Papus

I’ve heard quite some about how important it is to handle English nowadays, mostly from people who don’t use it so much. I’ve learned it long ago, long enough to say long actually. I also worked as an English instructor for some time but, sincerely, I don’t know, no sé si vale la pena el esfuerzo;  trato de transmitir un mensaje cuyo destino se presenta algo borroso, así que, ante la incertidumbre de si vale la pena o no writing this, I’ll do it like this, usando ambos idiomas. El corrector de word ya lo evidencia como locura…

I was reading this book of Papus and I really enjoyed lots of things. Actually it made me come up with the idea that everything symbolizes something; to someone, somewhere, for some reason, at any time, y eso se debe a que uno es un universo en sí, y el mismo dilema que suscitan el cerebro y el corazón; del cual a lot has been written about, es el mismo que se presenta entre el materialismo y la fe. I’ve found it revealing because I spend many days surrounded by gente que se proclaman ateos y agnósticos, and this is mostly because internet gave such a chance. No es un tema de convicción, como nos lo queren vender, it is more like doubting (but without researching) is kind of cooler, y eso, en una crisis como la que vivimos los Venezolanos, and besides, in a time where we’ve become in a nation where heroes are now satellites, news; propaganda, celebrities; politicians (imagínense eso) and achievements; things merely working. Obviamente eso es un cocktail para la percepción.

No quiero pasar por alto lo del materialismo, so I’m going to quote a bit from the book:

El materialismo nos enseña a trabajar por la colectividad sin esperanza alguna de recompensa, ya que sólo el recuerdo de vuestra personalidad es lo que puede subsistir detrás de vosotros; esta doctrina, que deseca el corazón y enseña a no considerar más que a los fuertes en la lucha por la vida, tiene, no obstante, una poderosa influencia sobre la razón, y ésta retiene un poco sus violencias y sus peligros… 

This should be important, at least I think it is porque detrás del presunto antagonismo, hay otros, más concretos, como el del poder y la sumisión: un grupo significante de gente cree que en la sumisión está el deber, y que en el deber está la necesidad, entonces, cómo levantas a una población en nombre de la libertad, cuando el deber está en la necesidad y ésta última en la sumisión… You have to do it from a position of power, which is what happens with the politcians, and that’s why people still wait on lines for cash and bread, for example…

Calm down folks!

Few days ago a radio program was banned because of something they were not supposed to say. The Ministry of Propaganda (because at such behavior It can´t ever be called Ministry of Communications. Actually it has another name) claimed the hosts have infringed upon the law (a very tricky one; the one why publicity went reduced from the media, but that’s another subject) because one of them told gay a seven years old boy who called them up and answered, based on a joke, that he preferred Cristiano Ronaldo instead of Messi. It was infamous, tweets came and went either supporting or condemning the program, which is why I want to write some. Most people don’t really care about something outside until it’s brought up to the media. I was a listener of the program and many times disagreed with the hosts, actually I reserve my opinion of them, but, and no question, they’ve been so very funny. I really liked it… 

Due to the incident everyone got something to say to them. Apparently the fact a child gets involved made everyone disgusted, especially those who don´t listen to the program. To me it’s easy to judge if the argument gets framed only for making feel in a certain way.  So it did. One of the most popular comments was that they screwed it up; and it got so strong that the host, next day, had to ask for an apology to a bunch of people who usually don´t listen to them. They did. 

As a lawyer, there are several perspectives, although we don’t work here in Venezuela the same way abroad. To be more specific, the parents of the child didn’t have to press charges, actually, according to what I’ve heard, the parents supported the program (why not? But that´s another subject) the program got shut because of an administrative procedure The State opened. Like I said, here it’s different. There is this methodology, kind of Orwellian; perhaps taken from Nineteen Eighty Four, where the sanctioned, besides being banned and vilified, have to say sorry just for the pleasure of a couple of chairmen; and it was so… 

There’s something called The Principle of Good faith as a pillar of The Law; and it declares that it is always presumed unless proving otherwise; and the otherwise hasn’t been proved yet. Besides, there are two points I’d like to share here: gay is an insult, so you can’t ever say it to a child, and to finish this: when morality comes from a position of power it is cynicism, and cynicism, as administrator, it is just nefarious… 

How about you? 

What do you think?

at least it wasn’t cash…

There’s no cash for everyone and if there is some left, it never last enough due to the prices. Venezuelans can withdraw five thousand bolívares per day, this is, today, the equivalent of twenty cents of a dollar, therefore; in order to get a “whole dollar” in cash, a person must go to the ATM daily at least five days straight, which means it might take a week to get a dollar.  Math aside, almost everything worth more than five thousand bolívares, so we move from this to that with debit cards, yes, debit cards because nobody in a store, not in a small one, actually accepts credit cards; but this is not to imply now. I went to a gas station store to buy this coolant fluid for cars and I’ve found it, which is a joy nowadays, but they were out of POS and I had to pay thirty thousand in cash, meaning six days of bank visiting. I kept walking. Two blocks after I’m watching a car parts shop, got in and they had the POS working but, you can guess, no fluid, so I went on, probably three blocks, asked again: no luck. Finally, A block away from the last sight I´ve found it, again the joy and the lady in the store tells me she must slide the card again because the connection fell down, I said no problem; I was amused, so I paid my shop and came back six or seven blocks to reach the office, got to my work station… about three four hours later I had to transfer some money, and there it’s when I noticed the purchase were charged twice… no further words for it; I was tired enough to walk again those blocks and explain something it wouldn´t be solved the same day, I just accepted because of weariness; I´ve lost that money. I said to myself: at least it wasn’t cash…

People have a lot of passion to tell and so little will to do so, these days at least. I’m feeling tired of such bravery in words at its lack of actions. Everyone who approaches is always suggesting, which sounds more like commanding, what to do or not to. This is no help, not at all; but after one figures out how to deal with, for example the fact I got charged twice for the same purchase, these “sayers”, obviously say: I told you… and perhaps because I’m losing my mind with so much lacking, I told myself again: at least it wasn’t cash…