January 2011
1 post
"I love you with my heart and lungs"
The only way to truly understand the following words by Khalil Gibran in one of his poems from The Prophet, is to really have lived this in some way…
Then said Almitra, “Speak to us of Love.” And he raised his head and looked upon the people, and there fell a stillness upon them. And with a great voice he said: When love beckons to you, follow him, Though his ways are hard...
September 2010
1 post
Are we walking away from our creativity?
The topic is brought by a significant debate formulated by Ken Robinson: Is the modern academic system undermining human creativity? It seems to be a fair realization that the majority of academic institutions, encompassing all educational levels, from elementary schools to post-secondary faculties, prioritize mathematics and linguistic studies over the arts and sports. I most definitely relate...
July 2010
1 post
A thesis by J.S. Mill
A fundamental statement that might complement the last two posts: “There is the greatest difference between presuming an opinion to be true because, with every opportunity of contesting it, it has not been refuted, and assuming its truth for the purpose of not permitting its refutation.” -John Stuart Mill
May 2010
2 posts
Explaining the unexplainable
Analogous to Manilowski’s functional approach about rituals, I believe that people’s great affinity with their religious beliefs arises from an attempt to reduce anxiety and uncertainty about what cannot be explained. Ever since humans started developing their cognitive reasoning, a need for understanding the world around seemed to be of ever greater importance. It is therefore no wonder how...
An insight into scientific knowledge
Science is a source of human knowledge and constructive criticism, for which it depends on the public’s acceptance or rejection to attain its rational purpose. It is therefore always intertwined with advocacy. Science has been created by humans in the attempt to describe the nature of the universe by relying on our reasoning through hypothetical theories and observation, which ultimately will...
March 2010
2 posts
Making records
The tragicomedy of making music according to Quino.
An encounter with William Kentridge
Spent a day at the MoMA and among the incredible things that I saw, the work of a particular artist caught my eye. William Kentridge, a South African artist that uses an amazing technique in his animations. Using charcoal, pastel and pencil in some of his work, he films a drawing and continues modifying it little by little, each time making a new frame in what later becomes a short and...
October 2009
1 post
Recent speculation
In the last couple of weeks I came across different topics, which gave rise to a million questions and makes me feel that what is considered to be the “official” truth is far away from the actual facts. First of all, I watched certain documentaries on the food industry and how manufactures use preservatives, additives, colorants and what not, to obtain the desired product and boost their...
July 2009
1 post
Moon Day
Today I want to remind people that exactly 40 years ago, mankind set foot on the moon. Quite amazing, isn’t it? I am not sure if this day has already acquired a specific name or not, but I will just call it Moon Day, for its obvious reasons (when we get to Mars we can talk about something else…). For whatever reason, people seem to sometimes forget about the implications and tremendous...
March 2009
1 post
Do you want a receipt?
Funny enough, today I got to realize something that happened to me twice: Why do they give us such an exaggerated amount of paper in the receipts when we purchase something? First, I recharged my metro card at one station and the screen of the machine clearly displayed “Do you want a receipt for your transaction?”, and obviously, I pressed “No” thinking that I didn’t want my pockets full of...
February 2009
1 post
We need a miracle for this movie
I guess Adam has tasted the blogging apple. Well, what better way to start than commenting about a movie that I watched the other day. The movie is called “Miracle at St. Anna”, by the acclaimed director Spike Lee, who incidentally visited my university a few days ago to give some lectures commemorating the Black History Month. Time was probably the excuse why I did not attend one of his...