Great race for Ferrari and for Kimi. It is clear that something is happening with Alonso. I don't think it is the mass-damper removal. I think it has to do with the key of the past two seasons: Tyres. Michelin is leaving F1 and, clearly, has fallen behind in development. Something that has been showing since last year Indy. Last year it had a further advantage in that cars weren't allowed to change tyres during the race. It would have been another story if these schizo rule changes didn't occur. As proof of what is happening with tyres, look at the races of Trulli and Webber. Yes, Webber couldn't finished, but he was doing great. See you next week. Still in hight heat. I leave you with this question: How come we haven't seen rain in a race for the longest time?

I know I do...

F1: Raikkonen takes pole
McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen takes pole position for the German Grand Prix ahead of the Ferraris as champions Renault struggle. [BBC News | News Front Page | UK Edition]

Great Qualifying! Alonso 7th which may indicate lack of pace or, more likely, an interesting race strategy. We'll have to see what happens at the start and at the first pit stop, that should decide the race... unless it rains...

Cory Doctorow is a great guy, but his latest opinion about the state of DRMed music, shows how difficult the subject really is. He says:

That obvious restriction: No one but Apple is allowed to make players for iTunes Music Store songs, and no one but Apple can sell you proprietary file-format music that will play on the iPod.

Wrong on both counts. What you can't do, thanks to a stupid law called DMCA, is make that player in the US. Or at least, you would have to show you did not defeated the protection in that music. But this only addresses the first point. Nothing forbids you to sell music that plays on the iPod. Even protected music. You could, for example, place a protected file on a computer and removed that protection when the music is moved to the iPod, you could leverage the iPod programing to make it play protected music. Yes, Apple, could fucked with your plans in every upgrade, but so could IBM with the BIOS. It was a good business plan that prevented IBM's counter move, not technology. People do not want to sell music for the Mac or for the iPod (at least, protected music). The reason is, they are protecting the Monopoly that gives them life. They are protecting Microsoft. Microsoft doesn't want to sell music. It wants to force you to use Windows if you want to hear music. And that is why we need Apple to succeed, at least until an alternative is successful without Windows tying. You can sell music for the iPod, even protected music... Nobody seems to want to, though.

I have to publicly thank Sebastian of Zonageek for introducing me to Shangai Soup (or soupy) pork and crab dumplings, during our last dinner together. They were delicious and now I am hooked forever...

This article, that says that we see our own actions as consequences and the actions of others as provocations and that we respond with greater force than what we were attacked, made me think of everything from the Zidane shameful headbutt to Israel war on Lebanon.

you wouldn't be able to guess where I was this weekend, even if given 2600 guesses. Hint: I was nowhere near Pennsylvania.

After years of talking about choice by providing Windows only stores, Microsoft decides to backtrack and copy Apple's iPod/iTunes/iTunes Store completely. In the process it backstabs its partners that created music stores and devices with the play-for-sure technology. The technology was such a hodgepodge of different things that it was almost certain that it wouldn't play at all (case in point my Nokia N80 isn't listed in any of the stores despite the fact that Nokia made a deal with Microsoft to include the technology). Now, Microsoft decides Apple was right and will do a set up exactly like the one Apple has with a big ace up its sleeve: It will provide you with a copy of every song you bought in the iTunes Music Store. The problem is that Microsoft has screwed up and will continue to do so. Starting with the name of the system (Zune) which is stupid. Continuing with the fact that it's letting details get out months before the devices will be available (want to bet people will be disappointed with the first few devices? ). But more important, I bet the interface for the differentiating features will be horrible (the part they can't copy outright from Apple) and that it won't work on a Mac. The last point is something that confuses a lot of people... Who cares if you leave out 5% of the markett? The problem is two fold. One, is not 5% of the markett, Apple may have as much as 30% of the installed based for consumer computers (business computers do not buy music) and that's a big chunk. Two, the Mac users tend to be in the front of adopting technologies and a lot of Windows using consumers are aware of the existence of the Mac and weary of something that would make it harder for them to switch. Microsoft has demonstrated again and again that it favors preserving its monopoly rather than creating real new businesses. Until they prove me wrong on this count I will bet against them, particularly in the short term. In a year the Zune will be Zunk.

Boobs, Butt, or Shoulder?... Can you tell?

This is where we used to live
Broken glass, broke and hungry
Broken hearts and broken bones
This is where we used to live

Why did you paint the walls?
Why did you clean the floor?
Why did you plaster over the hole I punched in the door?
This is where we used to live

Why did you keep the mousetrap?
Why did you keep the dishrack?
these things used to be mine
I guess they still are, I want them back

Broke into the old apartment
Forty-two stairs from the street
Crooked landing, crooked landlord
Narrow laneway filled with crooks
This is where we used to live

Why did they pave the lawn?
why did they change the locks?
Why did I have to break it, I only came here to talk
This is where we used to live

How is the neighbour downstairs?
How is her temper this year?
I turned up your TV and stomped on the floor just for fun
I know we don't live here anymore
We bought an old house on the Danforth
She loves me and her body keeps me warm
I'm happy here
But this is where we used to live

Broke into the old apartment
Tore the phone out of the wall
Only memories, fading memories
Blending into dull tableaux

I want them back

Materazzi was punished almos s harshly as Zidane, even though he only insulted while the latter headbutted. Insults as a justification for shameful violence. Maildini, an italian player married to a venezuelan, called the punish of Materazzi shameful and said it was only because he was italian. A lot of people see Materazzi punishment as proof that I was wrong in what I've said. I think it is quite the opposite, and I doubt these same people would dare saying the same in front of Maldini. But this New York Times article makes a point I couldn't make any better. It is italian bashing Look here:

The head-butting quickly took on political overtones. Much of France, apparently led by President Jacques Chirac, condoned or even admired the “manliness” of Zidane’s defending the good name of his family. Media outlets hired lip readers to comb the videotapes of the match and published myriad and contradictory interpretations of what Materazzi might have said to enrage Zidane.

At the same time, many Italians wondered how the words supposedly mouthed by Materazzi could be seen as an excuse for violence. They noted that FIFA decided the opposite two years ago, when Francesco Totti was barred for four games for spitting at a Danish defender, Christian Poulson, during a European Championship match in Portugal, and the provocative remarks made by Poulson were deemed irrelevant.

The handling of the Zidane incident prompted criticism that FIFA was more concerned about enshrining Zidane, a star of his generation, in the game’s pantheon than it was with its own consistency or fairness.

Violence is never justified, neither is racism or Xenophobia or cultural intolerance. And that's what we have here... against italians...

It seems we may have an amazing electric sport car soon. I really loved this idea, I proposed it to officials in the Venezuelan oil company... They laughed me off...

I hear that Apple has plans to rent movies through its iTunes Music (? ) store. I really think this is a bad idea. Besides questions like price, rental period, the stupid DRM, etc. There is the issue of downloading the movie you want to see, what if it doesn't download on time? Then you have to schedule a special time to watch it, lest you lose the amount paid. And then, you have to return it! All these through the series of tubes that is the internet... You probably have to rewind them too

I've been a fan of noise reduction/cancelling headphones since forever. I remember telling people about them and letting stewardess (only the cute ones! ) try them on a plane. Everybody was amazed, I told my students how they worked and what that has to do with Math (Fourier series and transform, to be precise). Yesterday I decided I will never buy new ones and I will stop using the Sony pair that I have now. The reason is that the Koss Sprakplugs are at least as good at reducing the bothersome noise plane, much more comfortable, and they sound way better than the Sony. So, there you have it, reading this blog may just saved you some bucks! Noise reduction headphones go from 80$ to more than 300$, you can get the Koss for less than 10$! Enjoy!

I'm sick and tired of waiting for my Seat (Don't buy one, at least not in Venezuela) to be fixed. You know what? They can keep it and go to hell! I am sick and tired of a country where nothing works. I'm getting anxious about everything, so I am leaving for a while. I'll be back when my car is ready, if I can't sell it remotely. I've decided to spent a few days on my old stomping grounds around New York State. I'll probably go for a few weeks of relaxation and meditation about the state of the world. Then I go back to Miami waiting for a reason that forces me to return to Venezuela. See you in an astral plane! (Don't worry, I'll post pictures and other nonsense as usual).

Italy has been celebrating its World Cup triumph for a week, but there has been other things to celebrate. The Indy victory by Ferrari and the victory today at Magny Course. And also today, Valentino Rossi incredible win at the MotoGP in Germany. Not only did Rossi made four astonishing surpasses in the last lap, but he celebrated by donning a shirt from the Sqaudra that won the World CUp, but, being as he is an Inter Milan Tifosi, he choose Materazzi's number 23 shirt to celebrate. Nice gesture, isn't it? Almost as nice as Materazzi's gesture of dedicating his first goal in the World Cup to de Rossi, who was out for a red card...

Eighth French win for Schumacher
Ferrari's Michael Schumacher continues his resurgence with a convincing win in the French Grand Prix at Magny-Cours. [BBC News | News Front Page | UK Edition]