Long live the King!

Numa peça jornalística já datada de há um ano atrás a CBS entrevista o
Rei Slater (na altura a caminho do 11º título mundial) relativamente
ao seu mais recente desafio pessoal: desenvolver condições perfeitas e
consistentes de surf em locais onde normalmente isso não é possível.
Podem ler o artigo neste link:
http://surferspath.mpora.com/video/kelly-slater-shows-wave-pool-cbs.html

Nem a Sr.ª Procuradora pode contestar estes dados

Cara Sr.ª Procuradora, dirijo este post a si, uma vez que recentemente
afirmou que a corrupção não existia ao nível da classe política no
nosso país. Ora de acordo como World Economic Forum, Portugal tem das
melhores estradas do mundo mas está mal na Justiça e desperdiça
dinheiro (ler com atenção o texto abaixo para perceber com detalhe):

O documento - que vai ser hoje debatido em Lisboa por várias
personalidades - indica, por exemplo, que Portugal está em quarto
lugar a nível mundial no que se refere à sua infra-estrutura
rodoviária, uma lista liderada pela França, Emirados Árabes Unidos e
Singapura.

Já em termos globais da qualidade das infra-estruturas, que inclui
sectores como energia, telecomunicações e transportes, o país ocupa no
11.º posto num total de 144 países.

Quando são feitas questões sobre segurança, desde crime organizado,
terrorismo e violência, o país é considerado pelos que responderam ao
inquérito como um dos mais seguros do mundo.

Em termos de influência na economia do crime e violência, Portugal
ocupa o 15.º posto em 144 países, o 18.º lugar quando se fala de
terrorismo e o 26.º na lista.

O relatório adianta que o sistema judicial é "altamente influenciado"
pelos governos, empresas e cidadãos e neste ponto Portugal atingiu o
67.º lugar.

Já no que se refere à forma como os governos desperdiçam dinheiro, a
maneira como favorecem empresas e cidadãos de uma forma irregular ou
como são transparentes nas suas políticas, Portugal está também mal
colocado e atrás de países como o Burkina Faso, a Mauritânia ou mesmo
Cabo Verde.

Em termos de desperdício de dinheiro por parte dos governos, o país
está no 133.º posto em 144 países, no que se refere a favoritismos às
empresas e cidadãos atinge o 67.º lugar e na transparência ocupa o
71.º lugar, logo atrás de Moçambique.

Refira-se ainda que, em termos de subornos e corrupção, a posição é
bastante melhor, atingindo Portugal o 34.º lugar.

O relatório global do World Economic Forum de 2012, divulgado hoje,
indica que Portugal caiu quatro lugares na lista dos países mais
competitivos em termos económicos, passando de 45.º em 2011 para 49.º
este ano.

Para esta classificação terá contribuído positivamente a qualidade das
instituições, que subiu cinco lugares relativamente a 2011, a saúde, a
formação qualificada e a educação e a inovação.

Em termos negativos, a queda de quatro lugares no 'ranking' deveu-se
sobretudo ao ambiente macroeconómico, à queda brutal do sistema
financeiro, em que o país caiu 21 lugares, e à preparação de Portugal
para as novas tecnologias.

O World Economic Forum é uma organização internacional e independente,
sediada na Suíça, que tem como compromisso "melhorar o estado do
mundo, envolvendo líderes empresariais, políticos, académicos e outras
individualidades da sociedade para estruturar agendas globais,
regionais e da indústria", pode ler-se no seu sítio na internet.
'In Jornal de Negócios'

Mais um artigo brilhante do JC, desta vez sobre a violência... brilhante e louco como sempre

You may be familiar with a footballist called Joey Barton. Off the
pitch, he's a fighty sort of soul, and, in recent years, he's done a
bit of time for common assault. He has also been convicted of assault
occasioning actual bodily harm. And once he ran over a man at 2am in
Liverpool.

You might imagine that, on the pitch, things would be different. But
no. He has been done for punching an opponent in the chest, and then,
in the very last match of this year's thrilling Premiership, he took a
quick look at the exposed throat of an opponent and plainly thought,
"I think things would be better if I elbowed him in that". So he did.

He was given a red card by the referee, and he reacted to this by
kicking another opponent and trying to headbutt yet another. As a
result, he has been labelled as a nasty piece of work by most footy
fans. But I'm not so sure.

As a general rule, I will not hit anyone, unless they are Piers
Morgan. I went through all of my school years without getting into a
fight, and even when some Doncaster town boys put dog crap in my
school cap because I was wearing a Chelsea scarf, I remained calm and
polite. If a bit tearful.

However, while I am not given to punching James and Richard in the
chest, I do understand why the likes of Mr Barton feel the need to go
around hitting their colleagues and rivals.

It was explained rather well by the Labour MP Eric Joyce, who, earlier
this year, had a drink in the House of Commons bar, saw a couple of
Tories and hit them.

He says he's that sort of man. Some people settle their disputes with
a pen, some with a recourse to law. He uses his fists and reckons that
if two chaps want to settle an argument round the back of a pub,
that's up to them. He's right. It is.

What's more, it's vital that we have all sorts of different people in
Parliament, so that all walks of society are represented: toffs,
vagabonds, cheats, liars, vicars and pub brawlers. Because how can you
represent the people when you aren't representative?

In fact, I'd go further. We sometimes see foreign parliaments reduced
to a heaving mass of punches and sweat, and I think that, from time to
time, I'd like to see the same sort of thing in ours. So I say this to
Mr Cameron: the next time Mr Miliband is being annoying, leap over the
table and kick him firmly in the groin.

I'd like to see this sort of activity at Wimbledon too. You have
sweated your whole life. You have trained and trained, not drunk, not
smoked, and sacrificed all of the treats that life can offer to be the
best of the best of the best. It's match point. The serve is out. But
the linesman, an elderly geography teacher in a silly hat calls it in.

Your whole life has been wasted. So who could blame you, in the heat
of the moment, for running up to the official and hitting him with
your racquet?

Remember Nelson Piquet kicking and punching the useless Eliseo
Salazar? Remember Michael Schumacher charging down the pit lane to
'discuss' things with David Coulthard? We quite understand why. And
more than this: we like it.

They're moments we savour and cherish. Over in America, people go to
see a game of ice hockey not to witness speed and precision but for
the fights. And here, the rugby crowd is always cheered immensely when
two number eights start beating the living crap out of one another.
Especially when the rest of the team joins in.

The trouble is that today we are programmed to stay calm. To turn the
other cheek. And that's fine if you're me. I would hate to be punched.
But in sport and politics where emotions are - and indeed should be -
as charged as an equatorial summer storm, it's inhuman to take a deep
breath and carry on. Perhaps that's why so many top sports stars and
politicians these days are so robotic and dreary.

All of this brings me neatly to a picture we saw in the newspapers
recently. It was of a middle-aged gentleman trying to cycle along a
country lane while being kicked by a young woman. Apparently, he had
been going too slowly in the middle of the road, and the woman had
decided to teach him a lesson.

Everyone shared the opinion that the woman was a menace and should be
locked up for the rest of measurable time. Because, while it may be
all right to lash out in the heat of the moment on a sports pitch, it
is extremely not all right to behave like that on the road.

However, before we lock away the woman, let's ask a question: what if
she had received word that her mother had been taken to hospital and
didn't have long to live? And, what if, while stuck behind the
cyclist, fuming at his slow progress, word came through that her dear
old Mum had died? Would it then be acceptable to kick the man who'd
prevented her from having a last goodbye?

Very often, I am held up by someone who is driving along the A44 at a
speed that they consider to be safe. They are often elderly. Their
reactions are slow, and they do not feel confident going above 25mph.
Plus, they are in no particular rush and feel the world would be a far
better place if others were in no particular rush either. So they have
no sense of guilt about the tail of overheating metal in their wake.
Secretly, they may even feel empowered.

Mostly, I put up with it. If I can overtake, I will, and if I cannot,
I will put on a nice tune and relax. But what if I were in bomb
disposal and I had just moments to get to a terrorist nuke? What if my
wife were in labour? What if a child needed its Dad? Then the moment
is charged, and the rage will build, and it's only human to barge the
elderly couple and their infuriating Peugeot into a hedge.

Cyclists lose their temper all the time, and I don't blame them,
mostly. Because when a bus driver, fuelled by stupidity or arrogance,
turns left without warning and you are nearly killed by his rear
wheels, you become a skin bag full of dopamine, and serotonin and
adrenalin. You are as psyched up as a frightened rabbit. And, in that
instant, you can't really be held to account if you board the bus,
unzip your flies and relieve yourself all over the driver.

So, there we are. Violence. I loathe it. I'm frightened of it. I wish
the human knuckle was made from kapok. But sometimes? Hmmm.

Sobre a recente demissão de alguns gestores

Recentemente tem sido noticiadas as demissões dos órgãos de gestão de empresas públicas e / ou de PPP’s.

Ilustro este facto com dois exemplos: o caso do Hospital Curry Cabral e mais recentemente o da ANF – Associação Nacional de Farmácias. Os motivos alegados pelos respectivos gestores para as respectivas demissões têm sido o desacordo com as orientações dadas pelo Governo em matéria de cortes de despesa e de melhoria da eficiência no funcionamento dessas instituições.

Colocado perante estas atitudes a questão que me assoma é a seguinte: que competências têm estes gestores quando apenas aceitam gerir em tempo de ‘vacas gordas’, quando os recursos são pouco ou nada limitados?

Não há maior desafio de gestão, alias a própria gestão define-se por isso, que a alocação eficiente de meios e recursos aos propósitos mais vantajosos para os stakeholders.

Nota-se nestas atitudes que apesar do Estado ter começado a assumir o papel de representar os verdadeiros stakeholders, que somos efectivamente todos nós que temos interesse na eficiente gestão dos dinheiros dos avultados impostos que pagamos, há gestores que preferem, na manutenção do status quo, que os dinheiros públicos continuem a ser desbaratados.

Permitam-me concluir então que essas demissões acabam por ocorrer em benefício da maioria dos contribuintes, e consequentemente do Estado.

When Kelly wins 10

When Kelly Wins Ten…
By Sal Masekela

Ten. It is the perfect number. It is the completeness of order. The Ten Commandments. Nothing else is needed. How many violin sonatas did Beethoven write? Ten. Look at her—ten. No, really look at her. She’s a ten! There you go … you can’t turn your eyes away from her can you? No, you can’t. She is the hottest chick on the block, no discussion necessary. So hot that you’ll never get her and you’re okay with it. Because to call her yours requires catlike cunning, damn determination, f—kin’ focus, Delta Force discipline, selfish sacrifice, demented desire, dump-truck durability, rubbery resilience, the convulsive need to compete, and most importantly, ability. You do not have ability. You are confusing ability with potential. Your dog has potential. Ability is the power to act. No one man should have all that power. The ability to hate him is too easy. Until he get’s her. The ten. When he gets her, you loved him all along.

Kelly Slater has that power. He’s had that power. For twenty years he’s flexed his mighty bangstick in ways that defy simple logic. He’s earned the right to not only be called the greatest surfer but quite possibly the greatest athlete that ever roamed this blue and green planet. Michael Jordan got six, went for seven, forced us to watch him reverse Benjamin Button in a Wizards uniform. Ugly. Lance Armstrong got seven, but when he went for eight, he then left more skin on the streets of France than a 500-pound man after aggressive liposuction. They could not complete the circle, could not woo her. Ten. As a result, we giddily give each an asterisk, next to which reads, “Great, but human after all. Yeah!”

Not this time, my dudes, bros, and ladies who love them. We underestimated Jimmy Slade’s ability. His power to act. Kelly Slater is going to get her. Ten. And due to the meganess of her sexy ten, the whole world—well beyond the one that actually rides waves—is lining up to testify. Lining up to say, “Really Kelly, we loved you all along.” What will it look like? Let’s set the bar high.

1. Obama. In a power move sure to stun the far right whilst shoring up the “Shred Or Die” vote in 2012, the President of the United States will return to his native Hawaii to crown Kelly Slater the Ten Time World Champion Of The Universe. Boom.

2. Oprah. She is on the phone with Ellen as we speak telling her to suck it. “Oprah Live From Cocoa Beach … ”

3. ASP Logo. A silhouette of Kelly’s death hack from the Lowers Hurley Pro is the new ASP Logo. Kelly Slater is competitive surfing. Despite protests from purists, The Duke gives a thumbs up from the grave in the form of a double rainbow.

4. Bronze Statue. Magic, Gretzky, Ted Williams, Jordan, hell, Rocky has one and he’s not even real. Therefore Kelly gets ten. Spread ’em out around the world at all the waves he clearly dominates. Sebastian Inlet of course, Pipe, Lowers, Jeffrey’s Bay, on the reef at Cloudbreak, Lance’s Right, Chopes, Snapper just to piss off the Ozzies, Rincon (next to and smaller than Curren’s of course), and finally Cardiff. What better way to remedy the Cardiff Kook debacle than to replace him with Slate dog? BOOM!

5. Airport. Yes, airport. Coastal cities the world over will bid on the exclusive naming rights to Kelly Slater International (insert your city’s name here) Airport.

6. Vanity License Plate. This one is personal. It’s a way for Kelly to say a simple thank you to all the legions of fans the world over who have had his back the last twenty years. It simply reads: 10BIATCH.

7. Signature Drink. Arnold Palmer’s got one and all he did was win eighteen majors. Kelly’s won 43 World Tour events. Get this man a drink! Tequila, splash of soda water, pinch of lime. Bet ya can’t drink ten.

8. Ring. Baseball, hockey, basketball, football. Win a World Championship, get a ring. (Even if you didn’t play!) A ring you can walk into a bar, strip club, or bank with and people give you stuff. From here on out, you win the surfing World Championship, you get a ring. An obnoxious, diamond-encrusted, platinum, gold, copper, silver, titanium-blended power ring. Kelly’s of course has two massive rubies carved into the number “10.”

9. Honorary Doctorate. Over the course of the last twenty years, the Slates has done more than bash lips, pull in, and become a scratch golfer. He’s read more books than you did in college, educated himself in depth as to how the world works on a multitude of levels, and most importantly he’s formulated an opinion. Who’s it gonna be? Florida, UCSB, Ivy League? You get him a cap, gown, and diploma, he’ll send your admissions requests to another solar system.

10. Science. Last but not least is science. We need to know the science of this dude to make the world a better place. The world’s leading scientists will gather on the Indies 4 for four weeks. Biomechanics, cardiovascular, physiological, psychological, quantum physics. You name it, they will study it as it relates to the keeper of the ten. Modern science advances light years and the human race experiences the first real paradigm shift of the 21st century.—Sal Masekela

http://surf.transworld.net/1000117958/features/when-kelly-wins-ten/

 

Mais um escândalo

Presidentes de câmara e de junta deixam de responder por despesas ilegais sempre que sigam parecer dos serviços

 

http://www.ionline.pt/conteudo/84599-lei-salazar-oe-livra-autarcas-do-tribunal-contas

Governo britânico elimina 192, funde 118 e reestrutura 171 institutos públicos

O ministro Francis Maude, chefe de gabinete do primeiro-ministro David Cameron, anunciou hoje que, a par destas modificações na estrutura do estado na eliminação destes institutos – conhecidos como ‘quangos’ no Reino Unido, organizações não-governamentais e semi-autónomas –, cerca de mil postos de trabalho serão eliminados e muitos outros serão transferidos para outros departamentos, segundo noticia o periódico britânico “The Guardian”.

 

Enquanto o BBC World Service e o British Council viram os seus estatutos intocados, alguns institutos e agências, como a Autoridade de Fertilidade e Embriologia, a Agência de Protecção da Saúde e a Autoridade de Tecidos Humanos, dentro da área da saúde, serão extintos.

 

Já a Comissão de Concorrência britânica verá as suas funções absorvidas pela Secretaria da Justiça para o Comércio, a par da Agência do Ambiente, que será substancialmente reestruturada, entre outras alterações profundas, noticia o “Guardian”.

 

Maude justificou estas reformas com a “enorme vontade de mudança” do povo britânico, assegurando que cada instituto foi analisado de modo a perceber se as suas competências eram insubstituíveis.

 

O Partido Trabalhista, pela voz de Liam Byrne, candidato-sombra ao cargo de chefe do gabinete do primeiro-ministro, alegou, por sua vez, que o Partido Conservador está “desesperado por manchetes” e questionou os “tories” sobre “se o preço de fechar os institutos seria maior do que mantê-los abertos”, referindo-se às pensões, indemnizações e retroactivos que ainda terão de ser pagos nos próximos anos, segundo o “Guardian”.

 

 

E nós? Em o Governo Português?

E em Portugal? Alguém conhece os números?

O défice espanhol vai sofrer uma redução de dez mil milhões de euros este ano, ou seja, o equivalente a 1% do PIB, graças às medidas de redução de despesa anunciadas em Abril.

 

Segundo o “El País”, este desempenho reflecte o corte dos investimentos, a diminuição de 5% dos salários dos funcionários públicos, além da diminuição de outros gastos supérfluos.

 

Assim, o défice público espanhol deverá fixar-se este ano em 54 mil milhões de euros, contra os 64 mil milhões previstos no Orçamento do Estado para 2010. Uma poupança resultante de reduções de despesa de mais de 13,6 mil milhões, que mais do que permitiu compensar a diminuição da receita de quase 3,5 mil milhões.

Meet Portugal's Boy Genius

Some coaches get their shot with a major club at a relatively tender age (in coaching years, anyway). Barcelona's Pep Guardiola was 37 when he got the gig.

And there are those who get a crack at the big time without ever having played beyond amaetur level, like Aston Villa's Gerard Houllier. There's another, smaller subset which includes those who advanced to top jobs with little or no head-coaching experience, like Real Madrid's Jose Mourinho when he took over at Benfica.

But the above examples are all rare. Rarer still is a guy like Porto boss Andre Villas Boas, who falls squarely in all three categories and, if his vertical ascent continues, could herald a change in the way clubs recruit managers.

Mr. Villas Boas's side goes for its 12th consecutive win in a competitive match on Monday night when it makes the short drive inland to take on Vitoria Guimaraes. Right now, Porto is 11 for 11 in the Portuguese League, Europa League and Portuguese SuperCup. What's more, it has shut out the opposition in all but two games. And it did it despite the departure of two stalwarts – defender Bruno Alves and midfielder Raul Meireles – over the summer.

All of this is remarkable enough until you consider that Mr. Villas Boas is just 33 years old and, prior to this season, had just 23 league games' worth of managerial experience, all of them at Academica Coimbra, the provincial club which appointed him just over a year ago. When he took charge of Academica, it was winless and dead last. By the time the season was over, Mr. Villas Boas had guided it to respectability (11th place in the 16-team league) and to the semifinal of the Portuguese League Cup.

It was enough for Porto – one of the traditional Portuguese giants – to put its eggs in Mr. Villas Boas's basket in an attempt to bounce back from a rare season which saw it finish third, only the second time since 2002 that it failed to win the league.

Mr. Villas Boas was still a teenager when he started working in Porto's scouting department way back in the mid-1990s. The club was impressed both by the breadth of his tactical understanding and his ability to produce scouting reports players could digest easily. Yet he may never have gone any further if, in early 2002, the club had not turned to Mr. Mourinho, himself an unorthodox rising star of management. Mr. Mourinho took him under his wing, making Mr. Villas Boas an integral part of his staff, both at Porto, where he won two league titles, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup and later during his successful spells at Chelsea and Inter Milan. By the time he moved to Chelsea, Mr. Villas Boas's pre-match scouting included personalized DVDs for each player, outlining their direct opponent in the next game, including strengths, weaknesses and tendencies.

Given Mr. Mourinho's reputation, it was quite the calling card, and Mr. Villas Boas openly admits that it helped him land the Academica job. But he bristles at those who consider him Luke Skywalker to Mourinho's Yoda. Or, among his detractors, Mini Me to the self-anointed "Special One's" Dr. Evil.

While Mr. Villas Boas employs the 4-3-3 formation Mr. Mourinho used to such great effect at Chelsea, it's a more fluid system, with the wingers often turning into strikers. He lacks Mr. Mourinho's charisma – that unparalleled ability to seduce players, media and fans – and comes across as less confrontational and self-assured. On the other hand, he may be more tactically sophisticated and his Porto squad attacks more than Mourinho's teams at Chelsea and Inter (the jury's still out on Real Madrid).

It's tempting to call Mr. Villas Boas soccer's answer to Theo Epstein, who rose from the San Diego Padres' public relations department to become general manager of the Boston Red Sox at age 29. Both are outsiders who brought a novel approach to understanding the sport and landed important jobs at a young age. But the crucial difference is that Mr. Villas Boas's role is far more hands-on, running training sessions and making all the game-day decisions.

He's an interloper in the inner sanctum, having never played the game at any significant level. And while he's not the first to do so, those who came before him, like Mr. Houllier, served long apprenticeships working their way up through the lower leagues.

Mr. Villas Boas's appointment obviously owes a lot to his mentor. But it's also a bold move, a striking departure from the groupthink and conventional wisdom so prevalent in soccer. You'll know whether it worked the day you read a profile of Mr. Villas Boas that does not mention Mr. Mourinho.

Citação da semana

“Why chop at leaves, when one must dig at roots”

Karim Vaes.