I recently attended a meeting at my workplace in which my colleagues and I were given instructions as regarding the begining of classes and what the authorities of the school expects from us for the new year.
It really caught my attention what the headmistress ask to the literature teachers: "Don't insist on students reading Garcia Márquez or Borges, just ask them to read magazines". Inmediatly, a discussion begun between the headmistress and some of the teachers attending the meeting. They all argued about what students should or shouldn't be ask to do.
The truth is, as one of the literature teachers said, that there are objectives already planned by the Minister of Education of our province as well as content for each subject already decided, to which teachers should adjust as much as possible. It is supposed that those contents and objectives were carefully planned and are what students need to handle after leaving school. So, if we don't adjust, and teach whatever we want, we are not giving them the necesary elements, or what the system considers to be the necessary elements to develop in our society.
The headmistress seemed not to understood, or care about this, and continue arguing insisting on another truth: we cannnot demand students to read those kind of literature, before they learn to read. This demostrates the failure that our educational system is going trhough in which studenst arrive secondary school without having learn all the basic contents that they are suposed to learn previously. Nowadays we can easily find in our schools students of the higher courses of tehn secondary school who cannot read or spell words, or who have no reading comprehension skills at all.
Both sides were right. unfourtunatelly, anybody could reach to the conclusion of which is teh ebst way to dela with thi reality ( or theses realities). Towards the end of the meeting, the phsycopedagogue of the school said that the situation is such because students are every time asked to do less and less, and that maybe is time to start asking them to read what they are supose to read at secondary school, and try to revertwhat was done wrong in the past. we all left the meeting thinking of that words.....
Showing posts with label Journal 2008. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Journal 2008. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Global Warming, Global Warning
I recently read an article about global warming and the lastest discoveries about the issue and I got really shocked about the fact then we have only 4 years left to save the planet. This was the declaration made by a climotologist of the United States who works for Nasa. This specialist has spent the last 20 years studying global warming and the green house effect caused by carbon dioxide emissions.
Another information that caught my attetion was that he was banned by the government authorities of the US and the UK in different oportunities for the declarations he made as regarding global warming. But now, he is not treated like that, but as the best specialist on climate change. What made the governments of UK, US and several other countries to consider him to be right on what he declares is the fact that it has been proved that he is telling the truth. It is truth what he predicts as it is truth what he said in the past.
The warnings of this man were listen by few people. And not so many countries joined with him in his fight against global warming. Now, we are suffering the consequencies of that. We are near the deadline, and just now we decided to listen. This is tipical of our kind, to listen to the truth and act when we are in real danger, near the end, insted of preventing.
We finally decided to listen to the ones who know about climate change, but this is only the very first step. What follows now is to act, and we should do that quickly.
Another information that caught my attetion was that he was banned by the government authorities of the US and the UK in different oportunities for the declarations he made as regarding global warming. But now, he is not treated like that, but as the best specialist on climate change. What made the governments of UK, US and several other countries to consider him to be right on what he declares is the fact that it has been proved that he is telling the truth. It is truth what he predicts as it is truth what he said in the past.
The warnings of this man were listen by few people. And not so many countries joined with him in his fight against global warming. Now, we are suffering the consequencies of that. We are near the deadline, and just now we decided to listen. This is tipical of our kind, to listen to the truth and act when we are in real danger, near the end, insted of preventing.
We finally decided to listen to the ones who know about climate change, but this is only the very first step. What follows now is to act, and we should do that quickly.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Organic Food: Good For You And For the Earth
It is widely known that the quality of the food produced through agriculture has gone down due to the effects of pesticides and hormones that farmers use in their fields. The mass competition related to the production of food has obliged them to do everything they can to obtain bigger amounts of crops per year.And to counteract the effects of plagues a wide variaty of quimicals are being used. All these measures causes changes in the natural balance of the products. And the result, is a product full of hormones and quimicals, and less vitamines and nutrients.
On the other hand, there is a big group of farmers who choose to produce organic products. These means that they grow crops without additives of any kind, that’s why those products are called organic. These are products that consumers can eat in their natural state, without risking their health.
The big problem around organic food, is the cost of it. Since it is food of higher quality, the fields are fewer in comparision to conventional products, as well as the mount of consumers of them. The result of these is a high cost in a product difficult to find.
The benefits of organic food are widely known. The only last thing to do about it is to support it producers. If we all change our diets, little by little to a helthier one, we will be impoving our helath and life as well as supporting small producers who have the intention to offer consumers a healthy product.
Whats more, it has also been proved that the growing of organic food has less environmental side effects than the growing of convemntioanl food, since the fields are not treated with quimicals that polluted the earth. This is for me, another important reason to support the growing and the consumption of organic food.
On the other hand, there is a big group of farmers who choose to produce organic products. These means that they grow crops without additives of any kind, that’s why those products are called organic. These are products that consumers can eat in their natural state, without risking their health.
The big problem around organic food, is the cost of it. Since it is food of higher quality, the fields are fewer in comparision to conventional products, as well as the mount of consumers of them. The result of these is a high cost in a product difficult to find.
The benefits of organic food are widely known. The only last thing to do about it is to support it producers. If we all change our diets, little by little to a helthier one, we will be impoving our helath and life as well as supporting small producers who have the intention to offer consumers a healthy product.
Whats more, it has also been proved that the growing of organic food has less environmental side effects than the growing of convemntioanl food, since the fields are not treated with quimicals that polluted the earth. This is for me, another important reason to support the growing and the consumption of organic food.
Friday, December 19, 2008
What we should know about Assisted Suicide
Assisted Suicide is a complicated issue for law around the world and it has provoke a hot debate everywhere. In some countries, Assisted Suicide laws are clear but in others the law does not provide a clear message about it. This causes confusion, especially in the countries where the criminal code is not defined around the topic.
People tend to think that each person has the right and freedom to decide on a suicide or an assited suicide, and this is the reason why it occurs, even in those countries where it is forbidden. In most cases of Assisted Suicide, the people who help another one to die end in deep trouble with the law, but whichever the resolution that the law apply to them will depend on the country where the event takes place.
Although there are place where Assisted Suicide is legal, this doesn’t mean that anyone can committed. Firts of all, it is important to remember that Assisted Suicide is the process by which an individual is provided with the means (drugs or equipment) to commit suicide, because he or she is incapable of doing it. And this definition clearly shows a distinction between the case of an assited death and that of a simply suicide, the former being sometimes permitted and the later being completely forbiden by the law. Assisted suicide is then allowed in some places such as the Netherlands, Swistzerland and some states of the US, but only under strict criteria. And the procedure involves many doctors that should agree in the decision together with the patient, and some witnesses. In some cases the procedure does not succed and it has some complications for the pacient, for what the people involved in it previously sign a sort of contract where the details as regarding their responsibility is specified.
The most traumatic consequence of an Assisted Suicide that does not succed is when the result of the procedure does not end in the death of the patient but it puts he or she under coma. In such a case, the doctors and the relatives of the patient can still decide to provided him or her with Euthanasia. This term refers to suicide which is performed by people other than the patient and which does not involve the choice of the patient.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
The Tree of Life
The tree of life is a mystical concept used in most of the world’s theologies, mythologies and philosophies. This symbol has also been used in science and other areas. Various trees of life are recounted in the folklore and culture of many civilizations, often related to immortality or fertility. They had their origin in religious symbolism.
In Egyptian mythology, for example, the first couple are Isis and Osiris. They were said to have emerged from the acacia tree of Saosis, which the Egyptians considered the tree of life, referring to it as the "tree in which life and death are enclosed".
In the Hebrew Bible and within Christianity, the Tree of Life is mentioned in the Book of Genesis, in which it has the potential to grant immortality to Adam and Eve. It can be found in proverbs where it's a simile for a blessing. The Tree of Life, in the form of ten interconnected nodes, is also an important part of the Kabbalah.
Among pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cultures, the concept of "world trees", extremely related to that of the tree of life, is a prevalent motif in Mesoamerican mythical cosmologies and iconography. World trees embodied the four cardinal directions, which represented a symbolic connection between the Underworld, the sky and the terrestrial world. Depictions of world trees are found in the art and mythological traditions of cultures such as the Maya and the Aztec. Among the Maya, the central world tree was conceived as or represented by a ceiba tree.It is supposed that Mesoamerican sites and ceremonial centers frequently had actual trees planted at each of the four cardinal directions, representing the quadripartite concept.
In Egyptian mythology, for example, the first couple are Isis and Osiris. They were said to have emerged from the acacia tree of Saosis, which the Egyptians considered the tree of life, referring to it as the "tree in which life and death are enclosed".
In the Hebrew Bible and within Christianity, the Tree of Life is mentioned in the Book of Genesis, in which it has the potential to grant immortality to Adam and Eve. It can be found in proverbs where it's a simile for a blessing. The Tree of Life, in the form of ten interconnected nodes, is also an important part of the Kabbalah.
Among pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cultures, the concept of "world trees", extremely related to that of the tree of life, is a prevalent motif in Mesoamerican mythical cosmologies and iconography. World trees embodied the four cardinal directions, which represented a symbolic connection between the Underworld, the sky and the terrestrial world. Depictions of world trees are found in the art and mythological traditions of cultures such as the Maya and the Aztec. Among the Maya, the central world tree was conceived as or represented by a ceiba tree.It is supposed that Mesoamerican sites and ceremonial centers frequently had actual trees planted at each of the four cardinal directions, representing the quadripartite concept.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
I choose
I choose reggae because it inspires and brings calm. It touches your soul whenever you hear it. It makes you slow down. This is how I feel it. You stop your rhythym and get somewhere finally. And you discover that you were not reaching anything since you were just running, and to run causes confusion. You may have believed that you were going to gain what you want faster, but you end up late for everything and without anything because you were lost. This is what you discover with reggae.
I choose reggae because it clears your mind. Its spiritual rhythym and its melodies are like chants with always overwhelming messages. They pull the trigger of your good thoughts and intentions and you start feeling in peace with you and the world. You feel happy and you feel like dancing despite you can be hearing it motionless. It fills you with dancing mood.
I choose reggae because it awakes and makes you be conscious. You commit to your cause when listening to it, because it shows you goods examples to follow. It brings you closer to a message of liberation that pushes you to act, and to never give up. You become doer, and your actions are done passionately. You start to value life and love, and to seek for a life of love.
I choose reggae because it transports you to a land of love, and it makes your actual land to become that land. Your space becomes pure and full of light. It takes you away and brings you closer at the same time. You make contact with the essential and simple marvellousness of the world.
To play drums
It’s not easy to describe how is to play drums. You feel many sensations runing down your body and there is a lot of movement going on. Your head beats as if to tell you when to hit the drums and your arms move as you are always beating, although you are not. You feel deaf of everything behing the sounds of the hits. The drum is an intrument that shuts up every other sound, except the ones that sound in harmony with it.
The beats are consistent but there’s always a minimal variation between each of them. However they always fill the air since they are perceived as the thick smell of yellow flowers floating on water. Each part seems like yellow flowers floating on water. Like little japanese trees growing in the middle of the wet bamboo jungle. As you play the drums the sound comes alive and the jungle comes alive.
Each part of you is connected with the drums, like energy constantly in contact with you and the instrument. And a high amount of coordination is requiered. This is not difficult to gain, it is just a matter of practise. What is really difficult is the tension of the beat. Sometimes you have to hold it, and others you have to pre-released it, and whichever is the case, it should always be done with perfect groovy.
To play the drums is great. It’s like connecting yourself with what exists behind a song. It is like getting in it from outside to inside, and like coming out from inside it to the outside world. Is like going inside you and outside your head at the same time.
The beats are consistent but there’s always a minimal variation between each of them. However they always fill the air since they are perceived as the thick smell of yellow flowers floating on water. Each part seems like yellow flowers floating on water. Like little japanese trees growing in the middle of the wet bamboo jungle. As you play the drums the sound comes alive and the jungle comes alive.
Each part of you is connected with the drums, like energy constantly in contact with you and the instrument. And a high amount of coordination is requiered. This is not difficult to gain, it is just a matter of practise. What is really difficult is the tension of the beat. Sometimes you have to hold it, and others you have to pre-released it, and whichever is the case, it should always be done with perfect groovy.
To play the drums is great. It’s like connecting yourself with what exists behind a song. It is like getting in it from outside to inside, and like coming out from inside it to the outside world. Is like going inside you and outside your head at the same time.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
To Tucumán
Tucumán, your pure pure sky has sweet air
that smells as cane and sun.
In the seas of cane your sun-tanned men
their machetes work hard.
Tucumán, your valleys are deep and wide
full of cardones and full of ruins
archeological sites, home of Quilmes
and the sweetest wine.
Tucumán, your people are small but strong
of Diaguita heritage.
They work hard from dawn to dusk
in the hot daily routine as summer starts.
Tucumán, your history sculptured freedom
and the sounds of the inmortal hymn.
You held the shouts of Independence
on a winter the 9th of July, 1816.
Tucumán, you seem to be forgetting all these
be proud! be brave! and value yourself Tucumán!
Don't pollute your air and don't thorn your valleys
stop your people and the people from outside.
Make them stand before your history and be
overwhelmed with that.
Tucumán, you are not late.
It's time to raise and be a garden
the paradise of our country
the heart beating in the middle of this land.
that smells as cane and sun.
In the seas of cane your sun-tanned men
their machetes work hard.
Tucumán, your valleys are deep and wide
full of cardones and full of ruins
archeological sites, home of Quilmes
and the sweetest wine.
Tucumán, your people are small but strong
of Diaguita heritage.
They work hard from dawn to dusk
in the hot daily routine as summer starts.
Tucumán, your history sculptured freedom
and the sounds of the inmortal hymn.
You held the shouts of Independence
on a winter the 9th of July, 1816.
Tucumán, you seem to be forgetting all these
be proud! be brave! and value yourself Tucumán!
Don't pollute your air and don't thorn your valleys
stop your people and the people from outside.
Make them stand before your history and be
overwhelmed with that.
Tucumán, you are not late.
It's time to raise and be a garden
the paradise of our country
the heart beating in the middle of this land.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
To improve your relationship just improve yourself
Most people attempt to get their needs met in their relationship and this surely causes some troublesome things to happen. First, it causes people to focus mainly on their needs and not on the desires of their partner. Secondly, it makes people believe that they deserve something that may well not be delivered. As a result both people who are engaged in a relationship end up with a flawed view of what a successful relationship is all about. The terrible consequence of all these is that people start to blame the other for not meeting their needs. Blaming has never worked and never will. It may have you feeling justified in your position, but it will always hurt your relationship.
It’s particularly important to develop the realization that your feelings can deceive you. This can be difficult for people raised during the “honor your feelings” era of relationships. Your feelings tell you things like, "I can’t believe he could do something like that to me," or, "How could he treat me so badly?" These feelings are the result of your own low self-esteem and your own personal history of victimization.
While it’s true that your partner may treat you in a way you don’t like sometimes, it’s not true that you need to react to it with strong negative feelings. These strong negative feelings are a reflection of your own esteem issues. They also have a way of keeping your partner engaged in the struggle with you so that you can continue to blame each other. When you are both engaged in the struggle, you’ll believe that he needs to be fixed. He’ll think the same of you. Nobody wins and everybody loses. This isn’t very smart or effective.
After all, the only thing that we can do to improve a relationship is to improve ourself. To stop looking over at our partner and seeing all of his or her flaws. To stop blaming him or her. Your partner has issues just like we all do. But if you see hem or her as a collection of flaws you’ll have no chance at a successful relationship. And it’s successful relationships in life that make us truly happy.
It’s particularly important to develop the realization that your feelings can deceive you. This can be difficult for people raised during the “honor your feelings” era of relationships. Your feelings tell you things like, "I can’t believe he could do something like that to me," or, "How could he treat me so badly?" These feelings are the result of your own low self-esteem and your own personal history of victimization.
While it’s true that your partner may treat you in a way you don’t like sometimes, it’s not true that you need to react to it with strong negative feelings. These strong negative feelings are a reflection of your own esteem issues. They also have a way of keeping your partner engaged in the struggle with you so that you can continue to blame each other. When you are both engaged in the struggle, you’ll believe that he needs to be fixed. He’ll think the same of you. Nobody wins and everybody loses. This isn’t very smart or effective.
After all, the only thing that we can do to improve a relationship is to improve ourself. To stop looking over at our partner and seeing all of his or her flaws. To stop blaming him or her. Your partner has issues just like we all do. But if you see hem or her as a collection of flaws you’ll have no chance at a successful relationship. And it’s successful relationships in life that make us truly happy.
Friday, October 31, 2008
The Real Friendship
Friendship is one of those parts of life that we at times take for granted. We expect it to be present in all areas of our lives. I’ve herad many people saying our ‘friendship is forever’. But in truth how many true friendships do you have? Friendship is a gift that two people give to each other. It is not sometthing you give expecting a result from it but a true and unanticipated gift of enormous potential. True friends form a special connection. True friends are there even when they are not expected to be present. True friends know and respect each other’s gift. They are always with you, and they do not turn up only with they are in trouble or need a shoulder to cry on. It is a special bond that is created out of genuine affection and is given freely to those who have shown their truth. It is given without the thought of reward but with the essence of the heart which longs for this special connection. When friendship comes from the heart it forms a link to our soul that cannot be broken. It connects people in a really strong way. That type of friendship exists forever. True friendship is genuinely a wondrous thing impossible to describe. Friendship brings light into your world. When you look at your true friends you will uncover who you are. You will see a reflection of your soul .You will see your world before you and will see without any doubts the truth of your way. True friends are simply your self. When you look around and see your friends you see before your eyes the world you created and the being your have become. Think of your true friends and be grateful for the gifts they bring to your life. Allow your hearts to connect and bring comfort to each other. Give them your love in return for each friend you have is a gift that should be accepted with grace and thankfulness. But most important of all, be a TRUE friend with the ones around you. Be as true as you say you are, and that can only be proved with action and not only with words.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Misunderstandings
Good communication is key in any relationship. Misunderstanding of ideas can occur when there is an absence of communication between two groups. When two parties are not speaking, there is no way to clarify positions, intentions, or past actions. Sometimes both parties make a big effort to communicate as clearly as possible, but cultural differences or language barriers obstruct clear understanding. Even within a cultural group, misunderstandings can arise because of different personal communication styles. One person will ask a lot of questions to show interest, while another person will find that to be disrespectful. Men and women, in particular, are thought to have different styles.
Fortunately, breakdowns in communication are usually repairable. Misunderstandings can be explained, languages can be translated, relationships can be restored and rumors can be controlled. Misunderstandings are therefore extremely frustrating in that they are not supposed to occur, and if they do occur, then someone must be at fault, either the speaker did not correctly package the message or the listener erred in unpacking it, or both. The majority of people are already very sophisticated at sending and interpreting messages. Speaker attempt to code ideas, feelings, and images with words. Those words are transmitted to listener who then match them with their own experiences. There is no universal codebook, so what one person thinks of as "success" will not necessarily match another person’s definition. Words correspond to different ideas and feelings for different people, and it can take multiple attempts before an idea has been understood satisfactorily. The more cultural differences there are between speakers, the more frequently they will have to stop and work out differences of meaning.
Fortunately, breakdowns in communication are usually repairable. Misunderstandings can be explained, languages can be translated, relationships can be restored and rumors can be controlled. Misunderstandings are therefore extremely frustrating in that they are not supposed to occur, and if they do occur, then someone must be at fault, either the speaker did not correctly package the message or the listener erred in unpacking it, or both. The majority of people are already very sophisticated at sending and interpreting messages. Speaker attempt to code ideas, feelings, and images with words. Those words are transmitted to listener who then match them with their own experiences. There is no universal codebook, so what one person thinks of as "success" will not necessarily match another person’s definition. Words correspond to different ideas and feelings for different people, and it can take multiple attempts before an idea has been understood satisfactorily. The more cultural differences there are between speakers, the more frequently they will have to stop and work out differences of meaning.
A clear understanding of semantics is crucial to preventing misunderstandings. Arguments frequently occur when two people think they are talking about the same thing, but really they are just using the same word for two different ideas or things.
According to specialists on the field who work in helping people communicate more effectively, two of the most common techniques taught to solve the conflict are active listening, or empathic listening, and the use of "I-messages" instead of "you-messages." Both of these focus on trying to communicate without placing blame and really trying to hear and understand what the other person is saying.
When people are in conflict, making the extra effort to improve communication between the disputants is often helpful in reducing the intensity of the conflict, even if the conflict cannot be that easily resolved.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Commentary on “I Sing the Body Electric” by Walt Whitman
‘I Sing the Body Electric’ is a poem about Walt Whitman’s admiration of the human body and soul. It is a celebration of the beauty of the human body, both male and female, in relation to its physicality, its shapes, its sexuality, and its divinity. He urges us to look toward the "divinity" of both the human individual and human society. He celebrates the body and its importance in forging connections between people. The author transmits to readers the idea that our body can connect us both erotically and spiritually with the bodies of others. In all this, the role of the body as the connection between the soul and the world remains crucial.
As regarding form and structure, this is a well constructed poem. It is long and complex but it can be divided in 8 sections. This is a poem of lists. The lists alternate with anecdotal sections and literary sections.
The first section of ‘I Sing the Body Electric’ announces itself as a poem about the human body. The poem's first line is an evidence of this ("The bodies of men and women engirth me, and I engirth them").
In the second section, Whitman engages with the different people in his surroundings: "Swim with the swimmers, wrestle with wrestlers, and march in line with the firemen”. He describes the society which he is part of with an implicit democratizing force. When reading the poem readers can perceive that he considers himself as incorporated into that society.
The third and fourth sections are about Whitman's view of the divinity of the body and soul. The small anecdote of the farmer whom Whitman wishes to be near to is very interesting. Whitman's description of the farmer includes words such as "vigor, calmness, beauty of person," and "wisdom". Clearly Whitman had great admiration for that man. This is evident when he says "you would wish to sit by him in the boat that you and he might touch each other". Despite the interpretations of these lines, in my opinion Whitman's message is bigger than an issue of sexuality. Even though his love and passion for the farmer was different than it would be for a younger man or a woman, it was strong and true.
In the fifth and sixth sections, Whitman depictes the unique beauty of both genders, male and female, arguing that "each has his or her place in the procession".With these lines he highlights the idea that everyone has a place and role in society which each person is responsible for.
Though he describes men and women in two very different ways, he sees them as essentially the same and he describes both with passion, and he loves both as he loves everyone. He writes, "There is something in staying close to men and women and looking on them, and in the contact and odor of them, that pleases the soul well”. But this is where his description of men and women as similar ends. He describes first the body and the soul of the woman as having a "fierce undeniable attraction," "moving with perfect balance," and having "inexpressible completeness, and beauty". He then gives man a different place in society, describing him as "action and power, defiant, blissful, sorrowful, prideful" and full of "knowledge". He describes men and women as having two unique places in society, the man as the one who must act, and the woman as the one who must be a mother and who has a sensual influence over men. Besides the different descriptions of them, Whitman still finds both women and men beautiful as they fulfill their role in society.
He also challenges readers' notions of race, class, and gender directly: "Do you suppose you have a right to a good sight, and he or she has no right to a sight?" He later describes the similarity of all humans when he says "Do you think matter has cohered together from its diffuse float, and the soil is on the surface, and water runs and vegetation sprouts for you, and not for him and her?"
In the next sections Whitman describes slaves who are being sold in slave auctions. He compares the "red, black, or white limbs as cunning in tendon and nerve", and explains that "Within there runs blood, the same old blood, the same red-running blood! There swells and jets his heart, there all passions and desires, reachings, aspirations". The message can be interpreted as referring to a similarity between slaves and white people. He states than the blood that fill their hearts is the same. Whitman clearly feels passion for these people, no matter if they are slaves.
In these sections abolition of slavery arises as a main theme. These lines invite us to think about how dehumanizing slavery is. Whitman's egalitarianism is a important aspect of this poem, for he argues against the devalorization of the body implicit in slavery.
In the end of this section Whitman asks us to consider our interconnectivity with each other: "Who might you find you have come from yourself, if you could trace back through the centuries?" The poem ends by calling us to action through a celebration of our common humanity. The connection with the common man and woman reveals Whitman closeness to society and common problems of it, such as slavery.
Whitman's "I Sing the Body Electric" is a very passionated description of the human body and the human soul. His appreciation for people for their simple humanity is very interesting. His passion does not make difference between gender, race, age, or even physical attractiveness. Whitman shows in this poem a broad sense of passion and respect for everyone. He loves the human soul and the human body, as well as he loves each person as an individual and the mass of individuals as a society.
As regarding form and structure, this is a well constructed poem. It is long and complex but it can be divided in 8 sections. This is a poem of lists. The lists alternate with anecdotal sections and literary sections.
The first section of ‘I Sing the Body Electric’ announces itself as a poem about the human body. The poem's first line is an evidence of this ("The bodies of men and women engirth me, and I engirth them").
In the second section, Whitman engages with the different people in his surroundings: "Swim with the swimmers, wrestle with wrestlers, and march in line with the firemen”. He describes the society which he is part of with an implicit democratizing force. When reading the poem readers can perceive that he considers himself as incorporated into that society.
The third and fourth sections are about Whitman's view of the divinity of the body and soul. The small anecdote of the farmer whom Whitman wishes to be near to is very interesting. Whitman's description of the farmer includes words such as "vigor, calmness, beauty of person," and "wisdom". Clearly Whitman had great admiration for that man. This is evident when he says "you would wish to sit by him in the boat that you and he might touch each other". Despite the interpretations of these lines, in my opinion Whitman's message is bigger than an issue of sexuality. Even though his love and passion for the farmer was different than it would be for a younger man or a woman, it was strong and true.
In the fifth and sixth sections, Whitman depictes the unique beauty of both genders, male and female, arguing that "each has his or her place in the procession".With these lines he highlights the idea that everyone has a place and role in society which each person is responsible for.
Though he describes men and women in two very different ways, he sees them as essentially the same and he describes both with passion, and he loves both as he loves everyone. He writes, "There is something in staying close to men and women and looking on them, and in the contact and odor of them, that pleases the soul well”. But this is where his description of men and women as similar ends. He describes first the body and the soul of the woman as having a "fierce undeniable attraction," "moving with perfect balance," and having "inexpressible completeness, and beauty". He then gives man a different place in society, describing him as "action and power, defiant, blissful, sorrowful, prideful" and full of "knowledge". He describes men and women as having two unique places in society, the man as the one who must act, and the woman as the one who must be a mother and who has a sensual influence over men. Besides the different descriptions of them, Whitman still finds both women and men beautiful as they fulfill their role in society.
He also challenges readers' notions of race, class, and gender directly: "Do you suppose you have a right to a good sight, and he or she has no right to a sight?" He later describes the similarity of all humans when he says "Do you think matter has cohered together from its diffuse float, and the soil is on the surface, and water runs and vegetation sprouts for you, and not for him and her?"
In the next sections Whitman describes slaves who are being sold in slave auctions. He compares the "red, black, or white limbs as cunning in tendon and nerve", and explains that "Within there runs blood, the same old blood, the same red-running blood! There swells and jets his heart, there all passions and desires, reachings, aspirations". The message can be interpreted as referring to a similarity between slaves and white people. He states than the blood that fill their hearts is the same. Whitman clearly feels passion for these people, no matter if they are slaves.
In these sections abolition of slavery arises as a main theme. These lines invite us to think about how dehumanizing slavery is. Whitman's egalitarianism is a important aspect of this poem, for he argues against the devalorization of the body implicit in slavery.
In the end of this section Whitman asks us to consider our interconnectivity with each other: "Who might you find you have come from yourself, if you could trace back through the centuries?" The poem ends by calling us to action through a celebration of our common humanity. The connection with the common man and woman reveals Whitman closeness to society and common problems of it, such as slavery.
Whitman's "I Sing the Body Electric" is a very passionated description of the human body and the human soul. His appreciation for people for their simple humanity is very interesting. His passion does not make difference between gender, race, age, or even physical attractiveness. Whitman shows in this poem a broad sense of passion and respect for everyone. He loves the human soul and the human body, as well as he loves each person as an individual and the mass of individuals as a society.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
The Importance of Reading
In todays world we receive so much information via radio, television and multimedia experiences yet none of these mediums of communication has the ability to educate as in the fundamental skill of reading.
When examining how well a nation is doing and how likely its economic situation is often the literacy rate is included. When this figure is low the country is more likely to be an economic backwater, government is likely to be poor or a dictatorship, corruption widespread and a there’s a wide lack of universities and experts.
Countries that have recently experience improving economic fortunes have increased their populations education level.
The easiest way to educate any problem is to teach them the skill of reading. If you can read you have open to you a world of knowled. The ability to read means that you can educate yourself to overcome problems.
Even in this day of multimedia, reading is still the most essential skill to acquire knowledge. The internet has meant that information is freely available to anyone who can log on. However, to absorb, teach and learn that information reading is required.
The advent of computers and the Internet also leads us into a feeling that reading may be old fashioned and unnecessary. And here is a problem! How does information in the computer get into the human mind? Until someone invents a connection into our brain, we have to "read" it. And so we come full circle, in order to use the Internet and be part of it, you have to have the skills of reading.
That points to the importance of reading skills in education. Teachers sholud always encourage studenst to read. Schools must provide the opportunity to use reading skills within the curriculum.Parents have to be involved in setting an environment for reading at home too. As a society, we need to form a reading habit that continues for a lifetime.
When examining how well a nation is doing and how likely its economic situation is often the literacy rate is included. When this figure is low the country is more likely to be an economic backwater, government is likely to be poor or a dictatorship, corruption widespread and a there’s a wide lack of universities and experts.
Countries that have recently experience improving economic fortunes have increased their populations education level.
The easiest way to educate any problem is to teach them the skill of reading. If you can read you have open to you a world of knowled. The ability to read means that you can educate yourself to overcome problems.
Even in this day of multimedia, reading is still the most essential skill to acquire knowledge. The internet has meant that information is freely available to anyone who can log on. However, to absorb, teach and learn that information reading is required.
The advent of computers and the Internet also leads us into a feeling that reading may be old fashioned and unnecessary. And here is a problem! How does information in the computer get into the human mind? Until someone invents a connection into our brain, we have to "read" it. And so we come full circle, in order to use the Internet and be part of it, you have to have the skills of reading.
That points to the importance of reading skills in education. Teachers sholud always encourage studenst to read. Schools must provide the opportunity to use reading skills within the curriculum.Parents have to be involved in setting an environment for reading at home too. As a society, we need to form a reading habit that continues for a lifetime.
Be responsible for your pet
Whether your dog is just a puppy or well into adulthood, there are many things you, as a pet owner, need to be aware of. Training your dog is an important in teaching him obedience. All dogs - no matter how old - need some form of training so that they can be easily handled in all situations. Basic training or obedience classes will help you to build a bond and learn to control your dog. There are many reasons for training your dog. Training allows the dog to understand your expectations, helps him become calmer and more relaxed in all situations, in new places, and with new people and makes him easier to manage. Unfortunately, many pets owners do not understand the importance of their dogs’ lack of training and out-of-control behavior.Because dogs thrive in packs and are naturally social, once they come to your home, they expect you to be the leader. Training your dog appropriately with a few highly effective dog training tips teaches him to follow you, understand your necessary commands, and learn to accept his place in your "pack." In the end, your pet will be a well-behaved, functioning member of your family.
It is your responsibility to be aware and responsible for your pet - your dog relies on you to take care of him at all times. Providing him with a healthy diet, plenty of exercise, and one-on-one training will ensure that he has a long, healthy, and happy life with you. Don't leave his behavior up to chance. Assume control as leader of your pack and your dog will look to you in all situations that may arise. You are the best person when it comes to training your dog - he trusts you, after all. More importantly, training your dog will keep him safe and protected, which is something all dog owners should want.
It is your responsibility to be aware and responsible for your pet - your dog relies on you to take care of him at all times. Providing him with a healthy diet, plenty of exercise, and one-on-one training will ensure that he has a long, healthy, and happy life with you. Don't leave his behavior up to chance. Assume control as leader of your pack and your dog will look to you in all situations that may arise. You are the best person when it comes to training your dog - he trusts you, after all. More importantly, training your dog will keep him safe and protected, which is something all dog owners should want.
Children Are What They Parents Are
There’s no doubt that the patterns of behavior that emerge in childhood are indicators of the adult personality that a child will have in future time. This perspective requires that we consider more seriously the impact that the child’s environment will have on the developing of the young mind and spirit.
Children are all the time attempting to understand the ways in which the world around them functions. Everything is foreign and new to them. They must, therefore, process information by categorizing details as they construct their perception of the world. In essence, every interaction and communication is processed by the child and given some meaning. The child looks for repetition in order to confirm general knowledge.
This is particularly important when considering the parents’ interactions with their children. Parents are the primary link between their children and the world. This is understandable, as it is the wish of every parent to help their child in a smooth, easy transition into society.
A young child, who has no prior knowledge or value system, comes to believe that what he or she absorbs from the environment is true and culturally acceptable.
Most adults do not realize the significance of their day-to-day interactions with young children. We tend to view things in the moment rather than evaluating the long-term effects of our words and actions.
Much of our behaviors as adults are influenced by our emotions and what is in our best interest for the moment. We need to take a closer look at what characteristics we ultimately wish to develop in our children and conscientiously act accordingly.
Parents should take into account the characteristics that they would like their children to develop and possess as an adult. They should carefully evaluate the way that their children behave and interact with others. Ask themselves if they are encouraging the characteristics that they desire or if they are facilitating the development of less positive patterns of behavior.
Our children behave precisely as we have trained them. It is our responsibility to help them develop positive patterns of behavior that will enable them to be competent, capable, contributing members of our society when they reach adulthood.
Children are all the time attempting to understand the ways in which the world around them functions. Everything is foreign and new to them. They must, therefore, process information by categorizing details as they construct their perception of the world. In essence, every interaction and communication is processed by the child and given some meaning. The child looks for repetition in order to confirm general knowledge.
This is particularly important when considering the parents’ interactions with their children. Parents are the primary link between their children and the world. This is understandable, as it is the wish of every parent to help their child in a smooth, easy transition into society.
A young child, who has no prior knowledge or value system, comes to believe that what he or she absorbs from the environment is true and culturally acceptable.
Most adults do not realize the significance of their day-to-day interactions with young children. We tend to view things in the moment rather than evaluating the long-term effects of our words and actions.
Much of our behaviors as adults are influenced by our emotions and what is in our best interest for the moment. We need to take a closer look at what characteristics we ultimately wish to develop in our children and conscientiously act accordingly.
Parents should take into account the characteristics that they would like their children to develop and possess as an adult. They should carefully evaluate the way that their children behave and interact with others. Ask themselves if they are encouraging the characteristics that they desire or if they are facilitating the development of less positive patterns of behavior.
Our children behave precisely as we have trained them. It is our responsibility to help them develop positive patterns of behavior that will enable them to be competent, capable, contributing members of our society when they reach adulthood.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Rastafari Today:
Today, the Rastafari Movement has spread through most of the world, especially to those sectors of society interested in Reggae music and who listen to the Jamaican singer Bob Marley. A survey revealed that there were 1 million of Rastafaris faithful worldwide by the year 1997. Another significant result was that 5 to 10 percent of Jamaicans admited themselves as Rastafaris. By claiming the Emperor of Ethiopia (Haile Selassie I) to be the messiah, the Rastafari movement may be seen as a new religious movement that has arisen from Judaism and Christianity.
This movement is not an organized religion but an ideology. Even many Rastas say that the Rastafarism is not a relagion “at all” but a way of life. Although it is not an organized religion it has many denominations. The most important ones nowadays are the Bobo Ashanti, The Nyahbinghis and The 12 tribes of Israel. In 1996, The Rastafari Movement was given consultative status by the United Nations.
Today Rastafaris are not only black Jamaican people. The movement has spread from its country of origin, Jamaica, to several other countries and among many ethnic groups. Some of its symbols has widely spred during the 1990s in Post-Soviet States. After the fall of the URSS, young people of Russia and Ukrania adopted many of the symbols of the Rastafari culture, especially honouring Bob Marley and Reggae music.
A devoted rasta community also developed in Japan in the late 1970s. Tokyo became full of rasta-shops selling natural food and Reggae records which still exist today. Each year, open-air Reggae concerts are held in Japan as well as in other cities around the world.
This movement is not an organized religion but an ideology. Even many Rastas say that the Rastafarism is not a relagion “at all” but a way of life. Although it is not an organized religion it has many denominations. The most important ones nowadays are the Bobo Ashanti, The Nyahbinghis and The 12 tribes of Israel. In 1996, The Rastafari Movement was given consultative status by the United Nations.
Today Rastafaris are not only black Jamaican people. The movement has spread from its country of origin, Jamaica, to several other countries and among many ethnic groups. Some of its symbols has widely spred during the 1990s in Post-Soviet States. After the fall of the URSS, young people of Russia and Ukrania adopted many of the symbols of the Rastafari culture, especially honouring Bob Marley and Reggae music.
A devoted rasta community also developed in Japan in the late 1970s. Tokyo became full of rasta-shops selling natural food and Reggae records which still exist today. Each year, open-air Reggae concerts are held in Japan as well as in other cities around the world.
The Rastafari Movement
The Rastafari movement is a new religious movement that accepts Haile Selassie I, the former Emperor of Ethiopia, as God incarnate, called Jah Rastafari. This emperor’s pre-coronation name was Tafari Makonnen. He is also seen as the messiah promised in the Bible to return. The name Rastafari comes from Ras (literally "Head," an Ethiopian title equivalent to Duke), and Tafari Makonnen. People who believe and are part of this movement are known as Rastas or Rastafaris.
Other characteristic of the Rastafari movement is the teachings of Jamaican publicist, organiser, and black separatist Marcus Garvey (also often regarded as a prophet), whose political and cultural vision helped inspire a new world view.
The Rastafari movement’s birthplace is Jamaica. It developed among Jamaicans of African descent who felt they were oppressed and that society was apathetic to their problems. Rastas regard themselves as conforming to Afrocentric social and political aspirations. They claim the culture stolen from them when their ancestors were brought on slave ships to Jamaica.
The messages given by the Rastafaris promote love and respect for all living things and emphasize the paramount importance of human dignity and self-respect. They speak of spiritual, psychological and physical Freedom. They are againts slavery and oppression.
Rastafaris stress loyalty to Zion (the Promissed Land), and rejection of modern society, calling it Babylon, which they see as corrupt. The movement is difficult to categorize, because Rastafari is not a centralized organization. Individual Rastafaris work out their religion for themselves, resulting in a wide variety of doctrines.
Other characteristic of the Rastafari movement is the teachings of Jamaican publicist, organiser, and black separatist Marcus Garvey (also often regarded as a prophet), whose political and cultural vision helped inspire a new world view.
The Rastafari movement’s birthplace is Jamaica. It developed among Jamaicans of African descent who felt they were oppressed and that society was apathetic to their problems. Rastas regard themselves as conforming to Afrocentric social and political aspirations. They claim the culture stolen from them when their ancestors were brought on slave ships to Jamaica.
The messages given by the Rastafaris promote love and respect for all living things and emphasize the paramount importance of human dignity and self-respect. They speak of spiritual, psychological and physical Freedom. They are againts slavery and oppression.
Rastafaris stress loyalty to Zion (the Promissed Land), and rejection of modern society, calling it Babylon, which they see as corrupt. The movement is difficult to categorize, because Rastafari is not a centralized organization. Individual Rastafaris work out their religion for themselves, resulting in a wide variety of doctrines.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Insight to Reggae Music
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s.While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady. Reggae is based on a rhythm style characterized by regular chops on the off-beat, known as the skank.
Reggae is often associated with the Rastafari movement, an influence on many prominent reggae musicians from its inception. Reggae song lyrics deal with many subjects, including faith, love, sexuality, relationships, poverty, injustice and other broad social issues.
Although strongly influenced by both traditional African and Caribbean music, as well as by American rhythm and blues, reggae owes its direct origins to the progressive development of ska and rocksteady in 1960s Jamaica.
Ska music first arose in the studios of Jamaica over the years 1959 and 1961, itself a development of the earlier mento genre. Aside from its massive popularity amidst the Jamaican rude boy fashion, ska had gained a large following among mods in Britain by 1964.
By the mid-1960s, many musicians had begun playing the tempo of ska slower, while emphasizing the walking bass and offbeats. The slower sound was named rocksteady, after a single by Alton Ellis. This phase of Jamaican music lasted only until 1968, when musicians began to slow the tempo of the music again, and added yet more effects. This led to the creation of reggae.
The Wailers, started by Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Wailer in 1963, are generally agreed to be the most easily recognised group worldwide that made the transition through all three stages — from ska hits like "Simmer Down", through slower rocksteady; and they are also among the significant pioneers who can be called the roots of reggae.
Reggae is noted for its tradition of social criticism, although many reggae songs discuss lighter, more personal subjects, such as love, sex and socializing. Some reggae lyrics attempt to raise the political consciousness of the audience, such as by criticizing materialism, or by informing the listener about controversial subjects such as Apartheid. There are many artists who utilize religious themes in their music — whether it be discussing a religious topic, or simply giving praise to the Rastafari God Jah. Other common socio-political topics in reggae songs include black nationalism, anti-racism, anti-colonialism, anti-capitalism, criticism of political systems and "Babylon", and promotion of caring for needs of the younger generation.
Reggae is often associated with the Rastafari movement, an influence on many prominent reggae musicians from its inception. Reggae song lyrics deal with many subjects, including faith, love, sexuality, relationships, poverty, injustice and other broad social issues.
Although strongly influenced by both traditional African and Caribbean music, as well as by American rhythm and blues, reggae owes its direct origins to the progressive development of ska and rocksteady in 1960s Jamaica.
Ska music first arose in the studios of Jamaica over the years 1959 and 1961, itself a development of the earlier mento genre. Aside from its massive popularity amidst the Jamaican rude boy fashion, ska had gained a large following among mods in Britain by 1964.
By the mid-1960s, many musicians had begun playing the tempo of ska slower, while emphasizing the walking bass and offbeats. The slower sound was named rocksteady, after a single by Alton Ellis. This phase of Jamaican music lasted only until 1968, when musicians began to slow the tempo of the music again, and added yet more effects. This led to the creation of reggae.
The Wailers, started by Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Wailer in 1963, are generally agreed to be the most easily recognised group worldwide that made the transition through all three stages — from ska hits like "Simmer Down", through slower rocksteady; and they are also among the significant pioneers who can be called the roots of reggae.
Reggae is noted for its tradition of social criticism, although many reggae songs discuss lighter, more personal subjects, such as love, sex and socializing. Some reggae lyrics attempt to raise the political consciousness of the audience, such as by criticizing materialism, or by informing the listener about controversial subjects such as Apartheid. There are many artists who utilize religious themes in their music — whether it be discussing a religious topic, or simply giving praise to the Rastafari God Jah. Other common socio-political topics in reggae songs include black nationalism, anti-racism, anti-colonialism, anti-capitalism, criticism of political systems and "Babylon", and promotion of caring for needs of the younger generation.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
The Power of Music
Music is everywhere an we all listen to it, even without having chosen to do it. Most of the time, to listen to music is not a volunteer action since it is played almost in every place where we generally go during our day. For instance, if you work in a shop or in an office, music sounds there through radios. If you go to a restaurant or a café, music is used to create a certain atmosphere. If you take a taxi, or the bus, most drivers will obly you to listen to their favourite station. If you go to the gym, you would listen to music there, also. When the weekend arrives, parties and meetings with friends, even the church sermon, will be accompained with music.
It is because it is present most of the time in our lives, that music is being studied by specialists who want to know more about its influence in human life. Tests have been done as regarding what type of music people generally listen to, how much time is spent listening to music and what feelings evokes listening to it. Actually, there are many scientific disciplines involved in such studies. The main interest of most of them is to determine the impact of music and its consequences in people’s life.
There are many examples that clearly prove the power of music. Mothers sing to babies, just to calm them down. Many people use music as company, for example during work. There are students who use it to isolate their minds from the outside world and gain concentration while studying. I personally listen to music particularly when doing housework and cooking. The choice of listening to music while doing something else, or to obtain a certain effect from it, proves that we are seeking to get some benefit from music.
And we does really get some positive benefit from music, otherwise we wouldn’t use it that much in our daily lives. Music evokes feelings and emotions, and that’s it real power.Music cannot be separated from life, I mean, from human life, simply because music is life. It is a way of living, that most people tend to choose. Music influence people’s mood, it is relaxing and estimulating. And most important of all, it produces a feeling of well being. You have just to play some happy rhythym on your cd player or MP3 and you will inmediately start to feel good!...
It is because it is present most of the time in our lives, that music is being studied by specialists who want to know more about its influence in human life. Tests have been done as regarding what type of music people generally listen to, how much time is spent listening to music and what feelings evokes listening to it. Actually, there are many scientific disciplines involved in such studies. The main interest of most of them is to determine the impact of music and its consequences in people’s life.
There are many examples that clearly prove the power of music. Mothers sing to babies, just to calm them down. Many people use music as company, for example during work. There are students who use it to isolate their minds from the outside world and gain concentration while studying. I personally listen to music particularly when doing housework and cooking. The choice of listening to music while doing something else, or to obtain a certain effect from it, proves that we are seeking to get some benefit from music.
And we does really get some positive benefit from music, otherwise we wouldn’t use it that much in our daily lives. Music evokes feelings and emotions, and that’s it real power.Music cannot be separated from life, I mean, from human life, simply because music is life. It is a way of living, that most people tend to choose. Music influence people’s mood, it is relaxing and estimulating. And most important of all, it produces a feeling of well being. You have just to play some happy rhythym on your cd player or MP3 and you will inmediately start to feel good!...
Adolescents Out of Control
It is not a new fact that adolescents are out of control nowadays. But what causes this? There must be something that takes them to that state in which their violent behaviour appears.
Some adolescents overreact to low marks that they get in school, and they do it against adults. The problem is not what might happen then, but how to control them, or in better words, how to help them.
Specialists on the topic say that the violent behaviour is acquired at home. To many sociologists and pshycologists who deal with adolescents out of control, such behaviour is not the result of having bad frienships, or watching violent scenes on TV. We inherit most part of our behaviour patterns and our personality is formed out of those inherited characteristics. Taking into account this, no other thing can be done with those adolescents than helping them to rebuild their personality. We need to help them to substitute those bad patterns with better ones. And this should be done with a profesionalist, and of course, family must help.
To lose control and to fly into a rage is likely to occur after a lot of simulated tolerance, hidden pains and having suffered any kind of humilliation; these means, violence is the result of unsolved social problems. And to deal with violents reactions with more violence is an easy, but incorrect choice. Afection and sensitivness towards those adolescents who react with violence are the key to solve the problem.
Parents who are rude and strict with their adolescents sons and daughters, contribute negatively to their future behaviour and social development. And so do those who do not check their children school development or do not just ask them “how was school today?”. This attitudes are perceived by children as indiference towards them, and this has very dramatic consequences.
If parents do not get involved in their children’s lives, to try to do it latter may be extremely difficult and even traumatic for an adolescent. Parents must show interest for their children, they must show it to them, because they need it, and they are requesting it with all that violent behaviour they have.
Some adolescents overreact to low marks that they get in school, and they do it against adults. The problem is not what might happen then, but how to control them, or in better words, how to help them.
Specialists on the topic say that the violent behaviour is acquired at home. To many sociologists and pshycologists who deal with adolescents out of control, such behaviour is not the result of having bad frienships, or watching violent scenes on TV. We inherit most part of our behaviour patterns and our personality is formed out of those inherited characteristics. Taking into account this, no other thing can be done with those adolescents than helping them to rebuild their personality. We need to help them to substitute those bad patterns with better ones. And this should be done with a profesionalist, and of course, family must help.
To lose control and to fly into a rage is likely to occur after a lot of simulated tolerance, hidden pains and having suffered any kind of humilliation; these means, violence is the result of unsolved social problems. And to deal with violents reactions with more violence is an easy, but incorrect choice. Afection and sensitivness towards those adolescents who react with violence are the key to solve the problem.
Parents who are rude and strict with their adolescents sons and daughters, contribute negatively to their future behaviour and social development. And so do those who do not check their children school development or do not just ask them “how was school today?”. This attitudes are perceived by children as indiference towards them, and this has very dramatic consequences.
If parents do not get involved in their children’s lives, to try to do it latter may be extremely difficult and even traumatic for an adolescent. Parents must show interest for their children, they must show it to them, because they need it, and they are requesting it with all that violent behaviour they have.
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