the philosophy of liberty.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today I am thankful for:
- understanding

- having people to share things with

- deep conversations

- staying curious

- for being able to laugh

- for having limits

- and most of all: for knowing this isn't the only day to be thankful for things.

(don't take me wrong, I'm also thankful for sarcasm.)

nerdy me.

I came across this website and found it quite interesting.
I've been so anxious lately and this really helps me feel a little useful! :]

truth.

Ahhhhh... He said it all. Couldn't have explained myself or my thoughts better!

"the endpoint is ALWAYS infinity."

The New York Times' spoof

If you haven't seen this yet, try and take a closer look at the date of issue. The paper was post-dated July 4th, 2009.
I was fooled there for a second, and then I realized it was only a prank (unfortunately) ...

Here's what the Times itself had to say:
In an elaborate hoax, pranksters distributed hundreds or possibly thousands of free copies of a spoof edition of The New York Times on Wednesday morning at busy subway stations around the city, including Grand Central Terminal, Washington and Union Squares, the 14th and 23rd Street stations along Eighth Avenue, and Pacific Street in Brooklyn, among others.
“I would say if you’ve got one, hold on to it,” Mr. Jones, a former Times reporter, said of the fake issue. “It will probably be a collector’s item. I’m just glad someone thinks The New York Times print edition is worthy of an elaborate hoax. A Web spoof would have been infinitely easier. But creating a print newspaper and handing it out at subway stations? That takes a lot of effort.”

I totally agree with Mr. Jones, as well as with one person who commented on the Gawker saying "YEAH!! Print is not dead!" hahaha. One of my biggest concerns in becoming a journalist is the fact that the media is so controlled, and many people are forced to keep their mouths shut or to only transmit the truth to a certain extend. I've had the fear that, if I do choose to become a journalist, I would suffer from not being able to truly express myself (which was the reason why I picked journalism in the first place). Anyways, it's things like this that make me giggle inside and know that there are people out there that are not afraid to expose their feelings and ideas, even if that may cause some trouble. Not to mention the fact that this Utopia is ideal and parallel to what most of us wish would happen.

Aw, I wish I had gotten a copy of it so I could keep for ever and ever, haha.

- watch the video.

*I found out about it here.

yet another 'inconvenient truth'

As stated in the letter written by the organization Action Against Hunger to Al Gore:
Worldwide, some 19 million children under the age of five are afflicted with severe acute
malnutrition. This most serious, life-threatening form of hunger kills a child every four seconds,
resulting in more than 5 million childhood deaths each year.
Yet these deaths are entirely preventable.

Basically, you can make a difference right now (without paying just yet) by simply signing a petition which asks for Al Gore's help in the making of a film which will inform the world about the possible ways to eradicate child malnutrition.

If you have not done so, please check out the film An Inconvenient Truth. Al Gore has done a great job on spreading the word about what our terrible behavior and habits have done to the earth. Not to mention that he does so in an entirely convincing manner, that causes us to understand that THERE IS something we can do about it. Although An Inconvenient Truth has caused an inconvenient controversy, I am sure most of you would agree that informing the nation about what can be done could not possibly cause any harm. It's been said that "Gore was using a biased presentation to exploit the fears of the public for his own political gain"*, but am I the only one that feels like this is just another excuse to keep us from being blamed? Isn't it time to take responsibility for our own actions? Well, it's up to you to decide.

Signing the petition is really fast and easy. Plus you get to see how many people have already signed it:

(the number was actually 9.305)

Oh, and I had fun looking for my name in midst of all the 9.305 other names.

Other people will be able to read what you wrote, and it was awesome to see what others had to say about this issue.

and this is what I wrote in case you are curious:

If you want something done about world hunger but, like me, do not know what to ask Al Gore, just write what comes to mind. Even if it sucks, it's the intention that counts! On the other hand, if you don't think this is a good idea (do not tell me so! hahaha... jk), don't simply sit there and talk about how this will not make the tinniest difference, instead find something that DOES! Please?



*Richard S. Lindzen There Is No 'Consensus' On Global Warming Wall Street Journal, accessed 2007-01-10

6 weeks and 4 days left of this place…

My days have been filled with emptiness, shifting things around, shifting feelings around.
I look through the things we’ve gathered throughout 8 long years, things that stayed the same while we went through so many changes, so much moving around. It’s funny to be able to tell what exactly has stuck with us all along (like photographs, friends’ letters, my first pair of tennis shoes as kid, etc), and truly realize what it all comes down to.
I wonder what I will miss, but then again it is hard to know considering I haven’t left yet. I’ve been trying to make up my mind about the things I wish to do as soon as I get there, and so far only a few things have come to mind: eat alfajor; dance to Djobi Djoba by the Gpsy Kings with my grandfather.... And I have the following weeks to think of the rest. As Juno said, "I never realize how much I like being home unless I've been somewhere really different for a while."
{which reminds me of this, and makes me smile :] }

I can barely sleep at this stage of the process. I feel so anxious…
The dreams we spend so much time fantasizing about turn out to be the total opposite of what we wished for. On the other hand, I feel it is better this way. How boring would it be if we always got exactly what we hoped for? Maybe the trick works when you’re still young, when you want nothing less than exactly what you asked for. As you get older, you start playing mind tricks with others and especially with yourself. You ask for something, but you hope that people will reveal the meaning behind your words, analyze how much you really deserve and so on. Nobody is straight-forward these days, at least not in a good way.
Anyways, I’m ready for change...



...a fresh start.

my say on the election.

we are all everything at once.

me minus two wisdom teeth.

It has often crossed my mind who had the brilliant idea of naming the third and final set of molars WISDOM teeth. Maybe they do come around when you finally choose to become a little wiser. What is not so wise is the procedure to extract them. ARGH...
My appointment was schedulled for 3:00 pm, but as I walked into the office I knew that I was about to have a very long afternoon. There were about four or five people ahead of me and only one orthodontist. At 5:30 pm I was finally called, and directed to a room.
Let's just mention the fact that I was very well determined to get all four wisdom teeth removed on the same day. My mind changed as I was getting them removed. As they they worked on removing the second tooth, I asked them to stop as soon as they were done with that one. I couldn't take it anymore. I felt like I was filming a scene for the upcoming SAW VI (hajsfdhksgl).
Anyways, I survived. My face is very, very swollen and I look like 'Quico', from the series El Chavo del Ocho, hahaha. Yeah, maybe it's not that funny.
Well at least I get to be lazy (more than the usual), I get to eat tons of ice cream and yogurt, I get to lose some weight while I'm at it, read all my favorite blogs, and watch tons of movies... I am SO excited (feel the irony).

:]

"Even their fear frightens them"

Maybe, as the New York Times' article states, the American Dream means: "keeping children happy, stimulated and successful, no matter the cost." Furthermore, living in suburbs, having pets, and most of all: keeping the truth from your kids so that they can live a happy life.

At times like these I come to thank 'God' that I am an immigrant and aware of the reality. Coming from a third world country where the economy has almost always (if not always) been at crisis, and also where my single mother had no choice but to tell her kids the truth. It wasn't any easier for us to understand back then, but it just makes it easier for us now, being used to it.

This simply answers my question. We CAN live with less and be happy. It doesn't mean living in poverty, but it does mean realizing that having what you NEED and sharing it does bring people together. Maybe this all explains why South Americans are considered 'warmer' (showing lively feelings, passions, emotions, sympathies,strongly attached; intimate people).

While parents may think that finances are a deal for adults, why not consider that this might help their kids have a better and clearer vision of the world. Meanwhile, this could perfectly explain the fact that their teenagers' wants are insatiable. Has nobody else asked why is it that kids in America are so materialistic? Why do they live a life through intermediaries (cellphones, computers, TVs, radios...). How can teenagers be offered such a wide range of information, all the same time, while still being such alienated beings?

Watch this video if you're interested.

Cheers, to the generation that is finally waking up!

Diário da Gabriela.

My name is Gabriela/ I am 19 years-old/ I live in New Jersey, United States/ I am currently a bum/ I started my first semester of college and soon quit because I am once again moving/ My major is, as soon as I can continue studying, journalism/ I write poetry, I make collages, I take and edit photos/ What I like most about Newark is its proximity to the city (NYC)/ The farthest away I have been is Hawaii, literally (it is the island furthest away from any land, in case you did not know)/ Here in Newark I walk everywhere, I take the bus a lot, I search for valuable friendships/ I do not drive yet but I am in love with mini-coopers and old Volkswagens/I like being organized, I like having plans, I like patterns (not so much routine)/ I love sweets and at times I feel like I only eat regular meals so I can get to the desserts/ I worry about my health, even though I should do more to improve it/ I am a vegetarian, I do not smoke, I take vitamins, I drink socially, but I barely exercise/ I do not watch TV, I spend way too much time on the Internet, although I am barely 'online'/ On weekends I spent most of my days catching up on sleep, watching movies and spending time with my mom and sister. Oh and I stay out until 4 am or later, sometimes doing absolutely nothing/ I feel the need to have some alone time and I almost always get it/ My favorite places are Williamsburg in Brooklyn, Greenwich Village in the city, Little Five Points in Atlanta, and my room (wherever it may be).

(collages I made on my bedroom's wall)

* I based this 'auto-biography' on this article.

half words and half images.

(Picture taken by me at Waimea Beach, Hawaii)

"Talking with quiet confidence will always beat screaming with obvious insecurity"

sound of air

And from here I hear the sounds.
The sound of you talking to them, the sound of them talking(?) to you.
I hear the sound of her sound and wonder what it sounds like to her.
I hear the sound that comes from my ceiling fan, and wonder if my brain sounds the same.
It sure serves the same function as the ceiling fan.
Just like the fan shuffles the air, my brain shuffles my thoughts and makes me feel the cool breeze. Sometimes it gets too cold, sometimes it's not enough...AIR.

life on hold

The world is like a store
Where everyone’s life is on hold
Until we've got enough money to purchase it.

*I wrote this a really long time ago. Actually, I am not sure when I wrote it.

I came across it today as I was looking through some old pictures.

I often find myself searching for quotes online that will help me describe how I feel (lame, I know).

That is exactly why I was so impressed to have found something I have written, that instead of making me realize how much I have changed over the years, it helped me to finally see how much I have not changed. Unlike all the pictures I spent my entire day looking at. Wishing that I had some of the things I have now, back then... and vice-versa.

later...