Everything But The Girl - Get me (lyrics)

One of my favourite songs of this Brit duo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LErwYQx_BKo

Lyrics:

I never thought I'd grow up so fast so far.

To know yourself is to let yourself be loved.

And I want to be addicted,

I want to be secure,

I want to wake up after the night before,

but do you ever get me?

Do you ever get me?

I'll press your hand against my face,

weaken my resistance.

I'll pull the sheets over our heads,

let the broken sky break above our heads.

And I want to be addicted,

I want to be secure,

I want to wake up after the night before,

but do you get me?

Do you ever get me?

Shower me with affection and I'll return in kind.

I have no hidden motive, I am blind.

I'm a stone inside a box,

I'm a spring inside a clock,

you can wear me on your wrist

and I'll tell you things ten thousand times,

but do you ever get me?

Do you ever get me?

Adriana Calcanhoto - Inverno (lyrics)

Nice song from a Brazilian singer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9M4mcjR1y4&NR=1

Lyrics:

NO DIA EM QUE FUI MAIS FELIZ

EU VI UM AVIÃO

SE ESPELHAR NO SEU OLHAR ATÉ SUMIR

DE LÁ PRA CÁ NÃO SEI

CAMINHO AO LONGO DO CANAL

FAÇO LONGAS CARTAS PRA NINGUÉM

E O INVERNO NO LEBLON É QUASE GLACIAL

HÁ ALGO QUE JAMAIS SE ESCLARECEU

ONDE FOI EXATAMENTE QUE LARGUEI

NAQUELE DIA MESMO

O LEÃO QUE SEMPRE CAVALGUEI?

LÁ MESMO ESQUECI

QUE O DESTINO

SEMPRE ME QUIS SÓ

NO DESERTO SEM SAUDADE, SEM REMORSO SÓ

SEM AMARRAS, BARCO EMBRIAGADO AO MAR

NÃO SEI O QUE EM MIM

SÓ QUER ME LEMBRAR

QUE UM DIA O CÉU REUNIU-SE À TERRA UM INSTANTE POR NÓS DOIS

POUCO ANTES DO OCIDENTE SE ASSOMBRAR

Illusions 10 (solution)

Can you see both the duck and the bunny in the ambiguous drawing? The duck's bill is the bunny's ears. This was first used by a psychologist named Joseph Jastrow in the early 1900's.

Illusions 12

What can you see?

Brain teaser 8 (solution)

É evidente que Oito deve rebocar Quatro. E que esses dois botes só devem atravessar o rio uma única vez. Com estas observações, traça-se o plano:
1) Dois leva Um. Dois fica e Um volta. Tempo: 2h + 1h = 3h.
2) Oito leva Quatro. Os dois botes ficam e Dois volta. Tempo: 8h + 2h = 10h.
3) Dois leva Um. O traslado se completa. Tempo: 2h
Tempo total: 3h + 10h + 2h = 15 h.

Immigration Québec

Industrie aérospatiale - Forte croissance au Québec

Un communiqué du Comité sectoriel de main-d'oeuvre en aérospatiale au Québec indique que le secteur connaît une « croissance remarquable ».
Signe tangible de cette croissance, les différentes entreprises du secteur envisagent de créer 1598 emplois au cours de l'année 2008. Ainsi, au 1er janvier 2009, le total des employés du secteur sera de 49 000.
Les emplois seront créés dans différents secteurs de l'industrie, de l'informatique à l'électronique en passant par l'ébénisterie et la mécanique. Près de la moitié le seront par des PME.
Selon le ministre de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale, Sam Hamad, l'industrie « doit faire face aux besoins de main-d'oeuvre grandissants des entreprises dans un contexte de déclin démographique ». Pour cette raison, le ministre indique que les entreprises doivent faire preuve d'innovation dans la formation et les pratiques de gestion.
L'industrie aérospatiale recherche des scientifiques, mais aussi des diplômés des cycles collégial et professionnel.
Par ailleurs, sur le plan international, une étude de l'Organisation de l'aviation civile internationale prévoit une croissance de 5,9 % d'ici 2025. (Radio-Canada)

http://www.radio-canada.ca/nouvelles/Economie-Affaires/2008/02/26/001-aerospatiale-croissance.shtml

Illusions 11

Does it look like alive?

Oscar 2008

Seja qual for o nome, "La Môme", "La vie en Rose" ou "Piaf, um hino ao amor", o filme é uma pérola e a atriz Marion Cotillard merecidamente conquistou o Oscar de melhor atriz.

"Marion Cotillard a déjoué la plupart des observateurs qui prédisaient que l'Oscar de la meilleur actrice serait attribué à Julie Christie. Celle qui interprète la mythique Édith Piaf dans La vie en rose (titre original, La môme) a également remporté ces dernières semaines un Golden Globe, un BAFTA et un César. Entre autres distinctions. Très émue l'actrice française a évoqué l'ange qui veillait visiblement sur elle à Los Angeles. La France s'est également distinguée du côté du court métrage avec la victoire, très méritée, de la comédie Le Mozart des pickpockets de et avec Philippe Pollet-Villard..." (Radio-Canada)

http://www.radio-canada.ca/arts-spectacles/cinema/2008/02/24/002-Oscars2008_Analyse.asp

Immigration Québec

Succès économique, limites démographiques

Il y a maintenant sept ans que le gouvernement du Québec a lancé son programme visant à encourager les candidats à l'immigration à investir avant même d'obtenir leur visa.
Depuis 2001, les candidats à l'immigration, des Asiatiques dans trois cas sur quatre, déposent une somme de 400 000 $ à Investissement Québec, qui est placée pour cinq ans. Québec conserve les intérêts et les distribue ensuite sous forme de subventions.
Ainsi, les rendements de 3,8 milliards de dollars du programme immigrant investisseur ont permis au gouvernement de distribuer 324 millions de dollars en subventions à quelque 1800 PME. Un succès, puisque 60 % de toutes les sommes investies au Canada le sont au Québec.
Contrairement à d'autres provinces, au Québec, l'investisseur peut placer son argent dès sa demande d'immigration. Il pourra obtenir son visa canadien de deux à trois ans plus tard. À son arrivée au pays, il ne lui restera que deux ans à attendre pour récupérer sa mise, ce qui peut être attirant, malgré l'absence de profit sur son investissement.
Toutefois, le taux de rétention de ces immigrants au Québec n'est pas très élevé. À peine le tiers des investisseurs s'installent au Québec, une fois le visa obtenu. La plupart préfèrent Toronto ou Vancouver.
De ceux qui restent au Québec, à peine la moitié sont restés au cours des trois dernières années, selon Robert Baril, directeur de l'immigration économique au ministère québécois de l'Immigration et des Communautés culturelles.
Pour Marc Audet, vice-président chez Fiducie Desjardins responsable du programme d'immigrants investisseurs, le bon côté de cette initiative gouvernementale l'emporte. « La rétention, est-ce vraiment un problème, versus l'essor et la contribution économique que le programme apporte par lui-même? », demande-t-il.

http://www.radio-canada.ca/nouvelles/Economie-Affaires/2008/02/24/001-immigrants-invest.shtml

Maths 1

You are a prisoner sentenced to death. The Emperor offers you a chance to live by playing a simple game. He gives you 50 black marbles, 50 white marbles and 2 empty bowls. He then says, "Divide these 100 marbles into these 2 bowls. You can divide them any way you like as long as you use all the marbles. Then I will blindfold you and mix the bowls around. You then can choose one bowl and remove ONE marble. If the marble is WHITE you will live, but if the marble is BLACK... you will die."

How do you divide the marbles up so that you have the greatest probability of choosing a WHITE marble?

Brain teaser 7 (solution)

He waits until night time and then goes through the first door.

Cowboy Junkies - Sweet Jane (lyrics)

The best cover version of Velvet Underground´s "Sweet Jane":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHRFZFmEq9o

Lyrics:

Anyone who's ever had a heart

Wouldn't turn around and break it

And anyone who's ever played a part

Wouldn't turn around and hate it

Sweet Jane, sweet Jane

Sweet, sweet Jane

You're waiting

For Jimmy down in the alley

Waiting there

For him to come back home

Waiting down on the corner

And thinking of ways

To get back home

Sweet Jane, sweet Jane

Sweet, sweet Jane

Anyone who's ever had a dream

Anyone who's ever played a part

Anyone who's ever been lonely

And anyone who's ever split apart

Sweet Jane, sweet Jane

Sweet, sweet Jane

Heavenly widened roses

Seem to whisper to me

When you smile

Heavenly widened roses

Seem to whisper to me

When you smile

La la la la, la la la,

Sweet JaneSweet, sweet Jane

Brain teaser 9

Write down the next number in this series:

18, 46, 94, 63, 52, ...

John Cougar Mellencamp - Cherry Bomb (lyrics)

A bit of country music with an American singer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGoQNXWgopg&feature=related

Lyrics:

Well I lived on the outskirts of town

In an eight room farmhouse, baby

When my brothers and friends were around

There was always something' doin'

Had me a couple of real nice girlfriends

Stopped by to see me every once in a while

When I think back about those days

All I can do is sit and smile

CHORUS

That's when a sport was a sport

And groovin' was groovin'

And dancin' meant everything

We were young and we were improvin'

Laughin', laughin' with our friends

Holdin' hands meant somethin' baby

Outside the club "Cherry Bomb"

Our hearts were really thumpin'

Say yeah yeah yeah

Say yeah yeah yeah

The winter days they last forever

But the weekends went by so quick

Went ridin' around this little country town

We were goin' nuts, girl, out in the sticks

One night, me with my big mouth

A couple guys had to put me in my place

When I see those guys these days

We just laugh and say do you remember when

CHORUS

Seventeen has turned thirty-five

I'm surprised that we're still ivin'

If we've done any wrong

I hope that we're forgiven

Got a few kids of my own

And some days I still don't know what to do

I hope that they're not laughin' too loud

When they hear me talkin'

Like this to you

CHORUS

Illusions 10

What can you see?

Ira! - Tolices (lyrics)

My favourite Brazilian rock'n'roll band singing his best song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvABWmBMGDk

Lyrics:

São tolices

Que penso sobre você

Você não pensa em mim

Por que andamos na mesma rua

Vivo sonhando

Imaginando você

Imagino pegadas

E as vou seguindo

É tolice, eu sei

Você não sente os meus passos

Mas eu imagino

Mas eu imagino

É tolice, eu sei

Você não sente os meus passos

Mas eu imagino

Mas eu imagino

São tolices

Que penso sobre você

Você não pensa em mim

Por que andamos na mesma rua

Vivo sonhando

Imaginando você

Imagino pegadas

E as vou seguindo

Um olá talvez

Mas pra mim de nada vale

Isso estragaria

O meu faz-de-conta

É tolice, eu sei

Você não sente os meus passos

Mas eu imagino

Mas eu imagino

Illusions 8 (solution)

You can see both a young and an old woman. If you need some help, the eye of the old woman is the ear of the young woman. The old woman's mouth is the young woman's necklace.

Lateral thinking 2 (solution)

The man had hiccups. The barman recognized this from his speech and drew the gun to give the man a shock. It worked and cured the hiccups, so the man was grateful (and no longer needed the water).

Brain teaser 8

Existem quatro botes numa margem de um rio. Seus nomes são Oito, Quatro, Dois e Um, porque essas são as quantidades de horas que cada um deles demora para cruzar o rio. Pode-se atar um bote a outro, porém não mais de um, e então o tempo da travessia é igual ao do mais lento dos botes. Um só marinheiro deve levar todos os botes até a outra margem do rio.
Qual é o menor tempo necessário para completar o traslado?

Obs.: Esta é uma questão muito interessante que deve ser resolvida usando raciocínio lógico e é utilizada em treinamentos a alunos que participam de Olimpíadas de Matemática.

Também aparece às vezes em entrevistas nos grandes bancos de investimento (Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, ...). Good luck!

Brain teaser 7

A man is trapped in a room. The room has only two possible exits: two doors. Through the first door there is a room constructed from magnifying glass. The blazing hot sun instantly fries anything or anyone that enters. Through the second door there is a fire-breathing dragon. How does the man escape?

Illusions 9

Look at the red dot in the middle and move your head towards and away from the screen. See how the outer rings appear to rotate?

Electric Light Orchestra - Living Thing (lyrics)

From the seventies:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivFM0pYyUcY&feature=related

Lyrics:

Sailin' away on the crest of a wave
It's like magic
Rollin' and ridin' and slippin' & slidin'
It's magic

And you, and your sweet desire,
You took me, higher and higher
It's a livin' thing,
It's a terrible thing to lose
It's a given thing
What a terrible thing to lose

Making believe this is what you've conceived
From your worst day,
Moving in line when you look back in time
To your first day

Takin' a dive 'cos you can't halt the slide
Floating downstream,
So let her go don't start spoiling the show
It's a bad dream

Illusions 8

In this classical optical illusion, what can you see in the picture?

Lateral thinking 2

A man walked into a bar and asked the barman for a glass of water. They had never met before. The barman pulled a gun from under the counter and pointed it at the man. The man said "Thank you" and walked out. Why should that be so?

Illusions 7 (solution)

It may look like a spiral but it's actually a bunch of concentric circles. Use your mouse to trace one circle and you will see that you come back to where you started instead of spiraling into the center.

Brain teaser 6 (solution)

Downtown trains run past Brian's stop at, say, 3:00, 3:10, 3:20, ..., etc, and uptown trains at 3:01, 3:11, 3:21, ... To go uptown Brian must arrive in the 1-minute interval between a downtown and an uptown train.

Immigration Canada

Le chômage recule à nouveau

L'économie canadienne ne subit guère le contrecoup des difficultés ressenties aux États-Unis, selon les plus récentes données sur l'emploi publiées vendredi par Statistique Canada.
En effet, alors que les analystes tablaient sur la création d'un peu plus de 10 000 emplois en janvier, ce sont plutôt 46 600 emplois qui ont été créés au cours de ce même mois, propulsant le taux d'emploi pancanadien à un sommet sans précédent de 63,8 %.
Et le chômage, quant à lui, a baissé en janvier de 0,2 % par rapport à décembre dernier, s'établissant à 5,8 %, un creux inégalé en 33 ans.
Statistique Canada attribue presque entièrement cette progression à la croissance de l'emploi à temps plein, particulièrement dans les services professionnels, scientifiques et techniques, ainsi que dans la construction.
Au Québec, le chômage a suivi la même tendance et s'est établi à 6,8 % en janvier, comparativement à 7 % un mois plus tôt.
Les analystes estiment que l'économie canadienne a gagné 337 000 emplois au cours des douze derniers mois.

David Bowie - Helden (lyrics)

German version of the classic "Heroes":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nb6Gbi1MpoE

Lyrics:

Du

Koenntest du schwimmen

Wie delphine

Delphine es tun

Niemand gibt uns eine chance

Doch koennen wir siegen

Fuer immer und immer

Und wir sind dann helden

Fuer einen tag

Ich

Ich bin dann koenig

Und du

Du koenigin

Obwohl sie

Unschlagbar scheinen

Werden wir helden

Fuer einen tag

Wir sind dann wir

An diesem tag

Ich

Ich glaub das zu traeumen

Die mauer

Im ruecken war kalt

Schusse reissen die luft

Doch wir kuessen

Als ob nichts geschieht

Und die scham fiel auf ihre seite

Oh, wir koennen sie schlagen

Fyr alle zeiten

Dann sind wir helden

Nur diesen tag

Dann sind wir helden

Dann sind wir helden

Dann sind wir helden

Nur diesen tag

Dann sind wir helden

Illusions 7

Does this look like a spiral?

Carly Simon - That's the way I've always heard it should be (lyrics)

The American singer Carly Simon was always one of my favourites. Listen to one of the best cover versions of her classic "That's the way I've always heard it should be":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SukKy3ke6vA

Lyrics

My father sits at night with no lights on

His cigarette glows in the dark

The living room is still

I walk by, no remark

I tiptoe past the master bedroom where

My mother reads her magazines

I hear her call sweet dreams

But I forgot how to dream

But you say it's time we moved in together

And raised a family of our own, you and me

Well, that's the way I've always heard it should be

You want to marry me, we'll marry

My friends from college they're all married now

They have their houses and their lawns

They have their silent noons

Tearful nights, angry dawns

Their children hate them for the things they're not

They hate themselves for what they are

And yet they drink, they laugh

Close the wound, hide the scar

But you say it's time we moved in together

And raised a family of our own, you and me

Well, that's the way I've always heard it should be

You want to marry me, we'll marry

You say we can keep our love alive

Babe - all I know is what I see

The couples cling and claw

And drown in love's debris

You say we'll soar like two birds through the clouds

But soon you'll cage me on your shelf

I'll never learn to be just me first

By myself

Well O.K., it's time we moved in together

And raised a family of our own, you and me

Well, that's the way I've always heard it should be

You want to marry me, we'll marry

We'll marry

Illusions 6

Try to see lots of very odd perspectives in this picture created by William Hogarth in 1753.

Brain teaser 6

Brian gets off work at random times between 3 and 5 p.m. His mother lives uptown, his girlfriend downtown. He takes the first subway that comes in either direction and eats dinner with the one he is first delivered to. His mother complains that he never comes to see her, but he says she has a 50-50 chance. He has had dinner with her only twice in the last 20 working days. How is it possible?

Lateral thinking 1 (solution)

The man is a dwarf. He can reach the button in the elevator for the first floor, but he cannot reach the button for the tenth floor. The seventh floor button is the highest he can reach.

Brain teaser 5 (solution)

You can learn the contents of all three boxes by drawing just one marble. The key to the solution is your knowledge that the labels on all three of the boxes are incorrect. You must draw a marble from the box labeled BW (black-white). Assume that the marble drawn is black. You know then that the other marble in this box must be black also, otherwise the label would be correct. Since you have now identified the box containing two black marbles, you can tell at once the contents of the box marked WW: you know it cannot contain two white marbles, because its label has to be wrong; it cannot contain two black marbles, for you have identified the box; therefore it must contain one black and one white marble. The third box, of course, must then be the one holding two white marbles. You can solve the puzzle by the same reasoning if the marble you draw from the BW box happens to be white instead of black.

Manic Street Preachers - Why so sad (lyrics)

One of the best Brit bands:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSMklt5i614

Lyrics

Things get clear when I feel free

When whatevers next comes easily

When gentle hands give life to me

When your eyes fill with tiny tears

When I'm this still you are my life

(When I'm this still you are my life)

So at ease in the midnight sky

(So at ease in the midnight sky)

But my insides will look like war

(My insides will look like war)

Paralysed except through my thought

So why so sad

You live and you love

So why so sad

Dependent on above

Searching for the dead sea scrolls

So why, so why so sad

My smile as real as a hyenas

(My smile as real as a hyenas)

Burns an expressway to my skull

(Burns an expressway to my skull)

But I'll stick myself together again

Spirit so low that I no longer pretend

So why so sad

You live and you love

So why so sad

Dependent on above

Searching for the dead sea scrolls

So why, so why so sad

So why so sad

You live and you love

So why so sad

Dependent on above

Searching for the dead sea scrolls

So why, so why so sad

So why, so why so sad

So why, so why so sad

So why, so why so sad