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A pessimist will never be disappointed

This saying well known in his country was quoted by the President of Finland – Alexander Stubb - on his speech at the COP30 presently taking place in Belem, an amazing city in the North of Brazil chosen to host this international event from Nov 9-21 and not by coincidence located in the Amazonian region which has been focus of strong interests worldwide be it of those who fight for indigenous groups living there, nature lovers, who cry the devastation of the forest and its biodiversity, or the numerous enterprises and governments that have their greedy eyes open to the $$$ possibilities at any cost.

Let´s think about the ´cost´ of the destruction of a forest which used to be called ´the world´s lung´? Starting from the idea of ´lung´: animals – mammals, birds, some fish - can´t breath without it. No need to be expert in anatomy to know this basic fact of a living body. (Ok, plants and insects don´t have lungs, but they need oxygen too…). Worldwide forests are disappearing and in a short time various species have gone extinct while many some others are in great danger. For centuries forests have been home to many indigenous tribes who – sadly enough - have become dependent of the ´generosity´ of those who have the power to be able to survive on their own land – where their ancestors always lived and literally planted the roots for new generations. As the machines arrived, their peace was gone.

In most countries the last decades have witnessed a growth of the awareness about the catastrophes originated by deforestation and groups of nature lovers and conservationists have been making calls about the urgency to protect all natural resources. Youngsters of diverse origins have been expressing their justified concern for their future and many manifestations gathering thousands of people of all ages have been taking place all around the planet. At some point the voice of those who share their love for life and suffer the fear of a literally dry life on the planet started to be heard and after some international meetings decisions have been taken, discussions, agreements among different countries aiming at – if not ending – minimizing the harm and the catastrophic panorama being set ahead for all. However scientists and ecologists alert to the urge for effective action as tipping points are a reality.

In political circles meetings and conventions are organized and those topics are constantly present at the agendas and it is undeniable that some decision-makers are honestly concerned about the urge to stop destroying nature and making moves towards putting effective measures in power so that globally natural resources can be kept and protected. But while all these debates, analyses, and activities take place an uncountable number of huge saw-machines, tractors and all types of equipments are in action to defend economic interests of few but very greedy and powerful people which happen by displacing people who suddenly become homeless, killing animals and destroying their habitats and transforming green environments that is transformed into monocultures to produce palm oil, soy beans, cotton, cocoa, etc. or are left barren.

COP30 gathers representatives of different countries and organizations and millions have been spent to receive all illustrious members of governments who consider it of importance to preserve the planet. Some of those express the concern and will of citizens from different nationalities who share the intention to avoid the exhaustion of natural resources as crucial to keep the Earth a livable place. But this is not enough. Each one of us must do whatever we can in this sense. Yes, each person is just a drop in the ocean but the ocean is made of drops, or not? We must focus on our individual action too. What are we, each one of us, in our tiny sphere of action, effectively doing to save our planet and leave good seeds of our passage for the new generations? We cannot even reduce the amount of plastic that comes with buying our daily food, etc! We must demand action from the decision-makers so that we do not get trapped in misleading speeches. Here a good example on how facts can be distorted: An elephant and a mouse were running through the desert. Said the elephant to the mouse: "look at all the dust you blow up!"

It´s easy to sit and wait for solutions but either we embrace our personal responsibility or there will be no solution. It´s fundamental to answer: how are we teaching our children about what is happening so that they can understand that they are also responsible for the future they may have?

We have the sources for information to be able to better understand what is happening and the facility to contact those who have the knowledge to have the guidance and orientation we need. This is not exactly ´easy´ nor can be it reached without movement. But we are not watching a reality show. And the present reality is absolutely not a show.

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A very cloudy day

We can not take for granted that most people around the world use nor have a computer even if mobile phones – which are a kind of computer - have become so popular everywhere. And we should accept that even those who are computer users not necessarily know what this machine is about. Being skillful at typing, downloading or sharing a file does not really mean you are good at using a computer... you can be good at something and not have a clue about what is what regarding your tools – or talents, we can add.

After having absorbed this information, we must accept that a ´program´ is not a plan for a fancy evening, a theater play or something like it, nor a plan for a meeting. A program is something needed to run a computer.

Thus, more on our technological ignorance: for some time now the IT genius came up with the creation of a system to store whatever you consider to be of importance in your computer, that is, all the files, pictures, videos... you name it, without having to worry about the ´size´ of its memory. Yes, we learnt to think about computers as memory-holders, wow, isn´t it incredible that a thing can have a memory??? but this is so: computers are things and they have memories. Yes? Yes.

Okay. Here is the thing: because computers have memory limitations – like us, human beings – the genius mentioned above came up with the extraordinary idea to help you along using their magic touch and transforming what was a imprisoned dummy memory into a light, soft flying object, that is a... cloud! Got it? Your machine changed from being a clumsy object into a flying lovely element of the sky, home of birds, rainbows, stars and the sun!!! All facts regarding your poor human life became part of the universal constellation and your memories are there – up in the sky, inside the clouds, oh, what a poetic way to remember!!! Of crucial importance is also the fact that the memory that is placed in the cloud is basically protected against dementia, isn´t is wonderful?

However... hm. Yes, there is a ´however´ in this delicious out-space experience. Sometimes magic does not work as it should and... well... and the cloud decides to shut down and no matter how kindly people try and convince the cloud-magicians to keep their access open, it goes on a heavenly strike refusing to let you contact what is your own property: your memories.

This is exactly what happened on Monday Oct. 21st. - which was particularly unkind from The Cloud, considering that in most countries Mondays are a serious working day. One of the most honorable members of the Cloud community – suffered an attack that victimized countless users of this system. Experts call it an ´outage´- maybe the age to be out(side) the cloud? Who knows...- Panic everywhere!!! Who´s to blame? Let´s get the bandit that caused to many problems all over the world!

Second act

Experts, analysts, professionals of different fields and time – time, of course – made the wave of protests, concerns and explanations come to a (at least apparent) happy-end and after a few days/hours the tempest caused by this cloud just calmed down and the flood of information restarted its usual activity, letting and not letting us use our brains to do whatever we need.

One big question remains though: would we ever be able to live without electricity, machines, electronics, equipments or any intelligence other than the one we naturally have when we´re born? Will we be able to make good use of our natural and poor mind in order to survive? Or are we doomed to loose the real concept of a cloud as something fluffy, made of water, that flies around the sky and sometimes cries and becomes rain?

Dunno. Haven´t asked AI...

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Silence speaks

No doubts: silence speaks, informs, shouts. Communication requires eyes, ears, mouth, hands, arms, bodies. Tears and smiles, gestures, voices, sounds and silences among others.

There are so many forms of expression! The more we learn the less we talk...is that true? Wise men try and show the paths to enlightenment. But there is too much noise and confusion that even identifying who is wise is difficult.

Too much of this and that, too many of those who know what is best. Too loud everywhere. Too much movement, too much neon. Too much social and too less private. Bodies get tired, minds can´t create, emotions can not be shown. Too many formulae to find happiness and no possibility to find open ways to reach it.

Nature is our safe refuge. The music of the wind, the dance of the birds, the comfort of rain and waves in these extremely hot moments. Sitting under a tree is much relaxing than a psychiatric couch.

We have words.
No need to shout.
Just express.
We have silence.
Silence speaks.

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Slaves of glamour

Let´s face it: glamour is an outdated term. Why this statement, così, just in the beginning of a text that has no intention of being considered an expression of wisdom or any kind of special knowledge? It sounds a bit (?) pretentious to determine what is outdated or not – as if outdated meant a loss of charm for any term or whatever, think about all the vintage existing nowadays which indicates that something is ´outdated´ but very ´updated´. It is well known that fashion is a very flexible concept, what is old can be modern and the modern can look very old and you can never be really sure of what is what, up to you to chose for vintage or age that is vint, va saber!

Trying again: glamour is. Or was. It depends on the age and choices of each one. Age can also be a varied concept, sometime ago it was basically linked to ´l´année de naissance´ of someone but as time went by age can be many many things like teenage, stone age,… and other ages but if we intend to reflect on glamour it is obvious that ´année de naissance´ has much more to do with it than just the year you were born, or not?

Ay ay, what a distracted mind! Glamour, we want to focus on glamour, specially because having glamour is a clear sign that someone is on the focus (of attention, in this case). Generations nowadays identified by a single letter – can be a Z, or a Y, your pick, youngsters love abbreviations – probably don´t have a clear idea about what a glamorous life or person means, if they ever heard the word. However, for vintage people – oldies is a modern nice noun – being considered glamorous has been the ideal for many as the film industry made it a trademark for Hollywood stars who aimed at becoming super famous. We can mention Grace Kelly, Marilyn Monroe, Doris Day, Lana Turner, Marlene Dietrich and some masculine names are also among those actors from the Hollywood´s ´Golden Age´, between the 1930s and 1940s, remember, Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Cary Grant, Humphrey Bogart and Henry Fonda who also left a trace of glamour from their passage by the American Film studios.

Historically ´glamour´ referred to a magic spell said to be cast by witches and even if they never lost their own glamour late in the 19th century the attractiveness applied to that terminology progressively shifted to being applied to any type of objects without the original connotations of supernatural becoming more and more linked to various aspects of personal appearance, ways of living, anything that might refine the beauty and emphasize a special life style which distinguishes the haves from the have-nots.

Having a glamorous life requests time, energy and focus! Following fashion trends is a basic factor of decisions about where to go, when, with whom and – most importantly – how to be noticed in that event. How often is also of significance in this case. And no matter the personal reasons to fancying a glamorous life, the ideal of taking part of this Olympus can be crucial for many people who don´t measure sacrifices in this sense..

What about slavery?

No need to many explanations. What does slavery have to do with glamour? Aha! here´s the thing!!! not necessarily slavery is `the ownership of a person as property´ (as per Wikipedia). It can also be used almost as a synonym for ´addiction´, meaning that it is possible to become ´slave´ of different things, even at the cost of spending money and, most of all, the short time we all have to live. There are those who are willing to live glamorously, no matter the cost. Pay it with your blood, pay it with your energy, pay it with your freedom. Just pay and be glamourous.

Good luck!

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Explicable

Ok, ok, we, simple and common people are not supposed to question why words are defined the way they are, this is a mission for those linguists who live in a special idiom-heaven and are there not only due to their high levels of knowledge acquired through years and centuries of studies dedicated to enlighten those who just live anywhere and do not take part in their studious elite but also because all this dedication and knowledge entitle them to have the recognition and due publication of whatever type of books related to languages, be it grammars, dictionaries and so on.

In old times, we, simple and common people used to find ways to survive in the labyrinths of words by searching the unknown ones in dictionaries, generally big bulk books not affordable to all people´s pockets that use to be hidden in some old-fashioned type of buildings called libraries. As technology progressed these trips around the files and shelves became totally unnecessary as long as the searcher had access to a computer or any other device connected to the internet. By the way, computer and internet also became good replacements for terms like library and shelf.

Anyway no matter the resources required and used for the better understanding of words and their signification the probability of reading or just bumping upon an unknown word stays high especially at times when so many new terms have imposed themselves on our daily vocabulary. This raises the impossibility to survive without decodifying more and more sources specialized in specific types of words – let´s call it jargons. Think about the communication between scientists in their labs and cooks in their kitchens and you can well consider the difficulties that may rise when they talk about ingredients that are crucial for life.

All this miscellaneous information makes our dialogues more and more complicated. That means we have more and more ideas to express in new ways even if the idea itself is just an oldie. What about abbreviations? Ay ay... a whole universe of small groups of few words that we are supposed to immediately recognize as associated to a specific cause, organization, product, place... the list goes on and on.

Yet, notwithstanding (what?.. is this a word???) the great variety of solutions for our poor need to try and make ourselves understood there are still moments when we need a word to realize that the term we need simply does not exist and there we are, lost - not in translation (as used by Sofia Coppola for a film title she wrote and directed) – but in the impossibility of translating our own thoughts. What to do then?

Easy! We can create a new word! Most probably our linguistic invention will never be added to any official record as a dictionary but it still can be added to our personal vocabulary and be used in our dialogues with those who are part of our life.

Ok, ok, in the beginning it may not be so clear... but those who communicate in English will maybe agree that ´sensable´ is not something that starts to make sense and that the reasons for the absence of some important words in our daily life is not ´explicitable´, even if they can be ´explainable´.

Is this argumentable?

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