represents a great deal of who I am and what helped me to become the person I am today, so it really is something of excitement and a true honor, no matter what anyone else thinks.

Lots of people have lots of DRASTICALLY differing opinions about the college, but this place has been something that has played a major role in my life.  This is not to say that there have not been dark moments in her history or bad decisions and difficult times, but then again what sort of an institution has not had those things happen.  I tend to look a little bit to the upside and brighter angle, the many lives challenged and changed through her work to draw people into full-time, part-time, and volunteer service of our King!  How many countless men and women that have served God in mighty ways and have sacrificed in untold capacities to affect the lives of young men and women.  I am truly thankful to God for allowing myself and my family to have been a part of such a rich tradition.  Again let me remind you that I am not blinded to the negatives and have even expressed my concerns over things in the past and patterns I have sometimes noticed in the present and the future, but all in all I believe firmly and wholeheartedly of God’s guiding hand upon this wonderful place.

So I am grateful for the opportunity, excited about the possibilities, and humbled for the process that now begins over prayerfully listening to what God would have me prepare through the power of His Spirit for that moment in March, when the Gospel Rally rolls around.  I welcome and invite you all to be there, not because I am speaking, but because of the friends and fellow partners in the Gospel who will be there, for the young students who are currently enrolled that we can set an example for, for the faculty and staff that we need to encourage in their efforts of service and to bring Honor and Glory to God for the things He has done, is doing, and will continue to do through the efforts of a wonderful institution.  Not to mention some excellent times of worship through word and song that will take place.

I give a special call/invitation to those who I attended RBC with - those graduates of the class of 1998 - I know last year was our “big push” with it being our 10th Anniv, but I would love to see you all again - and those who couldn’t make it.  Also for those who graduated after us in the class of 1999 - those who we built great friendships with - it would be awesome to see many of you as well.  

This is such a wonderful time to share the joyous times of God’s richest blessings in our lives - to share the tough moments and dark days of struggle that the Lord has FAITHFULLY brought us through - and HECK just to sit back and laugh about those late nights in the dorm, the crazy times at strange events, the random road-trips and everything else in between.  You all know that no matter what your “experience” was like while @ RBC - that as you think about those times in college you can recall a story that brings a twinkle to your eye, a smile to your face, or even a full on belly laugh for all to hear - so why not come back and enjoy this time of fellowship.

I’d love to HEAR from anyone and everyone - drop a line and let us know if you can or cannot make it - or simply leave a lil story about your time from school and let’s all enjoy the moments together!

One of the first artbooks made with its covers painted with oils. It contained fifty leaves which were dyed and fixed with a resin. Some pages included patterns produced from a computer. Produced in 1999

The inner pages with graphic patterns.

The two page spread showing the texture of the page. Three books from this series were made

One of the original books produced in 1999

Feinin books All Rights Reserved 2008

agruras

Hay gente que me ha preguntado si llevo un diario. No tengo idea de porque me hacen esa pregunta. Lo importante es que la respuesta es “NO”.

Los hombres no llevan diario. Llevan BITÁCORA. No me imagino al Capitán Kirk diciendo “Diario del Capitán, fecha estelar 90210…”. Seria antinatural.

Hace algunos años le daba seguimiento a mi “vida” en algo que, con mucha imaginación, podría llamarse una bitácora. En realidad eran cuadernos donde escribía o dibujaba cuanta tarugada se me ocurría. Ahí ponía mis “pensamientos”.

Un día, viendo que era posible que alguien viera alguno de esos cuadernos, decidí escanear los dibujos buenos (o sea, los garabatos menos impresentables), y capturar los mejores textos (o sea, los que si entendía a pesar de mi letra de doctor). Cuaderno que terminaba de procesar, cuaderno que destruía. Esto fue en 1999.

Como en esos días no tenía acceso directo a un quemador de cedes, decidí hacer un respaldo en disquetes. Inteligentemente, una vez pasados a disquete, los archivos originales fueron debidamente borrados. En total fueron 80 disquetes. Toda esa información fue capturada con fines de archivo. Naturalmente, esos disquetes se guardaron en una caja, junto con otros cientos de disquetes que contenían programas, imágenes y hasta mp3.

Creo que me tarde más en guardarlos en esa caja que en olvidarme de ellos.

Hace poco, buscando una copia que guarde de una carta cadena que fue medio famosa, me encontré esa caja, y para mi sorpresa y alegría, prácticamente todos los discos ya habían pasado a mejor vida. Al intentar leerlos, en 5 unidades distintas, solo 5 disquetes se pudieron accesar. Y de esos, solo 2 tenían información “usable”. Los demás se dejaban leer pero todo el contenido estaba dañado. No tengo idea de que les paso. Curiosamente, esos dos disquetes usables contenían textos de mis bitácoras.

Tras leer algunos de esos textos, decidí destruir completamente los otros discos. No sea que alguien los encuentre y tras realizar algún ritual pagano logre leerlos.

Saque lo que pude de los que sobrevivieron. El texto sobre “mi compañera” es de esos. Tiene fecha de 1999 pero lo escribí a finales del 97. El de “por que escribo” es un remix de uno que he de haber escrito en el 98, y hablaba originalmente sobre una página de vanidad (Dvorak dixit) que tenía en Geocities.

Casi todo lo demás son anotaciones en la bitácora. Leerlos fue revivir esas experiencias. Revivir esas experiencias fue como amputarme las dos piernas yo mismo usando un serrucho. Me acorde de cosas que me costó mucho trabajo olvidar. Y que por supuesto, me va a costar mucho trabajo volver a olvidar.

El resto son frases e ideas sueltas, principios de historias que me dio flojera desarrollar o meditaciones como las que escribo ahora. Relatos de cosas que pasaron, narradas en tercera persona, y cosas así. Casi todo es perfectamente olvidable.

Lo interesante de eso es ver que ya era un amargado profesional desde mucho antes de 1999.

Lo deprimente es ver que no solo no he avanzado en mi plan de vida de 1994, “detallado” en uno de esos escritos, sino que en realidad me he ido hundiendo más y más con el paso de los años. De todas las metas que según yo habría cumplido al llegar a los 30, la única que he “realizado” es la de trabajar por mi cuenta. Y eso porque encontrar trabajo esta en chino.

En esencia, encontrar esos textos únicamente sirvió para recordarme que soy un fracaso. Ya que.

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Sim. Uma coisa que posso dizer de boca cheia a respeito desse blogue (pois todos os leitores irão concordar) é que não estou aqui para fazer média.

Já falei muita merda, é verdade, sou o primeiro a reconhecer. Mas não vou deixar de emitir minha opinião sobre o Palmeiras quando algo me incomodar, não importa quem eu desagrade. Não aqui, não nesse espaço.

Feita essa introdução onanista, quero deixar registrado: o que vi acontecer ao longo dessa semana com o Verdão é inédito para mim. Nunca vi algo parecido atingir nenhum time de futebol, e sei que vai demorar para aparecer um exemplo similar.

Em dias alternados, a diretoria, o técnico e goleiro abandonaram a torcida, que ficou gritando “Porco” à beira do precipício onde acaba o mundo.

Vamos começar por cima, por aquela gente que passou os últimos meses se vangloriando de ter ganho mais recursos no STJD do que os outros clubes, como se o Brasileirão tivesse uma tabela paralela ranqueando a competência e soberba dos advogados de cada clube. Porque, quando chegou a hora do “pega-pra-capar“, essa mesma esquadra, que entra em campo de paletó e gravata, negou fogo. Foram pegos de surpresa com a suspensão de Diego, ao contrário do Grêmio quando foi punido (diga-se de passagem, com mais severidade).

Tudo por conta dessa vaidade que gerou a falsa certeza que ninguém atingiria o Palmeiras… E porque não são palmeirenses (trata-se de gente que ganha por hora), foram incapazes de associar os fatos; não puderam perceber que não aconteceu por acaso aquela expulsão de Diego, em outra partida decisiva, há pouco tempo, aos 6 minutos de jogo.

Quanto ao técnico que orienta nossa esquadra, vou me abster de emitir outra nota, por enquanto. Porque tenho certeza que ninguém, nesse espaço Verde, atacou Madureira de forma tão virulenta como eu, há pouco tempo atrás, antes do jogo de volta contra a ridícula Lusa. É que àquela altura ninguém deu bola, mas não vou me repetir.

Hoje quero mesmo é falar de Marcos, o Santo de todos nós. Também sei, antes de mais nada, que ele representa a paixão cega dessa torcida e é o maior ídolo que o Palmeiras viu nascer nos últimos 35 anos. Muito mais ídolo que Edmundo, a quem amo incondicionalmente.

Mais que isso: Marcos, em forma, foi o maior goleiro de seu tempo, em toda a esfera da bola. E, se levarmos em conta os progressos da preparação física que mudou o calcio nas últimas décadas, posso dizer, sem medo de vomitar aqui um exagero, que Marcos foi o melhor arqueiro do mundo de todos os tempos. Quem viu, viu.

Por saber disso e um pouco mais, sempre relevei as falhas de Marcos, até porque, foram raras. Contra os ingleses, por exemplo: quem precisa ganhar um jogo na neve, de manhã, valendo um jipe toyota, depois de eliminar o Corinthians de duas Libertadores?

Só as bonecas, que precisam se vender na vitrine, nós não… Por isso, dane-se! Não quero saber se ele falhou em um amistoso no Japão… Nem quero saber se ele chutou o balde naquele jogo em que tomamos 7 gols em 2003, porque ali a razão estava com ele.

Mas, de novo, não estou aqui para fazer média. E tenho um nojo visceral de quem tenta sempre agradar a maioria.

Quando Marcão falhou contra o Flu, eu o defendi. Achei que a arbitragem foi tendenciosa, e que o braço de Washington confundiu os reflexos de nosso arqueiro. Mas, para minha surpresa, vi o Santo sair de campo acusando o golpe. Em uma entrevista descabida, atirou a responsabilidade sobre todos os seus companheiros - e desviou a atenção da mídia, que mal falou daquele primeiro gol no Maracanã, a não ser pela polêmica decisão do árbitro.

Por aqui, engolimos seco. Somente porque Marcos, para um parmerista como eu e você, é Deus.

Mas agora chega. Vamos rasgar os véus da paixão e falar com todas as letras: o que Marcos fez domingo, não se faz no futebol. Mais, não se faz em um ambiente de trabalho, por respeito aos colegas de profissão.

Não pelo peru, que, aliás, foi grotesco (ah, se fosse o Borboleta, quanto sarro não estaríamos tirando…). A atitude após o frango é que foi deplorável.

O arqueiro veterano sabe que a bola entrou porque ele teve um reflexo retardado, mal calculado, e não me interessa se isso foi fruto da idade ou da falta de concentração. Ele sabe que falhou feio - e, mais uma vez, o que incomoda não é isso.

Porque, se o Palmeiras perdesse por 1 x 0 só por conta daquele lance, ninguém aqui estaria lendo isso. Ninguém apontaria o dedo para nosso Santo Imortal por conta de uma falha passageira… O que me revolta é o que aconteceu depois.

Acorda, Palestrino!

Vamos parar com essa ilusão de querer acreditar que aquele arrobo de atacante foi um ato heróico, ou um protesto, ou uma doação de uma alma palmeirense pela camisa que veste. Marcos simplesmente fez o que havia feito há poucas semanas: falhou e transferiu a responsabilidade para os seus companheiros. E, como já havia falhado e criticado todo mundo, se viu exposto e com receio de ser cobrado: então partiu para o ataque, contando com o apelo emocional que tem junto à torcida, evocando seu carisma para livrar-se de uma situação constrangedora e salvar somente a si próprio.

Havia ainda 16 minutos de bola para rolar quando ele partiu pela primeira vez ao ataque. Se contarmos os 5 minutos de acréscimo, vamos a 21, tempo suficiente para afunilarmos um adversário no Palestra.

Mas não… O time todo se desestruturou, somente para assistir, enquanto era desmoralizado, ao espetáculo de um homem só, que era consagrado como herói por 26.000 crentes.

Para o resto do grupo, vaias.

Sei que não vou agradar ninguém com esse texto, mas também não sou Marcão, não quero agradar a massa enfurecida. Quero só reafirmar que poucas vezes vi em campo um jogador tomar uma atitude tão cafajeste.

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10 years ago, 1999. Design lecturer Ruth Kedar was working at Stanford University in California. She was introduced to two tech guys who wanted a designer for their website. The tech guys were Larry Page and Sergei Brin. The website was Google. Ruth tells the story about how she came to settle on the design ideas that shaped the Internet…

When Kedar first took the job, she found that Page and Brin wanted to distance theirself from the recent ‘boom’ of Internet search engines like Yahoo, Lycos and Excite. They wanted to take the idea of the user searching for something and make that their primary focus:

Google wanted to create a unique logo that would clearly differentiate them from the other search players at the time, as well as embody their unique vision.

These other players were commercial portals first, and search engines second. Google wanted to convey that it was as a search provider first and foremost.

She goes on to explain that once the minimalistic website design was chosen, the logo had to be simple and obotrusive as well:

It was playful and deceptively simple. The design subtle as to look almost non-designed, the reading effortless. The colors evoke memories of child play.

This gave Google a unique appearance. A plain white background, no news stories, no flash games, hardly any links and a simple, prominent logo. With the emphasis on its own purpose, Kedar, Page and Brin managed to set Google apart from its competitors and get it noticed for being - what it still is today - the number one destination for search.

Competitors like Yahoo and AOL have stubborly stood by their “everything to all-comers” designs with plenty of options to choose from when you visit their homepages (or should that be homepage?), but Ask (previously Ask Jeeves) have realised that if they are known as a place for search, they shuold focus on just that and have adopted the Google-esque minimal design (and today have a Remembrace Day themed homepage, similar, but more intrusive, than Google’s idea)

Coming back to Kedar and Google’s design, Kedar also added that she was delighted her original idea had been changed for all soprts of events and commemorations:

It gives me great pleasure that the design has transcended both its time and original needs, being as relevant today as it was then. Furthermore, it has become the canvas upon which Dennis Hwang’s Google Doodles can flourish.

Idag när jag var o jobbade i STHLM med min brukare så sprang jag på min gamle Lunarstormvän och bloggpolare; Gealach. Jag tror vi började chatta med varandra 1999, och vi har faktiskt inte träffats, trots att vi har bott relativt nära nu i några år. 

Hela vår bekanskap består alltså av chatt och blogg samt MSN sedan 1999. 

Nåväl, jag och min brukare går in på SF-bokhandeln och tittar lite, samtidigt som jag letar efter en Manga; Gravitation. Plötsligt frågar en tjej mig; “Ursäkta”,

jag tänker:’Nja, nu är det nog fel, jag jobbar inte här’,

tjejen:”Är det du som är Peter?”,

jag:”Jo, det är jag”,

tjejen:”Ah, ja, jag blev så förvånad, jag tyckte att jag kände igen dig, och blev tvungen att fråga”

Jag:”Ah, galet! Men vad kul!”

Gealach: “Ja, verkligen!”

Så kramade vi om varandra, det var väldigt kul att träffas, vi har ju haft många olika samtal under åren, och vi som har pratat om att träffas för att ta en fika någon dag. Det blev ett spontanhej istället och det är kul. Någonstans tror jag det var meningen, det kändes också helt rätt att träffas såhär, jag menar, jag kände personkemin stämde jättebra! Och det är kul när det gör det. Å andra sidan har vi ju trots allt känt varandra sedan 1999.

Så, ett fort hej och ett fort hej då, hon och hennes man skulle vidare hem och äta, och jag jobbade ju, så vi sa hej då och ja, en rolig händelse i jobbets vardag.

Nu känner jag verkligen för att ta den där fikan!