Points of View...

While the polar caps are melting, therefore increasing the sea levels and demonstrating the clearest of evidence that Earth's climate is changing (the climate which allowed the prosperity of Mankind, mind you), five of the most powerful (and CO2 producing, of course) countries in the world, Canada, Denmark, Norway, Russia and U.S.A. are in deep dispute over who will go first and exploit North Pole's (more accessible, now) oil reserves (in order to produce more CO2 and unbalance the planets equilibrium even more...)

[ ]"Greenland hosts Arctic sovereignty talks"

On the other hand, U.N. experts warn of economic cost of species loss...

Mohandas K. "Mahatma" Gandhi (1869-1948)

"Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth."

- Albert Einstein

I admit that all I know about "Mahatma" (Great Soul) Gandhi is from the wonderful 1982 film of the same name and one of the (admittedly too many -as if everyone tries to prove that he is Gandhi's "heir" or that Gandhi was talking about his methods) sites about him.

The important thing, though, is to remember that he managed to free his country without any use of violence.

Only through Pure Will, Determination and Faith in Truth and Justice.
With these as sole weapons (as well as solidarity) A BETTER WORLD IS POSSIBLE.

Remember that. If he did it, We can do it.

The following are the closing words from the film:

"When I despair, I remember that all through History the way of Truth and Love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and, for a time, they can seem invincible but in the end, they always fall.
Think of it. Always"

Myanmar, Anno Domini 2008

"ASEAN to coordinate Myanmar aid effort"

We are all witnessing, these days, the disaster that has stricken Myanmar.

The misfortune, of course, is neither the cyclone that fell upon this poor country (a natural phenomenon that has been highly reinforced by the changing climate -that is, from wealthy, CO2 producing economies), nor the diseases and shortage of the necessary medicines, food and clean water that came after that.

Myanmar's great mishap is its lack of natural resources, such as petrol.
If it had anything useful for the great-multinational-government-running companies to harvest, then the Mighty and Just of the World would have deployed any means, even military force to free the country from Dictatorship -remember Iraq-, and at last let relief organizations and international help to enter and do their much-needed work.

The lack of anything exploitable calls for no action to upturn this inhuman regime, which is equivalent, in the end, to letting the people of Myanmar DIE.

Of course, no end ever justifies the means, and no outside force should be used to rule the lives of the people of another country.
However, I think that in such an extreme case, like this one, humanitarian help should enter Myanmar even with the support of military forces.

The Spontaneous Thought's Strength Theory (S.T.S.T.)

The theory about the Strength of the Spontaneous Thought is actually a collective of three intertwined premises, all declaring the equivalence between Spontaneity and Genuineness. These Principles are:

1. The Spontaneous gesture (thought, word or action) reveals the Truth of Intention and Desire.

That is not to be confused with the mistake we may do when, while thinking about something, we do something else, thus unintentionally confusing them.

This first principle of the Theory means to tell us that no matter what we think or believe, our spontaneous action (or reaction) shows the truth of our feelings.

For example, I generally never pay attention to music in films. If, however, I happen to spontaneously think about a film that: “Hey, that’s good music!”, then I take this thought as an indication that the film has a good soundtrack.

When you hear the word: “friends” and a certain face comes to mind, then that’s the person you actually consider to be your best friend, no matter what you think.

When we are asked: “Yes or No?”, if we let ourselves answer without thinking, then this answer will be what we really want.

This has to do with the fact that our brain has its needs and priorities finely assorted, but when we process facts, then we instill doubt to that hierarchy, therefore confusing ourselves.

The more we ponder about things and press ourselves, the possibility of doing something that we don’t truly want increases.

However, it’s important to stress that this first principle of the S.T.S.T. is about what our true intentions and desires are, not about our needs or wisest actions.

2. Everything that is, exists because the reasons that contribute to its existence are superior to those opposing it (and vice versa).

In this principle, “Superior” can mean “more”, “more important”, “more stable” or/and “more viable”.

OK. This facet of the Theory may seem “too obvious to be worthy of mentioning”. But it is, in truth, so important, that we tend to take it for granted and then ignore it.
Like the air around us, irreplaceable, yet invisible.

What does the S.T.S.T. tells us now? It tells us that nothing is written in stone. If the reasons for being weren’t stronger than the reasons for not being, then everything that is, wouldn’t be. And, on the other hand, if something does not exist, that means that the reasons for existing aren’t so strong as those for not to.

Thus, for the things and situations that we like (or like them to be), we have to make sure that the reasons for existing will keep (or become) superior to those that are against them.

And for what we don’t like, we have to work for the opposite reasons.

An example: Money. It exists because it serves certain purposes. These purposes are currently superior to those that would render it useless. If we believe that “money is the root of all evil”, then we have to change ourselves (firstly) and our society (secondly) so that we don’t need it.

Another example: Health or Peace (for those of us blessed with them). God didn’t just grant them to us so they’ll stay forever. It’s just that currently, the reasons for existing are superior to those against it, that’s why they are (or not).

3. The more complete the awareness of a situation (or self-awareness of a person) is the more this situation (or person) spontaneously (automatically) moves to Optimization.

Optimization means that the Structure involved becomes the most that it can be, the best or worst that it can encompass.

The reason for this is that when a person is self-unaware (or a situation is not realized), then it can “go anywhere”, become anything. But, upon realization, when placing the question: “Who, what am I? What is happening?”, then the quest for determination, automatically (spontaneously) becomes a procedure of optimization, until, in the end, when the Structure has been fully determined, it has also become the most it can.

Best or Worst? The S.T.S.T. can, unfortunately, not predict whether this Optimization leads to the best or worst of a Structure. That depends on decision-making parameters, like the person’s character, self-esteem, optimism or pessimism and external factors during realization.

This Theory has been so useful in my life that I have come to call it “Holy” and there has hardly been any time that it has been proven wrong.

The Only True Religion...

Putting nonsensical racism aside, Mankind is supposed to be God's Chosen species, made after the image of the Creator Itself...

That, I think, was made known to Man because God Spoke to us and informed us so.

And, I guess, God wouldn't like to let any of Its Chosen children and our precious souls to be lost into... wherever else.

Therefore, I believe that God must have Spoken to us as soon as we became sentient.

Thus, making the very first Religion, the Truest one.

If so, welcome to The Only True Religion

Planet Earth: An Alien Perspective

"The other two [aliens] ignored its frantic beeping and walked over to the car quite slowly, in the world-wide approved manner of policemen already compiling the charge sheet in their heads. The tallest one, a yellow toad dressed in kitchen foil, rapped on Newt's [car] window. He wound it down. The thing was wearing the kind of mirror-finished sunglasses that Newt always thought of as Cool Hand Luke shades.
[ ]'Morning, sir or madam or neuter,' the thing said. 'This your planet, is it?"
[ ]The other alien, which was stubby and green, had wandered off into the woods by the side of the road. Out of the corner of his eye Newt saw it kick a tree, and then run a leaf through some complicated gadget on its belt. It didn't look very pleased.
[ ]'Well, yes. I suppose so,' he said.
[ ]The toad stared thoughtfully at the skyline.
[ ]'Had it long, have we, sir?' it said.
[ ]'Er. Not personally. I mean, as a species, about half a million years. I think.'
[ ]The alien exchanged glances with its colleague. 'Been letting the old acid rain build up, haven't we, sir?' it said. 'Been letting ourselves go a bit with the old hydrocarbons, perhaps?'
[ ]'I'm sorry?'
'Could you tell me your planet's albedo, sir?' said the toad, still staring levelly at the horizon as though it was doing something interesting.
[ ]'Er. No'
[ ]'Well, I'm sorry to have to tell you, sir, that your polar icecaps are below regulation size for a planet of this category, sir.'
[ ]'Oh, dear,' said Newt. He was wondering who he could tell about this, and realizing that there was absolutely no-one who would believe him.
[ ]The toad bent closer. It seemed to be worried about something, insofar as Newt was any judge of the expressions of an alien race he'd never encountered before.
[ ]'We'll overlook it on this occasion, sir.'
[...]The small alien walked past the car.
[ ]'CO2 level up 0.5 per cent,' it rasped, giving him a meaningful look. 'You do know you could find yourself charged with being a dominant species while under the influence of impulse-driven consumerism, don't you?'"

-Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, "Good Omens"

Definitions, part 5: The "Language"

[ ]The "official" definition of the "Language" is:

[ ]"The 'Language' is the 'release' of an inexpressible (or difficult to express) meaning through its conversion into a superexpressive Structure."

[ ]There is something you cannot easily express. You let it go by using a superexpressive Structure.

[ ]And what, pray, is a "superexpressive Structure"?

[ ]A moan is a subexpressive Structure. A basic sound that passes on a simple meaning.

[ ]The phrase: "I'm in pain!" is a standard expressive Structure. A Structure made with certain rules and mechanisms (of grammar and syntax), able to express a multitude of meanings.

[ ]A superexpressive Structure is needed when the meanings are too complicated and/or their "flow" in someone's mind is too great and the need to express them is too pressing for one to have the leisure to give them form with proper grammar and syntax.
[ ]A sound that would express the pain someone is feeling, along with the reason for it and some philosophical thoughts about the nature of pain would constitute a superexpressive Structure.

[ ]The "song" of the whales, a sound supposedly conveying lots of information about the creature at once, could be described as a superexpressive Structure.

[ ]Also, below is the clip from a performance of the singer Savvina Yannatou.
I would describe it as: "The 'Language' sung."

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My thanks to CrazyMalkavian

Quotes, part 1

[ ]"When I was a boy... all the people of all the nations which had fought in the First World War were silent during the eleventh minute of the eleventh hour of Armistice Day, which was the eleventh day of the eleventh month.

[ ]It was during that minute in nineteen hundred and eighteen that millions upon millions of human beings stopped butchering one another. I have talked to old men who were on battlefields during that minute. They have told me in one way or another that the sudden silence was the Voice of God. So we still have among us some men who can remember when god spoke clearly to mankind."

- Kurt Vonnegut

There is no hope, unless it is action: Thoughts and Suggestions

[ ]If I want to have hope, I can...

1. care for what is important in my life and impede Entropy form destroying it.
2. do things that mean something to me and not our of habit.
3. take nothing for granted and appreciate the goods, while trying to change the bad ones.
4. not waste natural resources.
5. respect others and their needs.
6. say a kind word to a stranger.
7. say or do anything (even the smallest gesture) to remind my loved ones that I love them.
8. recycle. In fact, very little is actual waste.
9. use low energy lamps and not incadescence.
10. use renewable energy sources, like solar energy.
11. ask from those governing to introduce environmentally friendly policies.
12. not care only about myself.
13. experience what actually makes me happy.
14. become responsible, which means acting with purpose and learn from my failures.

May the 1st: International Workers' Day

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Workers%27_Day

[ ]It has become customary in many countries of the world to have May the 1st as an official working holiday.
[ ]It is more important, though, to remember that May the 1st is actually, should actually be a day of strike.

[ ]With no need to be engaged into further history lessons, it suffices to say that some years ago, workers decided to strike because they wanted to have better lives: Eight hours of work, eight hours for recreation, eight hours for rest.
[ ]I'm certain that they had been told, as we are told now, that such a thing is "counterproductive", "uncompetitive", "utopian". "Indices this and reports that".
[ ]I'd like to think that their response was: "What you're saying is fine, only that we are Human Beings and we want to work to live, not the other way around."

[ ]All these years later, I have the impression that the "Working Rights" (hand in hand with the Human ones, of course) have become, again, a luxury, not a fact.
So much for progress, then... We've let Entropy get the better of us...

[ ]In a world where "dog eats dog", not for the essentials of life (because our planet provides us these in plenty), but for the superfluous, you had better be prepared that sooner or later you will, too, be eaten.