If you smile,
I bloom,
But if you cry,
I gloom...
If you touch me,
I shake,
But if you ache,
I break...
If you ask me,
I do,
But if you're blue,
I'm you...
Monday 3 August 2009
Sunday 29 March 2009
Noite
Madrugada, cansados
Adormecemos, abracados
Sob o reflexo da Lua
Porque o meu corpo foi teu
E o teu foi meu
Nesta noite crua...
Adormecemos, abracados
Sob o reflexo da Lua
Porque o meu corpo foi teu
E o teu foi meu
Nesta noite crua...
Monday 23 February 2009
Be my Valentine...
As I write to you today, words come to my mind but I'm too amazed to speak or put them down.
I feel the silence bursting through me. No warnings. No needs.
And suddenly, yes, one urge. One single urge - the one that comes to me countless times... The urge to kiss you and make you mine. The urge to have you by my side all the time.
I close my eyes for two seconds and I know.
I can feel it now.
No fear.
No doubt.
Just the certainty that there is no one I rather spend this Valentine's Day but with you and you alone.
Definitely.
No doubt.
I feel the silence bursting through me. No warnings. No needs.
And suddenly, yes, one urge. One single urge - the one that comes to me countless times... The urge to kiss you and make you mine. The urge to have you by my side all the time.
I close my eyes for two seconds and I know.
I can feel it now.
No fear.
No doubt.
Just the certainty that there is no one I rather spend this Valentine's Day but with you and you alone.
Definitely.
No doubt.
Monday 9 February 2009
Metade
Hoje deixaste-me metade.
Na tua furia dobrada de gestos encobriste o ceu.
O meu sol mingou e escondeu-se na linha do horizonte.
Quando foi que te tornaste tempestade?
Quando deixei eu de ser bonanca?
Prevejo gaivotas em terra...
Na tua furia dobrada de gestos encobriste o ceu.
O meu sol mingou e escondeu-se na linha do horizonte.
Quando foi que te tornaste tempestade?
Quando deixei eu de ser bonanca?
Prevejo gaivotas em terra...
Monday 19 January 2009
You...
Every time you go away,
I'm left catching my breath,
For the single, simple reason that you are,
Undoubtedly,
The air that I breathe...
Ana Carina Xavier, 19th January 2009
I'm left catching my breath,
For the single, simple reason that you are,
Undoubtedly,
The air that I breathe...
Ana Carina Xavier, 19th January 2009
Tuesday 6 January 2009
DNA mysteries
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2008/apr/27/genetics.cancer
What DNA can tell us
Genes alone cannot account for what a person is, but even the slightest distinguishing traits between people can be attributed to individual genes. James Randerson reports
Genetics is rarely all or nothing. In almost every case your version of a gene will give you an increased or a lowered chance of a particular outcome (like becoming obese) but that outcome is not certain. Your other genes and environmental influences, such as how much you eat and exercise, all work together to determine how you end up.
Sex
The simplest thing DNA can tell you is whether someone is male or female. Apart from some very rare cases, that doesn't even involve looking at their DNA sequence - all you need to know is whether they have X and Y chromosomes (making them male) or a pair of Xs (which makes them female). A foetus will, by default, develop as female unless the SRY gene on the Y chromosome is turned on.
Hair colour
Many redheads have a different version of a gene that prevents pigment-producing cells called melanocytes responding to a hormone that instructs them to make dark pigment. A DNA sample from someone carrying two of the mutated genes has a 96% probability of being naturally red-haired. A DNA test developed by the Forensic Science Service can identify eight common mutations of this gene that have the same effect of stopping it from working.
Eye colour
At least four genes work together to determine your eye colour. By analysing these genes scientists can classify someone into one of three eye-colour groups - light (blue and grey), dark (black and brown), or hazel - with 97% certainty.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
This condition has been linked with a genetic stutter in the gene DAT1 which is involved in nerve impulses.
Body clock
The Per2 gene has been linked with "advanced sleep phase syndrome" (wanting to go to bed early and rise in the small hours). Another gene, Per3, is found more often in night owls.
Long life
Particular versions of the Klotho gene are associated with longevity in humans. It seems to influence age-related conditions such as heart disease and stroke.
Thrill seeking
Certain versions of a gene on the X chromosome that codes for the monoamine oxidase enzyme (MAO), are associated with the sensation-seeking and impulsive tendencies.
Obesity
Around half of the UK population carry a variant of the FTO gene, which makes them on average 1.6kg heavier than those who do not have it. Some 16% of the population carry two copies of the gene and are, on average, 3kg heavier. People with the FTO variant also have an increased risk of diabetes.
How DNA can solve crimes
Matching a DNA sample (say from a blood or semen stain) from a crime scene to the perpetrator relies on regions of DNA in between genes that have lots of variability. The technique involves snipping up the DNA using enzymes called restriction endonucleases, which cut the DNA only when they come across a specific sequence. If everyone's DNA were the same then the pieces left after this frenzy of molecular slicing would all be the same length. But there are repeated sections of DNA that vary considerably between individuals. That means the lengths of my cut fragments are unlikely to be the same as your cut fragments (because we have a different number of repeats).
By combining several of these variable locations in the genome, scientists can say with very high confidence that a match between a DNA profile found at a crime scene and the profile of a suspect are not the same simply by chance. The probability of two unrelated people having the same profile coincidentally depends on how many variable DNA regions you use, but it is typically one in several billion.
What DNA can tell us
Genes alone cannot account for what a person is, but even the slightest distinguishing traits between people can be attributed to individual genes. James Randerson reports
Genetics is rarely all or nothing. In almost every case your version of a gene will give you an increased or a lowered chance of a particular outcome (like becoming obese) but that outcome is not certain. Your other genes and environmental influences, such as how much you eat and exercise, all work together to determine how you end up.
Sex
The simplest thing DNA can tell you is whether someone is male or female. Apart from some very rare cases, that doesn't even involve looking at their DNA sequence - all you need to know is whether they have X and Y chromosomes (making them male) or a pair of Xs (which makes them female). A foetus will, by default, develop as female unless the SRY gene on the Y chromosome is turned on.
Hair colour
Many redheads have a different version of a gene that prevents pigment-producing cells called melanocytes responding to a hormone that instructs them to make dark pigment. A DNA sample from someone carrying two of the mutated genes has a 96% probability of being naturally red-haired. A DNA test developed by the Forensic Science Service can identify eight common mutations of this gene that have the same effect of stopping it from working.
Eye colour
At least four genes work together to determine your eye colour. By analysing these genes scientists can classify someone into one of three eye-colour groups - light (blue and grey), dark (black and brown), or hazel - with 97% certainty.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
This condition has been linked with a genetic stutter in the gene DAT1 which is involved in nerve impulses.
Body clock
The Per2 gene has been linked with "advanced sleep phase syndrome" (wanting to go to bed early and rise in the small hours). Another gene, Per3, is found more often in night owls.
Long life
Particular versions of the Klotho gene are associated with longevity in humans. It seems to influence age-related conditions such as heart disease and stroke.
Thrill seeking
Certain versions of a gene on the X chromosome that codes for the monoamine oxidase enzyme (MAO), are associated with the sensation-seeking and impulsive tendencies.
Obesity
Around half of the UK population carry a variant of the FTO gene, which makes them on average 1.6kg heavier than those who do not have it. Some 16% of the population carry two copies of the gene and are, on average, 3kg heavier. People with the FTO variant also have an increased risk of diabetes.
How DNA can solve crimes
Matching a DNA sample (say from a blood or semen stain) from a crime scene to the perpetrator relies on regions of DNA in between genes that have lots of variability. The technique involves snipping up the DNA using enzymes called restriction endonucleases, which cut the DNA only when they come across a specific sequence. If everyone's DNA were the same then the pieces left after this frenzy of molecular slicing would all be the same length. But there are repeated sections of DNA that vary considerably between individuals. That means the lengths of my cut fragments are unlikely to be the same as your cut fragments (because we have a different number of repeats).
By combining several of these variable locations in the genome, scientists can say with very high confidence that a match between a DNA profile found at a crime scene and the profile of a suspect are not the same simply by chance. The probability of two unrelated people having the same profile coincidentally depends on how many variable DNA regions you use, but it is typically one in several billion.
Monday 5 January 2009
Weird stuff!
The sentence "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" uses every letter in the English language. 111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321
The average human eats 8 spiders in their lifetime at night.
"I am." is the shortest complete sentence in the English language.
A rhinoceros horn is made of compacted hair.
The shortest war in history was between Zanzibar and England in 1896. Zanzibar surrendered after 38 minutes.
A polar bear's skin is black. Its fur is not white, but actually clear.
Donald Duck comics were banned in Finland because he doesn't wear pants.
More people are killed by donkeys annually than are killed in plane crashes.
Shakespeare invented the word "assassination" and "bump."
If you keep a Goldfish in the dark room, it will eventually turn white.
Women blink nearly twice as much as men.
The name of all the continents end with the same letter that they start with.
The word "lethologica" describes the state of not being able to remember the word you want.
TYPEWRITER, is the longest word that can be made using the letters on only one row of the keyboard.
If the population of China walked past you in single file, the line would never end because of the rate of reproduction
The word racecar and kayak are the same whether they are read left to right or right to left.
A snail can sleep for 3 years.
China has more English speakers than the United States.
The electric chair was invented by a dentist.
Did you know you share your birthday with at least 9 other million people in the world.
The longest word in the English language is 1909 letters long and it refers to a distinct part of DNA.
Cats have over one hundred vocal sounds, dogs only have about ten.
Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing.
Feb 1865 is the only month in recorded history not to have a full moon.
Cat's urine glows under a black light.
Leonardo Da Vinci invented the scissors.
Nutmeg is extremely poisonous if injected intravenously.
Only one person in two billion will live to be 116 or older.
If you yelled for 8 years, 7 months and 6 days, you would have produced enough sound energy to heat one cup of coffee. If you fart consistently for 6 years and 9 months, enough gas is produced to create the energy of an atomic bomb.
The human heart creates enough pressure when it pumps out to the body to squirt blood 30 feet.
On average, people fear spiders more than they do death.
The strongest muscle in the body is the TONGUE.
It's impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.
A crocodile cannot stick its tongue out.
The ant always falls over on its right side when intoxicated.
Polar bears are left-handed.
The catfish has over 27,000 taste buds, that makes the catfish rank #1 for animal having the most taste buds.
A cockroach will live nine days without its head, before it starves to death.
Butterflies taste with their feet.
Elephants are the only animals that can't jump.
An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.
Starfish haven't got brains.
Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated.
Peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite.
The average secretary's left hand does 56% of the typing.
A shark is the only fish that can blink with both eyes.
There are more chickens than people in the world.
Two-thirds of the world's eggplant is grown in New Jersey.
The longest one-syllable word in the English language is"screeched."
No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver or purple.
"Dreamt" is the only English word that ends in the letters "mt".
Almonds are members of the peach family.
There are only four words in the English language which end in "- dous": tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous.
A cat has 32 muscles in each ear.
An ostrich's eye is bigger than it's brain.
Tigers have striped skin, not just striped fur.
In most advertisements, including newspapers, the timedisplayed on a watch is 10:10.
A dragonfly has a lifespan of 24 hours.
A goldfish has a memory span of three seconds.
The giant squid has the largest eyes in the world.
In England, the Speaker of the House is not allowed to speak.
The name for Oz in the "Wizard of Oz" was thought up when the creator, Frank Baum, looked at his filing cabinet and saw A-N and O-Z, hence "Oz."
The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket.
The average person falls asleep in seven minutes.
There are 336 dimples on a regulation golf ball.
in "This, That and The other"
The average human eats 8 spiders in their lifetime at night.
"I am." is the shortest complete sentence in the English language.
A rhinoceros horn is made of compacted hair.
The shortest war in history was between Zanzibar and England in 1896. Zanzibar surrendered after 38 minutes.
A polar bear's skin is black. Its fur is not white, but actually clear.
Donald Duck comics were banned in Finland because he doesn't wear pants.
More people are killed by donkeys annually than are killed in plane crashes.
Shakespeare invented the word "assassination" and "bump."
If you keep a Goldfish in the dark room, it will eventually turn white.
Women blink nearly twice as much as men.
The name of all the continents end with the same letter that they start with.
The word "lethologica" describes the state of not being able to remember the word you want.
TYPEWRITER, is the longest word that can be made using the letters on only one row of the keyboard.
If the population of China walked past you in single file, the line would never end because of the rate of reproduction
The word racecar and kayak are the same whether they are read left to right or right to left.
A snail can sleep for 3 years.
China has more English speakers than the United States.
The electric chair was invented by a dentist.
Did you know you share your birthday with at least 9 other million people in the world.
The longest word in the English language is 1909 letters long and it refers to a distinct part of DNA.
Cats have over one hundred vocal sounds, dogs only have about ten.
Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing.
Feb 1865 is the only month in recorded history not to have a full moon.
Cat's urine glows under a black light.
Leonardo Da Vinci invented the scissors.
Nutmeg is extremely poisonous if injected intravenously.
Only one person in two billion will live to be 116 or older.
If you yelled for 8 years, 7 months and 6 days, you would have produced enough sound energy to heat one cup of coffee. If you fart consistently for 6 years and 9 months, enough gas is produced to create the energy of an atomic bomb.
The human heart creates enough pressure when it pumps out to the body to squirt blood 30 feet.
On average, people fear spiders more than they do death.
The strongest muscle in the body is the TONGUE.
It's impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.
A crocodile cannot stick its tongue out.
The ant always falls over on its right side when intoxicated.
Polar bears are left-handed.
The catfish has over 27,000 taste buds, that makes the catfish rank #1 for animal having the most taste buds.
A cockroach will live nine days without its head, before it starves to death.
Butterflies taste with their feet.
Elephants are the only animals that can't jump.
An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.
Starfish haven't got brains.
Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated.
Peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite.
The average secretary's left hand does 56% of the typing.
A shark is the only fish that can blink with both eyes.
There are more chickens than people in the world.
Two-thirds of the world's eggplant is grown in New Jersey.
The longest one-syllable word in the English language is"screeched."
No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver or purple.
"Dreamt" is the only English word that ends in the letters "mt".
Almonds are members of the peach family.
There are only four words in the English language which end in "- dous": tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous.
A cat has 32 muscles in each ear.
An ostrich's eye is bigger than it's brain.
Tigers have striped skin, not just striped fur.
In most advertisements, including newspapers, the timedisplayed on a watch is 10:10.
A dragonfly has a lifespan of 24 hours.
A goldfish has a memory span of three seconds.
The giant squid has the largest eyes in the world.
In England, the Speaker of the House is not allowed to speak.
The name for Oz in the "Wizard of Oz" was thought up when the creator, Frank Baum, looked at his filing cabinet and saw A-N and O-Z, hence "Oz."
The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket.
The average person falls asleep in seven minutes.
There are 336 dimples on a regulation golf ball.
in "This, That and The other"
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