Thoughts in Perspective

Ignoring the Obvious?

2012-03-02T23:08:00.000+02:00

Time for some politics again, sometimes I feel like giving up on writing about global politics because some things never change... although, if we remain silent things will be even worse. Warning, this post might make you think. Right now Iranians are voting for their representatives in the Majlis (Iranian Parliament) and for some time I was preparing to point out the obvious, Iran is the only democracy in the Middle East, well... maybe with the exception of Turkey. What, you thought I forgot about Israel or that I'm "antisemitic"? Haha, Israel is a fascist-like ethnic totalitarianism (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) and apparently Jews survived the Holocaust to inflict it on others. I'm just pointing out the obvious, replace Israel with an individual and you will surely see that individual as totally fucked-up.

On the other hand Iran is the black sheep of the neighborhood, ever asked why? You may say nukes, I will ask you, what nukes? Did Iran start any wars? When was the last time when you heard about Iranian soldiers killing women and children from helicopters and being proud of it, or is Iran the one who gives weapons to drug trafficking cartels in exchange for drugs? Any ethnic cleansing in Iran that I didn't know about? I am tired with all the lies and all the mindless people who bow down to retarded propaganda. Iran should be a regional power because it proved that it is capable of sustaining industrial, scientific and economic developments even with sanctions. Why, in the name of God, people aren't taking to the streets in protest against the relationship between the west and Saudi Arabia, is it more "democratic" to have splendid ties with an absolute monarchy? They don't even have a constitution in the modern sense of the word!

Libya... give some Hustlers, beer and drugs to the predominantly young population of Libya and you have the heroic rebels. Those people lived very well, free housing, health-care, education, jobs... now what? Now they don't even have enough money to pay the wages and has any human rights moron seen how the heroic rebels treat the "opposition"? Or they are not allowed to have an opposition? Gaddafi wasn't a saint but at least he had a vision for a powerful Africa. Is Obama a saint... or any other Bilderberg dumbfuck? Or any simple individual even.

Syria, another playground for American arrogance. Who the hell can think that arming the opposition is a good idea? Oh, McCain and Hilary can, and if they can, than that makes it law for the rest of the mindless sheep that vote for them. Those who give death as a solution should be the first to get a dose of their own medicine. This cycle must stop, someone must somehow put an end to this dark age, if Jews will put aside their stupid religious nationalism, if Americans will put an end to their imperialism, if North Korea will renounce it's psychopathic society and so on, then maybe we will deserve to eat the food this Earth gives us and drink the water the rivers and lakes give us. All 6 billion+ of us must change, we should love work, love beauty and knowledge, strive for justice, peace...

Why do you ignore the obvious?

The Real Sins: 1. Arrogance

2012-02-29T12:31:00.000+02:00

This series of articles entitled "The Real Sins" is dedicated to all enlightened individuals that I came across in my life till now and who know or don't know how important they are to the world. Without them, our race will undoubtedly crumble like a poorly made building into the ground from which it was raised.

Arrogance is the first in our list but not because it's more important than the rest or that the list is alphabetical, it is nonetheless one of the most widespread. If by now you already said something like "well, yeah, it's obvious", then you just committed this sin, if you think I'm wrong, just take some time to think. All the sins I will present in this series of articles are strictly related to the mind so I hope nobody will say that I try to promote some new religion and other nonsense like that. All you need is an open mind and by opening your mind you traveled past the most difficult part.

Arrogance has two forms of expressing itself, first is the classical arrogant individual (and extending the second Hermetic principle we can also talk of arrogance in state affairs, for example Israel versus Palestine) and second is the type of individual that feeds on his feeling of superiority without being perceived as arrogant by others. Those in the second category tend to come together and form groups of various types. Soka Gakkai Dictionary of Buddhism identifies nine types of arrogance:

Nine kinds of arrogance explained in The Treatise on the Source of Wisdom and The Dharma Analysis Treasury. They are
(1) thinking that one surpasses one's equals;
(2) thinking that one is equal to those who are superior;
(3) thinking that one is only slightly inferior to those who are far superior;
(4) assuming false humility in affirming the superiority of those in fact superior to oneself;
(5) asserting equality with one's equals;
(6) asserting the inferiority of one's equals;
(7) thinking that one is not surpassed by one's equals;
(8) thinking that one's equals are not equal to oneself, i.e., that they are inferior;
(9) humbly acknowledging the superiority of superiors and vaunting one's inferiority (a form of false humility).

I strongly recommend people read the list many times, stopping at every point till a complete understanding is achieved. You are not obligated to agree with the ideas and if this is the case please write a comment and let me know. There are four actions, to think, to assume, to assert and to acknowledge meaning that arrogance is evidently connected to the mind, it's a conscious process which you can control. First of all, by thinking you are better than your equals you think "arrogantly" and by taking control of your mind you will start to control these thoughts. But another problem arises, how do you know who are your equals, who are superior to you, who are inferior. As you probably observed by now, there is a heavy emphasis on hierarchy and if you are a Christian for example you may think that everyone is equal, I actually encountered people who think this way. Aside from the fact that this idea has something slightly communist in it, where everyone is equal but some are in the end more equal than others, nobody is the same. Everyone has his own road, his own destiny, he makes his own decisions (more or less conscious of them). Some are better than others in different activities so it should be normal to acknowledge that you are "superior" to someone but "inferior" to another. If you feel that this hierarchy is not a "nice" thing you may not be arrogant, but you commit another sin, which is pride.

Richard Chappell writes about humility and arrogance on "Philosophy, et cetera" and is of the opinion that arrogance originates in some kind of "inflated self-evaluation". This evidently means that you are not true to yourself, the problem anyway comes in relations with other people. You may be better than many others in a particular field, arrogance doesn't come from here, arrogance is a symptom of the ignorant.

Of the lessons also gained from the history of mankind is the fact that greed and arrogance, when combined, lead the oppressor to do injustice not only to others, but to himself as well; once this combination of greed and arrogance has misled him into a sense of undefeatable capability and power, as he takes the road of falsehood and aggression, committing the most heinous acts and proceeding from that sick imagination, to fall down the precipice and then into hell. - Saddam Hussein

I really don't know if Saddam actually is the author of this statement, to be honest, I was not able to verify the quote, not a scholarly thing to do, I know. Nonetheless I liked it so here you are, a (possible) quote on greed and arrogance from (former) Iraq president Saddam Hussein. Ironic isn't it?

Arrogance on the part of the meritorious is even more offensive to us than the arrogance of those without merit: for merit itself is offensive - Nietzsche

Nietzsche, one of my favorite thinkers. One of the things I like in his work is his courage to see the truth and to show it to others. I am nonetheless reticent to glorify him too much, after all, he was just a man and as a man he evidently wasn't always right. This quote is crucial for this article because it states a simple truth, an envious person can perceive the meritorious, as arrogant. Remember the two categories I mentioned at the beginning of the article? I will remind you the second category: the type of individual that feeds on his feeling of superiority without being perceived as arrogant by others. Nietzsche doesn't say that the meritorious are falsely perceived as arrogant, but that arrogant meritorious individuals are more offensive because of the offensive nature of merit itself.

"But no man hasthe right to set himselfup as a purely moral judge andrequiter, and punish the misdeeds of another with painswhich heinflicts upon him, and so toimpose penanceupon him for his sins.Nay, this would rather be themost presumptuousarrogance" - Arthur Schopenhauer in "The World as Will and Idea", vol 1, seventh edition, page 449.

Moral judgments have a long history, mostly in Christian and Islamic countries/communities although all the world has suffered at least once from this form of ignorance. Morality appeared with the intention to make humans reject the bad and love the good, theory is once more very far from practice because this concept steadily developed into a weapon in the hands of frustrated, envious and ignorant people. Those who apply moral judgments to others usually do this because they try to hide their own moral weaknesses.

"Early in life I had to choose between honest arrogance and hypocritical humility. I chose honest arrogance and have seen no occasion to change." - Frank Lloyd Wright, from "The World's Best Thoughts on Life and Living" edited by Eugene Raudsepp

The well known architect makes an interesting point here, in the pursuit for an "arrogance free mind" one can develop a false kind of humility. This gives rise to another problem, is arrogance actually characteristic for some individuals, can some never learn to overcome it? Hypocritical humility is basically a form of arrogance which the individual only tries to hide because of moral and social norms, the existence of only these two options clearly shows that Wright does not see (for himself at least) the option of true humility, understood as knowing one's true place in the world.

I can go on and on with this but I would like to finish with a definition of arrogance given by the Abrahamic tradition (Judeo-Christian-Islamic) and for this I chosen a hadith narrated by 'Abd-Allah ibn Mas'ood where the Prophet said: "(...) Allah is Beautiful and loves beauty. Arrogance means rejecting the truth and looking down on people". Due to the tragic situation in the world today where ignorance is overwhelming I feel compelled to add that this quote isn't in contradiction with Christianity and I recommend to my Christian readers to study the Quran and the hadits, and to my Muslim readers, to study the Holy Bible. Few people know that The Christian Bible is a canonical book in the Islamic religion.

If you have any questions or comments please write a message and I or maybe other readers will try to answer.
Related:
- Golden Verses of Pythagoras: 1.the Practical Virtues
- Not Knowing God
- Truth is

12 Angry Men [Movie / 1957]

2012-02-23T11:30:00.000+02:00

Out of all the movies that are worth watching there are some that manage to climb to the top without any special effects and extravagant props and locations, that rely strictly on dialogue, plot and actors, 12 Angry Men (1957) is such a movie. The whole action takes place in a single room (without counting the bathroom and the short introductory part that takes place in the court room. The jury has to decide the fate of a boy who supposedly killed his violent father.

The reason I recommend this movie is because out of the 12 jurors, only one sees the gravity of the situation, only one is willing to discuss about the case while the others just want to get it over with. There are people who can't get over their own experiences or have preconceived notions, there are people who simply don't care or who are cowards... the movie in a way describes a whole community/nation, even our entire species, in the face of a hard decision. The first one who questions a majority is initially perceived as a madman because, well, "the evidence is clear". He (the first dissenter, played by Henry Fonda), was in fact the only one who either succeeded in looking at the situation in an objective manner, or felt of the boy's drama as rather familiar, I am inclined to go with the first possibility. What we can learn from this movie is not that the American judiciary system is the best (although we can not rule out this intention, we are speaking of an American movie after all) but that we may have barriers that hinder clear thinking and not even know about them. We should daily make mental exercises when we distance ourselves from the world and see it from the sky, and looking down all problems are not problems, but possibilities. We will only see reality when our eyes, hearts and minds are clear.

The movies is directed by Sydney Lumet and written by Reginald Rose.
C7XMMEHW38NJ

Slava Gerovitch - InterNyet [the Soviet Quest for the Internet]

2012-02-20T19:55:00.000+02:00

Slava Gerovitch does a very good job in presenting the history of Soviet Union's quest for the Internet, this little articles will provide readers the necessary information to efficiently compare American and Soviet developments in this field of technological development. The Internet we use today traces its roots to Arpanet which was basically a system of computers interconnected in order to share processing power. The Soviet Union also envisioned a 'web' of computers in order to control/monitor labor, production and retail, meaning the economy. Glushkov went so far as to propose the elimination of paper money and the implementation of a complete electronic payment system, and he did this in the early 60s. The proposal did not manage to make itself popular.

In October 1961, the Soviet Union made public its intention to 'computerize' their economy, this intention did not remain unnoticed. 'Rest assured', the CIA created a branch to study Soviet cybernetics. Two of the reasons the USSR did not achieve what it set out to achieve was that almost all the various agencies and ministries were in some kind of weird competition that did not leave much room for communication, that is why various computer 'webs' came into existence in the same time with no central system to link them, although, ironically, the plan was to have a centralized system. The second reason was that the military-industrial complex did not have much to talk about with the civilian world, military innovations almost never saw any use in any civilian industry, this certainly was/is not the case in the US.

Enjoy the reading, promote knowledge and free access to information.
Download from my Ubuntu One cloud

Giuseppe Crespi (visual) and Arcangelo Corelli (audio)

2012-02-19T14:06:00.000+02:00

This 'Duo' is special, it is dedicated to Italian baroque art, for the visual element I selected some works of Giuseppe Maria Crespi, a Bolognese painter and for the audio part I decided to go with Arcangelo Corelli.

Lets start with the music, by clicking play you will hear the 4th sonata (Op.1) in La minor. Corelli was born in 1653 and died in 1713, in between he ate, slept, talked, read and all the rest, oh yeah, and he also composed excellent music for which he was rewarded an important place in the history of western classical music and in our hearts. He came with some innovations in violin playing that caught the attention of many musicians of his time, nonetheless this (important) detail is not that important for casual listeners. To this day, many violinists still trace back their roots, as teacher - student, to the 'Corelli school'.

Giuseppe Crespi is mostly known as a genre painter, meaning that he depicted daily life (of the time), like ladies searching themselves for fleas. He was born in 1665 and died in 1747. He was named 'the Spanish one' because of his apparently admiration for Spanish fashion, a little detail of his personality. He was also considered a great caricaturist, some of his paintings remind us of that. While not being considered one of the great baroque painters, Crespi is an important player in that game.

1701 - Ecstasy of St Margaret of Cortona

1709 - Village Fair

1710 - The Scullery Maid

1720 - Searcher for Fleas

1720 - The Courted Singer

1725 - Bookshelf

Modular Shops, what if?

2012-02-18T22:39:00.000+02:00

I was thinking a few days ago about modular shops, could be an architectural subject, in fact a past post of mine on the Nakagin Tower has very much to do with what I'm talking about now. All cities, towns and some villages have shops, large or small, ugly, beautiful, intriguing, enigmatic, mysterious, doesn't really matter, what's important is the fact that once you decide to open your shop in a particular place it will be difficult to move it once you need more space or you want to get to some more profitable areas.

Most shops (restaurants, bars, services) are situated on the ground level of apartment and office buildings, so what you would need is a Le Corbusier type of building that basically rests on crutches (thanks to modern building materials), where the ground level is empty and you can make a system of modular shops. If you want to move your library (as an example) from one city to another all you need to do is attach the "container" where your business is to a car/truck, move it to the desired destination and insert it into the empty spot. This will lead to greater economy and improved efficiency and mobility.

You Know You Are Dumbed Down If...

2012-02-10T17:39:00.001+02:00

Most of my readers are very intelligent people and the list is growing, that is why I though of creating a list of things that you should not normally do. I hope the following words will help even a single individual to stand up and be his own master. If you feel the list is incomplete, write a comment.

1. ... You 'eat' what the media gives you.
This doesn't apply only to you believing the lies but also adopting their point of view. Who the media doesn't like, you should research not ridicule, who knows what you will really find. Even the alternative media isn't completely innocent, you should question everything they say also. I am basically saying, don't eat the shit they give you!

2. ... You think America stands for freedom, justice and prosperity.
The United States is a country like most other ex large and powerful countries. Arrogant, tyrannical and greedy. A superpower is an example of people living in peace with each other, a superpower is a country that promotes creativity, liberty and justice that has limited military power and relies on diplomacy. Now, America is like a declining Roman Empire with a next to useless Congress. Question everything American representatives (politicians mostly) say, most often you will go left when they say to go right.

3. ... You think your government loves you.
Most of the time politicians are like whores, they do anything for those who pay them while elections are more like beauty contests with no real importance. There are nonetheless smart and trustworthy politicians who most of the time are either attacked or ignored by mainstream media, they almost never get into a government and if they do, they are outnumbered. Also, if you think that your government loves you... you are past being dumbed down.

4. ... You think your government hates you.
No, it's not a contradiction, governments don't judge in love and hate but in useful or useless. If you are useful you are most probably dumbed down. Governments (this also applies to secret/public societies/groups) are machines of extremely good design (regardless of appearances) and that is why most of the time these are often considered a single unit and judged in accordance. You must endlessly let 'them' know that the people have the power while the people must know that power need responsibility.

5. ... You think secret societies are not real.
Skull and Bones, Freemasonry, Bilderberg, Jesuits, Illuminati, Carbonari and so on (Pythagoras had a secret society). Research them, use Google and/or a good library. People gather and act in secrete if they have something to hide, just think about secret agents during the Cold War or during World War II... or even more recent events. The best way to hide something is to make it public and discredit it. Also, remember the speech Kennedy had against secret societies. Secret societies are not necessarily evil some of the times they hide things from unprepared people, nonetheless, if you want a free and open society, secret societies have to go.

6. ... You tend to believe and do what others or your friends do.
This is the sheep mentality, almost all people want to feel like being part of a group, maybe a reminiscence of our tribal origins, who knows... study anthropology for this, but for now stick to studying some psychology and sociology. Don't be a coward, always argument your thoughts and always think before you act, independently of what others do.

With the risk of making the directions
too complicated, I would add "open can".

8. ... You think people who actually use their brains are not cool.
Being human isn't looking like a dumb fuck at a TV while eating hamburgers made from pig dicks and feeling all macho. A real human uses his mind to help others, to discover, to create, he uses his body to build and to protect. Read good books, listen to good music, watch good movies, what is good? Well, start studying aesthetics.

9. ... You think you are better than someone else.
If you want to feel like a 'superpower' then be a dick with others. If you want to be a 'superpower', be an example to others, you may be better but this doesn't make you better.

10. ... You don't 'Like' this.... Just jocking, you finally know you are dumbed down if after reading the previous nine statements you don't search the web and/or your local library catalog for the things I mentioned (secret societies, aesthetics, psychology, etc.), knowledge is like a tree with (possibly) infinite branches and whatever you might of heard until now, you need knowledge, even to work the land. Act now, be the best you can be, be free and independent.

Damn ! ... I thought something was missing...

All the best to you all.

The Man Who Wasn't There (movie)

2012-02-08T17:25:00.000+02:00

Imagine a barber living in a small American town in the year 1949, he has a wife and they live in a small medium class home just perfect for two people, nothing extraordinary here. It won't be long till you will discover that he is a little different from the others, silently observing everything and everyone. In my opinion he could even represent lucidity, never in the whole movie do you see him drinking alcohol although he is a heavy smoker. When learning of his wife's secret he doesn't react in any way and after helping his wife's boss with some dirty laundry he returns to normal like nothing happened. Ed, this being his name, is a difficult one to describe, and adding the fact that I'm trying not to divulge too much of the movie is even harder. I wouldn't go so far as calling Ed autistic, his lack of talking originates in his strong desire to talk only when he has something to say, when it comes to his apparent lack of emotions... well... you will see close to the end that he finally finds someone who is actually on his mind and tries to help without taking advantage.

This 2001 movie was directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, the ones who also directed The Big Lebowski and No Country For Old Men so you should prepare yourself for a unique cinematic experience. Some of the main actors are Billy Bob Thornton, Frances McDormand, James Gandolfini (The Sopranos), Tony Shalhoub and Michael Badalucco.

Enjoy the movie, under the trailer there is a link to a torrent file, this is strictly for educational purposes. Enjoy. Help to keep knowledge and the Internet free.

Torrent 720p

Frederick Cooper - Colonialism in Question: 4.Globalization

2012-02-02T08:33:00.003+02:00

In his book about Colonialism, Cooper reserved a chapter for globalization, maybe the most discussed topics in world politics now. The media and most politicians lead us to believe that this process of becoming global is something unique in our history as a civilization but Cooper points out that there are some things that link globalization to the 1950s and 1960s idea of modernization and even to the colonial era. He points out to three methods of understanding this process of globalization, first there is the banker perspective (Banker's Boast), while the second two are mostly reactions to this. I recommend this chapter as a fundamental reading on history and politics, it has only 22 pages but the information is clearly arranged and transmitted.

Click here to download the chapter

Promoting education, knowledge and culture, is not piracy, it's normality.

David Preissel (visual) and Robert Schroeder (audio)

2012-02-01T11:55:00.000+02:00

Welcome to another edition of "Duo", this time featuring the photographer Daivd Preissel and the electronic music composer Robert Schroeder.

Robert Schroeder was born in May 1955 in Aachen, Germany. At the age of 13 he got his first musical instrument, a guitar. 1970 marked his decision to put down the guitar and turn to electronics and electrical engineering and he specialized in the development and production of electronic music equipment. He was inspired at first by musicians and groups like Pink Floyd, Kraftwerk, Klaus Schulze, Can, Deep Purple, Emerson Lake and Palmer. The song featured now (Invisible Danger) is from the album Brain Voyager released in 1985. The first 45 seconds will make you believe this is a very calm song, the piece slowly transforms into a heavy and dynamic composition. It was a nightmare choosing between this song and "Frozen Breath of Life", a cleaner and softer piece, just wished I could post them both.

David Preissel (x-horizon) in a public statement from September 2011 declared that he will be "retiring from photography"... too bad because this Swiss artist has great possibilities judging from his work, my advice for him would be that art is the essence of life, breathing, touching, knowing, seeing, thinking art is the only thing that saves us, don't throw it away.

Compulsion of Stupidity

Hope

Lives like a tree

The Fall

Severity

The Spirit

Schism

The Council, the People and Iran

2012-01-29T10:18:00.001+02:00

The logo of the Council of Ministers,
resembles an eye doesn't it?

The Council of the European Union, also called the Council of Ministers is part of the legislative together with the European Parliament. This is a complete lie because the Council is not elected by the people, the ministers are not elected by the people and so there are very few possibilities for voters to control them. We end up having 27 individuals deciding the faith of 500 million, who only have to answer to their superiors who are usually the prime ministers, not the electorate. This institution has a powerful voice regarding EU foreign relations, and in our case, the EU sanctions against Iran together with the recent oil ban. Just for comparison, in Iran, such a decision is taken by the Majlis, which is the Parliament, for we, Europeans, this decision is taken by 27 unelected individuals.

Fellow Europeans, if we don't get our heads out of the sand we will end up rotting under there. It is time to make a stand, we want a free and democratic European Union, a country ruled by us, the people, not by corporations and corrupt politicians! Fight against the war, write your European MP, your minister of foreign relations, your prime minister, your president that we will not accept them turning Europe into a vassal of America. We will not permit their incompetence to start a war with Iran, to bring poverty and suffering to both us and the Iranian nation. We should clean our own backyard before judging anybody else.

Georgia Guidestones reinterpreted

2012-01-28T22:24:00.000+02:00

Somewhere in America, in the state of Georgia, a unique monument was erected on March 22, 1980. Unlike other stone monuments this one is more like a guide, hence the name guidestones. There are in total a number of six granite slabs, four of them bearing the message in eight different languages. One slab is situated in the center, with the four around it and a smaller one as a capstone. The structure has a hight of 5.87 meters and it feature some astronomic elements, like being aligned with the celestial pole, a horizontal slot indicating the annual travel of the sun, etc.

The languages on the four main slabs are English, Spanish, Swahili, Hindi, Hebrew, Arabic, Chinese and Russian. The first thing I observed but no other commentator seemed to point out was the presence of Swahili. This language has around 800 000 native speakers with around 40 million learning it as a second language. It is the national/official language of five African countries, Kenya, Uganda, Comoros, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo. On the other hand, languages like French, Japanese, Korean, German, Italian, Portuguese, Turkish or Persian are not present. The reason for this decision may have something to do with the desire of those who created the monument to represent, in large, the main language families with their best/most numerous representatives. This theory still doesn't feel right because Japanese, for example, is in a language family of her own. Nonetheless we can clearly see English and Spanish written on the same slab, and this also goes for Arabic and Hebrew while Russian and Chinese on the same slab is as logical as Hindi and Swahili. Around the edges of the capstone there presented the languages: Classical Greek, Babylonian (cuneiform), Ancient Egyptian (hieroglyphs) and Sanskrit. Strange, no Latin.

Now let's take every one of the ten "recommendations".

1. "Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature." - Out of all the possibilities, they had to start with this one. Notice the word "maintain", the people who created this monument and aligned it with the heavens would not write one word without thinking first. The number should be under 500 million, so we could even have 100 million, never 500 million and one (just exaggerating) but in a "perpetual" balance with nature. The idea that we must be in balance with nature is crucial. what could this balance mean? And why such a low number of humans? We could be 2 billion and still have room for more. I suspect it has something to do with control, not necessarily in a bad way... although control never has a "good way",

2. "Guide reproduction wisely - improving fitness and diversity." - This is strongly linked with the first and adds a little bit of eugenism, just the amount you would need to make Galton, Davenport and Hitler proud.

3. "Unite humanity with a living new language." - First of all, humanity must be united, and secondly, under a "living" and new language. Esperanto does not make I guess. It would be interesting to find out how this language could be accepted by everyone, and eventually unite them. Language is a very important part of one's personality, the first generation to adopt this new language would need to put some effort into learning it and rejecting their old one.

4. "Rule passion - faith - tradition - and all things with tempered reason." - Passion, faith and tradition must be controlled through the use of "tempered" reason. I like this part, I personally am in favor of this. In this context I feel it gives a hint to the previous phrase, language being part of someone's tradition. Reason is the key, as we are told and faith will lose it's power. This could be the part that motivated some to describe them as the "ten commandments of the Antichrist"... but if you think about the crimes done in the name of faith, of God... you will arrive at the conclusion that promoting faith would be the dangerous decision. So yes, reason must be in the minds of the people and even it should be tempered.

5. "Protect people and nations with fair laws and just courts." Justice, it would be great if this will be achieved. It also makes me think about the situation when you will have a united humanity with one language but different nations, the explanation would come from the limitation in population that will lead to communities scattered around the earth and nations being mostly administrative in nature although politics will inevitably make some room for herself. What would happen if competition will start between the nations? The same old story.

6. "Let all nations rule internally resolving external disputes in a world court." - Strongly linked with number five, the same comments apply.

7. "Avoid petty laws and useless officials." - Small government, clean and clear laws. No need for a law legalizing breathing.

8. "Balance personal rights with social duties." - If you are given, then you must also give... but wait... it's about personal rights, wikipedia says that personal rights "are the rights that a person has over their own body". Could it be just an error in the definition, and these personal rights could be merely unemployment benefits? I don't believe so. Apparently militating for justice, this phrase could be an introduction to a "how to build your totalitarian state".

9. "Prize truth - beauty - love - seeking harmony with the infinite." - Truth... yes, beauty... hell yeah, love... sure, harmony with the infinite... definitely.

10."Be not a cancer on the earth - Leave room for nature - Leave room for nature. " - Cancer.. a cell that is constantly multiplying and that ends by destroying the body. "Leave room for nature" is repeated twice, making it a very important statement, maybe fundamental (or at least among the main ideas) to the group that erected the monument.

There is also an explanatory tablet, a real gold mine for archaeologists from 5000 A.D. I imagine. From there we find out that the name of the monument is "The Georgia Guidestones" and that the "center cluster [was] erected [in] March 22, 1980" continuing with "let these be the guidestones to the Age of Reason". The author, we are told, is R. C. Christian and the sponsors are "a small group of Americans who seek the Age of Reason", remember the "small" before the "group". The time capsule under the explanatory tablet mentioned remains a mystery, if it exists and there is no date when it should be opened although "to be opened on" is written.

More than six billion people need to either die or move to another planet or to the Moon and those who will remain/survive here will live in a cleaner, more balance world, but will have fewer liberties I suspect. Something that is created on genocide is nothing good, if we get there slowly and not through man-made viruses and wars I will be impressed.

Who is R. C. Christian? We will leave this one for another article.

PS, those who vandalize this monument are just stupid... they should plant a bomb at the next Bilderberg meeting, not that's a way to protest.

A separation / Losers' Club

2012-01-25T22:19:00.001+02:00

Image from the movie Losers' Club

Recently i had the possibility to see two great movies: "A Separation", Iran, 2011, directed by Asghar Farhadi, starring Peyman Moadi and Leila Hatami ; and "Losers' Club", Turkey, 2011, directed by Tolga Ornek and starring Nejat Isler, Yigit Ozsener and Ahu Turkpence. The two movies are quite different from one another, although there are some important elements that unite them, the ideas of loneliness, separation and their opposites. Even thou both countries are mostly Islamic the fact that Turkey is secular can easily be seen. Losers' Club nonetheless puts into discussion culture and censorship. In "A Separation" we are immersed into a truly theocratic society with a strict (although incomparably softer than in many Middle Eastern countries) sharia law.

What stuck with me after seeing the Iranian film was that family is important, very important... when you add children into the equation things take a drastic turn... into the better in my opinion. The starting point with the two wanting to get a divorce, in fact she wanting to get divorced slowly makes room for other issues, only to be remembered in the end of the movie when, in fact, I even hoped the two will not separate. I will not explain the entire movie, but the decisions Nader will make along the way from Simin wanting to get a divorce but being denied to Simin being granted the divorce will show that he, Nader, while not having the power to let go, will, inevitably let go.

Loser's Club is a totally different ballpark, in fact it's not even the same sport, here we have the story of two typical rock n' roll free spirits discussing things, with no form of censorship on their nighttime radio show. Both of them have their own businesses, Kaan has an unsuccessful publishing company while Mete runs a pub and ultimately a shop. The two will go through a series of very interesting events and the overall comical nature of the movie will surely give you something to smile at while not neglecting the pop-philosophy foundation. I admire Tolga Ornek for this masterpiece of Turkish cinema.

Song title: Yalnizlik Omur Boyu, form the soundtrack of Losers' Club.

Licia Verde, an introduction to cosmology

2012-01-19T21:01:00.002+02:00

I'm saying this with no exaggeration, it's a tragedy that not more people look at the sky, because those who look at the sky end up by being hypnotized by its beauty. Licia Verde (astrophysicist) presents a great and captivating introduction to cosmology.

Licia Verde was born in Italy in 1971, currently she is a professor at ICREA in Spain. Each and every page of her CV (14 in total, although it's really summarized) stands as evidence of her beautiful mind. The following quote is from her website:

I am an astrophysicist with interest in cosmology. My research topics include theoretical cosmology, cosmic microwave background, large scale structure, galaxy clusters, statistical applications and data analysis. I am interested in the study of the large-scale structure of the Universe and in the analysis of galaxy surveys.
I am involved with several projects: I am part of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey III, the EUCLID science working group, the BPOL (COrE) science working group and the LSST large scale structure study group. Also check out my research group at ICC ICC-Phys.Cosm and the extended group cosmole.

Click the image bellow to be redirected to the video

I will also give you something extra, a video from the CERN website in which Licia is the speaker, enjoy.

A video you should see

2012-01-17T23:03:00.001+02:00

In this video Alex Jones begins by talking about the Italian cruise ship disaster and continues by showing us the dangers of totalitarianism. The ideas that you can't protect yourself, your own home and your family are shocking... tragically, it's a reality. We have the right to defend ourselves, it's not a right given by a state or a law, it's a right earned by every individual, guaranteed by God and nature. If someone wants to kill you and you shoot him you end up by being described as an attacker, what's with that? That's pure and simple a stupidity. I want to be free, to remain free, not to be forced to bow down to illogical laws and corrupt politicians. What is happening in America will happen in Europe if we don't unite and put an end to this terrorism against humanity. This video may not be something special or new, but what convinced me to post it was the sincerity in Alex Jone's voice, such sincerity you won't find often.

The Golden Verses of Pythagoras II - Contemplative Virtues

2012-01-15T21:29:00.000+02:00

This is the second and final segment of my presentation of the Golden Verses of Pythagoras. These are the contemplative virtues. I strongly recommend reading the first part before continuing [in case you haven't read it]. Pythagoras developed into a mythical figure as time passed, he began to be perceived as more than human, with a universal learning, it is said that he studied geometry and astronomy with Anoximander, hieroglyphic symbolism with the priests of Egypt, the science of dreams with Hebrew masters and he also studied with Arabs, the Chaldean of Babylon and even with Zoroaster, for studying his life/philosophy I suggest you read Diogenes Laertius, Porphyry and Iamblichus among others. Now, his mythical persona greatly diminished, being exchanged for the more easily believable verions.

Philosophy is useless if you don't use it, live a life according to the high principles that permeated through our world from the higher realms of human and divine knowledge.If you believe in God, in whatever form he may be, try to follow the light of the mind, try to do good and think good thoughts, if you don't believe in God try to view these texts as possibilities to get to know a world enriched with the beauty of knowledge and love and "nothing in this world shall be hidden from you".

48. But never start any work, before praying to the gods to accomplish what you are going to begin.
49. When all these will be well known to you,
50. You will understand the constitution of the Immortal Gods and of men,
51. and how far the different beings extend, and what contains and binds them together.
52. You will likewise know that according to Law, the nature of this universe is in all things alike,
53. So that you shall not hope what thou ought not to hope; and nothing in this world shall be hidden from you.
54. You will likewise know, that men draw upon themselves their own misfortunes voluntarily, and of their own free choice.
55. The unfortunate, they neither see nor understand that their good is near them.
56. Few learned how to deliver themselves out of their misfortunes.
57. Such is the fate that blinds mankind, and takes away their senses.
58. Like huge cylinders they roll to and fro, and always oppressed with ills innumerable.
59. For fatal strife (hatred), innate, pursues them everywhere, tossing them up and down without them perceiving it;
60. instead of provoking and stirring it up, they ought to banish it.
61. Oh! Jupiter (Zeus), our Father! if you would deliver men from all the evils that oppress them,
62. and show them all, the Daemon they make use of.
63. But you, take courage; and know that the human race is divine.
64. Sacred nature reveals to men all her mysteries.
65. If she imparts to you her secrets, you will easily perform all the things which I have ordained you.
66. And by healing your soul, you will deliver it from all evils, from all afflictions.
67. But abstain from the food, which we have forbidden in the purifications and in the deliverance of the soul; [this element is seen in many religions and spiritual movements, it surely wasn't created by Pythagoras; healthy eating is also obviously recommended by non-spiritual people]
68. Make a just distinction of them, and examine all things well.
69. Letting yourself always to be guided by the understanding that comes from above
70. And when, after leaving your mortal body, you will arrive at the most pure Aether,
71. You shall be like a God, immortal, incorruptible, and Death shall have no more dominion over you.

Where to get your news from

2012-01-08T23:26:00.000+02:00

We live in dangerous times my friends, across the world people are faced with artificial threats, are given misleading information and believe they are free while in fact they are the slaves of ignorance. Here is a list of trusted news sites. As you will see, I tried to limit myself only to the most professional and objective sources.

Press TV - Iranian English news station, strongly recommended and to be trusted. It features shows done by Max Kaiser (On the Edge with Max), George Galloway (The Real Deal), Russell Michaels (Cinepolitics), but also a series of documentaries dealing with hot topics around the world, culture and arts. Of great interest are also the two programs dedicated to Iranian culture and life (Iran and Iran Today).

RT TV - Russian news station broadcasting in English. From my observations it tends to be the first to show breaking news. It's commentators will always give you that fresh perspective you have been searching for in terms of geopolitics. Some of the shows are: Kaiser Report (with Max Kaiser, who also does a show on Press TV), CrossTalk (with Peter Lavelle), Interview with Sophie Shevardnadze and Technology Update. The site is one of the best news sites I have ever seen, I definitely like the Russian encyclopedia, the "Learn Russian" section with the famous "Hot for words" and a series of on-line exclusives.

CCTV English - Chinese news station that also has an informative website. I especially like their documentaries and their "learn Chinese" section. Some of their programs are: Asia Today, China 24, Journeys in Time, China Insight and World Insight. A lovely source for information and education.

Xinhua - It's important to keep an eye on the country that seems to be destined to take the role of superpower in decades to come, the Xinhua News Agency is a great place to start.

IRNA - The Islamic Republic's News Agency offers a more detailed point of view coming from this great culture, from here most of the official photos come from (military drills, diplomatic meetings, and so on)

RIA Novosti - Another excellent Russian news site, great articles. One of my favorite columnists is Marc Bennetts who writes "Deeper than Oil", I still remember his thoughts about his trip to North Korea in 2011, an impressive insight into the secretive country. The multimedia section is a must see, the "INFOgraphics" are very well made.

SANA - Syrian Arab News Agency, that's right, the best source of info from that country (at least the best source I found). The website isn't exceptional but you should visit it from time to time.

AVN (Venezuela) - The English version of Venezuela's news agency, offers a limited selection of articles, will search for more sources from Venezuela.

Tehran Times - This is an Iranian English language daily newspaper, I already started to make my digital collection and I try to read it every day although most often I'll just read the titles. The cultural page interests me the most, but also the politics section. The website has been redesigned recently and it look much much better.

This is all for now, I will do updates with other news sources in future posts (hopefully something from Europe and the US also). Don't forget, in addition to being well informed, try to digest the news on your own and don't rely only on what others comment about events, also, read, read books about history, philosophy, these will greatly help you in your every day lives and this is not a joke.

Take care, all the best to you all.

Kittie Grave (visual) and Elis (audio)

2012-01-05T20:01:00.000+02:00

This "duo" is different from what I have been posting here because, prior to this, music came in support of the visual arts... now is the other way around. This may not mean much to you because I imagine you receive the music and the pictures in the same package but for me it's an important detail. Elis is a great band, underrated like most good music projects nowadays. I can't keep an objective mind when talking about this band because the music fells like it's under my skin, entering my blood like some kind of drug. Something totally different from the other bands and artists I like. They are filed under gothic metal and are from Liechtenstein.

The singer is Sabine Dunser who sadly died in 2007, she had a great, powerful and expressive voice. The song "Heaven and Hell" is, as you probably already know, a cover from the 1980 Black Sabbath album with the same name that featured Dio as vocalist.

As for Kitty Grave I don't really have much to say except that she is from Ukraine and is a Libra. Her deviantArt page is here, apart from that, enjoy the pictures.

Drinking of Silence

Feel the tree

Rest from war

Vision

My time is yet to come

The world is full of Kings and Queens
who blind your eyes and steal your dreams
It's Heaven and Hell, oh well
And they'll tell you black is really white
The moon is just the sun at night
And when you walk in golden halls
you get to keep the gold that falls
It's Heaven and Hell

See you all next week

First days of 2012

2012-01-01T23:58:00.002+02:00

I woke up this morning and it smelled like "change". Do you know what "change" smells like? It's something like a sunrise mixed with dark and heavy clouds swirling slowly above your head while a cold, lifeless breeze touches your skin. 2011 went out with a bang, Obama signed the NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act) on 31 December which could make any US citizen who will not support the official policy of the government, a terrorist suspect. Any terrorist suspect will be arrested only based on this suspicion, so what will stop the authorities from arresting anybody they see "dangerous"? Nothing.

Iran continued it's military drills, almost like sensing the imminence of war. God forbid, if the American nation will let such a war start then I will definitely lose hope of anything American. Seeing the warmongers in Washington I fell an incontrollable sensation to puke in their faces.

The deadliest virus in the world, "coincidently" created and deposited at the Rotterdam medical university, seems to me like a weapon the American government would use, just like they used syphilis (Tuskegee, Guatemala), I would even dare to think AIDS is such an experiment, who knows what we will find out 50 years from now, when none of the people implicated will survive. Maybe a honest researcher leaked this info to the public in order to prevent something deadly, but this is only a thought not based on any solid evidence.

I think I said enough for now, after all you might have a party to attend to...

PS. I'm disgusted for even posting a picture of Obama.

Wrapped up in 2011

2011-12-23T23:11:00.002+02:00

Ho ho ho, (and a bottle of rum) this year will go with a bang I'm affrayed. Why? Well... I don't even know where to start, we are "governed" by imbeciles or in a less derogatory way incompetents, we ourselves are a a joyful bunch of morons because a pyramid wouldn't exist without a good healthy base of mindless bricks. Oh, come on, how isn't this the Christmas spirit? What the fuck is a Christmas spirit, we celebrate the birth of the Son of God, a prophet, an enlightened man or a badass genius, depending on your viewpoint, who, and pay attention, was killed for nothing except being an overall nice guy. What the fuck is that? We should be celebrating his birth by building some libraries to encourage education, thinking, introspection, we should turn some weapons factories into toy factories, invest cash into research and space exploration not into the pockets of greedy "businessmen" and "bankers". Fuck 'em... fuck you!

Have a Merry Christmas and a happy new year!

PS: Some scientists developed the deadliest virus in the world, it can kill more than half the human population in the world (link). Scared yet? See you all in 2012.

God Bless Russia

2011-12-17T16:07:00.000+02:00

Recent event in Russia generated a wave of changes, at least in my perspective. My opinion regarding Russians is mixed. Romanians never had a good relation with them and I had been dragged into the typical sentiments. Things started to go bad since our War of Independence in 1877 better know as the Russo-Turkish war, I will leave this piece of history for another day. The point is I don't trust Russians, I love their culture but I don't trust them and the thing is our nation is not the only one. In a way Russians are even more arrogant than Americans, only with a lot less global support and overall economic and social power.

The protests that took/take place in various cities across Russia really made me question my prejudices and I even have a little bit of sympathy for Putin now. Seeing a former superpower complaining about American interference in internal politics really touched my sensitive spot. Putin said some interesting things after Hillary Clinton's stupid intervention, "Sometimes it seems to me that America does not need allies, it needs vassals", "people are tired of the dictates of one country", "I looked at the first reaction of our U.S. partners, the first thing that the secretary of state did was say that they [the elections] were not honest and not fair, but she had not even yet received the material from the observers" and "She [Hillary Clinton] set the tone for some actors in our country and gave them a signal".

If these quotes would have come from Chavez, Ahmadinejad or any other American adversary it wouldn't be something new, but Putin's declarations marked something very important, it marked a new direction for Russian foreign policy and a few extra things. I also recommend researching Putin's Eurasian Union, I will eventually come back on this one in another article.

Also of interest: Obama and Sarkozy talking about Netanyahu.

SKOJ / Filler Thoughts.

2011-12-14T20:13:00.001+02:00

A real superpower saying to a brutal dictator: "If you continue with that shit, threatening us and our allies, we will have no choice but to come in and built you some schools and hospitals and some fucking industry (not actually that kind of industry)." The reason for this being that, in my humble opinion, a truly great nation promotes development not destruction, doing so it offers no (and I repeat, NO) reason for even the craziest of crazies to attack or even think to attack the particular superpower. I mean, if a long bearded turban wearing tribal leader would say, "we must kill America" you could respond, "shut the fuck up, they helped us get out of the stone age" instead of "yes, their soldier killed my brother, my children died in a drone attack, etc". I would also like to redefine the concept of "superpower", it doesn't matter how many guns you have, what matters is how good your population lives (health, education, happiness, general well being). So... in conclusion, to all superpowers tuned in into this post, start working for your population, give an example to the rest of the world that, it can be done, people can live in a good world.

SKOJ = Some Kind Of Journal, won't say this twice :)

Out Of Iraq And Back Again

2011-12-13T12:49:00.001+02:00

First I will give you some numbers. From the start of the war till the "Mission Accomplished" in May 1, 2003, 4483 US soldiers were killed. The Americans who died since then are believed to be more than 8000. On the other hand, the Iraqi deaths are around 1500000 (yeah, one and a half million), soldiers, civilians, women and children (... I say more than what the "brutal dictator" Saddam killed). Oh, and I almost forgot, there are 33183 official wounded American soldiers, while some estimates go as far as saying 100000.

I don't even want to go into the financial suicide of America and the economic genocide of Iraq because, obviously, wars don't build shit.

Now there are about 45000 US soldiers still in Iraq and in theory, they should all leave the country before the end of this year (2011). The US Embassy in Baghdad is about the size of the Vatican City (according to the Huffington Post), a completely self-contained modern day castle. The high walls, guard towers and machine guns (and God knows what else) ensure the safety of more than 20 buildings, not mentioning the three quarters of a billion dollars embassy itself. Currently more than 8000 people are under the authority of the US ambassador to Iraq, a number which will rise to 16000, the ambassador should be named governor in my opinion.

More poetically speaking, the Americans are going to change their combat uniforms with suits. Think how all these resources could of went into actually helping humanity. Disgusting.

The Golden Verses of Pythagoras I - Practical Virtues

2011-12-12T09:23:00.000+02:00

According to Fabre d'Olivet, Lysis of Taras, a disciple of Pythagoras, is responsible for writing the verses that, is unanimously believed, represent the core beliefs of Pythagoras and his school. Their philosophy was secret, meaning that you needed to be initiated into one of the various clubs spread across Magna Graecia. Reading these verses should go hand in hand with reading the commentaries of Hierocles of Alexandria.

I present here the first part named "Practical Virtues", this part is centered around ethics. The first three verses are difficult to understand by most modern people because of the three levels, the Immortal Gods, the Heroes and the Terrestrial Daemons. For Christian and Muslims alike this sounds more like blasphemy, but don't be scared.

The Immortal Gods are closest to the Creator, for adherents to the Abrahamic religions you can understand them as being Angels, Archangels, Cherubim, Seraphim and so on (depending on the religions and theologists), that's why you need to honor them "as they are established and ordained by the Law", some are higher then others. But how do you honor them? The answer is by accepting the good that comes from them, not by sacrifices because they don't need sacrifices. There are also two Pythagorean sayings: "You will honor God perfectly if you behave yourself so that your soul may become his Image" and "Any man who thinks God needs gifts holds himself higher than God". Also "God has not upon Earth a place more fit for him to dwell in, than a pure Soul" is also worth mentioning.

The Heroes are the good spirits (they occupy the middle part and think and act only in accordance to the Law) while the Terrestrial Daemons are (contrary to the name Daemon having a bad connotation) the souls of men who are adorned with Truth and Virtue, full of Knowledge and Light. Some believe that Terrestrial Daemons evolve into Heroes. Most people sway between light and darkness, light understood as embracing the Law and God while darkness understood as a mind that does not comprehend the beauty of God.

The rest of the Verses in this first part are rather self-explained. If any of you has difficulties in understanding them, write a comment and I will expand on them. I also recommend reading Not Knowing God, in the Muslim esoteric world it is widely believed that Pythagoras was a student of Hermes.

1. First honor the Immortal Gods, as they are established and ordained by the Law.
2. Reverence the Oath, and next the Heroes, full of goodness and light.
3. Honor likewise the Terrestrial Daemons by rendering them the worship lawfully due to them.
4. Honor likewise your parents, and those most nearly related to you.
5. Of all the rest of mankind, make friends the ones distinguished by virtue.
6. Always listen to his mild exhortations, and take example from his virtuous and useful actions.
7. Avoid as much as possible hating your friend for a slight fault.
8. [And understand that] power is a near neighbour to necessity.
9. Know that all these things are as I have told you; and learn to vanquish the following:--
10. First gluttony, then laziness, luxury, and anger.
11. Do nothing for which you should be ashamed, neither in the presence of others, nor privately;
12. And above all things respect yourself.
13. In the next place, do justice with your actions and your words.
14. And in any circumstance don't behave yourself without thinking.
15. But always remember that man is destined to die.
16. And that wealth as it is acquired, so too it is lost.
17. Concerning all the calamities that men suffer by divine fortune,
18. Support them with patience, be it what it may, and never repine at it.
19. But endeavor what you can to remedy it.
20. And consider that fate guards good men from many of these misfortunes.
21. People say good and bad things
22. Don't show to these words too much appreciation, nor reject them.
23. Even if you hear lies, endure them with patience and kindness.
24. Observe well, on every occasion, what I am going to tell you:
25. Let no man either by his words, or by his deeds, ever seduce you.
26. Nor entice you to say or to do what is harmful for you.
27. Consult and deliberate before you act, that you may not commit foolish actions,
28. for only a miserable man speaks and acts thoughtlessly.
29. But do that which will not afflict you afterwards, nor oblige you to repent.
30. Never do anything which you do not understand;
31. But learn all you should know, and by that means you will lead a happy life.
32. Do not neglect the health of your body;
33. But drink, eat and exercise with measure,
34. and through measure I mean what will never hinder you.
35. Accustom yourself to a way of living that is simple and decent without luxury.
36. Avoid doing that which will bring envy.
37. Do not spend beyond measure, like those that do not know where good is found.
38. Neither be selfish; a due measure is good in all things.
39. Do only the things that cannot hurt you, and deliberate before you do them.
40. Don't let sleep to close you eyelids,
41. until you had examined with your reason all your actions of the day.
42. With what did I go wrong? What have I done? What have I omitted that I should have done?
43. If in this examination you find that you had done wrong, admonish yourself severely for it;
44. And if you had done good, rejoice.
45. Practice thoroughly all these things; meditate on them well; you ought to love them with all your heart,
46. And you will be on the path of divine virtue.
47. I swear it by him who has transmitted into our souls the Sacred Quaternion, the source of nature, whose cause is eternal.

Anton Grigor'ev (visual) and Spitfire (audio)

2011-12-10T09:36:00.001+02:00

Let's see what we have here comrades, a Russian ska band and an equally Russian photographer. Changed the country but remained in the same language family (Croatia was previously). Spitfire started doing concerts in St. Petersburg in the first half of 1993, in fact, for more details check out their very interesting website. I first heard the song Tanzen on a compilation but it seems that Thrills and Kills album from 2004 was the birthplace. Press play and enjoy the second part of the voyage.

It's enigmatic for me how I finally decide on what artists to present because the world is blessed with beautiful and creative people. Anton Grigor'ev is my pick for this duo. You can subscribe to his Facebook page here.

Red and Black

Glass 3

Spoon 3

Moscow City

American Dream: Present and Future

2011-12-08T08:27:00.001+02:00

We have a great deal to learn from thehistory of this one nation and maybe thisis why so many people compare it to theRoman Empire. Reading the history, assummarized as incomplete as it is presented here we find that the Americannation always faced a threat, if it was notan economic doom, like the many "panics"that rocked the pockets of the citizens, tothe imminent dangers of English andSpanish military interventions, Indianrebellions, slave revolts and so on. Nothinghas changed, now we have terrorism, aneconomic crisis, an uncertain future whenit comes to energy resources, globalworming/cooling and the list can go on.

The Present

The wars started by the US were more orless justified, sure, most of them had apopular support, at the beginning at least,but it all resumes to the fact that a war canbe started with relative ease, it takes a realpower to resort to diplomacy/peace. Goingback to what Adams told Stratford I wouldbelieve that that too made it into theMonroe Doctrine. It seems that Americadoesn't believe that each nation should betreated equally. While it happens that I agree with this point of view, I don't really understand the need to create a parallel idea that all nations are equal, except maybe, for propaganda reasons.

If you (as a country) don't have theguts to stand up for yourself you havesmall chances to be taken seriously. Iran isone such country and in many waysreminds me of America in her first years.Sure, maybe it does not stand that good atcivil liberties but then again neither didAmerica for a century and a half. Let's notforget to look at the neighborhood, notmany countries have the level ofdevelopment, in terms of civil liberties, asIranians have. In Saudi Arabia for example,one of America's most important allies inthe region, women don't have the right todrive cars and to go out they need to obtaina written permission from their guardian.

Looks like we arrived to the next point inour discussion. From the very beginning,the United States never showed a rigidforeign affairs policy, it was open tocompromise and closed one eye, maybetwo for their own interests. The support itgave/gives to friendly dictators who mostof the time are the work of CIA is a subjectthat could easily fill a few volumes. The "Islamic Awakening" or "Arab Spring", however you want to view it, apparently dwarfed American dominance in the region, this does not necessarily mean that the new governments in Tunisia, Libya and Egypt will commit suicide by listening to their US-hating majority population. Also, it's interesting to see Iran's role, the Monroe Doctrine could have a Persian counterpart, the proportions are somewhat the same, a young and fragile America versus the British Empire and a young and fragile Islamic Republic versus the United States empire.

A very interesting comparison could bedone between the US and the USSR, thetwo had more in common than you arelead to believe. China is also a close relativeof the two. Let us think of the building ofAmerica. This was an important period ofterritorial acquisition and conquest, ofindustrial development and infrastructureconstruction (Chinese workers built thefirst transcontinental railroad). Althoughnot a new country, the USSR had to startfrom zero also, it engaged in buildingfactories and infrastructure and in theprocess "civilized" or "liberated" from thecapitalist oppression some other nations.When it comes to ideology, I don't reallyknow who will win, between the Sovietsand the Americans we would naturallypick the first, but is this right? Sure,communism was and still is a difficultdoctrine to put in practice but there werepeople who stood by it with the samefervor as Americans in relation tofreedom, although not that many. TheAmerican Dream managed to make a realitythe communist dream of equality while minimizing the need for social programs, theprospect of people living a decent life bygoing to a decent job made the"construction of socialism" look like awaste of time, while the "red states" triedto give every citizen food, housing,education, and so on, the Americans hadthat, plus the precious liberty.

What about the alliance with Israel youmay ask, there aren't many things to linkthe two nation together. Money comes tomind, but we will get to that shortly. Wecan be romantics for one second and seeIsrael as a "little America" in an ocean ofsand, surrounded by savages which it triesto civilize while in the same timecolonizing their lands. Without Americanbacking, the young Jewish state would be eliminated. The real motives why theAmerican leaders agree to give Israel hugeamounts of money and military equipmentevery year surpasses any logical way ofthinking at the situation. Most of theanalysts resume the dilemma at the highlyinfluential Zionist lobby, if only it was thateasy, after all we are talking about hardearned American money that I am surecould go to good use in their ownhouseholds.

The United States are still trying tomaintain the status quo, but this is gettingharder and harder to do. Nations arebeginning to take life in their own hands,and the superpower must now learn tolose, to back down and reposition itself inorder not to face the destiny of otherempires.

The Future

With the best, biggest and most expensivearmy, with an even bigger debt and muchdiminished industrial capacity. With atarnished reputation and a populationthat faces poverty, what could be thefuture of this great republic? Many foreseethe collapse of the union and a civil warusingthe"orderrestoration"infrastructure created during the Bushadministration that could house a coupleof million Americans easily. The Occupy movement is interesting, but it still is something without a clearly distinguishable form. What I see is that local and federal authorities make use of these protests to crack down on civil liberties even more, the riot police intervenes harder with every occasion.

Others imagine a united North Americanfederation comprising Canada, the US andMexico, steps are being taken in thisregard also, NAFTA and Amero are no fairytales. These are all possibilities, the fact isthat something has to change, the worldorder can not go on like this forever. We need a true democratic globalist movement, let's all unite against greedy corporations and banks and promote development and peace, nobody who is free wants war and suffering.

Simple Formal Logic by Arnold vander Nat

2011-12-06T17:05:00.001+02:00

I have no way to figure out how many of you master logic or how many of you even know how important it is. For those in the first category this book may not be anything new but I still urge you to go through it if you haven't already. For those of you who did not study logic before I believe this is the perfect time to start. In the introduction, Arnold vander Nat says:

Logic is the study of correct reasoning.
The study of correct reasoning is the most important study there can be.
Therefore, logic is the most important study there can be

The purpose is to attain truth and that's why I think that each and every human being must master logic. Many people do not know how easy they believe lies and how hard they can be guided to see the truth. Enjoy Simple Formal Logic by Arnold vander Nat.

PS. A web page to go along with the book

-----

Buy: Amazon

Download: Ubuntu One

I recommend you buy the book, but if money is a temporary concern, you can download it and buy it at a later time or donate a sum directly to the writer. Keep knowledge free.

To Americans About a War With Iran

2011-12-06T08:08:00.001+02:00

The world does not need such a war. I admire America, the declaration of independence and the constitution for start, but as a foreigner I no longer see these two document respected. More than that, America developed into some kind of global police although no one asked her to do that. I understand you want to secure your interests, but don't kill innocent people while doing that... Is there a difference between someone bombing one of your buildings and you bombing villages in Pakistan hoping to kill a terrorist who has not been sentenced by any court or changing governments like furniture. It all rests in the hands of the American people, if you don't do something, soon, there will be peace...peace meaning only one opinion to any problem, bringing peace with wars is another way of saying you bring death, the ultimate peace.

Nobody wants war except the few that profit from it. We have to stop them!

image from The Economist

Albums / Angra - Rebirth (2001)

2011-12-05T09:22:00.001+02:00

Today I will start a new category on this blog dedicated to music albums that I consider to be important artistic achievements, much like my book recommendations. I will try to keep this project as diversified as possible because, if I learned one thing from my former musician days was that diversity is encouraged when it comes to art. Keep your ears open to jazz, electro, rock, classical and whatever I find through my disc collection. This is not a list and there is no order for the albums. The criteria are endurance (the "playback" value), legacy (for older albums), musical composition, lyrics (if any), and overall experience. Now, let's start !

Angra is a Brazilian rock band from Sao Paolo that was founded in 1991 with the original lineup consisting of Andre Matos (vocals), Rafael Bittencourt and André Linhares (guitars), Marcos Antunes (drums) and Luís Mariutti (bass). Only Bittencourt survived from this original lineup.
Official web-page: http://www.angra.net/

Rebirth

Rebirth is their first album featuring vocalist Eduardo Falaschi so this partially explains the title. We can see strong influences from progressive rock bands like Dream Theater, also, neo-classical rock influences abound (for example: Acid Rain). You can't get bored of these songs no matter how much you listen to them, with every play you submerge into a realm not like any other. The excellent dialogue between all the pieces (guitars, bass, drums, vocals, keyboards) also denotes high production values.

Acid Rain (live, low quality)

American Dream: Introduction and the Past

2011-11-30T17:55:00.001+02:00

America is an important part of the world, how could it not be? Thescientific developments mesmerize us, its military power makes ustremble and its culture inevitably changes everyone else's culture. Allthis power demands great responsibility and control, decisions must betaken for the good of mankind more than the good of its citizens.

INTRODUCTION

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,that they are endowed by their Creatorwith certain unalienable Rights, thatamong these are Life, Liberty and thepursuit of Happiness." This is a fragmentfrom the Declaration of Independence,unanimous signed by the thirteenAmerican colonies. Too bad this fragmentdid not make it into the US Constitution,adopted in 1787. An amendment was infact needed (The Bill of Rights) in order tospecify the actual status of Americancitizens and their liberties.

"No State shall make or enforce anylaw which shall abridge the privileges orimmunities of citizens of the UnitedStates; nor shall any State deprive anyperson of life, liberty, or property, withoutdue process of law; nor deny to any personwithin its jurisdiction the equal protectionof the laws." The important word here iscitizens, the ones who did not fit into thiscategory were exposed to the possibility ofhaving no rights. This possibility was, aswe all know, a hard reality.

We can clearly see a greatdifference between the two texts when itcomes to the ideas and the power of thewords. "All man are created equal", if thesewords were the start of the USConstitution then yes, America would ofbeen the land of the free and home of the brave. We should also look at theprofound religious implications of thetext, the word "Creator" stands for God, auniversal God. The promise of a new andbetter form of government, a just statefundamentally different from what wasseen in Europe was just that, a promise,hardly followed by concrete action.

The abolition of slavery was finallydecided in 1865, through the passing ofthe Thirteenth Amendment of the USConstitution. Prior to this, AbrahamLincoln issued the EmancipationProclamation in 1863, under his warpowers. For 78 years, and many moredecades after that, the black populationwas seen as something sub-human, toounderdeveloped to make it on their ownand too primitive to be set free because offear of rebellion. The example of Haiti isindicative of the situation in that time, aformer colony of France, recognized by its former master in 1825 and by America in1862.

THE PAST

Chances are that the colonistswould of never succeeded with therevolution if they did not have the supportof France. This help had a cost, both theAmericans and the French found analliance rather tricky, imagine becoming afriend to a former enemy, nonetheless,France had only to gain from weakeningthe British Empire and the prospects ofimproved commercial activity with the US were a great bonus.The colonists managed to secure thesupport of one of the powers of the timeand doing so, to secure theirindependence, theoretically.

What started as a fight for greaterrecognition of the colonies inside theBritish Empire transformed in a fullfledged revolt against monarchy and the"old ways" of Europe (may I remind youthat France was still a monarchy when itall started). There is a man that, in a way,changed the future of the world, or in aless mythical way, changed the destiny ofthe new world, he is Thomas Paine. Hefought for some things not many peopleeven bothered to think about, anyway, hewas not the first of his kind nor the last but hemanaged to influence the people thatstarted a revolution.

One of those people was ThomasJefferson (a good friend ofPaine). During his presidency, the UnitedStates saw their first foreign war, theTripolitan War, a doubling of the territoryand a few other things. Before independence, Americanmerchants were protected in theMediterranean by the British Navy, thissecurity was lost after the war and soAmerica was left without any real methodof protecting its commercial route.The prior presidents, Washingtonand Adams, opted for ransoming theprisoners instead of fighting, creating anavy and maintaining it was thought to bemuch more costly. At a cost of 1 milliondollars, the US signed treaties withMorocco, Algiers and Tripoli guaranteeingin return of an annual tribute, the securityof American trade. Needless to say, thenewborn country was weak.

The war lasted from 1801 to 1805but the result was notsatisfactory and a new war wasneeded in 1812 to secure adecisive battle. This relativelylong lasting conflict is of greatimportance because it marks theconsolidation of the state andthe creation of the navy. Itwould take much more timehowever before America wouldbecome the dominant force onthe sea.

Although Jefferson was openlyagainst the "old world" lookingin retrospective we see hisactions as nothing really new toa country in expansion. TheLouisiana Purchase was adoubling in territorial size of the UnitedStates. This vast land was bought from theFrench for the price of 15 million dollars.Napoleon managed to getcontrol of this land from Spainas a result of a treaty betweenthe two powers. Floridaremained in the hands of Spainand soon became a target forboth Jefferson and hissuccessor, Madison.

A major war broke out betweenthe United States and Britainin the year 1812. The situationhas been presented in such a way that theAmerican people basically demanded war,this made Madison to ask Congress toengage in armed conflict with the BritishEmpire. They were not prepared to facesuch an enemy and surprisingly, theCongress even rejected expanding thenavy. The main reason for this war might have been the desire of some to take controlof Canada. This ended up being known asthe Second War of AmericanIndependence although it clearly wasnothing more than a desire to take Canadawhile the British were in war with France.Taking advantage of the general situation,the United States went the second timeinto war with the Barbary States securingcommerce in the Mediterranean.

The next important moment was thedeclaration of the Monroe Doctrine whichwas actually written by John QuincyAdams (who succeeded him as president),a man who dreamed at more than arepublic from the Atlantic to the Pacific,he visioned the entire continent speakingone language, having one currency, oneculture. In a meeting with the Britishminister to the United States, StratfordCanning, Adams said: "Keep what is yoursand leave the rest of the continent to us".This is also an example of the type ofarrogance America blessed the worldwith.

On December 2, 1823, in his message toCongress, Monroe declared: " (...) theoccasion has been judged proper forasserting, as a principle in which therights and interests of the United Statesare involved, that the Americancontinents, by the free and independentcondition which they have assumed andmaintain, are henceforth not to beconsidered as subjects for futurecolonization by any European powers (...)"

Nations in both American continents weredeclaring their independence, these wereevents that promised much for the UnitedStates, from commercial benefits, tosecurity and spheres of influence.Surprisingly, all this was done with a typeof tacit British approval, the old master,turned enemy was now beginning to lookmore like a distant relative if not a friend. My purpose was not to give a completehistory of America, an impossibleundertaking for an article of this size but I needed to go through some keymoments in time that steady began tocreate an American culture. We have seenthat the promises from the Declaration ofIndependence were not followed by hardfacts, civil rights movements continued tillmid-late 20th century for example. Theblack people initially were perceived as toounderdeveloped to take care ofthemselves, albeit many good andenlightened people from the northernstates fought for the banning of slavery.The American Indians on the other handwere perceived as primitive but could becivilized, God knows how many of themgot civilized in that period.

The United States turned up being like anyother European power of that period withone important exception, the AmericanDream. This was why so many Europeansfought to get to the new world, to live adecent and happy life, black people andAsian people were not welcomed. TheChinese Exclusion Act which lasted till1943 expressly stopped any Chineseimmigration, a similar law was also appliedto the Japanese.

Read Part 2

Morning musings on Libya

2011-11-21T12:12:00.001+02:00

So the killing of Gaddaffi is old news, so what, this does not make it less important. People think of him as a dictator... this type of simplistic mentality is doing harm to our society, labeling a man who managed to lead a country for some decades and had a word to say in international affairs is not just wrong, it also denotes a shockingly low level IQ. I get cutis anserina (goose bumps) whenever I think about the manifestations of happiness that came from the Libyan people when they heard about his death... not like they lived in houses built by the "dictator" and enjoyed a relatively good life compared to some Eastern European countries. Do you know what the 5 million inhabitants of the North African country will get now? I'll tell you, it's a great and liberating middle finger shoved in their freedom fighting... assets. More recent news are saying that Saif al-Islam, an individual which I strongly admire (Isratin) has been captured. Sadly I don't believe he will live to tell a word of truth. So, in the end, congratulations Libyan people for being directed to your very own slaughterhouse, who's next?

A page from the postponed AWIL 7 magazine

Not an interesting day (Journal)

2011-11-21T00:07:00.001+02:00

Today it was a cold and rather foggy autumn day in Bucharest. Didn't do much except reading, learning Persian and cooking some potatoes and rice. Wanted to go to the movies with Alexandra but nothing worth the price of the tickets was on. I'm reading an interesting book about the Ch'in and Han dynasties and when finished I'll sorely do a review here and present it to you all. Being at the Warring States period I remembered watching a Chinese movie with the same name some time ago, it was amazing, I recommend it.

Sara Murk (visual) and Bijelo Dugme (audio)

2011-11-17T21:27:00.001+02:00

By pure coincidence this art moment stands under the sign of Croatia (and by extension Yugoslavia).

What you are hearing now is Ako Ima Boga which means... i don't know really, it has something to do with God and an "if" (maybe "If there is God" but don't quote me on this one). I'm sure the lyrics are great but for those who don't understand a word of Croatian we will simply rely on the music. The band is called Bijelo Dugme which according to Wikipedia is translated as "White Button" (Google translate indicates Elvis Presley... dunno what the hell is that about). Many people know about Goran Bregovic, he is a legend of sorts in the Balkans and Europe in general. When the band was up and running he played the guitar and in fact composed much of their repertoire, this explains the excellent quality of their songs although, let's be honest, a band is not made up of only one member. The song is from their 1988 album entitled Ćiribiribela.

Sara Murk

For some reason I found that Sara's works go well with this song even though I don't think that their starting points are the same, I may be wrong. This could possibly be the first time I present an artist who does mainly portraits. Before now I had a general resentment when dealing with portraits, especially in paintings, but now, oddly enough, when it comes to photography I have seen the unbelievable expressiveness of the human figure.

utjeha_kose

Can you see us?

Wrong turn

New born

Holding you tight

Lots of curves

Bijelo Dugme on Facebook, don't forget to like
Sara Murk on deviantART and Flicker

“I cannot stand him (Netanyahu). He is a liar”

2011-11-15T07:52:00.001+02:00

The title of this post is also a quote from what French president, Sarkozy told his American counterpart at a G20 'private' meeting. Obama's response to 'I cannot stand him. He is a liar' was 'You are tired of dealing with him, I have to deal with him every day'. It is also worth mentioning that Obama continued by trying to persuade Sarkozy to convince the Palestinians to temper their UN membership goal. Many commented on this little discussion, some observed Obama's pro-Israel policy regardless of the way he thinks of Netanyahu, the reason being that his place in the White House was financed by Jewish interests. The thing that I noticed above all was that both the American and French presidents are liars themselves.

Something that made me laugh was the reaction of Abraham Foxman, the director of the Anti-Defamation League. He said: "We are deeply disappointed and saddened by this decidedly un-presidential exchange between Presidents Sarkozy and Obama. What is sad is that we now have to worry to what extent these private views inform foreign policy decisions of the U.S. and France – two singularly important players in the peace process (...)". The deputy (Ben Rhodes) of the same organization: "What we have here is reports of a private conversation that we’re not going to comment on the details of." Coming back to 'mister' Foxman's declaration I would like to comment on the last part ('two singular important players in the peace process'), America more than France is a real peace promoter, especially in Iraq and Afghanistan but let's not forget Somalia, Libya and Pakistan, people in those countries literally die of happiness and they truly are at peace.

I would like to finish with a story from November 9th that I read on CNN (I know, shame on me, but from time to time I try to remember how unprofessional the professionals are). Mitt Romney and Rick Perry, I feel bad that I brought their names on this blog, but it's for a greater purpose. These two intellectually impotent individuals said: "President Obama’s derisive remarks about Israel’s Prime Minister confirm what any observer would have gleaned from his public statements and actions toward our longstanding ally, Israel. At a moment when the Jewish state is isolated and under threat, we cannot have an American president who is disdainful of our special relationship with Israel. We have here yet another reason why we need new leadership in the White House" and "A nuclear-armed Iran would pose grave threats to not only American interests abroad, but also to our security at home. Iranian misconduct has met with little if any response from the Obama administration, and has included targeting Americans in Iraq and throughout the Middle East, supporting terrorist groups, threatening our allies, and even plotting to assassinate a foreign ambassador in Washington, D.C." respectively.

These two aspiring presidents decided to teach Obama (and Sarkozy) a lesson by showing that they must go back to more official mentalities and displayed their love for Israel, the "longstanding" ally. Regarding the second quote from Rick Perry (the Texas governor known for his mental inconsistancy and his support from the Bilderberg Group) I would like to say that a nuclear powered (not armed, there is no evidence that a nuclear arms program is active) Iran could be a good ally for America, Iran's support of terrorist groups is far less than what America spends on terrorism, you all know CIA, "human rights" movements and and some "independence fighters". The "threatening our allies" part is actually "threatening our ally" and is about Israel because with any other country Iran's official position is for cooperation and development and about the "assassination plot"... come on... who is that stupid to believe such a lie? It is true that Iran is not innocent and that many things have to change inside this country BUT there is no reason for war.

The most disturbing part is that you must be insane in order to understand and fight for truth, freedom and justice.

Sources: Allheadlinenews, Antiwar.com, CNN

An Introduction to Philosophy by George Stuart Fullerton

2011-11-13T21:55:00.001+02:00

This book was published for the first time in 1906 and this means that more than one century passed. What could it possibly have to offer for those wanting to embrace philosophy, because, let's be honest, the last one hundred years can't be overlooked... in any field. George Stuart Fullerton was an American philosopher and psychologist. He graduated in 1879 from the University of Pennsylvania and in 1884 from Yale Divinity School. Fullerton is considered a realist, among his books I mention: A Plain Argument for God (1889), On Sameness and Identity (1890), The Philosophy of Spinoza (1894) and A System of Metaphysics (1904). He died in 1925 due to health problems caused by 4 years of imprisonment in Austria during the first world war.

Coming back to the question of what has this introduction to philosophy so special, I can only say that from a general perspective much of what philosophy is, was created during antiquity although there are a number of new discoveries in the field and many detailed analyzes of older concepts and ideas. It's a great book and easy to understand. This is also a free/public domain ebook, so another reasons I chose it is for it's 'legality', feel free to share the text to anyone you wish.

Links:
Manybooks - I prefer this link because it has many file formats to choose from
Gutenberg - Where it all started

Stay smart.

Michael Manalo (visual) and Will Holland (audio)

2011-11-09T21:55:00.000+02:00

It's time for another incursion into our artistic souls, people, so close the lights and lean back on the chairs or couch or whatever, start the following song and continue down, down on the road. This time is Michael Manalo and Will Holland.

Quantic with the song "Time is the enemy". Quantic is the "stage name" of Will Holland, a musician from England that masterfully creates music by mixing electronic, jazz, funk and a couple of condiments. "Time is the enemy" is the 10th song from his 2001 "The 5th Exotic" album.

Michael Vincent Manalo is according to his own description a self-taught digital mixed-media artist, photographer and musician. In his artist statement he ends with "I will try to free people's minds and allow them to withdraw from reality and give them the opportunity to dig into a wild roller coaster of a vivid dream", congratulations Michael, you succeeded.

You are not alone

Gospels of the sand

Tales of the plane walker

The tale of the king maker

The Titan

The arcane tower

See you all next time.

Hard Work for Knowledge

2011-11-05T23:53:00.001+02:00

For the past weeks I worked hard at AWIL magazine and a couple of other projects along with the day job and I must say that I am overwhelmed with all the activities. The release date of AWIL 7 was changed (again), you can expect the issue to be on-line till the end of November. As I see the situation, the magazine needs at least 10 writers to ensure normal activity, at the moment we are 5 (yours truly included), two in the art department, two in the socio-political and me. I don't like to talk about something that is not finished yet, but number seven will be fascinating.

Now let's go to some more interesting things. I was just reading "The Dogmatic Aeon" by the Romanian philosopher Lucian Blaga, a book that is part of his "Knowledge Trilogy" and wanted to share with you the fact that having read "The Early Christian Doctrines" by John Norman Davidson Kelly more than a month ago really helped me understand the present book. I undoubtedly recommend it (the Dogmatic Aeon) to all those interested in epistemology and metaphysics but sadly I am not aware of any English version on-line. I'll get back to you after I go through the other two books of the trilogy and after i eventually understand the texts in a satisfactory manner. I just couldn't stop myself from starting it even if I know I hadn't actually finished with the Golden Verses of Pythagoras and all the related texts... eh... I'll manage.

I found some time for a little entertainment here and there and now I'm hooked on Supernatural. I really enjoy this TV show but for its genre, X-files is still the best. Just started season three, hope it won't get shitty with time like Lost did although it has a lot more hot chicks that's for sure. Oh, and before I throw my head to the pillow I like to thank my girlfriend for being so understanding.

And some really good music for you people reading this blog, "Rock and a Hard Place" by The Rolling Stones.

Ahmadinejad's 2011 UN speech

2011-10-19T01:02:00.000+03:00

While surfing youtube I found this very interesting video recreating Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's speech at the 2011 General Assembly and decided it must be shared with as many people as possible. His words are filled with love for humanity and a quest for development, freedom and peace. Listen carefully with an open mind.

Ahmadinejad meeting a representative of the free Jewish people.

Boredom, protests, lies and economic collapse

2011-10-12T21:22:00.001+03:00

New York police beating protesters.
Courtesy of the Washington Post.

I've got blisters on my fingers from all the writing I am doing lately especially for the next issue of AWIL but I couldn't resist the urge to confess to you about a few things in the political realm that caught my attention. First of all the 66th General Debate of the United Nations was shitty as ever, I didn't want to spoil the surprise, for the most part the article in the magazine will say the same thing in a much more elevated way with a few extra things, as usual. Now that I got my general discontent about our leaders off my chest we can continue to more interesting topics.

America is witnessing an upsurge of protests in this period that vaguely make me think about the concentration camps Bush supposedly demanded to be constructed throughout the country a few years back. For the time being there is no need for such harsh measures seeing that winter will come and most probably the blizzard will take away many of the ("angry mob") people. I personally am in favor of these protests, people have the right to shout at their representatives for doing a sloppy job at looking after their tax dollars. The fucked up part is that nobody takes them seriously at the moment, after all, this is democracy, you have the right to say what you want but don't try to act or you'll end up as a terrorist suspect. Not only America needs change (real change not the fake Obama type) but also the world, as the top economy and military power, (military expenditure is almost the total of what all the countries on Earth have allocated) the people who control the US really control most of the world or at least have the power to sway opinions in their favor.

In Europe it seems that Slovakia has rejected the new EU rescue fund, the reason being that why should the Slovakian people pay for Greek pensions that are a few times bigger than the average salary in the central European state. I see nothing wrong with this, do you? Greece should start paying lower salaries if this is the way to get out of the crisis, by the way, their government systematically lied to their European brothers about their economic situation, what do you say about that? I know there are a few Greek people reading this blog, I have nothing with you or your country, you just have to get your act straight, work harder for less, just like the rest of the world. Sure it was not your fault for getting in this situation in the first place but there is nothing more you can do about that. We are ruled by incompetent fools and arrogant thieves and chances are this aspect of our society will never change.

I will wrap up this article by adding that the US is spreading terror and lies with the alleged Iranian plot to assassinate a Saudi diplomat... this type of business was from the start reserved to the CIA.

PS. A little something I feel generally describes the present situation, a perfect soundtrack for a revolution, don't you think? Take care and see you all later.

Annemarie Rysz (visual) and Martin Freeland (audio)

2011-10-07T23:09:00.000+03:00

Golden.

Annemarie Rysz is a young Canadian artist that hypnotizes the viewer with simplicity, understood as minimalism. The reason I didn't say minimalism from the very beginning is because i feel that her art has something different and complex and in a way "simplicity" is also a bad choice. You need to take some time to understand the many levels present in her works, this generally depends of everyone's background. The colors are strong, expressive and well balanced, creating unique sensations and emotions also individualized with help from her choices of imagery. Her facebook page is: http://www.facebook.com/AnnemarieRysz

I also recommend you look at the pictures while listening to this song from Man With No Name (his name being Martin Freeland) entitled Azymuth. His official website is: http://www.manwithnoname.co.uk/

Terran

Roots

"Untitled"

Seep

Trees

Darkness

And don't forget, like our facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/awil.online and you will find even more great things.

Our cultures are accidents

2011-10-03T11:19:00.000+03:00

A version of Matteo Ricci's map created at the request of Wanli Emperor

I recently met with an old friend who I haven't seen for a good couple of years and the only thing I remember after that encounter is the silence and awkwardness. He went to another country to study and we could not keep in touch by email or something like that. This (the lack of communication), in the years that passed, transformed us into two different people and because all our separate experiences could no longer be linked we tried desperately to dig deep into our memories and find the things common for both of us. If we succeeded or not is no longer relevant to our discussion.

Think how humanity spread across the globe many thousands of years ago, long before the existence of Sumer and Ancient Egypt without any possibility of communicating between distant settlements. A look at the history of China and Europe is enough to exemplify the importance nature and geography had on our development. European culture is much more diverse than Chinese which anyway is regarded as one single civilization even if it had its own share of internal struggles. During antiquity and most part of the Middle Ages, Europe was a vast forest which meant that traveling was an adventure not many felt comfortable in embracing. China was mostly the opposite, great plains and the discovery of rice fostered a large population of mostly settled as opposed to migratory workers.

A typical human migration map, courtesy of Wikipedia.

Europe knew a great degree of unity during the Roman Empire when the Mediterranean Sea became a "Roman Lake", cultural elements flew in that period from one place to another, from Egypt to Greece, from Greece to Rome, from (former) Carthage to Rome and so on. That was a Golden Age for Globalization, believe it or not. All this was possible because the Romans built very good roads, you may even still drive on some of them these days (little bit of an exaggeration) and because, maybe most importantly, in the middle of their territories there was water suited for navigation and commerce.

Roman Empire at its greatest extent, courtesy of University of Calgary.

We now mostly fly over everything and keeping the proportions we can now do what the Romans did on a global scale. Just to play around a bit think what will happen if we send settlers to Mars and let's say, a good thousand of them manage to live there and suddenly all communication between us and them stops and we can no longer go there and they can no longer come here for... i don't know... two hundred years, what then? Will a war start or would we still be able to sympathize with one another once we are able to communicate again.

Nothing new you could say, in which case you agree with me (and those who stand as a foundation), in fact, most good and real things are not new. Antiquity discovered many basic principles but because of the limits in technology these remained in the realms of philosophy and theory. Even now science is filled with theories waiting for someone in the future to prove them right or wrong. I strongly believe humanity has a chance to unite once again, embracing the differences just like in a large family you can find totally different individuals sitting at the same table during Christmas, Ramadan or any other occasion.

I recommend you read one of my older articles entitled Making a Bigger Tribe in order to get a better overall image about this issue.

Paul Barlow's art and Bassically by Ryan Farish

2011-09-29T00:02:00.000+03:00

Triumph (Small Tree)

It's amazing how many good things we discover by accident, this is the first though that came in my mind after seeing "Triumph" by Paul Barlow. Only after I began to control my amazement I started to go through a list of his works and didn't find one that I didn't like. Most often I try to console myself with the idea that a particular work by a particular artist will someday and somehow grow on me, but this is not the case with Paul's artistic achievements.

He was born in 1988 and is from the United Kingdom. He says:

In my work i choose surrealism because of the freeness, the mysticism and the depths of the subconscious. My main goal is to create and realise unknown worlds, feelings and thoughts which are higher than words.My work is also a kind of spiritual journey, by playing with the world and materials i am createing something higher than mere physical existence. Feelings of beauty, life, lonliness, wonder, happiness, existence all feelings that i cannot put into words are spilled out into my images.

Pursuit

Formation


The Kite

Nightfall


Night

To go with the pictures we also present to you Bassically by Ryan Farish, from his album entitled Daydreamer. If you are into electronic music you will love this, if not, you will undoubtedly get the taste of it.

MICHAUD, Michael - Contact with Alien Civilizations

2011-09-26T13:58:00.000+03:00

Humanity was never alone, it had its gods, angels, demons, but wanting to understand life forms that are not from this planet is something very new, through this we might even learn some things about us.

"Over the millennia, our thinking about extraterrestrials has evolved from metaphysical speculation to scientifically testable hypotheses. Yet we still have no proof. At the philosophical and scientific levels, the most durable feature of the controversy has been the split between “Copernicans,” who argue that Humankind does not occupy a special place in the universe, and “Aristotelians,” who believe that we do. During the Enlightenment, philosophical speculations wrestled with another fundamental question. If there are intelligent beings beyond the Earth, some of them might be more intellectually advanced than we are. How, then, could Man be the measure of all things?"

Buy the book from Amazon / / / Or download it here

Whatever Makes You Happy (personal thoughts)

2011-09-24T21:28:00.001+03:00

Today we will talk about happiness. Merriam-Webster defines happiness as: 2.a. A state of well being and contentment: joy ; 2.b. a pleasurable or satisfying experience. Most people limit themselves to the second definition which reflects a limited understanding of their own self and that is why the term happiness is coined to this basic meaning. The act of buying new things, this consumerist heaven, just to get that feeling that you are good, you are finally happy after all that hard work is only an illusion and it grows in a mind that is not given access to equilibrium.

Many of us chase temporary changes in a continuous sadness that resemble the idea of well being and believe that's all to it. One of the first decisions someone must take is to start a "war" with dependence, of any kind. To kill a dependence on something is not never doing that thing, but controlling when you want and how much you want. For example if someone has a problem with alcohol and suposing his health permits, he must try to control his urges and never make a habit but drink moderately. Sure, the idea is not to be dependent of anything, period and never do conscious harm to one's health.

Health is very important because it keeps our body "operational" as a vehicle for our life/soul/mind, spiritual or not, you get the picture. One of my concerns is the inequality in the world because few have plenty and many have little. In most western countries vegetables and fruits begin to have no smell and taste because in the process of growing them, farmers use chemicals that hastens their growth and so many Europeans actually eat fruits and vegetables that have little or no vitamins and minerals and above all, could lead cause cancer. In Africa thousands, millions die from starvation even if there is plenty of land to feed all the population of Africa and even double that sum. We should always choose nature. Another health problem is sedentariness. What do all these have to do with health? Well, imagine a fat person sitting on a couch and eating junk-food while buying useless things on ebay, now think of a child with no food, almost no water, trying to survive in a war-torn country searching for work in order to live. The first will be happy when his new things are delivered and the child will be happy when he will finally eat something. To be poor and to be wealthy are the same things dressed in different clothes.

Even love is not true happiness. We like the idea of being in love because it creates an imbalance in our bodies, wonderful as it may seem, in the end it will fade away. Guess I am trying to get to inner peace as the best definition for happiness, I wonder why not more people search for this because even the quest for it gives many benefits. I sometimes feel happy when I am sad, it seems like a contradiction but you must go through the experience to really know what I am talking about. I recently went to a concert of Yasmin Levi and she practically said the same thing, nice to see another human-being enjoying his/her sadness. Don't be afraid to let go of your illusions.

Once again I finish with this: time is the most important thing you have, don't waste it, learn, think, evolve.

Ryan Farish - Aran

Article image by Alice vel. Hazel

Lesley Hazleton, on reading the Quran

2011-09-18T18:57:00.001+03:00

I really enjoy browsing through the long and attractive list of TED speakers and once in a while I find one that I feel I must share with as many people as I can. This is the case with Lesley Hazleton, a British-American writer that focuses especially on the history, religion and politics of the Middle East. Some of her books are "After the Prophet: The Epic Story of the Shia-Sunni Split" and "Mary: A Flesh-and-Blood Biography of the Virgin Mother". What's interesting about her is the openness she transmits when talking about subjects largely perceived as "taboo" at the moment. Enjoy this very enlightening video about the Quran and the process of studying it from a non-Muslim perspective. As Lesley points out, there are even some Muslims that do not actually understand the text, referring here to fundamentalists.

Avantasia - Dying For An Angel

2011-09-15T10:51:00.001+03:00

Germany rocks and this song is part of the evidence which I recommend you all examine immediately. Avantasia is a project started by Tobias Sammet who is also vocalist at Edguy. To make matters worse, Dying for an Angel features Klaus Meine known as being the frontman of Scoprions, a band everyone on the planet knows and most love. Rock is universal, rock is forever.

The world through my eyes

2011-09-14T22:49:00.000+03:00

This world is fubar and this is a fact. Every time I open a news site I find that in a town I no longer remember a fucked up excuse of an individual raped his kids for a couple of decades, in another place a messiah-nazi wannabe is in a holy war against Muslims, just like Islamic extremists who are "on the other side", politicians lie to us with a smile not even a whore can give and bankers never seem to be guilty of anything even if they screwed with millions of lives.

But let's be optimistic, not everything is rotten, most of us continue to live our lives even without the need of a religion or some form of punishment, divine or earthly, take your pick. As a species we must recognize that wherever we will go, beside wonderful things we will also spread a disease that currently is a pandemic on this planet. Maybe after all this is over we will live in the new world order under the rule of law George H. W. Bush talked about [would like to know what that law is] . I'm now thinking what Obama has to do with it with his "Change" thing, maybe this change is coming but knowing what I know about politicians I sure hope it will be delayed indefinitely.

The idea is simple, to change something you first must spread fear, terror and misery. The threats of war, terrorist attacks, economic collapse, epidemics (which are announced every year like it's the Apocalypse but nothing really happens), asteroids that are closing in on us, global warming, rising sea levels, the diminishing fresh water reserves and the extinction of Cavendish bananas.

All these plus many more are thrown in our face every day until we become so dumb that we accept every stupid solution "they" come up with. This is no conspiracy theory, look deep in history, in every time and in every place, the strong ruled the weak and we are the weak, we are the plebes. Actually I'm having no problems with this hierarchy, my problem is that most of the ones at "the top" should not be there. This world has plenty of smart minds that could solve most of our problems in a couple of years but the reason this is not happening is that giving the possibility of evolution to every individual is perceived like a threat.

You must be insane to leave your house, family, future, life just to die for some unknown reason, that's why more and more American soldier are actually immigrants, coming from poverty and hoping for a better life after the wars will end.

Many more things are left to be said, I will come back to them from time to time just to keep you up to date with the fubar status of our wonderful world. Don't forget, you have 70 years on an average to live, don't waste any minute, learn, think, climb the steps as many as you can.

Mai image by Musteata Bogdan

Joris Delacroix - Take Your Time (feat.Nancy)

2011-09-11T20:56:00.001+03:00

It's time to relax with a nice electro song and a good video. Enjoy.

Find Joris Delacroix on MySpace and Facebook.

SOUTHGATE, Beverley - What is History For?

2011-09-08T22:42:00.000+03:00

Most of the books that we will present here will be historical in nature so it makes sense to start with a text that addresses the question of what history really is.

Charting the development of historical studies, Beverley Southgate examines the various uses to which history has been put. While history has often supposedly been studied ‘for its own sake’, Southgate argues that this seemingly innocent approach masks an inherent conservatism and exposes the ways in which history has, sometimes deliberately, sometimes inadver- tently, been used for socio-political purposes.

This copy is for educational purposes only, help spread culture and human development.

DOWNLOAD

The Iranian Miracle

2011-09-04T21:55:00.000+03:00

For the past few months I watched the news amazed at the speed at which Iran is catching up with the 'western world', the country is now the largest industrial and knowledge producer in the Middle East and all thanks to sanctions. This reminds me of China when one hundred years ago it too realized the importance of modernization, I am confident that as in the case of China, Iran will undergo a similar social transformation adopting a more egalitarian point of view, eventually becoming a 'secular theocracy'.

Many people believed that when Ayatollah Khomeini came to power he would of become more like a guide, not imposing sharia. The threat of American intervention in Iran transformed his role in a more authoritarian one. I would like to remind all of you that the history of this nation, like the history of many other rich countries, is filled with intervention from foreign powers seeking natural resources or privileges. Think how far Iranian society would of advanced if the Persian Constitutional Revolution was not repressed by Russia and if the 1953 coup supported by Britain and America never happened. History is a box filled with infinite amounts of treasure and we must open it before looking out the window.

Iran is expanding its non-oil industrial sector at an ever increasing speed with a dozen new factories and power plants opening this year and an estimated total of 2 million workplaces to be created in 2011 alone. The country started an enthusiastic space program and the defense industry, while not too technologically advanced, is becoming self-sufficient and adapted to the needs of the region. The IMF congratulated the Iranian government for its economic reforms, almost every month festivals of all kinds are held to promote culture and science while abroad Iran is making a strong presence in these fields. As far as foreign relations are concerned, Iran is making many friends, among them are Iraq and Egypt.

With all the sanctions, this country seems to enjoy an economic boom and that is why I want to say again that the West needs to take Iran serious and start a real dialogue that can lead to progress and peace on both sides.

Related:

Rise of China

American Dream II

Be by Tomoki Hayasaka

2011-09-03T08:13:00.002+03:00

Be by Tomoki Hayasaka

Link

(01) Kelly - Early Christian Doctrines

2011-08-28T12:36:00.000+03:00

This is the first in what will be a long series of discussions, each starting every time from a different book that we all agree to read, study and comment. "The Early Christian Doctrines" by John Norman Davidson Kelly is an excellent source of knowledge about the beginnings of the largest religion on the planet and a philosophical system that forever changed humanity.

You can download the book in pdf format here.
The discussion is here.

The Angel's Game by Carlos Zafon

2011-08-25T09:26:00.000+03:00

I decided to let a few days pass between finishing the book and writing this review because for me it was a magnificent experience that wanted to remain in my mind for just a little longer. I don't know why but I am very selective when it comes to literature, I tend to appreciate books of history and philosophy more, regardless of their quality. I had high hopes for "The Angel's Game" mainly because a well known Romanian philosopher, who I strongly appreciate, recommended it.

After going through the 471 pages of my Romanian edition I remained with a feeling that along the way a few things remained attached to my soul. This is not the type of book that deals with head aching philosophy, while not being excessively simple, and I think this makes it such a great text. It is a story about love, about the struggle for something more to life and ultimately it is a fight with our true enemy, death. The gothic descriptions and overall atmosphere are definitely captivating, I'm going to let you discover what is the angel's game.

Terror in Norway

2011-07-26T09:57:00.001+03:00

The world recently witnessed a terrorist act done by a ultra-nationalist, ultra-christian individual. As you can see I already ascribed two labels to a man I don't know anything about, and like me many others also made the same mistake. It is obvious that acts such like this can not be tolerated but this case dragged into the spotlight the growing power of extremist groups in Europe. I dare to put this event next to the Quran burning and the Muhammad caricatures, all promoting intolerance towards something that is perceived as different and threatening. We are now not in a war against terrorism or against infidels, we are actively pursuing a war against rationality, against development.

This individual, who I do not want to name, regrets the violence of his acts but believes that these were necessary to stop the Islamic takeover of Europe, as he puts it. Even if Muslims are growing in power, why should this be perceived as a threat, also, why should Muslims believe that everything western is satanic, sure, this is all very simplistic but you can`t control large masses of population through hard reasoning. Let`s look past the incident and see the wider picture, some forces are trying to make us believe that two sides have already formed. I recommend that every Christian read the Quran and every Muslim read the New Testament, experience each other's culture, learn the language, listen to the music, read the poetry, watch the movies, don't let yourself dragged into a desire to hate what you ultimately do not know. Extremism grows on ignorance and false knowledge.

AWIL 6

2011-06-30T12:55:00.000+03:00

History, art, science, politics, all categories in which man can place his discoveries and thoughts all tied together by the need of knowing and understanding. Our liberty, as limited as it is must be protected first and foremost through learning. Aside from health nothing is more important than the mind and we must take care of both in order to become human. Just like a child is not a man/woman before he grows up and experiences the world, we are incomplete till we reach our destiny as truly sapient beings.

We hope you will enjoy this issue, we made a real effort to improve the quality but still feel that much is left to be done. Michael Johnson delights us with another great article from the field of art history and Hristofor offers to our attention a well balanced review of Germany's foreign policy, the largest European nation both in population and economy. American Dream II introduces you to an alternative history of the beginning of a superpower and how her present actions are deeply rooted in an idealized past. You will also discover Shibam, the Manhattan of the desert, Cioran, the philosopher not many know but who is fundamental in the field and last but not least, Maria, a great Russian artist who agreed to share with us some of her latest works.

Enjoy the reading, till the next issue,

all the best.

Florin Cosma

Open publication - Free publishing - More art

Artificial Biological Brain

2011-06-07T22:05:00.001+03:00

Researchers at Pittsburgh University managed to reproduce the brain's electrical impulses onto models made from living brain cells. The work was conducted by 2011 Pittsburgh graduate Ashwin Vishwanathan. He co-authored a paper for "Lab on a Chip", the jurnal of the Royal Society of Chemistry with Zeringue and Guo-Qiang Bi, a neurological professor at Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

These ring shaped micro-brains are an interesting development both for scientists and for people working in other areas. The Pitt team stamped adhesive proteins onto silicon discs and after that, hippocampus cells from embryonic rats were fused to the proteins. We are far in my opinion from seeing "external brains" at the local pharmacy, but research conducted by the Pittsburgh team will greatly help our understanding of the inner workings of the brain and ultimately will help us cure various diseases and, why not, improve our minds.

Source: http://www.news.pitt.edu/news/Zeringue-memory-cell-networks

Righteous and Harmonious Fists

2011-06-06T18:16:00.000+03:00

China has a rich history when it comes to secret societies, much like Europe, but the difference is that for the Chinese, these societies were organized by people opposing the government while in Europe, the governments were usually formed by people coming from secret societies.

The Boxers, or "The Righteous and Harmonious Fists" (I Ho Ch'uan) could be seen as a religious society, or an intellectual one, but it certainly was not a peaceful one. They originally rebelled against the imperial government in Shantung in 1898. They are considered a religious society because they practiced different rituals and used spells that should of made them impervious to bullets and pain. Surely when they started to fall one by one because of bullets their conceptions about western firepower and eastern spirituality must of demanded some reviewing.

This organization dates back well before 1700 with no clear origins, only myths and legends. They had some degree of influence because in 1747, the Jesuits were expelled from China because they demanded it. Coming back to the late 19th century, bad harvests, plagues, sanctions imposed by the Western powers and Japan after the war of 1894-1895 created discontent among the population, and because humans are humans everywhere, the Chinese turned to extreme measures for securing their future. They turned to tradition and rejected all the things foreign to them. In this extreme form of nationalism they even created three degrees of devils, the first was made up of foreigners, the second was composed of Chinese turned to Christianity and third, anyone who interacted with foreigners in any way.

Their slogan was "oppose the Qing and destroy the foreign", this soon changed to "support the Qing and destroy the foreign" after Empress Dowager Cixi and a number of Chinese officials began to think that they could support this organization to drive off the foreign powers. The end was not that pretty.

America, Israel and the World

2011-05-24T12:05:00.001+03:00

First of all, before the year 1948, Israel did not exist. In fact, the region was named Palestine because the people living there are Palestinians. Those Jews that fight for a Jewish state in Palestine are named Zionists, a form of national-socialism. Israel was founded by Ashkenazi Jews, meaning "German Jews", and while in the 11th century they were a small minority comprising no more than 3 percent of the world's Jewish population, they now represent around 80 percent. Their language is Yiddish, not Hebrew.

Theodor Herzl is the key figure in the forming of the Zionist ideology.

We must not fall into the trap of thinking that all Jews are extremists, there is a movement of Anti-Zionist Orthodox Jews that put peace and cooperation above death and terror. Sadly, the money and through this, the power, is in the hands of the Zionists, who want to eliminate all Arab communities in Palestine and gain an edge against other countries through the use of deceit. Why is America helping them, even if innocent Palestinians die? You can find the answer by yourself. Obama said in the AIPAC meeting that the security of Israel is important... why not also the security of Palestinians... why not peace? Tens of thousands of people protested against AIPAC and against the genocide that is taking place in Palestine. The world needs to wake up, it needs to put human development and well-being above stupid disputes. Israel must give up its nuclear weapons and start a process of cooperation with the Palestinians. The Palestinians also need to accept the Jews and try to live together because in the end they are all of the same origin.

The US must stop helping Israel and ask for UN Peacekeeping forces to intervene and stop the killings, why should the American citizens pay for Israelian bombs? Who would like to live thinking that their hands are stained with the blood of Palestinian children? The majority of Jews are dragged into this mess against their will, the same with most Arabs and their Islamic extremist "rulers".

Working together, volunteer computing

2011-05-23T20:51:00.000+03:00

Our world is interconnected, we know this to be true, we also know that science and technology are the roads we must take for a better future, this makes me think, how could I, a man not so evolved in the fields of science, help the seeds to become trees. The answer is volunteer computing, or to be more precise, BOINC (Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing). By joining this community you offer your computing resources to science. The idea is simple, for research and simulation, computers are needed, the world has a lot of such devices, so why not link them together by use of the Internet and let them share the burden of calculating stuff. The fields of research range from physics, space (ex: seti), medicine, genetics, mathematics, etc. Chose one or more projects that you want to support and make a difference.

You can read the most complete project list -> here <- or a more summarized version -> here <-

Linux is supported, download -> here <-.

Osama is dead

2011-05-02T11:16:00.000+03:00

Obama confirmed, Osama is dead. What does this mean for the world? In the first place, justice has not been done, killing the head of Al-Qaeda was made without a trial, and although the trial would of been "artificial", it would of given the impression that the West is fighting for justice and freedom for all, now they only fueled more terrorist attacks and made bin Laden a martyr.

It seems that Osama was shot in the head, good aiming for what was reported as heavy fighting, it also looks like the US soldiers did not have orders to bring him alive because if they had, they would not of shot him dead. This actually is not so important, what we should talk about is the fact that America is continuing a policy of destruction.

If you plant bombs in the ground you must expect mushroom clouds to rise, it can't get more simple than this. All the money used to build rockets would do wonders for the development of humanity. If people have work, food, a home, if their children have schools and a loving environment, would they choose war, death, hunger, suffering?

Killing a man will never be a good thing. What the world should do is light a candle for all those killed on all sides, because they all acted in blindness, and put down the instruments of death. I did not forget 9/11 but I also did not forget Guantanamo; the 1949 CIA backed military coup in Syria; the 1953 CIA backed coup overthrowing the Mossadeq government of Iran, that made the Shah, Mohammed Reza Pahlevi, ruler of an absolute monarchy; in 1963 US supported a coup by the Ba'ath party (see Saddam Hussein) to overthrow the Qassim regime; and examples could continue, better left for a history lesson.

PS. in May 2010, Attorney General Eric Holder told Congress that Osama bin Laden will never face trial because he will not be captured alive.

The Disadvantage of Being Born - Cioran

2011-04-25T19:41:00.001+03:00

Largely regarded as an "incarnation" of pessimism, Emil Cioran (April 8, 1911 – June 20, 1995) is for me an excellent example of a man trying to overcome obstacles in the search for his own evolution. People tend to understand through his rejection of the world and ultimately, of humanity, only a dark vision fed by an anxious spirit. Although this may be the case, we also find incredible teachings about human nature hidden from those who do not search for them.

1. "WITH what right do you start praying for me? I don't need an intercessor, I can make it on my own. From a miserable man, I'll accept, but from no one else, be he a saint. I can't accept others to be preoccupied by my own salvation. If I fear it and try to escape it, nothing more annoying than your prayers. To hell with them; anyway, we're not in the service of the same gods. If mine are incapable, I have every reason to believe that yours are not that great either. Assuming though that they are just as you imagine them, they will still lack the power to save me from a fear older than my own memory."

[ The idea of a salvation is possible only if it is a conscious undertaking. We should look carefully at the highly personal language used here . About the same subject he also writes: ]

2. "I like the Hindu idea according to which we can entrust our salvation to somebody else, of preference to a "saint", allowing him to pray on our behalf, to do anything to save us. Meaning to sell your soul to God."

[ Once again, salvation/enlightenment is something one must fight for on his own. At first sight there is a contradiction, he is saying that he "likes" the idea (that he rejected in the first fragment) and that one's salvation could be entrusted to somebody else, to be preferred a "saint". But the ending "meaning to sell your soul to God" gives us his actual belief about the idea. ]

3. "TO undo, to "un-"build is the only task that man can set himself, if he aspires, as everything shows, to distinguish himself from the Builder."

4. "DURING the centuries, man tried his best to believe, he passed from dogma to dogma, from one delusion to another and reserved very little time for doubts, short respites between his periods of blindness. Properly speaking, those were not doubts, but interruptions, moments of rest, that followed the weariness of belief, of any belief. "

[ Here we can clearly see what Cioran thinks about humanity, that we are in a way best described through this blindness, belief as opposed thought. “The dream of reason produces monsters”, a quote by Goya. ]

5. "A very long time I lived with the idea that I am the most normal being that ever existed. This idea opened my taste, my passion even, for being unproductive: what's the use of highlighting yourself in a world populate by madmen, submerged in stupidity and madness? "

6. "IF the disgust for this world is enough to confer holiness, I don't see how I could avoid canonization."

[ Cioran often makes use of cynicism and irony in his work. ]

7. "THE smallest atmospheric change makes me rethink my projects, even, why not say it, my beliefs. This type of dependence, the most humiliating of all, doesn't cease to overcome me, while it scatters the few delusions that remained concerning the chance of being free, of liberty, pure and simple. What's the use of being filled with pride if you are at the discretion of Moisture and Dryness. You'd like a slavery less worthy of mercy and a different kind of gods."

[ Man must learn to be free of all external forces in order to gain his freedom. This idea can be often seen in many philosophical schools. ]

8. "YOU don't envy the ones that have the power to pray, while you are filled with malice against property owners, against those that know wealth and glory. It is strange that you live with the redemption of another, but not with the passing advantages that he can enjoy. "

[ Another lesson meant to open our eyes to the strange, or better said, faulty mentality that we can fall victim of. Many people don't think about what is important, they just stop at the surface. ]

9. "WE always have the impression that we can do better what someone else does. Sadly, we don't have the same conviction when it comes to what we do ourselves."

10. "THE thing that makes those poets that have no talent even more clumsy is that they only read other poets (just like philosophers that have no value read only philosophers), although they would have more to gain from a botany book or a geology book. You can enrich your spirit only by entering into contact with disciplines distant from yours. A true thing, evidently, only for subjects where the ego does havoc."

Yagmurlar by Șebnem Ferah

2011-04-11T20:36:00.001+03:00

Șebnem Ferah is a well known Turkish singer that manages with staggering success to tear down the barriers of language with her excellent voice and catchy songwriting. Her stile is a type of hard rock with some pop and progressive elements.

Yagmurlar means "rains" and if you don't know Turkish, don't worry, you are not the only one although this is a beautiful language, enjoy the music. The song is from the album entitled "Kadyn" (Woman).

This recording is provided for educational purposes only, please buy the album.

Not Knowing God

2011-03-29T12:05:00.002+03:00

Humans have great potential but they are still pulled down by a series of factors. This text should be read and understood by all of you, regardless of religion, nationality, wealth, and so on. I put an emphasis on the understanding of the text, if one does not try to see himself he will not accomplish anything apart from wasting a couple of minutes.

We have one life and most of us waste it knowingly or unknowingly, I know I did, and maybe still do. I present to you a fragment from Corpus Hermeticum entitled "The Greatest Harm for Man is not Knowing God", God stands for a state of mind and as you will see, there is an emphasis on Ignorance as being the basis for all evil and enveloping the entire Earth. The first thing somebody must do is to break through this ignorance.

In the fifth paragraph, the one you need to search for in order to guide you to the gateway of Truth and Knowledge could be understood either as a master, or as your mind. Do not forget the beauty of Truth and Goodness and try to move towards these and slowly you will have a clearer mind. This is not a New Age text, and also not a dogmatic one, it is only a philosophy of becoming human.

1. Whither are you carried, o, Men, drunk with the strong Wine of Ignorance? Which seeing you cannot tolerate, why do you spew it forth?
2. Rise, wake up and look to the sky with the Eyes of your heart, and if not all of you can do this, let there be as many of you who can.
3. For the wickedness of ignorance envelopes the entire Earth and corrupts the Soul, it chains it in the Body and so its rise to the Heavens of Salvation is not permitted.
4. Do not let yourselves carried by the Great Stream, but endure its torrent with all your strength, in this way you will be able to gain the Blessed Heaven.
5. Search for the one who can guide you to the gateway of Truth and Knowledge, where the Light is pure, undefiled by Darkness, where nobody is drunk, instead all are awake and in their hearts, look upwards to him, for his pleasure is to be seen.
6. For he can not be heard with the ears, nor seen with the eyes, nor expressed with words, only in the mind and the heart.
7. But first you must tear to pieces and break through the garment you wear, through the fabric of ignorance; this is the basis for all Evil, the bond of Corruption, the dark Veil, the living Death, a Corpse with senses, the Grave we carry with us, the Thief from within, which, through what he loves in us, hates us, envies us.
8. These are the painful garments with which you are covered, and that pull you down, you look up less and less to the beauty of Truth and Goodness; you should hate the wickedness of this Garment and understand the traps it lays for you.
9. That is why he works to make good the things that only seem and are perceived by the senses, while the true things he hides them and covers them in matter, filling what he shows you with hostile pleasure so you can not hear what you should hear and see what you should see.

You can read this chapter in AWIL Magazine, issue 5. An error occurred in the final paragraph, read "That is why he works" not "That is why the works".

Expulsion from the Garden of Eden by Thomas Cole

2011-03-24T09:00:00.000+02:00

Although born in England, Thomas Cole is considered an American artist, the reason being that he emigrated for the US when he was eighteen years old and "the new world" gave him nature, the kind that Europe lost. His works, even though are described as landscapes, deal with humanity. Using an incredible talent of creating images of nature, he represents the ups and downs that mark our civilization.

Expulsion from the Garden of Eden; oil on canvas; 1828; 101x138; MFA, Boston
Here you can clearly see his approach, Adam and Eve are more like two lines of color, the drama of the event being transmitted to us through the use of nature, light, and so on. Eden is shown as a true paradise while the exterior (on the left) is darkened. A light shines out through what seems to be a portal, the light being an element that stands to replace the traditional angel. What awaits humanity is a great deal of suffering, suggested to us by the two wild animals that can be seen on in the lower left. Volcanoes erupt in the background and the wind is blowing, it too driving out the first humans.

The Expulsion, Moon and Firelight, a painting also dating from 1828, is considered to be a "landscape" version of Expulsion from the Garden of Eden.

Barbarian Empire

2011-03-22T09:23:00.000+02:00

Recently a couple of images presenting to the world what could possibly be only a glimpse into what is really happening in Afghanistan and Iraq were released. Keep in mind, these are images of US soldiers photographed with ”their prize”. With things like this, terrorism is not eliminated, it is promoted and if soldiers from the US army have this type of mentality, posing next to a corpse and smiling, it makes me ashamed of being part of a society that promotes freedom and respect for others.


A smile of death.


The murdered man was the son of a farmer.

Nakagin Capsule Tower

2011-03-20T11:36:00.000+02:00

You all remember The Fifth Element, think about the home of Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis) and do that with the 70's in mind. While it may be an interesting experience, living in a high tech and optimized space, things will soon begin to be a little cramped. The idea behind these capsules was more related to a hotel than constant living, personally, for a hotel a double bed would of been a better choice.

The idea behind this project is not a bad one, if you link more of these modules together to form a bigger apartment it could be an answer to housing problems around the world. Kind of an International Space Station on Earth so to speak. In case of disasters you only have to change the damaged capsules with new ones.

Two concrete towers are the backbone of the building, the modules being attached to these and access being given by the two elevators housed inside the towers. For a number of years the demolition of this architectural monument was discussed, or, as an alternative, modernizing the capsules. No action was yet taken, but the Nakagin Tower seems destined to be replaced by a more modern high-rise if actions are not taken.

Designed by Kisho Kurokawa, this tower is the most known example of Metabolist architecture. This movement was started in Japan after World War II and emphasized the idea of urban organic growth.

From AWIL Magazine, issue number 5

AME Estudio Design

2011-03-17T22:22:00.000+02:00

Binho Martins, one of the world's best artists just because he appeared in our magazine, has launched his very own design studio, you can visit it here: http://cargocollective.com/ameestudio. We wish you success in your endeavour, all the best to you.

Arab Revolutions

2011-03-14T21:09:00.001+02:00

It all started with Tunisia as it seems and slowly spread across a number of states from North Africa and the Middle East, mostly Arab countries and all with an Islamic majority. It is too early to analyze from a historical perspective the implications of all these events and we actually don't even know how some of the protests will play out, it is nonetheless important to understand as much as we can that this is an important period of change.

Saudi troops sent into Bahrain
Gaddafi army penetrates rebel areas

Egypt has been ”liberated” right after Tunisia was redirected to ”democracy” and now Libya is experiencing a very difficult period. How the world reacts to Gaddafi will be discussed after an ”end” is chosen, what I can say now is that the world does not know what should be done.

Saudi Arabia, one of America's closest ally should of been the first to "fall" if we think about it. Civil liberties are close to none and the state is an absolute monarchy, like all Persian Golf states, excepting Iraq and Iran. Tunisia and Egypt were all presidential republics, not much different than the USA.

Writers Wanted!

2011-03-06T17:46:00.004+02:00

AWIL Magazine is growing and it needs your help, the present writers are Michael Johnson, Dănilă Alexandra, Hristofor Hrisoskulov and I, Florin Cosma. Starting with the 6th issue a couple of people said they want to get involved, but for this project to continue its development we would need at least three more writers.

First we are searching for somebody who enjoys literature in order to write reviews of books, either new or old and to ”track down” young writers that did not publish their works ”on paper” yet, the Internet is a great treasure chest.

Second we would like to get in touch with someone who is interested in open source software/culture along with the ”sharing culture” spin-off.

Third, if you like to start a career in writing you might think of gathering news for AWIL Magazine, these should range from politics to science, from art to history (archaeological discoveries and so on). This activity will prove useful in tackling future writing positions.

We are searching for people that have ideas and know how to defend them. This magazine is free, it promotes knowledge, development and cooperation. It is written by people that enjoy cultural diversity and understand that we are all one. Through understanding our world, we understand ourselves and begin to stand on our own feet.

All the best,
Florin Cosma
angorcosma[@]gmail[.]com

Rain Echoes by Johannes Schmoelling

2011-02-23T09:44:00.000+02:00

Until Awil Magazine 5 comes out we give you something to relax and forget about the fact that we are late, the reason being that quality is something very important for us, and you as well.

Rain Echoes is the fifth song from Schmoelling's White Out album. Between 1980 and 1986 he was part of Tangerine Dream. For those not familiar with this type of music we suggest starting with Jean Michel Jarre and Klaus Schulze.

Official site: http://www.johannesschmoelling.de/

American Dream I

2011-02-20T10:01:00.004+02:00

America, an example or an enforcer?

America is much more than a country, and the term superpower does not quite sum up the reality, so what is it? In the minds of people all over the world it is a place where dreams become reality, where freedom, justice, prosperity even meritocracy are promoted, for others it is a country that tries to rule the world, to enslave smaller nations and so on. Nobody denies its importance and American culture really has no boundaries or ideologies it can't overcome. Even if oppressive governments try to stop this influence, the common people never turn their back on a good American movie, a song, a magazine, and the examples can continue.

But in an age so difficult to understand, and with recent events that have shaken the foundation of the US what will happen to the dreams of liberty, justice, prosperity, equality, if their embodiment will decline. China does not stand for the same values as the West, Europe does not have enough power to decide anything without American support, and a series of extremist movements threaten the peaceful development of our planet.

Read the full article in Awil Magazine 5

Change in Egypt?

2011-01-31T10:51:00.000+02:00

I want to start by saying that every individual should have the possibility to live a decent life, there is room on the planet for all. It is sad that in the 21st century people still have to fight for progress and prosperity. Mubarak is a great leader and to be honest, the protests that are being held these days came as a surprise for me, I never thought that the Egyptian people were so disappointed with their government. My belief is that all these events that take place simultaneously in Tunis, Egypt, Yemen and Jordan, are coordinated by some higher/foreign power.

Egypt has potential, just like every country, and personally I expect to see great improvements there in the next decade. A true democratic system would help a great deal because the social developments need political changes to go along. Also, the United States should learn how to let other countries be free, I don't know if all these protests are a result of reduced American influence or, more likely, CIA involvement, but we can clearly see that the West wants Mubarak to step down, although, a month ago he was an important ally of the West. We will see how the events play out.

Rethinking Prices

2011-01-22T10:47:00.002+02:00

Let's say you go to a hypermarket to buy a few things like groceries, clothes, a TV and a rubber duck for the bath tub. They all have prices with which you more or less agree so why not see how much the products cost to be built (the average pay of the workers, cost of raw materials, transportation, etc). I believe that this type of information would improve consumer awareness and will give everyone the possibility to put an end to "modern slavery" (insane amount of work hours with almost no pay). My belief is that people will think twice if they should buy a product that was made by those living on 10 euros per month.

I don't know if this type of thinking is implemented anywhere but if it is, please share your facts.

Ain't no grave by Johnny Cash

2011-01-20T23:57:00.002+02:00

This song is from the album American VI: Ain't No Grave, from 2010. You can search the net to buy it or do it the old fashion way, drive to the record store... or just download it. What I think about this song does not mater, just enjoy it, let the lyrics flow through your blood like alcohol, light a cigarette and listen... listen...

The emotional intensity of Cash's performance is something unique. Nobody who ever played this song even came close to the true essence of its message.

Kazimieras Seselgis

2011-01-05T22:58:00.002+02:00

You can read the interview with artist Kazimieras Seselgis in Awil-um Magazine 4.

1. How did your life as an artist began?
I'm not sure. I used to make photos or paintings as long as I can remember but it was simply my reaction to the surroundings. A few years ago something changed, I started to look at my inner world and see that it's possible to show connection with things that are all around us.

5. What are the main themes and how do you feel people react to your work?
People often praise my sense of art in landscape photography. There are times when I make conceptual or macro photos but usually those are not for everyone. But generally I'm interested in various photography genres.

AWIL-UM Magazine, 4/2010

2010-12-18T19:14:00.001+02:00

The world is getting more and more interconnected and this development influences our lives and our future more than we may think. We steady begin to create a type of global culture, or more exactly, some common elements that begin to be found in all corners of the globe. Concentrating on the things that bring us together is much more important and productive than accentuating the differences. The difficult task is to create the institutions that will allow us to function correctly in a globalized framework.

In this issue you will be able to read about the Eastern Partnership, a great article written by our newest "crew member", Hristofor Hrisoskulov, G20 Seoul and NATO Lisbon. We also offer you an excellent article written by Michael Johnson about Ken Adam, the man who made the James Bond series a world phenomenon through the use of his extraordinary artistic capacities.

For many of you the year 2010 is getting ready to make room for 2011 and this more or less symbolic transition is a good occasion to think of what passed and dream for a better future.

Enjoy your reading,
Florin Cosma

AWIL-UM, the best free magazine.

World Philosophy Day

2010-11-22T13:01:00.000+02:00

At the National Library and Archives of Iran a conference celebrating the World Philosophy day was held this morning. Scholars from Iran and 42 other countries participated at this event. The decision of holding this event in the Islamic Republic is a welcomed one because we all know the importance Persian thought had and has on our understanding of the world.

The head of the Congress of the World Philosophy Day, Gholamali Haddad Adel gave the opening speech.

A philosopher has a deep and perceptive mind and great philosophers are the elites who devote their main attention to human beings.

Iranians comprise a nation that has inscribed their history with peace, justice and thought. Iran has trained great scholars and philosophers over the centuries, one of whom is Avicenna.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke next:

Man grows as his knowledge of the world and its Creator increases; man is greater than any single phenomenon of which he has knowledge. If an individual gets to know God and mankind, he/she would naturally get to know the other creatures, the main concern for man is getting to know himself and his Creator.

I don't care what some people say about Iran's president and I generally refuse to see an individual in only one color, the words presented above are worth keeping in mind.

UNESCO sadly refused to participate at this event, probably for political reasons.

Bab-Toma by Abdullah Chhadeh & Nara

2010-11-19T21:59:00.000+02:00

Bab-Toma comes from the album ”Seven Gates” which refers to the seven gates of Damascus. Bab-Toma means Thomas's Gate, it is situated in the north-east corner and it leads into the Christian quarter. Abdullah Chhadeh is from Syria and has a wide artistic development along with math and physics. He started with playing the oud but soon was fascinated with the sound of the Kanun. For more, read here.

Armonia by Remedios Varo

2010-11-13T20:40:00.001+02:00

What you are about to see is something deeply rooted to the mind. Remedios Varo is a Spanish artist and she lived the last part of her life in Mexico. More about her life and works in the 4th issue of Awil-um Magazine. Now I will get you acquainted with her stile, which some of you will find familiar.

1956 - Armonia

Her works, at least those dating after 1949, have powerful symbolistic meanings. This is why I said that the art created by Varo is deeply rooted to the mind. Among other thinkers and writers, she enjoied Gurdjieff and Ouspensky (see In Search of the Miraculous). Enough said, more in the 4th issue.

Adrian Păunescu, rest in peace

2010-11-05T21:03:00.001+02:00

Today, in the morning of Friday 5th, 2010, Adrian Păunescu, a well known Romanian poet, politician and journalist died because of heart problems. He was active during Ceausescu's presidency with Flacăra, the name of a magazine and a show held in different cities and towns where people attended folk and pop concerts, offering to the young Romanians a chance to be free in a difficult period for the nation. With this tragic event I once again realized the fragility of our lives and the importance of doing good and helping others. Personally I found in him a model and artist that knew how to talk directly with the soul of the listener, something that in this day and age is rarely achieved.

(20 July 1943 – 5 November 2010)

Marine Research Center, Bali, Indonesia

2010-11-04T20:54:00.000+02:00

A very interesting project is underway in Indonesia, more exactly 100 meters from the shore of Kuta Beach, in Bali. This construction is destined to become a home for marine researchers and a relaxing place for tourists. Far from being a boring box on stilts, the designers from Solus4 found a way to integrate a man made structure in what could be described as a paradise.

The idea for this project came from the 2004 disaster when an earthquake in the Indian Ocean brought a devastating tsunami to Indonesia, this is also one of the main research areas, everything related to tsunamis. Arquitectum and Pelita Harapan University are the ones who decided on the construction.

When finished it will be a 2500 square meter building that will look more like a resort, but let's not be fooled, research is the main activity, in fact, why shouldn't it look good. It will have a swimming pool, a bar, but also underwater labs, an auditorium and bedrooms for the scientists.

When it comes to energy be sure that the team from Solus4 gave their best. The building will be implementing cutting edge technology, from PV cells in the exterior "skin", tidal/current generators, rainwater collection and seawater conversion systems, to circulating deeper seawater through the "skin" for radiant cooling and temperature control. This is actually a very nice idea because in most modern buildings air does this job (see Burj Khalifa for a reference).

Overall the exterior looks great, it could be considered an intelligent building as well as a green (or rather blue) one. Now we just have to wait for it to actually be built.

The wave is actually at the base of the design

For info about the competition (that was won by Solus4) go here.

Images from designboom.com

Concerto for Violin B minor (III) by Edward Elgar

2010-11-04T12:37:00.002+02:00

Edward Elgar (1857 - 1934) is one of my favorite English composers and his Violin Concerto in B minor was described by David Dubal as "the greatest English contribution to the treasury of Romantic violin concertos". I am not really in the position to review classical works, instead I just want to present them to you all, from one music lover to another.

The Concerto was performed by Hilary Hahn, an American violinist with Sir Colin Davis as conductor. The album was released by Deutsche Grammophon in 2004 and on it we can also hear ”The Lark Ascending” by Vaughan Williams also performed by Hilary Hahn.

This recording is provided for educational purposes only, please buy the album.

Baladă by Ciprian Porumbescu

2010-11-03T22:33:00.002+02:00

Ciprian Porumbescu is one of the greatest Romanian composers, in fact there are only two that count to the world, he and George Enescu. I am happy to present to you one of Porumbescu's best known works, The "Ballad for Violin and Orchestra" (also with piano). He also composed the music for what became Albania's national anthem.

Finished on October 21, 1880, the Ballad for Violin and Orchestra soon became the best known work by Ciprian Porumbescu, and a reference work in Romanian classical music of the 19th century. In seclusion at Stupca, the composer meditated, drafted and then finished the piece, full of poetry and bitter nostalgia, with light and shade, a mixture of "doina", old dance and song, everything in the environment of serene melancholy. - Wikipedia

Max Heindel about Atlantis

2010-10-30T19:53:00.003+03:00

Plato sure did gave us some things to talk about, among them is Atlantis. This city/state/continent, real or invented is used to describe something very familiar for us, decay, either social, moral, technological or whatever. The stories linked to it are in a very great number and no one can actually prove the veracity of them. We should keep an open mind to all possibilities, even if the stories are false, we still can learn a great deal from them.

I present to you something most people did not have the chance to read although the text is now in the public domain. Max Heindel was a great Rosicrucian mystic and Christian occultist. He was born in Denmark, on July 23, 1865 and died in the United States of America on January 6, 1919. The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception, a book first published in 1909 is a fundamental book in the field of esoteric studies. My intention is not to comment on the fragment presented below, I only want to give the possibility for others to start on a very interesting journey.

Volcanic cataclysms destroyed the greater part of the Lemurian continent and in its stead rose the Atlantean continent, where the Atlantic Ocean now is.

Material scientists, impelled by the story of Plato to undertake researched regarding Atlantis, have demonstrated that there is ample foundation for the story that such a continent did exist. Occult scientists know that it existed and they also know that the conditions there were such as shall now be described.

Ancient Atlantis differed from our present world in many ways, but the greatest difference was in the constitution of the atmosphere and the water of that Epoch.

From the southern part of the planet came the hot, fiery breath of the volcanoes which were still abundantly active. From the north swept down the icy blasts of the Polar region. The continent of Atlantis was the meeting place of those two currents, consequently its atmosphere was always filled with a thick and murky fog. The water was not so dense as now, but contained a greater proportion of air. Much water was also held in suspension in the heavy, foggy Atlantean atmosphere.

Through this atmosphere the Sun never clearly shone. It appeared to be surrounded by an aura of light-mist, as do street-lamps when seen through a dense fog. It was then possible to see only a few feet in any direction and the outlines of all objects not close at hand appeared dim, hazy and uncertain. Man was guided more by internal perception than by external vision.

Not only the country, but also the man of that time was very different from anything existent on earth at the present time. He had a head, but scarcely any forehead; his brain had no frontal development; the head sloped almost abruptly back from a point just above the eyes. As compared with our present humanity; he was a giant; his arms and legs were much longer, in proportion to this body, than ours. Instead of walking, he progressed by a series of flying leaps, not unlike those of the kangaroo. He had small blinking eyes and his hair was round in section. The latter peculiarity, if no other, distinguishes the descendants of the Atlantean races who remain with us at the present day. Their hair was straight, glossy, black and round in section. That of the Aryan, thought it may differ in color, is always oval in section. The ears of the Atlantean sat much further back upon the head than do those of the Aryan.

The higher vehicles of the early Atlanteans were not drawn into a concentric position in relation to the dense body, as are ours. The spirit was not quite an indwelling spirit; it was partially outside, therefore could not control its vehicles with as great facility as though it dwelt entirely inside. The head of the vital body was outside of and held a position far above the physical head. There is a point between the eyebrows and about half an inch below the surface of the skin, which has a corresponding point in the vital body. This point is not the pituitary body, which lies much deeper in the head of the dense body. It might be called "the root of the nose." When these two points in the dense and the vital bodies come into correspondence, as they do in man today, the trained clairvoyant sees then as a black spot, or rather as a vacant space, like the invisible core of a gas flame. This is the seat of the indwelling spirit in the man--the Holy of Holies in the temple of the human body, barred to all but that indwelling human Ego whose home it is. The trained clairvoyant can see with more or less distinctness, according to his capacity and training, all the different bodies which form the aura of man. This spot alone is hidden from him. This is the "Isis" whose veil none may lift. Not even the highest evolved being on earth is capable of unveiling the Ego of the humblest and least developed creature. That, and that alone upon earth, is so sacred that it is absolutely safe from intrusion.

These two points just spoken of--the one in the dense body and its counterpart in the vital body--were far apart in the men of the early Atlanteans days, as they are in the animals of our day. The head of the horse's vital body is far outside the head of its dense body. The two points are closer together in the dog than in any other animal except, perhaps, the elephant. When they come into correspondence we have an animal prodigy, able to count, spell, etc.

On account of the distance between these two points, the Atlantean's power of perception or vision was much keener in the inner Worlds than in the dense Physical World, obscured by its atmosphere of thick, heavy fog. In the fullness of time, however, the atmosphere slowly became clearer; at the same time, the point spoken of in the vital body came closer and closer to the corresponding point in the dense body. As the two approached each other, man gradually lost touch with the inner Worlds. They became dimmer as the dense Physical World became clearer in outline. Finally, in the last third of the Atlantean Epoch, the point in the vital body was united to the corresponding point in the dense body. Not until then did man become fully awake in the dense Physical World; but at the same time that full sight and perception in the Physical World were gained, the capability of perceiving the inner Worlds were gradually lost to most of the people.

Source: HEINDEL, Max, The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception

web: http://www.archive.org/details/rosicruciancosmo00heiniala
http://www.rosicrucian.com/rcc/rcceng00.htm

The First Space Port

2010-10-28T11:50:00.000+03:00

Imagine the day when you will be able to fly to space, and to have where to fly to out there. The first space hotel will open in the next years (from Bigelow Aerospace), but the first space port is operational. The State of New Mexico is the owner of Spaceport America, the first of its kind and it works just like a normal airport. Virgin Galactic is the first real partner, or "ideal" as they say. I wrote some months ago an article, Next in Space, where I presented the possibility that beginning with 2011 people will be able, for a fee of 200 000 dollars, to travel to space and back. Things look to be on track, which is great news because this industry, space tourism, will be something special. We only have to work to create the infrastructure and technology needed to make this dream a reality and also to make it more affordable.


Spaceport America, New Mexico, and Virgin Galactic`s fleet. Computer generated.

Eldena Ruin by Caspar David Friedrich

2010-10-25T15:28:00.001+03:00

Caspar David Friedrich is one of the most important European painters that was part of the Romanticist movement. He was born in Northern Germany in 1774, a region which greatly influenced his art. This is the case of the present work entitled "Eldena Ruin" which dates from 1825. He returned to recreating the ruin several times resulting in other examples with the same subject.

A Man for Europe

2010-10-13T21:57:00.002+03:00

This article starts with a simple idea, the European Union needs a unique figure that transcends borders and he/she needs to get involved in politics. Some forces tried to push for an European state before this was possible, in this way threatening the foundation. This powerful and central figure must not be regarded as coming from one country or another and should achieve the hard task of making a public image that goes pan-European.

He will have a place of birth, a mother tongue, a particular culture but things must be done in order for him to achieve a level of cultural development that would make him the first true European citizen. One possibility could be if this person is part of a minority, for example an Aromanian.

The present European leaders are elected in a way that does not promote cultural cohesion, for example, a German does not vote for a Romanian politician in the European elections. Even if our Union has parties that try to represent ideologies despite countries, these parties are not present in the lives of ordinary people, there are some that do not even know that these political bodies exist.

Europe is in great need of a symbol, one that people can relate to, not dead composers or mythological stories, people need examples of other people overcoming obstacles. Maybe you will be asking yourself what is this article for. In the first place it is addressed to Europeans and in the second place to all of you, from China to India and Brazil, and so on. The EU is an example for other such projects, like the African Union and the Union of South American Nations.

I don't want to finish by leaving the impression that only a man can do it, it can also be a woman, it does not really mater.

Rungnado May Day Stadium

2010-10-11T10:25:00.003+03:00

When talking about North Korea, architecture never comes to mind, there is no surprise, in fact it is something normal if you talk about such an isolated country. Let's forget about politics for now and stay on the realm of art, we will talk about the Rungnado May Day Stadium. It has a capacity of around 150 000, the largest in the world it seems, and it was completed in May 1st (obviously) 1989. It's main characteristic is the roof, consisting of 16 arches arranged in a ring in which 11,000 tons of structural steel were used. An impressive structure, let's admit it, God knows how many people died during the construction.

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What is Zoroastrianism

2010-10-10T12:30:00.006+03:00

Zoroastrianism is an old religion, dating from around 1000 BC to 2000 BC, there is no exact date so approximations vary widely depending on what the writer wants to transmit. The name comes from the prophet Zoroaster (or Zarathustra). He was a priest of the existing religion of his time but he showed an original mind and he proved to be a bold reformer. That is why he began to preach a religion that survived till this day despite some hard moments in the lives of its believers.

One of the characteristics that made this religion differ from others of its time is monotheism. This one great and supreme God, named Ahura Mazda is a very important element in the development of the human civilization and I will try to explain in this article why I believe this.

Let's start with the basics, we have a number of source texts, first the Avesta, with the Old Avesta, containing the five Gathas and the Yasna Haptanghaiti and the Young Avesta comprising Yasna, Videvdad and Visperad. Second we have the Pahlavi texts, considered of secondary importance, not canonical. The Denkard and the Bundahishn (Creation) stand out to be veritable encyclopedias of the religion.

For the Avesta texts, the Avestan language was used and an interesting but out-of-date theory is given about the existence of this language. Noah had three sons, Shem who made the semitic civilization, Ham created the Hamitic and Japhet started the Japhetic (Indo-European). The Avestan language is part of the Japhetic tree so to speak, the Indo-Europeans, the Aryans. The reason why people felt this theory was appropriate is, in our case, among other things, the existence of a "destruction" story reminding people of the Great Flood described in the Bible.

22. And Ahura Mazda spake unto Yima, saying: 'O fair Yima, son of Vivanghat! Upon the material world the evil winters are about to fall, that shall bring the fierce, deadly frost; upon the material world the evil winters are about to fall, that shall make snow-flakes fall thick, even an aredvi deep on the highest tops of mountains.
23. 'And the beasts that live in the wilderness, and those that live on the tops of the mountains, and those that live in the bosom of the dale shall take shelter in underground abodes.
24. 'Before that winter, the country would bear plenty of grass for cattle, before the waters had flooded it. Now after the melting of the snow, O Yima, a place wherein the footprint of a sheep may be seen will be a wonder in the world.
25. 'Therefore make thee a Vara, long as a riding-ground on every side of the square, and thither bring the seeds of sheep and oxen, of men, of dogs, of birds, and of red blazing fires. Therefore make thee a Vara, long as a riding-ground on every side of the square, to be an abode for man; a Vara, long as a riding-ground on every side of the square, for oxen and sheep.
26. 'There thou shalt make waters flow in a bed a hathra long; there thou shalt settle birds, on the green that never fades, with food that never fails. There thou shalt establish dwelling-places, consisting of a house with a balcony, a courtyard, and as gallery.
27. 'Thither thou shalt bring the seeds of men and women, of the greatest, best, and finest on this earth; thither thou shalt bring the seeds of every kind of cattle, of the greatest, best, and finest on this earth.
28. 'Thither thou shalt bring the seeds of every kind of tree, of the highest of size and sweetest of odour on this earth; thither thou shalt bring the seeds of every kind of fruit, the best of savour and sweetest of odour. All those seeds shalt thou bring, two of every kind, to be kept inexhaustible there, so long as those men shall stay in the Vara.
29. 'There shall be no humpbacked, none bulged forward there; no impotent, no lunatic; no malicious, no liar; no one spiteful, none jealous; no one with decayed tooth, no leprous to be pent up, nor any of the brands wherewith Angra Mainyu stamps the bodies of mortals.
(Vendidad, Fargard 2 ; Source: Avesta.org)

Zoroastrianism introduced a dualism that can be seen in almost all the other religions, from the present or the past. There is an opposition between order and chaos, good and bad, truth and falsehood. Two forces battle one against the other, trying to take humanity on either side. All that is good belongs to Ahura Mazda, and all that is bad to Angra Manyu (or Ahriman in the Pahlavi texts). Unlike the Christian concept of God, Ahura Mazda does not have any power against evil except actual combat in which humans play an important role.

The full article will be available in
Awil-um Magazine 4/2010 (October - December)

Liu Xiaobo and the Peace Prize

2010-10-09T10:05:00.001+03:00

Nobel was of the opinion that the peace prize should go to a person who "shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses". With all respect for dissidents, Liu's place is not in this category.

There is no reason aside of the political implications why a dissident won this award. This is just like last year when Obana was awarded the prize. The Norwegian Nobel Committee is composed of five members appointed by the Norwegian Parliament, this says much. Five politically elected people decided to honor an individual from another country that is acting against his country. Liu did not work for "fraternity between nations", not for "abolition or reduction of standing armies" and not for "the holding and promotion of peace congresses". He fights for human rights, but this "fighting for human rights" is something like "fighting against climate change" or "against terror", all of these are arbitrary.

There is a reason why Nobel gave that definition, not because he was stupid, but because he knew exactly who should be given the awards. If this would have been an award for "human rights fighters" then, yes, Liu Xiaobo is on the list, along with other thousands of free thinkers from the planet.

Extraterrestrial Life

2010-10-07T22:10:00.003+03:00

Scientist are getting close to finding Earth-like planets out there which could possibly be the home for other civilizations like us, or not. For our own good let's be optimist and think that they are not like us. The time that will pass between finding the planet, sending a robotic mission and hopefully tweeting with "them" will be great, but not this is what interests us.

In fact, forget the introduction and think of it this way, what would you ask an alien if you would have that possibility. I would go for the history to understand who/what they are. Learning their language would not be that bad. Another question that you should put yourself is how would you react when "he/her/it" would stand in front of you. Ugly or beautiful, it does not matter how they look, you realize that you take part at something historical and that there are possibilities for things to go wrong. Just remember how the Europeans colonized the New World, wouldn't want to be an Inca.

If you and I are rational people, what about the rest? This question alone could be on the lips and in the minds of those who now know about extraterrestrials, if the "conspiracy theories" are true. I am not so sure that "they" would be interested in forming with us an "intergalactic rugby cup competition" or start commerce with iPhones or cocaine. So what would average Joe have to do with "them"? They would probably say that we are not prepared, or less polite, that we are stupid.

This leaves us with only one solution, hope they are peaceful and hope that we will evolve. Realizing our current situation, it's kind of useless to want disclosure if you are not interested in research about and with "them" and chances are that if you are any good in your field you are already part of a "team".

The truth is we have many more things to fix and we should concentrate on those while trying to find other forms of life. This idea of Extraterrestrial Life is important and will prove to be the beginning of a new era for the development of humanity. The novelty of it will pass after the "contacts", this I am convinced, and our eyes will be set on other, even greater tasks.

Recommended reading:
MICHAUD, Michael, Contact with Alien Civilizations, Copernicus Books, 2001

And for fun, Earth, a visitors guide to the human race, by Jon Stewart

General Debate of 65th GA of UN

2010-10-06T15:32:00.000+03:00

I was looking forward to see what the world leaders were planning to discuss at the 65th session of the General Assembly and I must admit, I was not impressed. First of all there are three main themes, peace (with discussions about war and terrorism), climate change, and the economy (global economy, financial crisis and things like this).

The first thing I noticed is that education was not a popular subject. Among the main speakers, Guido Westerwelle of Germany talks about the importance of educating our young for the way the future will look like and Ahmadinejad, president of Iran, talked about the role of humanity in exploring this world an activity that is encouraged by God. George Yeo, Foreign Minister of Singapore had the most convincing discussion about this subject saying that the key to development is education ("With education, individuals are able to acquire the information and knowledge they need to add value to the world"). A better understanding of the world will lead to responsibility from individuals. Also, increasing spending on research is mandatory is we want to continue our existence on this planet.
In present, the educational level of the average individual is below what we would expect. President Obama pledged for a free Internet, and George Yeo said that "by taking full advantage of globalisation and information technology, we can now spread education into remote corners of the world". We are still dominated by instincts and violence and in many cases these are preferred to things like dialogue and diplomacy because they offer quick solutions for the strong to dominate the weak. We need to reform the educational system in order to meet the demands of the future. This important subject is not very well addressed by the world leaders, even if it is goal number 2 of the MDGs. To say the truth, having a goal like "by 2015, all children can complete a full course of primary schooling, girls and boys" is something that should have been made (and it was possible) a few centuries ago.

About climate change, nearly all the leaders had something to say that sadly seemed copy/pasted from one to the other, it's all empty talk just to say "I done that". The island nations made public their concerns that if sea levels rise, they risk to cease to exist as states. The funny and also sad part is to see President Obama talking about this subject, knowing perfectly that his country did not ratify the Kyoto Protocol. I expected to see some projects started by different states for reducing the reliance on fossil fuels, things like this, practical things. I am sure most states started to adopt methods of producing clean energy, but none of the representatives gave examples.
Practically there is nothing said about the supposedly 2013 solar flares, leading me to think that all the talk about this event was for nothing. It is true that the directions our world will take are not decided at this debates, but talking a little more on the subject would be wonderful.

We now arrive at one of the favorite themes of these talks, terrorism and war. The thing that caught my attention was something that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said, "is it right to fight a classic war against terrorists"? As we all know, Iran faces some terrorist activities also, primarily sponsored by the CIA, but then again this kind of things are normal coming from America, just think of South America. We also have Islamic fundamentalists sponsored by Iran which again is normal considering the threat Israel poses and the distorted opinions of some high ranking Iranian leaders about the world. But what about Israel? It is believed that this state has nuclear weapons, they never did confirm or deny this, also, Israel is not a Party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty while Iran is a party to this. Ahmadinejad also, in his address at the 65th session of the General Debate rejected the need for nuclear weapons and pledged for a nuclear weapons free world.
Abdullah Gul, of Turkey talked about a weapons of mass destruction free zone in the Middle East as it was envisioned by the UN council resolution 687/1998.

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Read the rest of the article in Awil-um Magazine (August-September 2010)

Awil-um Magazine, 3/2010

2010-10-01T18:48:00.002+03:00

Awil-um Magazine, August - September (3) / 2010 is online. We have two new writers, Michael Johnson and Dănilă Alexandra and as usual, more pages, now we have over 50. You will be able to read about about the 100 days of reform, an important moment in Chinese history, the 65th UN General Debate with fragments from four important leaders, "green" architecture, and much more. Enjoy the reading.

Binho Martins

2010-09-27T22:21:00.001+03:00

1. How did your life as an artist began? Tell us the first things that influenced you to go on this road.
My artist life began 5 years ago, when me and other friends began to see street art in our city.
I was influenced by some street artists from my city, such as: SHN, A firma and Nipe.

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5. What are the main themes and how do you feel people react to your work?

The main theme is positivity. I think that people feel good with my art work. I always try to pass something good for people.

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7. Does an artist express a national/cultural identity or is he a ”global citizen” expressing the universal characteristics of humanity? How do you see yourself in this regard?

Brazil is a country with a very diversificate culture and nowadays with internet presents everyday in ours life I think it´s impossible an artist don’t be influenced by other cultures, or only express your national identity. I think this is very good, because people need to learn about everything, about all and about every cultures.

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10. What are the main characteristics of your paintings?

I always try to pass some positive message, I think this is my characteristic. Today it´s present in my art work some plastics elements such as: yellow tones, nature elements (organic lines), creative faces (figurative), etc.

11. What medium do you prefer, canvas or the computer?

The two methods have good and bad sides. I work all day long in front of a computer, this is tiring but I like it. I also like canvas because of the texture it has.

This interview will be extended in the next issue of Awil-um Magazine (August-September 2010)

Making a Bigger Tribe

2010-09-09T12:40:00.003+03:00

First of all, globalization is the integration in a world system of different societies that manage to coexist in a productive manner aiming at improving basic human conditions. This is my definition and reality is not always how you plan it to be. Let's start by saying that we really enjoy our cars, planes and trains, these marvels of our modern world left us with no excuse for not experiencing what this planet has to offer. In the ideal example we would now be free like the birds, in reality we are not.

The only real thing that can limit our freedom is mobility, in the past, when traveling a few hundred kilometers was worth a medal for courage, human communities began to evolve in different ways influenced by their surroundings. The desserts and oceans were almost impossible to pass, this explains the broad diversity of cultures, it was a natural process imposed by the limitations of the period. Today we are no longer limited by space and time in traveling across the globe, this means that the process mentioned earlier is being reversed, all the boundaries are artificial and obstacles in the development of the global culture.

This global culture is the key to understanding globalization and preparing for the changes that will come. It is very important for people to put more effort in educating themselves and really thinking about the world. Things are beginning to take shape but too slow in my opinion, the youth must take an active role in shaping the world of the future on new ways of thought, on new principles and most important, keeping an open mind and accepting differences.

The title of this article is "Making a Bigger Tribe" because there is a threat that if the global culture will not begin to spread to every corner of the planet, the globalizing forces will transform in a type of autocratic world government. This will happen only if the base of the pyramid, the ordinary man, will not start to climb the stairs to the top. More and more people have the possibility to gain access to information and from that to have access to knowledge but this opportunities are often missed.

We need to find a way not to compromise, but to cooperate, rejecting all the elements that could be the start of conflicts. Things like border disputes, Kashmir for example, are artificial conflicts because instead of concentrating on the well being of the local people, the different parties fight for administrative control. The only thing that should matter is life.

I used the term global culture not thinking about the American film and music industry but about a real cultural movement. We have many thousands of years of history with good and bad and we must try to synthesize all the elements in a coherent form, integrating every type of thought that matters. Doing this we must take into account that we also need a new identity and relying too much on the past to outline the present/future does great harm. After all, this is what Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany did while trying to give life to a glorious past that did not have a place in that time.

The idea of a conflict between Christianity and Islam is slowly being presented to us as a threat to world stability, I do not want to enter in this discussion right now but I will say a few things I believe are important for this article. Both religions have the same root (you can read more here: Why are we here) making cooperation possible, instead some leaders from both sides try to act in fanatical manners in what I believe is a planed conflict. Try to research the idea of terrorism and how this word is used and look at the bigger picture, if you are a westerner, try to see the world through the eyes of a Muslim, if you are a Muslim try to see the world through the eyes of a westerner.

Another contrast is between society and the individual. In the West, we began to regard ourselves as individuals while in other cultures the society is more important. Our individuality is slowly beginning to destroy our interaction with one another and with limited cooperation comes a limited future. In regions where the individual is part of a strong social organization he slowly begins to regress, reducing his/her leadership and intellectual skills. To put it simply it is something like the old Capitalist/Communist duel.

The idea is once again to cooperate in creating a good alternative by taking different elements from both philosophies and uniting them in a coherent new way of living. Not all problems have simple solutions and even the solutions we have are hard to implement. We have a number of plans to eradicate world hunger, to promote long term development and so on, but in practice all these efforts are hampered by corruption or the lack of good decision making. As you see, these are times for decisions regarding the direction our civilization will go, we must walk carefully and keep in mind that a wrong step could mean disaster.

Romanian soldiers in Budapest, August 1919

2010-08-25T16:20:00.000+03:00

On 21st March, the short lived Soviet Republic of Hungary led by Bela Kun came into existence. Due to assistance from Moscow, the Party of Communists from Hungary managed to efficiently organize itself and with promises of regaining lost territories from Romania and Yugoslavia they succeeded in attracting the youth in fighting forces.

In the image bellow, Romanian soldiers enter Budapest, marking the end of Kun's aggressions. The war started after the communists gained power and decided to open hostilities with neighboring countries. The first Romanian units entered Budapest on August 3rd, three squadrons of the 6th cavalry regiment of the 4th brigade, under the command of Gen. Rusescu. The next day, the rest of the Romanian forces entered the capital and eventually took control of almost all of Hungary. The HSR officially ended on August 6th and Romania continued the occupation until the beginning of 1920.

Click image for full view