thegoodfellas/blogset-br huggingface dataset:
Today we complete 2 years since Twitter connected us!A lot of water ran under the bridge since then, including a trip to Montreal, another to Seattle, one to Sao Paulo/Brazil (where she met my family and friends), another to Dallas (where I met her family - including daughter - and friends)... a trip to Paris (where I proposed)... a country move (mine, from Sao Paulo to Boston), a department change (mine, from Consultant to Technical Instructor)... a job change (hers)... a marriage (ours)... a state move (hers, from Dallas to Boston)... the arrival of our baby girl...As you can see, we have been pretty busy!But reading through these will never properly explain how much impact those two years had on both our lifes (and other people's life as well)... it included lots of laughter, as well as plenty of crying... it included many many talks, and quite a few monologues too.We're still trying (and who isn't?) to learn how to deal better with each other, with our different personalities, our different cultures, our different lifes that somehow got mixed together to form a new one (and I really wish that Elizabeth Gilbert would have released her book a little bit earlier, as it could have helped us a lot :) - and it still can).What I can say is this: my life would never be same without that tweet, without her. I've done, have dealt with and have grown more in those two years than I did the other 27 years. And I know there is still a long way to go: this is just the beginning.Happy anniversary, babe! Today I stumbled upon this bit.ly Accelerator for IE8, which makes easier (and faster) to use of my favorite "shorten url" service (bit.ly).If you don't know what are Accelerators (available only on IE8), the idea is pretty simple and the video bellow explains it better than I would:So, after having a look on how easy is to create an accelerator, I decided to create a couple for some Twitter-related activities that I have to perform now and then, such as:Search tweets containing a specific termGet a hashtag definitionCheck who else tweeted about an articleSearch tweets containing a specific termOne of the hot words of the moment seems to be "real time search", with Twitter Search on the spotlight. But how do you usually search for something on Twitter? Let's say you are reading this article and want to find more about the term "real time search", for example, so you select this term, copy it, open a new tab, go to search.twitter.com, paste your text and click on "search". To do this is not really rocket science, but probably time-consuming if you must do it frequently.So, using this IE8 Accelerator you can just highlight a word/phrase and, when you click on the accelerator icon (or right-click the word/phrase) an option ("Search on Twitter") will appear for you to search for this term on Twitter. If you click on this option, another tab will open directly with the search results for this word/phrase, as
shown below:To install the Twitter search accelerator, click here (select the option "Make this my default provider for this Accelerator category" if you want this option to be listed on the first menu that appears)Get a hashtag definitionSimilar to the Twitter Search above, with the difference that this Accelerator will use the highlighted term and search for its definition using What the Hashtag?!, an user-editable encyclopedia for Twitter hashtags (with more detailed information, related hashtags and statistics).Not all hashtags will have specific definitions/statistics listed there, on which case it's you will probably want to use the "Search on Twitter" Accelerator and just search directly for all tweets containing that term.Example of search for the hashtag #e2confTo install the What the Hashtag?! accelerator, click here (select the option "Make this my default provider for this Accelerator category" if you want this option to be listed on the first menu that appears)Check who else tweeted about an articleBackTweets is one of the most useful Twitter-related services that I have seen. It lets you do an URL search on Twitter, allowing you to get a list of tweets that contained a link to that URL (it even list those tweets that used a shortened version of the url - such as bit.ly mentioned earlier).Due to its nature (links), this Accelerator can be used in two ways:1) To check tweets linking the URL you are reading now: such as to find out who else found this article interesting, just right click in any part of the page and select the option "Search link with BackTweets", as shown below:2) To check tweets containing a link that you see at the page you are reading now: such as to find out who else tweeted this link, just right click on the link itself and select the option "Search link with BackTweets", as shown below:To install the BackTweets accelerator, click here (select the option "Make this my default provider for this Accelerator category" if you want this option to be listed on the first menu that appears)Well, those are my 3 IE8 Accelerators for now. If you can imagine any other useful Accelerators for other web services that you would like, just let me know and I will try to create one and post here as well.P.s.: If you are interested in building your own Accelerator(s), check out the Microsoft reference page on the topic and also this great article "How To Create a Custom IE8 Accelerator".
(English Version)While this is been published here I'll be with Lauren signing the papers and exchanging the rings that will tie us together for this life. And since all started here, online, it seems to me like a perfect place to say my vows. :)"Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being 'in love' which any of us can convince ourselves we are. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Your mother and I had it, we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossom had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two." (from the book "Captain Corelli's Mandolin" by Louis de Bernieres)I promise to work together with you to build a strong family... To have faith when things get rough, to have patience when we need it most...I promise to accept who you are and to always try to understand your point of view... to respect our differences...I promise to love and respect you... to be a good husband and to take care of you, Merrick and any other children we may have together...I promise to raise them with you... to give them love and attention... to give them education by example, sharing our values and principles...And above all, I promise to be your friend, to always be there with you... no matter how hard or difficult the situation may be, I promise to be at your side... now and forever.So yes, I do accept you as my wife, Lauren.Love,Leo(Versao em Portugues)Enquanto isso esta sendo publicado aqui eu estarei com a Lauren assinando os papeis e trocando as aliancas que irao nos unir nesta vida. E ja que tudo comecou por aqui, online, me parece lugar perfeito para dizer meus votos. :)"O amor e uma loucura temporaria. Ele surge como um terremoto e entao se acalma. E quando ele se acalma voce tem que tomar uma decisao. Voce tem que descobrir se suas raizes tornaram-se tao interligadas que e inconcebivel separa-las. Porque isso e o que e o amor. O amor nao e o nao conseguir respirar, nao e a excitacao, nao e a promulgacao das promessas de paixao eterna. Isso e apenas 'estar apaixonado', algo do qual qualquer um de nos pode se convencer de 'estar'.O amor em si e o que sobra quando estar apaixonado ja se dissolveu, e isso e igualmente uma arte e um fortuito acidente. Sua mae e eu tivemos isso, nos tivemos raizes que cresceram uma em direcao a outra por debaixo do solo, e quando todas as lindas flores
cairam de nossos galhos nos descobrimos que eramos uma unica arvore e nao duas." (do livro "Captain Corelli's Mandolin" de Louis de Bernieres - e traduzido por mim)Prometo trabalhar junto com voce para construirmos uma familia forte e unida... Prometo ter fe quando as coisas tornarem-se complicadas, e ter paciencia quando nos mais precisarmos...Prometo aceitar quem voce e e sempre procurar entender seu ponto de vista... prometo respeitar as nossas diferencas...Prometo ama-la e respeita-la... prometo ser um bom marido e cuidar de voce, da Merrick e de quaisquer outras criancas que tivermos juntos...Prometo cria-los junto com voce.... prometo dar-lhes amor e atencao... dar-lhes educacao atraves de exemplos, compartilhando nossos valores e principios...E acima de tudo, eu prometo ser seu amigo, estar sempre junto com voce... nao importa o quao dificil ou complicada a situacao esteja, eu prometo estar ao seu lado... hoje e sempre.Entao sim, Lauren, eu te aceito como minha esposa.Com amor,Leo
"A vida passa correndo e mesmo aqueles com a visao mais agucada nao a enxergam...""Nao tenha medo do futuro. Ele so e amanha. Voce sabe exatamente quanto tempo demora para ele chegar. 24 horas..."(trechos extraidos desse lindo post escrito pela minha amiga-irma-parte-de-mim-mesmo, Violet Scott)Qual a relacao entre esse lindo post e esse tocante comercial da Coca-Cola? Fora o fato de que eu vi ambos nesta manha em um intervalo de poucos minutos (e que ambos foram enviados para mim por pessoas que eu amo muito), tanto o texto quanto o video abordam o mesmo assunto: a incerteza do futuro e a esperanca/fe/gratidao no presente.No mundo em geral (ex.: crise economica) e na vida em particular (escolha sua propria crise pessoal), temos sempre a tendencia de acreditar de que este momento que estamos vivendo e o pior de nossas vidas e que parece que isso nunca vai acabar. Esse tipo de pensamento nao apenas nos faz mal, mas tambem e irrealista por dois motivos:nao importa o quanto as coisas parecam estar dificeis, elas sempre podem piorarmesmo que as coisas parecam insuportaveis (e mesmo que elas piorem), um dia tudo ira se resolver e voce ira perceber que sim, voce era capaz de superar issoClaro que e muito mais facil olhar para tras no futuro e perceber isso, do que acreditar agora, neste momento, que tudo pelo que voce esta passando ira se resolver. Mas e nesse ponto que a decisao passa a ser sua, pois por mais que voce nao possa controlar a situacao, voce pode (e deve) controlar a sua reacao a situacao.Nao, isso nao e algo facil de conseguir, e isso exige uma atencao constante as suas proprias emocoes, aos seus proprios pensamentos, procurando sempre manter o seu lado positivo por perto."...voce nao pode ligar os pontos olhando para o futuro, voce so pode liga-los olhando para o passado. Entao voce tem que confiar que os pontos vao, de alguma maneira, se ligar no futuro. Voce tem que confiar em alguma coisa, seu instinto, destino, vida, karma, qualquer coisa. Porque acreditar que os pontos vao se ligar em algum momento, vai te dar confianca para seguir seu coracao, mesmo que te leve para um caminho diferente do previsto. E isso fara toda a diferenca..." (Steve Jobs)A jornada parece ser muito ardua para ser caminhada sem companhia? E quem disse que voce deve caminhar sozinho(a)? Justamente nesses momentos e que voce deve cercar-se de amigos, familiares, e qualquer pessoa que genuinamente se preocupe com voce e que possa te ajudar a continuar seguindo firme. Faca atividades que te ajudem a entrar no seu "universo particular", esquecendo do resto do mundo, seja um bom livro, um filme ou qualquer outra coisa que te ajude a relaxar (ou pelo menos nao se preocupar tanto por alguns momentos).Outra coisa que costuma ajudar e pensar em tudo de bom que voce tem. Sim, e muito mais facil reclamar da sua vida quando voce nao para para refletir sobre quantas coisas boas voce possui, coisas que outras pessoas adorariam ter e apenas imaginam como seria. Voce tem
uma familia proxima que te ama? Voce tem um bom emprego? Voce tem um lugar para morar? Voce pode ir ao cinema de vez em quando? Voce pode comprar um bom livro e ler? Voce tem alguem com quem conversar? Entao seja grato(a) pelo que voce tem, aprecie e de valor as coisas boas da sua vida, por mais simples que elas possam parecer.Talvez isso seja apenas meu estilo de vida, de personalidade, mas acredito que, independente do que voce tentar, independente do que voce acreditar, o importante e voce fazer algo, algo para voce mesmo, algo que te ajude a sentir-se melhor e te de forcas para seguir sempre em frente. Dias melhores virao, pode ter certeza disso. E enquanto eles nao chegam por aqui, aproveite o maximo que voce puder do presente."Viva no presente. O passado ja se foi; o futuro e incerto - mas o presente e real, e suas oportunidades sao agora. Voce precisa ver essas oportunidades; elas tem de ser reais para voce. O segredo e que elas nao irao parecer reais se a sua mente esta soterrada em falhas do passado, se voce continua revivendo erros antigos, culpas antigas, tragedias antigas. Lute contra os traumas inevitaveis do seu ego, escape a condenacao pelo passado, e olhe para as oportunidades do presente. Eu nao quero dizer algum momento vago no presente - talvez na proxima semana ou no proximo mes. Eu quero dizer agora, neste minuto." (Maxwell Maltz)
As most of my friends know, the subject of relationships is one that always fascinates me, and most recently, while reflecting on the subject I came to the conclusion that a lot of times we take the wrong approach on this in our daily lives, because we tend to focus on the wrong thing. When there is a conflicting situation in a relationship (and I'm safe to assume we all agree there is no such thing as a shortage of conflicting situations in a relationship) most people try to do something about it (considering that you care about this relationship in the first place), either by analyzing it, talking to your partner, discussing it with friends (too see if you are exaggerating the issue), or sometimes doing all of these options. Unfortunately, sometimes even when we try hard to see through the eyes of the other person we simply can't see why the person is behaving in such a way, or why he/she can't understand our point-of-view, etc, etc. In such cases, what could be happening is that maybe both parties are not aligned in terms of expectations about this relationship. So let me ask you something:Would you start a business project without a Statement of Work (SOW)? Would you start building a house without a floor plan? The answer would probably be a resounding no in both cases. Still, when it comes to relationships, we tend to ignore all this preparation. In fact, in many cases we get into a relationship "much the same way that a Labrador jump into a swimming pool - with exactly that much preparation and foresight" (as Elizabeth Gilbert brilliantly describes in her book "Commited").Just as you wouldn't start building a house without defining some things first, you shouldn't start a relationship without at least defining what exactly the term "relationship" means for both of you.Does it mean spending some quality time together during the week, talking about yourselves and your lifes both inside and outside the relationship?Does it mean having the opportunity to talk about things that bother you with the objective of improving the relationship?Does it mean splitting the chores around the house equally?Does it mean discussing your finances and planning your expenses together?Does it mean having some time every week to be on your own?Does it mean having some time every week to enoy something together, just the two of you?Does it mean supporting each other emotionally when needed?Does it mean ......?It can mean a lot of things, and a lot of different things for different people, which makes it essential that both of you understand where you are at and compromise towards a common objective (the success of the relationship).Of course a LOT of things can change along the way, just as they would with a business project or with the construction of a house, but if you have a "master plan" then you can always go back to it and make the necessary adjustments to realign your route, without losing focus on what matters.Now I open the question: What does the
Almost 1 year ago I was writing here about my worries about been a parent (main question: am I going to be as good as my parents were to me and my brother?).Although I still don't have an answer to this question, nowadays I'm challenged by another aspect of parenting, or better say, stepparenting.Never in my life had I imagined that I would be a stepparent. When you are young and picture your life a few decades ahead, you never picture the "step" part. You just see yourself getting married and having kids, in this order.But life has mysterious ways, and if you have been following the story thus far, you know that since last month I became a stepparent. Was it a huge step for me? Of course it was. Did I worry about how would be my relationship with my stepdaughter? You can bet I did. But I decided that the only way to know this for sure would be to give her my attention, my affection, and just let things flow naturally, adjusting when needed. Turns out that I would find some of my happiest moments with her...Almost every week day we go to the park, where we can walk the dog and she can play at the playground. During weekends, she goes with me to almost everywhere I go: to get groceries, to the barber, to have some delicious ice cream, etc. When we are at our house, we can be found playing any known/invented game that may occur to us. And throughout all these activities, there are always so many laughs, so many giggles, from both of us, that it makes me feel lighter... it makes me happy. It is as if she is like a portable sun, always shining light into me, no matter how tough a day may be.And today she gave me one of my biggest gifts in recent times (maybe one of the biggest of all times): she invited me to take her to school.I know it may sound trivial to you reading this, but to me, hearing her ask me to take her there... to feel her grabbing my hand and showing her class, her environment... and among all those parents and other kids... I felt so special...And then, she just walks to class, grabbing my hand for just a little more, until off she goes to another day at kindergarten... to her activities and new friends... without knowing how important this moment was to this silly me (who was so happy that the biggest effort was not to cry until I was out of the building).She is a portable sun... a sun full of bright light and love. I couldn't have asked for a better little girl in my life. So, thank You. Money is only a tool. It will take you wherever you wish, but it will not replace you as the driver. ~ Ayn Rand A few years ago I made my first trip to Spain. That trip was a first in many things: first trip to Spain, first
trip alone, first trip backpacking, etc.. It was a trip that spanned three weeks and six cities. After spending a few days in the first city (Madrid), right when I was about to leave the hostel, I noticed something unsettling: half of the money I had brought with me had disappeared, along with my sunglasses and my towel. At first I got very upset with myself, thinking that I should have been more careful, that I shouldnt have stayed in a hostel, that it was a lot of money, etc., etc.. You know how it goes when something bad happens and you start to recapitulate in your mind all the things that could have been done to prevent it, assigning blame to yourself and others... At that point I took a deep breath and realized that I had two choices: Continue to be upset and let this ruin my trip that was just getting started Accept that there was nothing that could be done and move on with my trip, enjoying every part of it What allowed me to pick option 2 was to try and think about all the positive aspects of this event, instead of focusing on the very obvious and negative aspects. This is what I came up with: I had lost only half of my money, since I followed the very useful advice from my parents to never put all my eggs into one basket (the rest of the money was safe in another place) I could spend a little bit less during the trip, as my biggest expense was already covered (the train tickets between each city), and I could also try to use my credit card in places that accepted it The towel I had brought with me was too big, so that would give me a chance to buy a new-and-smaller one that wouldnt make my backpack be so full (ok, I was stretching my positive thinking to the limit, but dont we tend to do the exact same thing with our negative thinking, exaggerating the impact of everything and our contributions to it?) With my choice made, I proceeded with my trip without letting this disturb me, travelling to Toledo, then Cordoba, Seville, Granada and Barcelona, having a blast with every part of the trip and meeting so many incredible people along the way. After Barcelona, I took a night train back to Madrid, where I would spend one night back at the same hostel from the beginning of the trip and then catch my flight back home the following day. Now imagine my surprise when I come back to the hostel and the manager approaches me to ask if I had lost some money in there. It turns out that someone had found my sunglasses case, and the money was inside of it. All the money was there! The person that found the money gave it to the hostels manager and he had kept it in there, since he noticed some Brazilian currency in there, realized it could be mine and decided to