The Power of Language: vindication of the slop

I got a verbal comment on my blog a couple of days ago. The commenter pointed my some-times sloppiness detected throughout the curse of reading the many stupidities posted below, of course I excused myself with poor allegations such as ‘they are just simple notes that I write on the run’ and, the saddest one ‘oh, English is not my first language, remember? Thus, I can be a little off/wrong sometimes, nobody will make a big deal, you know?’. Yet, the commenter knows me well enough, and knows that those mistakes and my lack of care on my writing are a sign of just being that: sloppy and lazy. He was quite disappointed since once I was well-known for my carefulness, somehow dissipated these days among, well, I don’t really know among what, or how it got dissipated at all. Anyway, here and while following his gracious advice, which accordingly will bring me some ‘against-sloppiness vindication’, I am posting some pieces that I wrote in a serious mode. The first official document written in proper English that has come out of many-times taps on an American keyboard, has to be my final essay/test for my English 101 class. The Power of Language was the central theme of the piece. The only guidelines given were the use of 3 quotations from authors we had read through the class, and to follow a regular descriptive essay form; the rest was all my mexican 'imaginación'. Here from August 2004, fresh, below…

Berenice Weber
English 101 | The Power of Language
Professor Richard Peters
August 5, 2004

The Power of Language

Language is knowledge, and as the German saying goes “knowledge is power.” So, power is implied in language. Susanne K. Langer in her essay Language and Thought explains that “language is the highest and most amazing achievement of the symbolic human mind.” Language is an inherent characteristic to human kind and civilization. Language conveys individual and social implications. The way we exercise language can determine whether its delivery is nocive or advantageous.

Language has personal connotations since we use it as a tool to originate thoughts and sensations. Our consciences talk to us in words. Our hearts arrange our feelings in sentences. Our minds bombard us with wordy images. Our daily worries and long-term goals are debated every morning, in our minds and souls, in the form of a soliloquy. Researchers affirm that the human perception of reality is defined by language. Therefore, regardless of our personal use of language—and whether we are able to speak it, write it, understand it, and communicate with it properly—it will always be our companion, since it is intrinsic to the human nature. Language empowers or undermines us depending on how we use it.

Civilization, by definition, is a state of intellectual, cultural, and material development in human society. Probably the most relevant instrument of amalgamation in society, and good indicator of the advancement of civilization, is language. An example that helps demonstrating the importance of language in society is that one of the largest systems of categorization of human groups is according to their language. The use of a common language confers a group the condition of unity and cohesion. Language is present in each and all of the social matters of a collectivity: economical exchanges, cultural interactions, political concerns, and arts and entertainment. As exposed in the text Exploring Language by Gary Goshgarian in the introduction to the case study: English Only or Bilingualism, “language is probably the most important element of our cultural heritage.” Without language, what we call society would be very different: an indecipherable concept, indeed.

The results of the use language are as vast as the humankind itself. Each of us can exercise language in a unique way. Language is organic, flexible, and it is always in constant renovation. Language has been transforming and adjusting its values and meanings since its appearance, according to the society’s demands. Even though we have created very specific semantical and grammatical rules, the use of language is still susceptible to adaptation. Depending particularly of the circumstances and context where it takes place, the delivery of language can either denigrate or praise a person. “Words themselves are innocuous; it is the consensus that gives them true power,” writes Gloria Naylor in her essay ‘Nigger’: The Meaning of a Word.

As individuals, language defines us internally. As collectivity, language helps us communicating with others and to identify as a group. It is in us as human beings, and members of a society, to use language in a responsible way. Because language is the base that supports the structure of who we are: our inner selves, our personalities, our dreams, our every-day issues, our identities, and our bonds with family and friends, are all regulated by language. As John Simon writes in his delightful essay Why Good English Is Good for You: “ You are going to be judged, whether you like it or not, by the correctness of your English as much as by the correctness of your thinking.”

monday's web-disillusion

disillusion
on a phone-call superstar had
disillusion
everyone is speaking to a line
disillusion
except my illusions
why not me? because i hate cell-phones?
and those sites full of fake happiness
let's share online!
will you find a real friend there again? ha!

i talked to a man on the streets
he was stretching his hand
disillusion disillusion disillusion
stretching it for food
for compasion
for a sign...
not to look nice
disillusion

he taught me more in 2 minutes
the disillusion of mine/his life
than all the online sites
at least he was alive
nor an url to click at

disillusion
he lives in the streets
while you think what to wear to the bar

disillusion
he can be my friend
you fashion if too hype: you are a fake or a clam
worried again for the outside
the 'cool' man...

disillusion
or any technology that seems that get you closer
yet
disillusion
they cause
guess maybe wrote all my words out?
disillusion
guess exhausted my lines?
disillusion
is a monday anyway anyhow

disillusion

you look for play-friends
disillusion
friendly-people yet not friends
disillusion
ideas of warmth on a comment/reply
yet who cares if you die? just a few
and probably they are not online
guess i am on the nothingness-side
disillusion
money investments
cool friends and all that

& now even so as to is all right
oh my!
disillusion
not in me
not in life
but in the youth disconnected connected
saturday morning at the restaurant
disillusion
4 beautiful girls sat on the same table
each one holding a cell phone
disillusion
talking to someone who wasn't there

an on-going excavation in my heart
disillusion yet hasn't shown
not in hope
disillusion yet
gratitude, my style

disillusion
rather be disillusioned
than
disillusion
of haven’t through it

with a smile
overlooked
disillusion yet
doesn’t bring something flipside

empty breakfast empty cranium empty start
oh and these are the days that i am happy
however i hate 'in vogue' ways to full-fill ones lives

yet i post on the web
what a shame... on my side
is making sick somehow all the thoughts

as human kind makes me sick
but a few and some times
not all the times
not when disillusion
makes you humble and
not when people really
truly
without fashion or money
smiles...

narnia, nueve vidas, match point

i watched nine lives last night
a powerful movie that details precise and decisive fragments of the life of 9 different women
here a review of nine lives from the new york times
i rated it 3 stars (out of 5 ala nytimes style's scale)


thanks to netflix and my lazyness i have seen many movies lately
among the very high recommendations i would say

The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
an excellent movie! i haven't read c.s. lewis originals, i have just read his 'alice in wonderland' both in Spanish when i was 12 and recently in English, however, even if not sure how close the movie is to the film, i did enjoy it as i haven't with an adult film in years
my favorite characters of course the adorable mr. tumnus, the faun,

and aslan the lion
(if i could have a kitty i would like to have one like this one)
i gave the chronicles of narnia 4 stars (out of 5)
here the review of the nytimes as well

as a quick note and to complete later don't miss the superb thriller, different treatment yet keeping many of the best elements in his movies, woody allen's match point , superb indeed is the word
i would give it 4 and 1/3's stars (out of 5)

also many other great movies but these for now...

between barnes, flaubert, and the parrot

it is so hard for me to select what to read these days
not a lack of ideas/suggestions but the contrary is the case
safely going to the safe
finally grabbed that sold-esterline-pounds copy of julian barnes' flaubert's parrot

oh well well, i read barnes' the lemon table
and agreed blindly on a friend's quick reference of it as "missal"; and yes the lemon table was finely fine
a superb collection of stories with no other taste than humane randomness and witt all over the place

oh and the parrot what a trio those three are! flaubert, the parrot, and flaubert again through barnes' eyes

this is not even really what i intended to write
but a reminder to myself to write at least once a day a quote of this amazing book

why do i want to do that? well to come back and read and re-read them every possible minute i have
these words, some images, time, the time of the day and if filled with chords of an instrument like a cello going back and a forth like in making love are full-filled then the time of my life has been worth-living worth!

his ideas (barnes) and of course flaubert's but layered within englishman are a delight
a cradle song for the time
seconds come seconds are gone
but precious if sincronized with the clicking of reading their words!

and well voula here is the first one

"Perhaps this is the advantage of making friends with those already dead: your feelings towards them never cool." -Julian Barnes, Flaubert's Parrot. (Barnes referring to a feeling of friendship, well not Barnes himself but his narrator on the novel, felt as he visited Flaubert's museum)

another one? tomorrow for sure

sorry no spell check! no tools around for that, gotta be confident on my learned English from a book, somehow I know people who learnt a second language have better spelling than on their native language... we'll see when tomorrow i go where i can copy/paste and spell-check

good nights and damn! i wish i could really write like these men...

o i find one now...

"Medicine then must have been such an exciting, desperate, violent business; nowadays it is all pills and bureaucracy." -Julian Barnes, Flaubert's Parrot.
and as i finished the Kaiser Permanente logo materialized mysteriously on the page of the book, formed by the spaces left beetween letters, senteces and rows... see? a magical book, indeed... ha ha hello!

oh and the best one so far, a "literaly" one

"How submerfed dies a reference have to be before it drowns?"

followed in a couple of pages by its daughter (since for sure this second quote was preconceived by the first, therefore its mother it is)

"Did that burst of bubbles announce the gurgling death of another submerged reference?"

these men are just geniuses, well i guess it is clear and i am the only idiot that gets so amazed and happily impressed by julian barnes and gustav flaubert, every one else knows they are geniuses so they expect the best, maybe i am just happily-easily amused and that is very fine with me, no expensive complicated fun for me required at all

just this books and the little things around here in a monday night night ah! barnes...

asthma and hookworms

i was declared officially asthmatic early last year
while roommating with 2 lovely cats
now that i moved out and i don't have a pet
my symptoms have improved
(so sad! since i am an animal lover)
yet if i get too exciting news or spend over half an hour with any cat or dog
i start wheezing like there won't be no air any more
sometimes even out of the blue i wheeze
guess my lungs get constricted for the pleasure of it

today i read this strange news on a cure for asthma related with the hookworms
here the link on a very interesting article
http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2006/4/30/91945/8971
hope that if you wheeze, can get the worm...

the octopus project (or the jetsons are back)

the jetsons, i mean, the octopus project are from austin texas (yet again genius sprouting from that city) and they played last night at the casbah in san diego

the jetsons, i mean, the octopus project (this is a different link from the one above, this is the one from myspace) play 'normal' instruments along with 'weirder' instruments, even a theremin (i recommned this site i found) which i have never seen being played before

the 'theremin experience' was like seeing a band from the 'future' playing in the newest jetsons episode (o yes they are not the actual jetsons but...), actually the looks of the only *and lovely* girl in the band are very similar to those of jane jetson! hairdo and all

don't miss them if i have a chance to see them, they are unique and fun to see live
here my favorite movie from last night but i have more more more in my youtube account



here links to the rest of movies (click on them)

movie 1. little movie of the opening track (masks & cute little outfits, tina said)
movie 2. she with theremin instrument of the future
movie 3. another one of her with theremin
movie 4. the last one of theremin
movie 5. an almost complete song (not the best track they played but good enough)

also here the photo of the jetsons so you can find the few differences between above and below

wahrenbrock's book house re-opens

sandiegan palace of used books re-opens its doors to the public after remodelation caused by a mysterious fire, must visit it soon!


as the article here linked affirms that the charm is still there

i have some photos from before the fire click-o here-o

mountain patrol: kekexili

for sure one of the most impressive movies i have seen in my life
honest strong basic human nature and its interaction with our natural environment, all in a perfect nude thriller

notes:
a well structured thriller with a straight-forward plot
inspirational, very in spite of the theme
music, candid
photography, superb!

no matter what kind of cinematography you enjoy
you must see Mountain Patrol: Kekexili
it just takes to be human to relate to understand
many subtle layers in a naked bold thruth of our planet and our souls
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/mountainpatrol/

the only review posted in the new york times is actually of the father of one guys who died during the film, his review is objective and concise, until you read the last lines here below, click on the title
The Reality of Life, April 14, 2006 Reviewer: polymath0

woody allen

to blog about tomorrow
woody used to be my hero a long time ago
then i checked a couple of years later and yep still he was great
i finally watched match point a couple of days ago
and
impressive
o and cable-free thanks-to just re-watched the purple rose of cairo
tomorrow with time i'll write about them
in the meantime
long life woody allen 'high'-class new yorker

teapot kukicha kikucha kuki-time!

since probably this is the most-used item in my kitchen
(besides my tea kettle that i use to heat water for coffee as well)
i decided to render a petite tribute to it here today


my teapot (shown above) is japanese and came with a little metallic strainer included (i have many of those strainers that i use for single cups of tea) the capacity of my 'nueva mejor amiga' is about 3 regular size cups (american oversized cups) or 4 to 5 japanese tea cups. i bought this newest friend about 3 months ago, and every day i realize even more why the japanese ceramic is regarded in such high esteem, it keeps the temperature of the water for longer periods of time, making a superb tea, it is easy to clean, it is beautiful to look at, and the surface so smooth, then the cute flowers all around, what a delight indeed i found! at mitsuwa just $16.99

now here is an interesting link on the story of the teapots, knowledge on daily matters like the development of teapots is what keeps me going on every day of my silly little life, if it wouldn't be for details like this...

and since i am blogging on teas yet again, well here some newer recommendations on tea

the japanese kukicha tea is one of my favorites lately, is known also as 'twig tea' since it is actually made out of the twigs of the tea bushes, it has a very mild taste to it, an asian flavor indeed like green or oolong but without the intensity even if it has a little of caffeine on it, it is very relaxing, for sure you can drink one or two cups at night without having insomnia a highly recommended one. here below howkukicha tea looks like.

ah! but not to be confused with another popular japanese tea named kikucha (unfortunately i didn't find an american link for this tea since it is most popular in Japan) which is also called 'stalk' tea, that is a tea made with stalks of green tea (sencha and gyokuro) the kikucha tea is also mild in flavor and intensity and also very good, so now you can choose among these 2 confusing ones. and below this is how the kikucha or 'stalk' tea looks like.

oh can't wait to go home and play with teapot again. cheap toys for a boring woman on the verge of a technology crash. right on! and good night...