Sunday, October 7, 2007 5:19:07 AM
Hace tiempo atrás, la pregunta surgio de los labios de un profesor que ni se molesto en revisar cuál habia sido la respuesta a la pregunta que le propuso a sus estudiantes. Pero seguramente, fue lo suficientemente difícil responder para unos cuantos, como para él sentirse satisfecho, y aquí está:
¿Quién soy yo? Una pregunta bastante fútil, el hombre, cualquier hombre/mujer entenderá que nunca será alguien en su totalidad. El hombre es una recolección de ideas, conceptos, preceptos, moral o carencia de ello, y de pasiones. Qué se pretende conocer de alguien cuando se le pregunta ¿quién eres tú? Si nadie, en realidad, conoce su propio interior. Hemos pasado días, años, décadas, siglos, y hasta dos milenios intentando encontrar la razón de nuestro ser, de saber por qué somos sin en realidad conocernos a nosotros mismos, año tras año una nueva visión de la naturaleza humana y he aquí un gravísimo error humano, mucho, si no es todo, el conocimiento es adquirido sin bases propias. Somos pensadores por otros, no creamos teorías sino que entendemos las ajenas y nos adoptamos a ellas. Somos imitación meramente, no hay otro remedio que ser pequeñas gotas de pinturas ya usadas y creamos un pasaje repetitivo y aburridor a través de nuestros años. Todo aquel que se osa a predicar su conocimiento de si mismo esta en pleno error, no habrá río que contenga la misma agua de ayer. El hombre, será diferente cada instante que su conciencia permanezca intacta, sólo aquellos verdaderamente fuera de la cordura podrán permanecer en un constante estado de ser permanentemente irracionales, en cambio, un individuo dispuesto a ser, a estar, a interpretar y aprehender será diferente. Aún nuestros sueños nos indican el nuevo amanecer de una idea, de una pasión nunca antes vista o experimentada. Somos humanos porque somos error, no creo en que las herramientas de la lógica y la razón nos hayan convertido en humanos sino más bien nuestra tendencia a ser un conjunto de errores, uno tras otro que no forma. Somos una obra maestra, somos mármol bruto y cada error lleva el cincel y martillo a dar forma a nuestro ser y pensamiento y cada bello momento nos da aquello distinguidos detalles. Y aún así, siendo bellas obras maestras, podemos ser derrumbados por nuestra innata curiosidad y indudable tendencia a dudar de todo aquello que nos rodea inclusive de nuestra propia existencia, ¿Será que me he equivocado todos estos años?, podrá ser la duda más perturbadora de todo aquel que atreve a decir que es un autor de su propia vida y conoce verdaderamente quién es. ¿Acaso somos personajes ficticios, establecidos con una historia, característica, principio y un fin? No, somos energía que está en constante transformación porque el mundo no los demanda. En ocasiones, el hombre es sólo una pasión ardiente e intocable, aquello intangible que ruge tan fuerte como un león, y también nuestras pasiones nos pueden llevar a ser tan dóciles como un guante. Seremos sabios aquel día lluvioso donde el silencio nos otorga el bello regalo de las ideas y teorías. Seremos humanos cuando entendamos homo homini lupus (el hombre es un lobo para el hombre) y decidamos ir contra nuestra naturaleza y fortalecer una unión utópica pero que igual se necesita luchar, un momento de paz entre humanos.
De pronto seré yo el fútil y la pregunta demasiado para mí, sólo puedo responder que soy una obra sin terminar que cada día podrá tener una nueva raya de un pincel, o un golpe brusco de un cincel, de pronto tendré un nuevo verso a la infinidad que me propongo en silencio. He cambiado, y seguiré cambiando con cada mínimo instante que mi conciencia me lo permita, aunque he establecido verdades absolutas a mi conciencia, yo no soy una verdad absoluta y como toda teoría aún le hace falta la comprobación y practica. Pretendo ser justo, ser leal, ser verdadero, ser conciente y también in-corrompible en un mundo que demanda que lo sea. Sólo puedo pretender, sólo puedo intentar porque sólo afirmo lo que conozco como verdadero y aún no sé si soy verdad.
Friday, October 5, 2007 5:41:52 PM
Just a list of quotes I found to be truly interesting, I found them in Spanish and I've personally translated them so I may very well be somewhat off in the English translation; acknowledging that some of the authors speak English naturally, haha. Oh well.
Algún día en cualquier parte, en cualquier lugar indefectiblemente te encontrarás a ti mismo, y ésa, sólo ésa, puede ser la más feliz o la más amarga de tus horas.
Some day wherever, in some place you'll inevitably come to find yourself, then, and only then, will you come to know your happiest or your most bitter moments.
Pablo Neruda (1904-1973)Poeta chileno. - Renown chilean poet.
Buscamos la felicidad, pero sin saber dónde, como los borrachos buscan su casa, sabiendo que tienen una.
We search for happiness, unknowning of where to look, like the drunk look for their home, knowing the have one.
Voltaire (1694-1778) Filósofo y escritor francés. - French author and philosopher.
Un hombre puede ser feliz con cualquier mujer mientras que no la ame.
A man can be happy with any woman as long as he doesn't love her.
Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) Dramaturgo y novelista irlandés. - Irish playwrite and author.
Si eres feliz, escóndete. No se puede andar cargado de joyas por un barrio de mendigos. No se puede pasear una felicidad como la tuya por un mundo de desgraciados.
If you're happy, hide. One cannot go about flashing jewelry in a nieghborhood of beggars. One cannot showcase happiness such as yours in a world filled with the wretched (unfortunate).
Alejandro Casona (1903-1965) Dramaturgo español. - Spanish playwriter.
El verdadero secreto de la felicidad consiste en exigir mucho de sí mismo y muy poco de los otros.
The true secret of happiness lies in demanding much of yourself and very little of others.
Albert Guinon (1863-1923) Dramaturgo francés. - French playwriter.
La única manera de ser feliz es que te guste sufrir.
The only way to be happy is for you to enjoy suffering.
Woody Allen (1935-?) Actor, director y escritor estadounidense. - American actor, director and writer.
Toda la felicidad que la humanidad puede alcanzar, está, no en el placer, sino en el descanso del dolor.
All the happiness humanity can come to know, is, not in pleasure, but in the rest from pain.
John Dryden (1631-1700) Escritor inglés - English author.
Monday, October 1, 2007 1:32:09 AM
I have a critical fault when it comes to studying, and working on my studies, the ever cancerous and injurious characteristic of many people, that trait is commonly known as procrastination. Now, this unfortunate recurring action (grammatically speaking, it is, in effect, a verb, therefore it's an action. However, I would rather deem it inaction) isn't the focal point of this humble blog, but it has, however, lead me to my peculiar (also sad) observations. There are basically two enemies of work, at least for me, one; T.V, two; My laptop (inter net included). In this scenario, my television provided the unfortunate evidence of rather depressing anomalies. Now, on with the observations.
I can't make an irrefutable affirmation, but from what I can remember and from what I saw in said show, I'll make my statement. There is a show, in Discovery Channel, where they talk about the master feats of modern engineering and how the process of building said engineering feats is accomplished. On two occasions (for which I can vouch for), I saw that the top engineers in said masterpieces (which were situated in Asian countries, if I'm not mistaken) where "white" (Europeans, I believe, I can't be too sure since they dubbed the show to Spanish so I couldn't pick up accents and so on). Racial factors, for me, really are irrelevant when it comes to human relations and interactions, there is no rational way one could ever deem any human less because of their ethnic background, let alone impose some kind of segregation or traffic of influences (favors, privileges) due to said ethnic backgrounds. It does seem odd, however, how in these instances, the "elite" of the very country (which I am almost certain where in their full capacity) in which the construction was taking place, weren't in charge of said public work, the natives where the workers, those who only have their physical work force to sell in said situation. I may, however, be exaggerating but it seems oddly coincidental that in these essential constructions, the state would decide to bring someone from abroad to construct this or that public work (are they, subtly, discrediting their own educational standards?).
This problem, as I see it, may have three origins, in a general idea.
The State, and the private investors, promoters, have little confidence in the native work force (being physical or intellectual) and believe that ultimately, somehow, they are better off with a foreign engineer.-
The State is discrediting their own educational system and their development. If this is, unquestionably, the source of this problem, the State should show efforts to restructure their own educational system or promote progress in said field as to truly capacitate their graduates for high quality work, this, in effect, would allow the projection of said graduate in an international concert so as to not be confined solely to their national territory. These graduates, even if roaming internationally, could still be solicited and offered the supervision of said constructions.
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The companies in said countries are mainly controlled by foreign owners which could possibly be in the ever detrimental custom of trafficking influences, this means their workers aren't chosen by capacities, by merit, by experience or by honors, rather they are chosen by favors and contacts, arbitrary recommendations. (I.E. "Oh, my uncle is mayor of xxx city. I'll have a job for sure when I graduate from Law.") This unfortunate system is known as the spoil system1 (which relates to the term I used, trafficking of influences).
Or perhaps I'm exaggerating and the main reason could be justified and surely argued in a matter of "the best of the best", so they go about finding the most renown to build these essential public constructions by the reputation and I'm sure, hard earned merit of those top engineers. It seems suspicious, however, how their own couldn't possibly be just as good. I live in what has been painfully deemed as a "third-world country", and despite such, we still have some emerging and highly respectable professional in various fields. Manuel Elkin Patarroyo
The other concerning observation was coming from some MTV show, now, I don't watch that channel since I realized just how little it was living up to old standards and how the philosophy "less music, more realities and/or ridiculous shows" was made official on the supposed "Music Television" channel. This time, however, I stumbled upon something worth thinking about for awhile (even though the show no way focuses on what I saw, it does however, focus on "rejects", or so it seems that was the central theme of said show). What I saw was how a black (Afro-descendant if "black" is in any way interpreted as a pejorative term) woman, already in her mid-twenties, perhaps even her late-twenties was struggling with herself, with her heritage and wanted to, in her words, "be white". This is of course a personal problem, one can't really point fingers are anyone when its concerning purely subjective experiences and determinations but there was an underlining circumstance that made this somewhat eerie, she was the only Afro-descendant in her family (her mother had an affair with an Afro-descendant male, and as she stated, and I quote, "I made a mistake and I've had to live with it."). Though this ethnic background wasn't only limited to her family, she lived in a mainly Amish town, populated in a vast and ridiculous majority of white people. Her contrast in said scenario eventually lead to the preposterous assumption that her ethnic background somehow imposibilitated any normal functioning in her community (she didn't think it was a problem of the community for being intolerant, I say this because they admitted to having a high tendency to "not appreciating who they are", they being the girl and her husband).
On this subject I really don't know what to say, I'm just overwhelmed as to how someone could actually be so convinced that if she were from a different ethnic background that everything would be better, how that is the crucial problem and not something else, not the intolerance, or ignorance of others. How someone would want to try and be "whiter", "lighter", by buying creams and applying them on her natural skin. Really, how rational, how superior are we as human beings opposed to the rest of the animal kingdom? Really? How advanced are we that we depend -SO- much on tools, tricks, and facilitators rather than our natural skills? How much have we evolved, how much have we done when there are places out there in the world where there are literal rivers of blood flowing over a metaphysical matter of ideologies or a physical (and truly trivial) aspects?
How much are we that a Afro-descendant woman, in the United States of America (I only specify the country because it is, ultimately, one of the most developed countries. Though there are some European countries that could possibly have a higher development rate), who's been alienated and so abused, that she'd want to change who she is to somehow fix what's "wrong" with her as if it were some disease? When we make someone obsess to live to some ideal, some figure, some fictional and convenient "role model"?
It was truly saddening, sickening, depressing.
And I bid my farewell, for I have nothing more to say or go on about. I hope I haven't been too much of a nuisance.
Thank you for your time, patience and interest! Ciao.
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1 Spoil system: A political system basically compromising of assigning government/public positions exclusive to your political friends, disregarding completely any objective selection due to the idea of "the best of the best" or, "the right man, in the right place", for more information you can also visit Wikipedia: Spoil system
2 Manuel Patarroyo, a Colombian research scientist, has developed the world's first safe and effective malaria vaccine. The vaccine is the first against a parasite.
The vaccine has been proven effective between 30 and 60 percent of the time to those over one year old. At a 30% effectiveness rate, the vaccine could protect 100 million people from malaria, and could save 1 million lives out of an annual death toll of 3 million. No vaccine has ever protected that many people.
Patarroyo claims that his work and the efforts of his Third World colleagues are often treated with a condescension bordering on racism by northern scientists. He points out that it took his Bogota laboratory four years to develop the world's first safe and effective malaria vaccine, but six years to have it recognized.
There were discussions with a major pharmaceutical company to manufacture the vaccine in Switzerland, but that would have made the price very high. Patarroyo insisted that the vaccine be produced in Colombia, in order to keep the price low. If produced in Europe or the US, the price per dose would have been $10, but by producing the vaccine in Colombia, it is estimated that it will cost 40 cents per dose.
Rather than profit from his discovery, Patarroyo turned the patent for his vaccine over to the World Health Organization (WHO) for free, because he felt that the benefits should go to mankind, not to large pharmaceutical houses or rich investors.
Source
You can also direct yourself to: Wikipedia: Manuel Elkin Patarroyo
Saturday, August 18, 2007 2:21:22 AM
Let us simply begin with a short excerpt from Ramón Soriano,
Some legal sociologists have gone farther in the alternatives to resolve conflicts. André-Jean Arnaud (1977, 202-206) appeals for a change in the attitude of the general public by the increase of the interest in legal knowledge and the mediums of defense and the unity of the same, in and out of their professions, in the legal defense associations.
I, personally, agree fully with this small piece from Ramón Soriano, I personally could be considered biased due to my position as a Law student but I do not, under any circumstances, allow that to cloud my judgement. I have yet to justify the atrocities of the State via the manipulation of the Law, and all its derivatives, I don't intend on offering here some holy reverence to the ever imposing, ever restrictive empire of Law (the empire of Law was created long ago to offer the people formal equality while the material inequality is rampant and blunt). Ignorance of the Law, is ignorance of the State, ignorance of the State only collaborates, and facilitates, the corruption and abuse of the State with its people, you.
Like I clearly stated before, I will not offer a text of worship to the State nor the empire of the Law, it would be ludicrous and hardly critical and objective. Perhaps I am just one person but a social conscience about the Law would be sublime, the State, despite its finalities being manipulated by the corporations/powerful few the people can still, undoubtedly, apply pressure onto the mechanisms of the State. Afro-descendents have earned themselves the right to vote and to be "free" (again, sometimes a mere formality), women can vote and go to college, some advancements have indeed come from the pressure of the people. What is crucial and most certainly lacking in most States is organization the clear, critical and objective points and ideals to follow and to claim from the State. The people, the mass, the workers, the ones who, ultimately, make the State work, are disorganized, we're merely a mass, organization is essential in change, not unbridled chaos that only leads to deaths or vain attempts. The Law, even though hardly attractive for the vast majority is a truly complementary and necessary knowledge in said events, in said aspirations for change. One cannot remain oblivious to the mechanisms one can use to apply pressure, nor the rights and obligations that are to be demanded (we're not asking for favors).
Competent individuals are necessary, leaders that know the intricate workings of a State to be able to use it and strain it for all its worth to bring some justice, some material equality (indeed slightly idealistic but I do not preach perfection, I preach an approximation to a better place, to greener pastures). The States have an obligation to fulfill with your taxes and hard work, it owes you its power and its grandness. A State without people, is a weak State, or not a State at all. Whether you believe in the war of classes (Marxist theories) or you believe in social mobility (Liberal theories: hard work equals social status and power), one has to be fully aware of the grave importance of the workers, even if you'rs a manager, you are just a worker, managing someone else's money, so the social status is hardly visible. The State was created to vail for the personal interests of a few but they had a strategy, to please the people with rights and obligations, like voting and the right to health and human dignity to calm them, such institutions have also become their enemy. Unless you deem it necessary to take up arms to cause a social change, Law reveals the true inner workings of a State. The deaf and blind cannot fight for something they don't understand, so open your eyes and see the reality, listen and hear the screams of those in need, of injustice.
Is it not visible enough, blatant enough to see the strategies in having a submissive, unknowing mass? One which can be herded like cattle? Strong, intellegent, thougthful and critical masses are hard to persuade, are hard to move and to fool.
Or is it ideal to stare at the T.V screen and say "Can they do that?..."
A perfect society is Utopia. A conscious, competent, society is possible.
Monday, August 13, 2007 5:12:57 AM
To be honest, it's hard to explain, and even harder to comprehend what just fell upon me. I was just merely working, going through some texts in analysis when, in a distance, I could hear the rhymes and harmony of instruments being played followed by a soft voice to culminate the emission, the purpose of said organized chaos, it all brewed a song.
As I continued to, unconsciously seep into the melodies and lyrics, something came over me, an unexpected and surely unwelcomed sensation, an uneasy feeling began to crawl into my insides, carving deeper into a fictional wound. It was almost instant, I was too preoccupied to realize what was to come, a sudden blow to my spirit, a sudden rain cloud over my thoughts, all too foggy, all to unclear and difficult. Sadness came like a reaper, and still, I'm confused.
It seems unreasonable and surely ilogical to physically sense something over your heart, a piercing pain or a hollow ache, it's ridiculous, it's all a mind's game, we don't feel through out hearts but our minds see it no other way, and as I tried to fend of the ever present feeling, I grew weak. It was all to quick when I felt this antagonistic air of loneliness, of being incomplete, unsatisfied, my thirst seemingly never to be quenched or alteast calmed. My mind now a clutter, a melee of thoughts and feelings, humanity has won, it is present and it reveals its unpleasant existence.
How can I cure this if I know nothing of its origins, of why it remains, of why it came. If I know nothing, I can't possibly come to a resolution, to a conclusion, so a solution, how am I supposed to approximate myself to some kind of peace of mind if I don't know who my enemy is or where he lay. Confused, rolling in turmoil, desperate for a dispersion of so many thoughts and contradictions, a dispersion of all these pointless brawls within myself.
Unaware of the beginning, unaware of the finale, I'm merely oblivious and helpless to this. Acursed be the toils of my own humanity, of my natural state of confusion and misinterpretation, acursed be my natural helplessness.
Sunday, August 12, 2007 6:45:02 PM
I contemplated this not so long ago, around July 4th, the ever celebrated Independence Day in the U.S. It basically started from a forum discussion I was part of which was sparked by this article, Put Away the Flags. Onwards with my thoughts:Nationalism is a mere tool, a vessel to control the masses into what the governing few desire. They know the strategic buttons to push and the string to pull when it's required. Nationalism turns into fanatism, just like any soccer game were opposition kill one another over twenty-two grown men running after a ball. It's sad trying to convince someone of this, they turn defensive and believe one is attacking their very integrity. I love my country, I love Colombia because it's a beautiful place but I have no regard for its government, I love it for what it physically is, not for what ephemeral nationalistic idealogies that just blind people into believing everything is perfect or beautiful. Nation is even a conjured word, it was conjured by the bourgeoisie when they triumphed over the crown. Nationalism doesn't only lead to bloodshed, but it also leads to intolerance towards new cultures where foriegners seem like a threat, not an oppoturnity to expand culture but as some kind of invasion of one's "nation". It's perfectly alright to appreciate one's conditions and acknowledge the comforts allowed and given but to let your blood boil for a government that doesn't think about you, that just desires money, power and popularity that's just moronic and the behavior of a masochist.
Short and concise, I wasn't really planning on writing an essay so it's rather blunt.
In anycase,
ciao
.
Sunday, August 12, 2007 1:55:36 AM
Hm, so this is basically my first blog ever, I'm not really familiar with blogs, I've not been one to publish my thoughts and ideas but I suppose doing so every now and then wouldn't be so bad. As in introduction, I'd just like to say, first of all, hello everyone. In anycase, on with the blog itself.
I was merely looking about on the internet when I stumbled upon the thoughts and poems of the ever renown Edgar Allen poe and I some inevitably caught my attention. I thought I could possibly share such excerpts.
But as, in ethics, evil is a consequence of good, so, in fact, out of joy is sorrow born. Either the memory of past bliss is the anguish of to-day, or the agonies which are have their origin in the ecstasies which might have been.
Thank Heaven! the crisis —
The danger is past,
And the lingering illness
Is over at last —
And the fever called "Living"
Is conquered at last.
From childhood's hour I have not been
As others were — I have not seen
As others saw — I could not bring
My passions from a common spring —
From the same source I have not taken
My sorrow — I could not awaken
My heart to joy at the same tone —
And all I lov'd — I lov'd alone —
I found his texts to be rather interesting, and it's my first time reading him, actually. Despite my fluent English, I was never influenced by the ever renown literary works of the "classic" authors as one might consider them, so it was an interesting read though nothing into depth, just skimming over some things listed on a site. Interesting, to say the least.
My Opera
