Une Rose Fleuret au Poing

gare aux épines de cette rose
dont le bout est bien perçant
que de fleurets dans sa prose
que de parfums enivrants
que d'éclat dans ses pétales
d'un rouge vif comme le sang
que de la vie dans sa sève
que des soldats dans son rang
une rose qui sent le rêve
de ceux qu'on fait en chantant
une rose qui crie Liberté
pas pour demain, MAINTENANT!
une rose qui me désarme
pleine de bravoure et de charme
dont le silence est vacarme,
et dont le sein est tentant...

Fallen Gods...

Some events just make us stop for a long minute and think. About what leads us, as a society, to certain situations. We as public have a responsibility in all of this. It's time to redefine our actual wants and needs, and how we want to function as a human group. Otherwise, we will allow EVERYTHING to have its integrity compromised by interests, money, fame and 15 minutes recognition. 

We have turned sports into a spectacle where the only thing that matters is winning, at all cost. I personally believe that this is too high a price to pay. Not being able to enjoy and believe in the virtues of the very same spirit of competition that drives us in every aspect in life and helps us achieve our goals, whatever they are? Believe that everything can be sorted out with shortcuts and cheats, belittling the importance of the effort and perseverance? Losing appreciation for everything, since everything can be bought, every law can be bent, as long as we don't get caught? We have shaped our society to become something we will grow to despise. And we should not point fingers at one particular person, but at ourselves as a whole. We are failing, as a society...

Lance Armstrong "comes clean" about doping @Oprah's

Life is a bitch... but she has her reasons!

I know for a fact that life is a bitch. She has fucked me times and times again, enough for me to sink it in my brain. Life is a bitch. When you think you are building and growing, and doing something meaningful for yourself and yours... She is just waiting in the corner to rape you to blood!

I sometimes wish I was blessed with the "will to ignore", instead of this thirst of knowledge for all things knowledgeable. 

"The more you know, the less you feel...", the song says. Is it really the way it works?

I have been taught to avoid building expectations on people, situations, human relations. Our instincts of survival surpass anything our imagination can conceive, and it's only when we are drawn to deal with them we fully understand to which extent WE ARE NOT MASTERS OF OURSELVES.

I have my share of contradictions, of wrongful doings, of bad reactions. I express too much, too strongly  (for most)   the way I feel, the way I think. But after being so much aware of  "the ways of the humans", starting with myself as a subject of study, it is impossible for me to act candid, as if I could trust blindly. I don't even trust MYSELF that way (I did, and have deceived/ surprised/ shocked/ scared myself in a few occasions). At least I have the advantage of having seen face to face the worst of me, and how I can act and react in a very extreme situation. I do not recommend for any and everyone to touch rock bottom like I once did, though. 

Funny thing is, our society is organised for our survival instinct to remain asleep. Only extreme situations, who call for extreme measures, can nowadays contribute to exposing the real Nature of mankind. But when it does get exposed, what a spectacle it is! We are naturally drawn to limit risks for our own good, even if it means putting others at risk. We dare not put ourselves in jeopardy for an idea, for a principle. Unless others do it, then we can join in without having to assume it. The PACK EFFECT...

I do, nonetheless, every once in a while, put my trust in people. I cannot live in total cynicism and denial of my own wants and needs. So I chose carefully. I measure the impact of each step towards a stage of vulnerability I will achieve, in the very action of opening up my heart and soul. I want to believe that I can do better, that others can do better. I am flawed, and eventually, it ends up showing. But I have the will to improve, to surpass myself, and am fully capable of such, if I put myself in the right conditions. But it helps to be helped. It helps to feel someone is taking those same risks as me. It helps knowing that, when I open up, I am not a mere option, but a priority for the persons I open up to. Because I make them a priority for me. And though I sometimes fail to convey that, I have made immense efforts through the years to make it quite evident for those I love.

I should have known better. I should have learnt to expect nothing from no one. But I am a romantic, an idealist, a fool. I advance in life without an emotional plan B. I place all my chips in the ones I love, and sometimes it scares the hell out of me. I have lost. I have dealt with the loss. If necessary, would be strong enough to deal with it again. This I know for a fact. But I do not want to. It takes a lot of energy to be positive, not so much to smash what  has been built. And I hope it's just skeptical me fearing the worse (as life has taught me), but it feels like storm is coming once again. I only wish those I stand by and who REALLY stand by me will prevail through the ordeal. 

Life is not easy. It never was supposed to be. We are born, we die. In between, we try to make some sense out of it. That's where I stand. Today and until the end.

Daughters, Roots and Wings...

I listened to Nas's song, "Daughters". Like any normal father, I thought about my own. Living in another city, in another country. My beautiful 7 year old I am so proud of, who is so much like me in certain ways, so different in others... The one I love and cherish above all. The one I dedicate every effort and breath in my life to.

The song got me thinking. My daughter is 10 years younger than Nas's, so he is dealing with a whole different level of problems, problems I aforesee, but have no means of dealing with until they HAPPEN. But the tender age of 7 brings its own lot of parenting issues; I would say, it is a crucial stage in a child's development. My daughter loves me. And she damn sure knows I love her.

But am I a good father?

Who knows. We think we do enough, we think we do the right thing, we make choice in their name because they are in no position to make them themselves, and then sit and wonder if our choices were correct. Then life answers to us, sooner or later.

The thing is, I wish I was a better father. A more present one. One she could actually call and SEE within minutes, when she needs to. But such is life... I do what I can with whatever means I am given. More than child support, more than money, more than cool holidays, a father is supposed to be the ultimate reference for a daughter, a role model, The Man Above All Men, the one who will define the type of men she will consider letting into her life. What does she see when she is with me? What is HER perception of HER Father?

********************************************************************************

 I have her for vacations, weekends when I can, I spend quality time with her, but I skip all the day-by-day hassle, much to my own sorrow. I didn't sign up for this. Having kids and not living with them is not my conception of family, yet, it is my current status. Life made it so, and though I have made my peace with it a long time ago... I can't help but wonder (and see) in which way it affects my daughter.

I am not perfect, nor will I ever be in her eyes. Every day in this world I try hard to BE the father I want to be, I can be, she needs me to be. From a distance, but not at all absent. Concerned. Protective. It is not an easy task to raise a child, it is even worse trying to do it from another country. That is why I have to give a lot of props to her Mother. No matter what went down between us, we share the best thing in the world. And she has taken over the task of taking care of our precious treasure DAILY. To the best of her abilities. My role is a frustrating one, quite like when my daughter was still in the belly, and I was passive, waiting... Well, not quite passive, since I was helping create a secure and comfortable environment for her coming. Guess I have to continue to do that, but to a whole different level. And succeed better. 

I have to teach my baby girl the difference between right and wrong. I have to give her the tools to face whoever, whatever situation. Teach her how to fight. Not literally, of cousrse. But fight for her ideas. For her values. For her integrity. For her ambition.

"The only things we can give our children are Roots and Wings".

Roots to keep them grounded, give them sense of where they come from, of their own History, their family and cultural richness;

Wings to help them achieve their goals on their own, reach their full potential, fly in the direction they chose to, with confidence and awareness.

Parenting is a lot of work. The only one that can give you grey hair and an everending smile at the same time. You do your best, and you'll get a few things right... Eventually... The secret is to never stop trying...

"They grow fast
One day she’s ya little princess, next day she talking boy business
What is this?
They say the coolest playas and foulest heart breakers in the world
God get’s us back, he makes us have precious little girls"

Nas, in Daughters

Stop Kony 2012 - a worldwide appeal to the masses

The power of words, the power of communication: yesterday morning, no one I know had ever heard about Joseph Kony. Today, he is World's Public Enemy number 1! Regardless of how little we know about him or his army, his current whereabouts or the situation in Uganda! for all we care, he is the next target to be brought down, because a video on facebook told us so!

ALL HAIL THE BIG BROTHER! HE IS LEADING THE WAY! LET US BLINDLY AND TRUSTFULY FOLLOW HIM, FOR HE KNOWS THINGS WE DO NOT, AND IS MORE LIKELY TO TAKE US TO THE PROMISSED LAND OF BLISS!

Guess there is no questionning why Zuckerberg has been elected Man of the Year in 2010 by TIME Magazine. He created a tool that made possible the kind of sheep-like behaviour we are now experiencing every other month ON A GLOBAL SCALE like never before, with some tragic news or reality brought to us via facebook (many of which are often proven hoaxes, false or inaccurate). 

One thing I am sure, and I can bet right here, right now: with this title, given the HYPE surrounding the subject, this might become the most read post on my otherwise discreet blog!

I am in no position to criticize the actions of Invisible Children Inc., the organisation raising awareness about war criminal Joseph Kony. A little research on the net allowed me to aknowledge his existence - Yes, I checked; I had never heard of him, and I do not take for a sure fact whatever I see or hear on the internet, and you shouldn't either!

So, in the 30 min. film that's shocking the internet, Kony is depicted a war lord, the evil type you only see in movies, and you sometimes wish you could kill with your own hands. He has a history of violence, terror and barbarism in a country (Uganda) no stranger to that matter in the course of the 20th century (Idi Amin Dada is the worst possible exemple). He enslaves, enrolls children in his army. He rapes, terrorizes, burns down villages, leaving a thread of blood and desolation upon his path. But what does his army fight for (do they even fight, still)? What is the reason of the conflict going on there? Who are the parts involved? What has the international community done about it? All of these questions have little or no answer in the film. They focus primarily on the character of Kony ("a lame name for a war lord if you ask me!" a friend of mine wrote on facebook!!!) and his mischevious behaviour. Nothing justifies his and his army's conduct, that is a sure fact. No arguing about it, once again. But we need to have a broader perspective in order to avoid acting without thinking, yielding to immediate emotions who are very normally triggered by the exposure of such tragic facts.

The movie focus on getting YOU involved. It tells how little the US government is willing to do about the situation, and how YOU can be one more voice to make this matter heard. It has gotten celebrities involved. It has gotten politicians involved. Let's make Kony famous, so he cannot escape, anywhere on this planet. The deadline is december 31st 2012. If WE don't catch Kony by then, WE will have failed miserably, thus proving we are not worthy human beings, and there is no hope for the future.

So marketing for the greater good has been deployed. The image of Kony, Bin Laden and Hitler, in a Shepard Fairey-like stylisation, is likely to become the front logo of this fight, like the Mask of Anonymous has become the symbol of internet "justice". Bracelets are being sold, funds are being raised, protests are being held, the world has REACTED, has awakened from its dorment state to fight a just war. The communication is aggressive, and it ought to be. The only way to deal with this type of problem is being relentless about it.

Awareness is raised. The planet is mobilised. WHAT NOW? Shall we go massively to Uganda with a gun and a photo of Kony, and flood him out the jungle? OOH! Wait, he is not in Uganda no more, he is in Congo! How about military intervention? how easy is it for a country to send troops to another to catch a militia? not that hard, right? I mean, they are hiding in the forest, and there's only so many trees... (but why, then, the FARC has lasted so damn long in Colombia?????)

Let's say it's remotely simple to send armed troops to wherever he is hiding and get Kony. if he has such fearful army, he will not go down without a fight. And his soldiers, according to the documentary, are... CHILDREN! Are we going to send an army kill children to save children? Hell of a metaphysical question I would not like to answer...

In my humble opinion, there are some things wrong with this approach:

-This very romanesque-like action, made legitimate by envolving the Humanity in its whole (meaning: those with facebook. Who today are more than the world population 200 years ago, as stated in the video. Yet to check those numbers) is based on a very long struggle from the IC organisation. They started this fight a while ago, as far back as 2003, and it's all very honorable of them to have taken real interest, persevered with the will of bringing this subject to light. But situation in Uganda evolved. The facts remain the facts, but today, Kony does not represent the same level of threat he did in the early and mid 2000s. He is still accountable for his crimes, and there is no doubt he should pay for them. But there are other priorities, such as dealing with the traumatized survivors of all these tragedies, or dealing with much more active warlords around the globe;

-Other thing is, they invested a huge amount of energy and funds in this cause, and it has now become not quite irrelevant, but more symbolic than effective. The LRA, Kony's army of fanatics, is surviving in exile outside  the Ugandan borders. The Ugandan army itself could be held accountable for crimes of war, yet Invisible Children Inc. has them as their allies in this war on war. Disturbing, to say the least;

-Finally, the goal of Invisible Children is CLEARLY to force US to take action into their own hands and "help"(?) the Ugandan finish once and for all with Kony's actions. Though, I maintain, it is a noble purpose, it is also a way of interfering with a country's internal affairs in a way that bothers me. They have done it all through the 20th century, and the begining of the 21st, Lybia being the most recent example of it. Khadafi was a criminal too, but by taking action in a total extrapolation of UN's resolution that aimed to protect civilians EXCLUSIVELY, the Allied Forces who took the man down have acted in their own particular interest, regardless of what the African Union, for instance, had to say. There are not such interests in Uganda, and that dictates a much bigger restraint on this matter. Which is good in a way, because africans are entitled to fight their own fights, and deal with their own internal plagues. Westerners have no right to "play God", saying "we will stop Joseph Kony, and I will tell you how we will do it!" That is a dangerous simplification of a complex situation. And relying on war criminals to catch war criminals is the type of situation that allowed the talibans to rise and shine at the dawn of the century. With the impact we have all come to know and regret...

My point, and it's a little cloudy here, is that most of the time, it's not just a matter of will that'll change a given situation, however bad it may be. There's a lot in stakes here, a lot to think about, one of the points being, once the awareness is raised, finding an accurate realistic way of ACTING for those children in danger, for the terror to end, for the scars to heal.

Another issue this whole Kony Campaign raises is the eternal paternalism of western countries towards Africa, and developing countries altogether. Is it up to american students, activists and organisations to do a Government's job? For how long will Africa be under intravenous infusion, depending on the western world for aid, for conflict resolution, for HUMANITY????

Is Africa going to be THAT ILL FOREVER, that it cannot find within its sons and daughters the cure for its own  condition? Will the world Peace rely more easily on american filmmakers than on National and International organs of Sovereignty?

"If you want to help a man, don't give him the fish, teach him how to go fishing."

Proverb

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Related links:

International Criminal Court Investigation opening on Kony:

 http://www.icc-cpi.int/menus/icc/press%20and%20media/press%20releases/2004/prosecutor%20of%20the%20international%20criminal%20court%20opens%20an%20investigation%20into%20nothern%20uganda?lan=en-GB

Kony aknowledged as a global terrorist:

http://www.voiceseducation.org/category/tag/lis-specially-designated-global-terrorists

Invisible Children Inc website:

 http://kony2012.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/

LINSANITY, part I (the making of the American Dream)

10 Days. It was all it took Jeremy Lin to be given a spot on the court, take it and not leave it anymore, making it into the starting 5. It all started on February 4th.  Mike d'Antoni, head coach of the New York Knicks, out of options after a very bad start in the season , throws a "kid" into the yard as a point guard. Jeremy Lin, 23, ex Golden State Warrior, ex Houston Rocket, undrafted in 2010, roughly 5 minutes per game so far this season with the Knicks. And then...

BOOM!

After 36 minutes, the fans, the staff, the WORLD had to rub their eyes to read the stats line! 25 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 turnover against the New Jersey Nets, against All Star point guard Deron Williams... and the WIN!!... WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS HAPPENING!?!?

The Madison Square Garden found the most unexpected hero in this low profile so-far-under-the-radar young player of chinese descent. It was a total surprise to see him shine the way he did and help the Knicks obtain a long sought victory. TOTAL SURPRISE, you say? Well... it depends for who...

During the pre season of 2010-11, when Lin, fresh out of Harvard, was playing at the NBA Summer League in Vegas, he did quite an impression on some insiders. Especially when he was opposed to soon-to-be first round draft pick John Wall, and was far from ridiculous. 6/12 from the field in 28 min. (Wall was 4/19 in 33 min) owed him an ovation from the audience at the end of the game, and the interest of a few scouts from the NBA. He ultimately signed, undrafted, foro his home team, the Golden State Warriors, who were in no position to give him the place under the spotlight we now know him to deserve.

February 6th 2012. Big Star Melo Anthony out on an injury, Stoudemire out mourning his brother, dead in a car accident... Seems like Lin will be given another chance to run the show against Utah. 28 points, 8 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals (8 turnovers...) and yet another win! HE DID IT AGAIN! To this point, the hype is starting to build up. So does criticism. "Lucky games", "he hasn't faced a real point guard yet" (REALLY??? what do you consider Deron Williams to be???), "that hype will crash once they play away from home"...

Ok, so the time has come. The opponent team? Washington Wizards. The place? Away. The direct opponent? no other than JOHN WALL HIMSELF. This starts to look like a real test now, doesn't it?And what's the verdict? Well... Wall ended the game with 29 points, 6 assists, 1 rebound, 1 block and 2 steals. Lin had 23 points, 10 assists, 4 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal... and the victory AGAIN!!!  History repeating, Lin is ovationed by the crowd, away from home, inside Wall's walls!

There is no denying it now! Lin is all over the news, America's newest sensation, and it didn't take him much longer to make the cover of Sports Illustrated: an epic win over the Lakers and a dream stats line - 38 pts, 4 rbds, 7 asts, 2 stls in 39 minutes; even Kobe, who prior to the game was saying Lin was «nothing to make a big fuss about», had to bow down to the New Emperor of New York!

After a hard earned win over the Minnesota TimberWolves, of Spanish boy wonder Ricky Rubo, Lin was submitted to his second big test: the return of Amar'e Stoudemire. Back from his mourning period, he was now to play with the new found starting point guard (since Baron Davis doesn't seem to be coming out of the infirmary anytime soon...). Observers said the challenge for Lin would be to keep that level of greatness once the two Superstars would return to the court. With  Melo still out, it wasn't the real deal, but there was already half an answer there.

The game was not an easy one; José Calderon and his Raptors  were well aware of what they were dealing with, so they gave NY no rest. Still, LINSANITY STRUCK AGAIN! He ended up being the top scorer of the game (27 points); he had the most assists (11). He pulled it off quite well, pick-and-rolling with Amar'e like we thought he would, paving his way into the basket everytime he could, giving the tempo for the born-again NYKnicks. but his last nail on the coffin, his coup de grâce was definitely his 3 point shot ForTheWin! AND  ON VALENTINE'S DAY! (renamed Va-LIN-tine's Day for the occasion...) With 0.5 seconds to play after J-Lin dropped his nonchalant-like 3 point bomb, there wasn't much the Raptors could do. HE OFFICIALLY BECAME A LEGEND at that very moment!

 Would the season end now, this young player would be crowned the MIP of 2012. From unsigned hype to benchwarmer to clutch player in just a matter of days... The American Dream doesn't get any better than this! Hollywood could not have pulled this one off, by any stretch of the imagination!!!! No writer would have dared to combine such improbable odds and turn it into a movie, EVER! Ivy League graduate becomes New York's Finest! Anonymous player makes a staggering breakthrough in the NBA! Chinese player becomes 2012 NBA jersey's best seller! the Madison Square Garden stock is on the rise, thanks to merchandising profits generated by LINSANITY! Boy Wonder breaks Shaq's record for most points scored in the first 5 games as a starter in an NBA team!

So now, the city of New York, the entire United States, the whole Basketball Planet, as well as the financial world, the NY Stock Exchange, the top execs at Nike and over a billion people in the asian continent have their eyes focused on this young player of chinese descent. Does it really matter what origins he has? Well... I would love to say no, but the fact is that it does. It may have played a role on him being so underrated despite his playmaker skills. Had he had other physical features, he probably would have played more minutes in Golden State, and once they realised the gem they had in hands, he would never had flown away from home; had he not been of chinese origin (the most populous country in the world), the potential for sales in the asian population (as well as the one for All Star Game votes next year and the ones to come, if the phenomenon proves to be a lasting one) wouldn't have been this big in and out of the US, and he wouldn't have a signature shoe after only 10 days of media exposure (yet to be confirmed or discarded as a hoax, but so probable...)!!!!!!!!!!

And crazy as it sounds,Jeremy has only played six games since the 4th; he hasn't had time to take some time out and analyse what is happening to him; he sure must be feeling blessed to have had the opportunity to display his talents and help his team win. He sure must think it's crazy to be propelled into the BIG GAME like this. The media attention, the pressure, the absolute obligation to perform. He is dealing with it. One day at the time. One game at the time. Let's not put him just yet in Yao Ming's footsteps, but he sure is now single-handedly representing the asian community in the NBA. I sincerely wish him the best outcome to his American Dream!!!

PS: There is Sacramento on the menu tonight. Let's hope, for the sake of the fairy tale, that they keep winning, to even their W-L balance to 15-15.

BAD BOYS TURNED GOOD... (PART I)

Loon. Shyne. Mase. Les deux points communs entre ces trois hommes?

1- Ils ont connu le succès à l'échelle planétaire, en étant des têtes d'affiche du label Bad Boy, du non moins célèbre (voire bien plus) Sean "P. Diddy" Combs. Vous savez, le mec qui a découvert le Notorious B.I.G., qui est devenu multimillionnaire grâces à lui? Bah voilà, il a lancé ces trois mecs là, qui ont tous connu un succès considérable. En peu de temps, ils ont connu la gloire, Mtv, les voitures, l'argent, les femmes, le sommet du monde qui leur permettait leur notoriété acquise dans le rap.

2- Ils ont tous les trois embrassé la foi, dans des circonstances différentes, en quittant le label qui les a rendus millionnaires. Mase est devenu pasteur Baptiste, tandis que Shyne et Loon se sont convertis au judaïsme et à l'islam, respectivement. Passés d'une vie d'excès en tout genre, de champagne au réveil, de femmes fascinées par leur richesse et influence, à une recherche de paix, de vérité plus profonde et durable que le miroir aux alouettes qu'était leur vie de débauche. Des hommes jeunes, ayant connu le meilleur et le pire, l'enfer des ghettos et le luxe des palaces, la vente de crack et les disques de platine, les familles monoparentales et les "entourages" de vautours, décident de mettre fin à leurs "vies de rêve" pour embrasser la religion.

La question que je me pose est donc la suivante: trois rappeurs du même label qui traversent une crise spirituelle et partent en recherche de lumière dans les saintes paroles, c'est un ratio assez élevé, tout de même. Faut qu'ils aient été exposés au "péché" dans des proportions gargantuesques, à s'en dégouter, pour ressentir aussi profondément le besoin d'en sortir, là où d'autres s'en accomodent parfaitement. QU'Y A-T-IL CHEZ BAD BOY ENTERTAINMENT QUI PROVOQUE DES CRISES MYSTIQUES????? Et surtout, comment ça se fait que celui qui est le plus exposé des Bad Boys, Sean Combs, le CEO, le big boss, celui qui depuis la période Biggie Smalls aimait déjà être sous les spotlights, n'en soit pas affecté, et continue à multiplier les femmes, les enfants de mères différentes, les voitures outrageusement chères, les villas, les fêtes qui feraient passer les orgies romaines pour des goûters d'enfants?

P. DIDDY EST IL LE DIABLE???????

New World Order, part I

Women want to be the new Men... fucked up world we live in...

A Minha Namorada Chama-me Feio!...

A minha namorada chama-me feio. Só assim, pra me picar, pra me xatear*, ou como nome de carinho. O facto é que ela chama, sim... e CONSTANTEMENTE!

"...Seu feio! FEIOOOOOOO!"

"Então porquê que namoras comigo, se sou tão feio assim?"

"Ah!... também não sei!... Feio!"

"Mas sabes que se eu não soubesse o quanto sou bonito podia duvidar de mim e o teu "feio" ser um sério atentado ao meu ego?"

"Tás a falar a sério??!?!?"

"Claro que estou! A tua sorte é eu ter o ego que tenho, senão tava fod*do!"

"Oh! Amor, deixa-te disso! Além do mais eu não estou contigo só por causa da tua aparência."

"Se fosse por isso também já não estavas..."

Eu assumo plenamente a minha feiice. Aliás, sempre fui da opinião que Homem, por mais bonito que seja, não deve ter como primeiro atributo atractivo a sua beleza; logo, tratando-me assim, ela está apenas a reconhecer a potência do meu magnetismo, este je ne sais quoi que me torna absolutamente irresistível!!!

Sem ser o Quasimodo, há dias em que a minha aparência deixa a desejar, é verdade. Uma mistura de desleixe, deixa andar, atitude anti-conformista (não podemos ser todos bonitos, né?) e de arrogância (eu já sou demais, se ainda por cima for BONITO, torna-se muito injusto para os outros homens...), mas a verdade é que sentir-me bonito advém mais de um estado de espírito do que da minha aparência, de um aprumo particular para tal ou tal ocasião...

A sedução é um processo inconsciente por mais de metade, muitas das vezes somos atraídos por tanta coisa inconsciente, da qual só damos conta mais tarde... Claro que a aparência tem um papel preponderante na primeira abordagem, isso é inegável e evidente. Mas eu estou muito grato à genética por me ter dado um certo equilíbrio entre aparência e conteúdo. Estou mais do que convicto que nunca seduzi ninguém com base na minha aparência unicamente. Não que seja impossível, longe disso: há gostos para tudo, felizmente! Apenas acho que o que eu consigo transmitir ao sexo oposto, em particular a alguém que me interesse, vai para além do físico. Eu tento estabelecer uma conexão "doutros tipos". Para resumir, digo-te, caro leitor, a resposta que acaba com a minha namorada sempre que, pra me xatear* ela me chama FEIO: "EU NÃO SOU BONITO MAS SOU CHARMOSO!" E isso nem ela pode negar...

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*Xatear: eu sei que a palavra escreve-se "chatear", mas é daquelas palavras que eu acho que fica melhor com uma grafia diferente da correcta... então, como eu sou um xato, aqui vai o meu desacordo ortográfico, o meu manifesto a favor da mais bonita regra da literatura: a Licença Poética!

Bringing Love Letters back

"Dear fans, dear audience,

I Know it's been a while. A LOOOOOOONG while. You've probably wondered if I still had any in me at all. I have been through my share of trials (not a figure of speech) and tribulations, facing all sorts of legal issues, wether on the private or the professional level, beef, backstabbing and a lot of hating directed towards me. Still, I have been blessed with the ability to drop consistent albums every now and then.

I'm not going to backtrack my entire career one single at the time. Since "She's Got That Vibe", I have the feeling I lived a thousand lives. Things sped up to a pace that almost got the best of me. I am a Christian Man, and it's only fair I recognize I did my share of sinning. But what choice did I have? I have lived a hectic crazy life, I have been distracted from my true goals and spirituality. See, I truly believe I have been blessed. It would be unwise not to aknowledge such beautiful gift from the Lord. He gave me the ability to touch the hearts of Men. Through words, melodies, music. I have been growingly overwhelmed by the reactions of my public in live concerts, I may have lost focus and humility at times, but trust me, you would have too... I've sold out tours, had women throwing their panties AND themselves at me on stage, I felt empowered by al that love and energy. Which led me to misinterpret the global meaning of it all. I started making music a lot more to please the people, and less to touch their hearts. And by doing so, I was only partially pleasing them. Ok, nothing wrong with an occasional club banger or ego tripping song here and there, but the fire of vivid storytelling that put me in this position in the first place, I seemed to have lost it somewhere, somehow... The very core and essence of my feel good music was still there, though, it just didn't make the magic happen so often as before. I had to take some time out for focus, had a lot of growing up to do, a lot of righting wrongs to do. I wanted, needed desperately to make peace with some issues, before I was able to give back to you what I knew I could.

So here it is. "Love Letter" is my Redemption Album. A declaration of love to my audience, with whom I've been in this long term relationship. The longest relationship I've ever been in. Maybe you had the feeling that I got used to you, that I took you for granted. That I was not making efforts to keep you satisfied. It might have happened. For that, I apologize. Sometimes, all it takes is a handwritten, sincerity-fueled love letter to let you know the fire still burns in me. For you.

So, with this album, I take it back. Back to the essence of Soul. I dig inspiration in the legends, from Soulmen such as Marvin Gaye (his spirit has guided me through my best work along my career) or Ray Charles, to crooners such as Sinatra or Nat King Cole, another Messiah when it came to delivering heartfelt messages. I dropped it simply, yet effectively. I've put my sweat and work into it. I've put my heart into it. I've put my memories, my tears, my joys and pains into it. I've given the best I've given in years, because I didn't want you to listen to a good album with a couple classic songs. I wanted to give you a CLASSIC ALBUM. One you would dance and groove and cry and make love to in years to come. Relentlessly. I wanted it to be timeless, soulful, beautiful. Like the way I feel inside today. Because you have not left me down, it was my turn to return the favor. Thank you for sticking by me. Thank you for giving your boy Kels the opportunity to do it again. Because no matter how good I think this album is, it will not be a damn thing if you don't embrace it. So buy it. Download it (legally, please! Brother got a family to feed!). Borrow it. Listen to it. And again. And again. Feel it. I made it for you all.

Thanks for the unconditional love and support. Yours dearly,

Robert Kelly"

Last night I saw an NBA GAME... a REAL ONE!

Le lieu - Madison Square Garden - est mythique. L'affrontement est colossal. Jugez plutôt:

- dans un coin, les Boston Celtics, 2 finales NBA ces 3 dernières saisons, le collectif le plus dangereux de la ligue, une profondeur de banc à leur faire gagner des matches avec l'équipe B;

- dans l'autre coin, les New York Knicks, franchise qui revient de saisons de torpeur, en pleine renaissance sous le leadership d'un Amare Stoudemire digne de ses années dorées pré-blessure aux Suns, emmenant les siens à une série de 8 victoires consécutives, enchaînant autant de matches à plus de 30 points. COMBAT DE TITANS, JE VOUS DIS!

Je pourrais vous raconter le match en détail, tellement j'en ai souffert... Les écarts n'ont jamais été très importants, on a approché en permanence les 10 points de différence sans jamais les dépasser, il me semble. Les Celtics, privés de VRAI pivot (O'Neal & O'Neal blessés, Perkins pas encore revenu de sa blessure de la Finale 2010 face aux Lakers), Semih Erden a dû faire l'affaire. Péniblement. Gallinari, Wilson Chandler Et Stoudamire se sont mis d'accord pour lui faire passer une soirée des plus cauchemardesques, le mettant sur pratiquement tous les "poster dunks" (mention spéciale pour le reverse de Gallinari sur sa tête) dans le rôle de la victime consentante et résignée...

À 83-90 pour New York après trois quarts temps, rien n'était joué. Les Celtics disposaient de 12 minutes pour faire déjouer leurs redoutables adversaires de la soirée, pour ne pas se faire larguer au tableau d'affichage. Et ils l'ont fait en faisant ce qu'ils savent faire le mieux: en défendant, en ne lâchant RIEN! Une frayeur éloigne Rajon Rondo du terrain (entorse) alors que, avec 14 passes, il est le véritable métronome de Boston, qui recolle au score. Mais plus de peur que de mal, il revient prêter main forte aux siens dans les dernières minutes de ce match qui commence à tourner à leur avantage. À 2 minutes de la fin, Kevin Garnett rate un lay up, prend le rebond, remet la balle dans le cercle: 111-113!

Les Knicks remontent le terrain mais ratent leur panier ,et derrière, panier facile pour les Celtics. Nouvelle perte de balle des Knicks, de plus en plus fébriles, et Ray Allen les punit de son habituel panier à trois points au meilleur moment: 116-113. Le vent a tourné pour Boston. Il reste une minute à jouer... Remontée des Knicks, Gallinari réussit son lay up et souffre une faute en prime. Petit +1 et les deux équipes sont à nouveau à égalité! Possession de Boston, 12 secondes à jouer, la balle est remise à Paul "the Truth" Pierce. Et il la trouve, la vérité! Il longe le parquet sur la largeur, se retrouve en 1x1 face à Stoudemire, petite feinte de corps, fadeaway jump shot, le long bras de son adversaire direct est hors de portée du ballon: 118-116!!!!!!!! L'euphorie gagne les Celtics, il reste 0.4 secondes à jouer, le plus dur semble fait! Paul Pierce célèbre une victoire pas encore acquise, Nate Robinson se jette sur lui et se retrouve par terre, les verts ont donc réussit leur coup!!! Sauf que... Le coach de New York demande un temps mort. La stratégie semble évidente: à ce stade, il faut tout faire pour démarquer le joueur qui a la main chaude, et prier pour qu'il dégaine plus vite que son ombre. Amaré Stoudemire, 39 points, 10 rebonds et 3 contres dans la soirée, semble être cet homme. Il assume ses responsabilités, d'autant que Garnett est en retard en défense. Il reçoit le ballon, pose ses appuis, s'élève immédiatement, à 30 cm de la ligne des 3 points, sans opposition... Et soudain le MSG s'enflamme!!!! LA BALLE EST DEDANS!!!!! LE BUZZER BEATER DU STOUD' (qui a entendu scander "MVP! MVP!" tout au long de la soirée) A TUÉ LE MATCH! Mais était-ce bien un buzzer beater? A-t-il déclenché son tir avant le retentissement de la fatale sirène? Après visionnage vidéo (Dieu merci, ce n'est pas du foot!!!) l'affaire ne fait pas un pli: PANIER REFUSÉ!

Le ballon quitte la main du joueur après que la lumière rouge se soit allumée, après la fin du temps réglementaire... de dizièmes de seconde ont volé cette victoire aux Knicks à domicile, les Celtics ont commis le Hold Up PARFAIT, et signent une 11ème victoire d'affilée. Peu importe qui, aux yeux des uns ou des autres, méritait de gagner. Les Knicks ont dominé sans se distancer suffisamment pour se mette à l'abri; les Celtics, poussifs tout le long, ont trouvé les ressources pour tenir, et ont su revenir dans une partie loin d'être évidente. Et si l'équipe de New York n'a pas à rougir de sa performance, la vérité du jeu, elle, est immuable. Fin de série pour les Knicks, mais une grosse confiance engrangée, et la certitude que le message est passé pour toutes les équipes de la ligue: "cette année, faudra compter sur les KNICKERBOXERS!" New York a à nouveau une équipe qui remplit le Garden, en termes de billeterie et d'émotions. Cette fin de match dramatique à souhait, digne d'un film de suspense Hitchcokien, est une des raisons qui m'a fait aimer le basket, étant adolescent. Cette montée d'adrénaline, cette tension dans le money time, ces coups d'éclat et changements successifs de leader ao scoring board... Cette impression que tout peut se jouer au dixième de seconde près (comme ce fut le cas!)... Ce déploiement de volonté, ce mental d'acier mis à rude épreuve, ces nerfs rongés par la fièvre de la gagne qui se lit jusque dans la concentration des joueurs, et l'impression que 5 minutes en basket, ça peut durer une heure, une éternité... Comme le dit le slogan de la ligue qui me fait rêver depuis tout petit: "if you don't like this, YOU DON'T LIKE BASKETBALL!"

his Beautiful Twisted Dark Fantasy...

À ce stade, vous aurez compris que ce blog est (aussi) une collection de coups de coeur, de réactions à chaud sur des choses qui m'ont interpelé, et notamment des "choses musicales". C'est la parfaite définition de ce dernier opus du fou génial qu'est Kanye West. Une CHOSE MUSICALE. Une chose indéfinissable, une chose qui dépasse les frontières des genres musicaux, qui nous emmène directement dans un univers unique, SON univers, qui a beau contenir les mêmes ingrédients de ceux de beaucoup de ses contemporains, donne naissance à un résultat complètement différent, atypique, unique. Kanye West mêle ses revindications politiques à son amour pour les bijoux clinquants et les fringues de couturier, ses relations tumultueuses avec les femmes et son haut degré de conscience sociale, son combat contre l'injustice et son combat pour maintenir son immense ego satisfait ET sous contrôle... Le tout avec beaucoup de dérision, beaucoup de sincérité, beaucoup de naiveté et de cynisme... et surtout, une virtuosité musicale à toute épreuve!

Cet homme n'a plus rien à prouver de ce côté là, il a d'ores et déjà écrit une belle page du hip hop mondial avec ses productions, pour d'autres artistes ou pour lui même. Son plus gros "échec" commercial, "808s & Heartbreak", a vendu 1.3 millions de copies rien que sur iTunes l'année de sa sortie. Il s'assoit donc sur ce succès commercial pour s'accorder d'autant plus de liberté créative, explorant des horizons divers, parfois assez éloignés du hip hop à base de samples soul des années 70 qui l'a fait connaître. Kanye West est, au même titre qu'OutKast, un ovni de la scène musical contemporaine, et il peut s'accorder les délires qu'il veut musicalement parlant. Il a assez de nom, de poids dans l'industrie du disque, d'ego et de grande gueule pour dire: "FUCK YOU! je vais faire la musique que JE veux, que J'AIME, et même si elle est différente de ce à quoi je vous ai habitués, même si les critiques me descendent en flèche, je vais la faire comme je l'entends. Et je vous garantis que vous allez l'aimer, tôt ou tard!" Et c'est exactement ce qu'il fait!

Kanye a dépassé le simple stade de la musique, il veut donner au monde une vision, sa vision condensée, décalée, rêvée, FANTAISISTE de la vie ici bas... Je ne fais pas de review de son nouvel album, "My Beautiful Twisted Dak Fantasy", je vous laisse le soin d'en découvrir le court métrage/ maxi clip ci dessus. Il résume tout ce qu'on pourra dire sur son album, sur sa mégalomanie, sur ses fantasmes, sur son Art. Oui, Kanye West est un ARTISTE au sens large. Et un Artiste POPulaire. Kanye n'est plus SEULEMENT Hip Hop*, il s'est ouvert au rock, à l'electro, à la soul, à la folk, au classique, il a mélangé tout ça dans son cerveau de malade et nous a sorti une POP bien particulière, forte, parfois dérangeante, souvent marrante, toujours intriguante, mais surtout intelligente. Je ne suis pas fan de tout ce qu'il a fait (808s est l'album de Mister West que j'aime le moins, je le trouve trop expérimental mais pas assez abouti, mais ça c'est mon avis perso...) mais je suis fan de sa démarche, de sa volonté de se renouveler, de se réinventer, de pousser toujours le bouchon un peu plus loin; je suis fan de sa mégalomanie justifiée par les heures de travail acharné dont le résultat est toujours de nature à me faire réagir, par la positive ou la négative. J'aime les artistes qui me font réfléchir à ce qu'est leur art, à la façon dont je la perçois et la reçois, et à ce qu'ils se proposent de faire avec. Pour cela, et même si le titre de l'album n'est plus celui que vous aviez prévu, you did a Good Ass Job, Mr. West!

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*l'a-t-il jamais été un jour, d'ailleurs?

Largués sur scène...

La vie, la vraie, n'a pas de didascalies. Les indications scéniques ne sont pas inscrites quelque part en italique, on nous dit pas comment jouer, où se placer, quoi dire à tel ou tel moment, où et quand marquer une pause, où et quand se retenir ou exploser... La vie est la scène d'un spectacle d'improvisation en continu, où l'on connait (et encore) la situation de départ, et on doit s'efforcer d'arriver au bout avec le moins de heurts possibles. Mais comme c'est en continu, la seule fin, c'est la sortie de scène définitive. Rideau sur une vie, mais le spectacle continue. Pour les autres. Avec les autres. Nous sommes des personnages en quête d'auteurs. Plutôt que de nous en remettre à un quelconque scénariste, nous devrions essayer nous mêmes, autant que faire se peut, d'écrire les Actes et les Scènes au fur et à mesure que nous les vivons, que nous les improvisons... En fonction des actions - réactions - interactions, fixons nous des objectifs, des envies, des buts, et avançons vers, sachant qu'on ne sait pas combien de temps il nous reste encore sur scène.

Aimons. Donnons. Partageons. Jouissons pleinement du privilège d'être acteurs dans cet Hollywood à ciel ouvert qu'est notre existence sur cette planète. Apprenons à faire abstraction des milliards de caméras, soyons aussi naturels que possible, sans viser l'Oscar, sans d'autre prétention que d'être les meilleurs possibles, dans ces rôles que nous n'avons pas choisis, mais que nous nous devons d'assumer, en bons professionnels de la vie que nous nous efforçons d'être. THE SHOW MUST GO ON!...

Comment assumer sa BoBo attitude, par Glenn

BoBo = Bourgeois Bohême. Individu appartenant à la classe moyenne haute, mais sympathisant avec les codes et modes de vie des bohémiens et autres révolutionnaires se battant contre l'ordre établi à plusieurs niveaux. En gros, un mec qui a eu la chance de grandir à l'abri du besoin, dans un joli pavillon paisible, issu d'une famille de cadres, qui a les moyens de s'acheter le dernier iMac quand il sort, mais qui soutient les idéaux défendus par Che Guevara, Mai 68, cite à profusion les poètes maudits et manifeste contre l'expulsion de sans papiers en arborant un chandail JPG (le couturier excentrique, pas le format de compression d'images...), avant d'aller refaire le monde à la terrasse du Flore (si dans votre esprit vous vous demandez: "le Flore?..." vous n'êtes pas BoBo, vous voilà rassurés...).

Notez que je n'ai strictement rien contre les BoBos, je me soupçonne d'ailleurs fortement d'en être un par moments*! Ce que je voudrais c'est comprendre. Comme d'hab. Comprendre ce déni des "valeurs" de sa classe, sans pour autant renoncer aux privilèges; comprendre ce qui peut faire qu'on se mette dans la situation paradoxale de profiter des avantages de la bourgeoisie tout en mettant à mal, par le idées qu'on défend, le maintien de ceux-ci. Comme Frédéric Beigbeder qui a été (grassement rémunéré pour être) le responsable de la communication et image de Robert Hue, candidat communiste, pendant les présidentielles de 2002, alors qu'il est issu d'un milieu à mille lieues** de l'Internationale (Papa chasseur de têtes, grand frère homme d'affaires parmi les plus côtés de l'héxagone, lui... ÉCRIVAIN! La brebis galeuse, le bohémien, le paresseux, quoi...).

Le BoBo est-il un bourgeois immature en pleine crise d'adolescence? Se doit-il de passer par là, de se rebeller avant de devenir ce qu'il est, comme le dit si bien le slogan légendaire de la marque Lacoste?

Commençons par identifier le BoBo. Nous avons dressé son portrait socio-professionnel, décodé son génome, en quelque sorte... Mais est-il repérable "à l'oeil nu", comme ça, dans la rue?

Le BoBo est difficile à repérer pour l'oeil non averti. Ceci dit, une fois qu'on a en main les clés pour décoder, ça semble clair et limpide comme de l'eau de roche. Le BoBo aime se camoufler en "gent du peuple". Le BoBo va arborer un look négligé savamment étudié, poussant à l'extrême le mimétisme avec ceux qu'il admire. Il va porter la barbe de 15 jours, dont la longueur de poil sera minutieusement entretenue au quotidien, il va porter des vêtements qui, au premier abord, ne vont pas différer de beaucoup de ceux de la classe ouvrière, à quelques "détails" près. Son pull asymétrique diforme aura une petite étiquette Hermès, ses baskets de baroudeur seront signées Hugo Boss, son col roulé sous sa veste à coudières renforcées sera un Bompard de bonne facture, sa sacoche en véritable cuir de vachette proviendra des usines Calvin Klein, son keffieh portera un discret logo LV... Parce que, quand même, ce n'est pas parce qu'on imite les pauvres qu'on doit aussi en imiter l'inconfort! Le BoBo (tel Johnny Depp, un des spécimens les plus représentatifs) est donc attiffé comme un clochard, mais avec des fringues de prince! Cette allure doit trancher avec le costume trois pièces gris en semaine, polo Ralph Lauren et chaussures de voile le weekend, qu'on est en droit d'attendre de lui. Le BoBo voit dans son choix de vie une porte vers la liberté, un répit, une façon de repousser l'échéance fatale...

Oui, le BoBo a des responsabilités sociales que tôt ou tard il sera appelé à assumer, et IL NE LE VEUT PAS! Il le faudra pourtant, la survie de sa CSP+ en dépend grandement, mais il ne saurait s'y résoudre. Renoncer à la liberté de refaire lee monde sans commencer par changer sa vie en premier lieu, renoncer aux soirées de bohême dans le 10ème ou le 20ème arrondissement, là où vivent les "vrais gens" (sous entendu: "nous, les bourgeois, n'en sommes pas"), avec de vrais problèmes, le sel de la terre tandis que nous n'en sommes que le caviar... Cette recherche est, avant toute chose, une recherche de sa propre Humanité, une façon de demander pardon pour ce que leurs parents ont fait aux moins fortunés, et surtout de ce qu'ils s'apprêtent à faire à leur tour...

Être BoBo, c'est s'acheter une forme de bonne conscience, c'est demander pardon pour n'avoir pas eu à galérer, pardon parce qu'il s'identifie à "l'autre" gamin, le bien né, dans la chanson "Nés Sous La Même Étoile" d'IAM... Être BoBo, c'est avoir conscience que l'on va reproduire, tôt ou tard le schéma de ses parents... Mais le BoBo n'a pas l'excuse de dire qu'il ne "savait pas"...

Donc, pour en revenir au titre de cet article, il n'y a pas de formule miracle pour assumer son BoBo-isme. D'ailleurs, aussi incroyable que cela puisse paraître, beaucoup de BoBos, passée la période de culpabilité judéo-chrétienne, assument de façon décomplexée leur côté gauche caviar, je veux bien abollir les privilèges mais pas les miens. C'est aussi cela, la beauté de l'être humain: sa grande capacité de s'adapter à TOUT...

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*mon cas de figure est assez atypique, et ne rentre pas stricto sensu dans ce moule, ni dans aucun moule d'ailleurs... je suis un OutKast, même au sein de ma propre famille!

** je ne résiste pas à la tentation de faire remarquer l'allitération tautogrammatique du plus bel effet: "un milieu à mille lieues"! je me kiffe quand j'écris des choses comme ça tout à fait par hasard!

Le Chat de Baudelaire est toujours vivant...

Viens, mon beau chat, sur mon coeur amoureux ;
Retiens les griffes de ta patte,
Et laisse moi plonger dans tes beaux yeux,
Mêlés de métal et d'agate.

Lorsque mes doigts caressent à loisir
Ta tête et ton dos élastique,
Et que ma main s'enivre du plaisir
De palper ton corps électrique,

Je vois ma femme en esprit. Son regard,
Comme le tien, aimable bête,
Profond et froid, coupe et fend comme un dard,

Et, des pieds jusques à la tête,
Un air subtil, un dangereux parfum,
Nagent autour de son corps brun.

Charles Baudelaire

Digging in the Crates - "Back in the days when we were younger..."

I developped a pretty awesome way to travel. It's called YouTube. It takes me back to the past. My memory brings a specific tune, a specific song I heard at a particular moment in life; I type the name of the song on YouTube, play the video, and share it on facebook with the people most likely to understand the way I feel about that song, that period of my life! Being the shy person that I am, music has been a means of communicating with others since my teenage years. I pass the message through this or that song since I was a shorty, cause I was never the type to spit my feelings out there boldly like it was no thang.

I flirted on Tevin Campbell's "Can We Talk", got crazy wild on Naughty by Nature's "Craziest", got groovy on Zhané's "Hey Mr. DJ", got horny on Silk's "Freak Me", celebrated love on Aaliyah's "Never Giving Up" (one of the most beautiful moments of my whole LIFE is associated to this song. A person, a place, a kiss...); I got cocky with Jay Z, rebelled with Dead Prez, trained poetry with Common, spitted my lungs out trying to follow Big Pun's flow; I got mad with Eminem, got rich with Biggie; declared my flame on Maxwell's "Fortunate", and cheated to TLC's "Creep"... I got broken hearted on Usher's "You Got it Bad", recovered with Ne-Yo's "Go On Girl" (yes, definitely, "I'm too fly to be depressed"...); Outkast ATLienated me BIG TIME, Miss Erykah Badu made me call Tyrone on my own phone, Lauryn Hill Miseducated me, and JODECI brought out the FREAK in me! Snoop Dogg made me an Angelino citizen, Dr. Dre composed the soundtrack I rode to the beach; Ludacris kept me laughing with his crazy tunes ("MOVE BITCH!" - you know who you are, frenemy!)... Fuck it, I could write my autobiography with titles and quotes from songs EXCLUSIVELY, and it would be a best seller!

Man, at this point, it is no secret for you, who have read my blog (or just this one particular post), that music is a very important part of my approach to life. So really, when I am polluting your FB wall, I am just time travelling, trying to take you along on my daily journey, delivering parts of my intimate life and thoughts in a discreet, yet ALL OUT THERE way... I know, I am strange, exhibitionnist enough to hold several blogs and write things I never talk about in person, and at the same time,' so secretive that I need to go through a coded language to strip my soul. I never said I was your regular cat. Or maybe I am... maybe we are all alike. Maybe you are just like me...

Google Up Your Life!

Ceci est une capture d'écran de mon ordinateur le jeudi 23 septembre 2010, à 11h49 du matin. En consultant mon mail ce matin, comme tous les matins, des publicités diverses et variées apparaîssent sur la marge de ma fenêtre. Pas de secret, c'est comme ça que l'on peut avoir des mails gatuitement, naviguer sur certains pages sans payer, etc. Le prix à payer pour la gratuité des services internet de base tels que le courrier électronique, est de subir la publicité intrusive de leurs divers sponsors et partenaires. C'est tellement ancrée dans nos habitude qu'on en vient à ne plus y faire attention. La Redoute, sites de rencontre, vente de matériel informatique, amazon, sont entre autres les "spams" les plus courants. Mais depuis quelques temps, je remarque une grande récurrence de publicités concernant des appareils photo. Or ceci correspond à la période où, m'étant acheté un appareil photo et commencé à m'intéresser à la technique et à l'art photographique, j'ai fait pas mal de recherches là dessus sur internet.

Et là, comme par enchantement, À CHAQUE FOIS que je vais sur ma page hotmail, j'ai les mêmes annonces, les mêmes pubs, les mêmes liens... À croire que quelqu'un veut VRAIMENT me pousser à consommer, en mettant en permanence sous mon nez des liens pour des sites de vente de produits qui m'intéressent. Sur Facebook, ce sont les liens pour des siites de rencontres (qui ont coincidé avec mon changement de statut amoureux de "en couple" à "célibataire"...); le grand complot universel??? GOOGLE IS WATCHIN YOU??? NOUS SOMMES SOUS ÉTROITE SURVEILLANCE??? Tous nos faits et gestes sont suivis, épiés, exploités? OUI. Et non. Mais là, pour le coup, OUI!

Sans aller jusqu'aux farfelues théories de complot, on ne peut nier que des géants comme microsoft et google, de par nos mouvements sur la toile, de par les formulaires que nous remplissons pour accéder à ces services gratuits en ligne, récoltent une masse d'informations impressionnante sur nous, et s'en servent afin d'orienter au maximum ce qu'ils nous donnent à voir/ consommer. C'est presque du sur mesure, quelques mots clés sont suffisants, et tout d'un coup, on se retrouve avec des liens priceminster pour des affaires interessantes en termes d'appareils photo numériques, ou à prendre connaissance de l'existence de 237 réseaux de rencontres, soirées pour célibataires ou lieux de speed dating dans votre ville de résidence (avec l'adresse IP, cela s'adapte... je le constate lorsque je voyage avec mon ordinateur!)

Pas de énième mise en garde contre le grand méchant État dans l'État qui nous tient tous en laisse, pas de vision Matrixo-apocalyptique, pas de "BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU!" sur fond de musique angoissante... Juste un constat empirique du fonctionnement de cette grande machine dans laquelle nous nous mettons volontairement. Petite expérienc que l'on a dû faire (si non, on devrait!) juste comme ça pour voir: tapez votre nom sur plusieurs moteurs de recherche, vous aurez une idée de comment une personne qui n'aurait QUE votre nom pourrait recouper des informations vous concernant...

(PS: en écrivant sur plusieurs blogs, en étant hyper actif sur facebook, myspace, google, etc, j'ai conscience de donner une masse assez impressionante d'infos sur moi... ET ALORS??? Encore faut-il savoir quoi faire avec...)