Love is in the air

It is funny how some things, no matter the place and the culture, are simply savored and perpetuated the very same way. Here's a couple from Macau, China, getting pictures taken for the wedding book. It may sound funny, but a lot of people are doing that all over the world. The idea is to go to the most famous places in the city and, all dressed up, pose for the camera. Naturally, they were not posing for me. I was an intruder who'd sneaked in and "stolen" some of those intercultural moments to bring home with me. Nice couple. They noticed I was also taking the shots, but didn't bother. For sure, they had more important things to do. They had to prepare the photo album that would mark their trajectory of love and a forthcoming life together. The place they chose is perfect: a replica of Venice, the Venetian mall, hotel, and casino. A little tacky for being a copy, but, I believe the feelings are sincere and original. So, for the couple who granted me with the nice shots in Macau, my wishes they have a wonderful marriage and live long. As we all know, wherever we go, love should be in the air. Yes, love here is in their air, in their smile, in their hearts. Love... is... in the air! Salut!

Hope Solo, solo hope is all we're left with!

For those who don't know, this is Hope Solo, the gorgeous American goalkeeper, maybe the world's best in her position. Naturally, we can see her fame is going beyond the four lines of the field. This is her in one of the pictures for ESPN Body, October 2011. From what I read, this is supposed to be ESPN's best issue ever, as they have gone out and "photographed a plethora of pretty athletes that will scintillate from every newsstand in the nation". I confess, during the semi-finals in June, I was angry with her because she was one of the responsible for our defeat. Marta did everything she could to beat the supergoalie, but in the end they were the winners, though in the final, Japan knocked them off. But Hope lived on, of course, and here she is showing us the best of the best. From afar, we can simply look, admire, hope. Hope, that's all we're left with. Hope!

Rest in peace, Mr. Jobs!

56 years old. There goes Steve Jobs, the brain behind Apple and contemporary technology. Short life indeed, but long enough to leave his mark forever. Any time we think of computers, gadgets, I-everything, he'll be around us. But Jobs has offered the world much more than nano equipment to connect people all over and help us understand it's possible to shrink the world and still be us. In the famous commencent speech at Stanford, in 2005, Jobs said: "Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart." And he did, and we were all lucky. Despite being physically gone, geniuses like Jobs do not vanish as ordinary people do, in case we don't believe in reincarnation. We, naturally, lament his death, but there is more to come as what he probably sowed here might be a legacy of pure search for development and improvement in the area of communication. Jobs once said he loved Socrates. Maybe now these two guys are having a nice chat under an apple tree. Isaac Newton may join in later. Live on, Mr. Jobs. The world hears you! Live on!