Losultimosapuntes

  Recent developments in the United States president’s election provided an insight into the proliferation of conspiracy theories. Movements supporting theories like the election was robbed by Democrats, and that fraud was rampant. With no evidence whatsoever and resulting in substantial damage to democracy. For the absentminded,   it was difficult to believe in the array of theories, masterminded to capture specific party base's minds and guarantee its absolute support, regardless of the legal final election outcome. The first thought is, why these people believe and follow these theories? Some information mentions that conspiracy theories are appalling to people in particular when they have important psychological needs that are not being satisfied. Being less educated, with a desire to feel special (narcissist tendencies), with feelings of powerlessness. Could they also be used to fill a void caused by the abandonment of religion? This last statement highlights an actua...

  An apart from the book: Enlightenment Now from Steven Pinker. “News is about things that happen, no things that don’t happen. And among the things that do happen, the positive and the negative ones unfold on different timelines. If a newspaper came out every once every fifty years, it would not report half a century of celebrity gossip and political scandals. It would report momentous global changes such an increase in life expectancy. The nature of news is likely to distort people’s view of the world because a mental bug called the Availability Heuristic = people estimate the probability of an event or the frequency of a kind of thing by the ease with which instances come to mind. Availability heuristic à stocked by the news policy “if it bleeds, it leads” induce a sense of gloom about the state of the world. News gatekeepers prefer negative to positive coverage, holding the events constant that in turn provides an easy formula for pessimism on the editorial page. ...

About the first year of Winston Churchill, his family, and related persons during his first-year government. During WW2. -           From May 1940 to May 1941. Provides an internal view of how to approach and manage something so enormous and destructive as the war and the dangers of a German invasion.   -           The book’s title comes from a line in John Colville’s ( private secretary) diary about the peculiar beauty of watching bombs fall over his home city: “ never was there such a contrast of natural splendor   and human vileness”   -           Great introduction to WW2, from Britain point of view, without the Jews and Holocaust issues dominating the story.   -           Presentation of leader qualities under pressure and how determination skills can influence the change...

From what I have learned, to become a good writer, you need to manage a good level of grammar, know some rules of style and creative writing guidelines, and the most important write every day. I understand all this, applied to people who desire to write a novel, a book, and become famous short after. But I had decided that I am not interested in such an adventure. Everything related to plot, characters, dialogue, bores me and cannot image all time wasted thinking in these activities. But all these parts of the “writing” seems a very important part of the trade. I acknowledge it is required a good deal of experience and imagination to select a good theme, do a proper research and then record it in the paper following all rules and adding a beautiful mastery of sentences to inspire readers. I agree, on the other hand, on the excitement and emotions in reading nonfiction, most importantly the part that transports you to another space and time. This is the benefit of a reader. But not ...

I don’t know where this picture was taken. Looks very ancient, part of a house in the middle of a small valley, taken on early morning or located at some altitude where the weather always involves mist. This is almost all you can say looking at the picture. But there is more; you can imagine that the people who build it, may have been very happy to create a refuge, against the winds. A lot of work to find and carry all stones, but important to withstand the weather forces. A small window, to give more protection, but with a view. One can imagine all stories within the walls, as is the case when a stone house becomes a home. How many generations developed in this place? How many children abandoned their parents to find their own homes? How many tales the walls will tell if this were possible? What will happen to our houses with the past of the times? For sure we will not leave vestiges to be looked at for future inhabitants. Maybe they will be demolished and new housing ideas co...

It is important to understand the consequences of the lack of potable water in poor communities in the world. Government and non-governmental organizations are focusing their efforts to alleviate this problem, but until now  results are showing that there is more to do. Deprivation of potable water is the first cause of several health issues, that prevent the possibility of advancement in the fight against poverty. Women and children are first affected by this insufficiency as this impacts health since childbirth through the first years of development.  We should not let politicians and organizations deceit the public with false statistics, diminishing the significance of this service shortage. Surveillance groups should be created to ensure resources are applied where they need to be. All efforts will be compensated just capturing the delight of all earth communities watching the liquid flowing from pipes as a promise of a better future. 

Wondering what are they thinking at the early hours. For them is maybe a chore, work chore. Feeling the seeds weight, wet feet, and maybe cold.   For the spectator is a beautiful picture. Something different from daily landscapes, the repetition of the cones shapes, the light, the shades, and the synchronous movements. Hope this is only a reflection of an ancient practice, and not today’s way of performing the task. But unfortunately, chances are this is happening in remote areas in Asia. Where industrial agriculture had not reached all areas. Or maybe this is the best way to do it , allowing the labourers to keep their thoughts for themselves as it had happened for millenniums

The costume to dance under the notes of a live flute was a medieval activity very well regarded for all social affairs at main households. Nowadays,   dancing at house parties had disappeared almost completely. Today you go dancing at clubs, with strangers, having nothing in common, and on very important occasions like weddings, anniversaries, state balls, museum galas, etc. And for the flute playing alive, it had been segregated practically at the main symphonic orchestras performances and the classes practices from virtuosos students. I am wondering if people at that time ever imagined that the pleasure to have live flute music as a regular activity was going to be completely overrun by electronic devices, like if for example we predict today that Italian food will not use garlic in the future, being replaced by who knows which unknown substance. We can only hope that time and development will preserve things that have an impact on our happiness and well being, keeping...

A trip to the cottage is always an adventure. Several unexpected activities will lead to experiment sensations never imagined. Sometimes these encounters with nature and the corresponding rewards are different pending the personality and user customs. For example, the indiscriminate use of beer and alcoholic beverages will reduce the effects and outputs of the event, as your senses will be compromised. Will be necessary to exhibit bravery avoiding the enhancement of the senses expected from the use of alcohol. It can be possible that your beliefs can be changed, giving different properties to regular, normal objects or things. For example, the unexpected visit of a wolf can be welcomed as coming from a domesticated animal, like let’s say a cow , with very different outcomes and possible not very pleasant consequences. On the other hand, the experience can be remembered as a hilarious situation to be referenced always in the future as amazing or funny.

Here you will find some extracts from the book 12 Rules for life. An antidote for chaos. Jordan Peterson is a prominent Canadian clinical psychologist. Offers " rules for sorting yourself out, setting your house in order, and improving the world by first improving yourself."  Rule # 7. Pursue what is meaningful (not what is expedient) Expedience is the following of blind impulse. It’s a short-term gain. It’s narrow and selfish. It lies to get its way. It takes nothing into account. It's immature and irresponsible. Meaning is its mature replacement. Meaning emerges when impulses are regulated, organized, and unified. Meaning emerges from the interplay between the possibilities of the world and the value structure operating within that world. If the value structure is aimed at the betterment of Being, the meaning revealed will be life-sustaining. It will provide the antidote for chaos. It will make everything matter. It will make everything better. If you act proper...

Here you will find some extracts from the book 12 Rules for life. An antidote for chaos. Jordan Peterson is a prominent Canadian clinical psychologist. Offers " rules for sorting yourself out, setting your house in order and improving the world by first improving yourself."  “ Chaos is the domain of ignorance itself. It’s unexplored territory. Chaos is what extends, eternally and without limit, beyond the boundaries of all states, all ideas, and all disciplines. It’s the foreigner, the stranger, the member of another gang, the rustle in the bushes in the night-time, the monster under the bed, the hidden anger of your mother, and the thickness of your child. Chaos is the despair and horror you feel when you have been profoundly betrayed. It’s the place you end when all things fall apart; when your dreams die, your career collapses, or your marriage ends. It’s the underworld of fairytale and myth, where the dragon and the gold it guards eternally co-exist. Chaos is where we a...

The coronavirus times highlighted vantages and disadvantages to raise hens and chickens in our backyards. After the evaluation, the balance will go to how adventurous you are, where do you live,   how a   firm believer you are in sustainability principles, and your relationships with neighbors. Hens and chickens are easy to raise, need only small coops as homes, not too much space.   Thrive in any climate. They are very productive, you can get one egg a day, so if you have 6 hens there will be 12 eggs in two days, that is a big amount of eggs!  You can feed hens with protein food in the winter and leave them free in the warmer time to eat insects, bugs, worms, and cooking scraps, aka free run eggs…… And after sometimes you can set up a small incubator where you can set some fertilized eggs to get the hens’s next-generation (no hormones here). And,   you can also use the meat of the original ones. So there will be eggs and meat. In potential pan...

Sometimes when I admire Alice,   I wonder if her cat personality has a sense of entitlement or if she simply behaves as a Queen-pet- cat. Alice - The Queen  A sense of entitlement is defined as “unrealistic, unmerited or inappropriate expectation of favorable living conditions and favorable treatment at the hands of others”. Entitlement is found when there is a higher sense of belief in one’s importance and means the person believes he deserves certain privileges – and is arrogant about it. Let's go to Alice, her elegant demeanor and her impassivity at her surroundings leads you to bring immediately the sense of entitlement. Her selection of the unimaginable places to relax, unaware of any possible restrictions, corresponds the same to her high sense of self-importance. She understands her significance as being part of the family and takes for granted her care tasks without interruption. But, because of her pleasant, playful and sweet behavior, ...

As time continues to pass,   life continues.   And we   have to cook and eat.   To be honest the act of cooking had become the "event" of the day. Maybe because it means   something different. After this situation all families   will become better in food preparation,  for sure. Something good.  So,   Ana Maria offered to buy groceries this time.   First suffering the regulations at Bulk Barn: line to get inside,   then   waiting for the sales associate to be free to get   with you inside, he wearing gloves,   several scoops and maintaining   the social distance once inside. And not very warm outside yet!! But mission accomplished. Then, and thanks that she and Daniel are the youthful representatives from   our families, they went to buy more groceries for 3 households, our, Daniel's family and his, imagine the work included. Some other errands were added to the pile . ...

Here is a song to get moving !!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pi2Gy7DG75g

As not much is happening these days, we have to use any little events    in our lives to record   and then after remember …. This is what happened yesterday, Sunday and today Monday: Mariana graciously offered to buy any groceries that we were missing and went to Walmart to buy them. They went on Sunday and as the weather was nice, a lot of people were doing same. Danger!!! Not helping   with the situation, and in order to meet the milk amount requirements, they had   to go to   the register 4 times,   with only one milk   cartoon each time, as it was rationed to prevent all items disappearance. Poor Mariana and Martin…. But groceries were bought. And today Martin delivered, very early in his way to work.   In his very treasured   Subaru. Then very carefully we unpacked, washed with soapy water all groceries    and dried them. That took for ever and finally there were     pu...

Everything started last summer when a high wind blow up, removed and broke up his regular patio umbrella. Our neighbor then,   went immediately and bought a new one. Obviously the new model, bigger and red.   For some reason this new one didn’t work. Something was broken, and it was an embarrassing at   grandma and grandpa's annual  visit, a lot of explanations and subsequent wife's annoyance. Then came the discussions between husband and wife,   a lot  of shouting and recriminations, it seems caused for the poor man incapacity to deliver  a sumptuous    patio environment, to relax in the summer   from the daily routines. We started to think this was the beginning of the end of a marriage…… But , oh surprise!, at the   end of the summer,   one day a contractor showed up to install a canopy to cover,   guess what: a Jacuzzi. Very fancy. Not to large though. But they installed it wrong ,...

Why daughters and sons should not take fathers' last name. It is common practice in our society   that children inherit   father's last names.   In this way family clans are identified always   by their father last name Mother's last names are lost for practical purposes, even though in some Latin countries mother's last names always follow father's. That being said,   there is always a possibility that sons do not genetically   belong to   father's tribe, even though for   decorum reasons mothers are sometimes   obliged to maintain the   belief that they belong. Nowadays it had been proven that we can track genealogy through mitochondrial DNA provided by mothers. In the fertilization process, fathers provide the nuclear DNA included in their sperm's cells,    but their mitochondrial cells only provide the energy required   to reach the eggs   and after, those cells   fall apart with the sperm...

How the   possibility of seriously get sick changed the way we   see how research and public health planning is conducted We have been used to believe   that medicine advancements will cover any type of eventuality; but far from reality. The COVID -19 appearance had shown us   that there are still health threats against which we are   absolutely impotent. Also, had exposed   government failures and leadership incompetence in planning for these type of events. The fact that the treat was not tangible and visible made it easy for politicians to disregard   funds for research, ignoring at the same time   the need to be prepared to face potential epidemics, not even saying pandemics. One concept   that emerged from this late episode, is how important it is the communication between different scientific research   teams, sharing discoveries and interacting to develop solutions and better ways to approach problems.   Aboli...

Why are there some many songs about rainbows and what's on the other side rainbows are visions they're only illusions and rainbows have nothing to hide so we're been told and some chose to believe it. But I know they are wrong wait and see Some day we'll find it the rainbow connection the lovers, the dreamers and me who said that every wish would be heard and answered when wished on the morning star somebody though of that and someone believe it and look what it's done so far what's so amazing that keeps us star gazing what so we think we might see Some day we'll find it the rainbow connection the lovers , the dreamers and me have you been fast asleep and have you heard voices, I've hear them calling my name, is this the sweet sound that calls the young sailors , the voice might be one and the same. I've heard it  too many times to ignore it it's something that I'm supposed to be Some day we'll find it ...

What did I learn from reading the Weight of Ink book? Vision about Jews religion education in 17th century. No surprise women discrimination. Not allowed to think , study, write. Different types of Jews,: The Sephardi  Jews from Spain and Portugal, the Ashkenazim  from Germany and East Europe.   History of   Masada. A mountain in Israel, an UNESCO  world heritage site and tourist destination. All Jews living at the top of the mountain kill themselves before the Roman troops arrived. Glimpse into the Israeli volunteer camps, helping with several   tasks to build camps and protect the country. Existence of Benedict De Spinoza or Baruch. A Jew philosopher, named the Prince of philosophers, excommunicated by the Jews in Amsterdam  . " Deus sive natura". God or nature. Pantheism. The view that God and nature are interchangeable.   A doctrine that  identifies God with the u...