The World Theatre II - Metapost

It's incredible the amount of messages crossing the network. Words, words, and words in the largest community of people that the world has ever seen. Forums, blogs, chats and declarations that occur in real time or half real time and then die, or later are taken up, as sounds that go with the wind but that someone is able to recover.

Have you ever considered that they all are like echoes of conversations that will remain, perhaps, many years longer than their authors? I do not want to sound tragic, but have you imagined how many existing posts in the network may belong to people who have already left us?

No doubt, the post we do in weblogs will last more than the sound of a conversation in a village street, and if that makes us happy, we can pretend that this is our timeless legacy to posterity. But be careful, it is only an illusion of eternity. Computers are renewed, bits of information are lost here and there, the networks may suffer radical technological change in the future, and even a huge solar storm could wipe out the memory banks.

Whether we like it or not, a server does not have the durability of a stone wall carved in hieroglyphics. However, if the bloggers legacy must serve future historians and anthropologists, we should wonder about the validity of what we write with an aim to remain on the network. Perhaps it is better that it is all lost over time, isn’t it?

Transmeme VI

There is no morale in this world, if not in presence of a moralist.

The World Theatre I - Alms

I do not usually give alms. I do not mind admitting it. Neither have I a perfect rationale for it based on proverbs, my principles nor past experiences. Just say that I do a donation only if I want to. I do not let guilt or shame change my mind, and it bothers me that someone resorts to them. That does not mean that these situations do not worry me and touch me. Seeing so many people that are extremely needed and forced to appeal to the charity of passers that somehow had better luck is something awful and unfortunately all too common these days. The discussion of whether or not I do the right thing could be very long, so I will not start it today, you can do it, if you prefer.

The World Theatre

Don’t you sometimes agree? That the world is a show, I mean. A large theater where the actors and audience mix up, great comedy, drama, opera, in a performance that already started before we arrived and will continue when we're gone. With many acts, with the possibility of choosing (or not) whether to act or be a spectator at every moment and best of all, without a previously written script. Aren’t you a little afraid? Afraid of the stage, I mean. Perhaps that is why I am biased towards putting myself on the spectator’s shoes...

Transmeme V

Life is tough for a healthy, white, heterosexual male born in the 1st world. Think of the rest!

Answered Questions II – Silicone Valley

Have you ever heard of ‘Silicone’ Valley? 

Sure. Even today  in Spain we hear in some old movie this rough translation into spanish, referring to the area which lies on the west coast of the United States, around San Francisco, known for its prosperous companies in the electronics industry and technology. Every time I hear it I smile.

"What’s the point?" You might say. Apart from a small set of misunderstandings, not much. The place is actually called 'Silicon Valley', because silicon is the element used to produce the majority of electronic circuits back in the 60s and 70s. It happens that 'silicon' in English is pronounced similarly to 'silicone',  named in this way because it is composed of silicon, but whose uses are extensive, including the well known breast augmentation. It is OK for us not-native english speakers to mix these words, but the movie translators should have been a bit more careful.

Where the mistake comes from we do not know, maybe because that place was mistakenly called 'Silicone Valley' for a while, but the fact is that if we seek the real Silicone Valley, perhaps we should go a little further south, to Los Angeles, near the Hollywood film studios. There, many splendid and voluptuous actresses arise, such as those found in some of the movies where that mention ‘Silicone’ Valley.

By the way, to make matters worse, in Silicon Valley, there is no silicon. Do you remember any more of these funny translations into spanish?

Transmeme IV

The strength of someone’s principles is directly proportional to the harshness of one's environment.

Answered Questions I – Watches and iPhones

Wristwatches are something that I am very curious about. As a concept, not themselves. I'm not a big user of watches, nor collect them either. In fact, for years I have been using promotion watches until they have fallen apart and have even been without any for long periods. Of course, when I see someone with a beautiful and elegant watch, it takes my attention and I like to congratulate him or her on good taste.

Image: Foto Gratis

Well as I said, what attracts me is the concept of the watch itself: at a time, this was one of the most complex pieces of technology in the hands of the general public and has gone through different stages of evolution: string, automatic, batteries, atomic, digital, submersibles, with a calculator and stopwatch, or a real jewelry inlaid in a mechanism that tells the time.

Like a pair of glasses, it was a sophisticated device that served a purpose and over time has acquired an aesthetic and social status, to become almost a fashion accessory. But unlike glasses, it has lost all its usefulness. Today, with a simple phone, or in front of a computer, the time is practically available to everyone. But people keep wearing them, some in pairs, and are still pieces of design and social relevance. A good watch stands out the same as an iPhone.

Is the watch close to see the end of his days? Perhaps, but what is clear is that we find it hard to abandon certain habits. I will not talk about its future, though, but something far more banal.