Happy 2008!!!

Hi there!!! it´s been a long time...recently I haven´t written anything here, so it is a good moment to wish you a happy new year, to all of you who still read what I write. This has been an excellent year for me, with a lot of work and things accomplished. I hope that new year will be better than this one, for all of you and your loved ones. cheers....see you soon.

The experience of blog writing

This is the final entry,at least the last one I have to write. I don´t know if I am going to continue writing on this blog,if I have the time and something to say I will do it. This has become part of my routine,something that I´m accustomed to doing every other day.It´s been a while, I have started my blog in april, and there are things I´m really proud of saying that I wrote them and others that I´m maybe a little ashamed. For me,writing on this blog was a continuing stuggle, a battle against myself, against the lack of inspiration that sometimes I had to face and the things I wanted to say. There are entries that really portray what I wanted to communicate at that time,and there are others that are rather confusing and can lead to a misunderstanding. However, everything that is written here is about me and the way I see myself and the world;my opinions, my points of views,my feelings and emotions. I tried to reflect on this blog the way I am, and also to show the other part of me that maybe you don´t know.I really don´t know if writing here has improved my writing in English, but I know that it was a really good experience and helped me to speak my mind freely. I have to admit that there were times that I just hate sitting and writing, but I think it was good for me. I don´t know if I will continue writing,however this was a good experience.See you soon, and please leave your comments.

Insignificance

Everyday, trying to catch the sun and make the day
Every moment, stricken by hardships, overwhelmed by emotions
Looking for our real selves, for what is lying within
Every second, wondering about today, tomorrow, yesterday
The days go by,the nights too
Some are coming, some are going
Some are loving, some are fightning
Some are laughing,some are crying
You say you believe, I say that I don´t
And the life is so huge
And we are so small
And everything is changing, but soon will be forgotten
Because even the deepest mark,will be buried by the dust.

Sweet symphony

Last night I went with my sister to listen to the Spring Concert at the Alberdi theatre. We were the lucky ones to arrived first;we have to be there early to get good sits, because we had tickets for the “cazuela” which was(we didn´t know at that time) the highest place in the theatre,near the roof. When we entered to the theatre, we had to go upstairs to the third floor. When we got there, it was so high that my sister(who suffers from vertigo)starts feeling sick and dizzy. So, she decided to change the places and we went to see the concert in a gallery which was placed very near the stage, in the first floor. The concert was amazing: it consisted of soundtracks of very famous movies, and the UNT Symphony Orchestra was in change of playing it. The orchestra was directed by the conductor Roberto Buffo, who was really amazing, not only conducting the orchestra, but he also acting in several parts of the concert. The concert began with the main theme of the movie “Spiderman”, and Buffo was hanged by a rope and dressed as Spiderman. It was very shocking and funny to see him doing it. While the orchestra played the music, there were actors and singers on stage, and a big screen on top which projected scenes from the movies. The theatre was full of spectators, who were glad to listen to this beautiful music. The orchestra played the soundtrack of “The Wizard of Oz”,”Mission Imposible”,”Casablanca”,”Chariots of Fire”,”Love Story”,”Psicosis”,”Cinema Paradiso” between others. The orchesta played beautifully, and the conductor was a genious. In between the interludes, the screen showed pieces of movies and live performances of Luciano Pavarotti and Caetano Veloso. One thing that really called my attention was that the orchestra played the theme of “El Chavo del Ocho”; I didn´t know that it was composed by Ludwig Van Beethoven and it is part of The Ruins of Athenas. The most emotive moments were when they played the music of “Cinema Paradiso” and “Love Story”: It was great, and to be honest I cried a little bit when they played the love song of Cinema Paradiso(such a wonderful movie!). “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” was sung by a girl who was superb, and the most exciting part of the concert was the performance of “Mission Imposible”(even a bomb exploded). The big surprise was the music of “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Spiderman”;I didn´t know that they were so excellent pieces of music. I spent a wonderful evening with my sister, and I felt very lucky to enjoy this extraordinary cultural event. I won´t miss the next one!

Philip

One fine day he will leave all behind
He will cut her chains and forget everything they said
He will have the guts to open the door and face the world
He will be someone, the one he has always dreamed of
He will spit at their faces and be free at last
No matter how hard they try to get him
No matter what they would think of him
He will get it, and his tears and his blood will be the offering
He will make mistakes and begin again from the start
Never looking back,never doing what the others do
He will be himself, and won´t feel ashamed of it
One fine day he will make it...

10 books

I love literature, but I have to admit that there are several books, classic novels that I haven´t read yet. I´m not a specialist in literature, but I´d like to be one. Here it is a kind of summary of my favourites books, which I strongly recommend you to read:

1-Of human bondage by W. Somerset Maugham(1915): It ´s maybe my favourite book of all time, I should have read this novel five times and I´m still in love with it. I really like the main character,Philip Carey, which is in a way the author´s alter ego because the novel is largely based on Maugham´s own experiences and memories. I like this novel because I feel identified with the protagonist, because he experiences similar events that reminds me of some events of my own life.
2-1984 by George Orwell(1949): Some people don´t know that the idea of Big Brother was taken from this novel. The story itself is extraordinary(not very far from reality in some countries)and the way it is written makes you feel anguish and paranoid all the time. A classic.
3-El tunel by Ernesto Sabato(1948): a rather chilling and dense novel, with tells the story of a man who kills the woman he loves. It´s also a classic and one of the best argentinian novels of all time.
4-Rimas by Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer(1871): romanticism, dreams and beauty. Love and pain, the rimas of Bécquer made me fell in love with them, with their musicality and their images. A sensitive soul, a real poet and lover.
5-The black cat, the crow and other stories(compilation): The real master of horror and the father of thriller. I think that it´s compulsory for me to read it, however I read it in Spanish. I´m looking forward to read it in its original language.
6-Tom Sawyer detective by Mark Twain: One of the books of my childhood, I still have it on my library. I used to like Tom Sawyer´s stories, and I think it was my father who introduced to the world of this character. Very funny and entertaining novel.
7-Lord of the flies by William Golding(1954): I´ve just read this excellent novel, I had to read it for Language 4 and it was a very enjoyable experience. It deals with the innate evil that we human being possess. Strong and shocking from beginning to end.
8-La ciudad y los perros by Mario Vargas Llosa: One of the representatives of the Latinamerican literature´s boom, along with Gabriel García Márquez, Isabel Allende and others. The novel is about the life in a military college.It´s also a semi-autobiographical novel.
9-El amor en los tiempos del cólera by Gabriel García Márquez: I just love this novel as everything Gabo writes. I don´t know, maybe it´s the way he tolds the stories, the magic and beauty of his prose that makes him one of my favourites authors.An extremely beautiful love story, that longs forever and ever.
10-Dead poets society by N. H. Kleinbaum: I love the movie, and we read the novel,which is based on the movie, in Young Learners Literature. I remember that the theme of the novel provoked a heated discussion between some classmates of mine and our teacher. It was very funny and rewarding.

Spring is here again

So, once again here it is.After a long period of darkness and cold, after surviving and overcoming all the hardships and difficulties, mother nature gives us this beautiful season. The days are longer and the nights are shorter, there is a sweet fragrance in the air and it is hot again. Everything is greener, everything is more colourful, it´s like a carnival for our senses. We are close to each other a little bit more, we feel attracted by each other a little bit more. It is the time of rebirth, reincarnation and new opportunities;time to start something new and to forget about the past. At this time we are very close to the end of the year, so we allow ourselves to have some rest and to breath. It´s the wakening after a long period of hibernation, obscurity and worries. The students and all the young people get together, flirting, laughing and singing. We feel better with ourselves and with the others, and we want to show the best part of ourselves.”alla a lo lejos puedes escuchar a un amor de primavera”sings someone while strumming a guitar, and the sun is shinning so brightly that even hurts my eyes. My friends are there, the ones I love. Communion and celebration of life, another stage, another beginning, the same old jokes, a stolen kiss in a dark room(it was only a game). The happiness of being youth and alive, the pleasure of living for today,not for tomorrow. I´m full of memories now, I´m very opimistic today.It´s maybe because of spring...

Sex, drugs and drugs(and Rock ´n´ Roll?)

I´m not a Rocker, though I love Rock music and it is mainly the only kind of music I listen to. I don´t consider myself to be a Rocker, simply because I love music, not the Rock ´n´ Roll lifestyle. Or maybe I have another idea of what Rock should be: for me it is not a kind of music,because several artists that don´t play Rock in the strict sense of the word are considered to be Rockers(it´s the case of such differents groups as Coldplay, Björk and Pink Floyd). In my opinion, it´s more than a type of music, it is an attitude and a way of seeing art. Maybe these groups don´t play Rock because their music is very far from the stardard of what a Rock band should be(simple tunes,heavy distortion,short songs,tough attitude,rebellious and provocative lyrics). I consider that Rock should be seen as freedom, artistic freedom I mean: the musician should have the liberty to express what he really feels, without boundaries or prejudice. I think that music in general should be like this. The problem is when the lifestyle or the attitude that rock music praises starts to eclipse music itself. Today I see that it is more important to show an image and to pretend to be a rock star than actually playing and composing good music and give a message. For example Charly Garcia, what happened with him?I used to admire him a lot,because of his genious and the music he used to make. Also because of the way he interpreted Argentina´s reality with his lyrics in those difficult times of the military dictatorship. At that time, Rock music had a creative power that could face any imposition of the state and make people able to think for themselves and find what was really important. It used to be an intellectual tool to free our spirits and to help us improve the world and our lives. But nowadays Rock has became a silly and insubtancial vehicle for stupidity, praising the drug consumption and poor musical quality. It is the case of Pity of the group Intoxicados: he is just a poor junky who couldn´t say something coherent and composes songs about drugs, criminality and other bullshit. He is supposed to represent the spirit of Rock ´n´Roll, and he looks like a dumb puppet whose main ambitions are to get laid and to smoke marijuana. He reminds me of a character played by the comediant Diego Capusotto, called Pomelo(you have to see the way Capusotto mockes the Rocker´s lifestyle). I´m trying to say that nowadays Rock has become something that has no substance and message, just part of the establishment that destroy music,ideas and creativity(just think about Mtv). However, there are still some bands that I consider to keep the real spirit of Rock alive; there are bands which just don´t care about fame and fortune and try to do good music and to open people´s minds.

Uninspired

What else do you want to know? I have told you about my lifes( we don´t have only one life,but several). About my hope and joy, about my hatred and rage, about my lovers and my kith and kin, about my nightmares and my dreams, the future and the past,my real self and my masks, my places, my moments, my people, my belongings. I´ve never told you about the things I would never speak about, about the secrets lying within, about the things untold, about the frustation and the emptyness. My memories, the love and the promised land, the strings and wires, the laugher and the jokes, the people I´ve lost and the people I´ve found,about the pain and the fear, about the absent god and the oblivion,time and space,books,songs,movies,thoughts,words,art,salvation,good and evil,life,life itself.What else do you want to know,my friend?

Hail to the criminal

Some days ago I watched a TV programme, I don´t remember its name but it doesn´t matter. The TV programme was about the life of the prisoners in jail in our country. The series showed the way these people live, and the production of the tv programme gave them a small camera in order to shoot themselves doing the things they do in prison. The programme also has a special section where the prisoners, dressed very formally as teachers, “teach” their argot and expressions they commonly use. In addition, during the commercial break, there was an advertisement that incite people to sent a SMS to get the criminal jargon in their mobile phone. To be honest, I couldn´t believe what I was watching. I know that this shouldn´t surprise me, but I am worried and angry: worried because this shows the state of decomposition in which our moral values are, and I´m angry to see this people,real criminals who should spend all their in prison for what they have done, showed as models of behaviour. It was the “cumbia villera” first, that praise this marginal lifestyle that impose a trend toward people of all social classes. And now we have to witness this, which is terrible. We have to take into account that these people are criminals, they have killed, raped or stolen. They did something that is not good, and their victims and the family of their victims suffered from what they did. I´m not so symphatetic with these kind of people, and I don´t think that being in jail will change them for better or they will be able to be part of the society again. I think that these people is evil, and I´m focusing on murderers and rapists. They are locked in there to pay all the suffering they have caused; it seems that we have forgotten about the victims and now criminals have all the rights and approval of society(thay even have a tv programme). I have to say something, it doesn´t matter your social class,we don´t have to generalize; there are people who are extremely poor and they don´t need to go out and to steal and kill. They are honest people, who do everything they can to feed their children and to try to have a decent life. Criminal are everywhere, and we have to discriminate these people;they are on the streets,but also are part of a government or have a impressive house in a posh neighbourhood. I can´t believe in the state we are, I can´t believe the way we are destroying culture and values. It seems that today everyone wants to be vulgar and speak like a “chorro”.We have to do something as society,we have to do it right now and we should have to control more the things that are broadcast on TV.

A wise decision

I feel very glad and proud of studying in the Lola Mora institute,and I´m also glad to know that I´m about to finish my career there. As some of you know,I started studying English at the university,many years ago. At that time I didn´t know if I would like to be a teacher or have a bachelor´s degree in English Language. I was there because I liked English and I wanted to know more. However, I didn´t like to be there;for me studying at the university was not a good experience at all. I had to face many changes and went through many difficulties at that time;I had just finished secondary school and I wasn´t accustom to that lifestyle at all. First of all, I live in Tafi Viejo and the Facultad de Filosofia y Letras is very,very far from my house. At that time I had my first classes at 7.30 am,so I had to get up at about 5.30 am to be on time. I had to do this everyday and it was very hard. But the thing I disliked most about studying there is that it is too impersonal: you cannot keep a relationship with your classmates because it is very difficult to find someone that takes the same classes as you. So, you have to forget about having a big group of friends or a study group. Fortunately ,I knew a very good fellow who was taking the same classes as me and we became good friends. In spite of this, the worst part of studying English there is that you hardly could speak the language in class: the classrooms were so crowded that it was impossible to have any interaction with the teacher, and it was also very uncomfortable to study there because of the lack of space. It was very hard to find a good place to sit and to be near to the teacher in order to listen to him.One thing that is worth mentioning is that we hardly had normal classes; there always were strikes and when you were able to have a normal class there were always some people from political parties of the UNT that interrupted the class to speak bullshit(I have to say that I really hate those wannabe politicians).I have to admit that the level at university is very good and you learn a lot, but the things that you have to dealt with there overshadow this. At that time I wasn´t very succesful with my studies so I had to quit university and to start working. I worked for a few months and then I decided to take up my carrer again. But this time I wanted to go to a terciary institution:I heard of a very good institution where you could study to be a techer of English and it wasn´t a private institution.So, I went to the Lola Mora.I think it was the best decision I have ever made:the level is very good,there are excellent teachers which you can learn a lot from and I feel grateful for having them. But the best part is the good people I met there. Thanks to this institution I could meet my friends and classmates, and my dear girlfriend. It is amazing how things can end up, and I think I was very lucky. I made a good decision and I´m thankful for each second I spend there, in this lovely place that I love so much and it will always be here,in my heart.

Untitled #3

What is left for us?many,many things,I know we have enough to take
We have our sweet present and the promise of a brand new day
That shinning future is waiting for us,we just have to struggle a little bit more.
What if we fail?what if we couldn´t catch the day?
It doesn´t matter, my love,you know that I´m here for you and you are here for me
And that it will be what it should be
There is nothing taken for granted,there is nothing to fear
If we build it together, as it has always been
I know that we can make it,I know that it´s our destiny
No matter what happens,I will be certain that we tried it...

Take my hand,stay with me,I don´t know why but I´m still afraid
But I know it for sure that it will be what it should be

Democracy

Last week we have the opportunity to celebrate democracy;we have to choose our new governor and several other leaders.I said celebrate,because we have the luck of choosing the people we want to be in the government;we are free to vote and express our willingness.We live in a country that has suffered one of the bloodiest dictatorships in Latin America;fortunately those days are gone but an important lesson was left:protect democracy.I know that there is a lack of trust in our politicians,and I think they deserve this.It is a shame that we are a third world country,that we need to “grow up” and become huge, and that there are some(the vast majority of them)politicians that put democracy at risk.I said it is a shame,because in my opinion democracy is the best socio-political system,or at least the less worse.I think that it is the best system,because there is freedom(or it should be)of choosing and being.We have to give an opportunity to this system of government;it is not easy to deal with democracy,because I think we are not accustom to being free of choosing and giving our opinion.But why do I think that democracy is the best system?Because I think that the right and the left in politics are the same because both of them impose of rules:there´s is not freedom nor respect.In totalitarian governments, people must do whatever the people in power wants them to do;on the other hand,in socialist government there is a “virtual” freedom but one have to do everything that is good for the society´s welfare.In both systems there are tyranny and lack of freedom and respect for each individual.I think that as a young country,we have to defend democracy and keep it.We as young people have to exercise our right to choose what we want to and to be part of the society.I know that we are sick of all this corruption and injustice,but by trying to respect this system of government,by trying to defend our rights and by behaving in the right way,with respect and honesty, we can change this reality.I think that we must to raise our moral values,we have to educate people,which I think is the most important thing to build up a strong society.I know that this sound as a cliché,that it sounds like the words of a politician would say,but I think it is the truth,or at least it is my truth.I`m very hurt by the way thing are,it seems that everything is rotten and nobody gives a damn about anything.I don´t really care about politics, but I know it is important and I do believe that a good democracy,conducted by honest people is the answer to our problems.

Woman

I have the obligation to write about them,because they are a huge part of my life,and I am so accustomed to being with them that I think I understand them very well.As you know,I am studying to be a teacher of English, a subject in which the vast majority of students are women,maybe because for their ability to language(that´s why they speak so much,ha-ha).Being a man in a territory which is usually owned by women could be seen as something difficult,but this is not my case.On the contrary,I feel that I´m treated well and there´s a special care for me,maybe because I´m the only man and they see me as a little brother.I´m very used to being with woman;I live with my mother,my sister,my niece and my brother,so they are the majority.As some friends told me,they think that I´m special,because I´m a “feminine” boy(without being gay,ha-ha)I think this is true in a way,maybe because I don´t like sports and I´m more concerned with topics that generally interest more to women than men.And there´s also the fact that I believe in frienship between men and women.I also have to say that I have a girlfriend,and I usually spend more time being with her than with my male friends.I think that I get on well with her because we have in common many things,we both like English,we study in the same institution and have the same people as friends and classmates.This great exposure to the women´s world gave me a different way of seeing things.It is true that men are more practical than women,and that women are more concerned with feelings and emotions.One thing that I really appreciate about women is the way they go through life.They are very honest with their feelings,and they will always do what they feel,no matter the cost and the consequences.This is very different from men,because we tend to think in a practical way and try to take advantage of any situation,in a way we are much colder and pay more attention to what our brain says instead of our heart.However,women are more honest with their feelings;when they have a feeling about something they just go ahead.In my opinion they are more impulsive than men.But I think that the greatest thing I learnt from them is their courage,their willingness to achieve something in spite of the hardships and difficulties;and they can do all these without losing their tenderness and charm.Woman tend to be more confident than men and this makes them stronger.I have to say that I really admire them,because they are part of my life and I love them so much,because of their strenght,their sweetness,their beauty and courage.Because they are our mothers,our sisters,our friends,our wifes,our girlfriends,our daughters.Even though they have to suffer the violence of our chauvinist world,they are always there,facing all the problems and struggling for finding their own place and their own voice.Thank you girls for all your wisdom.

Reading Log n33

Date:September 19th, 2007
Title:Languages die, but not their last words
Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/19/science/19language.html?ei=5087%0A&em=&en=3c8759a4899f95db&ex=1190347200&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1190228257-lZtM2OiYNasCbX+xqkQPfw

Vocabulary

1-strained:affected or produced by effort; not natural or spontaneous; forced: strained hospitality.
2-basin:a hollow or depression in the earth's surface, wholly or partly surrounded by higher land: river basin.
3-moribund:on the verge of extinction or termination.
4-exceed:to go beyond in quantity, degree, rate, etc.: to exceed the speed limit.
5-mammal:any vertebrate of the class Mammalia, having the body more or less covered with hair, nourishing the young with milk from the mammary glands, and, with the exception of the egg-laying monotremes, giving birth to live young.

Summary

A vast mayority of the languages spoken in the world are in danger of extinction, especially Indigenous languages. This happens because of the domination of other languages, such as English, spanish or portuguese, and the few remaining people who still speak these languages. However, there are researchers who are interested in making a record of these endangered languages.

Personal Reaction

Very interesting article about the endangered languages. To be honest, I was surprised to know that there are so many languages and that half of them are likely to disappear. I think that the work the researchers are doing to preserve them is very important , eventhough these languages won´t be used anymore. I think that the extinction of a language is natural process, and it happens due to the disappearence of the civilization that used it and the dominance of other languages worlwide.

Reading Log n32

Date: September 16th,2007
Title:Dylan and The Beatles: Together again!
Link:http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1662350-1,00.html

Vocabulary

1-freight:goods, cargo, or lading transported for pay, whether by water, land, or air.
2-summon:to call for the presence of, as by command, message, or signal; call.
3-gory:covered or stained with gore; bloody.
4-oneiric:of or pertaining to dreams.
5-zeitgeist:the spirit of the time; general trend of thought or feeling characteristic of a particular period of time.
6-snit:an agitated or irritated state.
7-bustle:to move or act with a great show of energy (often fol. by about): He bustled about cooking breakfast.
8-zestful:characterized by keen relish, hearty enjoyment, etc.
9-hoist:to raise or lift, esp. by some mechanical appliance: to hoist a flag; to hoist the mainsail.
10-raffish:gaudily vulgar or cheap; tawdry.
11-heck:(used as a mild expression of annoyance, rejection, disgust, etc.): What the heck do you care?
12-hobo:a tramp or vagrant.

Summary

Two movies based and inspired by the lives and artistic careers of Bob Dylan and The Beatles are being shown at the Toront Film Festival this week. The Beatles´ movie called "Across the universe" is a film inspired in the group´s music and imagery with does not portray their lives but illustrates characters and situations based on their music and their era."I´m not there" is a movie about singer-songwriter Bob Dylan played by several actors which portray him in different moments of his life.

Personal Reaction

I don´t know if I would like to watch these movies,maybe because of the criticism the author of the article makes of them. They seems to be rather strange, because they are not just biopics but they are inspired by the music and lives of these artist. I have seen these kind of movies and I really didn´t like them. They were "Last Days" an "Interpretation" of Kurt Cobain´s days before his suicide and the other one was "Velvet Goldmine" a movie based on the days of the Glam Rock. I really like watching good movies about the lives of famous musicians, what it is called biopics. I have watched some good movies of this kind, such as "Ray",which is about Ray Charles´ life.

Reading Log n31

Date: September 12th,2007
Title: Who needs hackers?
Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/12/technology/techspecial/12threat.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1

Vocabulary

1-ripple:to flow with a light rise and fall or ruffling of the surface.
2-mobster:A member of a criminal gang or crime syndicate.
3-pipeline:a long tubular conduit or series of pipes, often underground, with pumps and valves for flow control, used to transport crude oil, natural gas, water, etc., esp. over great distances.
4-grid:a system of electrical distribution serving a large area, esp. by means of high-tension lines.
5-outage:an interruption or failure in the supply of power, esp. electricity.
6-deluged:anything that overwhelms like a flood: a deluge of mail.
7-cobble:to put together roughly or clumsily.
8-levee:an embankment designed to prevent the flooding of a river.
9-fledgling:young, new, or inexperienced: a fledgling diver.
10-glitch:a defect or malfunction in a machine or plan.
11-chad:a small paper disk or square formed when a hole is punched in a punch card or paper tape.
12-ballot:a slip or sheet of paper, cardboard, or the like, on which a voter marks his or her vote.

Summary

International travelers flying into Los Angeles International Airport — more than 17,000 of them — were stuck on planes for hours one day in mid-August after computers for the United States Customs and Border Protection agency went down and stayed down for nine hours.
One should think that this kind of things happens due to the intrusion of hackers in the systems, but this was not the case. Many of these malfuctions occur due to the lack of back up that these complex computer systems have, so the work of hackers is just one of the many apparent causes for informatics chaos.

Personal reaction

It is amazing that people can create such complex computer systems that when they malfunction, they don´t know the cause.Sometimes technology develops in such a way and so fast that even people who work in this field are overwhelm by the problems they have to face when one of the systems colapses. I think that they should a little more time studying the possible unintended consequences and develop ways to avoid them.

Reading Log n30

Date:September 9th,2007
Title:Words don´t mean what they mean
Link:http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1659772-2,00.html

Vocabulary

1-shilly-shally:to show indecision or hesitation; be irresolute; vacillate.
2-innuendo:An indirect or subtle, usually derogatory implication in expression; an insinuation.
3-etching:the act or process of making designs or pictures on a metal plate, glass, etc., by the corrosive action of an acid instead of by a burin.
4-hapless:unlucky; luckless; unfortunate.
5-euphemistic:the substitution of a mild, indirect, or vague expression for one thought to be offensive, harsh, or blunt.
6-inane:lacking sense, significance, or ideas; silly: inane questions.
7-flunky:a male servant in livery.
8-amicably:characterized by or showing goodwill; friendly; peaceable: an amicable settlement.
9-asset:a useful and desirable thing or quality: Organizational ability is an asset.
10-fistula:Pathology. a narrow passage or duct formed by disease or injury, as one leading from an abscess to a free surface, or from one cavity to another.
11-sheathe:to cover or provide with a protective layer or sheathing: to sheathe a roof with copper.

Summary

When people speak they play roles, say their words indirectly and with vagueness and ambiguity.Such hypocrisy is a human universal.But,why don´t people say what they mean?Apart from expressing what we want to say,we also negotiate our relationships through language. Indirect speech is widely used in every aspect of human life,ranging from romantic relationship to the field of diplomacy.This is a social currency with real value.

Personal Reaction

Very interesting article about the use of language. I have to say that I´m rather familiarized with this subject matter,because we have been dealing with it since we started studying linguistic. If it wasn´t for linguistics,I wouldn´t realize how powerful language is and the importamt role that it plays in our lives.Apart from being interesting,this article is really funny indeed,using examples to show the writer´s opinion.

Reading Log n29

Date: September 4th,2007
Title:The art of soldiering
Link:http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1657770,00.html

Vocabulary

1-NATO:an organization formed in Washington, D.C. (1949), comprising the 12 nations of the Atlantic Pact together with Greece, Turkey, and the Federal Republic of Germany, for the purpose of collective defense against aggression.
2-ammunition:the material fired, scattered, dropped, or detonated from any weapon, as bombs or rockets, and esp. shot, shrapnel, bullets, or shells fired by guns.
3-skirmish:Military. a fight between small bodies of troops, esp. advanced or outlying detachments of opposing armies.
4-cum:with; combined with; along with (usually used in combination): My garage-cum-workshop is well equipped.
5-shrapnel:a hollow projectile containing bullets or the like and a bursting charge, designed to explode before reaching the target, and to set free a shower of missiles.
6-minutiae:precise details; small or trifling matters: the minutiae of his craft.
7-sundry:various or diverse: sundry persons.
8-cot:a light portable bed, esp. one of canvas on a folding frame.

Summary

"Helmand: The Soldier´s Story"is an exhibition running at the Britain´s National Army Museum in London. Real video and audio footage are part of this exhibition, which shows the horrors and madness of war and at the same time the day to day of british soldiers in Afghanistan.Soldier´s belongings are also part of this show,donated by more than 150 soldiers.People who attend the exhibition can write their reactions on a uncensored message board.A great variety of messages were written, from strong criticism to war and the exhibition´s material to messages supporting the troops.

Personal Reaction

While I was reading this article,I felt very sad and terrify.This kind of "museum of horror and death"may be very shocking,because of the footage´s content and the nature of the exhibition.To be honest,I wouldn´t like to attend this show;I know that war is the worst thing humankind has invented,and I don´t need to see it in an exhibition.The content of the videos shown in this exhibition seem to reflect the madness and cruelty of the soldiers involved in a war,it doesn´t matter their country.But I also think that some of them are just victims of this sick and rotten world.

Reading Log n28

Date:August 31th,2007
Title:Hardcore of child drinkers defy downward trend
Link:http://www.guardian.co.uk/drugs/Story/0,,2160056,00.html

Vocabulary

1-hardcore: An intractable core or nucleus of a society, especially one that is stubbornly resistant to improvement or change.
2-tipsy:slightly intoxicated or drunk.
3-pint:a liquid and also dry measure of capacity, equal to one half of a liquid and dry quart respectively, approximately 35 cubic inches (0.473 liter). Abbreviation: pt, pt.
4-binge:a period or bout, usually brief, of excessive indulgence, as in eating, drinking alcoholic beverages, etc.; spree.
5-truant:absent from school without permission.
6-downward:moving or tending to a lower place or condition.
7-staggering:tending to stagger or overwhelm: a staggering amount of money required in the initial investment.

Summary

A poll taken place in England showed that they was a reduction in the consumption of alcohol among teenagers between 11 to 15 years old,but there was an increase in the consumption in those who drink.This survey also showed that drinking alcohol is more common between boys than girls,but the ones who drink are drinking more than ever before.It is worth noting that children who drink alcohol are more likely to smoke or to take drugs.People from the health secretary criticized the government because their message didn´t seem to get children. The study also showed that children are likely to drink alcohol if they live with people who regularly do it.

Personal Reaction

This poll showed that even first world countries as England have this problem.It is worrying that this practice is so common among teenagers, and it makes me wonder where their parent are and the way they are educating their children.I think that the only way to solve this problem is to be responsible as parents and to take care of our children.The government also must control and punish people who sell alcohol to teenagers.

Reading Log n27

Date:August 29th,2007
Title:Even gangters need their mamas
Link:http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1656202,00.html

Vocabulary

1-throng:a multitude of people crowded or assembled together; crowd.
2-channel:To serve as a medium for (a spirit guide).
3-cred:credibility among young fashionable urban individuals
4-demobilize:to disband (troops, an army, etc.).
5-bay:the situation of a person or thing that is forced actively to oppose or to succumb to some adverse condition (usually prec. by at or to).
6-raspy:harsh; grating; rasping.
7-pamper:to treat or gratify with extreme or excessive indulgence, kindness, or care: to pamper a child; to pamper one's stomach.
8-slingshot:a Y-shaped stick with an elastic strip between the prongs for shooting stones and other small missiles.

Summary

A reintegration programme carried out in Nicaragua is fighting against gangs but without violence;they try to reintegrate young criminals to society by working in the government.Nowadays,Nicaragua has a Sandinista government in power and they are giving gangsters an opportunity to change their lives and be part of the society.This programme has been very successful in reintegrating young gangs and it shows that it is possible to battle gangsters without violence:government should just give them a chance.

Personal Reaction

It is hard to believe that the Nicaragua´s government is fighting against gangsters without using violence and that they are being successful in doing it.However,if this is true it is good to know that we can solve problems without violence and by just giving these people a chance to be part of society once again.I think that the solution to all these problems is education and opportunities.

Masks

It is true that we all wear masks?Can we be different people depending on the situation and the time?I think that it is true.I don´t know about you,but I have always had the strange feeling that I´m a very different person depending on who I am talking to.I mean, maybe I am not so different at all, but some features of my personality seems to be more prominent than others when dealing with people.For example,apart from the "masks" we wear when we are performing our duties(e.g:a student,a son,a member of the society)I think that I change some aspects of my personality when I am with my friends,my classmates or my girlfriend.Yes, I know that what I´m saying could sound rather obvious,but this metamorphosis makes me wonder who I really am.Maybe I´m just all the things I am when interacting with different people, or maybe I am not.Maybe it is just the fact that dealing with people all the time doesn´t alow us to take off our masks and show our real selves.So this leads me to the conclusion that we are real only when we are alone.However,it is very difficult to know yourself well, to know who you really are.It takes time and to be mature enough to be aware of your virtues and faults, to decide what you really want to do with your life and to know what you don´t want to.It takes a lot of time, and a lot of experience and to go through hardships and good times to meet the "real" you.The fact that we are different people depending on the situation and the people involved,makes us improve some parts of our personality and be better people.Maybe wearing masks is a good thing,but we always have to be honest with ourselves.Our masks should be an extension of our personality;we don´t have to use them to make the others believe something we are not.But the real problem is when we start to believe in that false image of ourselves.Why is it so dangerous?because you are fooling yourself, and you will feel bad sooner or later. I think that it is important to be honest with yourself because by doing it maybe you will find the key for happiness,or at least you will be able to see things clearly.Sometimes it is very hard to accept the way we are;it is so awful to be aware of your own faults and limitations.But I think we have to face the fact that we have to deal with ourselves from the cradle to the grave, and we can be either our best friends or our worst enemies.

My 10 commandments

I took this idea from the Rolling Stone magazine,where there is a section that famous people comment on their favourites albums.The albums I chose are without a specific order and I recommend you to listen to them,they are really good.This is a kind of tribute to the musicians that fill my life with their art:
1-Radiohead-"The bends":I have a special feeling for this record because it reminds of a very difficult time in my life.It is an album filled with strong emotions that makes you feel overwhelmed.
2-Nirvana-"Unplugged in New York":I should have listened to this album about 1000 times in summertime when I was younger and my sister gave it to me as a present.It is so sad because it´s one of the latest Kurt Cobain´s live performances.By listening to this record you can realize that he was a true artist.
3-Keane-"Hopes and fears":My friends´favourite record;all of my friends and classmates for the Lola Mora have this record.By listening to it,the album takes me to a specific moment in my life.It brings me very good memories.
4-The verve-"Urban hymns":This record also reminds of a very special time in my life.I really love the songs "the drugs don´t work"and "sonnet".
5-Sigur Rós-"Ágaetis byrjun":They are my new favourite band;I discovered them last year and it was a revelation.The have made me change the way I perceive music. very pure and extremely beautiful music.Once you listen to it,it touches your heart and soul and stays there forever .
6-Jeff Buckley"Grace":It is a shame that this artist is not so popular and his music is not well known.Though he died some years ago,his music remains and specially the sound of his voice:In my opinion he is one of the best rock singers of all time,only comparable with Freddie Mercury.
7-The Killers-"Hot Fuss":Everything I like about pop music and glam is here.They are american,but they sound british.I think they are the future of pop music,I hope so.
8-Pink Floyd-"The wall":What can I say about this masterpiece?a complet work of art,you only have to what the movie to realize it.superb.
9-The Beatles-"Revolver":I could choose any Beatles´s album,all of them are excellent.They introduce me to the Rock world,I will always be a big fan of them.I just love them.
10-Oasis-"Definitely Maybe":They had everything a rock band should have:attitude,good songs and popularity.Though they have lost the talent that made them so special,they were a very important band that revitalized the genre.

This is just to say...

This is just to say that I´m very scared today
Because once again I have to face my duties
because as my friend said"this is the beginning of the end"
it´s rather strange,I want to leave but at the same time I want to stay
and when I finish it I must start again
I said that I was scared,because everything is momentary and time seems to waste
but only the memories will remain.

Reading Log n26

Date: August 27th,2007
Title: Geeks vs. G-men
Link: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,991205-1,00.html

Vocabulary

1-g-men:an agent for the FBI.
2-rambunctious:difficult to control or handle; wildly boisterous: a rambunctious child.
3-retaliatory:to return like for like, esp. evil for evil: to retaliate for an injury.
4-cuff:to strike with the open hand; beat; buffet.
5-fed: Slang. a federal official or law-enforcement officer.
6-indict:(of a grand jury) to bring a formal accusation against, as a means of bringing to trial: The grand jury indicted him for murder.
7-tantrum:a violent demonstration of rage or frustration; a sudden burst of ill temper.
8-du jour:fashionable; current: environmentalism and other issues du jour.
9-shenanigans:mischief; prankishness: Halloween shenanigans.
10-phony:insincere or deceitful; affected or pretentious: a phony sales representative.

Summary

There has never been much love lost between geeks and G-men. But after a big software-piracy crackdown in 1990 generated more bad publicity than convictions, the feds have largely held their fire.In the past few weeks, meanwhile, things have got out of hand. The trouble began when a gH member named Eric Burns, who is suspected of hacking the White House home page, was indicted in Virginia on unrelated charges. In response, someone calling himself Israeli Ghost hit fbi.gov with a massive "denial of service" attack--a nasty form of info warfare in which a host site is flooded with requests (in this case, 600,000 per second) that paralyze it.
The hackers, as usual, say government webmasters have no one to blame but themselves; the notoriously sloppy security at gov websites has turned them into hacker magnets.Of course, that won't make much of a defense should the cybervandals ever find themselves in court. The FBI says it isn't planning any more arrests soon. In the meantime, expect more of this phony war: no charges, no collateral damage and a heck of a lot of posturing--on both sides.

Personal Reaction

This is a very interesting article, because we tend to think that this issue(hackers against the government)happens only in the movies.However,I don´t see the point in hacking and bothering the FBI;it seems so childish because hackers don´t achieve anything by doing it but to keep these institutions occupied.They won´t get anything by doing these,because the government is not so stupid to leave important things to be discovered in their websites.
I really think that these kinds of hackers are fools, because they have a vast knowledge on computers but they don´t know how to make a profit of it.

Self portrait

27 years here...
argentinean,male,single...
music lover and anglophile...
a dead father and a strong mother...
obsessive compulsive...
fear of the future...
like to go to England and Iceland...
sometimes an outsider...
passionate and ironic...
egotist and bad-humoured(usually)...
like girls and being with them...
don´t like crowded buses...
bad at sports...
have very good people as friends..
one sweet love...some lovers left behind...
want to be happy and quiet....
always trying to keep a balance and to find a meaning...
everyday is a battle...
thankful for other people´s help and inspiration...
too much exposed sometimes...
unwilling to change...
eager to believe...
carpe diem...

Reading Log n25

Title:Strange? Us?
Link:http://arts.guardian.co.uk/fridayreview/story/0,,1556102,00.html
Date:August 24th,2007

Vocabulary

1-curl up:to become curved or undulated.
2-tuck into:to put into a small, close, or concealing place: Tuck the money into your wallet.
3-babble:to talk idly, irrationally, excessively, or foolishly; chatter or prattle.
4-dispense:to deal out; distribute: to dispense wisdom.
5-glasnost:A Russian word meaning “openness,” which describes the policy of Mikhail Gorbachev, premier of the former Soviet Union. The term refers to a general loosening of government control on all aspects of life in the Soviet Union, even to the point of permitting criticism of government policies.

6-tundra:a vast treeless plain in the Arctic regions where the subsoil is permanently frozen.
7-nonplus:a state of utter perplexity.
8-chirrup:To make clucking or clicking sounds with the lips, as in urging on a horse.
9-bequeath:to dispose of (personal property, esp. money) by last will.
10-flicker:To move waveringly; flutter: shadows flickering on the wall.

Summary

Sigur Rós is an icelandic band, which music is so strange and difficut to label that some people called their style as "post-rock" or "nü gaze".The strange thing about them is that usually their songs don´t have titles and they are sung in a made-up language that they called "vonleska".It is also unusual the great amount of famous people who are fan of their music;some of them are Gillian Anderson,Chris Martin and Tommy Lee.
Eventhough their music is strange,it is very beautiful and today Sigur Rós are the second most known artists from Iceland,behind Björk.Their mysterious image made them receive bad critics from the press,and they usually don´t give interviews.Apart from this,they don´t consider themselves to be "rock stars"and their lead a very quiet and normal life in their natal Iceland.
They claimed that they get their inspiration from simple things,and they are unwilling to explain where they music comes from because they don´t know.Their lyrics(the songs that have lyrics are sung in Icelandic) speak about simple stories,which accompany the strong emotions present in their music.

Personal Reaction

I chose this article because I wanted to know more about one of the band that made me change my way of seeing music.The first time I heard this band I felt that I was in front of something new.It is difficult for me to explain what I feel each time I listen to them,because their music is so beautiful and astonishing and it is hard to express with words.I think that what they do is to go back to the roots,to forget about labels and postures and to really care about music and to do something extraordinary.By listening to this group,I realized that music has still the power to make people feel strong emotions and things that they didn´t know they have inside of them.I hope more people listen to them and feel the same as me.

Dr. Etcheverry´s Lecture

On tuesday we had the chance to listen to a lecture given by Dr. Guillermo Jaim Etcheverry, former dean of the UBA and author of the famous book "La tragedia educativa".The topic of his lecture was "To educate in today´s society".His lecture was based of the main themes of his book and it focused on the impact and the current status of education in our country.
He claimed that society has a false system of values and ethics which are opposed to the educational values that the school as an institution teaches.Nowadays, to achieve something we don´t need to push ourselves to make it,because there is this idea that effort is negative and everything can be done and achieved without it. This idea is one of the many features that characterize this era:postmodernism. Maybe the most salient feature of this era is the powerful influence that the mass media has on society.
Nowadays there is a culture of being youth and society seems to praise this model of behaviour. As a result, everything that is attractive to the youth is seen as something positive and it is imposed by society as a lifestyle. To give an example, nowadays everything has to be done quickly, without further thought or analysis, and image is much more important that words. We can percieve this in the classrooms: nowadays, the learning process have to be fun and dynamic to catch students´s attention and to make the process more enjoyable. This way of approaching education tends to weaken the learning process, because it doesn´t build strong structures of learning in the students´s minds, and as a result, they tend to quickly forget what they have just learned.
The school is also seen as a recreative place and in a more direct way, as a "nursery".Parents generally are not so concerned about the education that their children receive but they see this institution as a place where their children are controlled and have a good time.This fact shows that people don´t really care about education, because in a world that changes so fast it doesn´t matter if you know or not.The contents that school teaches as seen as useless and obsolete.Today, educational institution as become nothing more that dealers of degrees and certifications;it is more important to have an official document that recognises and allowes you to perform a job than actually have the knowledge and expertise in your area.As a result, educational quality is poor and the vision of what is really important is modified.
Today the main problem that educators have to face is the student´s lack of interest in the learning process.The way society is structured imposes the idea that the only thing that is important is the present;people live for today and they don´t think about the future. There is also a devaluation of the past and what we can learn from it.By giving importance to the present, we are not building our future and we are not projecting our lives.
Another fact that seems to destroy the educational quality is the misuse of the tecnology in this field.The impact of the Internet tempts educators to just sit their students in front of a computer and to let them manipulate the information.It is true that the Net is an incredible and vast source of information, but using it in this way won´t give good results.To learn something we have to know how to deal with the information; to sum up,students have to acquire techniques and strategies to use information and to learn from it.
The family, as the basic structure of society, pays an important role in education; there´s a lack of respect for the authorithy and the educators in general, which weaken their influence on children and adolescents.Teaching is seen as something that is imposed and the school is considered as a dictatorial institution that oppress students.Parents don´t impose authority to their children and they are allies against the educational institution.Nowadays, the roles are interchangeble and parents are their children´s friends;as a result, they loss authority and respect and they are unwilling to educate them.
It is our responsability as educators and as parents to change these facts and to know that education is of vital importance,because it not only gives skills for a job but it also makes people grow as individuals and shows us what we are capable to do,what we can be.People´s lives is something valuable and education gives us a chance to transcend.

Reading Log n24

Title:When sadness is a good thing
Link:http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1653643,00.html
Date: August 16th,2007

Vocabulary

1-quaint: strange, peculiar, or unusual in an interesting, pleasing, or amusing way: a quaint sense of humor.
2-tout:to describe or advertise boastfully; publicize or promote; praise extravagantly: a highly touted nightclub.
3-dejection:depression or lowness of spirits.
4-bereavement: state of sorrow over the death or departure of a loved one
5-prompt:to move or induce to action.
6-dean:the head of a faculty, school, or administrative division in a university or college: the dean of admissions.
7-trait:A genetically determined characteristic or condition: a recessive trait.
8-outpatient:a patient who receives treatment at a hospital, as in an emergency room or clinic, but is not hospitalized.
9-BlackBerry: a wireless handheld device with e-mail, telephone, text messaging, Internet faxing and browsing services, and PDA applications.
10-compendium:a brief treatment or account of a subject, esp. an extensive subject; concise treatise: a compendium of medicine.

Summary

In the 60´s there were ads that touted a tranquilizer for people who feel sad because of the normal vicissitudes of life.This ad was quickly stopped by the FDA because it was dangerous for people to take drugs whenever they feel blue and without a mediacl treatment.
Nowadays,comparing with the 60´s,there are more people taking antidepressants and traquilizers than ever before;there is a legal drug culture that is socially accepted and there is the idea that being sad is an illness.However,experts agree that this practise is dangerous,because people tens to confuse normal sadness,which appears after the lose of something important in someone´s life,and a depressive disorder.
In this era,there has been a change in the definition of the depressive disorders,and nowadays anytime a person feels blue for a time he or she is treated as he or she as a depressive disorder.It is necessary to make a broad definition of what is a mental and emotional disorder such as depression to prevent people who suffer for a normal melancholy to be treated as an illness.We have to know that this feeling of misery and sadness after something unwanted has happened is normal and we don´t need to take medicine to cope with it.

Personal Reaction

The topic dealt in this article reminds of the novel"Brave New World"where people take a drug similar to an antidepressant called Soma each time they feel slightly unhappy.I agree with the author of this article;I think that we are a society which is accustumed to legal drugs and to take them without responsability and a proper medical control.We always take drugs not only when we feel sad but also when we are suffering from any small pain.
We have to realize that this practice is very dangerous and also this make us reflect about the quality of the lifestyle we are leading.The increase in the abuse of legal drugs makes us think about the way our society is made and the way we behave when we have to face everyday problems.

One In a Million-The Romantics

The 80´s are back!!!This video reminds me of my childhood.It´s very funny and a rather kitsch,hope you enjoy it.

An excellent joke

Yesterday I was scared to death due to a "strange" event that my friends and me had the chance to witness.Yesterday evening I went to my friend´s house to see them and to stay there to listen to some music and chat.When I knocked on the door, after a while my friend opened it and invited to come in.As we were walking to his room,he told me"are you ready to see something unbelievable?"I said"yes,of course,I am always ready"he laughed and said"you won´t believe this".When we got to the room,there were almost my entire group of friends,and they were astonished to see me coming."What happened"I said,and someone explained me what was going on."Look",Ramon said,"we have here a computer programme that can guess what is going on right here and can guess everything about anyone´s life".At that time I didn´t believe what they were saying.He also told me that this programme was able to communicate with "spirits" of dead people.I said"no,you are kidding me!!!",they said"ask her something,her name(the spirit´s name)is Liza","OK,ask her what´s the colour of the coat I´m wearing",I said,Ramon quickly typed and the answer came quickly,"black"(the answer was showed on the screen).I couldn´t believe what I was seeing."Ok",I said,"ask her what I am studying",Ramon typed again and the answer appeared on the screen inmediatly,"English",I began to feel afraid and my legs started shaking.Some said,"ask her what we are listening to at the moment",the programme answered,"Los Piojos"wow!!!this was amazing but at the same time so frightening.I asked my friends where they got it,and they told me that a friend of theirs gave it,but they didn´t know where he had taken it from.They also told me that the "spirit" had guessed other things such as their profesional future,what they did yesterday,etc.I was so confused that I couldn´t think clearly.Ok, it couldn´t be a joke because it was impossible to fake it,there was no way to do it.I stayed there some time and then I went quickly to my house.I told my mother what had happened and she was very astonished also.I told her that I was going to the cyber and I was going to look for it at the internet.There was something inside of me that told me that this wasn´t possible.I have always been a sceptic,and I don´t believe in those things about spirits and ghosts and all that,I have always though that that was a bunch of bullshit.So I got to the cyber,asked for a PC and look for it at the internet:IT WAS A JOKE.The programme is called Liza or "Pedro responde",which is the newest version.It was made for joking with your friends and made them believe that you are communicating with spirits.The person that is playing a joke is the one that types and asks the spirit questions;he has to make the other person say the answer to the question aloud and when he types"liza,favor de contestar esta pregunta"he is actually writing the answer thanks to a configuration made in the keyboard.when he writes the question and press F5,the right answer appears quickly.When the "medium" doesn´t know the answer or couldn´t steal it from the other,the programme is configurated to answer things like"me niego a responder a eso" and so on.It is a very good programme to play a joke to your friends and to scare them.

Incomprehensible violence

I have to say something: I don´t really like football. Yes, I know that there are times(especially during the world cups)when I get interested in football, maybe because of the magnitude of the events, because of the several countries that participate in it and the(hidden)"patriotism"(if you want to call it like that)that is reborn each time that our selection plays.I know that the fact that I don´t like football turns me into a kind of alien for other men of my age, but unfortunately it doesn´t call my attention(I say unfortunately,because the fact that I don´t like it prevents me from socializing a little bit more with other guys of my age). I have to say also that I went twice to see a football match, it was the matches played by my neighbourood´s team: Talleres. Being there, near the hooligans, I didn´t like this new experience at all.Of course that at the beginning of the match there was excitement, and people there seemed to enjoy what was about to take place;but then you realized that the "hinchas"are not so focus on watching what is happening in the field, but they are paying all their attention in insulting and provoking the other fanatics.You can percieve the violence even in the songs they sing to "support"their team.I had the feeling that a football match was only an excuse for starting a fight and for releasing their anger and disappointment.I know that some people say that the violent acts carry out in the football matches are a reflection of the violence that is part of our society, and that the fanatics go to a stadium to release their anger.This is not an excuse,because the vast mayority of the "barrabravas" are part of a kind of mafia that is protected by the same football clubs they are part of. I know that barrabravas are the average population, I mean, some people who are part of these "hinchadas"are common people, but it doesn´t mean that you have to behave in that way.We can also see the diference in other countries, especially in Europe. In these countries,not taking into account England and all the U.K,which have the same footballistic traditions as Argentina and other South American countries, you can see that there isn´t a high barrier that prevents people from entering the field. This shows the way people behave, and that they are able to enjoy a match without destroying the stadium or killing and hurting other people. It is sad that this vandalism happens in several countries(especially ours)and that people who really enjoy watching this game could not participate or go to the stadium because of some other people´s madness and savagery.Maybe the only way to solve this problem is the strict control from the federations and a little more of respect and education.I know that this is a very big problem, but we have to find a solution anyway.

Reading Log n23

Date:August 16th,2007
Title: The Worst Jobs In America
Link to the Article: http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1648055,00.html
Date of Publication: July 30th,2007

Vocabulary

1-uptick:1. a rise or improvement in business activity, in mood, etc.

2-fringe:3. an outer edge; margin; periphery: on the fringe of the art world.

3-salon:a shop, business, or department of a store offering a specific product or service, esp. one catering to a fashionable clientele: a dress salon; a hair salon.

4-perilous:involving or full of grave risk or peril; hazardous; dangerous: a perilous voyage across the Atlantic in a small boat.

5-bio-hazard: A biological agent, such as a virus or a condition that constitutes a threat to humans, especially in biological research or experimentation.

6-stride:12. a step forward in development or progress: rapid strides in mastering algebra.

7-untoward:1. unfavorable or unfortunate: Untoward circumstances forced him into bankruptcy

8-axe:Informal A sudden termination of employment: My colleague got the ax yesterday.

9-tally:1. an account or reckoning; a record of debit and credit, of the score of a game, or the like.

10-lag:1. to fail to maintain a desired pace or to keep up; fall or stay behind: After five minutes of hard running, some of them began to lag.

11-onus:1. a difficult or disagreeable obligation, task, burden, etc.

Summary

People who works in jobs related to the industrial laundry, supermarket staff and others in the USA receive low wages and they have to work under poor conditions which risk their health. The worst jobs in America are related to these three industries: laudry services, supermarkets and nail salons. The problem is the bad conditions in which people have to work and that the domestic unions that protect them have not a very stromg presence.
Laundry and dry cleanind workers have to manipulate everyday bio-hazard substances that can be very harmful for their health, some of them are waste that comes from hospitals, where you can find needles,blood and body parts between other things.Dry-cleaning workers, too, are at risk from prolonged exposure to chemicals: the dry-cleaning chemicals used in this industry contain high concentrations of PCE.The prolonged exposure to this chemical can harm the central nervous system.
The supermarket staff have to be on their feet all day, repeatedly lifting loads as heavy as 80 lbs., which puts them at risk for musculoskeletal disorders. They also receive low wages because they are paid only in tips.However,the spokeperson for the United Food and Commercial Workers Union claim that this kind of job provides financial security and that they are stable enough to support a family.
In spite of this, there are institutions that control and prevent labor violations.Worker advocates argue that broader enforcement of existing regulations nationwide could help improve conditions for more than 2.5 million supermarket workers.

Personal Reaction

What this article shows is not new,because this problem has been here and in other parts of the world since a long time ago. It is sad and it is not fair that people who have to do these kind of jobsm which are not nice and very dangerous for their health,receive low wages and in the vast mayority of the cases they don´t have an insurance.
The ones who are blamed for the bad conditions in which these people work are the owner of these industries. They only care about improving their business and financial situation, while people who work for them do their jobs in poor conditions. I think that the only solution to this problem is that institutions and the government must control these industries and investigate the way in which workers do their job and their financial situation.

Injustice

Yesterday I pass a very bad moment due to something that happened a few months ago and I though it was forgotten.This is the story: some months ago I was doing my teaching practises at Colegio Nacional; I had finished to do the observations so I began doing my practises. Everything seemed to go ok.I had to practice on mondays and wednesdays;on this day I was allowed to start the class on my own;the teacher who lent her course to practise allowed me to do that because she usually get at school later that day and she didn´t want me to waste my time. On a wednesday I was about to start my class when one man(I didn´t know he was the headmaster)didn´t let me start the class and asked me to go out. He told me that he was the headmaster and that he hadn´t given me his authorization to give the class on my own.I told him that I had the teacher´s authorization and that I had previously spoken with the vice rectora.He didn´t understand this and "invited" me to go out of the class. After this incident I was told by the vice rectora to ask her permission to start the class each time the teacher was late. I tought that this was not necessary,that´s why I made the mistake of starting the class on my own;I tought that with the teacher´s permission was enough.I could finished my practises without problems,but when a classmate of mine wanted to do her practises in this institution, the headmaster told her that all practises had been suspended.Yesterday, my teaching practise teacher told us that she heard that the practises for any career in the Colegio Nacional had been suspended due to a problem they had with a practising teacher:myself. I don´t know what they think that happened, but I felt that I was accused for something that never happened(nothing happened really). What worries me most is that this gossiping is damaging the prestige of the institution where I study.I think that what happened was a lack of respect for my teaching practises teacher and me, and I don´t know what´s the matter with the headmaster.Some people say that he doesn´t get on well with the vice rectora, and I unfortunately was in the eye of the storm. I hope that all this ends up well, because I have just clarify what happened and I don´t want people to start saying things that are not true. I thank my teaching practises teacher for defending me and trying to clarify what really happened.I want you to know that it wasn´t my fault and I´m not the one to be blamed for the suspension of the practises in that institution.

Winter-snow-beauty

I had the good luck to go to San Javier when it was snowing last monday. It was a magical moment and I think that this video captures its beauty.
Music:"Samskeyti" by Sigur Rós

Psychedelic drugs and medicine

Are psychedelic drugs good for you? This is an odd question that carries such controversy that it is very embarrasing to ask. However, new studies on the potencial benefits in the use of hallucinogenic drugs to treat mental diseases will change people´s opinion. Several researches have shown some good results in the use of these psycho-active substances to treat diseases such as obsessive compulsive disorder(OCD) and addictions like alcoholism and other drugs. At the Orenda Institute in Baltimore, USA, scientists are examining LSD as a possible treatment for addiction to heroin, opium,alcohol, and sedatives. Other scientists are focusing their psychedelic research on learning more about the human brain, discovering antidotes to drug overdose, and relieving pain in cancer patients. It seems strange to use a drug to cure the addiction to another drug, but it seems to work.
Psychedelic drugs are called like this because they alter the mind of the user; they can alter perception and the sense of time and space. They produce hallucinations; that is, they make people see and hear things that don´t exist or bring into life to inaminate objects.
These drugs were part of the Hippie culture that raised in the 60`s and they were used for them as a way to connect with the nature and the universe, and other human beings as well. We can percieve their influence in the Hippie fashion and music(the use of bright colours and strange noises that represented the psychedelic experience). One of the pioneers of the use of these kind of drugs in the field of medicine was the psychiatrist Timothy Leary, who carried out researchers on the use of halluginogenics drugs to change and improve human behaviour. At that time, psychedelic drugs were legal and the scientist were allowed to work with them to do researches. However, by the end of the 60´s there had been such abuse of them that they were banned and still remain nowadays as illegal drugs. These days, the researchers must apply to the DEA(Drug Enforcement Administration) to receive approval to use these drugs.
Researches have proved the potential benefits of psychedelic drugs to treat mental illnesses: people who suffer from severe OCD experimented a significant relieve of the symptoms after taking a low dose of Psilocybin. Patients with depression improved their condition due to the administration of Ketamine. However, deep researches should be carried out because some patients who took these drugs suffered from side effects(such as flashback of the psychedelic experience). We have to take into account that the use of these drugs should be done under medical supervision due to the unwanted side effects that they can produce, and further studies should be conducted to know more about them.

Untitled #2

Take my hand, come with me
Be my partner, be my guess
Step across the threshold of my mind
You are invited to witness the kaleidoscope of my life
Watch my miseries, my joys and victories
Read my soul and all the ghost locked in it
Don´t be afraid, it´s just myself
I´m willing to make you see, what lies inside of me
Let me be the one who you really know
I will be the shelter of your dreams
The guardian of your sleep
The light that makes the night so bright
A promise that you can keep
The wind and the sun
A fire that always burn
All this and much more I will give to you
If you only open your heart
And ask me to come in

Nothing to say, just for today

ok, I suppose I have to write something, but I´ve run out of ideas. I was trying to find something interesting to write today, but I couldn´t. There´s nothing more frightnening than having nothing to say. I think I´m not inspired today, because usually I have much things to comment on, but not today. I remember the same happened to me when I used to have a band; I tried many times to compose or invent something "good" but it was imposible, it was useless. I really don´t know what to do know, let me think....mmmmm, I don´t know, this is maybe the worst blog entry ever(in the history of blog writing, lol) At this time of the year I´m stress out, I´m worried about my exams and all the things I have to do. I don´t feel like writing today, I don´t want to write today, but I have to write because I have to complete my blog. I really miss staying in my house,watching television, listening to music, being with my friends,going out on saturday nights, reading a magazine, watching a movie with my girlfriend. There are so many things I miss, because I´m so busy that the only thing I have to do now is studying. oh, I have to wait, just two weeks more and I will be free, just two week. I want to go fishing with my brother, I want to go near the river, I don´t know, near the mountains, I want to be in a desolated and quiet place, I´m fed up with the city, the traffic, the people, the schedule, the time, the computers, the weather, the pressure. I think I have to wait, it´s ok, I don´t mind,I can do it. Sorry dear blog, there is nothing say.

Mum

Some time ago I wrote here about my father, and I think I must write about my mother now. I have the luck to have my mum with me, I´m twenty seven years old but I still live with her. Ana is her name: She is a very strong woman, a very quiet and caring. She is one of several brothers and sisters and she spent her childhood living in many places, such as Rio Negro, where she lived in a small town near to the sea. She also lived in Cordoba and Chaco. She was born where in Tafi Viejo but after that she travelled to these places. She met my father here and married him. After this she has lived in the same house where we have always lived. She is a housewife and an excellent mother, who is able to give everything to her children, all her support and patient. I wonder where she takes her strenght, because she suffered a lot when my father died and because of all the problems she had to overcome. Even though she is strong she sometimes cries alone, in times when there are big problems and everything seems to go wrong. I think she does this because she doesn´t want us to see her in that way, she doesn´t want to show that she is human and that she couldn´t cope with everything. She is willing to give her life for her children and she wants the best for us, although sometimes we disappoint her. She has a great personality, she is the most easy-going and wise person I have ever known; she is by nature a great mother. She likes to stay at home, watching her favourite old Argentinian movies. Sometimes I think that she doesn´t do the things she would like to because of us; she likes to be with us and gives us everything we need, thought we tell her that we are adults and she shouldn´t care too much. My mother doesn´t have any friends, I guess she considers that we are her friends. She enjoys spending the evenings chatting with her sisters and drinking coffee. As she is part of a big family, she is never alone and her brothers and sisters come to visit her. She is the mother of her grandchildren also, who are her love and joy. Though she is old and tired, she is always willing to play with them and take care of them. I´m very glad and thankful to have this beautiful human being by my side, who is still with me, supporting me, taking care of me, loving me and giving me all the strenght that I need to face life. I love her so much. Thank you, Mum.

When the Internet is a threat

Yesterday I was amazed by the topic my friend Jesica presented for Language 4; it was about the internet communities that people who suffer from anorexia have and the way the use these websites for. It´s hard to believe that these people, the vast mayority of them girls, create these virtual communities to give support to each other, defend their right of being anorexic(they claim that anorexia is something they have chosen(!) and also advices on how to lose weight. We have to bare in mind that this not only happens with these people, but that there are other several websites and virtual communities that are a menace to society. Don´t misunderstood me, I´m not saying that these girls who had anorexia are dangerous, but they are being a menage to themselves and to other girls too, because they have to realize or their families or friends have to make them realize that they are ill and need professional help. Apart from this group, there are certain groups that really represent a menace to society; it´s the case of the neonazis groups, the websites that show child pornography and other groups of people who are in favour of unthinkable aberrations. These kind of people have found a space in the internet that they haven´t found in society. We have to be aware of the gravity of this situation, and think about what freedom really is. I know that it is difficult to fight against these websites, but something must be done. I don´t care if some of you think that we should respect their opinion or they way of living; the thing is that I can´t imagine any reasonable human being who are in favour of these communities. I believe that freedom ends when we risk someone else´s life or safety. It doesn´t exist a complete freedom really, we have to respect each other and fight against these kind of people, who are wrong and are a menace to society and its values.

Different Time, different place.

Today I was admiring some old LPs by The Beatles; it´s something strange because I really don´t know how they got to my house, because they are very old.Have you ever felt that you were born in a wrong time? I have. Maybe it´s because I like to much the 60´s, I don´t know. I would really like to live in those times, and I would really like to live in England. I think it´s because of The Beatles: I have to say that they changed my life in a way. If it wasn´t for their music I wouldn´t study English or learn to play the guitar. The first time I listened to them something happened, I know that something special happened. Their music made feel like it was something familiar to me, as I have known those songs all my life. Then I became a fanatic, listening to every record and reading books about them. Then I watched their movies; they were very silly, I mean the plot, but for me they were just amazing, because I could see them play the songs I love so much. I would also like to know their birthplace, Liverpool. I really like England, there is something mysterious in the air, maybe due to the fog and the old buildings. I love also the lifestyle and the fashion in those times; there were really good bands and I think that everyone realized that something important was happening there. I want to travel to England someday, and go to all the places that are part of The Beatles´s story: Strawberry Fields, Abbey Road, Penny Lane, The Cavern...I think that there were something a kind of magic in their music and personalities; they were really special. Anyway, I hope that someday I will have the chance to go there; I would be the luckiest person in the whole world.

best ballad ever?
The Verve-The Drugs Don´t Work

Time

This is dedicated to you, my dear enemy, my dear friend
my partner in memories, my dealer of oblivion
this goes to your dictatorship,to your kingdom of hurry and forgetfulness; to my awareness of your presence, to my battle against your mastery, against your pressure on me and my life.I won´t forget the chances I had but didn´t take and now I regret. I will be your opponent, I will take you in my hands and make you mine. Just for one day I won´t be your slave, I won´t be betrayed. I know that some day I will defeat you, it doesn´t matter how you treat me throughout the years, your allies. I have to go know, because I haven´t got enough time to talk about you, Time.

We are a target market

I´m fed up with TV and what it broadcasts;it´s seems that finally marketing beat us and they are making young people fashion victims. Sometimes I think that mass media has an evil plan to destroy originality and freedom of choice. Everything is imposed and everything is measure and limited to whether it sells or not. there is lack of artistic freedom and we are devastated by this globalized world, where everything has to be done quickly and without further thought. We are obliged to consume what they sell,while our souls rot little by little. I think that now I´m an adult,and I´m seaching for new things and they don´t cheat me. All my life I have tried to choose and I have tried to be honest with myself. I´m proud to say that I won´t be a victim of this autoritarian system, that destroys individuality and make people look and think in the same way. I want to find my own voice, it doesn´t matter how wrong I might be; I want to have the right to choose and to think, I want to find the things I like and be different from the others. I don´t want them to tell me what to say,to think, to listen to or to admire.I don´t want them to ruin our means of expression and impose feelings and attitudes. All I want is freedom of choice and things to choose.

my teaching practices

Nowadays I´m doing my teaching practices at the Colegio Nacional and I´m very glad because everything is O.K.T his year we have to practice on our own,it is different from the previous year when we have to practice in pairs. I felt terrified when I knew this, because I have to practice on my own and it´s a big responsibility in some way. I was scared to death because I was accustomed to working with my friend and classmate Pato(I need you Pato!!!). However, I´m trying to do all the work and prepare everything for each lesson. Recently I feel more confident about teaching;I haven´t been so nervous these days and I think I can give the students a good classes. That makes me feel better because when I get depressed I think that maybe I´m wrong and that I´m not very good at teaching. Nevertheless I feel good now as I said and I love teaching. My students are great;it´s hard to find respectful and well-mannered teenagers. They don´t have a good level of english, but they participate and try to improve. They are sympathetic to me,because as her teacher told them that they have to help me and to participate while I´m doing my practices, they realized that I´m also a student like them and they are willing to make my work easier. I have to say that by knowing this kind of teenagers, not only them but the ones I worked with last year,there´s still a hope.We shouldn´t generalize; there are young people that still have values and respect their peers and authorities.I have to thank her teacher, because she helps me a lot and she is very kind to me,she makes me feel confortable and gives me good advices.I hope that by the end of my practices there they will have learnt something. I´m doing my best and I want them to pass the exam.

Up to here

We are in june, it´s unbelievable how the time passes so quickly.This year is maybe one of the most productive and intense year I have ever had,I feel like I´m in a rollercoaster:sometimes the trip is fun and exciting, but there are times that it´s frightening and overwhelming.I have to say that I´m quite satisfied about how everything is going, in spite of feeling very tired(physically and mentally).This year I manage to find TIME, I´m learning how to organize myself to do all the things I have to.I think that having too much pressure for doing all the task we should to pass this last year(hopefully)of our teaching career have developed a huge sense of responsibility on me;I really feel anxious and uncomfortable when I don´t do the things I should.This year I´m doing my teaching practices as well, and I have to say that this task is very demanding. The worst part of the job is to plan lessons: it´s too much work,you have to think in everything and find material to work with.However, the good part is when you are actually practicing,teaching in front of a class,it´s really fulfilling.Concerning writing on this blog,I learnt how to concentrate and focused on what I am doing,in spite of the noise of the kids playing games in the cyber and the connection problems. I would like to have more time and money to go to the jornadas and courses,because I really like going there and learn more.In what my private life concerns, everything is o.k now, after some problems with a member of my family.My relationship with my girlfriend is great, I feel very well being with her and I love her very much(sorry about the silly arguments,I think we are still getting to know each other).One thing that I really miss so much is spending more time with my friends and going out with time,I think that in this winter holidays we will go out somewhere.I also miss playing music, though sometimes I find the time to listen to some of my favourite albums,but it´s not the same(I want to play my guitar!!!)This was a kind of very short summary of what happened this year up to here, I have nothing to complain.