Monday, March 24, 2008
Where is Dona?
It isn't what everybody is thinking about. It cannot be. It is too much expeculation... But that's what people like, they say, we don't know what to think. Ask Pedro, said the red-haired lady, and I walked towards this slim guy with the shades on... What do you think, Pedro? Don't know, he says, ask the masses, people know better... They are governed by fear, says the red-haired lady, they make up stories and forget about the origin of their lies... they end up believing their own creations and living by their myths... that's why we don't know what to believe anymore. Pedro walks away, he's wearing a blue tank top and bleeched green shorts, flip flops, he smokes. Pedro, I call him, don't leave yet... but he ignores me while he greets a group of elders playing poker in front of their home. The red-haired lady takes her reading glasses off and scrubs her eyes with index and thumb. I think she's crying over the news but I don't comment. It could be the dust. I feel abandoned in the midst of this burning place. Abandoned in the outskirts of hell. Dona, my translator has gone for coffee while I have ventured to speak to the locals in my broken dialect. Dona takes forever; I dehidrate. The steam of the unpaved road freezes the scene. The elders play in slow motion; the dogs don't bark. I am sure things aren't as bad as they say they are. They cannot be. It is too much expeculation.
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COOLIE VERNER AWARD
With surprise and joy I have been communicated that UBC has granted me the CV award for my thesis proposal. This is an encouraging injection of energy that ads challenge and a bit of pressure to my project. I am excited! This is the note from UBC professor Shauna Butterwick:
Dear Antonio,
It gives me great pleasure to inform you that the Adult and Higher Education faculty in the Department of Educational Studies has determined that you are the recipient of the 2007-2008 Coolie Verner Research Prize which is accompanied with a $500 stipend. You should be receiving an announcement from the Financial Services and Awards office soon. This Prize honours the first Professor in the Department of Adult Education, Professor Coolie Verner, who was on faculty at UBC from 1961 to 1977. It is awarded annually to the student who best combines high academic standing and research potential. In the nomination materials, the timeliness and significance, as well as your creative methodological approach to your MA research were noted. We are excited about the topic--the ways in which the inukshuk and other Aboriginal symbols have been 'adopted' by the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, how visual and textual Aboriginal representations have been incorporated into the public education mandate of the Vancouver Games, and how this relates to the Aboriginal Participation Goals of the Vancouver Organizing Committee. We are also impressed with the use of visual research methods, such as content and semiotic analysis, as a way to examine material presented on the official Vancouver 2010 Olympic website and two related websites. It was also noted that you have presented a talk titled, "The Vancouver Olympics Emblem (Inukshuk): Opportunity or Opportunism?" at the Northern Communications Conference in Whitehorse, YT (March 4-5, 2008). This research will make a significant contribution to critical public pedagogy and community education. Your solid A and A+ academic standing was also considered. Your name will be added to the Coolie Verner Prize plaque situated in the entrance to Ponderosa G. Congratulations.
Dr. Shauna Butterwick, Associate Professor & Graduate Advisor
Department of Educational Studies, Room # 10, Ponderosa G building. University of British Columbia Share
Dear Antonio,
It gives me great pleasure to inform you that the Adult and Higher Education faculty in the Department of Educational Studies has determined that you are the recipient of the 2007-2008 Coolie Verner Research Prize which is accompanied with a $500 stipend. You should be receiving an announcement from the Financial Services and Awards office soon. This Prize honours the first Professor in the Department of Adult Education, Professor Coolie Verner, who was on faculty at UBC from 1961 to 1977. It is awarded annually to the student who best combines high academic standing and research potential. In the nomination materials, the timeliness and significance, as well as your creative methodological approach to your MA research were noted. We are excited about the topic--the ways in which the inukshuk and other Aboriginal symbols have been 'adopted' by the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, how visual and textual Aboriginal representations have been incorporated into the public education mandate of the Vancouver Games, and how this relates to the Aboriginal Participation Goals of the Vancouver Organizing Committee. We are also impressed with the use of visual research methods, such as content and semiotic analysis, as a way to examine material presented on the official Vancouver 2010 Olympic website and two related websites. It was also noted that you have presented a talk titled, "The Vancouver Olympics Emblem (Inukshuk): Opportunity or Opportunism?" at the Northern Communications Conference in Whitehorse, YT (March 4-5, 2008). This research will make a significant contribution to critical public pedagogy and community education. Your solid A and A+ academic standing was also considered. Your name will be added to the Coolie Verner Prize plaque situated in the entrance to Ponderosa G. Congratulations.
Dr. Shauna Butterwick, Associate Professor & Graduate Advisor
Department of Educational Studies, Room # 10, Ponderosa G building. University of British Columbia Share
Friday, March 21, 2008
On the arbitrariness of the relation between thoughts and the words to describe them
What I am about to write is not necessarily something I need to say… I just have it somewhere in my brain… and I want to let it go as it is stuck somewhere within. I would hope it flows as I start to write. I am not sure it would but why shouldn’t I try. Perhaps, as much as we don’t know the universe and many other “solar systems”, we also don’t know this microcosm inside of us… our brains have been picked-on and dissected but we do not understand the nature of thought and all those interconnections we make every fraction of second (many people have studied this but it isn't common knowledge). I want to understand something as arbitrary as language. I am writing right now in a foreign language. My mother tongue is arbitrary too. I know it better than I know English as a second language. I am writing in it.. but does it matter? I would never be able to decode thoughts purely and put them into paper. That is the drama of a writer… language and how we decode thoughts as if they floated in our minds and we were trying to fish them and then package them and send them into our nervous system for them to be processed in the area where the western alphabet has been engraved… right there the thought starts being carved, shaped, as we try to find the word that would define it according to the cultural paradigm that associated a meaning to that signifier… the signifier is the floating thought and the meaning is given by me according to the conventional word I find more appropriate to it… the one that seems to fit the mold of the thought, according to my limited knowledge of this foreign language. It is bizarre… how much of what I think cannot be translated into words? That’s the tragedy of the writer and the beauty of literature. Despite these limitations we insist on trying to grab those thoughts and express them on a written form. We also add style and literature imagery… that makes the thoughts flamboyant or practical… yet, we censor or transform those thoughts once again because we cast them as we want them to be represented. They exist, they say, in their natural form, and when we manage to apprehend them in our brains… and when we package them and transport them to the alphabet centre… then we apply norms of conduct, stereotypes of time, cultural elements, learned knowledge… we chose the form we are going to translate them into… they get transformed… shaped to fulfill a style, a public, an idea… the cannot come raw… like… straight from the garden to the table. They need to be processed, washed, cut, cleaned… their roughness is sharpened and their smell refined… like we do with most products. That’s a second tragedy… not only we are unable to grab thoughts in their natural form but we also dress them according to a determined idea (and please not that I don't want to get into the unconscious mind and Lacanian psychoanalysis). I, right now, am trying to avoid thinking too much and just letting go to see what happens. I still have to go back and erase, re-think... correct misspelled words… think about the option I am using and whether it expresses all I am meaning to convey… convey to whom? A possible reader… S? E? P? Someone who visits my blog… a philosopher who may think that my ideas are revolutionary… or not… boring… the “same shit someone else has thought about” before… perhaps thoughts can only exist because of language? Saussure would disagree with me… language is the subjective shape of objects… yes, like my theory of objective/subjective… the object exists out there and as we name it, it gets transformed. Words are not even as accurate as printers (and printers aren’t accurate at all)… printers decode an image from a source, let’s say a computer or a digital camera… and try to convey that image in a “realistic way”. Words try but would never do so… to start with… the image of an object is nameless but we have given it a name (Foucault would disagree with me… things had names and what Adam did was just ‘read them’)… … according to a language or a dialect… let’s say… an apple… hmmm… I am thinking of another object that I can express in a different language… all I can think of is this sticky rice cake filled with tuna and wrapped in seaweed… in Japanese it is named “onigiri” I don’t know how to spell it or what it means but when I think of “onigiri” I think of this rice cake… does the word “onigiri” describe it? Define it? I don’t know, perhaps it does… but as I do not speak Japanese I just refer to the codes I understand… rice cake… thus I limit the object to my limited knowledge… however, I am able to convey and idea and perhaps order “onigiri” in Japan… If I order it in Mexico… not many people would know what I am talking about… if they do at all.
I am sitting in a café, downtown Toronto… people pass by before my eyes, walking north or south… they seem to be in a hurry like most Torontonians… I wonder what their thoughts are… and how they decode them… they may be silent… but their thoughts take the shape of a sound that can also reverberate in their minds… even if they don’t speak their minds… they think they think what they think they are thinking… as they name their thoughts, they manage to agree with the idea of the sound or visual image of those thoughts… we are not talking “deep meaning”… they are not necessarily decoding those thoughts to understand additional loaded signification to them… they are just thinking and naming their thoughts… let’s say: “I am late, I better hurry up”.
This person has just looked at her watch and thinks… “shit, it is 3:55 and my meeting is at 3:45” She looked at a conventional way of telling time… a watch… and she knows how to read either digital numbers or analogical watches… she remembers that she had an appointment at a specific time and by the look of it… she’s late because ten minutes have gone by past that time… somebody (or a group of people) must be waiting for her. She assumes that… therefore… she tries to find a way to decode that thought… and she then translates it into the expression “I am late”. She’s not really taking the words apart to analyze each of them individually… or trying to identify the origin of the expression “being late”… from the Greek or the Latin adopted by the Anglo or the Saxon… “I” refers to “me” (in this case “her”, the first person singular”, “Am” is the conjugation of the verb “To be”, also in the first person… and “late” is the word that is used to express the opposite of being on time… “late” may have other meanings (“at night”, “at an older age”) or look/sound like other words (latte, lait, plate)… but in her context the word seems to translate what is happening to her. She doesn’t need to try to understand the grammatical quality of her choice, its ideological meaning of it (is she being subjugated by a system which exploits her, slaves her to the point that she’s being stressed and nervous?)… “she’s simply late”… and her degree of “lateness” could depend on many factors (how realistically she set up the appointment, how reliable public transit or traffic is, if she’s often late, if she was not paying attention to time, if she had a problem at home, etc)… it could also be that her watch is ahead of time… which may mean that she’s not actually late but she feels that way… it could also be that the person or group of people she’s supposed to meet are also “running late” consequently “it’s ok to be late”… Attached to the idea of being late, there is a code of conduct… “it is not polite to be late”, that may be motivating her thought… or her appointment is important hence it is not ok to be late… she’s not seeing a friend, it is someone who will offer her a job… etc… that could be the reason for her second translation of the thought “ I better hurry up”. She’s giving herself an order, and also connecting her first thought to an action that, despite the fact she won’t make it “on time”, she doesn’t want to be “too late” or try to ameliorate her “fault” by running a bit faster… it may show people at the other end some respect, or make her feel less guilty… or less nervous about the appointment… But… when she translates thoughts into words thus into actions, is she fully conscious of what she’s saying? Of how she got to speak that language that made her translate thoughts the way she does? Perhaps her language is also associated to the culture that tells her that “people should arrive on time, especially to appointments with third parties”… Did she use the right words? Could she have used alternative options “I am a bit late” ( the expression “a bit” would change the meaning of her statement a bit… as she gives it less importance)… she could’ve said “it’s late” (in that case it is not putting the pressure on herself… but on time itself. Time is running “too fast”)… she could’ve blamed the others… “I told them to set up the appointment for four”… or say… “Good, I don’t want to be the first one to arrive!” It is possible that she’s “ironically saying that she’s “on time” by saying the opposite. She could also have her own “code” where the word “late” has a meaning she herself has given to the word… so it doesn’t have a negative “connotation” but a “good meaning” for instance… “things are going well, I am late”. All this translations belong to different feelings and she could’ve grabbed any of them. The abovementioned expressions are not strictly related to the statement “I am late” but are “personal approaches” (feelings). Those would be different reactions to that specific “time” than to the linguistics of thoughts and words… If she wanted to translate her thoughts by using “synonyms”, she should’ve said “Voy tarde” (“going late” in Spanish), “I am behind schedule”, “I am delayed”, “I am not on time”… the use of these expressions could depend on “knowledge of vocabulary, of other language, on habits, laziness to employ “difficult” terms, etc”. Is there anything wrong with a “person approach” to language? Not at all… we all do it… but it becomes less conventional. Some couples may use their own codes of understanding and they add “coded or symbolic meaning” to certain expressions, sayings, objects… “it’s sunny” may mean “ I love you”… so if they use this expression between them, nobody else would understand it but them.
As Saussure said, the relation between thought thoughts (objects) and the names we give them is arbitrary… not only by the language used but by the person who chooses the words. My questions are… are thoughts richer out in the space where they float… or we make them richer as we acknowledge them and name them? Is the perfection of the language a way to enrich thoughts? Are there thoughts that cannot be translated into words… like certain feelings or dreams? Do words limit thoughts thus our main priority should be to perfection a language before we attempt to produce knowledge?
Thoughts and words to ponder on… I should talk about non-verbal communication some other time. Share
I am sitting in a café, downtown Toronto… people pass by before my eyes, walking north or south… they seem to be in a hurry like most Torontonians… I wonder what their thoughts are… and how they decode them… they may be silent… but their thoughts take the shape of a sound that can also reverberate in their minds… even if they don’t speak their minds… they think they think what they think they are thinking… as they name their thoughts, they manage to agree with the idea of the sound or visual image of those thoughts… we are not talking “deep meaning”… they are not necessarily decoding those thoughts to understand additional loaded signification to them… they are just thinking and naming their thoughts… let’s say: “I am late, I better hurry up”.
This person has just looked at her watch and thinks… “shit, it is 3:55 and my meeting is at 3:45” She looked at a conventional way of telling time… a watch… and she knows how to read either digital numbers or analogical watches… she remembers that she had an appointment at a specific time and by the look of it… she’s late because ten minutes have gone by past that time… somebody (or a group of people) must be waiting for her. She assumes that… therefore… she tries to find a way to decode that thought… and she then translates it into the expression “I am late”. She’s not really taking the words apart to analyze each of them individually… or trying to identify the origin of the expression “being late”… from the Greek or the Latin adopted by the Anglo or the Saxon… “I” refers to “me” (in this case “her”, the first person singular”, “Am” is the conjugation of the verb “To be”, also in the first person… and “late” is the word that is used to express the opposite of being on time… “late” may have other meanings (“at night”, “at an older age”) or look/sound like other words (latte, lait, plate)… but in her context the word seems to translate what is happening to her. She doesn’t need to try to understand the grammatical quality of her choice, its ideological meaning of it (is she being subjugated by a system which exploits her, slaves her to the point that she’s being stressed and nervous?)… “she’s simply late”… and her degree of “lateness” could depend on many factors (how realistically she set up the appointment, how reliable public transit or traffic is, if she’s often late, if she was not paying attention to time, if she had a problem at home, etc)… it could also be that her watch is ahead of time… which may mean that she’s not actually late but she feels that way… it could also be that the person or group of people she’s supposed to meet are also “running late” consequently “it’s ok to be late”… Attached to the idea of being late, there is a code of conduct… “it is not polite to be late”, that may be motivating her thought… or her appointment is important hence it is not ok to be late… she’s not seeing a friend, it is someone who will offer her a job… etc… that could be the reason for her second translation of the thought “ I better hurry up”. She’s giving herself an order, and also connecting her first thought to an action that, despite the fact she won’t make it “on time”, she doesn’t want to be “too late” or try to ameliorate her “fault” by running a bit faster… it may show people at the other end some respect, or make her feel less guilty… or less nervous about the appointment… But… when she translates thoughts into words thus into actions, is she fully conscious of what she’s saying? Of how she got to speak that language that made her translate thoughts the way she does? Perhaps her language is also associated to the culture that tells her that “people should arrive on time, especially to appointments with third parties”… Did she use the right words? Could she have used alternative options “I am a bit late” ( the expression “a bit” would change the meaning of her statement a bit… as she gives it less importance)… she could’ve said “it’s late” (in that case it is not putting the pressure on herself… but on time itself. Time is running “too fast”)… she could’ve blamed the others… “I told them to set up the appointment for four”… or say… “Good, I don’t want to be the first one to arrive!” It is possible that she’s “ironically saying that she’s “on time” by saying the opposite. She could also have her own “code” where the word “late” has a meaning she herself has given to the word… so it doesn’t have a negative “connotation” but a “good meaning” for instance… “things are going well, I am late”. All this translations belong to different feelings and she could’ve grabbed any of them. The abovementioned expressions are not strictly related to the statement “I am late” but are “personal approaches” (feelings). Those would be different reactions to that specific “time” than to the linguistics of thoughts and words… If she wanted to translate her thoughts by using “synonyms”, she should’ve said “Voy tarde” (“going late” in Spanish), “I am behind schedule”, “I am delayed”, “I am not on time”… the use of these expressions could depend on “knowledge of vocabulary, of other language, on habits, laziness to employ “difficult” terms, etc”. Is there anything wrong with a “person approach” to language? Not at all… we all do it… but it becomes less conventional. Some couples may use their own codes of understanding and they add “coded or symbolic meaning” to certain expressions, sayings, objects… “it’s sunny” may mean “ I love you”… so if they use this expression between them, nobody else would understand it but them.
As Saussure said, the relation between thought thoughts (objects) and the names we give them is arbitrary… not only by the language used but by the person who chooses the words. My questions are… are thoughts richer out in the space where they float… or we make them richer as we acknowledge them and name them? Is the perfection of the language a way to enrich thoughts? Are there thoughts that cannot be translated into words… like certain feelings or dreams? Do words limit thoughts thus our main priority should be to perfection a language before we attempt to produce knowledge?
Thoughts and words to ponder on… I should talk about non-verbal communication some other time. Share
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Inmigracion Desenfocada
Ayer me encontre este articulo en el periodico El Pais de Cali. Me parece que esta persona habla desde una realidad social muy diferente y su discurso me reulta facilista, elitista y racista.
Vale la pena leerlo primero y despues hacer el comentario.
Inmigración descontrolada
Marzo 19 de 2008
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La inmigración es buena cuando obedece a una política seria y los ejemplos son muchos. Uno es el de Estados Unidos, país que, gracias a los millones de inmigrantes que llegaron a hacer patria, se convirtió en el más importante del mundo. Otros son Australia y Canadá que, por su enorme tamaño, tienen una densidad muy baja, por lo que ofrecen grandes oportunidades a quienes van a residir en ellos.
Pero la inmigración es mala cuando no se planifica, porque atenta contra el bienestar y la estabilidad de los residentes originales. Por eso, Europa, el continente más civilizado del mundo y con una alta densidad de habitantes, la está regulando cada día más, especialmente cuando se trata de inmigrantes que, se supone, van a aportar muy poco.
En cuanto a Cali, un alto porcentaje de la inmigración fue funesta para la ciudad desde hace cerca de 50 años y el caso de los desplazados por la guerrilla agravó el problema últimamente.
El cuento de la ‘Sucursal del Cielo’ en que corrían ríos de leche y miel y sobraban las oportunidades le hizo mucho mal, porque una enorme cantidad de gente de buena fe se vino para acá buscando el paraíso que les habían pintado. Y, a medida que la población creció a índices mayores que la generación de empleo, se oficializó la informalidad laboral, la inseguridad aumentó, surgieron los niños de los semáforos, que desafortunadamente tienen un futuro tan incierto, y las cosas se fueron complicando.
Así nació Aguablanca, inicialmente un barrio de invasión que, ante la indiferencia de las autoridades municipales y debido a las falsas promesas de algunos políticos que para conseguir votos ofrecieron el oro y el moro, fue creciendo como un monstruo insaciable que lleva más de medio siglo acaparando un porcentaje desproporcionado y altísimo del presupuesto, tanto de Emcali como del Municipio.
A través del tiempo se gestó otra ciudad dentro de Cali y hoy tenemos dos ciudades en una. La Cali original, con un millón de habitantes y muchos problemas, pero que en una u otra forma es manejable, y el Distrito de Aguablanca, con otro millón, que es el prototipo de la informalidad, el desorden, el desmanejo, el desempleo, la inseguridad y el aportar poco y exigirlo todo.
¿Cómo sería Cali sin Aguablanca? Una ciudad sin ínfulas de ser la segunda de Colombia en habitantes, índice que ya nada significa, más amable y segura que la actual, con pocos huecos en las calles, bonitos parques, zonas verdes, fuentes funcionando, buenos servicios públicos, ciclovías, campos deportivos sin mugre ni maleza y respirando optimismo y prosperidad. ¿Por qué? Porque su índice de desempleo sería muy bajo y podría dedicar todo su presupuesto a fomentar su propio desarrollo y dar una buena calidad de vida a su gente.
La verdad es que Aguablanca se volvió un problema de Cali cuando debería ser un problema de Colombia. Ojalá se buscara la manera de que, teniendo en cuenta su enorme población, se convirtiera en municipio independiente, que nombrara sus propios gobernantes y manejara su propio presupuesto, en vez de seguir siendo una especie de hijo pródigo de Cali.
Comentario:
Con todo el respeto del sr columnista... su mensaje me resulta facilitista, elitista y racista. Facilista en cuanto reduce una probematica tan compleja como la del desplazamiento forzado a una accion "simple" como la de la inmigracion "organizada". Esta comparando peras con manzanas... es muy distinta la realidad de nortemerica y australia a la de europa y a la de Cali. Elitista... porque esta hablando desde su posicion social, desde la derecha, desde la riqueza... desconociendo el conflicto social generado por la aristocracia calenia. Racista porque genera el rechazo a una comunidad que "deberia ser exterminada". En su columna le sugiero ironicamente la posibilidad de proponer un "muro" como el que divide a Israel y a Palestina.. O un campo de concentracion "para acabar con todos los indiseables" que le recuerdan a diario su propia miseria... En otras palabras "alla los pobres con los pobres" y que nadie se venga a meter en "mi club, mi ciudad linda y con parques, el colegio bilingue de mis hijos, etc". Muy mal por este articulo... creo que mis palabras son demasiado blandas para el analisis que merece este pedazo de informacion que habla mucho de la "elite calenia".
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Mother Punk
If I were running for Governor of NY this picture would get me into trouble. It may be a good thing that the photo does not show the skirt I was wearing or what I "wasn't" wearing underneath the skirt. Is everything as relative as the verge between Utopia and Continuity? Are our moral values as thin as the borderline between Fascism and Anarchy?
Friday, March 14, 2008
Desde Cuba
Ayer conoci a Yoani Sanchez a quien entrevistamos con S. Yo en calidad de interprete. Muy interesante ver la situacion de Cuba desde otra perspectiva. En los ultimos anios he abordado la isla desde una posicion mas idealista y romantica. He pensado que las dificultades que atraviesan los cubanos tienen una justificacion utopica que esta por encima de su realidad individual ... Yoani me hizo ver otra cara de la moneda... cuando haga la traduccion completa del documento, asentare algunas de sus ideas en mi blog. Por ahora, el que quiera leerla puede encontrar sus escritos en http://www.desdecuba.com/generaciony
su capacidad de expresion es impecable. Share
su capacidad de expresion es impecable. Share
Thursday, March 13, 2008
RECORD ME
They just simply woke up; the sun was burning their feet.
- I want you to paint me, I had this dream, I was taking my shirt off in front of the mirror and my face was deformed
- Was it?
- Not really, but because the T-shirt’s neck was small it stretched my eyes and nose, it was kind of cute actually.
- I like the idea
- Paint me
- How?
- The way I am, here, naked, sleepy, with my swollen eyes, with my messy hair
- Kiss me first
- Of course, good morning sweetheart
- My feet are on fire
- The sun is ferocious out there, I can tell.
- Coffee?
- Paint me first, just a sketch, grab a pencil
- Why the rush?
- Don’t ask, just go for it, pretend I don’t know, pretend I am still sleeping, and you wake up first, you see me here, abandoned, and you just let your inspiration flow
- If you tell me how to do things they won’t flow at all
- Come on!
- I just don’t get you, the more you beg the least I get inspired, I don’t like to be told, it just doesn’t work with me
- Ok, forget it, I’ll make the coffee, I just wanted to feel immortal for a few seconds Share
- I want you to paint me, I had this dream, I was taking my shirt off in front of the mirror and my face was deformed
- Was it?
- Not really, but because the T-shirt’s neck was small it stretched my eyes and nose, it was kind of cute actually.
- I like the idea
- Paint me
- How?
- The way I am, here, naked, sleepy, with my swollen eyes, with my messy hair
- Kiss me first
- Of course, good morning sweetheart
- My feet are on fire
- The sun is ferocious out there, I can tell.
- Coffee?
- Paint me first, just a sketch, grab a pencil
- Why the rush?
- Don’t ask, just go for it, pretend I don’t know, pretend I am still sleeping, and you wake up first, you see me here, abandoned, and you just let your inspiration flow
- If you tell me how to do things they won’t flow at all
- Come on!
- I just don’t get you, the more you beg the least I get inspired, I don’t like to be told, it just doesn’t work with me
- Ok, forget it, I’ll make the coffee, I just wanted to feel immortal for a few seconds Share
THE UNJUSTIFIABLE – Another paradox of our times
My land has no name on their map. “There is no such land”, they say. They don’t want to name us as if that would stop our existence. No acknowledgement, no existence. They believe our land is a geographical term. That it used to designate a region in those days when there was no nation or state in the area. But that’s a lie. We’ve been here all this time. They have forced the facts for their own convenience. I was born here. I know what I am talking about. I have seen my people suffer. We have watered their trees with our tears.
My land has been occupied and we expropriated. Most of the world pays blind eye to our condition and has agreed to call my land a different name. Everybody knows it but they do nothing. They are loud because they own stronger weapons. We are confined to inhabit corners, basements, bordering towns. We still remain stateless, homeless, refuges in neighbouring lands. They have the right, we don’t. Why? I don’t know.
I was born landless. My people believe otherwise. I believe my people. But if in their eyes we owe nothing, what does my brother have to loose when he immolates himself and kills their people? They believe he is a terrorist, I believe he is a saint. I am sure he wakes up in heaven where world borders are unknown. If they kill hundreds of us no one knows it but if we kill a handful of them, the whole world grieves them. It is not fair.
“Be careful with justifying the unjustifiable”, they’ve told me “do not mix olives with dates”. Hypocrites! I think that principle applies to both sides. God knows it well. Share
My land has been occupied and we expropriated. Most of the world pays blind eye to our condition and has agreed to call my land a different name. Everybody knows it but they do nothing. They are loud because they own stronger weapons. We are confined to inhabit corners, basements, bordering towns. We still remain stateless, homeless, refuges in neighbouring lands. They have the right, we don’t. Why? I don’t know.
I was born landless. My people believe otherwise. I believe my people. But if in their eyes we owe nothing, what does my brother have to loose when he immolates himself and kills their people? They believe he is a terrorist, I believe he is a saint. I am sure he wakes up in heaven where world borders are unknown. If they kill hundreds of us no one knows it but if we kill a handful of them, the whole world grieves them. It is not fair.
“Be careful with justifying the unjustifiable”, they’ve told me “do not mix olives with dates”. Hypocrites! I think that principle applies to both sides. God knows it well. Share
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Before my memory fails
"Just because I don't remember what I did, it doesn't mean that my actions were meaningless". Paraphrased from Memento/Christopher Nolan/2000 (watched once again yesterday... just to realize that, as Leonard the main character, I had completely forgotten the plot of the movie).
I also watched The Battle of Algiers/1966 (Gillo Pontecorvo). Excellent account of the Independence struggles of Algerians. Filmed just 3 years after the independence battle in documentary style b/w. I loved the soundtrack.
A third movie: The Anatomy of Hell (Anatomie de l'enfer/2004) directed by Catherine Breillat(based on her own book by the same name). Very French... meaning: psychological, pseudo-intellectual, and with strong characters (especially the female ones - The Piano teacher-type of thing). Interesting to see nude Rocco Sifredi playing a non-porno role.
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Saturday, March 8, 2008
Castalia and the Only One.
Castalia was named after a Greek nymph. Carlo says he wants to drink her waters and listen to her quiet sound. Castalia just moved to town but has not been to church yet. Carlo's mom thinks she's not a devout follower of the town's God; Carlo is sure she was sent by the deity herself. The God of this town is a she.
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It has not rained in Delphi since Carlo was born. The people of Delphi quit ancient Gods and embraced a female one. The only one. Carlo wants to campaign to name Delphi's God Castalia after the miraculous visit of his nymph. "God has no name", says Carlo's mom. Carlo shuts up. He does not want to be kicked out of Delphi now that there is a reason to stay.
Castalia is having a lemon drink on the corner's store while talking to Hermann. Carlo sees them through his window and burns in hell. He does not want to be in Hermann's shoes but kill him and burn his shoes. Shoes are sacred in Delphi because they take you to the presence of God. Yes, she's God indeed. And Hermann got to her before him. Castalia is not aware of the lust in Hermann's eyes. Carlo is. He's got to save her and save himself.
Hermann is out of words but Castalia is enjoying her carbonated drink while looking at a poster of Juliana Day. "She's the town's pop star", says Carlo as he runs into her. "She's a gem", says she, "the only one". Hermann steps out disgusted as the bells of church call him away.
Carlo and Castalia look at each other in silence. They both know why they're there.
The storm begins.
Latin Melodramas
And the latest episode of "Bordering with the Enemies" ended with a hug! the trilogy of Chavez, Uribe and Correa succumbed to the euphoric applause of a hungry audience and decided to kiss each other on the cheek during the closing ceremony of the Rio Group Summit in the Dominican Republic. Meanwhile in Colombian territory FARC themselves were killing their own brethren (Ivan Rios) and shipping his limbs to the House of Nariño. We'll see what the next season of this breathtaking soap opera has to offer.
My own melodrama started this morning when my father called me to let me know that my stepfather had been informed of my own sexual orientation. I could almost picture my dad knocking on my mom's door and saying to Fernando: "Prepare yourself for the news... my son is gay!" (ouch) that must've hurt. My mom has been the victim of her own worse nightmare... Another "dead secret" surfaced the soil of the graveyard where it was buried... now it is just a public eulogy. Good for my dad who spared me the hustle of going through a closet-come-out once again. He has certainly spread the good news of my most recent gospel!
Food for thought.
Pride through Culture
Unexpected shot from the NCC; welcome dance performed by "Grandma Susie and Grandpa Charlie" (Sharon Shorty - whom I had the priviledge to meet and have lunch with - and Duane Gastant' Aucoin).www.sharonshorty.com
Great memory.
The Decline of the American Empire
Not many people want to believe it but as Hugo Chavez says it, “the empire is about to fall and we will see it in this century”. I don’t necessarily agree with all of Mr. Chavez’s approaches, especially with his loud volume, but I do believe that the United States is falling on its own principles. They have made believe their population that the resources of the world are endless and that their credit cards will pay for everything they want… when reality hits (and it is starting to do so) … each family will have to get rid of not only 3 of their SUV's per household, but also sell their mega TV and move out of the suburbs to a smaller house in town because their bank will be taking their million-dollar home away along with their 40-year mortgage.
An interesting documentary to watch on the topic: The End of Suburbia: Oil Depletion and the Collapse of the American Dream. Not the first time I see something on the topic… another good documentary on a similar issue is A Crude Awakening/The Oil Crash
Some interesting statements to ponder on:
"What’s good for business is the fantasy" (good reason for Media and Governments not to talk about the peak of oil reserves...)
"We are addicted to oil and we don’t want to hear that it is going to run out"
This is a funny one: "The name of the suburban neighbourhoods is based on the nature they have destroyed around them. i.e. “Fresh Water Creek”, “Cedar Sunset Forest”, etc"
"The future of the globe is the reverse of globalization"
My own homework... I should look into: New Urbanism Movements
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Wednesday, March 5, 2008
The Inukshuk Emblem: Opportunity or Opportunism?
I was invited to participate at the Northern Communications Conference in Whitehorse (March 3-5, 2008). My presentation was based on the research project I am currently conducting as part of my Masters’ thesis. I am a graduate student with the department of adult education at UBC in Vancouver (http://www.ncconference2008.ca/Speakers/tabid/54/Default.aspx)
In 2005 the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) launched its emblem Illanaaq, a stylized inukshuk, with the aim to “illustrate” the Games. Perhaps for the first time in the history of the Olympics, particular attention has been placed on Aboriginal participation in the pre-Games. Indigenous participation in past Games, such as Calgary and Salt Lake City, has focused primarily on ceremonies and cultural programs. VANOC has said that they plan to go beyond that “to set the bar higher, with the hope that future Organizing Committees can be inspired and learn from our experience”. I am attracted to images and their meaning. One of the source texts I am reading is Gillian Roses’ Visual Methodologies in order to refine the approach I will be taking in my image-based research project. The visual is central to the cultural construction of social life in contemporary Western societies. We are constantly bombarded by images that offer views of the world. Research in the area of visual culture suggests that the rendering of the world in visual terms is never innocent. Images interpret the world and display it in very particular ways. The purpose of my critical qualitative study is to identify, describe and analyse the information made available by VANOC.
By using a document case study I intend to observe, understand and critique the images made available for learning by this organization. My aim is to contribute to creating awareness of commonly overlooked symbolic elements that could be taken for granted in this context. I chose the title Opportunity or Opportunism, because I believe there is great potential for sharing and learning before, during and after this event. I would like to take a close look at these opportunities. An opportunity is a favourable time for progress and advancement but opportunism takes advantage of an opportunity to achieve an end but often with no regard for principles or consequences. Where does the creation of the VANOC emblem fall? I thought this conference would be a very important space to discuss this topic. For that reason I came here to share some of the sample materials I will be studying, discuss them and raise some questions. My main hope was to have enough time to get participants’ feedback. I knew in advance that the objective of the conference was to continue to figure out ways of communicating the realities of the North to the South on issues that would go beyond the stereotypical northern topics “polar bears and igloos”… or those issues that specifically affect the south, “global warming and sovereignty”
The following is a VANOC’s press release from April 23, 2005 http://www.vancouver2010.com/en/OrganizingCommittee/MediaCentre/NewsReleases/2006/01/13/92_0601131509-781
“The Vancouver 2010 emblem is a contemporary interpretation of the traditional inukshuk, a stone sculpture used by Canada's Inuit people as directional landmarks across the northern Canadian lands of snow and ice. Over time, the inukshuk has become a representation of hope, friendship and an external expression of the hospitality of a nation that warmly welcomes the people of the world with open arms. The distinctive formations are found across the country - from coastlines to mountaintops, from small towns to large cities - in a variety of styles. Unveiled during a live nation-wide television broadcast, the Vancouver 2010 emblem shows the deep connection between Canadians and their breathtaking environment. The emblem features five stone-like formations depicted in vibrant colours found in both the natural features of the Vancouver-Whistler Games host region and across Canada. Green and blues represent coastal forests, mountain ranges and spectacular islands. The red is for Canada's signature maple leaf and the gold evokes images of the brilliant sunrises that paint the Vancouver skyline and snow-capped mountain peaks. The Vancouver 2010 emblem is named ILANAAQ - the Inuit word for friend”. Questions such us the following were raised soon after reading this article: what purpose does Ilanaaq serve? What is the connection between the North and the South in this context? Is this emblem’s aim to represent Canada? The artic? The Inuit people? Vancouver and Whistler? How is that portrayed? I also shared a page from the VANOC’s website which I incorporated into my thesis’ proposal.
http://www.vancouver2010.com/en/LookVancouver2010/Vancouver2010OlympicGamesEmblem
In brief statements I discussed the photographs and the content of this excerpt. I clarified that the photos were taken in Vancouver and Whistler respectively and that the three images from this webpage are not from the north. According to Norman Hallendy (2000), “inuksuit have become icons used to sell telephones and financial services, beer and sugared drinks. The figure adorns ball caps, sweatshirts and coffee mugs, and is much sought after as an object d’art” (p. 97). The sad irony, he says, is that in the growing interest in Inuksuit the wisdom of their creators is dying with the passing of each of the elders who once had lived on the land. I mentioned that in my view, the organizers of the Games have made a de facto promise to give Aboriginal communities a level of prominence never before seen at the Olympics. Some of the questions I raised were: Is this just clever marketing or a real attempt to show Aboriginal people respect and to show the rest of Canada (and the world) something more about First peoples and the North? In other words, there is a clear opportunity here to share aboriginal knowledge but is this opportunity being used to get across all these ideas and realities of life in the North and issues that the North faces (the ones that go beyond stereotypes), or is it nothing more than a cynical use of a northern symbol that the organizers of the Games have no intention to use to communicate important ideas about the North but simply use it as a marketing tool to promote other set of corporate ideals?
My crowd was full of government officials, most of them from the south but living in the north. They raised their own questions about whether my findings were going to be available and if I was planning to involve some elders in my research process. I clarified that for now I was planning to concentrate on the promotional materials made available by VANOC but I would hope that this research project would open other doors and invite some people to look beyond the surface of images. Somebody asked me if I was suggesting to change the emblem to what I answered that the emblem was already in place… and I was trying to understand the motivations behind it.
An Inuit elder told me that they were very happy when they found out that the “Inukshuk” had been chosen amongst 1,600 entries to the emblem contest. They saw it as a great Northern victory in the South… many people applauded his comment. I was happy to raise some questions. I had a very short time to convey further ideas. There was a quote from Bellfy (2005) whoch I couldn’t share with the participants but that I firmly agree with. It says that “popular culture norms are designed to remind everyone, Native and non-Native alike, that there is a dominant culture that has determined how Indigenous identity is to be constructed, and, who owns and controls their images”. Some Inuit people approached me after the presentation to offer help. They gave me their email address and welcomed my questions… any time. A young Caucasian fellow from Yellowknife, who’s graphic company is designing some packaging for souvenir inuksuit to be sold in Vancouver soon, told me that he would be interested in my research as well… as they are trying to decide how they are going to present this “can or package” containing an inukshuk.
It was overall very interesting to be there. First of all because it is my first “official” presentation of my project (it certainly helps to be presentation the idea in front of an audience) and second because it gave me some feedback about the different possible reactions this project could generate in people. Somebody asked me if I was planning to share my findings with VANOC, I said I would invite them to attend my thesis’ defense! Share
In 2005 the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) launched its emblem Illanaaq, a stylized inukshuk, with the aim to “illustrate” the Games. Perhaps for the first time in the history of the Olympics, particular attention has been placed on Aboriginal participation in the pre-Games. Indigenous participation in past Games, such as Calgary and Salt Lake City, has focused primarily on ceremonies and cultural programs. VANOC has said that they plan to go beyond that “to set the bar higher, with the hope that future Organizing Committees can be inspired and learn from our experience”. I am attracted to images and their meaning. One of the source texts I am reading is Gillian Roses’ Visual Methodologies in order to refine the approach I will be taking in my image-based research project. The visual is central to the cultural construction of social life in contemporary Western societies. We are constantly bombarded by images that offer views of the world. Research in the area of visual culture suggests that the rendering of the world in visual terms is never innocent. Images interpret the world and display it in very particular ways. The purpose of my critical qualitative study is to identify, describe and analyse the information made available by VANOC.
By using a document case study I intend to observe, understand and critique the images made available for learning by this organization. My aim is to contribute to creating awareness of commonly overlooked symbolic elements that could be taken for granted in this context. I chose the title Opportunity or Opportunism, because I believe there is great potential for sharing and learning before, during and after this event. I would like to take a close look at these opportunities. An opportunity is a favourable time for progress and advancement but opportunism takes advantage of an opportunity to achieve an end but often with no regard for principles or consequences. Where does the creation of the VANOC emblem fall? I thought this conference would be a very important space to discuss this topic. For that reason I came here to share some of the sample materials I will be studying, discuss them and raise some questions. My main hope was to have enough time to get participants’ feedback. I knew in advance that the objective of the conference was to continue to figure out ways of communicating the realities of the North to the South on issues that would go beyond the stereotypical northern topics “polar bears and igloos”… or those issues that specifically affect the south, “global warming and sovereignty”
The following is a VANOC’s press release from April 23, 2005 http://www.vancouver2010.com/en/OrganizingCommittee/MediaCentre/NewsReleases/2006/01/13/92_0601131509-781
“The Vancouver 2010 emblem is a contemporary interpretation of the traditional inukshuk, a stone sculpture used by Canada's Inuit people as directional landmarks across the northern Canadian lands of snow and ice. Over time, the inukshuk has become a representation of hope, friendship and an external expression of the hospitality of a nation that warmly welcomes the people of the world with open arms. The distinctive formations are found across the country - from coastlines to mountaintops, from small towns to large cities - in a variety of styles. Unveiled during a live nation-wide television broadcast, the Vancouver 2010 emblem shows the deep connection between Canadians and their breathtaking environment. The emblem features five stone-like formations depicted in vibrant colours found in both the natural features of the Vancouver-Whistler Games host region and across Canada. Green and blues represent coastal forests, mountain ranges and spectacular islands. The red is for Canada's signature maple leaf and the gold evokes images of the brilliant sunrises that paint the Vancouver skyline and snow-capped mountain peaks. The Vancouver 2010 emblem is named ILANAAQ - the Inuit word for friend”. Questions such us the following were raised soon after reading this article: what purpose does Ilanaaq serve? What is the connection between the North and the South in this context? Is this emblem’s aim to represent Canada? The artic? The Inuit people? Vancouver and Whistler? How is that portrayed? I also shared a page from the VANOC’s website which I incorporated into my thesis’ proposal.
http://www.vancouver2010.com/en/LookVancouver2010/Vancouver2010OlympicGamesEmblem
In brief statements I discussed the photographs and the content of this excerpt. I clarified that the photos were taken in Vancouver and Whistler respectively and that the three images from this webpage are not from the north. According to Norman Hallendy (2000), “inuksuit have become icons used to sell telephones and financial services, beer and sugared drinks. The figure adorns ball caps, sweatshirts and coffee mugs, and is much sought after as an object d’art” (p. 97). The sad irony, he says, is that in the growing interest in Inuksuit the wisdom of their creators is dying with the passing of each of the elders who once had lived on the land. I mentioned that in my view, the organizers of the Games have made a de facto promise to give Aboriginal communities a level of prominence never before seen at the Olympics. Some of the questions I raised were: Is this just clever marketing or a real attempt to show Aboriginal people respect and to show the rest of Canada (and the world) something more about First peoples and the North? In other words, there is a clear opportunity here to share aboriginal knowledge but is this opportunity being used to get across all these ideas and realities of life in the North and issues that the North faces (the ones that go beyond stereotypes), or is it nothing more than a cynical use of a northern symbol that the organizers of the Games have no intention to use to communicate important ideas about the North but simply use it as a marketing tool to promote other set of corporate ideals?
My crowd was full of government officials, most of them from the south but living in the north. They raised their own questions about whether my findings were going to be available and if I was planning to involve some elders in my research process. I clarified that for now I was planning to concentrate on the promotional materials made available by VANOC but I would hope that this research project would open other doors and invite some people to look beyond the surface of images. Somebody asked me if I was suggesting to change the emblem to what I answered that the emblem was already in place… and I was trying to understand the motivations behind it.
An Inuit elder told me that they were very happy when they found out that the “Inukshuk” had been chosen amongst 1,600 entries to the emblem contest. They saw it as a great Northern victory in the South… many people applauded his comment. I was happy to raise some questions. I had a very short time to convey further ideas. There was a quote from Bellfy (2005) whoch I couldn’t share with the participants but that I firmly agree with. It says that “popular culture norms are designed to remind everyone, Native and non-Native alike, that there is a dominant culture that has determined how Indigenous identity is to be constructed, and, who owns and controls their images”. Some Inuit people approached me after the presentation to offer help. They gave me their email address and welcomed my questions… any time. A young Caucasian fellow from Yellowknife, who’s graphic company is designing some packaging for souvenir inuksuit to be sold in Vancouver soon, told me that he would be interested in my research as well… as they are trying to decide how they are going to present this “can or package” containing an inukshuk.
It was overall very interesting to be there. First of all because it is my first “official” presentation of my project (it certainly helps to be presentation the idea in front of an audience) and second because it gave me some feedback about the different possible reactions this project could generate in people. Somebody asked me if I was planning to share my findings with VANOC, I said I would invite them to attend my thesis’ defense! Share
The Unknown
As the afternoon flows and the sky gets grayer I wonder around Whitehorse before departure. I seem to be in constant search. The butterflies in my stomach won't fly away until I find what I look for. I first have to find out what it is I am in search of.
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The impossibility of the objective and the fear of chaos
Objects exist in nature, their presence is blatant, unavoidable. They present shapes and mass or form before our eyes. The natural sciences have tried to understand them, analyze them… yes, understand them. Language has given them a name and our imagination has given them a place in our brains, either because we’ve been taught how to go about them or because we have experienced them ourselves. We were never part of the battle of Waterloo but we have heard about it. Napoleon and his era exist in our heads.
In the case of “heat”, for instance, we have experienced it on our skins or seen it… when we feel the sun’s rays, a water-boiling pot or a fireplace. It is impossible to say that those elements are not objective, that they don’t exist out there. That rain, those cars and computers are tangible items that exist and can be approached without emotions. Yes, they do exist on their own. They can even be a product of nature: a stone; or human made: a plane. Their existence does not imply their objectivity. We make them objects in our brains, and we translate them from their original form into a virtual thought in our minds just like a video camera does on tape or disc. The image we see on the screen is not the stone or the plane, it is a representation of it. The image we have in our brains of every single object is a representation of the object, the result of a chemical processes that brought that object from its natural form to our heads through our eyes, our nerve cells… to a spot in our brains where objects of that kind can be processed. But that’s not all. If we all processed objects the same way and translated them into thoughts exactly the way they are, we could say that objects are represented inside of us the same way… we have to take into consideration that there are other created factors that affect our perception of those objects; this factors could be physical limitations: we wear glasses, we have a hearing problem, we are colour-blind. And not only that, but our particular culture, the worldview we have, the way we’ve been taught, whether we are left or right-handed, our own language would call those objects in a different way… and the images we see, yes there could be a table but is not the same table that a different person sees… the value of the table is different, there are emotions attached to them… it is a table that belonged to my ancestors, it was the only furniture left after a family crisis, I was punished by my father at that table when I was a kid, I used to make love on it with my ex partner, it is too big for my place… the measures of this table, the size we perceive in our head and even the way we remember it, if we never see it again, will change fromperson to person… and even within me as I change myself.
If we go into the core of tables, they are also not the same; tables differ in shape, size, measurements. Some people represent them as square, others are round, others rectangular but they could be amorphous. They can be used to eat, to operate patients, to play table games or to pray. Their value and their representation varies, therefore when we say the word “mesa” the Spanish word for table, people would think of million different tables; provided that they understand the Spanish word. A table is not just a table. A table is a universe of tables represented in our brains that clearly differ from the object “table” itself even if we have it in front of our eyes. An indigenous colleague told me the other day, that in his native language, names represent the actions you perform with those objects, tables for instance, are linked to the food you eat on them, therefore they have a very important value… different than the persons who eats on their desks because they don’t “have time” to take a lunch break.
Objective is defined in many different ways: not biased, or existing in the real world outside the human brain. Subjective should be the opposite. After this introduction, if we consider that every object goes through our brains to be apprehended, the object looses its unbiased value and takes a subjective form, a representational one, the interpretation of the idea of the object.
If tangible items take this form, the description of values and emotions, rules and laws, is even more difficult. How do we understand truth, responsibility or terrorism? In order to have a “common understanding” of ideas, the different sciences and humanities have approached these terms to try to define them; we have created dictionaries that enunciate definitions that we assume as valid; if we didn’t have a “common language” (by this I mean a relatively close approach to the definition of objects an ideas in the different existing languages) we could barely understand each other; not that we really do but we have created “conventions” that make us believe we do. In order to create conventions we need to have a plan, and this plan is closely linked to the ideology of cultures, religions, political and social instructions. We have created systems that allow us to form patterns of behaviour that people can follow in order to avoid chaos. If we were all abandoned at birth and we managed to grow up without anybody’s instruction we would probably create our own sense of values. Yes, we do have the ability to create all these systems, to communicate through different means, to use our brains to try to understand the environment. We have created machines to “measure” this world’s phenomena and we call those measurements objective, but are they really?
One metre is one metre, that’s objective… but metres were created, so yes, they are conventions created to measure, and we accept them; so when we say that we are one metre and 80 cms, people understand us… There is a need for order, for uniformity, mutual assimilation of behaviour in order to prevent chaos. We have created religions and these religions have created books of reference (or vice versa), we have constitutions, codes of ethics, etiquette, etc… we create definitions, like contracts do when you are to purchase property… terms that are defined by “someone” in order to agree in terms. Even if we believe that “TRUTH” is out there as an “OBJECT”, the definitions of truth we get to write down, will never be objective, therefore there is not TRUTH in its objective form, because, again, even if there is one out in the space, how do we know that we chose the right definition when we interpreted the idea?
With constitutions and “human made” laws, it is easier to figure it out; a whole bunch of people got together to produce a document, they commit to make it as accurate as possible and out of consensus… so yes, if we agree to it, we know it is the product of a committed exercise. When it comes to religions, the arena is not as solid; we need to trust the existence of an external source that has defined all these terms for us and has dictated them to a human being, who “objectively” wrote them down centuries ago. We also need to believe that this information, that could’ve been an oral narration at some point, has been transmitted exactly the way it was “originally” inspired… it means that no translation, no interpretation, no distortion to its core has been changed throughout the years. Is that possible? Perhaps it is, that’s why we have created a term called “FAITH” defined by some as “complete confidence or trust”.
Unfortunately, all of these terms don’t mean the same for everybody. If “objects” don’t represent the same idea in every culture, neither do these more ethereal definitions. We have tried to generate international conventions to determine what a crime is, or what plurality is, etc… but all of these ideas are mediated by beliefs, faiths, doubts, fears, geographical conditions, traditions, languages, experiences… even what I am writing, makes only sense in my own mind, and there may be some people who identifies with what it is written and some others that could think I am CRAZY (Stupidly irresponsible).
In my opinion, even if processes and natural physical actions are happening objectively out there, they are interpreted through our minds and our senses, and all of them our biased. Seeing is a physical objective process, but how we see and what we see is completely individual… even if we “all agree” it is a table. We cannot generalize, we cannot assure that what it is is what it is… yes, we’ve made an effort to get there, perhaps because it is necessary for us to do so, but systems like “democracy, or deciding by consensus, or mutual agreement” are biased. We want to believe we agree, we want to believe we see the same… but we don’t.
States and institutions have managed to educate people to think one way or the other, it is not new, and it is considered for the own convenience of that system, state or institution. We create culture (very loaded term) in order to feel identified with a set of values and make it easier for “all of us” (especially the ruler in power). Those who dissent, or simply don’t cope with that set of values are considered “outsiders” and we reject them because they are not “like us”. The need of homogeneity serves the purpose of societies because it prevents chaos. Chaos is feared by most because there seems to be a need of cohesion. The problem here, is that there is no room for individuality. We often use this other created expression “Freedom” (right or privilege of unlimited access); we cannot claim FREEDOM because it is impossible. If we have limits, if we haven’t decided what was before us and we won’t be able to decide what is after us, we are not free. That’s an illusion reinforced by some systems… and like freedom, there are many others. But, why do we need to make others believe that? Why is it important that we uniform the world? It is important because some people BELIEVE that’s the way to make it work… that’s a mechanism of control… a political system like democracy, a monetary system like capitalism, a religious system like Christianity, a new order like Globalization, serve certain purposes. A set of values, have been attached to these ideas, and only a few people get to participate in the decisions made by these systems. They control behaviours because they have understood our vulnerability, our fear of chaos, the subjective form of thought and how it can be so random that it may be “dangerous”. It is necessary to punish those who oppose the mainstream thought, that’s why “terrorists” are being prosecuted… because they dissent and they express themselves by generating “chaos”… (Complete disorder or confusion). “Terrorists” may not be able to change systems, but they alter them, they destabilize them, by breaking the “organized order”.
But ORDER is also subjective; we have encouraged it as the way to function in order to “succeed”. But there is tendency to chaos within the order... and we continue to punish it because we are unable to revise these systems of values. We are spreading philosophies that benefit the systems we have created, and this is all subjective. Unless we understand the subjectivity ruling these systems, we won’t be able to “understand” each other. But these systems don’t favour free thought, free thought is dangerous, it again, may generate chaos, we have to shape peoples’ minds in order to achieve order. How do we do it? By creating or reinforcing certain values, by creating or re-shaping the definitions to those values, by making people believe certain goals are attainable like freedom, wealth, happiness. How do we do it? Through the school system, through media, through politics, through literature, through church, through institutions like police or organized institutions like courts, parliaments, boards. Our subjectivity has been repressed, and as it is malleable and subject to influence, it has been “objectivised”. We have been instructed to believe that something can be objective. Objectivity exists as a ideal in nature but it doesn’t exist as a practical term in humanity. Everything is mediated by thought and emotions, therefore a chemical, physiological process that gets distorted once it reaches our senses. The table we film exists as an object but we will never be able to say that the photograph we take of it or the film we make of it will capture the integrity of that object… it is the same with us. Not even science can claim objectivity because it is mediated by us, and we are all, ALL, biased.
Take an example: copper… it is objective in its original form in nature… but our approach to it, its name, its chemical formula, its melting point, etc, are conventions created by us… the abstraction of copper is a human process not present in nature… and its make copper subjective. We would never be completely sure about the nature of copper, and that vulnerable approach makes it subjective because we cannot approach copper as a whole. Share
In the case of “heat”, for instance, we have experienced it on our skins or seen it… when we feel the sun’s rays, a water-boiling pot or a fireplace. It is impossible to say that those elements are not objective, that they don’t exist out there. That rain, those cars and computers are tangible items that exist and can be approached without emotions. Yes, they do exist on their own. They can even be a product of nature: a stone; or human made: a plane. Their existence does not imply their objectivity. We make them objects in our brains, and we translate them from their original form into a virtual thought in our minds just like a video camera does on tape or disc. The image we see on the screen is not the stone or the plane, it is a representation of it. The image we have in our brains of every single object is a representation of the object, the result of a chemical processes that brought that object from its natural form to our heads through our eyes, our nerve cells… to a spot in our brains where objects of that kind can be processed. But that’s not all. If we all processed objects the same way and translated them into thoughts exactly the way they are, we could say that objects are represented inside of us the same way… we have to take into consideration that there are other created factors that affect our perception of those objects; this factors could be physical limitations: we wear glasses, we have a hearing problem, we are colour-blind. And not only that, but our particular culture, the worldview we have, the way we’ve been taught, whether we are left or right-handed, our own language would call those objects in a different way… and the images we see, yes there could be a table but is not the same table that a different person sees… the value of the table is different, there are emotions attached to them… it is a table that belonged to my ancestors, it was the only furniture left after a family crisis, I was punished by my father at that table when I was a kid, I used to make love on it with my ex partner, it is too big for my place… the measures of this table, the size we perceive in our head and even the way we remember it, if we never see it again, will change fromperson to person… and even within me as I change myself.
If we go into the core of tables, they are also not the same; tables differ in shape, size, measurements. Some people represent them as square, others are round, others rectangular but they could be amorphous. They can be used to eat, to operate patients, to play table games or to pray. Their value and their representation varies, therefore when we say the word “mesa” the Spanish word for table, people would think of million different tables; provided that they understand the Spanish word. A table is not just a table. A table is a universe of tables represented in our brains that clearly differ from the object “table” itself even if we have it in front of our eyes. An indigenous colleague told me the other day, that in his native language, names represent the actions you perform with those objects, tables for instance, are linked to the food you eat on them, therefore they have a very important value… different than the persons who eats on their desks because they don’t “have time” to take a lunch break.
Objective is defined in many different ways: not biased, or existing in the real world outside the human brain. Subjective should be the opposite. After this introduction, if we consider that every object goes through our brains to be apprehended, the object looses its unbiased value and takes a subjective form, a representational one, the interpretation of the idea of the object.
If tangible items take this form, the description of values and emotions, rules and laws, is even more difficult. How do we understand truth, responsibility or terrorism? In order to have a “common understanding” of ideas, the different sciences and humanities have approached these terms to try to define them; we have created dictionaries that enunciate definitions that we assume as valid; if we didn’t have a “common language” (by this I mean a relatively close approach to the definition of objects an ideas in the different existing languages) we could barely understand each other; not that we really do but we have created “conventions” that make us believe we do. In order to create conventions we need to have a plan, and this plan is closely linked to the ideology of cultures, religions, political and social instructions. We have created systems that allow us to form patterns of behaviour that people can follow in order to avoid chaos. If we were all abandoned at birth and we managed to grow up without anybody’s instruction we would probably create our own sense of values. Yes, we do have the ability to create all these systems, to communicate through different means, to use our brains to try to understand the environment. We have created machines to “measure” this world’s phenomena and we call those measurements objective, but are they really?
One metre is one metre, that’s objective… but metres were created, so yes, they are conventions created to measure, and we accept them; so when we say that we are one metre and 80 cms, people understand us… There is a need for order, for uniformity, mutual assimilation of behaviour in order to prevent chaos. We have created religions and these religions have created books of reference (or vice versa), we have constitutions, codes of ethics, etiquette, etc… we create definitions, like contracts do when you are to purchase property… terms that are defined by “someone” in order to agree in terms. Even if we believe that “TRUTH” is out there as an “OBJECT”, the definitions of truth we get to write down, will never be objective, therefore there is not TRUTH in its objective form, because, again, even if there is one out in the space, how do we know that we chose the right definition when we interpreted the idea?
With constitutions and “human made” laws, it is easier to figure it out; a whole bunch of people got together to produce a document, they commit to make it as accurate as possible and out of consensus… so yes, if we agree to it, we know it is the product of a committed exercise. When it comes to religions, the arena is not as solid; we need to trust the existence of an external source that has defined all these terms for us and has dictated them to a human being, who “objectively” wrote them down centuries ago. We also need to believe that this information, that could’ve been an oral narration at some point, has been transmitted exactly the way it was “originally” inspired… it means that no translation, no interpretation, no distortion to its core has been changed throughout the years. Is that possible? Perhaps it is, that’s why we have created a term called “FAITH” defined by some as “complete confidence or trust”.
Unfortunately, all of these terms don’t mean the same for everybody. If “objects” don’t represent the same idea in every culture, neither do these more ethereal definitions. We have tried to generate international conventions to determine what a crime is, or what plurality is, etc… but all of these ideas are mediated by beliefs, faiths, doubts, fears, geographical conditions, traditions, languages, experiences… even what I am writing, makes only sense in my own mind, and there may be some people who identifies with what it is written and some others that could think I am CRAZY (Stupidly irresponsible).
In my opinion, even if processes and natural physical actions are happening objectively out there, they are interpreted through our minds and our senses, and all of them our biased. Seeing is a physical objective process, but how we see and what we see is completely individual… even if we “all agree” it is a table. We cannot generalize, we cannot assure that what it is is what it is… yes, we’ve made an effort to get there, perhaps because it is necessary for us to do so, but systems like “democracy, or deciding by consensus, or mutual agreement” are biased. We want to believe we agree, we want to believe we see the same… but we don’t.
States and institutions have managed to educate people to think one way or the other, it is not new, and it is considered for the own convenience of that system, state or institution. We create culture (very loaded term) in order to feel identified with a set of values and make it easier for “all of us” (especially the ruler in power). Those who dissent, or simply don’t cope with that set of values are considered “outsiders” and we reject them because they are not “like us”. The need of homogeneity serves the purpose of societies because it prevents chaos. Chaos is feared by most because there seems to be a need of cohesion. The problem here, is that there is no room for individuality. We often use this other created expression “Freedom” (right or privilege of unlimited access); we cannot claim FREEDOM because it is impossible. If we have limits, if we haven’t decided what was before us and we won’t be able to decide what is after us, we are not free. That’s an illusion reinforced by some systems… and like freedom, there are many others. But, why do we need to make others believe that? Why is it important that we uniform the world? It is important because some people BELIEVE that’s the way to make it work… that’s a mechanism of control… a political system like democracy, a monetary system like capitalism, a religious system like Christianity, a new order like Globalization, serve certain purposes. A set of values, have been attached to these ideas, and only a few people get to participate in the decisions made by these systems. They control behaviours because they have understood our vulnerability, our fear of chaos, the subjective form of thought and how it can be so random that it may be “dangerous”. It is necessary to punish those who oppose the mainstream thought, that’s why “terrorists” are being prosecuted… because they dissent and they express themselves by generating “chaos”… (Complete disorder or confusion). “Terrorists” may not be able to change systems, but they alter them, they destabilize them, by breaking the “organized order”.
But ORDER is also subjective; we have encouraged it as the way to function in order to “succeed”. But there is tendency to chaos within the order... and we continue to punish it because we are unable to revise these systems of values. We are spreading philosophies that benefit the systems we have created, and this is all subjective. Unless we understand the subjectivity ruling these systems, we won’t be able to “understand” each other. But these systems don’t favour free thought, free thought is dangerous, it again, may generate chaos, we have to shape peoples’ minds in order to achieve order. How do we do it? By creating or reinforcing certain values, by creating or re-shaping the definitions to those values, by making people believe certain goals are attainable like freedom, wealth, happiness. How do we do it? Through the school system, through media, through politics, through literature, through church, through institutions like police or organized institutions like courts, parliaments, boards. Our subjectivity has been repressed, and as it is malleable and subject to influence, it has been “objectivised”. We have been instructed to believe that something can be objective. Objectivity exists as a ideal in nature but it doesn’t exist as a practical term in humanity. Everything is mediated by thought and emotions, therefore a chemical, physiological process that gets distorted once it reaches our senses. The table we film exists as an object but we will never be able to say that the photograph we take of it or the film we make of it will capture the integrity of that object… it is the same with us. Not even science can claim objectivity because it is mediated by us, and we are all, ALL, biased.
Take an example: copper… it is objective in its original form in nature… but our approach to it, its name, its chemical formula, its melting point, etc, are conventions created by us… the abstraction of copper is a human process not present in nature… and its make copper subjective. We would never be completely sure about the nature of copper, and that vulnerable approach makes it subjective because we cannot approach copper as a whole. Share
hasta mañana
Controversy and contradiction mixed in the vase of my dying daisies. The heavy night has fallen down to smash the artictic's evolving midnight sun. Darkness has dropped with its full weight on the timid temperature and its little warmth has fled. Most of my words have also gone places and I've been left speechless on the corner of this bed. A glass of inpirational poison should be landing on my lamp table... instead I drink saliva at a slower pace. No one can really read my mind, the language of my brain is elusive and the verses of old lyrics are beginning to vanish at this final hour. I should be careful; my ghosts may wonder around the crime scene to laugh at me. I may be found guilty of an undefined crime projected on this wallpapered walls by my paranoia. If I turn the light off I'll sink into a worse nightmare, my solitude. When there is light there's potential for company. I fall asleep with open eyes. Good night Whitehorse.
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Tuesday, March 4, 2008
the human value
What is the inner philosophy of a corporation? is it profit making? is it investment? is it talent hunting? Perhaps all of the above but at a very high cost for human lives.
I just left a mini corporation after 4 years of committed dedication. When I first started to work for them, my initial step was to prove that it was worth giving me a chance. Once I reached that level my next goal was to pursue the company’s ideals and dilligently administer the resources I was given . I constantly wondered where people were placed within the value chart of the organization. Most staff seemed to be appreciated when they brought "value" to the place, and "value" meant: money, numbers, action (in this case: students, agents and lots of applications). What else could one expect? That's ok I thought, we all need to make money... we all need to profit in order to survive... but I also noticed that sometimes people would leave the company feeling undervalued and I always hoped it would never be my case. I managed one of their branches for 3 years, and I did what was necessary in my mind. I started by hiring a team of people I felt comfortable working with and who I thought would be committed to their specific role. Some people stayed for a while some people found it hard and left after a short period of time... either because they had different goals to pursue or because they felt they weren't getting enough income in comparison to their working hours.
I was hardly ever given direction. My three bosses never showed up and when they did, they often walked around for a couple of days and found things to be in place.
It wasn't until recently, when I decided to leave the place, that they came to visit and took a closer look at the way we had set things up. I am assuming they weren't fond of my decision to leave but they had no choice. I had my own dreams to pursue and I was also moving to a new city to establish my own enterprise, living together with my partner.
Overnight, many of the things they never "saw" or didn't want to see, started to surface... and I was told that my whole administration had been a disaster... teachers sucked, customer service sucked, programs sucked... everything sucked and it had to be fixed immediately. I tried my best... but my morale had already sank. I looked around and I found a wonderful team of people sinking along with me... I tried to remain positive until my last day despite my often stomach knots and my anxiety attacks. The performance review I submitted to my direct boss was returned to me with negative remarks and my annual bonus was denied on that basis. I had nothing else to say, I was speechless... even though I could've gone back to argue that they were being unfair. They listed all this numbers and measures that didn't correspond to anything I had been informed of... but I had no energy to rebutt it... I didn't want to argue back... I just thought they had a mind set about their expectations and they were not going to move an inch... but... what was I doing there for so long? why didn't I leave before? I guess the fact that I was left alone for so long helped. I was able to create a friendly environment where people really cared about each other and was happy to come to work everyday... that environment obviously didn't correspond to this workaholic idea of fear and control... no one felt threatened, no one felt uncomfortable to be there until they saw the bosses' real aims... our blood, our brains, our energy... with no mercy.
I was let go without a farewell, without a thank you note, without a phone call... but lots of students, and teachers and co-workers did try their best to make me feel fantastic... that was the human value I was missing and which the top blinded management couldn't see... they are not interested... because the minute they let their emotions get involved with the company they won't be able to exercise their inquisitional measures. People are numbers and wages per hour... people should be machines and they are given a favour when being hired... they should be thankful... I see a tyranic aaproach in this corporate mind that no one can question, and this credo is sacred and divine... In a conversation with one of my bosses, whom I call after I left... I said... it is unfortunate that the value of people is below the value of profit... his answer was... yes, it is very unfortunate that it is so! Share
I just left a mini corporation after 4 years of committed dedication. When I first started to work for them, my initial step was to prove that it was worth giving me a chance. Once I reached that level my next goal was to pursue the company’s ideals and dilligently administer the resources I was given . I constantly wondered where people were placed within the value chart of the organization. Most staff seemed to be appreciated when they brought "value" to the place, and "value" meant: money, numbers, action (in this case: students, agents and lots of applications). What else could one expect? That's ok I thought, we all need to make money... we all need to profit in order to survive... but I also noticed that sometimes people would leave the company feeling undervalued and I always hoped it would never be my case. I managed one of their branches for 3 years, and I did what was necessary in my mind. I started by hiring a team of people I felt comfortable working with and who I thought would be committed to their specific role. Some people stayed for a while some people found it hard and left after a short period of time... either because they had different goals to pursue or because they felt they weren't getting enough income in comparison to their working hours.
I was hardly ever given direction. My three bosses never showed up and when they did, they often walked around for a couple of days and found things to be in place.
It wasn't until recently, when I decided to leave the place, that they came to visit and took a closer look at the way we had set things up. I am assuming they weren't fond of my decision to leave but they had no choice. I had my own dreams to pursue and I was also moving to a new city to establish my own enterprise, living together with my partner.
Overnight, many of the things they never "saw" or didn't want to see, started to surface... and I was told that my whole administration had been a disaster... teachers sucked, customer service sucked, programs sucked... everything sucked and it had to be fixed immediately. I tried my best... but my morale had already sank. I looked around and I found a wonderful team of people sinking along with me... I tried to remain positive until my last day despite my often stomach knots and my anxiety attacks. The performance review I submitted to my direct boss was returned to me with negative remarks and my annual bonus was denied on that basis. I had nothing else to say, I was speechless... even though I could've gone back to argue that they were being unfair. They listed all this numbers and measures that didn't correspond to anything I had been informed of... but I had no energy to rebutt it... I didn't want to argue back... I just thought they had a mind set about their expectations and they were not going to move an inch... but... what was I doing there for so long? why didn't I leave before? I guess the fact that I was left alone for so long helped. I was able to create a friendly environment where people really cared about each other and was happy to come to work everyday... that environment obviously didn't correspond to this workaholic idea of fear and control... no one felt threatened, no one felt uncomfortable to be there until they saw the bosses' real aims... our blood, our brains, our energy... with no mercy.
I was let go without a farewell, without a thank you note, without a phone call... but lots of students, and teachers and co-workers did try their best to make me feel fantastic... that was the human value I was missing and which the top blinded management couldn't see... they are not interested... because the minute they let their emotions get involved with the company they won't be able to exercise their inquisitional measures. People are numbers and wages per hour... people should be machines and they are given a favour when being hired... they should be thankful... I see a tyranic aaproach in this corporate mind that no one can question, and this credo is sacred and divine... In a conversation with one of my bosses, whom I call after I left... I said... it is unfortunate that the value of people is below the value of profit... his answer was... yes, it is very unfortunate that it is so! Share
Reflections on Colombia
As expected, the United States has backed the Colombian government as much as most average Colombians. It is a democratic crisis that has revealed a series of dark holes. On one hand there is the question of violating Ecuador's sovereignty and on the other, the dilemma of prosecuting an "insurgent guerrilla leader" (I refuse to use the word "terrorist" which I find sickening and abused). I know very little about the Colombian guerrillas. I should know more. I know they have been discredited by the media and that Andres Pastrana claims that he managed to place them on the list of "the most-wanted rebels of the world"... but who are they and what do they want? S and I discussed the possibility of interviewing Chavez and I am going to try to arrange it. I'd like to hear his loud side of the story. I am not fond of Uribe because I link him to militarism and right wing measures, but I also have to admit that I know very little about him. He's popular... his iron hand and workaholic attitude has placed him high on the public opinion polls. Some claim he wants to avenge his father, who was killed by the FARC; some appoint him the creator of the paramilitary forces (Autodefensan Unidas de Colombia). His closest allies have been splashed with the tint of corruption and have been put on trial for alleged links with paramilitary and drug dealers... who can be saved in Colombia? The Colombian society has been intoxicated with an addiction to easy money and with a conflict between oligarchy and left wing guerrillas. The white money from cocaine has tempted both sides of the "peso" and has encouraged the rich (or new rich) to promote the formation of alternative protection forces that would allow them to stay alive. This conflict is far from reaching an end... but a nice way to divert the thoughts of the general public has been the prosecution of guerrillas... and their protrayal as "terrorists, kidnappers, left-wing-chavez-sympathizers"... no wonder why chavez is misunderstood in Colombia as well as the Polo Democratico party. Meanwhile, Ingrid Betancourt - the former Colombian presidential candidate and a French citizen, kidnapped by the FARC five years ago - remains the symbol of a meritless conflict between Creole mentality and the old ideals of a stubborn communist organization. She dies slowly in the midst of an undetermined jungle camp while these different factions play chess with their demons.
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Sunday, March 2, 2008
Raul Reyes y Dawson City
Ayer me entere de la muerte de Raul Reyes y del conflicto diplomatico con Ecuador y Venezuela. No se que pensar. No creo que acabar con las vidas de las personas sea un camino hacia la solucion de un conflicto armado tan viejo como el colombiano. Lo que si veo, es que contrario a la reaccion diplomatica de los paises vecinos, la percepcion interna de la situacion en Colombia respalda al Estado con efervescencia. Los medios y la forma en la que el conflicto se ha vuelto del diario "comer" del ciudadano promedio... han animado a muchas personas a respaldar la politica militar del gobierno.
Yo mientras tanto estoy en Dawson City, Yukon... a menos 25 grados centigrados... acabo de conversar con el alcalde de la ciudad, John Steins sobre politica, arte y cultura local... sobre su historia y como llego a Dawson en el 74. Me he animado a pensar que puedo regresar por unos meses a este lugar para escribir, tal vez en ingles, por primera vez.
Ahora vamos a visitar a Lulu "alias" Peggy Sue! Share
Yo mientras tanto estoy en Dawson City, Yukon... a menos 25 grados centigrados... acabo de conversar con el alcalde de la ciudad, John Steins sobre politica, arte y cultura local... sobre su historia y como llego a Dawson en el 74. Me he animado a pensar que puedo regresar por unos meses a este lugar para escribir, tal vez en ingles, por primera vez.
Ahora vamos a visitar a Lulu "alias" Peggy Sue! Share
Yukon
Whitehorse, -19, we take off on the road to Dawson City, nest of the Gold Rush. 6 hours through mountains that look like piles of refined sugar. When there's no heavy wind it never feels that cold... but the temperature drops as we add kilometres. It's amazing. I have learned that snow starts to squeak at 5 degrees F.
One thought for a story... jumping off a plane and deciding during the free fall whether to open or not the parachute. Share
One thought for a story... jumping off a plane and deciding during the free fall whether to open or not the parachute. Share
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