Get a Funky Life People!

No words, loved it.

Funny!

Meaning inside.

Credits to Fubiz (www.fubiz.net).

Doing another post to create another mini bio about her is useless. The perfect match between poetry and sound is done by her genius. Joni Mitchell. If you don’t know Joni I urge you, as fast as you can, Google her, P2P her, buy her CDs.

18th September 1968. Fortunately, she's still alive.

Hold your fire,
Keep it burning bright
Hold the flame ’til the dream ignites
A spirit with a vision is a dream
With a mission

I hear their passionate music
Read the words that touch my heart
I gaze at their feverish pictures
The secrets that set them apart

When I feel the powerful visions
Their fire has made alive
I wish I had that instinct
I wish I had that drive

Spirits fly on dangerous missions
Imaginations on fire
Focused high on soaring ambitions
Consumed in a single desire

In the grip of a nameless possession
A slave to the drive of obsession
A spirit with a vision is a dream
With a mission.

I watch their images flicker
Bringing light to a lifeless screen
I walk through their beautiful buildings
And I wish I had their dreams
But dreams don’t need to have motion
To keep their spark alive
Obsession has to have action
Pride turns on the drive

It’s cold comfort
To the ones without it
To know how they struggled
How they suffered about it
If their lives were exotic and strange
They would likely have gladly exchanged them
For something a little more plain
Maybe something a little more sane

We each pay a fabulous price
For our visions of paradise
But a spirit with a vision is a dream
With a mission.Hold your fire,
Keep it burning bright
Hold the flame ’til the dream ignites
A spirit with a vision is a dream
With a mission

I hear their passionate music
Read the words that touch my heart
I gaze at their feverish pictures
The secrets that set them apart

When I feel the powerful visions
Their fire has made alive
I wish I had that instinct
I wish I had that drive

Spirits fly on dangerous missions
Imaginations on fire
Focused high on soaring ambitions
Consumed in a single desire

In the grip of a nameless possession
A slave to the drive of obsession
A spirit with a vision is a dream
With a mission.

I watch their images flicker
Bringing light to a lifeless screen
I walk through their beautiful buildings
And I wish I had their dreams
But dreams don’t need to have motion
To keep their spark alive
Obsession has to have action
Pride turns on the drive

It’s cold comfort
To the ones without it
To know how they struggled
How they suffered about it
If their lives were exotic and strange
They would likely have gladly exchanged them
For something a little more plain
Maybe something a little more sane

We each pay a fabulous price
For our visions of paradise
But a spirit with a vision is a dream
With a mission.

Blue Screen of Death

Bye, amici

The first time on a 1000 cc bike we never forget. After months of anxiety longing for a world-class adventure tourer, I went to a test ride. Left my car for a routine service and decided to kill my curiosity surrounding the mechanical orange masterpieces of KTM, a world-class bike maker well-know by adventure riders and winner of loads of rally races.

A lot of times I were at BMW resellers because of the hype of R1200 GS but the salespersonell, despite their decent knowlegde and amicably treatment, never instigated me to ask for a ride on the GS line and even more, their attitude is typical of an ordinary professional, simply sell and assist the same way people do on garden-variety products. They lacked that charisma, cleverness and long-term relationship building supposed to be found on every premium brand salesman (do some shopping at Zegna, Armani and H.Stern, for instance) and along the last months, I became skeptical about R1200 GS because of their fourth recall in function of potential failures on electronic components. I couldn’t manage to put USD 15000 on a bike that could leave me to my own luck on the middle of nowhere.

It was a extended lunch time. Before the salesman return from his lunch, I was already trying to fit some bikes, like a seminew Duke, smaller motards and I felt intimidated by 990 adventure and it’s huge size. No mediocrity found. Aeroequip brakes, Brembo calipers and there was even a 990 bike tuned for rally competition with Öhlins forks.

But the one taylor made for me was 990 SMT, a big motard. Here on Brazil this kind of bike contains rare specimens. Some time ago, I headed for Suzuki V-Strom and similar tourers like Triumph Tiger or Ducati Multistrada but here the support those brands is rather poor. And I realized the fact that I will spend more time on road that on the dirty. So, a more dirty-oriented bigtrail would be little value. The time when I was infatuated with BMW I held some prejudice against supermotos and I saw them as a transient fashionism, but logic spoke louder.

I waited patiently around 30 minutes while the KTM two salesmen assisted an interested customer and I held attention on their loud talk and realized the traits that I wanted from the professionals. I started a long talk regarding technical aspects of the supermoto with one of them, not about things on the datasheet easily found on web, but details of scheduled maintenance, spare parts costs, desired ways of usage and I took striking conclusions: for multi-purpose use, ANY V-Twin bike with great displacement is prone to premature damage because of the metropolis traffic’s nature with its constant gear switching and the big one is little pratical to fast maneuvers, even with the added agility provided by the supermoto 17 inch wheel configuration and sporty tires. A smaller single cylinder motard is by far a wiser choice to city commuting.

Anyway, after a long talk I went to a short ride. Fortunately, at the store there was a helmet fitting my size and I killed my curiosity. Taking for granted the 990′s power, I tried it with huge care, aware that it’s capable to accelerate as fast as a Lamborghini. It’s a amicable bike, with marvelous ergonomics and killer brakes (thanks to Brembo) and the 190 kg weight simply disappear with the bike moving. With a little faster acceleration on Pinheiros streets, the vision ahead starts to blur and I coped with reality: 990 is a lot of bike for my little experience. On an open road the bike is worthy the potency, but requiring maturity to deal with the curves. On the city, it’s really an unwise choice, prone to accidents at a minimal attention lapse.

I felt glad that after the ride, the salesman instead of insisting to buy the bike sooner, he acknowledged my lack of experience and suggested at least a year praticing on a smaller motard. Maybe one or two year mileage pratice will bring me the necessary maturity to deal with greater twin engines, thus, avoing me putting me on danger on the next months. This was the kind of advice and treatment that I expected on BMW resellers and I did not find. Maybe even with a 800 cc beemer, this time I would be with some fractures and platinum pieces across my body. At least, one thing I’m sure: after 12 months, my big bike will be a KTM.

Naica Caves or Cueva de los Cristales, in Mexico, are geologic formations consisting of giant selenite crystals, some of the largest natural crystals ever found, translucent gypsum beams measuring up to 36 feet (11 meters) long and weighing up to 55 tons. Temperature inside cave is extremely unfrendly, over 40ºC, requiring extra heat protection and special masks for anyone wishing to stay there for more than a few minutes. Extreme conditions, rewarded with extreme beauty, a suggestion of a world beyond us.

Naica Caves, Mexico

Naica Caves, Mexico

Extreme conditions, rewarded with extreme beauty.

More information:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/04/070406-giant-crystals.html

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/11/crystal-giants/shea-text/1

Don’t let me wait here, don’t leave me in the lurch here
I step wholly and truly into your wonderland
Let me know about you and (let) the sun shine
Let me again and again, again and again be with you
Don’t let me wait here, don’t leave me in the lurch here
Let me know about you and the sun should shine
Again and again life, again and again into it
I step wholly and truly into your wonderland

I can wait for long, I’m good at pushing things to the back of my mind
It would nicer if you come fast and don’t leave me in the lurch here
That’s no plea, that’s no command, simply my love-deep love feeling

I am there and want to hold you, lean on me and fall asleep
Let yourself fall, I am with you, I want to share everything with you
I am there and want to hold you, lean on me and fall asleep
Let yourself fall, I am with you, I want to share everything with you

Emphatize with me and find your way out again
Build yourself beautiful rooms and open my soul
That’s no plea, that’s no command, simply my love-deep love feeling
Simply my love-deep love feeling

I am there and want to hold you, lean on me and fall asleep
Let yourself fall, I am with you, I want to share everything with you
I am there and want to hold you, lean on me and fall asleep
Let yourself fall, I am with you, I want to share everything with you

I can’t do it, no, I don’t want to, no
I don’t want to forgive you
Pains come up and this time I stand it
I won’t let you go anymore, I want to look into your eyes

October 12 is a catholic holiday here on Brazil. Cidinha’s day or Children’s day. And like usually, I went out to avoid the typical boredom of stayin’ home, even expecting to meet some friends at night. Four hours home alone would drive me crazy. Got my car and went random to Shopping Iguatemi here in São Paulo as usual, even doing some shopping there two days before, but my surprise instinct drove me there.

The shopping administration did “lend” space to Porsche and Fiat. Porsche was exibiting Panamera and Fiat the brand new Cinquecento (500). Some would say Panamera, with his high profile look, impeccable finish and huge size would be the vedette. Nothing so far from de truth. Even being a holiday the shopping was crowded, but people was rather skeptical about Porsche extravaganza, cared with some earnest from the dealer staff next the car.

For the first time I felt some compassion for those dumb richs on Iguatemi. Far are the days when I were enchanted with super cars. Now, I look at them like a waste of space and resources, I feel myself disgusted when I roam by the noblest areas of Sampa and see an infestation of SUVs and another aberrations misplaced on our heavy traffic and tight-fitting parking slots. A lot of times I lost my huge pacience looking to AMGs, M5s, Maseratis and Cayennes taking 2 slots and wondered… If those motherfuckers could afford a car like those, why didn’t they spent 10 bucks on Valet Parking? Typical paulistano stupidity. It’s not jealousy. Actually I own a Fiat Stilo and in three ou four months I’ll get a KTM 990 and this gear is more than enough to address all my commuting and travel problems. The exceeding bucks I put on my personal hobbies like watch collecting and mantaining a decent wardrobe.

What saved the day was the frenesi surrounding the bello e piccolo Fiat Cinquecento, a masterpiece of rationality and technology. People of all ages stopped and stared marveled in front of that mini gem and the Fiat hostesses around treated each person with delicacy and polishness, letting them explore each detail of the car, cleaning it almost each 10 minutes and magnifying the magic aura around it. Only explaining: the mini has 7 airbags, ABS/ESP, Bluetooth and voice command, electric dual drive, acceleration aid and Sky Window among its charms. I felt glad and hope someday people, even the richest ones, look to cars on a different and more intelligent way.

Here, some shots.

Cinquecento from behind.

Cinquecento

A wolderful rendition, as good as new Vespas.

Spontaneous shot 1:

And she likes some voyeurism.

Spontaneous shot 2:

Some say she's disgusting. I say, she's pretty

Buona notte, amici!

PS: Credits do twitter.com/camica_lemon

In my life I’ve often flown
I’ve fallen deep and sometimes I’ve also drowned
I have won and I’ve lost
I have died and I was newly born
I have given and I have taken
And we’ve found each other and we’ve come so far
I am so close to me and again and again so alien
That is something of being alone
And that nobody knows me
I don’t want to be poor and money doesn’t make me rich
Sometimes life is hard and most of the times I find it easy
I have cried and I have laughed
And finally found out what makes me more beautiful
I have drunken and I have smoked
And I have completed used up my powers
And I have gotten back on my feet again, it’s always life again
It’s always sun again

And here you are, you hold my hand and laugh
Because you know me better than I know myself
I am in love with you, my life
I don’t want to imagine being without you

In my life I’ve often flown
I have also already lied and betrayed you and me
I have loved and was drunken from it
I flew up to the sky and sank to the deepest point
I let myself go and then stand up again
I live so healthy and drugs I do take too
I count the years and then I don’t
I stand in the darkness and I create the light

And here you are, you hold my hand and laugh
Because you know me better than I know myself
I am in love with you, my life
I don’t want to imagine being without you

I love some people and some love me
And those who don’t love me, I do not miss
I love my children and I love you
And sometimes I don’t feel anything, then I don’t even feel me
I wish for peace and serenity
A heart that is always warm
I am not yet ready and freedom feels good to me
I do hurt myself sometimes, I feel strong
Even if right now I am not standing so upright
My fear of dying dissappears into the air
Dissolves slowly because life calls me

I am in love with you, my life
I don’t want to imagine being without you
With you I want to go on and I follow you
And you also take something from me
I am in love with this life and I
Stay with you here until then