i don’t watch tv or read news much, other than the online stuff, so i still get surprised when i look at some pub on newspapers, when everybody else has seen it already. i don’t know if that’s the case, but check rsf (reporters sans frontières) pub about cuba: “où sont passés les journalistes?” (pdf file).

genious.

(more info)

“Consider a driver on a typical North American highway. The progress of the vehicle is dependent on a series of visual judgements made by the driver concerning the relative speed of other vehicles, and any manoeuvres necessary to complete the journey. At the same time, he or she is bombarded with other information: traffic lights, road signs, turn signals, advertising hoardings, petrol prices, shop signs, local time and temperature and so on. Yet most people consider the process so routine that they play music to keep from getting bored. Even music videos, which saturate the visual field with distractions and come with a soundtrack, now have to be embellished by textual pop-ups. This remarkable ability to absorb and interpret visual information is the basis of industrial society and is becoming even more important in the information age. It is not a natural human attribute but a relatively new learned skill.”

from An Introduction to Visual Culture.

* next week there’s brg2005, which is an electronic music and multimedia art festival. it’ll take place right here in braga, inside the new football stadium. check their website for more information on artists, both national & international, and workshops. (and please drop a note on the comments, if you’re considering coming :P)

* this saturday (tomorrow) there’s knitting meetup, again at rota do chá. the place is so perfect, the tea is great, the conversation flows between the needles… we can’t get enough of it, can we girls? :)

from merriam-webster:
eclectic: (e-‘klek-tik, i-) selecting what appears to be best in various doctrines, methods, or styles.
it’s becoming a lifestyle. :)