The iPhone, which I have previewed before, is going on sale today. Would be very interesting to hear what are the first impressions of consumers buying it.
Have you? What do you think of it?
Monthly Archives: June 2007
Football, like life, is full of surprises
You may have read that previously I was not very convinced about Hugo Sánchez’s handling of the Mexican National Team. My suspicions were confirmed last Sunday when Mexico lost the final of the Gold Cup against the States (their second goal looks just like that Maxi Rodríguez goal from last summer). Since the Copa América was just around the corner, the panorama couldn’t be bleaker, since Mexico had to play against Brazil and 5 starters were out: 3 because of fatigue, 2 by injury.
You can imagine my surprise this morning when I read that Mexico beat Brazil 2-0, even though more than half of the team was composed of usually bench players. Nice performance. =D
The only sad thing to read is that some sectors of the press say that the performance was better since those who were more identified with the previous Mexico coach and bitter Hugo Sánchez enemy Ricardo Lavolpe were not included in the squad. I really hope that’s not the case.
Lo que empieza bien, acaba bien
Algunos de ustedes probablemente leyeron que estaba un poco preocupado. No había porqué. Ya tengo mis papeles, y ya sólo me falta defender mi tesis para graduarme de la maestría y regresar a mi chamba a Finlandia.
Estaba tan, pero tan estresado, que se me aflojó todo el cuerpo cuando me dijeron que ya no había bronca. Total, que sólo se trata de tener sus papeles en orden y mucha, mucha paciencia de por medio.
MySpace is working class, Facebook upper-middle class?
Interesting article about how American class divisions are reflected in the usage patterns of Facebook and MySpace. I still found it very interesting, as it is true that the way we use our tools reflect our societies..
Some traditional media (here, here) have picked up the story, but I'd rather read the whole essay, as I don't like the spin they put to it.
Via Slashdot.
24 h of Flickr!
First time one of my pictures is published. Not bad, not bad. =)
Belgian economic metrics
A friend says that if they give you a Cote d’Or with your coffee, the economy is doing well.
If they give you only a biscuit, the economy is not doing so well.
What happens when you put together an N95 and a radiocontrolled toy airplane?
You get Pict'Earth, so you can update Google Earth with more detailed pictures of your area of interest.
Via el blog de mediotiempo.com.
A year ago today…
Mexico lost against Argentina in the World Cup. Probably the best-played match in Mexican World Cup history, but it wasn’t enough in a very dramatic game.
After the game, I talked with an Argentine friend about his impressions of the match. He agreed with me that the teams shouldn’t have met at that stage of the tournament, since Mexico should have won its group.
The current situation in the team is far from what was shown in that game. Hugo Sánchez is now the coach, but in the end he still doesn’t seem to have much of an idea of what he wants to do with the team. There have been some problems in the locker room and they have lost some matches that should have been won. The only reason the team plays in the final of the CONCACAF Gold Cup tonight is because all the other teams in the region are worse than us, but of course if Mexico loses agains the U.S. there will be hell to pay. I really hope he finds a way.
Finnish Juhannus
The Midsummer celebrations in Finland are one of the highlights of the year when living in that country. If possible, people will go to their summer cottage, where they spend the time playing, eating, fixing a couple of things and going to sauna.
Given that here in Belgium they don’t seem to celebrate it very much, I’m really missing it. One doesn’t start to know about Finland until spending the midsummer long weekend with the Finns in a small house in the woods, maybe next to a lake, in the middle of nowhere. Probably there’s no better sauna than the one at the summer cottage, probably the smell of the woods is what relaxes you, probably it is because you spend a relaxing time with friends and/or family. Regardless it is one of the quintessential things that makes Finland the way it is, and I’ve realised how much the place has changed me now that it is not celebrated where I am.
Hyvää Juhannusta!
Sobre visas, permisos y cosas peores
Un amigo me comentó que ahora que se muda de regreso a España, los requisitos de visita se han puesto mucho más estrictos, incluso para nosotros que no necesitamos visa. Uno está totalmente de acuerdo en que los países libres y soberanos tienen derecho a proteger sus fronteras de la manera que mejor le parezca, pero los requisitos me parecen francamente excesivos (especialmente la parte sobre necesitar una carta certificada por la policía española en caso de alojarse con algún conocido durante su estancia)
Entre eso y lo tardado que se está convirtiendo renovar mi permiso de residencia en Finlandia (aunque he vivido 6 años en el país, no tengo antecedentes penales, tengo trabajo en el cual ya me están esperando, pago mis impuestos puntualmente, hablo el idioma y me voy a casar con una local) no me cabe la menor duda que en cuanto me sea posible voy a conseguirme la nacionalidad, porque realmente es un dolor de cabeza. Los que son ciudadanos de la Unión Europea no saben la suerte que tienen.
Lo que más me preocupa es que antes de mejorar, la situación se ponga peor. Según he escuchado, en Francia ya van a empezar con lo mismo que está haciendo España. Ya le tienen mucho miedo a los inmigrantes y están agarrando parejo…
Cómo me gustaría que Tlatelolco se pusiera las pilas y aplicara el principio de reciprocidad así como lo hace Itamaraty: si los estadounidenses se ponen tan difíciles con las visas para mexicanos que se les pidiera lo mismo, y que si los españoles empiezan a pedir cartas y demás que se les haga lo mismo cuando intenten entrar al país.
Por desgracia, la SRE prefiere quejarse sobre estupideces como Big Brother Australia (que sí, tal vez ofende, pero no es ni para darle importancia). Para eso me gustaban…