Endless Stream of Empty Dreams

“The Help”

noreply@blogger.com (Aramintas Couto) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 04:44:00 +0000

Emma Stone as Eugenia Skeeter in "The Help"

The movie “The Help” released in August 2011 and Oscar winner of this year’s Academy Awards touches on the subject of segregation and racism. It presents the experiences of black American women who were maids working for white people back in 1963 in the South during the civil rights movement. The movie is spiced up with emotion and it certainly has a way of capturing the viewers’ interest; however, “The Help” producer seems to be quite careful not to overdo the emotional aspect as it could deflect the purpose of the movie.

The plot presents something fresh and not just mere repetition from history books. Even though it has its credits for being such an outstanding piece of work, it also entices the imagination. I cannot help wondering that perhaps this movie is not just a product that came out of Hollywood by chance but, may be the result of a well thought out work made to meet a certain agenda in an election year.

The screen play “The Help”, adapted from Kathryn Stockett’s bestseller novel and directed by Tate Taylor, was produced by DreamWorks and released in August 2011 to become one of the year’s biggest office box hits. It became even more exposed after the four Academy Awards nominations which ended up rendering a “best supporting actress Oscar” to Octavia Spencer for her outstanding participation in “The Help” during the 84th Annual Academy Awards just this past February. So far, “The Help” net returns have surpassed its original spending budget by about tenfold and obviously will still get royalties for years to come.

There were many contributing factors for the success of the movie. Firstly, thanks to the exceptional work of screen producer and director Tate Taylor. He meticulously manicured the script and scenes of the film in a way to deliver his message in the right tone to the viewing public. Also, the exceptional acting of very talented cast of members such as, Emma Stone (Skeeter), Viola Davis (Aibileen), and Octavia Spencer (Minny), have to be recognized.

The movie has had great reviews from industry critics and its recognition by the Awards Academy was basically a confirmation of what many people already knew. I personally enjoyed watching it and it was definitely worth the time. Undoubtedly, its success rate is not just attributed to great directing and a superb cast but also to the fact that it was constructed around a theme which has stood the test of time and is known to evoke people’s emotions.

One negative aspect is that it brings back memories of all the ugliness of segregation which happened in the early sixties in the Southern United States. Throughout the duration of the movie there are many close encounters with elements of behavior which constitute racist acts but interestingly, such elements are presented in a very discrete manner as the public does not necessarily need to see shocking scenes of racism in order to get a clear picture of what is going on in the background.

The public get a taste and is reminded of what it was like to live in segregation in that particular time in history. Some of the action is only implied to be happening, parallel to the story, and is not told with details. It seems that the author intentionally left out facts that do not need to be retold and rely on people’s historical knowledge and imagination to read between the lines and realize what is going on behind the scenes.

Despite the negative aspects presented in the movie, “The Help” is also uplifting. It introduces the elements of faith, hope and courage in the midst of chaos. Metaphorically speaking, once hope and faith are in the works they act like a spark which produces a fire. It only takes a little spark and the right wind conditions for a fire to spread and wipe out an entire village or a whole forest. Likewise, the main characters become empowered with the belief of the possibility of change, little by little, after they are impregnated with the idea that their testimonials.

The proposed book Skeeter intends to write could potentially contribute to the existing laws changing in favor of those which would reinforce civil rights to all. Despite the apprehensive mood in the face of the dangerous situation they were up against, Skeeter and the maids courageously met in secret to gather testimonials which would be used to compile the book. Skitter’s initiative in this case is the spark favored by the winds of the civil rights movement which was at the time picking up momentum and blowing all over the country.

The story develops in Jackson Mississippi back in 1963 during a time of Jim Crow Laws, which determined segregation of the black people population. The Civil Rights Movement was in the works and exerted some pressure to force congress to override such laws and break the cycle of vicious acts of racism and mistreatment that African Americans were suffering during that period in time. It highlights the routine of black maids who arrived by bus everyday to work in homes of white folks to perform domestic tasks such as, cooking, cleaning and organizing but mainly to raise their children.

Aibileen, the character played by actress Viola Davis, dedicates her entire life raising the children of white families while her own child perishes unattended. Interestingly, such children raised by many maids such as hers developed a relationship of love with their nannies as they were there for them more intensely than the parents were. Their actual parents were usually absent and engaged in their social roles. Some of those very same children would grow older and get into the same “politically correct” cycle of their parents and keep their distance and separation from black people.

Obviously that was not the case with Ms. Skitter who had a remarkable relationship with her nanny and apparently developed a very close relationship of love not comparable to the way she felt about her mother. That also does not apply to Celia Foote (Jessica Chastain), Minny’s employer, who seems to be color blind and completely disregarded the status difference between them and treats Minny like an equal individual. She does not realize that her closeness with the maid could potentially cause her trouble.

Even though there was little exception to the rules in terms of personal relation dynamics, society as a whole was pretty much racist, especially in the south of the country, despite the fact that slavery was abolished about a hundred years prior. Society, predominantly formed by whites, was still in the course of exercising the culture of racism under the veil of segregation laws in the early sixties.

People of color were still abused and literally had no rights. Not every individual who was black and worked for white people was necessarily mistreated on a daily basis. The movie which is shown from the perspective of the whites, does not go into detail with the intimate lives of the maids and only focuses on their day to day work relationship dynamics with the white people.

The movie “The Help” tells a story of a white young lady named Eugenia Skeeter (Emma Stone) from Jackson, Mississippi, who had a more altruistic perspective in life than other girls her age who would normally anticipate getting married, having children, and settling down after college graduation. She became a journalist and was inspired by the civil rights movement.

She went back to her hometown Jackson with an ambitious project in mind of writing a book about racism based on the maid’s experience of working at white family’s homes. She started out interviewing her acquaintances, Aibileen and Minny, but initially she faced a lot of resistance from them due to the sensitivity of the matter.

But as soon as they felt comfortable with Skitter, things started moving along. Eventually other women joined in to tell their stories. Skeeter finally concluded her work and the book was considered an ice-breaker in the sense that it raised awareness of how society was conducting itself concerning racism because for the first time the whites were presenting the other side of the story.

The movie’s plot focuses on the relation dynamics of maids who worked for white people and it presents the negatives of segregation and racism. It also puts an emphasis on the contrast between the affection and caring the whites receive from black nannies while they are toddlers.

They are eventually molded to fulfill the politically correct ways of their parents and society and they grow up in denial as they would have difficulty in accepting the fact that those very women who took care of them when they were young had an important participation in their formation as individuals.

“The Help” is the result of a very meticulous work and it highlights the difficulty blacks faced in becoming accepted as a member of society at a time when racism and segregation was at its peak in the history of this country. It also brings about the message of change, which is never an easy transition for one to go through, as they have to step in the turbulent path of adaptation and new circumstances of a foreign terrain. Despite the negatives, the movie is empowering as it focuses on elements such as, resilience, pride, love courage and hope with much intensity.

Apart from the Hollywood spotlight I am aware that the pattern of thinking and behavior among members of a society is largely influenced by external forces. In an industrialized society like ours, mass media plays a big role in shaping people’s perceptions, behavior and preferences. We are bombarded with information every single day and in every possible way in a very incisive manner.

Considering that our thoughts and perceptions are largely influenced by such external factors, the movie “The Help” could very well be used as an example as to how peoples’ focus may be guided in an intended direction. It is nothing new that political parties use the unique ability celebrities have to connect with people in order to bridge their political interests with a large audience of fans who also happen to be voters. Even if the chances may appear relatively low, the emotions around the racial issue brought to light in “The Help” may very well be a factor that could influence a voter’s decision at the time he casts his vote.

Sharing the Pie in the Land of Opportunity

noreply@blogger.com (Aramintas Couto) — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Even though we all share the same biological make up, we cannot avoid the fact that significant differences, whether physical and cultural, exist as part of the human experience. Historically, human beings have moved around more often than any other species. Inevitably they have come across elements which are perceived as a deviation from the things they consider to be normal based on their standards and acquired values.

Socially developed behavior and the constant contact with outside groups intensifies the perception of such differences and creates the awareness of how they are perceived by others and where they fit in the scheme of things as part of the new group, organization or society. Physical characteristics, foods, habits, religion and having a history of being part of a group, which are located on a different and less resourceful geographic region, are all factors which characterize one person as different and put them at a position of disadvantage in comparison with the dominant group.

The bottom line is that there is one group which is in a position of power and controls the laws, the environment and all the available resources and an opposing group or groups which are subjugated and stereotyped and treated as second or third class citizens. These second class elements are often seen as a threat as they compete with the dominant group for scarce resources. Sure enough, the dominant group will make everything possible to keep the outsider away from the resources and prevent them from eating the “cake” or being part of the game, which they believe, is a privilege of the dominating group members.

Turns out that from the perspective of an outsider who is less privileged, in terms of resources, he always focuses on the bright side of things and sees the changes and inconveniences as the price he has to pay in order to hold the opportunities to produce a better life for himself and for his family. However, for the dominating group, the newcomer spells trouble as besides competing for limiting resources and bringing the “bad habits” of his culture with him would likely disturb the environment.

Obviously, when two distinct groups come together they form two opposing forces which basically compete for the same fundamental thing, which is, access to limiting resources. For the first it could mean an opportunity to guarantee survival. For the dominating group it is in their best interest to keep newcomers out of the mainstream of opportunity in order for the protection of their valuable assets and service and keep their influence intact. That is when the conflict begins and causes disproportionate dimension at times.

Religion could play a role in determining the ethnicity of an individual. However, that may not be the most relevant factor because religion can be changed and a person may gain a different perspective in life and decide to adopt another ideology or religious principle. For example an individual who was born Catholic may very well decide to adopt Buddhism teachings and that may not cause a great impact on his ethnicity.

Despite that, there are things which are innate and cannot be changed. Physical characteristics for example can never be changed no matter how hard one tries. For example, an individual who is born with dark skin will never be able to suddenly become white. Or if the individual was born in Asia or Africa he will carry those characteristics, which are unique of people from those particular regions, for the rest their lives.

Economical, social or political power may be key elements that contribute to the construction of racial and ethnical differences. Physical characteristics are a meaningful aspect which is used to classify people in the ethnic scale and place them either in the lower or higher end of opportunity. The individual who is in the bottom is prevented from actively participating in the life of society to their full potential.

On the other end are those ethnic groups which are perceived as being more privileged on the basis of the whiteness of their skin and on the basis that they were here first. Competition for resources and the drive for privileges often motivate those of social construction of racial or ethnic hierarchies. The individuals, who feel left out for being in the bottom of racial or ethnic classifications may eventually develop a heightened awareness and fight for ways to raise their status. The less fortunate people develop a sentiment of group identity in order to challenge the social constructions of privilege.

It is quite interesting when we go back in time and think about the early stages of ethnicity in this country. At around the 1820’s the United States started receiving a massive wave of immigrants who landed here coming from every corner on the Old World, looking for a fresh start. Germany contributed to a large sum of immigrants, they also came from places such as Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Ukraine, and Russia just to name a few. During the first 100 years (1820 to 1920) the population of the United States expanded from 10 million to a 100 million people obviously thanks to such massive population of unskilled immigrants who spilled out of Europe as a result of the Industrial Revolution expansion.

These people were viciously rejected and discriminated in every sense of the word before they finally blended in and adjusted to the new society. The feeling of rejection was shifted or alternately focused on blacks in the South as slave trade was going at a steady pace, on the wave of Mexicans who moved into American soil, on the indigenous people who were perceived as a grave threat and had to be eliminated and finally, on the thousands of Chinese immigrants who arrived in California starting around the 1850’s to work on mining and railroad systems.

Despite the fierce inclusion resistance, especially in the early years of this nation, all those racial elements came together to add up and form a vast pool of ethnically diverse population contributing to the mold that we have become today, basically a nation of immigrants. Two types of assimilation resulted from the merging of different groups; the melting pot and the Anglo conformity, which turns out to be the dominant value in this country. Regardless of whether one is White, Yellow, Black, Christian, Muslim, or Jewish, the bottom line is that they are all entitled to claim their share of the pie in the “land of opportunity”. However, one has to wonder how much access they have and whether their efforts are really worth it.

Work Cited

Healey, Joseph F., Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and Class, Fifth edition

The Sociological of Group Conflict and Change

Pine Forge, 2010/2011 update. Print

Angels Crest

noreply@blogger.com (Aramintas Couto) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 18:13:00 +0000

Leslie Schwartz

Nestled at an altitude of approximately eight thousand feet, Angels Crest is more than a small, snowy town hidden on a mountainside only noticed by the outside world during tragedy; it is a place filled with real people with strong ties to their past despite struggling to manage not-so-perfect-lives. The town is mainly inhabited by working class citizens rooted in the pioneering and resilient spirit of their ancestors, who have resisted severe climatic hardship to settle at the location they call Angels Crest.

Although some people may struggle with broken relationships, alcoholism and their innate differences, they tend to sympathize with each other, especially in the face of tragedy. A recent case in which a three year old boy died in the woods due to a parent negligence, affected most Angels Crests residents and also drew the attention of many out-of-towner following media coverage on the subject.

Angels Crest foundation dates back to 1889 and its name originated in honor of five babies who survived harsh conditions in one of the worst winters in history in which there was an accumulation of about twenty feet of snow. Settlers and their livestock died by the numbers because they were trapped in the snow and their wagons could not keep moving forward due to the snow accumulation.

People perished as they were exposed to extensive cold, starvation and disease. It is said that angels stopped at the summit of the highest peak and watched over the newborn children through the whole winter. The settlers therefore named the peak, Angels Crest. The locals are really proud of their legacy and how they have evolved from such withstanding tradition.

Unlike some small tourist towns in the mountains where beauty rests on the glitziness of the Christmas lights decoration year round, Angels Crest does not have the incense and soap scented stores, which are so characteristic of such places targeted at tourism. Instead, it basically grips one’s attention by its simplistic atmosphere, emptiness and relentless silence.

For an outsider driving through town on the Main road, there is nothing exceptionally remarkable about the place and what they see are basically cars parked in the driveways of small houses and some toys scattered on the lawns here and there and little else. From a visitor’s observation, it is fair to say that Angels Crest is not be a fast paced, growing town but children are still born and raised there. Even though the population may appear static, there are children behind scattered toys which in turn could mean that the town is alive and the population has continuity.

Most of the buildings congregated along Main Street, predominantly from the nineteenth-century era, harbor businesses in town. There is a diner, a Laundromat, a bar, a dentist’s office, and a hardware store. There is also a Sporting Goods Store and a pawnshop. One may be able to tell what kind of behavior and lifestyle locals would likely have just by observing the physical aspect of the town, the sizes of the houses, location, and accessibilities to other big centers and the type of trades there are in the area.

The existence of a Sporting Goods Store in such a small town may suggest that men are inclined to partake in outdoor activities such as seasonal hunting and fishing. Pawnshops may indicate that some people have the habit of using personal objects as collateral to borrow money.

People look into such options when they are faced with some kind of financial constraint and are forced into converting valuable objects into cash. Obviously the drawback with that kind of trade is that it benefits the pawn shop itself most of the time as opposed to the individual. In some cases the borrower never goes back to claim their possessions.

It is fair to assume that money does not flow abundantly among the residents of Angels Crest as it does not seem to have much activities going on. The town does not look as though there is the potential to attract much investment which would cause the local economy to grow and generate employment and consequently establish more substantial cash flow.

One of the most popular places in Angels Crest is Angie’s diner. That is usually where people would go to socialize, engage in conversations and where information would get disseminated among the residents and outsiders. Ever since the news of a three year old boy who disappeared in the woods outside the town of Angels Crest became known to the outside world, Angie’s diner turned into a popular place for reporters and other people who come to town to get more information about the boy and the details of the family’s ordeal. Angie’s is described as a cozy and friendly place and it is suddenly filled with more people than usual due to the developing story. The place became a strategic spot connecting Angels Crest to the outside world.

People from all around have reacted to the news of a young boy who disappeared in the woods after the father recklessly leaves him sleeping unattended in his truck, as it becomes the focus of some news media. However, no one gets as moved emotionally in this community of three hundred and fifty five more than those who were directly hit by the disturbing fact, the parents themselves.

As the chances of finding the boy alive had become improbable with each passing hour the incident escalated into a tragedy and re-ascended old wounds among the main characters involved in the plot. In the face of all the commotion around the boy’s tragedy, Angie, the diner’s owner, becomes very uneasy as she has to deal with a growing number of outsiders who come to Angie’s to gather more information related to the case.

Since the media is covering the developing story more people learn about the details of the facts which led to a tragedy. It was almost dawn on December first when Ethan drove his son Nate up the mountain with the intent of showing him the woods up close. This was an opportunity for him to have a close encounter with the divinity of the forest. Hunting was one of Ethan’s passions and he wanted Nate to enjoy the forest as much as he did. He could barely wait until his son came to an age in which they could go hunting together, him and Nate.

But for a boy at the age of three the most he could do was to get him to observe the woods for the time being. It was close to day break and the skies looked overcast as he headed for the mountain with Nate half asleep in the back seat. As he drove up the winding road, heavy clouds and the fragrant scent in the air indicated that snow was about to fall at any moment. Ethan’s thoughts drifted away as he tried to sort out issues related to Nate’s custody.

Discreetly, a gloomy light tinted the night sky and slowly turned the landscape into a magical place as he arrived at his favorite spot, the old Angels Crest trailhead. He stopped the truck to observe nature and hear the sounds of the forest while Nate slept heavily in the back seat. Suddenly he spotted a few deer over the rise and he was filled with excitement. His fatal attraction for the things of the forest and lack of experience as a parent overshadowed the responsibility he ought to have as a child custodian.

He felt the strong urge to follow the animals just to see where they were headed. He then, with a certain degree of hesitation, left Nate sleeping in the truck and followed the animals. His heart was heavy as deep inside he knew it was not the right thing to do, but he was convinced that nothing would happen to Nate if he stepped away for just a few minutes.

As it turned out he was away just long enough to create a time and space void between him and his son. He was so excited to be able to follow the deer so close but at the same time he could not take his mind off Nate. He was worried and a little guilty about leaving him unattended like that but he had no doubt that Nate was going to be fine and certainly would still be sleeping when he got back to the truck minutes later.

Although a mixed feeling of excitement was finding its way into his head as he moved further and further away from where the truck was parked, he just felt he could not miss that rare opportunity to be so close to those bucks. Without realizing he moved so far out, he lost sight of the truck and momentarily also lost track of time.

He suddenly came to his senses and realized he was away for almost fifteen minutes. He took his focus off the animals as he knew he could not observe them indefinitely and thought of Nate. He started to get really worried once he realized he was away for too long. He rushed back towards where the truck was parked. He was glad he was able to track the deer for so long without being spotted by them and was happy as he satisfied his impulse but now all that mattered was Nate’s safety. As he reached the valley’s crest his heart begins to beat heavily as he noted that the trucks’ door was wide open. He soon would find out that the consequences of his decision would turn his life upside down.

Ethan would take the rest of his days trying to cope with his loss and to recover from the guilty feeling he would carry inside as a consequence of a split second decision. Ethan experienced agonizing moments once he reached his truck and found out that his son was nowhere to be seen. The anticipated snowstorm had started right at that moment and that enhanced his sensation of despair. He looked all around in disbelief and called his son’s name loudly for several minutes. No answer was heard. He realized Nate woke up while he was gone, managed to free himself from the seat and got himself out of the truck somehow.

The boy got lost in the woods and was eventually found dead by his friend Glick more than a mile away from where Ethan’s truck was parked. With each passing day, Ethan experienced a growing psychological burden which he would not be able to recover from. It eventually led him to a point of no return. It is hard for one to begin to understand the full extent of the suffering expressed by the regret and guilt that Ethan’s harbored after the incident took place. No matter how hard one tries they will never be able to fully describe what goes on in his mind and the intensity of his grief.

People from the community were devastated by the news of the tragedy and they had mixed feelings in regard to Ethan’s situation. Ethan was a liked person and the townspeople felt really bad for him. He was given custody of his son for being considered the most centered and responsible of both parents. But at the same time he was young and inexperienced and obviously did not fully understand the scope of his responsibility as a parent.

Even though his love and caring for Nate was apparent he could not get away from being held responsible for what was considered a reckless act. He was aware that according to the established rules he was going to face trial and potentially spend time in prison if proven guilty. In his heart he totally accepts the fact that he deserves to be punished. However, no matter how long he stays in prison it will never surpass the punishment he inflicted on himself starting on the day Nate disappeared in the woods.

The news of a lost boy in Angels Crest reached Judge Jack Rosenthal through his car radio as he was driving aimlessly on a narrow iced-patched winding road towards the mountains. Jack was feeling completely off centered emotionally and his deep negative thoughts were only interrupted by the periodic swerving and sliding of his black Mercedes which caused his body to experience a rush of adrenaline.

He was completely disoriented and especially disturbed with the image of Marty, his son who became a drug addict, entering the house the night before accompanied by his stripper girlfriend and stealing Adele’s Jewelry and his coin collection. He was in shock to witness his son, that he once loved the most, was able to commit such an act. He felt that his life had apparently become meaningless and out of purpose. He was so small that he wished he would vanish from this world. First he lost his wife Adele to cancer just six months before. Second, his son Marty, the youngest and the brightest of his children had deviated from the kind of life he had hoped for him and became a drug addict and outlaw.

It was by chance that Jack heard the news on the radio about a boy lost in the woods for a few hours, near a town called Angels Crest, apparently located in the same area he was driving by. Something impulsively locked his attention onto the intriguing story and he felt he should make himself available to help in the search for the boy. He turned his car around and followed the road which led to Angels Crest.

He had nothing to lose by stopping by and trying to help the family. He had to put his mind on something constructive and stop thinking about his own situation otherwise he would go insane. Maybe by taking the focus off of his problems and help others it would ease his suffering. As he reached Angels Crest he changed his mind set as he become more observant of the surroundings and realized how beautiful things could be in a simplistic way.

He momentarily thought about Marty and metaphorically drew a parallel of his situation with the lost boy in the woods. It felt like the story of this boy was in a way the allusion of his own situation in which his son Marty had followed a path into a dense forest of uncertainties and was stripped from his dignity and swallowed whole. That is basically what drugs did to him. The same way that a father lost his son in the woods, he lost Marty to a life of drugs and other wrongdoings.

Jack’s situation was in a way similar to Ethan’s and in fact they had a lot in common. They were both successful in their trade and executed their duties well. Jack was a well to do individual and had prestige. Ethan was a hardware store owner and lived a relatively good life.

They both met in the face of tragedy. They were both devastated by what happened to their sons and shared the same guilty feeling and self-blame for not handling things appropriately to prevent tragedy from happening. They both took on the responsibility for what happened to their sons even though Ethan’s pain was even greater because his son actually died whereas Marty was alive albeit living a miserable life of drug addiction and poverty somewhere in Hollywood.

Jack impulsively headed to Angels Crest firstly because he was completely out of control. He had no real purpose driving up the mountains despite his decoration of words which implied that he may take his own life. He was very upset and going through emotional distress but he is a man of strong faith and it does not seem that he would have the courage to take his own life.

He made the sudden decision to head into Angels Crest likely because he was unconsciously sympathetic with the families affected by the boy’s tragedy. He, in a way, felt the same pain and was capable to understand the extent of the family’s suffering despite the fact that he did not know them. Maybe by joining the search effort he would grow out of that situation and it would help ease his anguish and the awful sensation of defeat.

Both men seem reserved and tend to keep to themselves. They usually tend to be on the sidelines when faced with a crisis situation. Jack tends to rely on a divine power and hope things will resolve pacifically according to God’s will. Ethan is not religious and believes in the divinity of the forest and seems to be empowered by it. In a way they are both drug addiction enablers.

When Marty was at the age of thirteen he started to show traits of a deviant personality and that created a lot of friction in the relationship with Jack. Their communication deteriorated significantly and Jack reacted irrationally quite a few times in the face of the disappointment and frustration he felt in dealing with his son. His negative behavior was really conflicting with what jack and his wife had projected for him.

With each situation it became more apparent that Jack had lost control over Marty. From then on Jack became afraid of him and what he might do. (Schwartz 93). Jack regretted not being able to handle the situation differently back when he was very little. Jack’s abrasive reaction to Marty’s behavior may have contributed to Marty having become even more deeply addicted to drugs.

Ethan’s ways of handling the situation could potentially characterize him as a drug addict enabler as well. The initial attraction Ethan and Cindy had for each other faded away after Nate was born. Ethan little by little got fed up by the unpredictability which came with Cindy’s drinking habit.

He also longed for a strange desire to be in solitude and live a life of regularity which was not possible in Cindy’s company. Ethan became gradually more withdrawn and would usually keep to himself. He drifted away from her even further and involuntarily fed her addiction as she found shelter and comfort in her drinking.

Jack hated the fact that he always acted at the wrong time when dealing with his son. Even during the worst case scenario, when Marty was caught after he sneaked in the house in the middle of the night with his stripper girlfriend to steal Adele’s jewelry and his coin collection, his voice was barely above a whisper. He basically froze and acted out of fear and just let Marty get away with the stolen items.

He could have called the police even after the fact to file a report or strongly demand that he drop the items and leave the house immediately using a convincing tone. But that was not his style. He did not do any of that because he was afraid of what Marty may have done to him.

He was probably also afraid that if he went to the police the media would probably blow it out of proportion and that would have affected his image as part of a religious community or as a public figure.

But above all and despite of all the anger and frustration and hard feelings, deep inside he is a father who could not ignore the fact that this was the son he once loved dearly. So, instead of doing something about it he disregarded the seriousness of the event and would rather just keep it quiet. This is probably also a sample of how he always operated when dealing with Marty ever since he was a child.

He never had the nerve to address any issues accordingly in dealing with Marty. Jack lacked the authority and lost the respect of his son. It is easy for one to imagine that Marty was a spoiled kid who always had access to nice things and never really worked hard towards being self sufficient because he always had everything easily available.

Ethan Denton and Judge Jack Rosenthal are two very distinct characters whose paths would not have crossed if they had normal and happy lives; the chances they would know of each other would be very slim under normal circumstances since they only met by chance in face of tragedy.

Coincidently, they mirror each other in many aspects. Angels Crest townspeople and outsiders sadly followed the tragic story of a three-year-old-boy who was found dead after disappearing in the woods for hours.

They also learned the fate of his father, who eventually ended up taking his own life as he could not cope with the loss and all the guilty feeling which followed the child’s death. While the town of Angels Crest will eventually return to its sameness and relentless silence; people will remember the drama of the boy who was lost in the woods for many years to come.

Work Cited

Schwartz, Leslie. Angels Crest, Fiction/Literature. New York, NY:

Anchor Books, a Division of Random House, Inc, 2005. Print

Crouch End

noreply@blogger.com (Aramintas Couto) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 22:25:00 +0000

Crouch End, a District on the outskirts of London is the center stage of a horror story by Stephen King. It is located in a Valley in the North part of London near Finsbury and Archway. The town name comes from Latin “Crux” which means cross or crossroads. Crouch End is portrayed in the story as a surreal place. Its deserted streets combined with the fact that the narrator is superstitious and very unfamiliar with the surroundings enhance the impression of a mysterious place.

Other factors which contribute to exacerbate the tension and help to characterize the place as creepy are the circumstances in which the main characters suddenly find themselves. First they find out on the fly they do not have the address to the place they are headed for and second they are abandoned in the middle of nowhere by someone who they trusted to drop them off safely at the desired location.

To make things a little more complicated it is almost nightfall and there is no public transportation to take them back. The old brick buildings around the town and creepy outdoor signs also characterize it as not a desirable place to be.

Despite the initial unpredictable events the main characters Doris and Leonard Freeman are completely unaware of what awaits for them. According to people’s accounts that section of London and in particular Crouch End is the center of supernatural activities and for long it has been considered the stage of all kinds of strange things.

It is said that the place is dominated by some phenomenal forces which cannot be fully comprehended by the human reasoning. It seems like the barriers of the dimensions of this world are somehow entangled with another of an evil nature.

Throughout the years a number of bizarre incidents have been reported to the Crouch End Police but the cases ended up being filed away for being considered inconclusive due to its odd nature. “There are enough stories to curdle your blood and some to make you sick of your stomach at this place”, says Vetter, a police officer who has been with Crouch End police force for many years.

PC Ted Vetter and Fernham recall the story of Doris Freeman, the desperate young American girl who came in to report the case of her missing husband after they got stranded there, years ago.

According to Vetter’s recollection of facts in a conversation with Fernham in 1974, Doris was emotionally disturbed as she reported the incident which ended with the disappearance of the husband. She described the streets as having some human presence as they arrived and that gave them the initial impression of normalcy.

But their unusual behavior after an attempted contact made them change their minds very quickly. They all looked unfriendly to some degree and that reinforced the perception of a surreal atmosphere. However, it was hard for an out-of-towner to be able to tell exactly what it was that made them so strange.

Lonnie went to London with Dori for vacation and had planned to visit a lawyer called John Squalls’ which he had some business association with but had never met in person. The couple is lucky to find a cab willing to take them there after they were turned down by a number of drivers. It was late afternoon and the sun was about to go down when they finally hopped into a cab and headed for Crouch End.

According to Dori, Lonnie realized he lost the address to the lawyer’s residence. However, the driver was nice enough to suggest that he would make a stop at a phone booth so Lonnie could call someone and get the address.

They appreciated the fact that the driver had treated them nicely unlike other people they came across in London. They proceeded to Crouch End and anticipated meeting by Mr. Squales in person shortly.

The scene took place on a late August day and despite the wind was blowing intermittently the weather was uncomfortably hot. The sun changed suddenly from an unusual orange appearance to a reddish cast of evening as it began to settle down between the buildings once they got closer to their destination.

Clusters of nice buildings of some new development were observed from the distance. As the cab dashed by it left behind images of a constant changing landscape and the sun became a solid orange ball right above the horizon again.

Doris had a strange sensation that they were riding around in circle for a long time suggesting she lost awareness of time and space. A sudden change of mood marked their approach to Crouch End.

Dori become very apprehensive with some not so welcoming messages chalked on a roadside board that read: “Sixty Lost in Underground Horror”. The landscape changed sharply. The houses were predominantly old and made of brick.

Watchful eyes looked out the houses windows and observed their presence. Kids playing on the streets gave them a false impression of normality but they acted weird and Doris became fearful and worried about the whole thing. She was very sensitive and could not stop wondering why her mood was so affected once she approached that place.

The driver then spotted a call box by some restaurant and Lonnie stepped out to make the call. Doris got unease and stepped out of the cab as well after few moments. Wind was blowing and whipping her skirt around and some paper trash on the side of the street. While Lonnie was on the phone Doris closed in.

She was uneasy about the surroundings which appeared very surreal to her eyes and gave her a thrilling sensation. For their surprise the cab driver was gone. They get very upset but decided to search for the address on foot.

It did not take long for them to find out that they were not just stranded there but just about to live their worst nightmare which would lead to the unexplainable disappearance of Leonard.

“My Papa’s Waltz”

noreply@blogger.com (Aramintas Couto) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 02:44:00 +0000

Theodore Roethke

Roethke's "My Papa’s Waltz” is an intriguing poem which leads people into two distinct lines of thoughts. Despite some may think that there is some kind of abuse going on, others are led to believe that the poem is purely an expression of affection between the son and his father.

The poem does reveal that there is a certain physical proximity

between the two but I am inclined to believe that the action is

purely a manifestation of fraternal love.

I can see how the father’s behavior could be interpreted as inappropriate especially coming from someone who is nearly drunk. It seems that the father has not seen the son the whole day and he arrives around son’s bedtime.

Lines fifteen and sixteen validate such a scenario. He probably comes home after stopping for a drink or two with friends and once he gets home he wants to fulfill the role of father and he plays with the child for a little while.

In “…I hung on like death:” in the first stanza sounds like the boy is simply taken by the moment of excitement and he is having a great time with the father. It does not appear that the boy is struggling or annoyed by such horseplay.

On the first stanza it seems like the father is holding the child while he makes dance like movements around the kitchen. “My mother’s countenance” and, “Could not unfrown itself” on lines seven and eight, give me an impression that even though the mother is not too happy and comfortable with the fact that the father is a little drunk, she sympathetically observes the father moving around the kitchen holding the boy as if she supports the father and son interaction.

Despite the “whiskey on your breath” he is not described as being totally drunk and out of control; however, his emotional state seems to be, up to a certain degree, undoubtedly affected by his drunkenness.

By making the use of the word “Papa” in the title, the speaker reinforces that this is an affectionate relationship between the two. If the mother did not interpret such action as an unacceptable behavior she would definitely not just frown and display countenance or approval. Instead, she would be very upset and strongly apprehend the father, if by any reason she realized his actions were viewed as misbehavior.

This may not be the sort of scene that the mother sees on a regular basis and even though the father caused some disarray in the kitchen she did not interfere with his horseplay because she saw a value in the father’s initiative to play with her son.

When I read the last stanza I understood that all the fuss is about putting the boy to sleep as he must be very active and it is already late for him to go to bed. On line thirteen, “You beat time on my head”, makes me think that the whole experience is beneficial to the boy as those little things may influence him positively. Such memories would probably be with boy for as long as he lives.

What I gather from reading about Roethke’s life is that he had a great admiration and respect for his father. His literary carrier was largely inspired by his early years of experience working closely with the father at the family owned greenhouse doing different tasks. It seems like this poems reflects largely on such experiences he had in the early years of his life.

Also, one thing I thought was critical in interpreting this poem is the fact that his father comes from a culture at a different time in history and his behavior may not have been considered as unusual back then.

I can understand how easy it is for some to interpret “My Papa’s Waltz” poem and characterize the father as an outlier and child abuser in today’s society. I would imagine that it would be very hard for a person to act like he did and not be apprehended in any form if that scene happened today, especially because he was under the influence of alcohol.

According to critic Karl Malkoff, Roethke’s father was a man who inspired him greatly. He was perceived as a symbol of strength, admiration and respect and such characteristics become evident as one reads though the lines of “My Papa’s Waltz”. That reinforces the theory that the speaker is not describing a scene of child abuse but capturing a moment of interaction between the son and a father.

The whiskey on your breath
Could make a small boy dizzy;
But I hung on like death:
Such waltzing was not easy.

We romped until the pans
Slid from the kitchen shelf;
My mother's countenance
Could not unfrown itself.

The hand that held my wrist
Was battered on one knuckle;
At every step you missed
My right ear scraped a buckle.

You beat time on my head
With a palm caked hard by dirt,
Then waltzed me off to bed
Still clinging to your shirt.

The Road Not Taken

noreply@blogger.com (Aramintas Couto) — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 04:30:00 +0000

“The Road Not Taken” is one of Robert Frost’s most popular poems in which he metaphorically compares the journey that an individual makes through life with that a traveler makes on a road. In this beautifully written poem, Frost, speaking through the voice of a narrator, captures the reader’s imagination and leads him through some moments of reflection as he is faced with a difficult choice which will significantly impact his life and mold his future.

In the literal sense he is traveling on a road until he comes to a fork in the beginning of the poem. He spends a long time looking in one direction, but decides to follow the other road as it looks more appealing to him. Although he realizes they look “really about the same”, he wishes that at some point in the future he may be able to go back and follow the first as stated in line thirteen.

But then, in line fifteen he instantly dismisses such thought as he realizes that is simply unrealistic. He just cannot go back in time and restart on a different path as he knows that his choice leads him to a multilayer of decisions which in turn will define who he has become. Finally, he sees himself in the future sharing with others that taking the road less traveled by “…has made all the difference” in his life as it is described in line twenty.

The Road Not Taken
Robert Frost

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth; 5

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same, 10

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back. 15

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference." 20

Some events which evolved in the life of Frost which contributed to writing this poem may have been rooted from the necessity to move to England and the decision to dedicate himself entirely to poetry. He moved with his family in September of 1912 at the age of 38 to Beaconsfield, England and eventually to Dymock in May of 1914 motivated by the fact that he wanted to be a poet fulltime.

Other facts which led him to make such a decision were that he became discouraged with his activities as a farmer in New Hampshire and the fact that his teachings at a local college was barely enough to meet ends need.

As it turned out he arrived in London in the midst of a poetry revival movement and he benefited largely from it. The “Georgian Movement” was in favor of realism and a more open language and against the existing Victorian poetry tendency.

Even though he never really was part of such a movement he ended up meeting many intellectual writers such as, Wilfred Gibson, Lascelles Abercrombie and Edward Thomas. The latter eventually became one of his dearest friends (Hart).

By biographical accounts, Edward and Robert used to go for long walks in the English countryside and those walks were a source of inspiration for Frost to write this poem. (Hart). According to Michelle Lee’s words in her Poetry Critical Essay, it is believed that he started drafting this work in 1912 and only finished it by 1915 (Lee). At that time he was back in rural New Hampshire.

By exploring “The Road Not Taken” in depth, Critic William George points out how the poem is actually narrated by a middle-aged man mocking his younger self in the beginning of the poem and his older self at the end, as cited in Lee’s Critical Essay. (Lee)

Frost points out in his biographical work that this poem was meant to be an ironic commentary on Edward’s romantic nature as quite often he showed regrets for choosing one road and not the other when they were walking together (Lee).

However the speaker may very well be representative of two characters, that of his friend Edward and his own, despite Frost’s claim that Thomas is the narrator and the only speaker in The Road Not Taken”.

The speaker apparently comes down a road and stops momentarily at a fork to decide which way to go. Obviously that fork is a metaphor for choice and the view he has of the road ahead is as limited as his ability to fully understand the consequences which will result from choosing to follow a given path in life.

Eduard Thomas, a very well know critic and prose writer became a very close friend of the Frost family. He decides to come with the whole family and spends the month of August, in the summer of 1914, in a cottage near where Robert and few other poets lived in the countryside town of Dymock in Gloucestershire, a hundred and twenty miles west of London.

The intention was to spend time together and exchange their vast knowledge of literature and poetry in particular. The place where they stayed when they first arrived in Dymock in may of 1914 had a gorgeous countryside view, as Frost’s wife, Elinor, describes in a letter to the sister, as being a lovely country with meadows covered with yellow daffodil flowers. From a hill within a few miles from their cottage one has a breathtaking view of the winding Severn River and the Mountains of Wales (Hart)

What I gather as the significance of the title “The Road Not Taken” is that we all look back and wonder about other possible outcomes if we had decided to follow a different path in life. We always wonder what it would be like if we had decided to do things differently and followed another direction.

The title of the poem suggests that the speaker is regretful of his decision and wishes he had taken the other road. The speaker looks back at the scene where he made his fateful decision and wondered about the road not taken. The poem is simply an ironic commentary on the autonomy of choice.

At the time of that decision, the roads have the same claim as they are in appearance “really about the same”. They both “equally lay… In leaves no step had trodden black” However, there is a twist and a contradiction when looked at from the perspective of someone who is in the future talking from experience.

The speaker simply concludes then that,” the one less traveled by” was taken and that made all the difference. Even though he is happy with the outcome of his choice he sounds a little regretful that he could not go the other way.

Frost makes the use of this metaphor to show that a choice impacted his life. In "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood", he compares a decision to two diverging roads. Travelers who face two diverging roads are just like when people have to face a decision in life.

At the very end of the poem, the speaker says "and that has made all the difference" in line twenty meaning that the choices he made in the past caused an impact in his life and determined who he became as a result from it.

I gather that the scene occurs either in the spring or in the fall based on the” yellow wood” reference. That description lends itself to a yellowish tone from the buds of the trees or the covered fields with daffodils which is so common in spring in the region of England he was settled or he simply meant the leaves in autumn.

Two themes in “The Road Not Taken” are individualism and romanticism. When it comes to making a decision and following a journey through life, the individual is on his own and he must choose carefully as he cannot follow two paths at the same time or go back and follow a different one once he has acquired all the knowledge and experience gained from choosing one.

He simply has to face the consequences of his choices. In this poem, Frost not only identifies with his romantic side but he also brings out, in an ironic way, the remarkable romantic nature of his closest friend Edward Thomas (Lee).

“TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood” does not only expresses his emotions of being in contact with the outdoors but also reviews his restlessness as he is faced with the challenge of finding his place in the world.

The poem consists of four stanzas of five lines each and the rhymes are masculine. This is basically an Iambic form as it is one unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one. However, variations called Anapestic with two unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one is also present.

The tone of the poem is somewhat murky as the traveler expresses some grief due to the possibilities that the necessity of making a choice is left unfulfilled, as we can see from the words used in the poem such as "sorry" and "sigh" in lines two and sixteen.

The speaker’s initial assessment was that as far as he could tell the second option looked more appealing to him as stated in line eight, “Because it was grassy and wanted wear;”. But he comes to the conclusion that they are both alike in “Had worn them really about the same”.

From his statement on line six, “Then took the other, as just as fair” after he spent some time analyzing his first option it appears that he is fooling himself as he does not have all the facts for either choice and he indirectly admits that despite the fact that he may regret his choice along the way, he must pick one.

Because of this, I sense a tone of self-doubt as he is insecure about the outcome of his decision as he is not sure about what lies ahead and of what his eyes see and his mind can interpret.

In line two, “And sorry I could not travel both” there is a tone of regret because he knows that if he had followed the other path he would have accomplished great things in life as well. However, he cannot stand there doing nothing and must move on.

The poem refers to actual and figurative roads. No matter which road we take there is always a chance that we will find ourselves wondering about the one we did not choose. The fork splitting the roads into two metaphorically presents the factor of choice in line one.

Then in lines four and five we are faced with the unpredictable future. We can only predict our journey for as long as our eyes can see and from then on it is unknown. In line six the speaker spends a long time observing one road but despite its appealing looks he decided to take the other one instead which looked just as fair.

That is a metaphor for sudden decision. Lines thirteen to fifteen present a metaphor for self doubt as he questions whether he may be able to take both roads. He then concluded that he will never be able to come back here at the starting point.

In line twenty he concludes that his life has changed for the better because of the choice he made in “And that has made all the difference. “The Road Not Taken” voices universal dilemma as one will inevitably, at some point in the course of their lives, wonder about an imaginary scenario in which certain decisions were handed differently in their past.

But then again, the speaker realizes that as an individual he must follow only one path and deal with whatever consequences lie ahead. Deep inside he knows that The Road Not Taken is just a distraction which takes his focus from the things that he needs to accomplish.

Work Cited

Hart, Linda. “The English Years of Robert Frost.” Contemporary Review 290.168.

(2008):200+.Literature Resource Center. Web. 20 Oct.2011.
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?&id=GALE%7CA182929986&v=2.1&u=mlin_c_quinscc&it=r&p=LitRG&sw=w

Lee, Michelle, Ed. Poetry Criticism. Vol.71 Detroit: Gale, 2006. From Literature Resource Center.
Work Overview, Critical Essay.

Intriguing and Insightful

noreply@blogger.com (Aramintas Couto) — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 22:59:00 +0000

Image of PIA13845 North America Nebula in Different Lights taken by Spitzer

Space Telescope - Courtesy of Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory Photojournal

Throughout the history of mankind, people have debated whether the universe is the product of random chance and time or the executed work of a higher entity. Despite that, the idea of creationism has prevailed for centuries. However, for the past hundred fifty years the scientific community has pushed to find evidences that the origin of such a complex design has nothing to do with a supreme being contradicting the core value of most religions of the world.

Charles Darwin in “Descent of Man” for example, causes one to reflect on the possibility that all species including, man, is the result of a long evolutionary process which started from some pre-existing lower form. In his brainstorming he also considered the question of how such evolution took place and the importance of every single race’s uniqueness.

While evolutionists contest that there is no evidence of the existence of a creator based on the fact that it cannot be perceived by any physical means, the creationists rebuff such claim saying that the human mind also cannot be tested by any form of scientific equipment but we all know that the invisible realm we call “mind” exists. The same way the mind exists so does the creator, asserts the creationist.

Despite evolution and creationism being considered touchy subjects it is important for students to be exposed to both theories as part of an intellectual exercise. I can imagine that it must be very challenging to teach evolution to students who are grounded on the idea that man is a creation of God.

In fact, about ninety percent of Americans believe in creationism of some form, according to an article published in 1999 by Dr. Jerry Bergman entitled “Teaching Creation and Evolution in Schools”. But, regardless of what each individual believes, students’ intellect can be stimulated as such exercise would prompt them to deal with questions which have evoked the deepest thoughts with regard to human origin.

One positive thing about discussing both topics is that people can be better prepared when defending their own views. It becomes more difficult to accept the idea of creationism with an educated mind. Because individuals that accumulate knowledge tend to rely on what is scientifically reasonable even when there is no hard evidences to prove or discredit one concept or the other.

One important factor about teaching or learning the concepts of evolution or creationism is to understand the psychology which lies behind people’s beliefs. What exactly motivates them to see what they see and do the things they do? It is important to understand where they come from when they defend a certain point of view.

In the end, one’s opinion almost always reflects the environment in which they were raised. Parents play a very important role as well as the influence of friends, community and other elements of our surroundings such as, the media, academic environment and just about anything we come in contact with in our journey through life.

Regardless of people’s cultural differences, human beings have always struggled to understand the beginning of mankind. The fact is that there are a lot of emotions linked to our personal belief system.

Only in an environment of openness, in which diversity of opinion is encouraged and respected, can teaching such a subject flow positively. The reality is, despite all of the theories which offer possible scenarios for the origin of biological life, the question of how we got here is still unanswered.

The fact is that we do not know for sure how it all started. Even though science may offer an explanation and point us in a given direction, early history of the universe and the beginning of biological life are too shady.

Because of that it is fair for people to hypothesize and draw their own conclusions and embrace whatever truth they find reasonable according to their acquired knowledge, values and beliefs.

Obviously, it is important to consider the opinion of other people who have invested their time and resources looking for answers, such as Darwin. I totally disagree with the type of teaching which leans towards imposing an ideology on others.

I was raised in a Christian home and as a child I was led to believe that the universe was created by an omnipotent God who is both superior and in control of all things. No matter how much I have learned and changed over the years, all the information relayed to me during those early years will be with me for as long as I live.

I still perceive the presence of a supreme being just by looking around and observing the works of Mother Nature and the miracle of life. I sense the presence of a higher entity every time I have the rare opportunity to look up at the clear skies far away from urban areas and observe the many bright objects sitting up there seemingly motionless.

It makes me speechless as I reflect on the beauty and complexity of the universe which will remain a mystery for me until the end of my existence. But then again, this perception of a higher presence is dictated by emotions and not reasoning.

Despite believing that such unknown energy influences our surroundings, we are conflicted with the teachings from bible scriptures, as there are many gaps and unexplainable events throughout the course of those readings.

When one thinks reasonably, based on their human experience, it is very difficult to accept the concept of creation. Deep inside it is kind of hard to believe that things appeared suddenly as if touched by magic. There has got to be more to it. It is easier for us to pictures things being modified and taking new shapes and form through the course of time.

Another thing which would cause one to be skeptical is the fact that the bible, one of the oldest books of the history of mankind, has been written by many different people, in different occasions and those writings have been revised many times over and subjected to reinterpretations for centuries.

One may be inclined to believe that the wording in the bible may have been tweaked or modified in the course of history. As science has progressed, the idea of creationism has been confronted. In order for one to believe in the unexplainable facts the bible presents takes faith.

But as it turns out faith is blind as it is harbored on emotions and does not rely on any scientifically proven consensus. The controversy around creationism and evolution will always exist.

I believe in the evolution concept in the sense that the universe is a constantly changing environment as it suffers the influence of time because that is what I experience as a human being. On the other hand, I find it quite difficult to believe the theory that humans evolved from a lower form such as apes for example.

Both creationism and evolution concepts cast many doubts and I do not blindly lean to either side. I look at both theories with a critical eye and despite my doubts; I cannot deny that they are both intriguing and insightful.

The reality is that the controversy over creationism and evolution will go on indefinitely or as far as we lack solid scientific evidences to prove one way or the other. Although the idea of evolution gains new grounds with the advances of studies in several fields such as, Evolutionary Biology, Genetics, Geology, and Thermodynamics, there are still many unknown facts in which science cannot uncover.

While the debate goes on, teaching evolution in schools is inevitable and necessary. I find it important that students deal with both sides of the equation as an intellectual exercise. I also find it important that people respect each other’s opinion.

According to this metaphor from the bible found in 2 Peter 3:8-9, “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day”, what is a long time according to our human experience could mean a fraction of a second to the creator of the universe and all things in it, and vice versa.

My understanding is that from a creationist perspective time is simply meaningless and the accomplishment of the design of the world may have taken millions of years and may not have happened in a flash like we were made to believe.

But then again this is the reasoning of a human mind and the fact of the matter is that we simply do not know the answer and the question of the origin of the world will remain a mystery long after many of us are gone.

Palm Oil - A Symbol of Pride or an Instrument of Greed?

noreply@blogger.com (Aramintas Couto) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 04:39:00 +0000

Courtesy of Justin Mott, The New York Times

"A worker collects Palm Oil fruit in a Malaysian plantation".

Igbo people considered palm oil one of their finest commodities according to Chinua Achebe’s fictional work “Things Fall Apart”. “Things Fall Apart” was published for the first time in nineteen fifty eight and portrays the conflict between European colonialists and the indigenous people of Igboland just before the colonization was officially declared. According to Achebe’s narrative palm oil was commonly used by the Igbo villagers. In addition to serving as an important food ingredient it was used to pay respect to each other and also to reverence their gods during some religious ceremonies. The passage “proverbs are the palm oil with which words are eaten” really entices one to reflect on the importance of the cherished oil in the lives of Igbo people. In trying to understand the meaning of the metaphor I imagine that palm oil, utilized in this context to symbolize all foods, was as vital to them as the eloquence of words which should be used as an instrument of interaction among the Igbo communities.

It appears that outstanding agricultural harvesting and a sound verbal communication were two important factors which could lead one to reach success and ascend on the Igbo social ladder. Despite the fact that the yam was highly regarded as one of the most important cash crops for the Igbo farmers, palm oil always held a place of importance for that society as well. In fact, for the longest time, it has taken the lead as a symbol of prosperity not just for that particular region of West Africa but also for other countries which had favorable climates. Palm oil used to be transported in the slave merchant ships both as a valuable trade commodity and also as an essential part of the slave’s diet. Throughout the history of mankind, palm oil’s role has changed from simply being considered as an eatable ingredient or as an object used to show respect and friendship. It has become a highly regarded component used in industrialized foods and as a raw material for other industries such as cosmetics and bio fuel which millions of people around the world are becoming increasingly dependent.

Historically, societies are inclined to look for resources elsewhere if there are shortages at home or with the intent of increasing their economical power. Achebe highlights the effects of colonization of Nigeria by the British in the 1900’s through his literary work. When the imperialists first established themselves in Igboland many local communities did not accept what they considered an invasion of their sovereignty. Some communities fiercely resisted the colonial rulers under the leadership of a movement called Ekumeku. This movement was formed in 1898 to fight against the collapse of Igbo customs and traditions and against the imperialists who were causing such harm by advancing to the interior of Nigeria to explore their resources. The Anglican missionaries had an important role in paving the way for the British as they were the first ones who took the challenge to venture inland. Based on what they witnessed the imperialists took the necessary steps to consolidate the British domination of the land. Some of the main factors that prompted the British to colonize the country were marked by the end of the slave trade in the early 1800’s, the desire to expand its commerce of manufactured goods in Africa and other parts of the world and also to boost palm oil production which was already a highly attractive commodity at the time and especially needed to attend the requirements of industrial processes back home (Metz).

The exploration of palm oil was in fact a strong subject of interest of British imperialists who long had knowledge of tales from people who had sporadically visited the West Africa tropical region since the 1500’s. They decided to take action and push colonization of the land, which would eventually be called Nigeria, as the British saw the potential for West Africa to become one of the biggest oil suppliers of the newly established markets created by the British Industrial revolution. Despite their ambitious plans, the oil market did not show any significant improvement for quite some time as they had to overcome a number of adversities during the implementation of experimental plantation projects. One of the drawbacks was a low competitiveness of the West Africa product compared to the high quality oil which started being produced in Malaysia. British colonialists decided to provide logistics and training support to local farmers in order to boost the quality and make the product become more competitive internationally. Eventually, the imperialists started investing more resources and British-run plantations were established in Central Africa, and also in Southeast Asia, and slowly the investment started to pay off and show more significant results. Palm oil was considered a very important raw material used to make lubricants for machinery, candles, and for food components in Europe at the time (Berger).

West Africans had been familiar with oil palm for thousands of years as the plant was native to those regions closest to the tropics, especially in humid forest areas along river banks. Long before the British colonialists came to Igboland, many farmers were producing oil from palm but their methods were laborious and counterproductive and most of its production was either meant for internal consumption or exchanged with other necessary merchandise in neighboring villages. Only a small portion was exported outside the country through merchant slave ships. The European-run plantations established in Central Africa after the 1900’s eventually presented better quality oil compared to other local plantations which were not well structured. Another factor is that the workforce that headed the plantation projects was better trained and used better equipment. Palm oil plantation initiative was a prominent business and despite it having some up and downs in the beginning, eventually rendered significant gains for companies established in Africa. Despite that, symbols periodically change its meanings according to society needs. As societies are constantly changing their values and patterns of behavior, one would expect that certain symbols would eventually die out and become irrelevant. However, this has not been the case with palm oil which has been around for hundreds of years and represents today one of Nigeria’s main sources of economics. Palm oil can be used for a number of applications in different industries such as food, cosmetics and bio fuel. These factors alone may not have been the only reason that the European decided to colonize Nigeria but they are certainly some of the most important factors. (Berger)

Even though oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) is native to West Africa it has spread to different areas such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Colombia where the environment was considered favorable. Palm oil has also been produced in Brazil obviously at a considerably lower scale compared to countries considered major players such as Indonesia and Malaysia which are known to produce about 90% of the world production. In Brazil palm oil was initially produced in the state of Bahia and most recently plantation projects have expanded to other areas such as the state of Para in the Amazon region (Fisher). However, Bahia has been known to cultivate palm oil since the times of colonization. It is a place where the African culture is remarkably alive due to three hundred years of slave trade activities during the colonization of Brazil by the Portuguese. Bahia is located in the northeastern region of Brazil, right on the Atlantic coast, and its population is predominantly black as it was a “second home” to millions of Africans who were traded as slaves and transported across the Atlantic Ocean.

Most of these slaves came from the West Africa coast starting around the 1550’s which was right after Portugal established its colony in Brazil. It is estimated that more than three million slaves made their way into the country from the 1600’s to 1900’s (Wikipedia, Slavery in Brazil) Their final destination was to work in the sugar cane mills and coffee plantations and also in gold mining activities in the provinces of Bahia, Minas Gerais, Pernambuco and Rio de Janeiro. The main port of entrance of these people from Africa was Porto Seguro in the Province of Bahia which was considered a strategic geographic point between West Africa and Brazil. From there they were relocated to farmers from other inland provinces. Obviously, the Portuguese carried Palm oil and other supplies such as the yam and taro as these items were considered essential to the African diet. Palm oil plantations are known to be introduced to Brazil in the early 1700’s (Brazil: A culinary journey, by Cherie Hamilton) as the slave trade was expanding and slave carriers criss-crossed the Atlantic from the east coast of Africa to either Brazil or America.

Interestingly, the influence of the African culture in Brazil was a lot stronger compared to that of the United States. In an attempt to gain a better perspective on how palm oil and other cultural elements became so unique in the lives of northern Brazilians and not so much in America, I continued reading a little more about the dynamics of the adaptation of the African element in both Brazil and the United States. Historians claim that the number of people traded as slaves in Brazil reached 38% of the total number of slaves acquired on the West coast of Africa while the number of people who came to the United States was close to 6%. The considerable higher amount of slaves transported to the northern region of Brazil may explain why the African culture is thriving there and more specifically in the state of Bahia. On the other hand, authorities in the US had much tighter control on the amount of slaves traded on American soil to work in the southern States plantations. The black population in the United States does not appear to have memories of the cultural identity of their ancestors. This is mainly because they were in significant smaller numbers compared to the contingent sent to Brazil.

Another factor is that in Brazil there were laws which prohibited family members to be separated while this did not exist in the US. Also, slaves were kept from expressing any aspect of their culture. The Portuguese also prohibited slaves to speak in their tongue and express their culture as they were primarily concerned with productivity. Apparently they were unable to control the slaves behavior at its fullest especially when they were gathered at the Senzalas (slave quarters) during off hours. The fact that the law allowed family members to remain together contributed enormously to the retention of their memories. Under such circumstances it was inevitable that many aspects of the West African culture such as; religion, art, music, dance and culinary had better chances to survive in Brazil, despite the fact that in the early years they could only express themselves hidden in the woods as it was considered illegal to have such manifestation publicly. Brazilians owe a lot to West Africans for contributing enormously to the formation of their cultural identity. Some of the most expressive elements which have strong African influence are, Carnival (samba), Capoeira (a mixture of fight camouflaged as dance from Angola), Camdomble (Religion from Yoruba African tribe), and the inevitable role of palm oil in a wide variety of foods which helped to preserve the memories of the African culture so remarkably well (Brazil-travel-guide.com)

Muqueca Baiana - Courtesy of AnaToscano
"A traditional Bahia's seafood stew made with plenty of palm oil and coconut milk".

When palm oil was first introduced in Brazil, as a result of the slave trade, there were no great expectations in terms of making it a highly profitable crop. The main purpose of it was to use it as a food commodity to those populations which arrived from Africa. Since then oil palm had been cultivated in Bahia but such activity has always maintained a low profile in terms of international market competitiveness. Today the production of palm oil has not reached impressive numbers in that country and it still imports half of the oil it utilizes for bio fuel purposes. For many decades soy bean has been the most representative oilseed crop produced in the country and its production has ranked second largest in the world market with the United States ranking first. Another focus of Brazilian economy is bio-fuels. The country started producing ethanol from sugar cane in result of laborious research done in the 70s as an alternative to fossil fuel.

Thanks to the Brazilian government, who had the vision of developing bio fuel technology at a time fossil fuel prices were relatively low, Brazil has become the leading force in renewable crop energy. Now both the private sector and the government are focusing more closely on the production of bio fuel from Palm oil as well. Many of the lessons learned from the challenges faced by cultures of soybean, sugar cane and the experience of the large palm oil producers from Indonesia and Malaysia have taught entrepreneurial groups that the best way to go is to be positioned according to increasingly consumer demand and be focused in producing according to environmentally sustainable guidelines (Payne). The baseline of a sustainable development approach of agriculture is to respect the environment and manage to address social issues accordingly.

In an era where the world has become exceedingly dependent on renewable energy there have been claims that cultivation of palm oil has caused great ecological impact, especially in Asian countries. For a long time the world has heard the outcry of environmentalists who claim that industrial scale grown oil palm is largely responsible for destruction of enormous areas of forests and such activities have cascaded into greater environmental and social problems. It appears that countries in Latin America such as Columbia and Brazil are doing their homework and exercising caution so that the mistakes made by Asian countries are not repeated in Latin America. Despite that, there is always room for abusive behavior on the part of producers who would use palm oil as an instrument of greed and not refrain from taking short cuts in order to make substantial investment returns. Despite the fact that Brazil has a history of deforestation in parts of the Amazon area, there are still millions of hectares untouched which must be preserved at any cost. Industrial cash crop plantations tend to be more closely controlled especially if there is an enormous financial risk and credibility is involved.

Since 2004 sustainable practices have been reinforced by an international organization called The Round Table on Sustainable Palm (RSPO). RSPO’s body was formed by a number of stakeholders with expertise in many different areas and although they may also be part of different industries, they all have one thing in common, which is the concern for social and environmental aspects in dealing with palm oil. In order for products to be commercialized abroad they need to be certified by RSPO as environmentally and socially sustainable (Osava). Even though it will take many years before Brazil makes headway into the international marketplace, both the government and interested groups have implemented very tight guidelines to ensure that growers follow the rules in order to avoid roadblocks as a result of environmental and social concerns of violations. Planters need to comply with such laws in order to meet high international standards as this will be the only way to make the product appealing to customers abroad. Many interested stakeholders are on the move and taking aggressive steps to make Brazil one of the major palm oil suppliers in the next few decades (Osava).

Even though consumers are more aware of the implications of how the environment responds to the way humans behave, there are certain things we cannot control. The world population has expanded a great deal over time and all of the decisions we have made in the course of history have significantly impacted the environment and therefore, our quality of life. Human activities have depleted a great deal of the natural resources in the course of time and the prospect of the future is not very positive. Societies have to rethink the condition of humans, reassess their interests and accept that they live on a vulnerable planet. With the growing demand of food the forest areas have slowly been replaced by cash crop plantations and livestock fields in order to attend the needs of highly populated urban areas. Palm oil, regarded as one of the greatest commodities of mankind highlights this situation quite well as more than 50% of all manufactured goods we consume on a daily basis is known to be made with it. In an era in which we recognize that the planet is suffering enormously from environmental imbalances it is important to treat it with respect and preserve its integrity so that future generations will have the ability to enjoy it the way we did.

References:
Metz, Helen Chapin,”Figure1.Administrative Divisions of Nigeria as of August 1991” April 1992
http://www.workmall.com/wfb2001/nigeria/nigeria_history_introduction.html
Nigeria Introduction – Flags, Maps, Economy, Geography, Climate, Natural Resources, Current ISS

Berger, K. G., Martin, S. M. “II.E.3. - Palm Oil”
http://www.cambridge.org/us/books/kiple/palmoil.htm
The Cambridge World History of Foods, published by Cambridge University Press

Nigeria Commodity trades
http://countrystudies.us/nigeria/12.htm
Igbo people – the Portuguese were the first to have contact with Igbo people

http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Igbo.aspx

Osava, Maria, “Brazil to expand palm oil plantations on 32 million acres of degraded land”
http://deforestationwatch.org/index.php/Key-Papers/Brazil-to-expand-palm-oil-plantations-on-32-
Million-acres-of-degraded-land.html?show=1
Deforestation Watch, 2011

Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York: Knopf, 1995.

SparkNotes Editors. “SparkNote on Things Fall Apart.” SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2002. Web. 17 May 2011

Countries and Their Cultures, “Igbo”
http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Mauritania-to-Nigeria/Igbo.html

Bahia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahia

Historical Geography of Nigeria, “A Basic Chronology for Nigeria’s Historical Geography”
http://www.uni.edu/gai/Nigeria/Background/Standard17.html

Nigeria, the Colonial Economic Legacy, Early British Colonialism
Helen Chapin Metz, ed. Nigeria: A Country Study. Washington: GPO for the Library of
Congress, 1991. http://countrystudies.us/nigeria/53.htm

Fischer, Rosa Maria; Bose, Monica; Borba, Paulo da, “A quest for sustainable economic and social
development” AlohaBay.com
Brazilian Agropalma Family Agriculture Project
http://www.alohabay.com/planet/palm_oil.html

Brazil-travel-guide.com
http://www.brazil-travel-guide.com/Black-In-Brazil.html

The Afro-Brazil
Africans in Brazil: Some highlights

Wikipedia, “Slavery in Brazil”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery_in_Brazil

Brazil-travel-northeast.com
“History of Carnival in Brazil” http://www.brazil-travel-northeast.com/history-of-carnival.html

Payne, Nathaniel
“Brazil Is Poised to Become the Global Leader in Sustainable Palm Oil Production”, Finance & Investment, justmeans.com, Nov 2010.

http://www.justmeans.com/Brazil-Is-Poised-Become-Global-Leader-In-Sustainable-Palm-Oil-Production/37164.html

Enemy Forces

noreply@blogger.com (Aramintas Couto) — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 02:07:00 +0000

According to Karl Marx, one of the greatest modern thinkers, Bourgeoisie and Proletariat are two major enemy forces which have greatly influenced the history of mankind. Marx believed in the overthrow of capitalists by workers whom he referred to as the proletariat. Such forces represented a major class conflict as the Bourgeoisie, or capitalists, are driven into building a disproportional wealth at the cost of exploiting cheap labor and subjecting the workers to such extreme conditions that they resembled slavery.

Marx believed that the only way for equilibrium between these two forces would be through a revolution. The Bourgeoisie were mainly represented by a group of people that owned the means for production including; factories, machines, land and capital. They basically held the power and dictated the rules of society at according to their will and their needs. The proletariat on the other hand was the exploited worker who struggled through harsh conditions in order to survive. Marx believed that at some point the workers would get themselves organized and stand up against the oppressors in a bloody revolution. The consequence of such an uprising would be a classless society free of exploitation and people’s talents would be utilized and compensated fairly. They also would receive services and goods according to their needs.

Such concepts were mainly advocated by Anarchists and Communists and can be seen through developments made during the Industrial revolution which took place between the 1800s and 1900s. This revolution started in England and spread throughout other western nations, including the United States. Obviously, during that time, many new opportunities spread throughout society and capital started to flow down to the continuously growing middle class. However, the capitalists had a much better prospect of doubling their investment at a faster rate while most of those who worked in industrial process, in urban areas, struggled very hard to make a living. During that time there was a huge gap between capitalists and the workers who were treated inhumanly. They worked many hours in the factory production lines for considerably low pay and little or no benefits. They also struggled in rural areas. The capitalists would quickly build their empire and distance themselves from the working class who lived almost like slaves.

Many things have changed throughout the history of mankind; however, regardless of government systems, there has always been inequality and a certain level of dissatisfaction for the people of society. Economic inequality has always existed and will likely never be rectified. The reason for that is because people are different. Some people have resources and others do not. Some develop an intellectual ability and are actively engaged in a process of growth. Others may not have such ability or the will to compete. Under such circumstances it becomes extremely hard for the latter to ascend on the social ladder. Despite this, people in this society have unique opportunities today to develop themselves and reach their highest aspirations provided they have the willingness to cope with adverse circumstances. In this country, people are encouraged to grow and prosper and the middle class is quite robust. This is no comparison with the newly born capitalism of the early years of the industrial revolution. We live a much better life today as society has grown dramatically; however, class conflict is always going to be present no matter how developed a society is.

Karl Marx stated that class conflict is the key to human history. He arrived at that conclusion after doing a study on society throughout history during the industrial revolution. When Marx made such observations, capitalism was only in its beginning and he was moved by the way workers were so mistreated by employers and how they lived in such precarious conditions. People’s wages were barely enough to eat and life expectancy was about thirty to thirty five years. Society has changed dramatically since then and now we live in a different capitalism age. As part of a developed nation we are privileged in many respects but the conflicts are always going to be there. As society has continuously changed and become more dependent on technology over the years, people’s expectations and needs have also changed overtime. Labor has become more specialized and capital has been distributed throughout the whole society. In a highly competitive environment there is constant struggle for the survival of the fittest.

A Look at More’s Utopia

noreply@blogger.com (Aramintas Couto) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 16:24:00 +0000

Thomas More’s Utopia work published in 1516 describes an imaginary place in some Atlantic Island in which the people live under some sort of ideal socialist structured regime. Such society is organized in a way that everything is arranged as uniformly and predictable as possible. Its residents are hard working and everyone produces for the common good of the whole community. All the goods and services produced are distributed evenly and fairly among its people. The land has no currency and its residents have no desire or the need to accumulate wealth.

In Utopia there is no crime, no robberies, no competition and everyone is a winner. They have at hand just about anything they need in order to have a decent life. They wear basically the same style clothes and their houses are constructed the same way. In Utopia there is no such a thing as privately owned property and everything belongs to the state. They share everything they produce and are happy with the system and the way it works. All activities there are monitored to ensure that every single resident is a contributor but also to ensure that people get their fair share of whatever they produce.

Utopia is portrayed as some sort of paradisiacal place or a heaven on earth. It is a society which everyone is happy because there are no social conflicts as one helps each other out. At first sight, this concept sounds like the kind of scenario many of us would envision ourselves in and a solution for the world problems. No corruption, no poverty, no crime, no hanger and a safe haven for the children who would grow without the influence of drugs or crime. I can also see why people would not be under stress in such lifestyle. All of that sounds fantastic and may falsely lead us to believe that it is a perfect scenario which would be beneficial to all people.

In a way I believe it is, however, that system also presents some imperfections which could pose a threat to mankind. It would basically make us alienated and locked inside a box. First of all, it inhibits imagination and creativity, as people would just accept the ordinary as normal and act mostly like robots in a production line. They would not have any motivation to grow and become outstanding in something. There would be no competition and people would not be tempted to try doing things differently because they would not have any advantages and the motivation for doing so.

I can imagine that the only factor which make Utopian resident happy and satisfied is the fact that they have never being in a position of making comparisons. This is all they have experienced in life and it works for them not just because this is a great system but because one becomes alienated and do not think that there is any other way of doing things.

I can see how such a scenario would fulfill some kind of higher purpose for certain individuals. That may be a place in which they would have the chance to detach themselves from the reality of this world and from the earthly influences and invest part of their time into some divine objective. I think of Utopia as being a very restricted religious community of some sort.

I do not think that the Utopia concept would be achievable by any means just because we operate differently as human beings. Some people are inevitably more productive than others and we work in different pace. Consequently results are going to be impacted.

Apparently there is no such a thing as conflict in Utopia. However that is one of the most important aspects of a free society. It has been that way from beginning of times and nothing will change that. In a free society like ours we encourage creativity. And that is the water divider between the rich and the poor. It makes us excel in the arts and incite us to solve problems in many different ways.

Paradoxically, as some humans develop themselves and build a higher life they naturally distance themselves from the least privileged ones. Such separation is inevitable but it compounds into a chain reaction of social problems. Despite of certain inconveniences of living in a free society I would not change for the idea of a perfect place such as Utopia. It sounds like an extremely boring place to be at even though it could present certain advantages.

The Arab Revolution – A Sleeping Giant Awakens

noreply@blogger.com (Aramintas Couto) — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 06:46:00 +0000

Egypt's revolution

Most of us have witnessed reports of political turmoil in the Arab world which started in Tunisia with the Jasmine revolution and caused the ousting of long-time Tunisian ruler, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. This unrest advanced to Egypt in much greater dimension eventually causing its ruler, Hosni Mubarak, to step down in recent weeks and surrender his power to the military until an election can be held and another leader can be chosen by the people of Egypt as a first step in the transition from a totalitarian system into democracy.

Opposing groups from other countries of North Africa and the Middle East such as Yemen, Jordan, Libya and Bahrain have understood that this is a unique moment in history for them to make a move and do all kinds of demonstrations to try to oust their governments and push for a better quality of life and a more open and fair society.

What these societies are echoing in one voice in the Arab world and Africa is that there is distrust in their governmental institutions. One may think that such institutions were established with the sole purpose of protecting the interests of all citizens, when in fact they are not suitably structured to fulfill such expectation.

Due to an overspread state of corruption, these states are basically unable to provide their people with the basic freedoms necessary for them to grow as individuals and help them to reach their aspirations to produce better and higher lives for themselves and their families.

For very long, the people have realized that these totalitarian government systems are flawed. These opposition groups representing populations of those countries are simply demanding what they believe they deserve by right: a more respectful life for all citizens, institutions which are not corrupted, and more focused on the interests and priorities of their citizens than those of themselves.

All of the anti-government demonstrations of these few past days in North of Africa and Arab countries are an indication that people are fed up with the status quo and they are willing to fight and to do whatever it takes to promote changes in government system.

These ongoing developments are reminders that the political scenarios of the world are constantly evolving as people from distant cultures become more integrated and more aware of their rights. The internet has created a major impact in these events and it has been used as one of the most important tools to disseminate information among the people; to organize themselves and call for demonstration acts. People have also been able to watch pro-democracy uprisings events on satellite television and communicate with other activists through internet social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.

Individuals from every corner of the globe have a much better understanding of their government’s policies and how these policies have affected them overtime. They are also aware of what is going on in different countries and they cannot help making comparisons to their own. All of this is possible because technology has shortened the distances significantly and people are getting more educated on events at a very fast pace as they can access news media in real time from just about any place on the globe very quickly.

The events occurring in the Arab world are indications that people cannot be fooled for too long anymore in this information era. People know what is going on, what works for them and what does not. All the chain reaction manifestations occurring in that part of the world lead us to believe that the people decided to face the fear which has inhibited them for so long and they finally vowed to fight for their rights. Obviously whatever result from those uprising actions will come at a price. It is certain that many lives will be lost as it has happened over these past few weeks. It is expected that government security forces will keep on trying to obstruct any kind of anti-government demonstrations.

With the world watching all the action in the Arab world up close, it seems that some of these governments are still inflexible and all of these developments are making them very nervous about the possibility of losing the power which they held for so long. Despite that, many hope that some of those governments will follow the path that Tunisia and Egypt took and be willing to compromise and maybe give democracy a chance. One of the low sides when dealing with totalitarian government is that such systems are usually corrupted at all levels and the taxpayers do not usually see their resources being utilized on projects which would benefit them and in a way to promote the well being of the country’s population.

For the most part, large amounts of such resources end up in the pockets of officials who occupy privileged positions with the government or of companies which interests are directly lined up with those who represent the government body. Such a vicious cycle results in a very disproportionate build-up of wealth by those privileged individuals while the common citizen, the majority, struggles usually in conditions of extreme poverty.

In order to be in control, such systems always base themselves on force, sometimes with acts of violence. In addition to this, fraud is always present in their tactics to maintain their power. A very clear example of this is how the Libyan government has reacted in the past few days in the face of the huge anti-government acts by demonstrators in Tripoli and other cities in an attempt to overthrow President Moammar Gadhafi who has been in power for the past 41 years. There have been reports of disproportionate power been used against the demonstrators by that government in order to contain the acts against the interests of the state.

In the face of what is going on in the Arab world these days I draw a few comparisons with the Antigone drama written in 442 B.C by Sophocles. One can easily detect the insecurities reveled by King Creon when his authority is questioned or challenged by Antigone who acts against the established order, but for a cause which is greater than herself. In this case, King Creon is represented here by those rulers who, not surprisingly, are very uneasy about the actions of a population which publicly challenges the sense of order imposed by them. Antigone is the personification of the anti-government demonstrators, who for the safeguarding of human rights and restoration of civil liberties which are considered noble causes and much like what Antigone wanted to attain.In the play.

Antigone is found guilty and dies as a winner for sticking with her convictions. Creon is a proud man and goes ahead with the plan of punishing Antigone.In the end Antigone comes out stronger even though she lost her life but Creon is disgraced by his own arrogance and inflexible views. Since those pro-democracy demonstrations have erupted weeks ago in the North Africa and Arab world, hundreds of people have lost their lives fighting for something which certainly will impact the lives of the future generations.

Roughly, once this whole thing settles it is possible that it will bring a sentiment of stability for the region and better conditions for those populations. The only way to attain this is by the realization that the status quo is not working for the people and something must be done about it to correct what is not functioning properly. In light of the facts, one hopes that the events which unfold right now will have a happy ending and will go into the history books as one of the greatest developments in history for the Arab world.

Marriage and Cohabitation

noreply@blogger.com (Aramintas Couto) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 06:04:00 +0000

Historically, marriage was meant to be a permanent institution only dissolved in extreme situations, by death of one of the spouses. Cohabitation was not a common practice because society viewed it as unacceptable behavior. That was the expectation for individuals who lived decades ago. Back then, marriage may have provided some sort of emotional and financial stability especially for women who were not allowed to articulate themselves so easily because they were expected to do house chores and were committed to taking care of the family. The down side of that is that as a married woman they were completely dependent on the husband for their needs.

Also the number of people who risked living together before marriage was infinitely smaller compared to today’s standards. People were literally locked in the idea that marriage was something meant for life and they would be less likely to cohabitate as it carried a negative label which would harm their reputation and compromise the ability of finding a good marriage eventually if such relationship did not work out. Even though marriage was viewed as the ideal scenario in the eyes of society, it always has had its shortcomings; especially during the early days. For the most part, women had to conform to the idea that men were in charge. They were the ones who made important decisions and the wives did not have many options in the relationship.

The husband was the breadwinner and provided for the whole family and the wife’s main role was to bear and raise children, teach them certain principles, and take care of the house. However, they were not entirely happy with such routine and at some point they decided to get organized and break away from the cycle of dependence and take more responsibility outside the home environment.

As a society, we have been through constant behavioral change and women’s liberation is just one example of it. One important event in the history of this country was women becoming engaged in industrial work in order to cover for the lack of available male workers during World War I.

A large number of men were absent as a result of leaving this country to fight the war. During the feminist movement in the late sixties, women made a series of claims which eventually caused a variety of social and cultural changes. Such changes put women in a very privileged position.

It impacted family relations, religion, the place of women in society, the relationships between men and women and gendered language. Those were very positive developments which transcended all expectations they had in previous years.

After such developments women finally came out of seclusion and took a more active and responsible role in society. Soon they executed jobs which once were only held by male workers. They were also more engaged socially and felt they could do whatever men did. They became more liberal with regard to sex, went to bars and drank and smoked in public places with friends all without the fear of being tagged negatively. Suddenly men and women were seen as equal.

Or at least in the sense that women were doing the things which once were attributes of men only. They were equal in the sense that women suddenly had opportunities which they never imagined could be possible. They became educated, grew financially and contributed enormously to the family budget and society growth. Roles changed and suddenly women realized they could exercise the same rights men did despite the fact that they

were still considered a minority group.

Back in the sixties and seventies the instances of cohabitation were not as significant because it ruined women’s image if they lived with some guy who may or may not eventually marry them. That was not a desirable position to be in and certainly not the position a parent would like to see their daughter in.

Today people may still be uneasy about it but, in the eyes of society, it has become tremendously more acceptable because women have developed themselves and become more independent. They are professionals, have jobs and make their own money. They are capable of carrying on with their social obligations without the interaction of men in their lives if they so desire.

There may be women college students who may not be financially independent but will seek to split the costs of living while they have the benefit of sharing an intimate life. Cohabitation is a form of trial marriage in which people will have a taste of what married life is like without the prospect of staying in the situation forced by a legal document.

The number of people cohabiting has soared over the past few decades; however, so have the number of divorces and statistically, people who have cohabited before marriage have a higher likelihood of filing for divorce than people who have never cohabitated.

Trends of divorce and cohabitation relationships are inversely proportional to the rate of marriages. The number of people getting married is significantly lower compared to the number of those filing for divorce and those who cohabitate. People are definitely becoming more conservative when it comes to getting married.

Maybe one concern people have faced with the idea of marriage is that if things do not work out right they will have to spend substantial amount of money with legal fees in order to undue the marriage formality. Or maybe another concern is that they will have to split their capital and that may limit their position of power. In short, living in a complex society such as this, we are constantly bombarded with information and we face all sorts of challenges and decisions.

We are put to the test every single day and sometimes the pressure is too great to bear. We change our moods, may become off centered and that may affect our partners and subsequently our marriages. Big problems may cause serious disagreements in the life of a married couple and potentially lead to divorce. It seems that some people are not too optimistic and anticipate high odds of a marriage ending in divorce. It is sad that more do not grasp the romantic view that marriage is something which can last their entire life.

Class Conflict and How to Fish

noreply@blogger.com (Aramintas Couto) — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 06:09:00 +0000

The gap between the rich and the poor in Brazil, one of the most promising of emerging economies today, is so vast that the population representing the middle class becomes an insignificant statistic. For the most part the individual is either filthy rich and controls much of society or he is dirt poor and lives in conformity with the established system.

Among the “have nots” there are different kinds. One could be simply poor and trade his services for a certain level of comfort. Those who earn minimum wages struggle to meet basic needs and on the very bottom of the ladder are those who are extremely poor. Those usually do not make any wage and live in extreme misery and abandonment.

Growing up in a big city like Sao Paulo, it was not uncommon to be in close contact with people in such circumstances. They lived completely disengaged from society and roamed all over the place, especially in downtown areas. It was literally impossible not to notice them. The shocking reality is that most of those people were children of both sexes.

Some of them were begging others trying to sell all kinds of stuff to drivers at the traffic lights as their vehicles came to a full stop. Not surprisingly a few of them were just preying on people and waiting for an opportunity to steal their belongings. That was a very sad and scary picture. What led them to end up living on the streets like that is one thing that I could not help thinking about.

Almost three decades have passed since I left Brazil and the situation has not gotten any better. I see it on the news sometimes. Yes, it is true that Brazil has become an attractive market for foreign investment and the country is much better off today economically compared to decades ago; however, that status does not impress me. The country’s wealth is still retained by a very select group of people and the poverty rate is astonishing.

That trend translates into more people roaming the city streets, begging or hassling drivers at stop lights or waiting for an opportunity to steal someone’s watch or a pair of sneakers. That sounds awful and it kind of hurt my pride but it is a fact and it happens more often than one can imagine.

During my younger years I do not remember things being so bad. I had never heard of people scavenging dumpsters looking for leftover foods. Maybe there was but because the media was not as efficient back then those things were not as visible to the public eye as it is today.

Recently I saw a scene on the news in which a few people defended their space in a landfill as if they were in a goldmine. They looked for anything that may be converted to money, such as, scrap of metal, soda cans, corrugated boxes, and anything which appeared to be useful to them.

In other scene, individuals were scavenging the garbage in search of food. To get to the point, it is obvious that these people either did not have choices in life or did not have the strength to fight for something better. While lack of opportunities leads some people to do unimaginable acts such as this to survive, others simply follow a path of illegality in order to get the things they want.

People are generally considered a given society’s best asset, provided they are educated and have good support from the system. However, how can society expect anything good from an individual who has a bad start in life? It is possible that such an individual will lead an antagonistic life and pose a serious threat to the community. The probability that an individual with such a profile will turn to crime is actually quite high. One way or another he will eventually become a charge to the state.

Who is to blame? According to Karl Marx the roots of human misery lay in class conflict. And class conflict is the very essence of society. Throughout the course of history we have learned that smarter people manage to establish themselves in life and build economic mobility for themselves and their generation much easier than a person who has fewer resources. We all know that historically, inequality is what makes society what it is. This will never change.

However, an ignorant individual with no family struture roaming around the city will serve no purpose to society either. On the contrary, it creates an environment of instability because when people have nothing to lose they will endanger the lives of themselves and others and create an environment of fear. They will turn to deviance in the blink of an eye and will not hesitate to take someone’s life for very little.

With regard to the situation of children being exploited and marginalized, especially in cities such as Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and others, there is not much that can be done on the part of federal government to minimize the problem. It is primarily an issue which needs to be dealt by local authorities and affected communities.

Society should mobilize itself and become more proactive in educating and supporting individuals to exercise their rights of citizenship. The state should be more forceful and educate people to have a better planing when the subject is bringing children to this world. There is a chance such measures might minimize the problem of children roaming on the streets and end up being a public charge.

Education is one factor which will motivate and help people to have a sense of purpose in life. While it helps boots one’s morals it also pushes individuals to become part of solution and not the problem. Eventually they will be engaged in society’s growth process and not simply be considered as a bad statistic.

Another factor to consider is that the elite do not run the country by themselves. They dominate because they own the capital and industrial processes. However, they are very much dependent on the support of people of technical expertise who meet a certain level education and professional training in order for them to generate revenues and grow their capital.

People with no family structure, lack education and do not have any kind of guidance in a competitive society like the one we live in, are counterproductive and more likely to become dependent on others and on the system. The odds that individuals with such profile will be involved in wrongdoing and become a charge to the state are much greater.

I tend to believe that individuals who are engaged in a path which gives them hope they will become motivated enough to keep doing whatever they need to do to improve their quality of life. If they feel they have a shot there is a stronger possibility they will embrace the cause and be less tempted to turn to deviance.

The price of ignorance is very high indeed and society suffers when large portions of its population live in poverty and illiteracy. Teaching the least privileged “how to fish” and letting them hold a place in society may be a positive alternative in which it would be beneficial to everyone.

Maybe as a result crime statistics would be reduced. Maybe there would be fewer children living on the streets. Maybe there would be no reason for extreme measures of repression. Who knows one day children may even be treated more like children and not viewed as potential offenders of the elite’s established order.

Work Cited:
Henslin, James M., Sociology “A Down-to-Earth Approach” - Thinking Critically – Open Season: Children as Prey

Heredity or Environment? How much influence does each have?

noreply@blogger.com (Aramintas Couto) — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 17:50:00 +0000

It is unquestionable that heredity plays an important role in dictating many aspects of who we are. That is particularly true in regard to our physical characteristics and genetic predisposition. But such a role falls short compared to how powerful the environment is in the process of a person’s development in the course of their life. The environment is responsible for shaping and defining an individual’s perception of one’s self and the world around them.

Besides influencing one’s behavior, external factors can also affect an individual’s health and interfere with their natural biologic course, potentially leading them down a totally different path. For example, people who develop a drinking pattern during youth may eventually suffer from alcoholism. Such conditions may cause their biological clock to tick faster and cascade into an early death, compared to an individual who has moderate habits and lives more conservatively. The way in which one is exposed to their environment will definitely affect their quality of life in later years.
This reasoning also holds true when we take into consideration the environmental aspect on the impact of social behavior. Being connected with other individuals in a social setting is important as it reflects on our ability to think, express emotions, and react to situations on a daily basis. Without this kind of interaction with social groups it would literally be impossible for us to acquire knowledge, incorporate certain basic concepts necessary to our survival, and developing language skills. In other words, we would live just like animals responding only to instincts.. Socialization is the very essence of humankind existence.

Despite the fact that researchers have struggled for years to pinpoint to what degree or percentage heredity and the environment influence an individual’s life, there is no question that heredity alone would not make us what we are today if it was not for the influence of our surroundings. Our lives would be dull without the values and meanings of the symbols we have created for ourselves as part of a group and society.

Individuals are also influenced by undesirable external factors for which they may or may not always have control. The climate, pollution in the air, highly processed foods, chemicals in the food chain and living in a highly demanding society are examples of factors which can affect one’s behavior and well being to some degree throughout the years. It is quite possible that a combination of these factors may throw one’s health off balance over the course of their life. Despite the great ability that one has to adapt to certain changes, to what extent can one overcome the pressures imposed by the complexities of modern society? These are questions which do not have easy answers.

When an individual’s health is off balance for a long time it could lead to a chronic condition and depending on that condition could potentially influence heredity too. Allergies are typical example of how the human body can become weak over time. It has turned into such a common condition that millions of people worldwide suffer from it. In contrast to that, human beings are also living much longer than ever before as a result of new technological discoveries.

Heredity or the environment, how much influence does each have? Each individual’s genetic makeup or genetic predisposition is unique and may encompass the temperament, gender and color of one’s hair, etc. Other characteristics are theorized to be shared by all humans. Such shared characteristics are the main ones that differentiate humans from other species. Heredity not only reveals many aspects of an individual’s identity, it is also the starting point of a journey called life and it is the knowledge acquired as a result of the interacting within a group or within society which makes all individuals unique and special.

Cultural Diversity in the Workplace

noreply@blogger.com (Aramintas Couto) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 19:57:00 +0000

As the world has become increasingly globalized, diversity in the workplace has become a dominant subject in our society. One of the reasons for that is because people and services are moving at a very fast pace around the globe. Companies have broken all frontiers and gone long distances to make their products available to consumers. They also seek ways to reduce costs by transferring some operations and key people overseas.
The constant flow of professionals and services to and from different countries and, the growing diversity of staffing prompts organizations to recognize the value and the need for maximizing and capitalizing on a multicultural workforce in order to match the competition and succeed as a business. [Gorham, 2009] The bottom line is, the workplace is changing, evolving and diversifying very quickly and managers seek to educate themselves in order to follow such trends. [Green, 2002.
Businesswise, a well trained professional would take great advantage from understanding basic aspects of differing cultures, beliefs, and behaviors of employees and of potential customers. That understanding may give an edge in terms of communicating more effectively [Gorham, 2009]. Being aware of diversity aspects may help one to treat people more fairly and manage potential conflicts related to diversity more wisely. A well managed diversity workforce has the potential to yield higher productivity and competitiveness, prompting an organization to increase its ability to capture new market opportunities and, ultimately, lead the company to increase its margin of revenues [Green, 2002]. With that in mind, companies have become more proactive in terms of managing a workforce with multicultural differences to ensure that everyone is treated fairly with respect and dignity. [Green, 2002].

In a broad sense, diversity means acknowledging, respecting, accepting and valuing the differences people have with respect to factors such as gender, race, age, sexual preferences, religion, and physical and mental capabilities [Green, 2002]. In a society like ours in which we are constantly in contact with people from different origins and unique backgrounds, we are all touched by the subject of diversity both at a personal and professional level. Diversity is a concept that has gone far beyond the scope of moral or legal aspects and has become a business necessity. [Gorham, 2009]. The presence of women and minorities in the workforce has become remarkably large in American society. That is an example that illustrates the important role that cultural identities have played and further shows that these identities must not be ignore [Esty, 1995]

An organization may be in a position of some competitive advantages if it manages to overcome any internal issues related to diversity. Some of those advantages are: increased productivity, fewer lawsuits, and retention of business, increased market capabilities, creating a pool of talents and becoming an employer of choice. All of these are possible when employees feel they are respected, included and valuable contributors to the company’s goals. In other words, there is a strong possibility that people may be at their best in terms of creativity and productivity if they feel they fit and are considered an important asset to the organization regardless of their position or duty . Treating people right may be a key factor to boost both the organizations and the employee’s morals. The chances of meeting company’s goals will increase dramatically [Esty, 1995]

Despite of all the positive aspects, diversity also has its drawbacks because managers and supervisors do not always succeed in creating a healthy and productive environment in the workplace. Despite the desire to create an atmosphere in which everyone is happy and feels appreciated and valued, that task is not always an easy thing to accomplish. There are many questions posed by the subject of diversity that are not always easy to answer. Some of those questions are: What is considered fair? Is it fair to treat people who are different exactly the same way? Or, because they are different should they be treated by different standards? What would those standards be in the first place? A number of questions such as these have been addressed by government regulations of equal opportunity and affirmative action in trying to get to a common ground which would be satisfactory to everyone. In short, there is no easy answer to these questions. Satisfying every individual needs and expectation while at the same time meeting the organization’s goals might represent the greatest challenge for supervisors and managers to overcome [Esty, 1995]

Regardless of the area of work, developing some degree of cultural competence has become essential for any individual. Demographics have shown that there is a rapid change in our society and according to census data, nearly half of all those in the United States will be from a non-white, non-anglo culture by 2050 [Kier, 2010]. Those who have the knowledge and ability to work within an increasingly diverse society will be in the best position to compete for employment. Cultural knowledge and awareness, multi-lingual ability and a true skill in working with people from other cultures will be sought after. It is important for all of us to read about the many cultures that make up our communities, to get to know people of other cultures, to ask questions in order to learn more and to develop an honest interest in becoming culturally knowledgeable. Diversity in the workplace has proven to be a challenge to manage from both a business and an individual perspective, but it can also be very rewarding for the organizations of the world as well as their employees in the long run.

Works Cited

Esty, Katharine, Richard Griffin, and Marcie Schorr Hirsch, “WORKPLACE DIVERSITY – A Manager’s Guide to Solving Problems and Turning Diversity into a Competitive Advantage, 1995

Green, Kelli A., Mayra Lopez, Allen Winsock, Karl Kepner, “Diversity in the Workplace: Benefits, Challenges, and Required Managerial Tools” Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, Publication #HR022, June 2002,

Gorham, Richard, “Cultural Diversity in the Workplace”, Strength in Diversity!

Kier, Mary, “The Diversity Edge”, Cook Associates, Inc., Executive Search,

Additional Reading Material:

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Harsh Conditions Prompt a Large Number of Brazilians to Return Home

noreply@blogger.com (Aramintas Couto) — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 15:08:00 +0000

For more than two decades a growing number of Brazilians have made America their home away from home and Massachusetts has become a predominant arrival destination for many of them [Ludden]. For the past few years; however, that cycle has changed and a significant number of that population have decided to leave this country and head back home. Even though there is a combination of factors which have prompted them to go back, the most significant one was the decision of homeland security to crack down on illegal immigration.

Towns largely populated by Brazilians, such as Framingham and Marlborough [Mineo], were affected by this crack down right after federal lawmakers killed the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act bill [Wikipedia] presented to Congress in May 2007. This bill would have favored thousands of illegal immigrants around the country including a large number of Brazilians settled in the New England region. The bill caused many disagreements and it was never voted on by members of congress which caused great disappointment amongst the undocumented Brazilian population [Mineo].

Other factors which are believed to have contributed to such reversal migratory phenomenon were lack of employment opportunities in a slowing American economy, devaluation of the American currency compared to the Brazilian Real, widespread anti-illegal immigrant sentiment and signs that the Brazilian economy has been improving consistently over the past few years [Rocha]. The latter may have been favorable to returning immigrants who would improve their chances of getting established as business owners or of finding positions in the construction industry or putting to good use their other acquired qualifications. Many people were convinced that the positive economy indicators in Brazil may have translated into better opportunities for them and their families in the long run [Pina].

According to Fausto da Rocha, an executive director of the Brazilian Immigration Center based in Allston, MA, it is estimated that about 3,000 Brazilians headed back home in 2006 and about 5,000 to 7,000 in 2007. “In Brazil the economy is booming. There are 160, 000 new jobs being created every month and the cost to live in the United States is too high”, says Rocha. The reality is that the cost of living in America has increased dramatically over the past few years which has made life more difficult for both documented and undocumented immigrants alike [Ballou]. Brazilian consul general in Boston, Mario Saade, also agrees with the fact that a number of people have left the country and one explanation for that trend may be the failure of the immigration reform bill in 2007 combined with a stable Brazilian economy [Ballou].

Even though there is no statistically significant evidence which would validate the claim of a Brazilian Exodus, different sources such as, the Brazilian consulate, immigration and church officials, business owners and many professionals in the service industry, in and around the Boston area, all agree that such migratory reversal phenomenon has in fact occurred. Their daily experience and interaction with large numbers of people from the Brazilian community over the years has made this apparent.

One factor which has contributed to the discouragement felt by Brazilians living in the Framingham area, and may have contributed to the decision for some to leave the country, is the fact that there is a widespread anti-illegal sentiment among some groups of individuals in the community. For one reason or another people seem to be bothered with the overwhelming Brazilian presence in the area. According to Ms.Ilma Paixao, a Brazilian American Association Head based in Framingham, these groups are set out to intimidate the Brazilians not just because of their residence status but mainly because of their success. “As long as we Brazilians were just cleaning houses or working with construction, no one seemed to mind” says Paixao, as reported by NPR radio staff, Jennifer Ludden in coverage on Brazilian Immigrants in October, 2005 [Ludden].

Due to the fact that many of new immigrants send money back home to support their families, the devaluation of the dollar also played a role in the decision for many to return home. According to Francisco Neto of Marlborough in an interview with the Globe in 2008 [Ballou], the decline of the dollar has cut in half the value of the money he sent home on a monthly basis. He estimated that in 2003 the $700 he wired to his family was worth 2,450 Brazilian reais and as of as January 2008 that amount was cut down to 1,225 reais [Ballou]. By today’s exchange rate, that same 700 dollars would be worth 1,238 reais. These numbers show that for the past two years there has not been any significant change in the dollar value. The exchange rate for the Brazilian Real was last updated on April 2, 2010 by The International Monetary Fund. [CoinMill]

Any immigrant who lands in the United States without proper authorization papers will face harsh conditions here because number one, he or she cannot roam freely looking for work throughout the city and two, he has to forget his area of expertise and accept whatever he is offered for at least some time in order to survive. In most cases those people rely on the various connections they may have and will do a lot of activities that the mainstream population would naturally refuse to do.

Those activities may include, house cleaning, work in restaurant kitchens, nursing homes, construction and landscaping. Most of those working illegally accept that they are here just passing through and they make every effort to save every penny in order to secure a better condition back home. They are usually uneasy and live with the expectation that at any point they may be caught by the police at a routine traffic incident and eventually end up detained and deported by immigration authorities. That is likely the profile of most Brazilian people who have left the country.

The population of Brazilian people in Massachusetts is not entirely made up of illegal immigrants. According to the 2000 census, there was a population of 212,636 Brazilian people living in the United States at the time, which represented 0.7 % of the entire foreign-born population of 31 million [Lima]. That number, of course, did not take into account a large number of Brazilians that may have neglected to respond to the census. It is however a measure which demonstrates the presence of the Brazilian population in the State of Massachusetts, even today.

According to the census Brazilians contributed more than $ 1 billion to the regional product in their annual spending and over $ 295 million in state and federal taxes. That includes the revenue collected from a large number of undocumented immigrants who are unable to claim a return because in most cases they do not have a valid social security number. Such contributions translate into more than 9,500 indirect jobs for the local economy. Brazilian businesses also account for annual sales of more than $ 272 million and directly employ 2,756 people and create another 1,756 indirect jobs [Lima].

Economics is usually the single most important factor driving a sequence of events to take place. Tougher immigration policies, lack of opportunities and a declining local economy added to other difficulties forced many newcomers to reassess their situation. Many reached the conclusion that it was not worth continuing to live under those circumstances. Also, because the majority of these people did not really have time to create roots here, it become easier for them to decide to go back as they wished. In the end the economy very soon will become stable again and a few thousand people leaving the country today will very soon be replaced by other people determined to live the “American Dream” at any cost.

Work Cited

Pina, Michael. “Once Eager for U.S., Brazilians Going Home.” Posted Aug 20 2008.
Gate House News Service. http://www.wickedlocal.com/woburn/news/x1669088191/Once- eager-For- U-S-Brazilians-going-home

Ballou, Brian R. “Hardships in Massachusetts spur Brazilian Exodus”, posted Jan 8 2008.
Boston.Com
(Maria Sacchetti of the Globe staff contributed to this report).
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/01/08/hardships_in_mass_spur_brazilian_exodus/?

Elizondo, Gabriel. “Living the American Dream in Brazil.” Posted Aug 2008. Al Jajeera.net.
http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/2008/08/200881884358873790.html

Mineo, Liz. “Brazilians Getting One-way Ticket Home” posted Sep 30 2007. Wicked Local
Framingham.
http://www.wickedlocal.com/framingham/homepage/x428370669Wikipedia,

Wikipedia. “Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007”.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comprehensive_Immigration_Reform_Act_of_2007

Ludden, Jennifer. “Brazilian Immigrants Face Anger in Boston”, posted October 23, 2005.
npr.org,
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4970801

CoinMill.com - The Currency Converter, Brazilian Reais (BRL) and United States Dollars
(USD) Currency Exchange Rate Conversion Calculator,
http://coinmill.com/BRL_USD.html#USD=700

Lima, Alvaro. “Brazilians in the U.S. and Massachusetts: A Demographic and Economic Profile”
Posted November 2007. The Mauricio Gaston Institute, University of Massachusetts Boston
http://www.gaston.umb.edu/articles/Lima_&_Siquiera_demo_braz_2008.pdf

Moral Development and the Concept of Right and Wrong

noreply@blogger.com (Aramintas Couto) — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 02:30:00 +0000

Morality describes the principles that govern our behavior. It is such a complex issue because its development lies on a variety of factors such as gender, culture, religion, government systems and ethnic background. In principle, it is an important aspect of our lives because it impacts the choices we make in our everyday life. As we strive to survive in a world of growing complexity we are constantly faced with the question of morality. As part of society where we have to live by a set of rules, we learn to adjust our expectations based on a model of conformity to these rules. Such rules are important because they are intended to ensure impartial treatment and harmony among all people. In short, morality has to do with fairness and survival in a world of many conflicts and ruled by indifference.

Lawrence Kohlberg, a Psychology professor in both Chicago University and Harvard University specialized in research on moral education and reasoning, created the theory of stages of moral development. According to Kohlberg, moral development sustains that moral reasoning, the basis of ethical behavior, has three levels of two identifiable developmental stages each. He determined that the process of moral development was mainly concerned with justice, and that it continued throughout the individual’s lifetime.

During the Pre-Conventional level the children would associate right or wrong based on whether they are rewarded or punished. In stage one moral development is defined by obedience and punishment orientation in which the child reasons about how he can avoid being punished. In stage two he guides his moral choices towards satisfying his needs.
At the conventional level the adolescent defines right behavior as that which pleases or helps others and is approved by them. A recognition of what makes a good citizen and the importance of looking up to authority are some of the various abstract social virtues incorporated to them in mid-adolescence stage. Both forms of moral reasoning require an ability to think abstractly about values such as “duty” and “social order”.

The Post conventional level of moral reasoning pushes the individual into a more deeply abstract form of thought. He reasons about the meaning of abstract principles such as “justice”, “freedom” and “equality”. At that point the individual has more solid moral standards to decide what is right and wrong. He realizes then, about the gaps which exists in what he views as morally acceptable and what society has determined to be legal.

In a large sense, teaching morality is quite challenging because each person lives by different values and has a different view of what morality is, depending of his or her environment and upbringing. But individuals can be conditioned to develop a certain pattern of behavior to reflect the code of ethics of his parents and the environment he belongs to. Some of the core values and beliefs that a given person acquires in early childhood and through their teenage years are preserved throughout his lifetime. At a young age, the individual will learn from his parents his first lessons of “right and wrong” and “should and should not” and it does not take long before he perceives the consequences of choice and behavior. As he grows through his teenage years and reaches adulthood, he develops awareness and concern with the larger society and reasons more abstractly about right and wrong.

One can imagine how chaotic societies would have become if we did not have to abide by certain principles. Without such a sense of order, chaos and conflict would have resulted and we would be left to our own devices and desires. Without such a sense of control, the strongest individuals would have destroyed the less privileged in order for themselves to benefit. Since early years in history of civilization, man has adopted rules meant to ensure fair play and provide individuals with certain basic protection. Societies have adopted codes of ethics in order to create an environment of mutual respect among its citizens. That increases the odds of individual’s survival and the integrity of the group.

We find ourselves constantly debating the subject of morality as advancements in technology and scientific knowledge become bolder. Some of the topics that become increasingly conflicting are: genetic research, abortion, fertility methods, sexuality, ecological conservation, racism, euthanasia, warfare, drug use and human rights, just to name a few. Establishing boundaries for moral behavior have become even more challenging as human choices and responsibilities have grown dramatically over the years in response to growing scientific developments. This is so because the human mind has not been able to process all the new information with the same speed with which it is presented. Besides, we humans are naturally fearful of what is different and act conservatively in regard to change.

Morality exists to gauge and standardize our behavior. It has to do with the survival of the species. We can discuss the validity of various people's ideas of morality, but the underlying reason for morality is to provide society with order and stability. Morality tells us that it is not acceptable to kill people simply for the sake of killing. Morality protects a person's right to his possessions. If there were no morality, then people would be free to do as they wish which could mean that some would not be stopped from committing crimes such as, stealing, murdering or raping. Society would succumb and eventually cease to exist if there was no establishment of rules or order as a result of our morality.

Computer Science Sets the Pace for Advancements in the Area of Medicine

noreply@blogger.com (Aramintas Couto) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 05:11:00 +0000

It is a fact that computers have caused many changes in every aspect of our lives. In the areas of Life Science and the Health Care industry the utilization of computer applications has created a major impact on the way the work is performed in labs, clinics and hospitals all over the country. Powerful computer applications have played important roles in ongoing research projects such as Genome and Stem Cell. These projects may lead to treatments or even cure of certain health conditions which have challenged the scientific community for years.

Thanks also to computer sciences many innovations in the Health Care Industry have helped to reduce operational costs and increased efficiency on different fronts. [1] The use of computer applications has definitely changed the way professionals look at human biology and health care over the years.

The utilization of software applications has made it possible for scientists to develop new approaches in order to target diseases in a much more aggressive manner. The contribution of computers is vital and it extends from the work performed by technicians at the lab bench, all the way to the medical clinics and emergency rooms. With the use of applications, professionals have been able to identify and address issues in a way that had not been possible decades ago. One effect of all the technological growth in recent years is that life expectancy has increased significantly as people have managed to live longer than ever before.
A great accomplishment in Life Sciences in recent years, which would not have been possible without the use of computers, is the genome project. The benefits that mankind stands to gain as a result of that study are immeasurable. The Human Genome Project’s goal is to elucidate the information that makes up the genetic blueprint of human beings. It consists of sequencing the chemical bases of DNA and subsequently storing that information in a database for future scientific references. The information from this database will be used over time by the scientific community to target diseases which have puzzled scientific minds for decades. In order to compile the genome database, powerful software applications have been used to perform complex mathematical operations in various phases of the process. [2]

Stem Cell Research is still in its preliminary stages. Despite all of the controversies raised over the subject, the scientific community strongly believes that stem cell therapy has great potential to revolutionize the way human diseases are treated in the future. Medical researchers are excited about the prospect of using technologies derived from stem cell research to treat diseases like cancer, Parkinson’s, spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis and a number of other debilitating illnesses. [3] At this time, there are a number of projects in progress and some cell therapy already exists despite the widespread uncertainty about the social and ethical challenges. Companies like StemSoft Software Inc. have an important role behind the scenes as it provides software solutions and technical support to organizations and physicians in order to meet the clinical and research high standards. [5]

The Stem Cell Studies would be virtually impossible if it was not for the use of computers. According to Mike Wininger, a graduate student from Rutgers University who had been involved in Graduate studies in Asia, “Merging statistical pattern recognition and computer vision to cell imaging, I am addressing the problem of cell sorting with novel quantitative methods. By processing hundreds of cell images and extracting salient parameters of cell size, morphology and structure, I seek to rigorously and objectively determine a stem cell's status…” [4].

I have been working with biopharmaceutical research and development activities for the past sixteen years. The scope of my work encompasses the use of microorganisms as hosts to produce certain proteins which will be used in vaccine formulation. I participate in the preliminary stage of the process where the final product will eventually end up being injected into humans. In order to guarantee the success of the whole operation, people in my group have to work in synergy with other groups and we all rely heavily on computers to make our product. Most of the instruments I use in the lab have a built in computer which perform a specific task during the process. Some examples of such instruments are spectrophotometers, pH and conductivity meters, centrifuges and biochemistry analyzers. Each instrument will help me monitor the culture and build a profile of the cell growth.

The Health Care Industry has also benefited in many ways due to computer availability. Electronic medical record systems allow medical practices to manage all the information collected for their patients electronically, therefore protecting the safety of the information and improving the efficiency of medical practice. [1] [2] Implementation of electronic medical records has contributed to the reduction of organization operational expenses by eliminating in-house and off-site storage costs, as it drastically reduced the amount of paperwork generated for patients. It cut down the cost of buying paper for keeping records and paper for making copies. It also eliminated potential confusion related to interpreting professional’s handwritten instructions and it reduced the amount of people utilized to perform cumbersome tasks.

The internet has been a continuous source of information and diagnostic resources for physicians. It also has helped patients gain a better understanding of his/her health condition as people get more engaged in reading about health issues pertaining to them. Reference databases such as MEDLINE and Stat Ref. as well as drug databases have proven to be great resources for doctors and health professionals. Doctors will refer to these reference databases to make sure they choose the appropriate medication, correct dosage and avoid drug interaction. But despite all of these developments in Health care, there is still a lot that must be accomplished. [7]

President Obama’s stimulus package is putting aside $29 billion for health care technology and the development of electronic healthcare records. It is believed that doctors will be more empowered to make decisions when it comes to diagnosis and subsequent treatment of a given health condition if they have a more centralized system in which they can access every bit of information pertaining to a patient’s health history, according to NextGen, a Health Care Information System company which has offices in different states. [6] It is evident that the new stimulus bill will help every physician in America to burst their IT capabilities and that may translate into providing better care to patients all around the country.

Computer Information Technology has revolutionized the Biomedicine and Health Care industries and has caused a major impact for human quality of life over the past few decades. Besides being a great ally in the fight against life threatening diseases, computers also have contributed enormously as a diagnostic and prevention tool. With the help of computers, new systems have been implemented to make the work of scientists, doctors and health care professionals more dynamic and efficient.

Works Cited

[1] Illinois Institute of Technology, http://www.iit.edu/~marajos/CS485/project/emr.html
[2] Educational Facilities of the Michael Smith Labs, The University of British Columbia, www.bioteach.ubc.ca/human-genome-project-biology-and-computers-together/
[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stem_cell#Treatments
[4] Mike Wininger, National Science Foundation, http://www.nsf.gov/discoveries/disc_summ.jsp?cntn_id=111169&org=DGE
[5] http://www.stemsoft.com/.
[6] NEXTGEN, Health Information System, http://www.nextgen.com/stimulus/?_kk=healthcare%20stimulus&_kt=011447d5-3d26-4083-8b55-b1f4a52a043b&gclid=CPf3vuDnk5oCFUpM5Qodn3MnNA
[7] Computer Concepts, June Jamrich Parsons/ Dan Oja, 11th Edition.

Discrimination, the Basis for Denial of Basic Rights of Minority Groups

noreply@blogger.com (Aramintas Couto) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 13:22:00 +0000

Throughout the history of civilization, different groups of people have had the need to migrate to new locations in search of better resources. For ancient men that could mean finding a place where they could hunt and work the land to produce the means to satisfy their basic needs.While this phenomenon could be prompted by harsh conditions of their natural environment, other antagonistic forces like war and religious and ideological differences have been a major factor for those migratory motions to occur. [1 Univ. of Calgary]
Even though these migratory movements happen for a legit cause from the prospective of the individual or groups who migrate, they are historically faced with hostility by native inhabitants. Natives may see the newcomer as a potential threat to their freedoms.

Despite societal advancements throughout the centuries, humans carry a trait of resisting what is different and can be dominated by fear that a newcomer may influence their environment in a negative light and deplete their resources. [2 Doherty].

Because this country has a long history of being very ethnically diverse, discrimination has been a reason for tension and overtime prejudice has become the basis for the denial of basic rights for minority groups. [3 Helpme]

The United States of America is a nation made up of immigrants. People from every corner of the globe have continuously landed here in search of freedom and certain opportunities to improve their life standards. Most people came here willingly; however, some were forcibly drawn into slavery, such as Africans and Native Americans.

The 1920’s marked the boiling point in which discrimination was openly expressed and subsequently caused a lot of tension. Minority groups suffered most at the hands of those concerned with preserving the long established White Anglo-Saxon Protestant (W.A.S.P.) values that were an integral part of American life at the time. [3 Helpme]

African Americans were the most discriminated group through the act of segregation; however, other ethnic groups suffered with such policies as well. People from these groups were separated from whites in most public places, including restaurants, trains, parks, theaters and even cemeteries. [3Helpme]

African and Native Americans were the ones who suffered the most hardship due to discrimination. African’s came here as slaves for southern plantation owners and Native American’s was stripped from their own habitat and relocated to secluded reservation areas in result of the greedy white man driven westward in search of wealth.

African American’s lived in moments of hope after the Civil War and the ratification of the 13th amendment which freed them from the hands of the southern masters. Unfortunately, the political power and social protection condition envisioned by the black people never materialized and the cycle of discrimination and fear continued.

Criminal organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan and the Knights of the White Camellia conspired to maintain an environment of oppression and fear among black people for years. Those organized groups targeted the few who started to succeed in the climb of the social ladder in an attempt to discourage others from following the same path.

Black people were forced to keep to their “rightful place” meaning the very bottom of the social ladder and stripped from any basic rights, just like the Native Americans. Blacks were subjected to segregation and kept from the political scene by not being allowed to vote. Many civil rights advocates were threatened and in many instances ended up being lynched.

The civil rights bill was passed by congress in 1866 under which discrimination against black people was made illegal by the constitution. That was a starting point for blacks to pursue other rights as citizens.[4 Everything2]

The Gilded Age and westward expansion was marked by a lot of corrupt politics, exploitive businesses, social inequalities and Indian genocide.[5 American History Notes]. Millions of indigenous people were massacred and others driven away by settlers who moved west in search of gold and other opportunities.

Eventually, the remaining groups surrendered and were confined to reservations which they considered prisons. Stripped from their basic rights and dignity, their only hope was to one day be able to go back to where they came from and live the kind of life they once had before the white man came into the scene. [6 Foner, p.30]

During a speech made to dignitaries including President Rutherford Hayes, Chief Joseph, the leader of Nez Perce Indians tried to convince the authorities to grant his people freedom by allowing them to go back to where they came from.

”…When I think of our condition of my heart is heavy. I see my men of my race treated as outlaws and driven from country to country, or shot down as animals”,…”we only ask an even chance to live as other men live. We ask to be recognized as men. We ask that the same law shall work alike on all men…Let me be a free man” [7 Foner p.33].

One difficulty in granting Chief Joseph’s request is that freedom from the Native American standpoint conflicted tremendously with white man interests and Chief Joseph died without ever seeing his people set free from the conditions in which he considered the same as those of a prison. [6 Foner p.30]

One ethnic group which experienced harsh acts of discrimination is Asian Americans. They did not take full advantage of the expansion of rights resulting from the Civil War and Reconstruction according to Frederick Douglass, an Equal Rights Activist who advocated for the Asian American population. “ There are clouds, wind, smoke and dust and noise, over head and around and there will always be; but no genuine thunder, with destructive bolt, menaces from any quarter of the sky…I want a home here not only for the negro, the mullato or the Latin races; but I want the Asiatic to find a home here in the United States, and feel at home here, both for his sake and for ours”, said Douglass in his 1869 speech in which he challenged the social observers and politicians by condemning anti-Asian discrimination acts and advocated for the acceptance of Chinese immigrants into the mainstream American life. [8 Foner, p.20] [9 Black Past]

In 1882 Chinese immigrants were barred from entering the United States temporarily by the Chinese Exclusion Act, a United States Federal Law. [10 Foner, p.68]That caused a big reaction among Chinese advocates. Some critics of the law considered it as nothing less than the legalization of racial discrimination. [11 Wikipedia] Saum Song Bo, a Chinese-American writer contrasted the treatment his group was receiving with the celebration of liberty which took place after the United Stated received the Statue of Liberty from the French as a gift to the American People. [10 Foner, p.68]

“Liberty is holding a torch which lights the passage of those of all nations who come into this country. But are the Chinese allowed to come? As for the Chinese who are here, are they allowed to enjoy liberty as men of all other nationality enjoy it? Are they allowed to go about everywhere free from insults, abuses, assaults, wrongs, and injuries from which men of other nationalities are free?” [10 Foner, p.69], said Bo in a tone of protest against the government’s measure.

It is understandable the frustration the Chinese-American felt with regard to the government’s decision to stop Chinese immigration. On the other hand, the government was concerned with the growing numbers of Chinese immigrants gathering in the cities as the gold rush was over. Many of them were forced to move to the urban areas of West Coast cities and compete with locals for job opportunities which were already scarce even before the Chinese workers started to arrive.

During the twentieth century, the United States was the epicenter of immigration as millions of people from Europe, Asia and Latin America landed here in search of opportunities. Among these newcomers there were approximately one million Mexicans who crossed the border with the vision that they would find the solution to their problems in the United States. [12 Foner, p.82]

No matter what the driving force was which led to the phenomenon of migration, it seams that economics have always been a key factor to motivate people. Economics has led masses of people to come to America. The majority of the people who came here in search of opportunities could hardly anticipate the dimension of obstacles they would face in order to make their dreams come true. Immigrants have always been the subject of prejudice and faced difficult times while attempting to participate in the mainstream of American life regardless of background.

Racial prejudice has always existed and it will never go away as long as distinct groups occupy a common geographic space. Prejudice rests in a prejudgment based on ethnical background, color of skin, religion, without any knowledge of any relevant information about the person’s character and behavior. In article 97, Frederick Douglas, an advocate for Asian-American rights points out in his “Composite Nation” speech that, “…In any struggle the good things of this world they (White Americans) need to have no fear. They have no need to doubt that they will get their full share. But I reject the arrogant and scornful theory by which they would limit migratory rights, or any other essential human rights to themselves, and which would make them the owners of this great continent to the exclusion of all other races of men”. [8 Foner p.24].

Many government laws have been created to discourage the public display of discriminatory acts. Still there is a tendency for certain races to look down on other cultures and position themselves as superior. There is a tendency, however, that an educated mind is less likely to underestimate the abilities of a person to attain success in life based purely on his physical make up or where he came from.

It took many generations for most people in this country to reach the consensus that all races of the world have equal possibilities for achieving the highest level in intellectual, social, economic, cultural and political development provided they are presented with the right opportunities. Racial differences are entirely attributable to geographical, historical, political, economic, social and cultural factors and they have to be respected. History has proven that exclusion is wrong and it represents a setback for any society.

During the period of this country’s formation and development prejudice was quite a common occurrence, especially in the 1920’s. Minority groups suffered tremendously from prejudice especially from those who wanted to preserve the old and traditional WASP values. Eventually laws were made to attenuate this grave problem and slowly minority groups started finding their place in this society.

Although discrimination still exists to this day, people are more discrete and likely to come to terms when faced with conflict related to social and racial differences. This is, in part, because the laws of this country protect individuals from any discrimination acts.

Citizens are given equal opportunity to flourish as human beings and participate in the country’s business provided that the individual does not take illegal shortcuts in order to accomplish his goals.

The United Stated is a highly diversified nation formed by people from many different cultures. The opportunities that immigrants find here are unmatched by any other nation. As I look back in history and reflect on the conditions of early immigrants and ethnic groups, I have to recognize that despite all of the controversies and difficulties, this was and still is the land of opportunity for millions of people who have taken the risk and made America their home. [13 Foner, p.132]

Work Cited

[1Univ. of Calgary], University of Calgary, “Early Migration to the Americas”, www.ucalgary.ca/applied_history/tutor/migrations/

[2Doherty], James H. Doherty, “The Historical Roots of Discrimination”, http://www.humanrights-germany.org/print/issues/eng/ethn/page03.htm

[3Helpme],"Racial Discrimination in America During the 1920's." 123HelpMe.com. 18 Apr 2009.

[4Everything2], “African American and Native American discrimination from 1864 to 1954”, http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1463139,

[5American History Notes], “The Gilded Age”, http://www.stegen.k12.mo.us/tchrpges/sghs/mruch/WestwardExpansionandtheGi ldedAge.htm

[6 Foner, p.30], Chief Joseph, “An Indian’s View of Indian Affairs” (1879) America’s Gilded Age, 1870-1890, Eric Foner, Article 99, p.30

[7Foner, p. 33], Chief Joseph, “An Indian’s View of Indian Affairs” (1879), Eric Foner, Voices of Freedom, Article 99, p.33

[8 Foner, p.20], Frederick Douglas, “The Composite Nation” (1869); Voices of Freedom, Eric Foner, Voices of Freedom, Article 97, p.20

[9 Black Past], BlackPast.org, http://www.blackpast.org/?q=1869-frederick-douglass-describes-composite-nation
[10 Foner, p.68], Saum Song Bo, Chinese-American Protest, from American Missionary (1885), Eric Foner, Voices of Freedom, Article 108, p.68

[11 Wikipedia], Chinese Exclusion Act, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Exclusion_Act

[12 Foner, p.82], Manuel Gamio, “Manuel Gamio on a Mexican-American Family and American Freedom (ca.1926); Voices of Freedom, Eric Foner, Voices of Freedom, Article 112, p.82

[13Foner, p.132], Randolph Bourne, “Trans-National America” (1916), Eric Foner, Voices of Freedom, Article 123, p.132

The Concept of Free Speech and the Internet Environment

noreply@blogger.com (Aramintas Couto) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 13:51:00 +0000

As part of a free society, citizens are left to their own decisions and have the choice to do whatever they please, as long as they do not break the law or interfere with someone else’s liberties. Despite the perception that in a liberal society we are free to express ourselves in a very open manner, we still have to abide by certain rules and be cautious not to interfere with other people’s privacy.

The same rule applies for free speech. A citizen is not really free to say whatever comes to mind without taking into consideration the fact that other people may be offended by such remarks. One thing one should keep in perspective is the fact that there are always consequences resulted from our actions.

In regard to free speech on the internet it gets even more complicated because the Web offers a vast array of ideas based on different cultural values, religious beliefs and social differences. When we put all these elements together what we see is a head on collision with the concept of free speech. Such conflict quite often results in some kind of censorship. [1]

Each human being has a unique way of expressing his perception of the world. Depending on the context of one’s ideas and the material exposed on the Web, he may be restricted in certain areas to protect the viewer’s interests and values. Three countries that have such strict rules about what can be viewed on the internet are China, Saudi Arabia and Ira.

“The Great Firewall” of China is a typical example of how strict the government can be in regard to the subject of free speech. “There are Internet police in China. They have websites, lots of them. They engage in law enforcement duties. They also investigate websites. It is also, in my view, safe to assume that they investigate and arrest dissidents…” says Nart Villeneuve, Internet Censorship Explorer. [4]

In both, Ira and Saudi Arabia, there is a concern on the part of authorities that immoral material content from the Western world may reach its citizen’s homes and that represents a serious threat to the Islam traditions [2]. Besides those three countries, Australia is known to have the most restrictive Internet Censorship regulations among the Western world countries.

One of the greatest concerns in the US is the danger of exposing children to pornography. In that regard, the parents play an important role in preventing their children from being exposed to such materials. [1][2][3]. There are many ways in which the implementation of Web censorship can take place. The most widely used methods are through firewalls, Internet filters, blocking, PNS Poisoning and Internet zoning.

Censorship can happen at different levels. Parents may restrict their children from viewing certain material which they consider inappropriate. Government agencies can block certain pages they consider to be a national security risk.

A growing number of people have become increasingly unsatisfied as they reinforce that Web censorship “ignores free-speech rights and violates the civil liberties of internet users” over the years [1]. I realize that when so many different cultures, beliefs, and ideas cross the line in this vast environment which makes up the Web, it is unavoidable to compromise freedom and free speech.

I personally believe that the internet is a great tool but it needs to be used wisely considering the vast array of options presented to me. In regard to free speech I am always entitled to express my ideas freely as long as I obey certain rules.

I find it important to give careful consideration to proper use of language or imagery to avoid present and future annoyances. Despite the internet being considered a great vehicle for exchanging of ideas, one will always have to deal with the fact that free speech has its boundaries and it could mean different things for different people.

Work Cited

[1] http://www.infoweblinks.com/content/webcensorship.hml, Infoweblinks, “web censorship”
[2] Infoweblinks, “china finds freedom behind great wall”[3] http://opennet.net/studies/saudi, Infowebliks “internet filtering saudi arabia in 2004”[4] http://www.nartv.org/2005/07/13/why-exaggerate/, Nart Villeneuve

Who's Stealing my Signal?

noreply@blogger.com (Aramintas Couto) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 23:05:00 +0000

Wi-Fi technology has made it possible for a growing number of people to gain access to the internet for free as long as a laptop with an 802.11b or Wi-Fi network card is installed and positioned within 300 feet of the broadcast location.

Many hotspots scattered all over the major cities in the US have made it possible for people to access the internet from places like airports, conference rooms, lounges and cafes.

Hotspots have also found their place in suburban areas where many residents are unable to afford the main NSP's (Network Service Providers) charges. Free WLAN’s can be established as long as a computer is set up to transmit the signal to nearby wireless units.

The broadcaster pays for the high speed or DSL signal from a NSP’s and then retransmit it with the help of specific software. This kind of behavior has raised some concern among the main NSP's who do not agree with that approach and refer to such free services as “parasitic networks”. However, the broadcasters claim they do it purely to help people within their communities who can not afford the high service charges.

NYC Wireless, one of the groups who broadcast the internet signal, rebuffs the allegation made by some NSP’s and bristles at the term “parasitic networking”. They point out that the high access rate charges applied by the service providers are the true parasites. NSP’s such as Verizon, AT&T, Time Warner and others feel they have been taken advantage of and sustain that those networking groups are violating service agreements and they have become more forthcoming in cracking down on those networking groups by seeking legal action against them in an effort to try to stop their work.

Besides New York City, there are 20 free internet access points in Seattle and many others scattered all over the country. Coffee retailer Starbucks is one of the groups that has increased its rollout of Wi-Fi hot spots as this appears to be a commodity which helps to attract more customers to the business.

Most free network groups do not see benefits in the work they are providing at the present moment; however there is a potential they will do better in the future as they seek for nonprofit organization status with the government. As a nonprofit organization they can legally establish fundraising programs in order to cover the operation expenses.

According to John Patrick, former IBM vice-president of internet technology, “The advent of Wi-Fi is about to change all of our lives in a major and positive way. I will go further. Wi-Fi is one of those grassroots phenomena that will soon become as ubiquitous as the PC itself. The latest laptops have Wi-Fi antennas built into the lids, while the wireless access points, which send and receive the Wi-Fi signals, now cost less than $100. The issues, which are many including security and privacy, business models the scalability of the infrastructure. Looking back at how the internet evolved from the early years there are many similarities with what is going on at this early Wi-Fi stage. The emergence of the Wi-Fi is a grassroots trend that is irreversible”.

While WLAN’s offers the commodity for people to use the internet for free at specific locations, it also requires that the user takes extra security measures as a result of going wireless. There is always a concern that hackers may be using the signal to gain access to one’s computer and steal confidential information.

It seems that free WLAN’s movement is picking up fast as more people are becoming adept to the idea despite all the controversy with the big network companies. While operators are now working under the radar of most consumers and wireless providers, the trend poses questions for those seeking to charge for a service that these volunteer organizations see as essential as water.

Software Piracy and its Consequences

noreply@blogger.com (Aramintas Couto) — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 17:17:00 +0000

As the software industry has become more diverse and sophisticated over the years, it has played a significant part in adding value to companies and individuals alike. The use of software applications has revolutionized our world in many ways as they have been used as critical tools to accomplish the most simple tasks to the most complex operations in daily life. The use of software has also helped individuals and companies manage their time more efficiently.

Thus, as software industry grows every individual who makes use of their applications, whether for business or for pleasure, benefits from it. While most people respect and abide contract agreements for the applications they use, there are those who just ignore its clauses of copyright protection and violate the laws therefore committing the act of piracy, despite the benefits available to them.
According to SIIA, an anti-Piracy organization, industry loses about $11 or $12 billion each year due to piracy. About $2 billion of that comes from North America. Piracy rates have reached 25% of sold applications in the US. That means that for every four copies of software, one is acquired illegally. SIIA fights fiercely against acts of piracy based on agreements it has with US and foreign country governments. According to SIIA, Asia hosts the greatest number of individuals who engage in piracy acts.

Despite efforts on the part of interested parties and tough government legislation, the problem of piracy is far from being eliminated. There is an alarming number of people out there who do not hesitate engaging themselves in such acts regardless of the consequences it may incur. More still needs to be done by law makers, software industry and developers in order to discourage the cycle of breaking copyright protection laws.

People have different motivations for taking the risk and engaging in piracy acts. Those who copy software from a friend for his own use are as guilty as those who copy it with the intention of illegally reselling and profiting from it. Software piracy is just one aspect of copyright infringement. There is a wide range of products which are indiscriminately reproduced and sold in the market as if they were the original brand.

Using, reproducing or profiting from an intellectual property without an abiding agreement is considered illegal. According to SIIA.net, “Anyone who uses, copies, distributes, or displays (in whole or in part) someone else’s copyrighted content without authorization may be violating the owner’s copyright rights. Such violations can result in a lawsuit and money damages, and in some cases, criminal prosecution with jail time”.

Software piracy is considered theft and those caught in the act of piracy should be held accountable. In order to prevent that kind of crime, software companies should be more proactive and take some responsibility as well. By releasing a more affordable version of their products people may be discouraged from making copies and selling them for profit. The way things are the software piracy problem is far from being controlled. It not only harms the developing companies which may fall short from its projected revenues but also consumers who rely on such products to execute their projects. As those companies become limited in their resources, they may be forced to cut their research efforts and compromise the quality of their products.

Tracking Technology and Privacy

noreply@blogger.com (Aramintas Couto) — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 10:30:00 +0000

There are many tracking devices imbedded in a vast array of products that we consume nowadays of which everyone may not be aware of. Such products can range from cars to cell phones and even children’s toys and food. Most of those items carry tracking applications for different purposes such as to provide statistical data, manage inventory and to monitor geographical positioning among others.

While many of those applications are used for legitimate reasons, they can potentially be instrumental for abusive uses and act against public interest. It is undeniable that many such technologies offer, to some extent, a certain commodity to consumers and to organizations alike; however, there is a great danger that they may eventually be used by unscrupulous organizations or individuals to invade people’s privacy and even commit criminal acts. The question is to what extent those technologies will be beneficial or detrimental to the general public.

According to an article on howstuffworks, “Some of the current technologies being used to create location-tracking and location-based systems include: a) Geographical Information Systems (GIS), used for large scale location-tracking systems integrates hardware, software, and data for capturing, managing, analyzing, and displaying all forms of geographically referenced information. GIS is most often associated with a map [1]; b) Global Positioning Systems (GPS), facilitated by a constellation of 24 to 32 orbiting satellites are used to send microwave signals to GPS receivers on earth’s surface. An individual receiver picks up to those sources with a considerably small margin of error. c) Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). Those are thin battery-less microchip which can be attached to just about any surface such as, vehicles, cattle, consumer goods, and literally any moving object with the purpose of tracking its geographic location as it moves around; d) Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) are devices which use frequency such as 802.11b”.

Most commonly, one or more technologies are converged to create one product. An example of that is a system called OnStar developed by GM which utilizes GPS and mobile telephone systems. A new feature of the product permits the safe recovery of a vehicle by authorities in case it is stolen. A law enforcement agent will be able to send a signal and cut the engine power off and the vehicle will slow down until it comes to a complete stop. That ensures a safe recovery and prevents dangerous chases according to Onstar Developers.

“Some inconveniences about tracking technologies is that when chips being embedded in your ID cards, your clothes, your possessions, you are effectively broadcasting who you are to anyone within range, the level of surveillance possible, not only by the government but by corporations and criminals as well, will be unprecedented. There simply will be no place to hide”, says Bruce Schneier, a security expert at Counterpane Internet security, Inc.

There are many ways in which abusive use of tracking technology can take place. Wiretapping may be a classical way to follow a person’s footsteps. But the internet has become very popular to that end as well. The use of spiderware and adware which are cookies obscurely deployed to gain access to one’s computer and relay information about the user’s routine to a third party, are examples of that. The cell phone combined with GPS can potentially be used with the malicious purpose to tracking someone’s whereabouts without the person’s knowledge.

A behavior which may be viewed as abusive consists of implementing RFID to monitor the performance and conduct of employees in the workplace. What follows is a quote from an article published at law.bepress.com by William A.Herbert, Deputy Chair and Council for the New York State Public Employment Relations Board, in which he expresses his concern about such measures:

“Various federal and state laws have been proposed and enacted to place restrictions on both governmental and private use of human tracking technology. Increasingly, public and private employers are utilizing human tracking devices to monitor employee movement and conduct. Due to the propensity of American labor law to give greater weight to employer property interests over most employee privacy expectations, there are few current limitations on the use of human tracking in employment”

Even though new technologies continuously open up a large array of possibilities for consumers, it is inevitable that it will also bring new ethnical and safety concerns for society. Tracking technology is not different and despite the fact that it has proven to be useful and may be used for justifiable reasons, it also poses a threat to individual privacy and integrity as some applications may be used for dubious purposes. As these applications get more sophisticated, we as a society may have to revisit and redefine the meaning of privacy as we could more often become an element of interest in illegimate data plots.

How About Trying a Cup of Kopi Kuwak for a Change?

noreply@blogger.com (Aramintas Couto) — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 22:59:00 +0000

As a person of habit I do not miss an opportunity to have a cup of hot coffee in the morning. As I can not always have the luxury to sip my “cafezinho brasileiro” (the Brazilian version of the espresso coffee) I settle for a café latte from Starbucks or a Panera Bread hazelnut coffee. As much as I enjoy the black stuff pure or combined with milk, I would definitely live without it if I found one day that I would have to pay as much as fifty bucks a cup, or about seven hundred per pound. Somehow, based on the cost factor alone I would not be able to enjoy coffee as much as I do now.

There is more to it than just pricing. One particular product is called Kopi Kuwak, an exotic coffee produced on the Islands of Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi in Indonesia. What makes it so special is the way it is processed. The ripest and the reddest Arabica coffee berries are eaten by an animal called the Asian Palm Civet, which lives in tree tops and is commonly found in that region. The berries pass through the animal’s digestive system and are easily broken down by the action of acids and other enzymatic factors. The beans whithin the berries are not digested and are eventually expelled in the animals feces.

Those beans are then harvested in the field in a very meticulous way by qualified professionals. They are washed, then roasted and ready to serve. Eventually the product will end up in the cup of some privileged individuals, who can afford to have such exotic pleasures.

From the perspective of my culture that is something quite “different” and hard to understand. I have great respect for the person who enjoys this rarest coffee delicacy. All I can say is that knowledge makes all the difference in the world. If somebody offered it to me without giving me the history behind it I might have drunk it and enjoyed it as much as I would enjoy drinking my regular Starbuck’s coffee. I do not think I will be willing to try it any time soon but if I change my mind I will let you know.

Racial and Social Inequality

noreply@blogger.com (Aramintas Couto) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 04:02:00 +0000

Contrary to what one would think, many of us are unconsciously racist. At least that is what a study published recently in the Journal Science says, according to an article that came out on CNN Website last Thursday. The study suggests that in general, blacks are largely perceived in a negative light by non-blacks who consider themselves tolerant and egalitarian.Just for the record, the study which was conducted by Dr. Kerry Kawakami, an associate psychology professor of York University of Toronto, Ontario, used blacks and non-blacks as subjects to conduct her experiment.

One comment made by Dr. Kawakami with regard to the study is that “Some people might think that they are very egalitarian and they don’t have to deal with their prejudice, and that is not related to them at all, when in actual fact they may hold these hidden biases”. In general when one thinks of prejudice there is an immediate association with the color of the skin. However, prejudice is an evil of multiple faces which encompass more than just the color of the skin. What I gather from Dr. Kawakami’s study is that regardless of what one says about himself with regard to racism, there is still a tendency to behave in a discriminatory way. It appears that people just do not let this tendency rule their behavior so much because it is not politically correct and is perceived as an unacceptable behavior by society.

Exteriorizing racist views even in a humorous manner could easily get someone into trouble and lead him to face unwanted consequences. In that light, I find it wise to always respect differences regardless of whether I am agreeable with them or not. In industrialized nations where a vast majority of citizens have higher education and better standards, prejudice attitudes are attributed more towards ethnical than social differences. It appears that in every society that has migratory history there may be hostile behaviors associated with racism. It is natural that humans will be in conflict when faced with something that is considered abnormal or different. I may be wrong but, in regard to Dr. Kawakami’s experiment; color of the skin was the main factor that drove the study. I assume that subjects were hand picked to match a certain criteria.

Is it possible that the people involved in the study have higher education, hold a decent job, have family and live a regular middle class life? According to National Urban League’s report, an article on Racial Inequality, publicized by ABC News in March 2008, in real life“…blacks were much worse off than whites across a range of economic indicators, including measures of employment, poverty, housing, income and wealth”. Inequality definitely intensifies the drama of racism even farther.

As I was reading through those articles I started thinking of how the problem of racial inequality affects other societies specially those from developing nations around the world. Factors like, social status, religion and ethnic differences all contribute to discrimination the subject of exclusion. Dr. Kawakami’s experiment was conducted in a totally controlled environment and looked at racism at a mild way. From such an experience one can just get a glimpse of the problem of intolerance. From a global standpoint, the most serious examples of intolerance is due to social differences. It is known that poverty levels have grown dramatically as the world population has sky rocketed over the years and that has contributed largely to all kinds of issues in urban areas such as: high crime rate, drug dealing and the creation of parallel power, inability of governments to provide health care and other basic needs to citizens, just to name a few.

According to Global Issues, an entity that deals with Social, Political, Economic and Environmental Issues, “nearly a billion people around the world entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names”. That is especially true about countries from Southern Asia , sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. Such uncontrollable growth usually leads to disastrous outcome for those societies. The inability to fight inequalities has put them in a state of emergency as they metaphorically grow a monster in their own backyard. A monster made of hatred and distrust which may turn each citizen into a victim, regardless of social status. Exclusion literally hurt the poor and the rich alike and there is no easy way out.

Morumbi Slums, Sao Paulo, Brazil

When I see masses of people who live in total disbelief of society’s ability to create mechanisms to relieve them from a profound state of misery makes me wonder how exactly we made this destructive path? What kind of corrective measures can be taken? How can the situation be reversed or at least minimized? More education, dissemination of information, more structured legal, justice and law enforcement systems, more aggressive government incentives to social programs? All these items may be a good starting point and may be in place already in many countries but, are these enough? The fact of the matter is that whatever is being done currently falls short of resolving the mounting problems of inequality. The situation is complex and there is no quick fix to address all the burdens that modern society has to face.

There is no cheap solution either. It may cost a fortune for the local governments and other institutions to take a course of action to put a plan into action that actually works. However, such cost is infinitely less than the high price society has to pay for the burdens of illiteracy, ignorance and complete exclusion. I really believe that the major obstacle for making the world a fairer place for every citizen comes down to one thing: the unwillingness on the part of all parties that are in the position to make a difference in the process of change and the unwillingness on the part of a vast majority of individuals who are affected by it. I am a believer that things can turn around when there is good will and when multiple voices strike the same tone. I believe that change can only take place when each single individual gets bothered enough to get involved and do something about the issues.

The world is nothing but a perfect and romantic place. We are governed by good and evil, as we strive for our own survival. We treasure our uniqueness but we can not forget that we live in a world of diversity. Each individual is unique regardless of the color of his skin or social status. Blacks and whites and everything in between have to coexist in order to protect common interests. It is important to learn to be tolerant and willing to compromise for the benefit of all. That is true in regard to ethnic or social differences because in the crevasse of inequality, every single citizen is a loser. There is no safe haven for anyone. The apparent success of the rich is overshadowed by the fear he carries inside. His home becomes a bubble surrounded by layers and layers of security systems. The poor are victimized many times and in multiple ways. Pistols suddenly find their way to the hands of children. Lost bullets become a reminder that life is too shallow and meaningless. And the cycle of human tragedy goes on and on until it becomes almost natural. That is my greatest fear.