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23 Apr 15:04
REVIEW: Futebol: The Brazilian Way of Life by Alex Bellos
by Yogi's Warrior
Futebol: The Brazilian Way of Life
by Alex Bellos
Published by Bloomsbury
Reprinted and updated ahead of the 2014 World Cup finals, Futebol: The Brazilian Way Of Life remains the ideal introduction to the country and its love affair with football. The preface by Socrates offers all the testament and recommendation you require to add the book to your collection,
“Alex Bellos, with the characteristic patience of a sage and the charmed curiosity of a scientist, shows us, with irrefutable clarity, our face and our soul…with discernment and rare sensibility.”
To cover a nation’s relationship with a sport is a tough job. Make it one where that relationship is the most romanticised is harder, especially when the reality is greyer and murkier than popular mythology. Through a series of essays, the book travels through the history of the game following its introduction by the British at the end of the nineteenth century until the here and now, with companions on the journey including players, journalists and politicians.
Bellos’ task to pull together the strands of sport and society is herculean given the geopolitical and cultural diversity of Brazil. Socrates referred to the importance of football and dance to the soul in his preface and cultural enrichment is a constant theme throughout with chapters embellished by references to poetry, lyrics and literature. The World Cup and Olympics have already left their social mark, focal points for dissent about the country today. Corruption’s ugly shadow is not avoided either, treated with disdain but acknowledged as a key ingredient of the dish now served. Nor is it glibly or fatuously attacked; the issue is not confined to football uniquely but recognised as a problem in society itself.
Players are recalled as champions but no vagaries attached, specific reference to the number of titles won. My first genuine encounter with Brazil was at the World Cup in 1974. In the days before Youtube, we survived the interim years between each jamboree by listening to others and the occasional friendly. Suffice to say, 1974 is remembered without any fondness following a cynical fortnight or so in the-then West Germany. Things only really got better in 1982 with everyone’s favourite modern vintage, rightly as Bellos points out, remembered more fondly than the successful team from USA ’94.
The intensity of feelings is captured in the chapter devoted to the 1950 defeat to Uruguay. Barbossa, the goalkeeper on that fateful afternoon, fell into poverty and the saddest moment of his life came when fifty years later, he was referred to as ‘the man that made all of Brazil cry’ whilst in a shop. In such a broad church, not everyone is readily forgiven it seems. Other players and the impact, notably Garrincha, and as an alternative to corruption and hollow commercialism, the conversation with Socrates is illuminating in the philosophy expounded. The antidote to the modern game, a realisation of the ills which beset the sport we love or a resignation to the fact that utopian ideals are at such odds with reality that they can never succeed. A lost dream?
Far from being a dry tome, the narrative is well-paced and even throughout, mixing humour and pathos. With informative appendices attached, this book is an amiable companion for the coming summer’s adventures. You can purchase Futebol: The Brazilian Way of Life by Alex Bellos here
23 Apr 15:00
A tour of China's ghost towns
by Rob Schmitz
China’s growth has been anchored in building big projects for decades
23 Apr 15:00
The wearable future from bracelets to mouth guards
by Gina Martinez
Nike is reportedly making layoffs in its FuelBand manufacturing plant, and might be exiting the wearable tech market.
23 Apr 02:08
Skechers a winner this Boston Marathon
by Ariana Tobin
None!It was a big day for the Boston Marathon, of course, and also for men's winner Meb Keflezighi. 2:08:37 was his winning time.
Also enjoying a victory lap today, if you will, are Skechers. Yes, the sneaker company voted most unlikely to be associated with marathon winners.
Keflezighi was wearing them for their first marathon win ever.
Meb Keflezighi ran more than 26 miles in 2:08:37. Wearing Skechers.
22 Apr 14:42
A brief history of the credit score
by Adriene Hill
The FICO credit score is one of the most significant numbers we live with. Turns out it's only 25 years old.
22 Apr 01:21
April 21, 2014
Bonne Bay Drift
Photograph by David Doubilet, National Geographic
A lions mane jellyfish drifts in Bonne Bay in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The species can grow to eight feet across.
Years of overfishing, warming waters, and possible offshore drilling cause concern for the health of the gulf's ecosystem.
See more pictures from the May 2014 feature story The Generous Gulf.
Listen to David Doubilet speak about being an underwater photographer »
22 Apr 01:20
You don’t want too much competition
by Pedro
None!played well yesterday.
Couldn’t find an Arsenal easter egg
Man, I wish the whole league was conspiring to give my team the league this year.
Liverpool.
Bloody Liverpool to win the league!
Quite amazing really. I was asked by some pals yesterday who I want to win the league. From a selfish point of view, it’s got to be Liverpool. Firstly, I don’t know enough of their fans to really get upset by it. Secondly, I think they’re the perfect team to sum up what I’ve been saying for years… it’s not all about money. The premise that you can only compete with City and Chelsea if you’ve got billions is a fallacy. Dortmund won back to back titles against the mighty Bayern. Porto and Inter won the Champions League. Liverpool look set to win the league this season.
With the right approach and vision, you can do anything. Arsene Wenger had the right approach and vision when he arrived at the club. He built one of the greatest Premier League sides of all time on a budget. They went a whole season unbeaten. Sure, more monied clubs landed on the scene. Sure, that coincided with our stadium move. But wow, what’s the surrender behaviour about?
Adapt or die Arsenal.
You know what else I find amazing. The infographic pinging around the web about our injured players.
What do I find amazing about it?
Not the injuries. That’s standard every year.
No, what I find amazing are the excuses attached.
‘Well, if we’d had all our players fit this year, we’d have competed’
Some fans will excuse Wenger of anything. Of course we would have competed had we had our players fit for the season. The best teams keep their players fit. However, it’s not just about keeping your players fit. Olivier Giroud has been fit most of the season, but he’s not been in good shape.
Do people think Rambo, barring injury, would have been able to play at his September level, all season long? No way. Do people think any of the players we’ve lost would have been able to? No way.
Keeping players out of the medical room is only part of keeping players fit. We’d have competed if we had an approach to recovery like some of the more successful teams.
The reason we have injuries is our managers approach to the squad he builds, the way he tackles player fitness, the way he deals with recovery and the way he deals with rotation. Being top of the injury league isn’t a luck thing, it’s a management issue. When people push ‘luck’ as the core issue of our season, that’s an ignorance thing. Our season hasn’t failed because of bad luck. Our season has failed because of terrible planning and archaic approaches to a modern game.
Don’t tolerate the luck thing. It’s a poisonous message that exonerates the manager. It’s a message that promotes inaction. It’s a message, that if allowed to fester, will have us in a world of stagnation for the next two years.
Hull City are the team that face us today. We have to go up to their place. They’re a good side, but not exactly loaded with pace. Any midfield that has Huddlestone at it’s core is going to struggle to knock the ball around you. However, we have to respect them. I’m hoping because they’re safe, this might not be such a hard game.
Arsenal welcome back Matty Flamini. We could really do with his energy today. I’m not sure what the state of play is on Ozil and his return to fitness, but again, more fresh legs gives us a greater chance of winning. I’m guessing it’ll be Giroud in the starting line up. Hopefully he got a massive gee up from Wenger when he read that Wenger doesn’t want to bring in a second striker because ‘You need to be challenged but not too much’… soak that line up for a second. Wow. Can you see why we opted for Viviano as our back up? Not too much competition, in case it makes someone nervous.
Anyway, we need to play our game today. We need to hit them from the off and we need to keep things tight at the back. Three points chalked off today takes us 2 wins away from top four. Then the season is over. Well, until we have to go back and beat Hull in the cup final!
Have a great day. A great Sunday. A great Jesus day.
x
22 Apr 01:03
Mumps Cases Confirmed on Stevens Campus
by dbryan
Health officials today confirmed several cases of mumps on the campus of the Stevens Institute of Technology. The cases were first identified as suspected cases last week, and there have been no reports of new cases since last week.
“The City’s Health Department has been working closely with Stevens since the beginning and we are thankful for their responsiveness and proactive efforts,” said Mayor Dawn Zimmer. “Every precaution has been taken to ensure the safety of the public. The best way to prevent mumps is vaccination. Members of our community should follow the recommendations from health officials and contact their doctor if they believe they may have symptoms. We will keep the community informed of any new developments.”
The New Jersey Department of Health has created a flyer of Frequently Asked Questions regarding mumps: www.state.nj.us/health/cd/documents/mumps/mumps_public_faq_04172014.pdf. Additional information and resources can be found at the NJ Department of Health website: www.state.nj.us/health/cd/mumps/.
Stevens Institute of Technology issued the following statement with additional information:
Mumps Cases Found at Stevens Institute of Technology
Hoboken, N.J. – The New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH), in conjunction with the Hoboken Health Department, Stevens Institute of Technology, and additional local, county, and state health departments, is investigating eight cases of confirmed mumps found in students at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ.
Stevens has been working closely with the New Jersey State Department of Health from the onset and is following all of its recommendations in treating the cases.
“At Stevens our top priority is the health and well-being of our students, faculty, and staff. Consistent with the procedures outlined by the NJDOH, all students with suspected mumps infection were isolated from others during the infectious phase of the illness and returned to their homes off campus,” said Maggie Cunning, Director of the Student Health Services. “There have been no reports of newly symptomatic cases since the initial cases last week.”
Cases were found in students ranging in age from 18 to 21 years and all were fully vaccinated with two documented doses of mumps-containing vaccine.
Outbreaks of mumps have occurred in vaccinated populations before including other colleges and universities such as Ohio State University and Fordham University in New York City.
All Stevens’ students are required to have full vaccinations before attending the University, including the vaccination for mumps, measles and rubella (MMR). Faculty and staff members who are unsure of their immunization status have been advised to contact a health care provider.
Stevens is encouraging students and staff, or anyone who may have recently visited the campus or had close contact with a Stevens Institute of Technology student/staff member to visit their healthcare provider if they are exhibiting the following symptoms: swollen and tender salivary glands under the ears or jaw on one or both sides of the face, fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, and loss of appetite.
Mumps is a disease reportable within 24 hours as per N.J.A.C. 8:57, which can be accessed at: http://nj.gov/health/cd/reporting.shtml
For more information about mumps, please visit:
http://www.cdc.gov/mumps/outbreaks.html
Mumps specimen collection: http://www.cdc.gov/mumps/lab/index.html
FAQs on mumps testing: http://www.cdc.gov/mumps/lab/qa-lab-test-infect.html
Prevention & control in healthcare settings: http://www.cdc.gov/mumps/prev-control-settings/index.html
Mumps fact sheet for patients: http://www.cdc.gov/mumps/about/downloads/mumps-factsheet.pdf
More information on MMR vaccines: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/mumps
New Jersey Department of Health: http://www.nj.gov/health/cd/mumps/index.shtml
Directory of local health departments in NJ: http://www.state.nj.us/health/lh/directory/lhdselectcounty.shtml
22 Apr 01:03
Pass the pecans
by mphilippe
None!I feel that i should like peacan pie more than i actually do. Or that i don't give it enough credit in the pie category.
From the Marketplace Datebook, here's a look at what's coming up April 17:
•Events continue at the National Cathedral in Washington in observance of Holy Week.
•NASA is scheduled to make an announcement—a discovery by its Kepler Space Telescope.
•Securities, salsa and soda. Goldman Sachs, Chipotle and Pepsi are slated to report quarterly earnings.
•"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" has a birthday. Actress Rooney Mara will be 29.
•And April is National Pecan Month. That's just nuts.
Marketplace Datebook for Thursday, April 17, 2014
21 Apr 14:46
Marketing to men with razors
by Gina Martinez
None!nope.
Gillette is said to be close to unveiling a new razor with a blade that rotates on a ball hinge, the latest innovation in the high-end battle for the dollars men spend on grooming.
21 Apr 14:23
It pays to be polite in-flight
by RManavalan
None!not really worth the clock through but it looks like i could get a teddy if i were in first class.
Airfare Watchdog George Hobica tells us why it's worth being nice to flight attendants.
21 Apr 14:08
Calvin and Hobbes for April 19, 2014
None!I BETTER NOT SEE ANY SPOLERS OF GoT ON HERE TODAY
21 Apr 14:06
Pepsi's profits up! But not because of soda
by nmarshall-genzer
With soda profits flat, PepsiCo finds profit in chips.
21 Apr 14:04
Bloomberg: 'Here's $50 million for gun control'
by Gina Martinez
Michael Bloomberg is committing $50 million to create an anti-gun voting operation. What does $50 million buy?
18 Apr 14:26
April 18, 2014
None!was waiting to share this one.
Plum Beautiful
Photograph by Hideyuki Katagiri
"There is a culture around the cherry blossoms in spring in Japan, especially strong now," says Hideyuki Katagiri, who submitted this picture of a plum grove on Mount Takao to the National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest. "But to me, the plum blossoms make me feel the coming of the season. This beautiful early morning light on the trees [seems to create] an explosion of spring."
This photo was submitted to the 2014 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest.
18 Apr 11:55
The Best Story You Will Read This Week
by attackgerbil
None!have not read yet but heard it was good
And it just happens to have something to do with baseball.
Escape from Cuba: Yasiel Puig’s Untold Journey to the Dodgers.
How soon is too soon for the movie?
18 Apr 11:51
Clarissa explained it all ... now she's 38
by Ethan Lindsey
The Marketplace Datebook for Friday, April 18, 2014
18 Apr 11:51
A 'threat' to broadcast TV heads to D.C.
by Dave Shaw
None!A case going before the Supreme Court next Tuesday pits traditional television broadcasters against Aereo, which lets customers record broadcast TV in their local markets and then watch programs via television, computer, tablet or smartphone. The technology that makes it possible is a farm of thousands of tiny antennas, each smaller than a nickel.
"It is just racks and racks of storage equipment and transcoding equipment for rendering the signal, storing the signal, and providing recording functionality for the consumers," says Aereo's chief executive, Chet Kanojia, at one such data center, a 10,000-square-foot facility in Brooklyn.
The antennas pick up signals coming from the nearby Empire State Building and the Freedom Tower. Customers are assigned an antenna and a DVR, they choose what to record and when, for a few dollars a month.
"The important thing is it is a one-to-one relationship," Kanojia says. "So, one antenna, one file, one stream, all under a consumer's control at all times."
The case – in which some say billions of dollars are potentially at stake – hinges on what constitutes a public broadcast versus a private one, under copyright law.
Tom Nachbar, a professor at the University of Virginia Law School, frames the question this way: "By performing that service for thousands of people at the same time, although totally individually, are they doing what is essentially a transmission to the public?"
When it comes to copyright, there's a difference between a private performance – watching or recording something in your home, for example – and a public one – taking a copyrighted work and distributing it widely.
Aereo's opponents say the company is doing the latter: "They're grabbing signals out of the air without paying for them, and then trying to make a profit off of that," says attorney Neal Katyal, who is advising the broadcasters suing Aereo. "That's not the American way."
Every year, broadcasters invest billions of dollars in creating content, Katyal says, and they recoup those costs with ads. On top of that, Nachbar adds cable providers pay for the right to distribute local channels. Aereo, which serves 13 markets, doesn't, and that's why the case could be so monumental.
If the court rules in Aereo's favor, those cable providers could argue they shouldn't have to pay the broadcasters either.
"It really is a threat to the current structure of the way broadcast television works," Katyal notes.
The case hinges on what constitutes a public broadcast versus a private one.
17 Apr 15:45
What's pulling up the Consumer Price Index
by Gina Martinez
None!food is up a few points with rent. airline prices are down like 5%.
Consumer prices increased more than expected. So what’s becoming more expensive, and why?
17 Apr 09:44
Professional video gamers earn lots of real life dollars
by John Haas
None!In recent years, competitive online gaming, known as eSports, has grown in popularity and scope. Professional video game players face off in matches broadcast to global audiences, sometimes for hundreds of thousands of dollars, in arenas filled with tens of thousands of fans.
At the recent Call of Duty World Championship in Los Angeles, two four-man teams of gamers -- their shirts covered in corporate logos -- faced off for the top title. The gamers competed in front of a studio audience, which peered into a control room constructed on a gunmetal stage. On the side of that stage sat the play-by-play men, who called the action in suit and ties.
$1 million in prizes was on the line at the tournament, which was broadcast online for free by Major League Gaming. MLG is an eSports promoter that's been around since 2002, when most of America was on dial-up.
"Internally, we refer to ourselves as the e-ESPN," says MLG CEO and co-founder Sundance DiGiovanni. "I saw things like extreme sports taking off and realized that we were on the verge of this technological revolution that was going to allow us to have a global, connected, digital sport."
MLG has built its success by promoting live events for shooter genre-games like "Call of Duty" and "Halo." These are pumped-up versions of the gamer tradition of having friends over to play in front of the TV. The spread of broadband in the U.S. leveled the playing field, making it possible for even more gamers to compete as pros.
"Without broadband internet, you simply can't practice games at a professional level," says Jason Lake, who should know. He's the founder and CEO of CompLexity Gaming. Its "Call of Duty" team took home the $400,000 grand prize at the World Championship.
"Complexity in its simplest form is, I guess you could say, the LA Lakers of video games," says Lake. "Except we play multiple games instead of just basketball."
It has the look of a lot of new media companies: one part talent agency, one part marketing firm. Complexity lets the players keep any competition prize money they earn. Instead, the company makes its revenue from marketing deals.
"We're always keeping an eye on the next game because it's our business to do so, as we need to find the stars and get them under contract before our competition does," says Lake, who compares the current state of eSports to the Wild West.
Promoter MLG has locked up official "Call of Duty" matches and has even started its own streaming platform. Other promoters, like the Electronic Sports League, are using the game streaming juggernaut Twitch.tv as their platform of choice. A recent event in Katowice, Poland drew more than 643,000 simultaneous viewers at its peak -- double the previous record.
A new generation of gamers is discovering eSports, and what was once a subculture inside a subculture is on the verge of going mainstream.
Top "Halo" and "Call of Duty" players bring in sponsors and crowds.
17 Apr 06:48
Attack of the shrimp (prices)
by Gina Martinez
A bacterial infection is roiling through shrimp farms in Southeast Asia.
17 Apr 06:45
On the Street…..In the Market of Urubamba, Peru
by The Sartorialist
None!i like how the freakin Sartorialist went to Peru to shoot the local fashion.
In the market of Urubamba,, instead of dressing in rich contrast colors (Monday’s example) or focusing on bold mixes of neon colors and diamond patterns (Tuesday’s example), I noticed that women here dress in a more monochromatic color palette. Later today I have an exampleof a very simple blue/white look with just a hint of green and yellow in her shopping bag.
Notice how beautifully her hair works with her ensemble, like she built her look around her silver locks.
17 Apr 06:27
In China, a city's water, poisoned
by Rob Schmitz
Lanzhou’s water supply was contaminated with Benzene, a cancer-causing chemical
16 Apr 15:23
April 11, 2014
None!consider it stolen.
Spring Quiver
Photograph by Robyn Gael Ellsworth, National Geographic Your Shot
"Ihad been at apark with my grandchildren, and while they played I noticed this unusual flower in a spring patch," says Robyn Gael Ellsworth, a member of our Your Shot community who was photographing in Laguna Hills, California. "The colors were bright and contrasting. I shot it from a few different angles, butits shape wasbest defined by taking it from above to show off its arrow-like details."
This photo was submitted to Your Shot. Check out the new and improved website, where you can share photos, take part in assignments, lend your voice to stories, and connect with fellow photographers from around the globe.
16 Apr 14:59
Real estate flippers are back!
by Ethan Lindsey
None!i know a few people that are doing it in the UK. crazy shit. here we go again.
Some of the biggest players in the housing bubble were house flippers.
16 Apr 13:55
Fête de la Mare
"I was working on a one-year assignment in Diankana, Guinea, a village on a tributary of the Niger River," says Your Shot contributor Sarah Jackson. "I had not been in the country very long before I began hearing about the annual Fête de la Mare (Festival of the Pond), which occurs in many villages throughout the eastern part of the country, where the Malinke culture predominates. This festival celebrates fishing and always takes place at the end of the hot season, when the water level of nearby ponds is at its lowest and the fish are easy to catch. Everyone waits at the water's edge for the signal to dash in with their fishing baskets and compete to catch the most and the biggest fish."
Jackson's picture, which was featured in the Daily Dozen, was taken while everyone waited for the signal to run into the pond. "It was a relaxed moment, with teenagers lounging on their fishing baskets and ladies chatting in the background, but there was an air of excitement for the festivities as well."
This photo was submitted to Your Shot. Check out the new and improved website, where you can share photos, take part in assignments, lend your voice to stories, and connect with fellow photographers from around the globe.