Friday, January 12, 2007

The popular...

Forgive me for the poor quality of the photo...


I thought this could interest you. It's an annual newspaper, more like a bulletin really, published here in Porto. It means the man with the syringe (supposedly to take care of the crops) and its subtitle describes it as a critical, jocose report and prognosis for 2007.


The main information in this report relates to the agricultural subjects, telling people what should be done in the crops each month. It also adds all sorts of information: the phases and eclipses of the moon, the holidays, the dates for the various markets around the country, the visibility of the planets in the sky, extremely funny horoscopes (but amazingly true, as well), adage and jokes, interesting quotes, the saints of each day...


There's loads of interesting information in only a few pages. What I liked the most about this is that it's so traditional and it looks so ancient but it's still quite useful and it should never go out of fashion. In the last page there's a very witty critical review of the past year...it's so popular!

14 comments:

Cathy said...

I loved this post, Devil Mood; How interesting! It reminds me of "The Old Farmers Almanac" that we have here in North America: I guess you don't have it, though...it is publishing once per year, rather than monthly.
xo
Cathy

Preeti Shenoy said...

Wow.What a nice concept.Agriculture,fields,rural life always appeals to me.What the farmers do is so important, yet so basic.Do people then preserve the newspaper for an year, and refer to it over and over? (I have one similar such almanac hanging on my wall. )

Devil Mood said...

Cathy: Yes, this is like an almanac, only smaller...and it's also annual. I like almanacs :)

PS: They probably do. There is no fields to take care of in my house, but I'm sure my Dad will keep it in the coffee table until the end of the year hahah

Admin said...

that's so cool! how would one from canada go about getting one??

Devil Mood said...

Vesper: perhaps you could get something similar, Cathy mentioned the Farmers Almanac...I could send you one but it's in portuguese...

kimananda said...

That is so cool! I wonder if they have one in Lisbon, that I just never knew about...do you know of one?

dharmabum said...

found u thru novel nymph's blog, and the first post i read is so interesting.

love the archaic look of the bulletin. its good to know that farmers are still cared for...

in my country, what with major industrialisation and globalisation, the farmers are being pushed to extreme heights of desperation.

Devil Mood said...

Kimananda: I've investigated and it seems that this one is sold mainly in the north and center of Portugal (probably in Lisbon too), and there's another one called Borda d'Agua sold in the south, which is similar.

Day: You're welcome :)

Dharmabum: Hi and thanks for visiting! I think all over the world farmers are being shoved out of the way of industries and all kinds of things that make fast money. It's sad. The good thing about the magazine is that it's not just useful for agriculture but for anything, I guess...

Unknown said...

Another new word from you--you're such a good supplier of words!

I love this journal that you are describing, especially the part with the moons...I have a minor obsession myself...

Devil Mood said...

Nymph: Oh thanks :)
I think if people were more in tune with nature (moons and everything) things would be better. It's just one of my ideas.

Unknown said...

Devil Mood, I love your name but it is deceiving--you are such an angel. Your comments moved me to almost tears...

...the novel has not been seen by anyone but me for now...

Devil Mood said...

Nymph: Oh boy, aren't we such emotional girls? :) Okay, the novel is for now a secret of the gods.I know how you feel because I'm veru reluctant to share anything I write...

Admin said...

i wish i read portuguese. they do have a portuguese class at sfu....hmmmm. ;)

Devil Mood said...

Vesper: Think about that :)