FROM: Administration
To: All employees
Date: 04/12/2010
Ladies and Gentleman,
I read only once the deprived answer to our communication from the so called "acclaimed chemical" engineer Stanley M. Barnett at the University of Rhode Island. His response is very forlorn, but sadly amusing as well.
There is no doubt in my mind that what we propose in the arena of colloidal mechanics it is a nonsense for him, and this is because he cannot possibly understand what is he reading, no matter how many times he reads it. For someone who claims to be a "doctor" and to judge a matter he doesn't understand one bit so lightly as a "snake-oil sales pitch", it is not only ignorant, but vainglorious at its best. Furthermore, perhaps my communication was written in "poor and stilted English", as he sanctimoniously declares, but I would like to see him to do better in a fifth language (and I am not including Latin -or perhaps should I correctly say Latium?). It comes to be that the man, according to himself, is also an expert in marketing. I am highly surprised and flabbergasted that he actually works for the University of Rhode Island. I feel truly sorry for the institution.
I have been always suspicious of the existence of those Pleistocene's Idaltu specimens that are supposedly to be extinct by now, but incredibly, many of those not yet fossilized apes have beaten the odds and survived, and they are currently living surreptitiously among us, camouflaging their academically castrated intellects and their obstinate unwillingness to grow to be civilize, by concealing themselves, not just in the subordinated levels of our societies worldwide; but also in many other "high" levels.
Perhaps if Barnett is really a professional as he pledges he is (although the recommendation comes from a source too close), he could learn to see beyond the trivial to get to the truth. A little modesty never hurts. Factual proof of that he doesn't know what is he looking at, is that he is talking about "water treatment" in its ill-bred, uninformed, and uncouth response. We all well know that the Averter™ has nothing to do with water treatment; whatsoever! It says so clearly at the beginning of our "snake-oil sales pitch written in poor and stilted English". Perhaps he should learn that a new product requires a lot more than a well written pamphlet to prove itself. This whole thing reminds me a book-case example of a troglodyte with a dichroscope, which employs it as a hammer.
We know what we know, and we know it well. DuPont, Dow Chemical, PEMEX, BP, a few NAVIES, 3M International, and other people and industries of this stature that know the facts by practical use and not from behind an obscure and discredited desk, do not think this way, and all of them have performed thorough testing of the Averter™. Does Barnett really think he knows more than these people? Who this little man thinks he is? I am tempted to think he obtained his "doctorate" in Wall-Mart. So fanciful, indeed!
I know a lot of "intelligent" people that in spite of achieving bigheaded titles, they are still struggling with the basic social concept of walking erect and are still fraught by the fact that they actually have opposable thumbs. I have no further interest in wasting my little available time with this individual simply because his "perfect English" have already spoken on his behalf.
We just do not need him, or his ignorance-seeker garbage; and he cannot possible bring any positive value to us in this matter. In order to understand, one's needs to know; and his response only reflects intellectual dishonesty and a deep and visible academic impoverishment. The attempts of patronizing someone else in a field he does not understand or comprehend, it is simply flat ignorance; it truly reflects someone’s deeply flawed intellectualism and cultural deceitfulness, the late perhaps a leftover of an obscurantist pseudo-creationism. If you do not understand something, the smart thing to do it is simply to ask. These are the primal and irreconcilable differences between scholars and life forms of nominal acumen.
Nothing is lost. Barnett's gratuitous opinion helped a lot. He has no idea how much. So I think we should thank him. I sincerely apologize for my "poor and stilted English". If I did put too many comas or periods, please accept my deepest apologies and just return them to me. If you still thinking that my "poor and stilted English" it is not acceptable for you, please pick a language of your preference to translate into it.
Ladies and Gentleman, in the future, let's try to make an effort to avoid the nature of this kind of hircismus of moral dysentery.
Truly yours,
The President
Quill Feather versus AK-47
The graphic treatise you are about to read is unbalanced and in favor of certain viewpoints, and it is bound solely and exclusively for those pleistocenistic Idaltu beings that are supposedly to be extinct by now. However, many of those not yet fossilized apes have beaten the odds and survived, and they are currently living surreptitiously among us camouflaging their academically castrated intellects and their obstinate unwillingness to civilize by burying themselves, not just in the subordinated levels of our societies worldwide, but also in many other levels. Therefore, if you are a civilized person, you will agree with this crude account, otherwise, you must concede and admit your own legitimacy, and of course, you will not like it a bit!.
A key question that has being a constant vexation to humankind for millenniums is still as valid today as it was in antiquity: What is more powerful, the Quill Feather or the Sword?. Nevertheless, nowadays the question should read; what is more powerful the Pen or the AK-47?. What in fact it is more powerful?. Is it the reason or is it the force?. Well, that will depend on what kind of society you live in. More civil societies tend to use a pen to resolve their disagreement, whereas less civil societies favor the AK-47 in an attempt to bring about conflict resolution, with its historically catastrophic and devastating consequences. The term “pen” represents the employment of means of civility, and the term “AK-47” means the utilization of brute, fiendish force. Both, pen and AK-47 are used here as a straightforward substantive terminology.
Our planet today is too tight, too small, and too linked in real-time to disconnect the conundrum of cultures, idiosyncrasies, ethnicity, technology, education, and the clustered societies that are entangling multiple levels of civility into a caldarium where only a few mingle. It can be said that some of us are living concurrently with each other, and not amalgamated into the surrounding social order.
In order to answer in a meaningful way this provocative question in today’s world, one has to go back deeply into the outer limits of the chaotic, unsystematic, and deterministic behavior of humankind history. Chaotic because humans behave chaotically without asking them to do so, it is a natural and effortless impulsive behavior. It is unsystematic because of human constant, impractical judgmental reactions and men’s sporadic and illogical methodology of intervention. It becomes deterministic as of the result of the uninterrupted succession of inescapable consequences from a preceding chain of actions.
Civility versus Incivility
As the level of civility and education rises in a culture, the weapon of choice become more intellectual, on the other hand, as the more barbaric a society ensues, the weapon of choice become less intellectual. The use of the word barbaric brought into play here it is employed because of the lack of a better and more meaningful expression to allude certain living creatures.
Let us talk about civility to understand the power of the weapons used. The concept of civility can be define in many ways, but invariably points to dutiful, mechanical, or otherwise, perfunctory self-respect and the respect for others. History shows that for those self-conscious civilizations, civility has been a matter of indispensable schooling, a necessary element of utmost importance for progressive societies.
The notion of civility promotes the nurturing and development of higher concepts and virtues. These virtues of intrinsic worth such as self-discipline, reliability, respect, honesty, truthfulness, justice, progress, willpower, ethical principles, discretion, and the acceptance and deference for law and order sets in motion the complex evolution of man into an elevated echelon of existentialism that free us up to pursue the whole, unexploited human potential.
Incivility is not only the complete lack of all of the above, but is measure in the scale for rudeness. The actual word "incivility" originates from the Latin word incivilis that signifies “not of a citizen”. The Roman Empire regarded the notion of citizenship as an extraordinary value and feat of the Republic. Anyone who was not a citizen was a slave, a conquered culture, or simply a barbarian without the necessary cultivation level to become a citizen, or to deserve citizenship. Non-Roman Citizens for example, were unable to enlist and join the Roman Legions. Non-Roman Citizens could join only the Auxiliary Forces, the Praetorian Guard, and the Praetorian Cohorts. The Praetorian Guard of the Roman Emperor Julius Cesar was of German origin (Non-Citizens from the then conquered territory of Magna Germania of the Roman Republic), and they did not speak Latin, the language of the Romans. In any case, being “civilized” was a big deal for the S.P.Q.R., (Senatus Populusque Romanus, "The Senate and the People of Rome"), and it remains that way for most of us today as well.
In our convoluted societies worldwide exists an amazing mixture of citizens and “not-so-citizens”, or barbarians for that effect, who live among us disgracing the civilized citizen’s citizenship, and are a heavy, aggravating, and unwanted burden to our civil society. Unfortunately, in many cases it seems that there is not much that civility can do with respect to some oafish barbarians living among the rest of us, and towards the pitiful conditions to which the state of their civility it is been reduced to. Indeed those few, very noticeable individuals put extra pressure on civilization, on our culture, and on the rest of the cultured citizens.
To my personal benefit and fortune, I have been living in this auspicious and providential country for almost 30 years now. During my extended travels and years living and working in many countries, I have never seen the level of the personal societal collapse of some populace in the countries I have lived in, visited, or worked at, as I have unmistakable seen it in some individuals in here. I have sure seen more hillbillies piled up in Washington D.C. that in the rest of the country altogether!. It is evident that we have perhaps; too many undesirable and objectionable rudimentary inhabitants that have leave pejoratively inferior civility conditions somewhere else in the planet, not to seek progress and social enlightening in our Country and society, but to perpetuate their embedded life-style of mediocrity within mediocrity. In addition, we have some of our own of those “so-called citizens” living among us. This situation repeats itself in many other more civilized countries as well. The fact that you might be living in a less “civilized” country does not make you at all uncivil. The terminal problem it is not you (or me), but the whole make-up of the society you live in. Humans are capable to attain real and consequential progress and evolution as a group, not individually. Individuals can develop and evolve themselves into a high degree of civility, independently from the confines of the society they live in, but the society cannot become civil as a whole on the account of few.
You can think of this situation as a parallel to what defines societies based on their skills as a whole. An Agrarian society bases its economy on large-scale agricultural production; therefore, identified as an agricultural society. This does not mean that everyone in that society is a farmer. It means that a large portion or the majority of the society dedicates its efforts as a whole to the cultivation of plants, or farming.
A technological society is one that takes technical change, or technology to be the model for progress and development for their trade and industry. A technological society bases its economy in the development, or the acquisition and use of particular technologies of contemporary intensity, salience, and utility. Not everyone in this society is a technological connoisseur.
These distinct societies may or may not have a sound and homogeneous level of civility, or have been able to achieve certain unassailable level of it yet. All will depend of the cumulative number of individuals within each of these societies who have independently achieved an unquestionable level of civility, capable to convey it to the society as a whole, and to transfer to this society the designation of “Magnus Civilius Congregationis”- Latin for Great Civil Society.
Early in life, many of us have learned about the radical importance of a Code of Conduct, namely civility. Civility makes our country to stand above the rest. A few isolated incidents of incivility within our society are not in themselves a concern of great consequence, but a systematic pattern of incivility acts is disruptive and unacceptable, and may result in decadence. Civility is not a weapon to use against other citizens, but it is a sensible concept we, all accountable citizens, need to embrace more seriously. Civic virtue is cultural sophistication.
Around the world, there are the so-called “civilized” and “uncivilized” countries, and the way they deal with their internal struggle is determine by their level of civility, therefore determining the weapons of use to remedy their discords. Their acts put in manifest evidence from time to time that, when humans are not a millimeter above the simian, they are an inch below the pig.
These Homer Jay Simpson-type mentally equipped individuals are comfortable breaking even the most basic rules of civility because it is intrinsic to their basic nature to have total disregard for law and order. They have no respect for others and they take advantage of civil citizens, and they thrive doing this because of their unsighted lack of principles. They can be easily distinguished in a daily basis for example, by their habit to throw garbage on the streets while driving. Did you know that there is a 25 – 30% of trash dumped in our streets (besides the slum-driven brutes themselves), courtesy of them?.
At the end of the day, we should feel deeply sorry and ashamed for those forlorn, pathetic individuals in the planet that cannot comprehend and embrace civility, unfortunately because within the realm of their infinite ignorance, they refuse to do so. Is a matter of great disappointment to know that there are many individuals in the planet that are still engage with the primal struggle of the fundamental concept of walking erect. Moreover, some of these non-Homo Sapiens, these bipedal hominidae yet continue trying to understand and cope with the fact that they posses now opposable thumbs, and probably the first pollicals of this nature they ever had, thus articulating this with all due respect and reverence to the Animalia Kingdom.
In our globus terrae, we have many countries in which scores of inhabitants have not left the Phithecantopoid ranks hitherto, and of their own free will remain uncivil to the demise of the civilized citizens living among them in abysmal minority.
Where in the world are those fecal detritivores today?. Nobody gets Kudos here, just Pens or AK-47s.
Let us take a brief look over Iraq. It is unnecessary to say much about this well-known and unpopular setback (Iraq). From its origins as a country more than 7,000 years ago in Mesopotamia, the Kurds have been a focus of unresolved conflict for the mentally neutered Iraqis. As far as we know, the Iraqis have not been capable of resolving any conflict by diplomatic means. Then it was the prince with no glory of civilization darkness, Saddam Hussein, the highest priest of the archetype of viciousness. His quick response to alternative means of conflict resolution was always brutality, assassination, and the imposition of tyranny by unprecedented cruelty. The undercover elite of innocent and civilized Iraqis have been paying dearly the towering, unfair, and despotic price of living prisoners of this barbaric and intellectually blind and fanatic society rule by him. This animal put Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, better known as “Caligula” to shame. The real problem with these contemporary salvages of brutish behavior is that they embrace a loutish culture, using 21st Century technology. Please notice that the word brutish was used and not the word British, although if you scratch the skin of some of these hooligans, you will find the barbarian just underneath it.
Some civil Iraqis had fled their country (the lucky ones who could) in search of freedom and civility somewhere else. Some have come to the US, and we are lucky and glad to have them here. Civil people are not only welcomed, but are necessary for the enlightenment of humanity.
The boisterous non-civil Iraqis cannot figure out the divergence, and do not have an understanding of the difference between the “superfluous” items of necessity to built basic civility. Put it in another way, they have no clue between the differences of these:
Discussion and shoot out
Cultural explosion and bombing
Eloquence and torture
Silence and assassination
Conflict resolution and decapitation
Choices and “or else”
Citizen and terrorist
Building blocks and Scud missiles
Visiting and invading
Artisan and artillery
Nuns and guns
Massive construction and mass destruction
Obligation and obliteration
An election and annihilation
Buddy and bloody
Peace and feces
NATO and napalm
Disabled government and dismemberment
Disagreement and genocide
Turban and used diaper
Human rights and human wrongs
Acceptance and rape
The weapons of choice to reason with the ill-mannered Iraqis: Maybe a small worn-out #2-pencil thanks you to the US intervention and to the civil marginal minority, and an exceedingly large bunch of AK-47s fully loaded, plus a deserved Golden Pen for the civilized Iraqis.
Now let us review the bidet of political and social chaos in Venezuela in a nonchalantly manner. Chávez has become the synonym and epitome of the intellectual and political latrine he holds sway. He is perhaps the biggest mental midget of our times and the greatest political travesty in the history of Venezuela. We shall not spend much time discussing this Bandar-log because our mothers told us that if we do not have anything good to tell about someone, we should not say anything. However, our moms cannot hear us right now.
Civilized Venezuelan opponents see Chávez as a freaking authoritarian or a damn totalitarian that will get his way by any means. They also categorize him as a dirty communist, who will sell anyone and get in bed with any other political clowns such as Castro and Morales without a morality condom, individuals alike that assumed power long time ago, but have not assumed responsibility yet. Chavez’s militaristic misconception unfortunately serves him well against the civilized citizens of his beautiful country. Alas, Chavez’s demagogical abilities, backed by his rhetorical and deceptive propaganda of disingenuous goals, has disastrously botched to deliver on his countless empty promises, and he has repeatedly and customarily violated elementary human rights. He has also stuck his big nose in international affairs by meddling in the dealings of other Latin American countries. Unfortunately, it will take a higher authority besides King Juan Carlos I of Spain to make him to shut up. Never before in the history of Venezuela has a leader threatened the economy and democracy of the country to that level, he has illegitimately and criminally eliminated his opponents, and further more, his pathetic, flawed, and egotistic policy has destabilized global oil prices to serve his self-centered and narcissistic way of life. Some here swear he is gay. All and every piece of the information gathered in here comes from the mouths of real Venezuelan citizens in the US.
The weapons of choice to reason with the ill-mannered Chávez: One AK-47 with a single bullet. The civilized Venezuelan citizens do not need any extra pens. They have plenty of them and they know how to use them well.
The latest buffoon: The Somali Pirates
Perhaps this unambiguous group of Somalis misunderstood the whole thing. It is “The Village People”, and not “The Pillage People”. “The pirates of the Caribbean” it is a romantic Hollywood movie and it has nothing to do with this ruffian Somali pirates. The Somali pirates are real brigands; they are the contemporary low-class pirates of the Indian Ocean. Here we go again. How low can a society get?. The sky is the limit…
Somalia is a country that needs serious help at all levels. Once again, the victims are the civil citizens that earn they lives honestly and working hard, in spite of the difficulties, lack of opportunities, and physical exertion that this impoverish, anarchic country offers to its relentless citizens. Everyone understands and agrees that poverty sucks, but the Somali pirates’ approach to success sucks even worst. It must be clear that this is not a fault or legacy of the Italians of British colonizers.
The Somali pirates are snatching at least 2 unsuspecting commercial vessels a week, and more than 100 this year according to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB), in the Indian Ocean, and furthermore, these ex-anglers, scruffy mercenaries are negotiating the vessels’ release for ransom. Unlike these pitiful cowards bursting pusillanimity, the 16th century pirates of the Caribbean preyed on treasure ships equipped with armament, a fierce crew, and heavy artillery to defend themselves. Today, these contemptible and pathetic Somali pirates prey on innocent, defenseless, and unarmed boatmen, mainly because these thugs are not man enough to do better.
I feel sorry for the Somali Government and the civil people that have to put up with this crap and unable to counter it, but I feel even sorrier for this human trash that will short live, because you can interrupt and obstruct civility and progress for a short delay, but you can not stop it. Moreover, the civilized world will not come to amicable terms with buccaneers, felons, criminals, outlaws, crooks, or freaking immoral villains such as the Somali pirates.
The weapons of choice to reason with the Somali pirates: Just AK-47’s. Our hearts go to the worn-out pens of the civilized, heroic Somali society.
Is that enough about incivility?. Let us talk a bit about the accomplishments and benefits of civility to end this write-up in a more positive note. It would be nice if it were a safe way to rescue all the civilized human beings from those places of repression, so they can enjoy the goods of civility in a right, deserved environment.
Civility, its fruits, and benefits
In agreement with most people, civilized or not, the ascetic difference in the civility of the human race, from the lowest to the uppermost level of civility, is due mostly to education. A substantiation of this assertion is that the level of civilization attained in Europe and in America in general, is a manifest product of organized education, whereas in general, the advantages and availability of a superior education are in severe deprivation for the habitants of other less fortunate countries.
A good base of structured education rescues the ignorant from incivility darkness making them shrewd and judicious, it can turn tyrants into righteous, almost impartial leaders, and civility liberates the human being to pursue freely the highest level of wisdom. Civility through education champions for more balanced happiness, consolidates and braces your intelligence, gives a serious boost to will power, and it is capable to create something from nothing. Many individuals in this planet attain a sagacious level of civility via structured education; however, many other fumble in the flippancy of desolation and misery. Nonetheless, it is always possible for any citizen to acquire certain level of civility, almost regardless of their environment and the intrinsic natal capacities of themselves; if the citizen in question desires to seek civility, that is. In other words, any one who has an AK-47 can always change it for a pen.
Civility is more than courteous, well-mannered behavior. “Being civil means being constantly aware of others and weaving restraint, respect, and consideration into the very fabric of this awareness”, according to P. M. Forni, the co-founder of the John Hopkins Civility Project.
Civility brings bonanza, development, enlightening, fairness, growth, happiness, health, hope, innovation, knowledge, longevity, love, organization, peace, progress, science, security, sensibility, sharing, technology, industry, morality, honesty, law, order, and the list goes on and on… it is like an endless Christmas!. If you are not civil, you are too busy killing people to have time to think about these constructive concepts. Who would think that such a small word (civility) could hold so much?. Moreover, why anyone would change productive civility for anything else?. You guessed; 21st century barbarians (or Somali pirates).
Therefore, courageous civilized citizens of the world, hang in there with your pens high!. Strive to be civil; civility benefits all and every one of us. On this, we need to be and act as a TEAM (Together Each one Accomplishes More). Sooner that we expect we will be in celestial navigation towards worlds that are hanging around in the infinites of the universe waiting for us to conquer them. Then we will worry about the pirates of ignominy that are yet to come from Deep Space Nine!.
Animus Civilitates!. Habeo in animo, abalieno civilis!. (Viva civility!. I am resolved to be civil).
A key question that has being a constant vexation to humankind for millenniums is still as valid today as it was in antiquity: What is more powerful, the Quill Feather or the Sword?. Nevertheless, nowadays the question should read; what is more powerful the Pen or the AK-47?. What in fact it is more powerful?. Is it the reason or is it the force?. Well, that will depend on what kind of society you live in. More civil societies tend to use a pen to resolve their disagreement, whereas less civil societies favor the AK-47 in an attempt to bring about conflict resolution, with its historically catastrophic and devastating consequences. The term “pen” represents the employment of means of civility, and the term “AK-47” means the utilization of brute, fiendish force. Both, pen and AK-47 are used here as a straightforward substantive terminology.
Our planet today is too tight, too small, and too linked in real-time to disconnect the conundrum of cultures, idiosyncrasies, ethnicity, technology, education, and the clustered societies that are entangling multiple levels of civility into a caldarium where only a few mingle. It can be said that some of us are living concurrently with each other, and not amalgamated into the surrounding social order.
In order to answer in a meaningful way this provocative question in today’s world, one has to go back deeply into the outer limits of the chaotic, unsystematic, and deterministic behavior of humankind history. Chaotic because humans behave chaotically without asking them to do so, it is a natural and effortless impulsive behavior. It is unsystematic because of human constant, impractical judgmental reactions and men’s sporadic and illogical methodology of intervention. It becomes deterministic as of the result of the uninterrupted succession of inescapable consequences from a preceding chain of actions.
Civility versus Incivility
As the level of civility and education rises in a culture, the weapon of choice become more intellectual, on the other hand, as the more barbaric a society ensues, the weapon of choice become less intellectual. The use of the word barbaric brought into play here it is employed because of the lack of a better and more meaningful expression to allude certain living creatures.
Let us talk about civility to understand the power of the weapons used. The concept of civility can be define in many ways, but invariably points to dutiful, mechanical, or otherwise, perfunctory self-respect and the respect for others. History shows that for those self-conscious civilizations, civility has been a matter of indispensable schooling, a necessary element of utmost importance for progressive societies.
The notion of civility promotes the nurturing and development of higher concepts and virtues. These virtues of intrinsic worth such as self-discipline, reliability, respect, honesty, truthfulness, justice, progress, willpower, ethical principles, discretion, and the acceptance and deference for law and order sets in motion the complex evolution of man into an elevated echelon of existentialism that free us up to pursue the whole, unexploited human potential.
Incivility is not only the complete lack of all of the above, but is measure in the scale for rudeness. The actual word "incivility" originates from the Latin word incivilis that signifies “not of a citizen”. The Roman Empire regarded the notion of citizenship as an extraordinary value and feat of the Republic. Anyone who was not a citizen was a slave, a conquered culture, or simply a barbarian without the necessary cultivation level to become a citizen, or to deserve citizenship. Non-Roman Citizens for example, were unable to enlist and join the Roman Legions. Non-Roman Citizens could join only the Auxiliary Forces, the Praetorian Guard, and the Praetorian Cohorts. The Praetorian Guard of the Roman Emperor Julius Cesar was of German origin (Non-Citizens from the then conquered territory of Magna Germania of the Roman Republic), and they did not speak Latin, the language of the Romans. In any case, being “civilized” was a big deal for the S.P.Q.R., (Senatus Populusque Romanus, "The Senate and the People of Rome"), and it remains that way for most of us today as well.
In our convoluted societies worldwide exists an amazing mixture of citizens and “not-so-citizens”, or barbarians for that effect, who live among us disgracing the civilized citizen’s citizenship, and are a heavy, aggravating, and unwanted burden to our civil society. Unfortunately, in many cases it seems that there is not much that civility can do with respect to some oafish barbarians living among the rest of us, and towards the pitiful conditions to which the state of their civility it is been reduced to. Indeed those few, very noticeable individuals put extra pressure on civilization, on our culture, and on the rest of the cultured citizens.
To my personal benefit and fortune, I have been living in this auspicious and providential country for almost 30 years now. During my extended travels and years living and working in many countries, I have never seen the level of the personal societal collapse of some populace in the countries I have lived in, visited, or worked at, as I have unmistakable seen it in some individuals in here. I have sure seen more hillbillies piled up in Washington D.C. that in the rest of the country altogether!. It is evident that we have perhaps; too many undesirable and objectionable rudimentary inhabitants that have leave pejoratively inferior civility conditions somewhere else in the planet, not to seek progress and social enlightening in our Country and society, but to perpetuate their embedded life-style of mediocrity within mediocrity. In addition, we have some of our own of those “so-called citizens” living among us. This situation repeats itself in many other more civilized countries as well. The fact that you might be living in a less “civilized” country does not make you at all uncivil. The terminal problem it is not you (or me), but the whole make-up of the society you live in. Humans are capable to attain real and consequential progress and evolution as a group, not individually. Individuals can develop and evolve themselves into a high degree of civility, independently from the confines of the society they live in, but the society cannot become civil as a whole on the account of few.
You can think of this situation as a parallel to what defines societies based on their skills as a whole. An Agrarian society bases its economy on large-scale agricultural production; therefore, identified as an agricultural society. This does not mean that everyone in that society is a farmer. It means that a large portion or the majority of the society dedicates its efforts as a whole to the cultivation of plants, or farming.
A technological society is one that takes technical change, or technology to be the model for progress and development for their trade and industry. A technological society bases its economy in the development, or the acquisition and use of particular technologies of contemporary intensity, salience, and utility. Not everyone in this society is a technological connoisseur.
These distinct societies may or may not have a sound and homogeneous level of civility, or have been able to achieve certain unassailable level of it yet. All will depend of the cumulative number of individuals within each of these societies who have independently achieved an unquestionable level of civility, capable to convey it to the society as a whole, and to transfer to this society the designation of “Magnus Civilius Congregationis”- Latin for Great Civil Society.
Early in life, many of us have learned about the radical importance of a Code of Conduct, namely civility. Civility makes our country to stand above the rest. A few isolated incidents of incivility within our society are not in themselves a concern of great consequence, but a systematic pattern of incivility acts is disruptive and unacceptable, and may result in decadence. Civility is not a weapon to use against other citizens, but it is a sensible concept we, all accountable citizens, need to embrace more seriously. Civic virtue is cultural sophistication.
Around the world, there are the so-called “civilized” and “uncivilized” countries, and the way they deal with their internal struggle is determine by their level of civility, therefore determining the weapons of use to remedy their discords. Their acts put in manifest evidence from time to time that, when humans are not a millimeter above the simian, they are an inch below the pig.
These Homer Jay Simpson-type mentally equipped individuals are comfortable breaking even the most basic rules of civility because it is intrinsic to their basic nature to have total disregard for law and order. They have no respect for others and they take advantage of civil citizens, and they thrive doing this because of their unsighted lack of principles. They can be easily distinguished in a daily basis for example, by their habit to throw garbage on the streets while driving. Did you know that there is a 25 – 30% of trash dumped in our streets (besides the slum-driven brutes themselves), courtesy of them?.
At the end of the day, we should feel deeply sorry and ashamed for those forlorn, pathetic individuals in the planet that cannot comprehend and embrace civility, unfortunately because within the realm of their infinite ignorance, they refuse to do so. Is a matter of great disappointment to know that there are many individuals in the planet that are still engage with the primal struggle of the fundamental concept of walking erect. Moreover, some of these non-Homo Sapiens, these bipedal hominidae yet continue trying to understand and cope with the fact that they posses now opposable thumbs, and probably the first pollicals of this nature they ever had, thus articulating this with all due respect and reverence to the Animalia Kingdom.
In our globus terrae, we have many countries in which scores of inhabitants have not left the Phithecantopoid ranks hitherto, and of their own free will remain uncivil to the demise of the civilized citizens living among them in abysmal minority.
Where in the world are those fecal detritivores today?. Nobody gets Kudos here, just Pens or AK-47s.
Let us take a brief look over Iraq. It is unnecessary to say much about this well-known and unpopular setback (Iraq). From its origins as a country more than 7,000 years ago in Mesopotamia, the Kurds have been a focus of unresolved conflict for the mentally neutered Iraqis. As far as we know, the Iraqis have not been capable of resolving any conflict by diplomatic means. Then it was the prince with no glory of civilization darkness, Saddam Hussein, the highest priest of the archetype of viciousness. His quick response to alternative means of conflict resolution was always brutality, assassination, and the imposition of tyranny by unprecedented cruelty. The undercover elite of innocent and civilized Iraqis have been paying dearly the towering, unfair, and despotic price of living prisoners of this barbaric and intellectually blind and fanatic society rule by him. This animal put Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, better known as “Caligula” to shame. The real problem with these contemporary salvages of brutish behavior is that they embrace a loutish culture, using 21st Century technology. Please notice that the word brutish was used and not the word British, although if you scratch the skin of some of these hooligans, you will find the barbarian just underneath it.
Some civil Iraqis had fled their country (the lucky ones who could) in search of freedom and civility somewhere else. Some have come to the US, and we are lucky and glad to have them here. Civil people are not only welcomed, but are necessary for the enlightenment of humanity.
The boisterous non-civil Iraqis cannot figure out the divergence, and do not have an understanding of the difference between the “superfluous” items of necessity to built basic civility. Put it in another way, they have no clue between the differences of these:
Discussion and shoot out
Cultural explosion and bombing
Eloquence and torture
Silence and assassination
Conflict resolution and decapitation
Choices and “or else”
Citizen and terrorist
Building blocks and Scud missiles
Visiting and invading
Artisan and artillery
Nuns and guns
Massive construction and mass destruction
Obligation and obliteration
An election and annihilation
Buddy and bloody
Peace and feces
NATO and napalm
Disabled government and dismemberment
Disagreement and genocide
Turban and used diaper
Human rights and human wrongs
Acceptance and rape
The weapons of choice to reason with the ill-mannered Iraqis: Maybe a small worn-out #2-pencil thanks you to the US intervention and to the civil marginal minority, and an exceedingly large bunch of AK-47s fully loaded, plus a deserved Golden Pen for the civilized Iraqis.
Now let us review the bidet of political and social chaos in Venezuela in a nonchalantly manner. Chávez has become the synonym and epitome of the intellectual and political latrine he holds sway. He is perhaps the biggest mental midget of our times and the greatest political travesty in the history of Venezuela. We shall not spend much time discussing this Bandar-log because our mothers told us that if we do not have anything good to tell about someone, we should not say anything. However, our moms cannot hear us right now.
Civilized Venezuelan opponents see Chávez as a freaking authoritarian or a damn totalitarian that will get his way by any means. They also categorize him as a dirty communist, who will sell anyone and get in bed with any other political clowns such as Castro and Morales without a morality condom, individuals alike that assumed power long time ago, but have not assumed responsibility yet. Chavez’s militaristic misconception unfortunately serves him well against the civilized citizens of his beautiful country. Alas, Chavez’s demagogical abilities, backed by his rhetorical and deceptive propaganda of disingenuous goals, has disastrously botched to deliver on his countless empty promises, and he has repeatedly and customarily violated elementary human rights. He has also stuck his big nose in international affairs by meddling in the dealings of other Latin American countries. Unfortunately, it will take a higher authority besides King Juan Carlos I of Spain to make him to shut up. Never before in the history of Venezuela has a leader threatened the economy and democracy of the country to that level, he has illegitimately and criminally eliminated his opponents, and further more, his pathetic, flawed, and egotistic policy has destabilized global oil prices to serve his self-centered and narcissistic way of life. Some here swear he is gay. All and every piece of the information gathered in here comes from the mouths of real Venezuelan citizens in the US.
The weapons of choice to reason with the ill-mannered Chávez: One AK-47 with a single bullet. The civilized Venezuelan citizens do not need any extra pens. They have plenty of them and they know how to use them well.
The latest buffoon: The Somali Pirates
Perhaps this unambiguous group of Somalis misunderstood the whole thing. It is “The Village People”, and not “The Pillage People”. “The pirates of the Caribbean” it is a romantic Hollywood movie and it has nothing to do with this ruffian Somali pirates. The Somali pirates are real brigands; they are the contemporary low-class pirates of the Indian Ocean. Here we go again. How low can a society get?. The sky is the limit…
Somalia is a country that needs serious help at all levels. Once again, the victims are the civil citizens that earn they lives honestly and working hard, in spite of the difficulties, lack of opportunities, and physical exertion that this impoverish, anarchic country offers to its relentless citizens. Everyone understands and agrees that poverty sucks, but the Somali pirates’ approach to success sucks even worst. It must be clear that this is not a fault or legacy of the Italians of British colonizers.
The Somali pirates are snatching at least 2 unsuspecting commercial vessels a week, and more than 100 this year according to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB), in the Indian Ocean, and furthermore, these ex-anglers, scruffy mercenaries are negotiating the vessels’ release for ransom. Unlike these pitiful cowards bursting pusillanimity, the 16th century pirates of the Caribbean preyed on treasure ships equipped with armament, a fierce crew, and heavy artillery to defend themselves. Today, these contemptible and pathetic Somali pirates prey on innocent, defenseless, and unarmed boatmen, mainly because these thugs are not man enough to do better.
I feel sorry for the Somali Government and the civil people that have to put up with this crap and unable to counter it, but I feel even sorrier for this human trash that will short live, because you can interrupt and obstruct civility and progress for a short delay, but you can not stop it. Moreover, the civilized world will not come to amicable terms with buccaneers, felons, criminals, outlaws, crooks, or freaking immoral villains such as the Somali pirates.
The weapons of choice to reason with the Somali pirates: Just AK-47’s. Our hearts go to the worn-out pens of the civilized, heroic Somali society.
Is that enough about incivility?. Let us talk a bit about the accomplishments and benefits of civility to end this write-up in a more positive note. It would be nice if it were a safe way to rescue all the civilized human beings from those places of repression, so they can enjoy the goods of civility in a right, deserved environment.
Civility, its fruits, and benefits
In agreement with most people, civilized or not, the ascetic difference in the civility of the human race, from the lowest to the uppermost level of civility, is due mostly to education. A substantiation of this assertion is that the level of civilization attained in Europe and in America in general, is a manifest product of organized education, whereas in general, the advantages and availability of a superior education are in severe deprivation for the habitants of other less fortunate countries.
A good base of structured education rescues the ignorant from incivility darkness making them shrewd and judicious, it can turn tyrants into righteous, almost impartial leaders, and civility liberates the human being to pursue freely the highest level of wisdom. Civility through education champions for more balanced happiness, consolidates and braces your intelligence, gives a serious boost to will power, and it is capable to create something from nothing. Many individuals in this planet attain a sagacious level of civility via structured education; however, many other fumble in the flippancy of desolation and misery. Nonetheless, it is always possible for any citizen to acquire certain level of civility, almost regardless of their environment and the intrinsic natal capacities of themselves; if the citizen in question desires to seek civility, that is. In other words, any one who has an AK-47 can always change it for a pen.
Civility is more than courteous, well-mannered behavior. “Being civil means being constantly aware of others and weaving restraint, respect, and consideration into the very fabric of this awareness”, according to P. M. Forni, the co-founder of the John Hopkins Civility Project.
Civility brings bonanza, development, enlightening, fairness, growth, happiness, health, hope, innovation, knowledge, longevity, love, organization, peace, progress, science, security, sensibility, sharing, technology, industry, morality, honesty, law, order, and the list goes on and on… it is like an endless Christmas!. If you are not civil, you are too busy killing people to have time to think about these constructive concepts. Who would think that such a small word (civility) could hold so much?. Moreover, why anyone would change productive civility for anything else?. You guessed; 21st century barbarians (or Somali pirates).
Therefore, courageous civilized citizens of the world, hang in there with your pens high!. Strive to be civil; civility benefits all and every one of us. On this, we need to be and act as a TEAM (Together Each one Accomplishes More). Sooner that we expect we will be in celestial navigation towards worlds that are hanging around in the infinites of the universe waiting for us to conquer them. Then we will worry about the pirates of ignominy that are yet to come from Deep Space Nine!.
Animus Civilitates!. Habeo in animo, abalieno civilis!. (Viva civility!. I am resolved to be civil).
Peppers
I remember many years ago (1968), I came back from a trip to Japan and I brought a gift a Japanese friend gave to me. The gift was an innocent, small bag with a label reading “Piper Japonicum” (山椒 – sansho, sometimes called –wrong or not– Naga Jolokia). The bag did look more like a candy bag. It was a small cloth sack of multiple colors and a drawing of a “Kokeshi” doll offering the peppers in one hand, and holding a beautifully crafted hand-held-fan in the other hand covering her face, and probably a beautiful small lips smile. A rustic twine was keeping the bag closed. Of course in those days you could have brought home an elephant, and customs service wouldn’t have a problem with it. When I arrived to my house, I tossed the little bag (along with other “souvenirs” I brought) in my treasure chest in my room, and after awhile, I forgot about it.
Months later, while performing some cleaning of my room, I found the bag and I brought it to the kitchen with the intention to have a taste of those little rascals. That night when I sat down for dinner with my family, I pulled the bag and offered its contents to everyone. I did remind them that I was told that those peppers were extremely hot, and you have to go easy on the quantity when adding it to the food. We all had some in our soup. They were really, really hot, but flavorsome and they make the soup to taste real good.
A few minutes after we started eating, one of my nephews joined us for dinner, and as soon as he learned about the peppers, he started to presume how “macho” he was and started to tell a story about this “killer peppers” he had eaten bare, and nothing happened to him. He went on telling other tales about how much spice he can ingest in his food, and these peppers will not even pull tears from his eyes. There was no pepper in the planet that would top him. All of the sudden nobody could move in the room because my nephew’s arrogance had filled it completely.
Well, you know what’s coming. Yes, he needed to prove himself, and he poured nearly half of the bag content into his bowl of soup. After a few seconds, I could have sworn that his soup was shrieking! By that time, I have been sipping my soup for a jiffy now with a small spoon making sure I did not burn my mouth or tongue, and I was already feeling the intensity and hidden passion of those innocent -in a candy box- peppers.
Well, my dear nephew started to swallow the soup in a hurry because he was already late going to some party somewhere. After he had his peppery soup, he gobbled up some quick meat and some fast salad, and off he went. We finish dinner calmly, and we comment on the power of the peppers. Several minutes had past since we finish eating the soup spiced with the “Piper Japonicum”, and the burning sensation in my lips, mouth, esophagus, and stomach was confirming the tales about the peppers’ hot reputation. We also made a few comments on how my nephew can possibly eat such amount of those peppers, and do not feel it! We were all wrong, very wrong…
Minutes after my nephew left for the party with his friends, he was brought back by one of his friends. My arrogant nephew had a very bloated mouth, swollen lips, he had difficulty breathing, and his tears were showering from his red eyes. His lips looked like an air bag gone wrong! We all got up in a hurry and took him to the hospital.
To make the long story short, in the hospital the doctors “fixed” him. The only collateral damage was a colossal deflated ego, and an extreme difficulty in going to the bathroom for a couple of days. When we came back home from the hospital, the pepper bag was sitting silent on the table where we left it, looking innocent and harmless. I took the bag with the rest of the peppers in the candy-like bag, and I put it back in my treasure chest.
Some History
According to most biologists, chili peppers are native to the continents of South and Central America. It is believed that they were introduced to South Asia in or around the 15th century, and because of its success as food enhancers (and other uses); peppers conquered the planet’s spice trade. Cristoforo Colombo never imagined the wide impact this little fruit he brought to Spain, will have in the rest of Europe. The pepper spice is so pungent that did put to shame the reigning black pepper native to South Asia being consumed in Europe in those discovery days. Cristoforo Colombo called these fruits "peppers" because of their similarity in taste with the European peppers of the Piperaceae family.
There is indication of wide consumption of these plants in Central America, and substantial evidence of its utilization starting around 7500 BC. Chili peppers are perhaps the earliest plants to be domesticated. The origins of Capsicum Annum have been traced to Mexico and northern Central America, and the origins of Capsicum Frutescens to South America. These pepper species were first introduced to South Asia in or around the 1600s and now they rule as the two principal species in the region.
There is an interesting book written in 1597 in weird English, and published in London in 1633 about peppers. "The Herball, or Generall Historie of Plantes", written by John Gerard of England (1545-1612), is the first “scientific” study written on chili peppers of which Bryn Mawr published the first edition in 1597, and then, he published an enlarged, fully illustrated second edition in 1633. Some botanists and archeologists believe that chili peppers have been an important part of the human eating habits in the Americas since before 7500 BC. Ancient evidence at sites located in southwestern Ecuador point to fact that chili peppers were already a domestic plant more than 8000 years ago, making peppers one of the first self-pollinating cultivated crops in the Americas.
The Voyages of Chili Pepper
Chili peppers started to be cultivated broadly and actively around the globe, courtesy of Colombo’s physician, Don Diego Álvarez Chanca, who gave a long ride to peppers in the second voyage to the West Indies in 1493. As historians reveal, Don Diego Álvarez Chanca, driven by the wish of become rich (the first reason to jump in this crazy adventure with Colombo), introduced the first chili peppers to Spain, only a year after the discovery of the new continent in 1492. In 1494, Don Diego Álvarez Chanca recorded the first written testimony about the medicinal properties of peppers.
The Spaniards, with commercial ports in their newly conquered colony in the Terra Nova -today Mexico- controlled most of the maritime trade interchange with Asia. With the help of European vessels that docked in the new world, Spaniards started exporting the precious chili peppers -now turned a commodity- seemingly without limitations; besides storms, pirates and lost ships to the ocean’s grandiosity, to the Philippines, and afterwards to India, China, Korea, Japan, and of course, the rest of Europe. The exotic spice was quickly adopted by the people and absorbed into their local gastronomy.
Then, since the peppers become a sensation and they also were a high ticket item, the Portuguese sailors took the cherished new pepper from Spain and transported it to India -a Portuguese colony at the time- for its sale (today India is the largest producer of chilies in the world). Soon after, the pepper made its way from India, to Central Asia, and reportedly to Hungary and Turkey on horse, donkey, and camel backs, courtesy of the entrepreneurial spirit of the Portuguese conquistadores. The pepper demonstrated a remarkable resistance to lingering voyages, defiance to weather erosion, and changing climate.
There are many chili species, in all sizes and colors; there are sweet peppers, spicy peppers, and killer peppers. Some peppers are used as ornaments, others as food supply, and others as weapons. The Black Habanero (AKA: Chocolate Habanero), is believed to be the direct descendant of the native peppers that once grew in one of the world's longest coastal plains which is located in western South America. This pepper is hardly available due to its long maturity time which makes it very scarce. Guitar makers introduce one of this huge Black Habaneros inside wooden guitars because they say that it helps to absorb the guitar’s humidity, and makes the guitar to produce a more “sweet” and “soft” sound. Olé!
Whatever the case, everyone who has come in contact with peppers at one time or another has something to say about this peculiar fruit. Even though chilis may enjoy a denomination as a vegetable and also conceived as a fruit, its culinary relevance is mostly as a spice. Now, botany and its botanical troopers and cohorts armed with powerful microscopes, scary Petri dishes, threatening scissors, snatching tweezers, and cyclopic magnifying glasses, consider this eccentric plant a berry shrub! But who cares? Really! We just like to eat peppers!
Montezuma’s Revenge
Have you heard before of Chile Habanero, or the people screaming after eating them? Well, there are conflicting and obscure accounts on the subject of the origin of Moctezuma’s Revenge because of this chili pepper. According to my own digging and discoveries in the annals of ancient Aztec popular folklore, Moctezuma used to torture his victims –usually a warrior in disgrace– before sacrificing them by making the unfortunate devils eat a thick gumbo of chile habanero mixed with “scraped dust of the big claw of Camaxtli” –the god of hunting, war, fate, and fire.
After eating the potion forced upon him, the ill-fated victim plummet into violent convulsions, terrible vomiting, and explosive diarrhea, as the implausible and far-fetched anecdote tells. After a few hours through this ordeal, the unenthusiastic victim was ready for the sacrifice, and unable to oppose any resistance.
Of course these folk stories have no historic and/or scientific basis; however, they have been narrated as “factual” by old members of the Tlahuica culture, one of the earliest ethnic groups members of the Aztec culture who inhabited regions near to today’s State of Morelos, or so I was told…
In any case, the Great Moctezuma and the despicable diarrhea are forever fused together in the expression “Moctezuma’s Revenge”, in modern times known as “Traveler’s diarrhea”. To those who have traveled abroad and have experienced the fueling effects of this ancient spell, there is no more explanation to do. Truth or not, feel free to find out for yourself.
Now back to the peppers. The spice popularly called chile habanero does not have its origin in Chile, but in the Yucatán peninsula and its coastal regions. Chile Habanero is also called Capsicum Chinense Jacquin, a close cousin of my nephew’s “Piper Japonicum”. This chile is one of the most powerfully spicy chili peppers ever of the entire Capsicum genus. Before they mature, this habaneros are bright green, and at its maturity its color can fluctuate a lot! The most common colors are bright orange and vivid red, however, clear white, dazzling pink, and shades of intense brown also conform to their aquarelle of fiery colors. Most habaneros will rate between 200,000 and 300,000 in the Scoville scale, but the Chile Habanero is at the top of this group with a rating close to 350,000.
The Scoville Scale
The Scoville scale is a measure of the hotness or piquancy of a chili pepper.
Scoville rating Type of pepper
15,000,000–16,000,000 Pure capsaicin
9,100,000 Nordihydrocapsaicin
2,000,000–5,300,000 Standard US Grade pepper spray
855,000–1,041,427 Naga Jolokia
350,000–577,000 Red Savina Habanero
100,000–350,000 Chile Habanero
100,000–350,000 Scotch Bonnet
100,000–200,000 Jamaican Hot Pepper
50,000–100,000 Thai Pepper, Malagueta Pepper, Chiltepin Pepper
30,000–50,000 Cayenne Pepper, Ají pepper, Tabasco pepper
10,000–23,000 Serrano Pepper
7,000–8,000 Tabasco Sauce (Habanero)
5,000–10,000 Wax Pepper
2,500–8,000 Jalapeño Pepper
2,500–5,000 Tabasco Sauce (Tabasco pepper)
1,500–2,500 Rocotillo Pepper
1,000–1,500 Poblano Pepper
600–800 Tabasco Sauce (Green Pepper)
500–1000 Anaheim pepper
100–500 Pimento, Pepperoncini
0 No heat, Bell pepper
And NOT; pepper-oni does not belong in the scale!
Chile peppers have nothing to do whatsoever with black pepper (Piper Nigrum) which is originary from tropical Asia. The expression ‘pepper’ this spicy has been nickname with, is confusing and this misunderstanding has been mistakenly embedded in the common cultures of peoples for more than 500 years, and there is no chance to change that!
This uncharacteristic, wonderful, and ancient fruit ought to be called chile. The Aztecs called them that! This fruits were born in the heart of the Aztec’s terra firma! Since primordial times, chiles have been fundamental elements in the lives of the aboriginal populace who used them as food and medicine. Tons of these peppers were found in the Aztecan Valley of Tehuacán, were the city of Tehuacán was erected sometime before 8,500 BC –today Puebla, Mexico– but considered as “city” in 8,500 BC. The found peppers in the Aztec territory were dated as being more than 9,000 years old, so for goodness sake call them chiles like the Aztecs did in ancient times! Just so you know, among the ruins of the deep-rooted city of Tehuacán was also found the oldest archeological fossil of corn.
Next time you are about to eat any “pepper” in any way, or in any form, please before you devour this magnificent plant, look at it for a few, emotional moments, and nostalgically bring to mind the 9,000 years-long journey the amazing pepper endured to be at your munificent table.
“The Aztecs feared their Gods, their Gods feared Chile Habanero” – unknown author.
Months later, while performing some cleaning of my room, I found the bag and I brought it to the kitchen with the intention to have a taste of those little rascals. That night when I sat down for dinner with my family, I pulled the bag and offered its contents to everyone. I did remind them that I was told that those peppers were extremely hot, and you have to go easy on the quantity when adding it to the food. We all had some in our soup. They were really, really hot, but flavorsome and they make the soup to taste real good.
A few minutes after we started eating, one of my nephews joined us for dinner, and as soon as he learned about the peppers, he started to presume how “macho” he was and started to tell a story about this “killer peppers” he had eaten bare, and nothing happened to him. He went on telling other tales about how much spice he can ingest in his food, and these peppers will not even pull tears from his eyes. There was no pepper in the planet that would top him. All of the sudden nobody could move in the room because my nephew’s arrogance had filled it completely.
Well, you know what’s coming. Yes, he needed to prove himself, and he poured nearly half of the bag content into his bowl of soup. After a few seconds, I could have sworn that his soup was shrieking! By that time, I have been sipping my soup for a jiffy now with a small spoon making sure I did not burn my mouth or tongue, and I was already feeling the intensity and hidden passion of those innocent -in a candy box- peppers.
Well, my dear nephew started to swallow the soup in a hurry because he was already late going to some party somewhere. After he had his peppery soup, he gobbled up some quick meat and some fast salad, and off he went. We finish dinner calmly, and we comment on the power of the peppers. Several minutes had past since we finish eating the soup spiced with the “Piper Japonicum”, and the burning sensation in my lips, mouth, esophagus, and stomach was confirming the tales about the peppers’ hot reputation. We also made a few comments on how my nephew can possibly eat such amount of those peppers, and do not feel it! We were all wrong, very wrong…
Minutes after my nephew left for the party with his friends, he was brought back by one of his friends. My arrogant nephew had a very bloated mouth, swollen lips, he had difficulty breathing, and his tears were showering from his red eyes. His lips looked like an air bag gone wrong! We all got up in a hurry and took him to the hospital.
To make the long story short, in the hospital the doctors “fixed” him. The only collateral damage was a colossal deflated ego, and an extreme difficulty in going to the bathroom for a couple of days. When we came back home from the hospital, the pepper bag was sitting silent on the table where we left it, looking innocent and harmless. I took the bag with the rest of the peppers in the candy-like bag, and I put it back in my treasure chest.
Some History
According to most biologists, chili peppers are native to the continents of South and Central America. It is believed that they were introduced to South Asia in or around the 15th century, and because of its success as food enhancers (and other uses); peppers conquered the planet’s spice trade. Cristoforo Colombo never imagined the wide impact this little fruit he brought to Spain, will have in the rest of Europe. The pepper spice is so pungent that did put to shame the reigning black pepper native to South Asia being consumed in Europe in those discovery days. Cristoforo Colombo called these fruits "peppers" because of their similarity in taste with the European peppers of the Piperaceae family.
There is indication of wide consumption of these plants in Central America, and substantial evidence of its utilization starting around 7500 BC. Chili peppers are perhaps the earliest plants to be domesticated. The origins of Capsicum Annum have been traced to Mexico and northern Central America, and the origins of Capsicum Frutescens to South America. These pepper species were first introduced to South Asia in or around the 1600s and now they rule as the two principal species in the region.
There is an interesting book written in 1597 in weird English, and published in London in 1633 about peppers. "The Herball, or Generall Historie of Plantes", written by John Gerard of England (1545-1612), is the first “scientific” study written on chili peppers of which Bryn Mawr published the first edition in 1597, and then, he published an enlarged, fully illustrated second edition in 1633. Some botanists and archeologists believe that chili peppers have been an important part of the human eating habits in the Americas since before 7500 BC. Ancient evidence at sites located in southwestern Ecuador point to fact that chili peppers were already a domestic plant more than 8000 years ago, making peppers one of the first self-pollinating cultivated crops in the Americas.
The Voyages of Chili Pepper
Chili peppers started to be cultivated broadly and actively around the globe, courtesy of Colombo’s physician, Don Diego Álvarez Chanca, who gave a long ride to peppers in the second voyage to the West Indies in 1493. As historians reveal, Don Diego Álvarez Chanca, driven by the wish of become rich (the first reason to jump in this crazy adventure with Colombo), introduced the first chili peppers to Spain, only a year after the discovery of the new continent in 1492. In 1494, Don Diego Álvarez Chanca recorded the first written testimony about the medicinal properties of peppers.
The Spaniards, with commercial ports in their newly conquered colony in the Terra Nova -today Mexico- controlled most of the maritime trade interchange with Asia. With the help of European vessels that docked in the new world, Spaniards started exporting the precious chili peppers -now turned a commodity- seemingly without limitations; besides storms, pirates and lost ships to the ocean’s grandiosity, to the Philippines, and afterwards to India, China, Korea, Japan, and of course, the rest of Europe. The exotic spice was quickly adopted by the people and absorbed into their local gastronomy.
Then, since the peppers become a sensation and they also were a high ticket item, the Portuguese sailors took the cherished new pepper from Spain and transported it to India -a Portuguese colony at the time- for its sale (today India is the largest producer of chilies in the world). Soon after, the pepper made its way from India, to Central Asia, and reportedly to Hungary and Turkey on horse, donkey, and camel backs, courtesy of the entrepreneurial spirit of the Portuguese conquistadores. The pepper demonstrated a remarkable resistance to lingering voyages, defiance to weather erosion, and changing climate.
There are many chili species, in all sizes and colors; there are sweet peppers, spicy peppers, and killer peppers. Some peppers are used as ornaments, others as food supply, and others as weapons. The Black Habanero (AKA: Chocolate Habanero), is believed to be the direct descendant of the native peppers that once grew in one of the world's longest coastal plains which is located in western South America. This pepper is hardly available due to its long maturity time which makes it very scarce. Guitar makers introduce one of this huge Black Habaneros inside wooden guitars because they say that it helps to absorb the guitar’s humidity, and makes the guitar to produce a more “sweet” and “soft” sound. Olé!
Whatever the case, everyone who has come in contact with peppers at one time or another has something to say about this peculiar fruit. Even though chilis may enjoy a denomination as a vegetable and also conceived as a fruit, its culinary relevance is mostly as a spice. Now, botany and its botanical troopers and cohorts armed with powerful microscopes, scary Petri dishes, threatening scissors, snatching tweezers, and cyclopic magnifying glasses, consider this eccentric plant a berry shrub! But who cares? Really! We just like to eat peppers!
Montezuma’s Revenge
Have you heard before of Chile Habanero, or the people screaming after eating them? Well, there are conflicting and obscure accounts on the subject of the origin of Moctezuma’s Revenge because of this chili pepper. According to my own digging and discoveries in the annals of ancient Aztec popular folklore, Moctezuma used to torture his victims –usually a warrior in disgrace– before sacrificing them by making the unfortunate devils eat a thick gumbo of chile habanero mixed with “scraped dust of the big claw of Camaxtli” –the god of hunting, war, fate, and fire.
After eating the potion forced upon him, the ill-fated victim plummet into violent convulsions, terrible vomiting, and explosive diarrhea, as the implausible and far-fetched anecdote tells. After a few hours through this ordeal, the unenthusiastic victim was ready for the sacrifice, and unable to oppose any resistance.
Of course these folk stories have no historic and/or scientific basis; however, they have been narrated as “factual” by old members of the Tlahuica culture, one of the earliest ethnic groups members of the Aztec culture who inhabited regions near to today’s State of Morelos, or so I was told…
In any case, the Great Moctezuma and the despicable diarrhea are forever fused together in the expression “Moctezuma’s Revenge”, in modern times known as “Traveler’s diarrhea”. To those who have traveled abroad and have experienced the fueling effects of this ancient spell, there is no more explanation to do. Truth or not, feel free to find out for yourself.
Now back to the peppers. The spice popularly called chile habanero does not have its origin in Chile, but in the Yucatán peninsula and its coastal regions. Chile Habanero is also called Capsicum Chinense Jacquin, a close cousin of my nephew’s “Piper Japonicum”. This chile is one of the most powerfully spicy chili peppers ever of the entire Capsicum genus. Before they mature, this habaneros are bright green, and at its maturity its color can fluctuate a lot! The most common colors are bright orange and vivid red, however, clear white, dazzling pink, and shades of intense brown also conform to their aquarelle of fiery colors. Most habaneros will rate between 200,000 and 300,000 in the Scoville scale, but the Chile Habanero is at the top of this group with a rating close to 350,000.
The Scoville Scale
The Scoville scale is a measure of the hotness or piquancy of a chili pepper.
Scoville rating Type of pepper
15,000,000–16,000,000 Pure capsaicin
9,100,000 Nordihydrocapsaicin
2,000,000–5,300,000 Standard US Grade pepper spray
855,000–1,041,427 Naga Jolokia
350,000–577,000 Red Savina Habanero
100,000–350,000 Chile Habanero
100,000–350,000 Scotch Bonnet
100,000–200,000 Jamaican Hot Pepper
50,000–100,000 Thai Pepper, Malagueta Pepper, Chiltepin Pepper
30,000–50,000 Cayenne Pepper, Ají pepper, Tabasco pepper
10,000–23,000 Serrano Pepper
7,000–8,000 Tabasco Sauce (Habanero)
5,000–10,000 Wax Pepper
2,500–8,000 Jalapeño Pepper
2,500–5,000 Tabasco Sauce (Tabasco pepper)
1,500–2,500 Rocotillo Pepper
1,000–1,500 Poblano Pepper
600–800 Tabasco Sauce (Green Pepper)
500–1000 Anaheim pepper
100–500 Pimento, Pepperoncini
0 No heat, Bell pepper
And NOT; pepper-oni does not belong in the scale!
Chile peppers have nothing to do whatsoever with black pepper (Piper Nigrum) which is originary from tropical Asia. The expression ‘pepper’ this spicy has been nickname with, is confusing and this misunderstanding has been mistakenly embedded in the common cultures of peoples for more than 500 years, and there is no chance to change that!
This uncharacteristic, wonderful, and ancient fruit ought to be called chile. The Aztecs called them that! This fruits were born in the heart of the Aztec’s terra firma! Since primordial times, chiles have been fundamental elements in the lives of the aboriginal populace who used them as food and medicine. Tons of these peppers were found in the Aztecan Valley of Tehuacán, were the city of Tehuacán was erected sometime before 8,500 BC –today Puebla, Mexico– but considered as “city” in 8,500 BC. The found peppers in the Aztec territory were dated as being more than 9,000 years old, so for goodness sake call them chiles like the Aztecs did in ancient times! Just so you know, among the ruins of the deep-rooted city of Tehuacán was also found the oldest archeological fossil of corn.
Next time you are about to eat any “pepper” in any way, or in any form, please before you devour this magnificent plant, look at it for a few, emotional moments, and nostalgically bring to mind the 9,000 years-long journey the amazing pepper endured to be at your munificent table.
“The Aztecs feared their Gods, their Gods feared Chile Habanero” – unknown author.
Musing About Christmas
The Christmas Date
The date of the celebration of Christmas it is not the date of our Lord Jesus Christ’s birth. Our current date system was established using as its basis the Anno Domini, chart originated on or about the year 525 BC, and used to cipher and identify the order of years of the Julian and Gregorian calendars, widely used by then.
Nobody really knows for sure why the date of December 25 was chosen as the chronological settling of this celebration. It may have been kept from the already established popular celebrations during the ancient Roman Empire’s solar festivals such as the Dies Natalis, Solis Invicti, and Bruma, which were sponsored by the State of the Roman Empire every year on December 25.
The Christmas time celebration has become so universal and frantic – even in countries that do not celebrate Christmas- that gives the impression to many people that the observance of this well-liked festivity it is used mostly, as a contemptible marketing gimmick by pushing and opportunistic merchants.
The Pope Julius I in the 4th century AD did set December 25 as the official public date for the Christian celebration of Christmas. This strategic move was implemented in an effort to Christianize the old “Pagan” celebrations that were taking place for centuries now during this time of the year.
Santa Claus
The henchman of Christmas, Santa Claus, AKA: Saint Nicholas (St. Nick) the Patron of Children, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle, Shengdan Laoren in China, Hoteisho in Japan (who knows Karate), or simply known best by the masses as "Santa", specially by his Elves, has become nowadays the most popular character of Christmas in most places in the planet. Santa is represented in thick, red winter clothes even in countries of the Southern Hemisphere, which are rejoicing summer in December!
In Chile for example, I used to celebrate Christmas like everyone else. We always had a snowy pine tree decorated with whatever tickled our fancy. We had a nativity with all sort of animals and a naked baby, and pictures of Santa in his wintery clothing. In spite of the 97º Fahrenheit + outside, all decorations depicted a cold, snowy winter season.
In the cities of Central America almost never snows and between winter and summer there is not quite a difference, unless you live there to notice it. However, in most of these countries they still dressing Santa in a wintery attire. I know that Hawaiians dress Santa up more accordingly to the season!
Until the beginning of the 18th century, our contemporary “fat” Santa was unheard of and a totally unknown personage as we depict him today. Santa Claus’ reflection was of a slim man who handed out presents to the children of the entire town; however, in many places this character was not linked with the Christian celebration of Christmas.
Santa is in fact, a cheerful, ebullient, and an exceedingly chubby man who hides his face behind a fuzzy white beard, wearing black icecap type boots, and outfitting a thick winter red suit embroidered with an unknown white fur. Some animal rights activists have been confused about this fact for centuries, and no one really knows if they are going after Santa for animal cruelty -no facts about the reindeer are actually available as well. Santa’s boots by the way are made out of leather too, what is believed also to come from animals. Please take note of that I did not bring up the issue of the belt!
As far as I know, Santa always stays at the same Ho-ho-tel during the holidays, he likes "Jingle Jam” on his toast, he eats Mistle-"toast" for breakfast, and he does not use Travelocity to book anything. It is a widespread thought that his nationality is North Polish. Another important detail is that he will continue working forever, because he currently has not means of retirement after the Stock Market crash.
Here it is some of Santa’s Gear of the Trade (in alphabetical order)
The Carrots
The Sativus sub-specie, Daucus Carota; commonly known as “zanahoria” –Spanish for carrot, it is used by people visited by Santa to pay a sort of tithe to compensate the efforts of the hungry and weary reindeer. It is not known however, how reindeer are capable of eating approximately 36 billion crude carrots between the midnight of December 24, and the dawn of December 25. With the help of Rudolph, perhaps?... No droppings have ever been found to trace any accusing DNA trail! It is known though, that some reindeer skip the carrots for the eggnog! This is something somewhat of a “Miller Time” for them. Baby carrots, by the way, come from mommy carrots. Carrots are believed to make you see better in the dark, so the military uses them to built night-vision goggles.
The Christmas Lists
This is a very serious and delicate issue. Since Santa turned pro-environmentalist, he only receives e-mails with requests for Christmas, and that way he helps to save trees. To accommodate this item, he recently had acquired a Craig supercomputer and he has a squad of geek Elves to process the millions of requests. Now you know why your paper letter never made it to the North Pole! Christmas lists cannot be hacked by members of the elite subculture of corrupt and destructive programmer shoplifters, those mendacious cyber pickpockets, while the lists travel the internet, because the lists encompasses the powerful cryptography of a hash algorithm into a super-chyphered hyperlink directly to your child’s heart and imagination. Incidentally, Ms. Claus hates e-bay.
The Christmas tree
The criminal and prehistoric destructive practice of cutting innocent, unsuspecting pines or other unsullied and unwary trees for the frivolous, transient, and short-lived amusement of a few, it has not stopped yet. Some representatives of the Macacus Rhesus panel think it is not a big deal, and the barbaric practice it is mainly just for the amusement of the kids. Perhaps they are right. I just cannot stop thinking about fire hazards, related expenses, discriminated deforestation, and global warming. Sometimes comes to mind that animal habitat gets terminally affected. The lack of companion trees disturbs the rights of sentient trees, diminishes global air exchange, contribute to the loss of 42 gallons of evaporation a day each tree puts in our atmosphere so we can have rain. After every tree that is killed we receive tons and tons of free unprocessed carbon dioxide, but oh well, it is just old me. Enjoy your tree.
The Cookies
Now we are talking! The cookies play a major role in keeping Santa (and the reindeer) going from house to house looking forward to eat those delicious cookies. These smokeless and stimulant patties of sweet energy fuel the Christmas posse to keep on going. Santa uses the opportunity to drop a few toys and gifts while he enjoys scrumptious cookies. Have you noticed that he gains weight EVERY Christmas? Well, make sure he will make a stop on your roof by luring him with some mouth-watering, fresh cookies. Now folks, I am talking about real cookies here, not about internet cookies or fortune cookies. Once, a slapdash reindeer ate a fortune cookie mistakenly stuffed with toilet paper, and the poor animal choked on it before he was able to flush it out.
The Eggnog
There are somber and discriminating disparities in the conception and in the likes and dislikes about this, sometimes indulgent, holiday’s drink. There are the ones who prefer it the old way, the way grandma used to prepare it, with a healthy and hefty portion of brandy, rum, whiskey, or any other spirit that make a rake of your spirit. The other bunch of hooligans likes the one on waxed cardboard boxes from the store. Whatever! I understand the “egg” part of it, but quite cannot comprehend the “nog” part of it. As you know, Nog is the Ferengi from Deep Space Nine. Whatever! I if you do not like eggnog, when offered just say “Thank you, but Nog!”
The Elves
These are the real heroes of the journey! Unlike Santa, Elves work all year long, during other holidays, with slaving schedules, no sick time, short lunch breaks where they just eat broccoli, and they have to wear (all the time!) those ridiculous and unmanly sissy clothes! Peter Pan accused the Elves of copyright infringements in regards of his suit. The Elves and Elfs Union (E&E) does not function and it is useless because was organized by the same individuals that run AIG, Freddy Mac, Fanny Mae, and many of our pathetic banks, so it is just another complete failure. My heart goes to the Elves. They are not being bailed out like the other losers. Things for the Elves are expected to improve after elections for Chief of Elves, according to the empty promises of the two forerunners, Pickle and Gnome.
The Fruitcake
This is another swindle. I have run into fruitcakes that have an expiration date of March 15, 1906. The so-called “fruitcake” (known as fruitcaka in South America to some) it is not so. First, the elements contained and denominated as “fruit” in it are of suspicious origin and nature, and they do not taste anything like fruit. Fruitcakes originated in the middle ages, and some of them, are still around! Besides the “fruit” in it, there is pomegranate, nuts, raisins, spices, barley, and other rudiments such as marzipan, sugar, currants, candy, citron, dates, flour, mace, baking powder, salt, butter, eggs, molasses, buggers, grime from under the nails, and God knows what else! Enjoy your fruitcaka.
The Gifts and Toys
Gifts and toys are the two most important, critical, and essential constituents of Christmas that must be delivered to the kids, the “good” kids that is, no matter what! Santa has a freaking catalog built up probably with the help of the KGB from Hell that lists the names of all the “bad” kids that do not deserve gifts and/or toys. This is an unsmiling and an accomplished travesty from any possible angle you can look at it! Bah, humbug! What Santa knows about bad kids or any kids at all? He does not live with them, he does not deal with them, he does not pay for their clothes, education, or anything else, he does not raise them, and as matter of fact, he does not have any kids of his own at all! Why? The reasons why Santa does not have any kids are completely unknown and purposely kept veiled. Mrs. Claus was not available to make any comments on the subject.
The Wonderful Kids
Kids are roughly, small young human beings between the stages of birth and puberty, just before hormones replace their cuteness. At any rate, they are the pride and joy of any and every parent. They are the real reason to live. They bring joy and happiness to our homes. They, bad or not -for the record, I do not know any bad kids- deserve a caring break in their childhood. This is an opportunity for them to taste a bit of fantasy, a few cups of illusion, a pound of dreams, a ton of love, a bucket of happiness, a dash of hope, a few ounces of time to be kids, and a small amount of simple toys.
Children are the biggest source of learning for us adults. I know a story that has been roaming the in internet before, but I will tell this story once again because it carries a powerful message. Once at the Special Olympics in New York it was a 50 meters dash race. These very special, smiley kids were waiting for the start of the race and talking to each other. The race got in its way and they started to run down the lanes. About two-thirds of the race, one of the kids tripped and fell in the tartan, scraping his knee. Almost immediately, the other kids realized this, and all of them stopped and went back towards the kid on the ground who was crying. The kids helped him to get up, and a girl kissed the crying boy on the booboo and said, “Now it is not going to hurt anymore. Let’s finish the race”. Then, they all held hands and finished the race together. It was not about the Winner for them; it was about all of us winning in life. How can you be happy if you brother is crying? That is the real recipe for fruitcakes.
If you do not know it, or have never read it in the “Mom & Pop’s Manual”, there is a specific rule to measure your level of parenting dexterity. The directive goes as follows: If you have one kid, you do not qualify as “parent”, if you have two kids, you are just a “parent in training”, if you have are rising three or more kids, then you qualify as “Parent”. Congratulations! In addition, there is something else in the manual. To understand your kids, draw from your own experience as a kid; do not play adult all the time. That is stupid!
The Milk
The milk is mostly for the reindeer since Santa prefers a good quality cold beer. He knows a LOT about beer. Remember that he drinks beer in all the places in the world he goes to, and no one else has done that! Besides, what milk really comes down to is to an unpasteurized animal body fluid. Who drinks animal body fluids? Yuck, double yuck! Powder milk is obtained by grinding the cow, and milk shake is obtained by placing a few ice cubes and a cow in the drier. Milk comes from non-virgin cows, and who knows where they have been making their milk! I hope not in the Red Light District. Nevertheless, most of you who drink milk really do not know what you are ingesting. Milk is a hydrocolloidal compound system that could come from pseudoplastic carrageenan! Hello? I drink Coca-Cola.
The Mistletoe
This must be some variety of magical salad! It is made of Mistle, what is a bird with a very nasty and misleading name: Turdus viscivorus (remind me a bit of the milk and the fruitcaka stuff), and Toe, from your foot. It is not clear if it is the Big toe (Hallux), or it is other toe like the pinky. You must be sure that whatever toe you select, is free of athlete’s foot, better known as a fungal tinea pedis infection of the Onychomycosis . In any case, the numinous fusion of these two erratic and peculiar ingredients of disparity, results in the legendary Mistletoe, a real hemi-parasitic plant! I love the magic of Christmas! As for me, I like the kissing part of the Mistletoe thingy best. Totally, dude! I secretly carry mistletoe all year long in my pocket, just in case of emergency!
The Ornaments
Oh boy, oh boy! Friedrich Nietzsche has a very specific definition of ornament, but I will not go there at this time, it is Christmas time for goodness sake! Ornaments are whatever you want them to be. They are accessories used to “beautify” things like our popular Christmas trees. The Shuar and the Jívaro in the Matto Grosso in the Amazon Rainforest, to ornament their houses and themselves they use shrunken human heads, and they think and believe they look cute! It is very trendy, though, especially if the heads are from your enemies. So there you have it. Ornaments are any “thingies” you hang in the Christmas tree, and everywhere else, including yourself. I have a neighbor that has a shrunken head, and he still alive… I tried to ornament my mother-in-law once, but it did not work, and I do not want to talk about it!
That Santa’s Red Suit…
That problematical Red Suit of Santa Claus which was green at one point before it was red, became tenet due to a publication of a singular poem, "A Visit From St. Nicholas", which nowadays we call "The Night Before Christmas". This limerick was published in the newspaper “Sentinel” of the city of New York, in the issue of December 23, 1823. In this culprit elegy, Santa is illustrated as a fat fellow, with a gang of eight reindeer with names, but without credentials or any police background. Today, Santa dresses in whichever way he wants, providing Mrs. Santa agrees, of course! I do not care what Macy’s says, but Santa DID NOT buy his suit there!
The Reindeer
The Rangifer Tarandus (A.K.A. Caribou), a popular and an abundant habitant of the Holarctic ecozone essentially does not know which members of their family structure actually work for Santa. It is like the Secret Police, they live their normal lives in the Floristic Boreal Kingdom during the year, yet some members unfold their surreptitious doppelganger personalities, and go clandestinely to work for Santa every December upholding their fellow peers in complete ignorance. Cool! After their return to normal life, they are impregnated with a dubious smell of carrots! Weird, uh? Santa’s Reindeer are Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen. Rudolph is an undercover instrument and cannot be mentioned here, otherwise, I have to kill myself.
The Sack
I wish we could find out of what material Santa’s sack is made of. The Army says that is made out of flexible Kevlar, the Chinese says that is made out of doubled-padded silk, Virginians says that is made out of genetically modified cotton, and the Australian says that is made out of stretchy rubber bands, “lithe-rally!”. Who knows! Indeed, a small bag can hold a whole lot! Just imagine how much Mrs. Santa’s purse holds! Jiminy Criminy! The other thing is that the sack is always open and nothing falls over! What a bag! There are no records of how many Elves have been hard hit in the head with the freaking bag, while Santa maneuvers around with it on his shoulder. It is enough about the sack.
The Sled
What brand is Santa’s sled? It is probably Polaris or Lodestar. The astonishing means of transportation is environmentally safe, does not use gas, and does not require maintenance. It packs an 8-HP (Holly Pretty-strong-reindeer much better than dogs engine), holds a gazillion Elves, delivers a billion miles per carrot, it received the “Vehicle Of The Year” award for its trendy multi-purpose speed-away flight-toy weather-coaster lightweight-wagon freaking great vehicle, on top of that its reindeer never poop, and of course it is Hot Italian Red.
The Global Celebration of Christmas
This Christian holiday, perhaps the most popular and wide celebrated event ever in the history of mankind, even in cultures where Christianity is not the dominant religion, Christmas has come into being a secular observance, and old Santa Claus has become the symbol and rationale for the season.
Christmas time is celebrated in diverse, but similar fashion around the planet. In the United States, as well as numerous other countries, in commercial establishments, churches, businesses, public places, and homes, they display a crèche –a French word that means day nursery or crib- also called a Nativity scene.
The celebration of Christmas came under fire during the mid 17th century in England, where was abolished. However, nothing stopped Christmas from being celebrated by the jolly Christians. The celebration of this festivity actually has been in effect at least by 4,000 years before Christianity. The roots of this celebration got underway personified in an ancient Babylonian festival –the Zagmuk- many thousands of years prior to the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem of Judea.
The "Twelve Days" of Christmas is another numinous part of the Christmas celebration that actually starts with Christmas Day and concludes with the eve of Epiphany on January 5. Contrary to the popular and very misguided conviction, these mystic twelve days never happened before Christmas!
The Russians call our Santa by the name of Baboushka. The translation of the word Baboushka into Russian is grandmother. Now, how can they call an old, fat, and hairy man, grandmother! Well, I guess some can… As I remember perfectly well, during my last trip to Russia (to Krasnodar) I did not see a single fat woman, and nevertheless, hairy! As I dredge up without any doubts what-so-ever-!, the legions of Russian woman I closely set eyes on was slim, b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l, perfectly well equipped, and none of them wore any beards, of any size, not even a trivial mustache.
Nevertheless, Babushka was very trendy during the Tsarist era, and before the revolution of 1917. Baboushka was and old and sympathetic woman with no known family, like any other superhero, just like the Italian Jedi in the movie Star Wars, Obi Wan Cannoli. Just for the record, NOT citizens, Batman is NOT gay.
One day while she was cleaning her house, the three Wise Men made a quick stop at her house during their journey following the star of Bethlehem to pay respects to the newly born Holy Child. They invited Baboushka to come along with them, but she refused.
After a while and subsequent to the re-assessing of her choice, Baboushka had second thoughts about it. She quickly regretted her foolishness resolution, she hurriedly prepared her luggage and travel gear, and she hit the road in search of the Magi. She never located the Magi, nevertheless the Holy Child, so it is believed that Baboushka is still wondering around in an eternal search. In every sixth of January on the eve of Epiphany, she goes around from one place to another leaving presents to the children with a never-ending hope that someone will lead her to find The King of Kings.
Christmas’ Merry Bits and Holy Pieces
The most popular and widely used items to represent the Christmas spirit are the Christmas tree (Yule tree, or the German Tannenbaum), and the Nativity set. However, people decorate their homes for Christmas in many other ways.
One of the most accepted popular legends in religious spheres is that the reason for the use of the triangular profile of the Fir Tree was to represent explicitly the Holy Trinity of God the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Christians and the converted people worship the Fir tree as God's Tree, in the same fashion as they had for centuries venerated the Oak tree. According to history accounts, during the 12th century in Central Europe, people used to hang the tree upside-down from ceilings as profess of Christianity.
In any case, for reasons that unconfirmed legends and tales originated in the Baltic countries of the 15th century, it is believed that the first evergreen tree decorated for Christmas appeared in Riga, Latvia in 1510.
Based on history accounts, the earliest Nativity scene appeared first during the Middle Ages. It is believed that St. Francis of Assisi started the tradition in the small settlement of Greccio, Italy, in 1223.
A methodical and knowledgeable Nativity organizer, will position each figurine (action figures by today’s standards) in the setting having an unambiguous connotation. The manner in which the Nativity planner arranges these figurines will play an important role in the meaning, and in the visual notion of the nativity landscape.
There are plenty of little sculptures that are arranged inside a stable, being the principal characters Joseph, Mary, and baby Jesus in the folkloric crib. They are usually surrounded by the shepherds, angels, the Magi (the Three Kings from the East or the Three Wise Man), and several animals who already live in the stable, or are visiting for the occasion, and depending of where do you live on earth, the animals will change!
Depending on where on hearth you celebrate Christmas, the bits and pieces used to decorate, adorn, represent, or otherwise characterized your Christmas celebration also changes accordingly, however, some groups of people might add some trappings of their own harvest from local places, or from activities-related situations. At any rate, these personages’ conception also changes from culture to culture. I mention this because my babyish daughter asked me very specific questions the other day related to Christmas. She asked me “Daddy is it true that the Mafia celebrates Christmas with a Nativity featuring the “Three Wise Guys”?”, also she asked me, “Is it true that Jesus Christ died in the Red Cross?”
As far as the first question goes, I really have no idea. Seriously folks... I had a better answer though for the second one.
Rudolph?
Who Rudolph really is? The mysterious and enigmatic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer did not get his red nose from alcoholism. He is some sort of cyborg life form in the appearance of a reindeer, who is able to produce an extremely powerful and colorful beam of glowing photon energy through his nose. He is capable of accurate stellar navigation in the dark, he can break throughout the most fierce blizzards and inclement weather, endure severe and blinding polar storms, lead a bunch of other clueless reindeer pulling Santa’s wagon through the sky. He prances on the clouds, never goes to the bathroom, and he had memorized every single one of the addresses of every child of our planet. Indeed, an amazing animal.
During his off-season’s spare time, Rudolph pursued a career in Hollywood and he hastily rose to stardom. It is still unclear and today remains a matter of debate the question of who his Agent really is. Some self-defined erudite individuals (mostly lawyers) assure that it is Charlie Brown; some other amorphous clued-up raconteurs (mostly politicians) swear that it is the Grinch. In any case, Rudolph declined to comment on the issue – “It is a matter of conflict of interest”, he avowed to CNN.
On December 4, 2008, Rudolph will celebrate his 44th birthday in a private party. The list of invitees has not been released yet, and the party, as stated by some erudite and raconteur individuals abovementioned, will be held with warmth and affection at Claus’ Manor, in the North Pole. The Playboy bunnies will attend; however, Bambi was not invited due to the “adult” nature of the revelry.
Rudolph still going strong and about to get his first colonoscopy, and in spite of his status of worldwide known celebrity, he never made it to the “Who’s Who” publication.
My Christmas Exit to You
Well, by now you should have learned a great deal about some important Christmas details and minutiae with its associated eclectic concepts. Christmas is a real jolly time, full of love and best wishes. For once, do not become Ebenezer Scrooge this year and do not screw around with Christmas. Please! Go out there wearing your best smile and transfuse your jolliness to others, soak up on massive amounts of merriness, and saturate yourself by absorbing the ebullient Christmas Spirit that will be omnipresent and overflowing everywhere, because it will stick to your spirit like honey, and it will last in your heart just long enough until next Christmas.
I love Christmas dearly, but I love Thanksgiving more. Thanksgiving is not about buying presents for everyone, or running from store to store because YOU HAVE TO BUY this or that for him or for her. Thanksgiving is all about the family, about getting together, share our love, and just spent time together as a solid family unit with our relatives. I wrote this silly chronicle about Christmas during Thanksgiving, while headquartered right at the dead center of my beloved family.
I sincerely wish you and everyone else who occupy a place (of any size) in your generous heart, a very Merry Christmas, and a Prosperous upcoming year filled with Bonanza, Health, Fortune, and Happiness. I also wish that at least one of your dreams came true before next Christmas. Run fast and hard! In order to catch your dreams, you have to run faster than them, so hustle!
Be a child at heart, a dreamer at life, do not fully mature, forgive a lot, smile at everyone, not only stop to smell the roses, but stop frequently to smell a lot of stuff, be honest to yourself, strive to progress, look always sharp at spirit, feed a hungry child at least once, help an old lady to cross the street, even if she doesn’t want to, go Ho!, Ho! Ho! around and forget about what the idiots might think of you, let your imagination roar uninhibited and untamed, call your brother sometime, visit your mom once in a while, and take some time to put a beautiful flower in the solitary grave of your grandfather.
Remember your good friends. There are friends, and there are good friends. You must know the difference. A friend will help you to move, a good friend will help you to move a dead body. And if you happen to remember, and you have the time to spare on it, look carefully deep into your munificent, giving heart, and lend a helping hand to someone you don’t know out there who might need a friend, just the once.
When you are done with all of that, stop for a taciturn moment and look at the immeasurable sky, far above, beyond the limit of your sight. The sky is pitching dark, but if you look straight up carefully, you will see a bright, shining celestial star. If you do not look carefully, you will not see it, however, I can assure you that it is the biggest start of all. I am not sure about the name of this powerful light source, but I read once that some called J.C. Superstar! Just slightly to the right of the cosmic glow, you will candidly distinguish your powerful dreams and diehard hopes, together in the silent night, holy night, patiently waiting in the midst of the heavens for you to reach out for them. Well? Start running! What are you waiting for? Hustle!
Merry Christmas Humanity!
The date of the celebration of Christmas it is not the date of our Lord Jesus Christ’s birth. Our current date system was established using as its basis the Anno Domini, chart originated on or about the year 525 BC, and used to cipher and identify the order of years of the Julian and Gregorian calendars, widely used by then.
Nobody really knows for sure why the date of December 25 was chosen as the chronological settling of this celebration. It may have been kept from the already established popular celebrations during the ancient Roman Empire’s solar festivals such as the Dies Natalis, Solis Invicti, and Bruma, which were sponsored by the State of the Roman Empire every year on December 25.
The Christmas time celebration has become so universal and frantic – even in countries that do not celebrate Christmas- that gives the impression to many people that the observance of this well-liked festivity it is used mostly, as a contemptible marketing gimmick by pushing and opportunistic merchants.
The Pope Julius I in the 4th century AD did set December 25 as the official public date for the Christian celebration of Christmas. This strategic move was implemented in an effort to Christianize the old “Pagan” celebrations that were taking place for centuries now during this time of the year.
Santa Claus
The henchman of Christmas, Santa Claus, AKA: Saint Nicholas (St. Nick) the Patron of Children, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle, Shengdan Laoren in China, Hoteisho in Japan (who knows Karate), or simply known best by the masses as "Santa", specially by his Elves, has become nowadays the most popular character of Christmas in most places in the planet. Santa is represented in thick, red winter clothes even in countries of the Southern Hemisphere, which are rejoicing summer in December!
In Chile for example, I used to celebrate Christmas like everyone else. We always had a snowy pine tree decorated with whatever tickled our fancy. We had a nativity with all sort of animals and a naked baby, and pictures of Santa in his wintery clothing. In spite of the 97º Fahrenheit + outside, all decorations depicted a cold, snowy winter season.
In the cities of Central America almost never snows and between winter and summer there is not quite a difference, unless you live there to notice it. However, in most of these countries they still dressing Santa in a wintery attire. I know that Hawaiians dress Santa up more accordingly to the season!
Until the beginning of the 18th century, our contemporary “fat” Santa was unheard of and a totally unknown personage as we depict him today. Santa Claus’ reflection was of a slim man who handed out presents to the children of the entire town; however, in many places this character was not linked with the Christian celebration of Christmas.
Santa is in fact, a cheerful, ebullient, and an exceedingly chubby man who hides his face behind a fuzzy white beard, wearing black icecap type boots, and outfitting a thick winter red suit embroidered with an unknown white fur. Some animal rights activists have been confused about this fact for centuries, and no one really knows if they are going after Santa for animal cruelty -no facts about the reindeer are actually available as well. Santa’s boots by the way are made out of leather too, what is believed also to come from animals. Please take note of that I did not bring up the issue of the belt!
As far as I know, Santa always stays at the same Ho-ho-tel during the holidays, he likes "Jingle Jam” on his toast, he eats Mistle-"toast" for breakfast, and he does not use Travelocity to book anything. It is a widespread thought that his nationality is North Polish. Another important detail is that he will continue working forever, because he currently has not means of retirement after the Stock Market crash.
Here it is some of Santa’s Gear of the Trade (in alphabetical order)
The Carrots
The Sativus sub-specie, Daucus Carota; commonly known as “zanahoria” –Spanish for carrot, it is used by people visited by Santa to pay a sort of tithe to compensate the efforts of the hungry and weary reindeer. It is not known however, how reindeer are capable of eating approximately 36 billion crude carrots between the midnight of December 24, and the dawn of December 25. With the help of Rudolph, perhaps?... No droppings have ever been found to trace any accusing DNA trail! It is known though, that some reindeer skip the carrots for the eggnog! This is something somewhat of a “Miller Time” for them. Baby carrots, by the way, come from mommy carrots. Carrots are believed to make you see better in the dark, so the military uses them to built night-vision goggles.
The Christmas Lists
This is a very serious and delicate issue. Since Santa turned pro-environmentalist, he only receives e-mails with requests for Christmas, and that way he helps to save trees. To accommodate this item, he recently had acquired a Craig supercomputer and he has a squad of geek Elves to process the millions of requests. Now you know why your paper letter never made it to the North Pole! Christmas lists cannot be hacked by members of the elite subculture of corrupt and destructive programmer shoplifters, those mendacious cyber pickpockets, while the lists travel the internet, because the lists encompasses the powerful cryptography of a hash algorithm into a super-chyphered hyperlink directly to your child’s heart and imagination. Incidentally, Ms. Claus hates e-bay.
The Christmas tree
The criminal and prehistoric destructive practice of cutting innocent, unsuspecting pines or other unsullied and unwary trees for the frivolous, transient, and short-lived amusement of a few, it has not stopped yet. Some representatives of the Macacus Rhesus panel think it is not a big deal, and the barbaric practice it is mainly just for the amusement of the kids. Perhaps they are right. I just cannot stop thinking about fire hazards, related expenses, discriminated deforestation, and global warming. Sometimes comes to mind that animal habitat gets terminally affected. The lack of companion trees disturbs the rights of sentient trees, diminishes global air exchange, contribute to the loss of 42 gallons of evaporation a day each tree puts in our atmosphere so we can have rain. After every tree that is killed we receive tons and tons of free unprocessed carbon dioxide, but oh well, it is just old me. Enjoy your tree.
The Cookies
Now we are talking! The cookies play a major role in keeping Santa (and the reindeer) going from house to house looking forward to eat those delicious cookies. These smokeless and stimulant patties of sweet energy fuel the Christmas posse to keep on going. Santa uses the opportunity to drop a few toys and gifts while he enjoys scrumptious cookies. Have you noticed that he gains weight EVERY Christmas? Well, make sure he will make a stop on your roof by luring him with some mouth-watering, fresh cookies. Now folks, I am talking about real cookies here, not about internet cookies or fortune cookies. Once, a slapdash reindeer ate a fortune cookie mistakenly stuffed with toilet paper, and the poor animal choked on it before he was able to flush it out.
The Eggnog
There are somber and discriminating disparities in the conception and in the likes and dislikes about this, sometimes indulgent, holiday’s drink. There are the ones who prefer it the old way, the way grandma used to prepare it, with a healthy and hefty portion of brandy, rum, whiskey, or any other spirit that make a rake of your spirit. The other bunch of hooligans likes the one on waxed cardboard boxes from the store. Whatever! I understand the “egg” part of it, but quite cannot comprehend the “nog” part of it. As you know, Nog is the Ferengi from Deep Space Nine. Whatever! I if you do not like eggnog, when offered just say “Thank you, but Nog!”
The Elves
These are the real heroes of the journey! Unlike Santa, Elves work all year long, during other holidays, with slaving schedules, no sick time, short lunch breaks where they just eat broccoli, and they have to wear (all the time!) those ridiculous and unmanly sissy clothes! Peter Pan accused the Elves of copyright infringements in regards of his suit. The Elves and Elfs Union (E&E) does not function and it is useless because was organized by the same individuals that run AIG, Freddy Mac, Fanny Mae, and many of our pathetic banks, so it is just another complete failure. My heart goes to the Elves. They are not being bailed out like the other losers. Things for the Elves are expected to improve after elections for Chief of Elves, according to the empty promises of the two forerunners, Pickle and Gnome.
The Fruitcake
This is another swindle. I have run into fruitcakes that have an expiration date of March 15, 1906. The so-called “fruitcake” (known as fruitcaka in South America to some) it is not so. First, the elements contained and denominated as “fruit” in it are of suspicious origin and nature, and they do not taste anything like fruit. Fruitcakes originated in the middle ages, and some of them, are still around! Besides the “fruit” in it, there is pomegranate, nuts, raisins, spices, barley, and other rudiments such as marzipan, sugar, currants, candy, citron, dates, flour, mace, baking powder, salt, butter, eggs, molasses, buggers, grime from under the nails, and God knows what else! Enjoy your fruitcaka.
The Gifts and Toys
Gifts and toys are the two most important, critical, and essential constituents of Christmas that must be delivered to the kids, the “good” kids that is, no matter what! Santa has a freaking catalog built up probably with the help of the KGB from Hell that lists the names of all the “bad” kids that do not deserve gifts and/or toys. This is an unsmiling and an accomplished travesty from any possible angle you can look at it! Bah, humbug! What Santa knows about bad kids or any kids at all? He does not live with them, he does not deal with them, he does not pay for their clothes, education, or anything else, he does not raise them, and as matter of fact, he does not have any kids of his own at all! Why? The reasons why Santa does not have any kids are completely unknown and purposely kept veiled. Mrs. Claus was not available to make any comments on the subject.
The Wonderful Kids
Kids are roughly, small young human beings between the stages of birth and puberty, just before hormones replace their cuteness. At any rate, they are the pride and joy of any and every parent. They are the real reason to live. They bring joy and happiness to our homes. They, bad or not -for the record, I do not know any bad kids- deserve a caring break in their childhood. This is an opportunity for them to taste a bit of fantasy, a few cups of illusion, a pound of dreams, a ton of love, a bucket of happiness, a dash of hope, a few ounces of time to be kids, and a small amount of simple toys.
Children are the biggest source of learning for us adults. I know a story that has been roaming the in internet before, but I will tell this story once again because it carries a powerful message. Once at the Special Olympics in New York it was a 50 meters dash race. These very special, smiley kids were waiting for the start of the race and talking to each other. The race got in its way and they started to run down the lanes. About two-thirds of the race, one of the kids tripped and fell in the tartan, scraping his knee. Almost immediately, the other kids realized this, and all of them stopped and went back towards the kid on the ground who was crying. The kids helped him to get up, and a girl kissed the crying boy on the booboo and said, “Now it is not going to hurt anymore. Let’s finish the race”. Then, they all held hands and finished the race together. It was not about the Winner for them; it was about all of us winning in life. How can you be happy if you brother is crying? That is the real recipe for fruitcakes.
If you do not know it, or have never read it in the “Mom & Pop’s Manual”, there is a specific rule to measure your level of parenting dexterity. The directive goes as follows: If you have one kid, you do not qualify as “parent”, if you have two kids, you are just a “parent in training”, if you have are rising three or more kids, then you qualify as “Parent”. Congratulations! In addition, there is something else in the manual. To understand your kids, draw from your own experience as a kid; do not play adult all the time. That is stupid!
The Milk
The milk is mostly for the reindeer since Santa prefers a good quality cold beer. He knows a LOT about beer. Remember that he drinks beer in all the places in the world he goes to, and no one else has done that! Besides, what milk really comes down to is to an unpasteurized animal body fluid. Who drinks animal body fluids? Yuck, double yuck! Powder milk is obtained by grinding the cow, and milk shake is obtained by placing a few ice cubes and a cow in the drier. Milk comes from non-virgin cows, and who knows where they have been making their milk! I hope not in the Red Light District. Nevertheless, most of you who drink milk really do not know what you are ingesting. Milk is a hydrocolloidal compound system that could come from pseudoplastic carrageenan! Hello? I drink Coca-Cola.
The Mistletoe
This must be some variety of magical salad! It is made of Mistle, what is a bird with a very nasty and misleading name: Turdus viscivorus (remind me a bit of the milk and the fruitcaka stuff), and Toe, from your foot. It is not clear if it is the Big toe (Hallux), or it is other toe like the pinky. You must be sure that whatever toe you select, is free of athlete’s foot, better known as a fungal tinea pedis infection of the Onychomycosis . In any case, the numinous fusion of these two erratic and peculiar ingredients of disparity, results in the legendary Mistletoe, a real hemi-parasitic plant! I love the magic of Christmas! As for me, I like the kissing part of the Mistletoe thingy best. Totally, dude! I secretly carry mistletoe all year long in my pocket, just in case of emergency!
The Ornaments
Oh boy, oh boy! Friedrich Nietzsche has a very specific definition of ornament, but I will not go there at this time, it is Christmas time for goodness sake! Ornaments are whatever you want them to be. They are accessories used to “beautify” things like our popular Christmas trees. The Shuar and the Jívaro in the Matto Grosso in the Amazon Rainforest, to ornament their houses and themselves they use shrunken human heads, and they think and believe they look cute! It is very trendy, though, especially if the heads are from your enemies. So there you have it. Ornaments are any “thingies” you hang in the Christmas tree, and everywhere else, including yourself. I have a neighbor that has a shrunken head, and he still alive… I tried to ornament my mother-in-law once, but it did not work, and I do not want to talk about it!
That Santa’s Red Suit…
That problematical Red Suit of Santa Claus which was green at one point before it was red, became tenet due to a publication of a singular poem, "A Visit From St. Nicholas", which nowadays we call "The Night Before Christmas". This limerick was published in the newspaper “Sentinel” of the city of New York, in the issue of December 23, 1823. In this culprit elegy, Santa is illustrated as a fat fellow, with a gang of eight reindeer with names, but without credentials or any police background. Today, Santa dresses in whichever way he wants, providing Mrs. Santa agrees, of course! I do not care what Macy’s says, but Santa DID NOT buy his suit there!
The Reindeer
The Rangifer Tarandus (A.K.A. Caribou), a popular and an abundant habitant of the Holarctic ecozone essentially does not know which members of their family structure actually work for Santa. It is like the Secret Police, they live their normal lives in the Floristic Boreal Kingdom during the year, yet some members unfold their surreptitious doppelganger personalities, and go clandestinely to work for Santa every December upholding their fellow peers in complete ignorance. Cool! After their return to normal life, they are impregnated with a dubious smell of carrots! Weird, uh? Santa’s Reindeer are Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen. Rudolph is an undercover instrument and cannot be mentioned here, otherwise, I have to kill myself.
The Sack
I wish we could find out of what material Santa’s sack is made of. The Army says that is made out of flexible Kevlar, the Chinese says that is made out of doubled-padded silk, Virginians says that is made out of genetically modified cotton, and the Australian says that is made out of stretchy rubber bands, “lithe-rally!”. Who knows! Indeed, a small bag can hold a whole lot! Just imagine how much Mrs. Santa’s purse holds! Jiminy Criminy! The other thing is that the sack is always open and nothing falls over! What a bag! There are no records of how many Elves have been hard hit in the head with the freaking bag, while Santa maneuvers around with it on his shoulder. It is enough about the sack.
The Sled
What brand is Santa’s sled? It is probably Polaris or Lodestar. The astonishing means of transportation is environmentally safe, does not use gas, and does not require maintenance. It packs an 8-HP (Holly Pretty-strong-reindeer much better than dogs engine), holds a gazillion Elves, delivers a billion miles per carrot, it received the “Vehicle Of The Year” award for its trendy multi-purpose speed-away flight-toy weather-coaster lightweight-wagon freaking great vehicle, on top of that its reindeer never poop, and of course it is Hot Italian Red.
The Global Celebration of Christmas
This Christian holiday, perhaps the most popular and wide celebrated event ever in the history of mankind, even in cultures where Christianity is not the dominant religion, Christmas has come into being a secular observance, and old Santa Claus has become the symbol and rationale for the season.
Christmas time is celebrated in diverse, but similar fashion around the planet. In the United States, as well as numerous other countries, in commercial establishments, churches, businesses, public places, and homes, they display a crèche –a French word that means day nursery or crib- also called a Nativity scene.
The celebration of Christmas came under fire during the mid 17th century in England, where was abolished. However, nothing stopped Christmas from being celebrated by the jolly Christians. The celebration of this festivity actually has been in effect at least by 4,000 years before Christianity. The roots of this celebration got underway personified in an ancient Babylonian festival –the Zagmuk- many thousands of years prior to the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem of Judea.
The "Twelve Days" of Christmas is another numinous part of the Christmas celebration that actually starts with Christmas Day and concludes with the eve of Epiphany on January 5. Contrary to the popular and very misguided conviction, these mystic twelve days never happened before Christmas!
The Russians call our Santa by the name of Baboushka. The translation of the word Baboushka into Russian is grandmother. Now, how can they call an old, fat, and hairy man, grandmother! Well, I guess some can… As I remember perfectly well, during my last trip to Russia (to Krasnodar) I did not see a single fat woman, and nevertheless, hairy! As I dredge up without any doubts what-so-ever-!, the legions of Russian woman I closely set eyes on was slim, b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l, perfectly well equipped, and none of them wore any beards, of any size, not even a trivial mustache.
Nevertheless, Babushka was very trendy during the Tsarist era, and before the revolution of 1917. Baboushka was and old and sympathetic woman with no known family, like any other superhero, just like the Italian Jedi in the movie Star Wars, Obi Wan Cannoli. Just for the record, NOT citizens, Batman is NOT gay.
One day while she was cleaning her house, the three Wise Men made a quick stop at her house during their journey following the star of Bethlehem to pay respects to the newly born Holy Child. They invited Baboushka to come along with them, but she refused.
After a while and subsequent to the re-assessing of her choice, Baboushka had second thoughts about it. She quickly regretted her foolishness resolution, she hurriedly prepared her luggage and travel gear, and she hit the road in search of the Magi. She never located the Magi, nevertheless the Holy Child, so it is believed that Baboushka is still wondering around in an eternal search. In every sixth of January on the eve of Epiphany, she goes around from one place to another leaving presents to the children with a never-ending hope that someone will lead her to find The King of Kings.
Christmas’ Merry Bits and Holy Pieces
The most popular and widely used items to represent the Christmas spirit are the Christmas tree (Yule tree, or the German Tannenbaum), and the Nativity set. However, people decorate their homes for Christmas in many other ways.
One of the most accepted popular legends in religious spheres is that the reason for the use of the triangular profile of the Fir Tree was to represent explicitly the Holy Trinity of God the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Christians and the converted people worship the Fir tree as God's Tree, in the same fashion as they had for centuries venerated the Oak tree. According to history accounts, during the 12th century in Central Europe, people used to hang the tree upside-down from ceilings as profess of Christianity.
In any case, for reasons that unconfirmed legends and tales originated in the Baltic countries of the 15th century, it is believed that the first evergreen tree decorated for Christmas appeared in Riga, Latvia in 1510.
Based on history accounts, the earliest Nativity scene appeared first during the Middle Ages. It is believed that St. Francis of Assisi started the tradition in the small settlement of Greccio, Italy, in 1223.
A methodical and knowledgeable Nativity organizer, will position each figurine (action figures by today’s standards) in the setting having an unambiguous connotation. The manner in which the Nativity planner arranges these figurines will play an important role in the meaning, and in the visual notion of the nativity landscape.
There are plenty of little sculptures that are arranged inside a stable, being the principal characters Joseph, Mary, and baby Jesus in the folkloric crib. They are usually surrounded by the shepherds, angels, the Magi (the Three Kings from the East or the Three Wise Man), and several animals who already live in the stable, or are visiting for the occasion, and depending of where do you live on earth, the animals will change!
Depending on where on hearth you celebrate Christmas, the bits and pieces used to decorate, adorn, represent, or otherwise characterized your Christmas celebration also changes accordingly, however, some groups of people might add some trappings of their own harvest from local places, or from activities-related situations. At any rate, these personages’ conception also changes from culture to culture. I mention this because my babyish daughter asked me very specific questions the other day related to Christmas. She asked me “Daddy is it true that the Mafia celebrates Christmas with a Nativity featuring the “Three Wise Guys”?”, also she asked me, “Is it true that Jesus Christ died in the Red Cross?”
As far as the first question goes, I really have no idea. Seriously folks... I had a better answer though for the second one.
Rudolph?
Who Rudolph really is? The mysterious and enigmatic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer did not get his red nose from alcoholism. He is some sort of cyborg life form in the appearance of a reindeer, who is able to produce an extremely powerful and colorful beam of glowing photon energy through his nose. He is capable of accurate stellar navigation in the dark, he can break throughout the most fierce blizzards and inclement weather, endure severe and blinding polar storms, lead a bunch of other clueless reindeer pulling Santa’s wagon through the sky. He prances on the clouds, never goes to the bathroom, and he had memorized every single one of the addresses of every child of our planet. Indeed, an amazing animal.
During his off-season’s spare time, Rudolph pursued a career in Hollywood and he hastily rose to stardom. It is still unclear and today remains a matter of debate the question of who his Agent really is. Some self-defined erudite individuals (mostly lawyers) assure that it is Charlie Brown; some other amorphous clued-up raconteurs (mostly politicians) swear that it is the Grinch. In any case, Rudolph declined to comment on the issue – “It is a matter of conflict of interest”, he avowed to CNN.
On December 4, 2008, Rudolph will celebrate his 44th birthday in a private party. The list of invitees has not been released yet, and the party, as stated by some erudite and raconteur individuals abovementioned, will be held with warmth and affection at Claus’ Manor, in the North Pole. The Playboy bunnies will attend; however, Bambi was not invited due to the “adult” nature of the revelry.
Rudolph still going strong and about to get his first colonoscopy, and in spite of his status of worldwide known celebrity, he never made it to the “Who’s Who” publication.
My Christmas Exit to You
Well, by now you should have learned a great deal about some important Christmas details and minutiae with its associated eclectic concepts. Christmas is a real jolly time, full of love and best wishes. For once, do not become Ebenezer Scrooge this year and do not screw around with Christmas. Please! Go out there wearing your best smile and transfuse your jolliness to others, soak up on massive amounts of merriness, and saturate yourself by absorbing the ebullient Christmas Spirit that will be omnipresent and overflowing everywhere, because it will stick to your spirit like honey, and it will last in your heart just long enough until next Christmas.
I love Christmas dearly, but I love Thanksgiving more. Thanksgiving is not about buying presents for everyone, or running from store to store because YOU HAVE TO BUY this or that for him or for her. Thanksgiving is all about the family, about getting together, share our love, and just spent time together as a solid family unit with our relatives. I wrote this silly chronicle about Christmas during Thanksgiving, while headquartered right at the dead center of my beloved family.
I sincerely wish you and everyone else who occupy a place (of any size) in your generous heart, a very Merry Christmas, and a Prosperous upcoming year filled with Bonanza, Health, Fortune, and Happiness. I also wish that at least one of your dreams came true before next Christmas. Run fast and hard! In order to catch your dreams, you have to run faster than them, so hustle!
Be a child at heart, a dreamer at life, do not fully mature, forgive a lot, smile at everyone, not only stop to smell the roses, but stop frequently to smell a lot of stuff, be honest to yourself, strive to progress, look always sharp at spirit, feed a hungry child at least once, help an old lady to cross the street, even if she doesn’t want to, go Ho!, Ho! Ho! around and forget about what the idiots might think of you, let your imagination roar uninhibited and untamed, call your brother sometime, visit your mom once in a while, and take some time to put a beautiful flower in the solitary grave of your grandfather.
Remember your good friends. There are friends, and there are good friends. You must know the difference. A friend will help you to move, a good friend will help you to move a dead body. And if you happen to remember, and you have the time to spare on it, look carefully deep into your munificent, giving heart, and lend a helping hand to someone you don’t know out there who might need a friend, just the once.
When you are done with all of that, stop for a taciturn moment and look at the immeasurable sky, far above, beyond the limit of your sight. The sky is pitching dark, but if you look straight up carefully, you will see a bright, shining celestial star. If you do not look carefully, you will not see it, however, I can assure you that it is the biggest start of all. I am not sure about the name of this powerful light source, but I read once that some called J.C. Superstar! Just slightly to the right of the cosmic glow, you will candidly distinguish your powerful dreams and diehard hopes, together in the silent night, holy night, patiently waiting in the midst of the heavens for you to reach out for them. Well? Start running! What are you waiting for? Hustle!
Merry Christmas Humanity!
Morbid Obesity, a Heavy and Perilous Foe
Do you know that cute fat kid next door? Well, his grandfather probably will bury him before he dies. His parents will put him to rest for sure. Does it sound bizarre? Well, it is not. It is not at all. Kids 6 – 9 years old with Morbid Obesity today are more likely to die before their parents do. A cute fat kid might be charming, but he may well be at the point of not return in the inexorable line of the “Fast Food” death row.
People affected by Morbid Obesity need to come to terms with the understanding that morbid obesity it is indeed a very serious chronic disease. Symptoms build slowly over a long period of time, and because of their slow build up pace, these indicators are normally ignored. This circumstance makes "clinically severe obesity" a lethal and chronic morbid disease. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) define morbid obesity as being 100 pounds or more over than you stereotype body weight, or having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or greater, or having a BMI of 35 or greater and one or more co-morbid conditions (there are 22 of them), where comorbidity articulate the effect of all other diseases an individual patient might have other than the primary disease of significance.
The disease of morbid obesity seriously hampers basic physical functions such as breathing, walking, or normal sexual activity. There are also long-term implications of the disease, which in some cases, long term might mean just a year (The Charlson co-morbidity index predicts 1 year mortality for a patient who may have a range of co-morbid conditions such as heart disease, AIDS, or cancer). Some of these long term repercussions include shorter life expectancy, acute health consequences in the form of weight-related conditions such as type-2 diabetes, heart disease, and a poor and inferior quality of life. Morbid obesity take away economic opportunities, and seriously impairs a normal social life.
Obesity is a serious public health issue in the U.S. Today, more than 25 million of adults are living with morbid obesity disease in the United States. This figure does not include children! By the year 2010, projections show that there may be over 33 million U.S. adults living with morbid obesity.
According to the standard guidelines of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), an individual is deem to be "obese" when he or she weighs 20 % or more than his or her ideal body weight. You can always check your estimated weight values in a Height to Weight Ratio Chart. However, just a 20% of extra weight over your estimated ideal weight will establish a real health risk for you. Obesity will become "morbid" when it drastically increases the risk of one or more obesity-related health conditions, or serious co-morbidities. Amid medical terms, morbid obesity is often called "clinically severe obesity".
Today an estimated 97 million Americans, more than one-third of the adult population, are severely overweight or obese, and the number escalates every year at an alarming rate. An estimated 25 million of those overweight Americans are considered morbidly obese. If your weight is more than twice your ideal index, you double your risk of early death, you boost you risk of death from diabetes or heart attack to about 5-7 times; and you are now at the stage of untreatable obesity, along with an unwanted number of negative social, psychological and economic unavoidable consequences.
Have you had enough yet? Well, here are just a few more indulgences, courtesy of obesity and morbid obesity, and in alphabetical order:
Depression. Unfortunately, depression can kill you because it is a psychological condition and a somber problem that radically changes how you think and feel about yourself and others, impinges on your social behavior, and on your sense of physical well-being. Being obese is not an easy burden. If you are obese, alas you must deal with constant, depressing, and defying emotional ordeals such as unsuccessful diet program attempts, sometimes unfair and cruel censure from family, disrespect ands psychosomatic abuse from friends, and the ever present burlesque remarks from totally disrespectful strangers. These are grounds for social and intellectual isolation; to the point that you start to discriminate you and impeding yourself from adequately behave and function in public places.
Hiatal hernia and heartburn. There is a valve that sits on the top of your stomach -the lower esophageal sphincter- that suffers the disturbing effects of surplus weight. Your excessive flab weakens and overloads the esophageal sphincter to the point that it opens spontaneously when it shouldn’t and stays open for irregular periods of time. Also, the sphincter will not close properly and your semi-digested stomach stuffing will come up into your esophagus. Yuck! So the acid from your stomach will cause your esophagus to experience gastroesophageal reflux, and "heartburn", and this can lead to more complicated health ramifications to include esophageal cancer.
High blood pressure and Heart disease. Your heart will not operate correctly when the body is hauling around excessive weight. So you might get, without further delays, a wonderful hypertension (high blood pressure), which will lead to fatal strokes and will damage your heart and may mutilate the normal function of your unsuspecting kidneys.
Infertility. Infertility is your biological inability to contribute to conception or fecundation. This extreme condition is equally distressful for men and women. Obesity inflicts devastating damage to hormonal natural performance functions and execution purposes. It put an end to normal sexual activities, leading to the inability to conceive, with a gamma of consequential moral and psychological impairments.
Menstrual irregularities. Sometimes women have problems in their menstrual cycle. These problems are called menstrual irregularities or simply, menstrual problems. Woman affected by these conditions may not get periods, get irregular sequential periods, get periods too frequently, have unpredictable menstrual bleeding, or they may have painful periods. Normally when this conditions are not produced by pregnancy’s inherent effects, menstrual irregularities are by and large a sign of a deeper overall health circumstances or problem. Among these deeper overall health circumstances is morbid obesity.
Osteoarthritis of weight-bearing joints. When your unfairly abused joints carry your bonus weight, specially your knees and hips, it will bring them terrible wear and tear, along with uncomfortable pain and distressing inflammation. Because of this your back gets an invitation to join the party. Imposed strain on bones and muscles of your back will turn to irreversible disk problems, constant pain, and a considerable mobility reduction for you.
Sleep apnea and Respiratory problems. Doctors and researches have told us over and over that the weight of the unchecked fat accumulation in your neck and in your tongue will begin to acutely obstruct your air intake, especially if you sleep on your backs. The musical contribution to this will be your lovely snoring. You will lose sleep, and besides having daytime drowsiness and headaches, you will be drained and unfocused.
Type-2 Diabetes. Obesity quickly turns you resistant to insulin, which regulates your blood sugar concentration levels. Unregulated sugar levels provoke high blood sugar content, which causes Type-2 diabetes. This is the most common form of diabetes, in which either the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin. Insulin is absolutely necessary for the body to be able to use glucose for energy. Without the proper provision of insulin, your cells may be starved for energy at once, and over time, high blood glucose levels may hurt your eyesight, kidneys functions, nerve system, or heart.
Urinary stress incontinence. A weakening and deteriorating effect of the urethral valves of the bladder it is a direct consequence of sagging abdomens. Outsized and flabby abdomens weaken ominously pelvic muscles, creating a lack of performance side-effect of the valves which results in urine leakages when coughing, sneezing, laughing, or screaming. The visual and patent effects of these leaks contribute to depression, self esteem deterioration, and other issues.
In the U.S. obesity rate is on the rise at a quick pace, but the proliferation rate of extreme, morbid obesity is developing three times faster, as studies show.
CHILE
In the South American country of Chile, the results of a Government's National Health Survey in 2003 showed that the index on population for overweight individuals was 37.8%, on the population segment for non-morbid obesity was 21.9%, and the index for the morbid obesity portion was 1.3%. Obesity occurrence was notably higher among people with a lower educational level, at a dreadful ratio of 1 to 5, and the occurrence of morbid obesity was six times higher in the low socioeconomic stratus.
Detrimental comorbidities inherent to obesity conditions are also prevalent among the Chilean population. Another serious social condition that increases the risk and attainment of obesity is the predominance of a sedentary lifestyle among Chileans. The soaring sedentary habits of Chileans are extremely high, accounting for the 89.4% of the country’s inhabitants. In Chile today, there are more than 200,000 individuals suffering morbid obesity, the study shows. Since most of these cases are amid the low end of the socio-economic and educational stratus, a great number of these individuals are suffering the disease consequences, and are in great need of expensive health care, which renders these services for them, unaffordable.
Preliminary clinical data from the program for Surgical Treatment of Obesity managed and lead by the Clinical Hospital of the Catholic University of Chile, made available results showing an epidemic predominance of cardiovascular risk factors. This statistics were obtained from a sample population among young obese subjects with an average age of 37. In many cases, a single individual exhibited two or more risk factors, and 10% of the tested population was ranked as a high global cardiovascular risk, according to the Framingham Risk Score (the Framingham risk score identifies patients at increased cardiovascular risk, and helps determine the need for preventive interventions).
Bariatric surgery
Bariatric surgery is also known as weight loss surgery, and the name it is associated to an assortment of surgical procedures executed to contend with obesity. These procedures deal with the modification of the size of the gastrointestinal tract, hence to reduce food quantity intake. For obese individuals who have been powerless to implement a drastic and permanent change in lifestyle in order to achieve a significant weight loss through diet and exercise, bariatric surgery may be an option to obtain a substantial weight loss.
Mounting evidence clearly shows that non-surgical treatment of subjects with severe or morbid obesity is insufficient anywhere in the world today, including in Chile. As an added benefit, bariatric surgery is linked to an 89% reduction in the risk of death as well as an 82% of preventive reduction in cardiovascular disease for morbidly obese patients. Since 2000, bariatric surgery services in Chile are undergoing a sustained increase. Mexico and the United States show a similar situation.
Some statistics on Morbid Obesity
The statistics depicted below can not be completely verified since the available information differs tremendously from source to source. The stats were gathered from public information places and from publically available medical studies over time, so some values might be inexact or outdated. However, these statistics are intended to give you a general idea and perspective of the problem.
Obesity:
• Some 70 million Americans are overweight
• Some 40 million Americans are obese
• Some 30 million Americans are morbidly obese
• Eight out of 10 Americans over 25 are overweight
• Some 78% of American's are not meeting basic activity level recommendations
• Some 25% are completely sedentary
• There has been a 76% increase in Type II diabetes in adults 30-40 years old since 1990
Obesity Related Diseases:
• 80% of type II diabetes is related to obesity
• 70% of cardiovascular diseases are related to obesity
• 42% breast and colon cancer are diagnosed among obese individuals
• 30% of gall bladder surgery is related to obesity
• 26% of obese people have high blood pressure
Childhood Obesity:
• A 4% overweight in 1982 went to 16% overweight 1994
• 25% of all white children were overweight by 2001
• 33% African American and Hispanic children were overweight by 2001
• Hospital costs associated with childhood obesity did rise from $35 Million in 1979 to $127 Million in 1999
Childhood Metabolic and Heart Risks:
• New study suggests one in four overweight children is already showing early signs of type II diabetes
• 60% of obese children already have one risk factor for heart disease
Childhood Diabetes Surge
• Between 8% - 45% of newly diagnosed cases of childhood diabetes are type II, associated with obesity.
• Whereas 4% of Childhood diabetes was type II in 1990, that number has risen to approximately 20%
• Depending on the age group (Type II most frequent 10-19 group) and the racial/ethnic make up of the group stated of children diagnosed with Type II diabetes, 85% are obese
Miscellaneous
A study linking morbid obesity and depression that appeared in the American Journal of Epidemiology denotes people who suffer from morbid obesity, are at least five times more predisposed to become depressed than those who are not. This puts people who are morbidly obese are at a very high risk for suicide.
Persons who are subject to morbid obesity, in addition of having to deal with the extra weight and unattractive aesthetics of their bodies, they also have to deal with the pitiless and emotionally taxing social stigma coupled with obesity, mayor contributors to the onset of depression.
ScienceDaily (Sep. 3, 2006 – Extract) — University of Florida researchers have discovered a link between morbid obesity in toddlers and lower IQ scores, cognitive delays and brain lesions similar to those seen in Alzheimer's disease patients, a new study shows.
Although the cause of these cognitive impairments is still unknown, University of Florida researchers suspect the metabolic disturbances obesity causes could be taking a toll on young brains, which are still developing and not fully protected, they write in an article published in the Journal of Pediatrics "Now, we're postulating that early-onset morbid obesity and these metabolic, biochemical problems can also lead to cognitive impairment."
A Word of Caution
In the present day, obesity has developed itself into the public enemy number one, and the main health threat issue in the United States. Researches have shown us overwhelming amounts of evidence supporting findings that puts obesity and morbid obesity, as an important cause of preventable death in the United States, closely following behind tobacco consumption.
According to the National Institute of Health, more than 300,000 deaths per year are rooted on obesity.
So, do you know that cute fat kid next door? You might never look at him again the same way…
People affected by Morbid Obesity need to come to terms with the understanding that morbid obesity it is indeed a very serious chronic disease. Symptoms build slowly over a long period of time, and because of their slow build up pace, these indicators are normally ignored. This circumstance makes "clinically severe obesity" a lethal and chronic morbid disease. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) define morbid obesity as being 100 pounds or more over than you stereotype body weight, or having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or greater, or having a BMI of 35 or greater and one or more co-morbid conditions (there are 22 of them), where comorbidity articulate the effect of all other diseases an individual patient might have other than the primary disease of significance.
The disease of morbid obesity seriously hampers basic physical functions such as breathing, walking, or normal sexual activity. There are also long-term implications of the disease, which in some cases, long term might mean just a year (The Charlson co-morbidity index predicts 1 year mortality for a patient who may have a range of co-morbid conditions such as heart disease, AIDS, or cancer). Some of these long term repercussions include shorter life expectancy, acute health consequences in the form of weight-related conditions such as type-2 diabetes, heart disease, and a poor and inferior quality of life. Morbid obesity take away economic opportunities, and seriously impairs a normal social life.
Obesity is a serious public health issue in the U.S. Today, more than 25 million of adults are living with morbid obesity disease in the United States. This figure does not include children! By the year 2010, projections show that there may be over 33 million U.S. adults living with morbid obesity.
According to the standard guidelines of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), an individual is deem to be "obese" when he or she weighs 20 % or more than his or her ideal body weight. You can always check your estimated weight values in a Height to Weight Ratio Chart. However, just a 20% of extra weight over your estimated ideal weight will establish a real health risk for you. Obesity will become "morbid" when it drastically increases the risk of one or more obesity-related health conditions, or serious co-morbidities. Amid medical terms, morbid obesity is often called "clinically severe obesity".
Today an estimated 97 million Americans, more than one-third of the adult population, are severely overweight or obese, and the number escalates every year at an alarming rate. An estimated 25 million of those overweight Americans are considered morbidly obese. If your weight is more than twice your ideal index, you double your risk of early death, you boost you risk of death from diabetes or heart attack to about 5-7 times; and you are now at the stage of untreatable obesity, along with an unwanted number of negative social, psychological and economic unavoidable consequences.
Have you had enough yet? Well, here are just a few more indulgences, courtesy of obesity and morbid obesity, and in alphabetical order:
Depression. Unfortunately, depression can kill you because it is a psychological condition and a somber problem that radically changes how you think and feel about yourself and others, impinges on your social behavior, and on your sense of physical well-being. Being obese is not an easy burden. If you are obese, alas you must deal with constant, depressing, and defying emotional ordeals such as unsuccessful diet program attempts, sometimes unfair and cruel censure from family, disrespect ands psychosomatic abuse from friends, and the ever present burlesque remarks from totally disrespectful strangers. These are grounds for social and intellectual isolation; to the point that you start to discriminate you and impeding yourself from adequately behave and function in public places.
Hiatal hernia and heartburn. There is a valve that sits on the top of your stomach -the lower esophageal sphincter- that suffers the disturbing effects of surplus weight. Your excessive flab weakens and overloads the esophageal sphincter to the point that it opens spontaneously when it shouldn’t and stays open for irregular periods of time. Also, the sphincter will not close properly and your semi-digested stomach stuffing will come up into your esophagus. Yuck! So the acid from your stomach will cause your esophagus to experience gastroesophageal reflux, and "heartburn", and this can lead to more complicated health ramifications to include esophageal cancer.
High blood pressure and Heart disease. Your heart will not operate correctly when the body is hauling around excessive weight. So you might get, without further delays, a wonderful hypertension (high blood pressure), which will lead to fatal strokes and will damage your heart and may mutilate the normal function of your unsuspecting kidneys.
Infertility. Infertility is your biological inability to contribute to conception or fecundation. This extreme condition is equally distressful for men and women. Obesity inflicts devastating damage to hormonal natural performance functions and execution purposes. It put an end to normal sexual activities, leading to the inability to conceive, with a gamma of consequential moral and psychological impairments.
Menstrual irregularities. Sometimes women have problems in their menstrual cycle. These problems are called menstrual irregularities or simply, menstrual problems. Woman affected by these conditions may not get periods, get irregular sequential periods, get periods too frequently, have unpredictable menstrual bleeding, or they may have painful periods. Normally when this conditions are not produced by pregnancy’s inherent effects, menstrual irregularities are by and large a sign of a deeper overall health circumstances or problem. Among these deeper overall health circumstances is morbid obesity.
Osteoarthritis of weight-bearing joints. When your unfairly abused joints carry your bonus weight, specially your knees and hips, it will bring them terrible wear and tear, along with uncomfortable pain and distressing inflammation. Because of this your back gets an invitation to join the party. Imposed strain on bones and muscles of your back will turn to irreversible disk problems, constant pain, and a considerable mobility reduction for you.
Sleep apnea and Respiratory problems. Doctors and researches have told us over and over that the weight of the unchecked fat accumulation in your neck and in your tongue will begin to acutely obstruct your air intake, especially if you sleep on your backs. The musical contribution to this will be your lovely snoring. You will lose sleep, and besides having daytime drowsiness and headaches, you will be drained and unfocused.
Type-2 Diabetes. Obesity quickly turns you resistant to insulin, which regulates your blood sugar concentration levels. Unregulated sugar levels provoke high blood sugar content, which causes Type-2 diabetes. This is the most common form of diabetes, in which either the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin. Insulin is absolutely necessary for the body to be able to use glucose for energy. Without the proper provision of insulin, your cells may be starved for energy at once, and over time, high blood glucose levels may hurt your eyesight, kidneys functions, nerve system, or heart.
Urinary stress incontinence. A weakening and deteriorating effect of the urethral valves of the bladder it is a direct consequence of sagging abdomens. Outsized and flabby abdomens weaken ominously pelvic muscles, creating a lack of performance side-effect of the valves which results in urine leakages when coughing, sneezing, laughing, or screaming. The visual and patent effects of these leaks contribute to depression, self esteem deterioration, and other issues.
In the U.S. obesity rate is on the rise at a quick pace, but the proliferation rate of extreme, morbid obesity is developing three times faster, as studies show.
CHILE
In the South American country of Chile, the results of a Government's National Health Survey in 2003 showed that the index on population for overweight individuals was 37.8%, on the population segment for non-morbid obesity was 21.9%, and the index for the morbid obesity portion was 1.3%. Obesity occurrence was notably higher among people with a lower educational level, at a dreadful ratio of 1 to 5, and the occurrence of morbid obesity was six times higher in the low socioeconomic stratus.
Detrimental comorbidities inherent to obesity conditions are also prevalent among the Chilean population. Another serious social condition that increases the risk and attainment of obesity is the predominance of a sedentary lifestyle among Chileans. The soaring sedentary habits of Chileans are extremely high, accounting for the 89.4% of the country’s inhabitants. In Chile today, there are more than 200,000 individuals suffering morbid obesity, the study shows. Since most of these cases are amid the low end of the socio-economic and educational stratus, a great number of these individuals are suffering the disease consequences, and are in great need of expensive health care, which renders these services for them, unaffordable.
Preliminary clinical data from the program for Surgical Treatment of Obesity managed and lead by the Clinical Hospital of the Catholic University of Chile, made available results showing an epidemic predominance of cardiovascular risk factors. This statistics were obtained from a sample population among young obese subjects with an average age of 37. In many cases, a single individual exhibited two or more risk factors, and 10% of the tested population was ranked as a high global cardiovascular risk, according to the Framingham Risk Score (the Framingham risk score identifies patients at increased cardiovascular risk, and helps determine the need for preventive interventions).
Bariatric surgery
Bariatric surgery is also known as weight loss surgery, and the name it is associated to an assortment of surgical procedures executed to contend with obesity. These procedures deal with the modification of the size of the gastrointestinal tract, hence to reduce food quantity intake. For obese individuals who have been powerless to implement a drastic and permanent change in lifestyle in order to achieve a significant weight loss through diet and exercise, bariatric surgery may be an option to obtain a substantial weight loss.
Mounting evidence clearly shows that non-surgical treatment of subjects with severe or morbid obesity is insufficient anywhere in the world today, including in Chile. As an added benefit, bariatric surgery is linked to an 89% reduction in the risk of death as well as an 82% of preventive reduction in cardiovascular disease for morbidly obese patients. Since 2000, bariatric surgery services in Chile are undergoing a sustained increase. Mexico and the United States show a similar situation.
Some statistics on Morbid Obesity
The statistics depicted below can not be completely verified since the available information differs tremendously from source to source. The stats were gathered from public information places and from publically available medical studies over time, so some values might be inexact or outdated. However, these statistics are intended to give you a general idea and perspective of the problem.
Obesity:
• Some 70 million Americans are overweight
• Some 40 million Americans are obese
• Some 30 million Americans are morbidly obese
• Eight out of 10 Americans over 25 are overweight
• Some 78% of American's are not meeting basic activity level recommendations
• Some 25% are completely sedentary
• There has been a 76% increase in Type II diabetes in adults 30-40 years old since 1990
Obesity Related Diseases:
• 80% of type II diabetes is related to obesity
• 70% of cardiovascular diseases are related to obesity
• 42% breast and colon cancer are diagnosed among obese individuals
• 30% of gall bladder surgery is related to obesity
• 26% of obese people have high blood pressure
Childhood Obesity:
• A 4% overweight in 1982 went to 16% overweight 1994
• 25% of all white children were overweight by 2001
• 33% African American and Hispanic children were overweight by 2001
• Hospital costs associated with childhood obesity did rise from $35 Million in 1979 to $127 Million in 1999
Childhood Metabolic and Heart Risks:
• New study suggests one in four overweight children is already showing early signs of type II diabetes
• 60% of obese children already have one risk factor for heart disease
Childhood Diabetes Surge
• Between 8% - 45% of newly diagnosed cases of childhood diabetes are type II, associated with obesity.
• Whereas 4% of Childhood diabetes was type II in 1990, that number has risen to approximately 20%
• Depending on the age group (Type II most frequent 10-19 group) and the racial/ethnic make up of the group stated of children diagnosed with Type II diabetes, 85% are obese
Miscellaneous
A study linking morbid obesity and depression that appeared in the American Journal of Epidemiology denotes people who suffer from morbid obesity, are at least five times more predisposed to become depressed than those who are not. This puts people who are morbidly obese are at a very high risk for suicide.
Persons who are subject to morbid obesity, in addition of having to deal with the extra weight and unattractive aesthetics of their bodies, they also have to deal with the pitiless and emotionally taxing social stigma coupled with obesity, mayor contributors to the onset of depression.
ScienceDaily (Sep. 3, 2006 – Extract) — University of Florida researchers have discovered a link between morbid obesity in toddlers and lower IQ scores, cognitive delays and brain lesions similar to those seen in Alzheimer's disease patients, a new study shows.
Although the cause of these cognitive impairments is still unknown, University of Florida researchers suspect the metabolic disturbances obesity causes could be taking a toll on young brains, which are still developing and not fully protected, they write in an article published in the Journal of Pediatrics "Now, we're postulating that early-onset morbid obesity and these metabolic, biochemical problems can also lead to cognitive impairment."
A Word of Caution
In the present day, obesity has developed itself into the public enemy number one, and the main health threat issue in the United States. Researches have shown us overwhelming amounts of evidence supporting findings that puts obesity and morbid obesity, as an important cause of preventable death in the United States, closely following behind tobacco consumption.
According to the National Institute of Health, more than 300,000 deaths per year are rooted on obesity.
So, do you know that cute fat kid next door? You might never look at him again the same way…
Parents responsibility
Dear parents,
I am writing you this letter because our school, as many others in this area; is failing miserably. Mostly, I write to you out of my dismay and disconcert because I can't find any visible trace of parent’s responsibility, involvement, and accountability in their children’s education; and I want to pass on you my entrenched concerns.
We are parents of three wonderful children, and we love them with all the power of our existences. All of them are attending to different schools and preparing diligently themselves the best they can for the defying challenges of their life ahead. My wife and I have been involved actively in our children’s education and in their schools since day one as much as our busy lives permits, and this is because we faithfully believe that education with accountability is effective and beneficial; and education without this primal principle is a detrimental irresponsibility, and the best recipe for the ignominy of your unsuspecting children.
Today we have an imperative and fundamental crisis with education at our schools. This issue takes precedence to any other issue in the life of our children, however, this critical issue affects your child directly more than anyone else at our school. This letter is an appeal to you, parent, and is the only warning I can offer you for the upcoming perils in your child’s immediate and long term future.
Most school's administration vision for your children's education is very simple. The school administration, teachers, and educators are doing everything possible at their disposal to provide your child with the best, the most complete, safest, and loving education possible, and they waste no time, efforts, or resources in doing so. Some responsible parents are involved as well providing support and helping with this effort of utmost importance on behalf of your children and the outcome of their education.
When I say “some responsible parents”, I really mean that, just some responsible parents. During the past five years I have been able to see a sad and miserable average of about 5% of the parents attending important activities at school. In one of our schools, and perhaps in yours too, we have close to 500 families with children attending to their education; however, the Semper Absent parents have showed me graphically, time and again; that they don’t give a hoot about their children’s education.
This might sound harsh, inappropriate, ruthless, or even insolent to you, and that is fine with me because, frankly I don’t care! A healthy and vigorous dosage of reality will not kill you or anyone, and I hope reality captures your attention. I am not here today to praise and ignore your irresponsibility and negligent attitude towards your children’s education. I am not here to teach you how to be a parent, or to tell you that you are doing a great job with your children’s education, because you are not, because you are doing a terrible job, because you are doing it all wrong, and because you are providing the highest level of disservice to your, beloved I hope, children.
I don’t care if you like or not my lecture to you because this sermon is not directed to all parents, is directed to the ones that have dropped and ditched their parental responsibility and accountability; and you know who you are. To those few parents that have taken their parental responsibility with involvement and accountability at school, I do not need to thank you for what is our obligation and our fiduciary responsibility to our children, because you understand and embrace these basic principles as such, and because you are involved dearly in your children’s education. You also know who you are.
Yes, I am angry, aggravated, frustrated, and awfully disappointed of most of our parents at our school for their manifest lack of parental responsibility, absence of involvement, evasive accountability, intellectual dishonesty, thoughtfulness inertia, insensible stance, and just flat laziness towards the most crucial time of great consequence to the fragile lives of your children: their education. I just greatly dislike players with the wrong color shirt!
If you think you are a responsible, accountable, and a loving parent, you have to show it! Sixty percent of success resides solely in showing up! Parents must be involved at all levels in the education of their own children, and that is not negotiable. We personally, are far from being perfect parents, but we honestly strive to be the best, we spare no efforts in trying to improve, we take with lethal responsibility the future of our kids, and we show up in their education process as much as we can possibly do.
One of the schools where one of our children is attending to is now in a perilous, delicate, and perhaps terminal path. Other schools in the area are quickly spiraling their way down to failure, and many others have already reached the dark point of no return. We are not there yet, but we are closing on it as quick as hyenas close on their pray, and the gap between starting to fail and total and irreversible catastrophe is very, very narrow now. Some schools are so desperate and in such state of uncontrolled panic to avoid general educational bankruptcy, that have resorted to pay the children to improve!
I have been following the many publications made over time on the theme of rewarding students financially for improved scores, and I am appalled and saddened of what I have read so far.
I am all for incentivizing kids to do better at school and helping them to realize their dreams and ambitions, but backhanding them with deceptive, illusory, and undermining practices to procure their performance it is flat wrong. These rituals may bring tremendous debauching moral and social consequences instead of success. What happened to the old principle of the benefits of self-improving? What happened to truthfully earning your life? What happened to deserve a prominent site in the society warranted by effort, honesty, and respect?
When I was a student, my parents incentivized me to do well in school so I could become a self-sufficient, honest, and a good contributing citizen, but above all; for myself and for my own happiness. Education will help anyone to enjoy the financial and principled benefits a more educated and responsible professional could aspire to, and to be an essential mechanism of the direct cause of improving future generations and the society your children will construct.
We need to get back to basics. Respected and honest citizens do not build their careers in a jail path. Some of our kids need to become less slothful and get a hold of responsibility, they need to become less lazy and embrace their duties and obligations as well; they need to acquire a sense of reality, and we parents, have a fiduciary duty and an obligated responsibility to their future and education. Exercise it! What are you waiting for? Who is in charge in your household?
At our school, we have a great and solid educational base, a caring and prepared scholastic team, a responsible and responsive administration, and a few preoccupied and contributing parents. We need to do more for our kids, however, not all the responsibility of your children's education rests on the shoulders of the school. The school is an important, but a mere instrument to aid you with your children’s education. It is not the responsibility, nor the obligation of the school to raise and educate your children. Education is 100% parent’s obligation... for those responsible parents that is.
A change in the governance of your responsibilities will provide accountability and progress. What that has to do with the performance of your children in school? Well, accountability is about everything, and about each and every single aspect in life. If you are not accountable, you will not have a good outcome at the end of the journey. If we parents do not provide accountability for the education of our children, their lives will not come out right, or they will not be competent in our gung ho society.
The administrative and docent team at our school along with providing accountability, they try really hard to engage parents and the community to support the educational system, and your children's education. We parents ought to be more responsive. We have to be.
How can I help to put the challenge of the education of our children back into the parent’s conscience? Well I am trying this way now! I hear and see a lot of debate about teachers, principals, resources, tests, evaluations, and efforts of the school on behalf of our children, but I really think that it is time to put an equal or greater amount of debate around the parent’s responsibility, involvement, and accountability in their children's education.
Parents have to play a major and a more responsible role in here, and be the unconditional advocates of their children! The Principal and the team of our school are always looking at ways to maximize parental involvement because this is important in order to engage progressively our children in a more meaningful way; but unfortunately the parents don't care, they do not want to be involved.
You do not have to be always there, you do not have to attend all the meetings, you do not have to volunteer all the time, and you do not have to contribute permanently. You just need to try a little harder than you are doing now.
Ask yourselves, how many times have I sat with my children to do homework? How many times I have reviewed their homework? How many times I have talked to my children’s teacher about their performance? How many times I have offered to my children help with the school work? How many times I have attended to an important meeting at school? How many times I have volunteered time to help with their school activities? How many times I have questioned their performance? How many times I have offered help instead complaints? How many times I have questioned my contribution to their education? How many times I have been too unconcern and lazy to do something responsible about my children education? How many times I have offered advise instead of empty whining? How many times I have failed them? I hope you are counting… This is why I am in such wrath.
What education really is? Education encompasses both the teaching and learning of knowledge, proper conduct, and technical competency. It thus focuses on the cultivation of skills, trades or professions, as well as mental, moral, and aesthetic development. Formal education consists of systematic instruction, teaching, and training by professional teachers. This consists of the application of pedagogy and the development of curricula. In a liberal education tradition, teachers draw on many different disciplines for their lessons, including psychology, philosophy, linguistics, biology, and sociology. Teachers in specialized professions such as astrophysics, law, or zoology may teach only in a narrow area, usually as professors at institutions of higher learning. There is much specialist instruction in fields of trade for those who want specific skills, such as required to be a pilot, for example. Finally, there is an array of educational opportunities in the informal sphere; and for this reason society subsidizes institutions such as museums and libraries. Informal education also includes knowledge and skills learned and refined during the course of life, including education that comes from experience in practicing a profession.
The right to education has been described as a fundamental human right: since 1952, Article 2 of the first Protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights obliges all signatory parties to guarantee the right to education. At world level, the United Nations' International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of 1966 guarantees this right under its Article 13, and blah, blah, blah, and more blah!…. And if you do not believe me, look it up in Wikipedia! You don't need this crap to understand that education is of nuclear importance to your children!
What your children’s education it really comes down to is all of the above, and to parent’s responsibility, involvement, and accountability.
Parent’s responsibility, involvement and accountability in their children’s education it is not an easy task, and as a matter of fact, it is so difficult, that many of our children are failing today in school, and the saddest fact it is that failure will affect only them, and in a more direct way than you think it could. Education is “our” job, parents with the support of the school. Most children are not guilty of failing; we are a great quota in the cause of their collapse.
I also acknowledge that people has complicated and busy lives. There are plenty of reasons and excuses: single parents, too many jobs to make ends meet, too many obligations, too many activities, too many responsibilities, to many worries, too many family members, too many problems, too many distressed homes, too many sicknesses, too many demanding jobs, too many economic blues, too many tears, too many tired people, too many preoccupations, too many endless days, and too many of everything all of the time, and there is just so much you can take in.
If you are already making an effort to participate, and you are doing what you can to aid your children’s education by getting involved in it, I thank you sincerely from the bottom of my heart which is deep, solid, and tremendously wide. Believe me, I am with you on this, however, we are talking about our kids here. They trust us and love us, and they blindly believe in their young hearts and pristine souls that we are doing the absolute best we can for them. Let’s not deceive them. Although deception is an intrinsic part of our lives, been deceived by an enemy can never compare to been deceived by someone who is supposed to loved us. That, dear parents, is high treason.
I promise you that the journey will be long, strenuous, and bitter many times. It will be full of impossible moments, with plenty of sacrifices, plagued with frustrating interludes, and paved with disenchantments, but at the sweet end, the rewards will be infinite! In the future (which is coming real fast at you!) you will be able to feel and say that you were part master crafter of those bright and successful lives of your children, or you not have other remedy that to concede that you contributed largely to their demise, and you have perpetuated mediocrity within mediocrity in their lives due to your parental inertia. It is your responsibility and duty to choose the outcome of this simple riddle.
As for my wife and I, we will continue to support and do whatever we can to help with our children’s education in all levels, in the schools, at home, and within the family and the community. I could talk to you for at least three days uninterruptedly about parent’s responsibility, involvement, and accountability in their children’s education, but I wanted to give you just a glance of what is in my scorching mind today.
If you got enraged and mad at me because of what you have read in my letter, perhaps is just because you have inadvertently, but consciously admitted guiltiness, otherwise you will agree with me. I hope you think about this and join in helping the school, the administration, the teachers, and most important of all, your beloved children. If you don't do it now, you will never have another chance.
And one more thing... I certainly did take the time to write this to you, and to pour my frustration in this pamphlet because I do care about my children and I do care about yours too; after all, they are all citizens under the same flag. As for my children, they are doing wonderful in spite of their surroundings, because education is nothing but what you make of it. I am not worried at all for my children, and I beg you pardon for my impudent and perhaps insolent nosiness, but I am tremendously worried about yours.
Thank you.
I am writing you this letter because our school, as many others in this area; is failing miserably. Mostly, I write to you out of my dismay and disconcert because I can't find any visible trace of parent’s responsibility, involvement, and accountability in their children’s education; and I want to pass on you my entrenched concerns.
We are parents of three wonderful children, and we love them with all the power of our existences. All of them are attending to different schools and preparing diligently themselves the best they can for the defying challenges of their life ahead. My wife and I have been involved actively in our children’s education and in their schools since day one as much as our busy lives permits, and this is because we faithfully believe that education with accountability is effective and beneficial; and education without this primal principle is a detrimental irresponsibility, and the best recipe for the ignominy of your unsuspecting children.
Today we have an imperative and fundamental crisis with education at our schools. This issue takes precedence to any other issue in the life of our children, however, this critical issue affects your child directly more than anyone else at our school. This letter is an appeal to you, parent, and is the only warning I can offer you for the upcoming perils in your child’s immediate and long term future.
Most school's administration vision for your children's education is very simple. The school administration, teachers, and educators are doing everything possible at their disposal to provide your child with the best, the most complete, safest, and loving education possible, and they waste no time, efforts, or resources in doing so. Some responsible parents are involved as well providing support and helping with this effort of utmost importance on behalf of your children and the outcome of their education.
When I say “some responsible parents”, I really mean that, just some responsible parents. During the past five years I have been able to see a sad and miserable average of about 5% of the parents attending important activities at school. In one of our schools, and perhaps in yours too, we have close to 500 families with children attending to their education; however, the Semper Absent parents have showed me graphically, time and again; that they don’t give a hoot about their children’s education.
This might sound harsh, inappropriate, ruthless, or even insolent to you, and that is fine with me because, frankly I don’t care! A healthy and vigorous dosage of reality will not kill you or anyone, and I hope reality captures your attention. I am not here today to praise and ignore your irresponsibility and negligent attitude towards your children’s education. I am not here to teach you how to be a parent, or to tell you that you are doing a great job with your children’s education, because you are not, because you are doing a terrible job, because you are doing it all wrong, and because you are providing the highest level of disservice to your, beloved I hope, children.
I don’t care if you like or not my lecture to you because this sermon is not directed to all parents, is directed to the ones that have dropped and ditched their parental responsibility and accountability; and you know who you are. To those few parents that have taken their parental responsibility with involvement and accountability at school, I do not need to thank you for what is our obligation and our fiduciary responsibility to our children, because you understand and embrace these basic principles as such, and because you are involved dearly in your children’s education. You also know who you are.
Yes, I am angry, aggravated, frustrated, and awfully disappointed of most of our parents at our school for their manifest lack of parental responsibility, absence of involvement, evasive accountability, intellectual dishonesty, thoughtfulness inertia, insensible stance, and just flat laziness towards the most crucial time of great consequence to the fragile lives of your children: their education. I just greatly dislike players with the wrong color shirt!
If you think you are a responsible, accountable, and a loving parent, you have to show it! Sixty percent of success resides solely in showing up! Parents must be involved at all levels in the education of their own children, and that is not negotiable. We personally, are far from being perfect parents, but we honestly strive to be the best, we spare no efforts in trying to improve, we take with lethal responsibility the future of our kids, and we show up in their education process as much as we can possibly do.
One of the schools where one of our children is attending to is now in a perilous, delicate, and perhaps terminal path. Other schools in the area are quickly spiraling their way down to failure, and many others have already reached the dark point of no return. We are not there yet, but we are closing on it as quick as hyenas close on their pray, and the gap between starting to fail and total and irreversible catastrophe is very, very narrow now. Some schools are so desperate and in such state of uncontrolled panic to avoid general educational bankruptcy, that have resorted to pay the children to improve!
I have been following the many publications made over time on the theme of rewarding students financially for improved scores, and I am appalled and saddened of what I have read so far.
I am all for incentivizing kids to do better at school and helping them to realize their dreams and ambitions, but backhanding them with deceptive, illusory, and undermining practices to procure their performance it is flat wrong. These rituals may bring tremendous debauching moral and social consequences instead of success. What happened to the old principle of the benefits of self-improving? What happened to truthfully earning your life? What happened to deserve a prominent site in the society warranted by effort, honesty, and respect?
When I was a student, my parents incentivized me to do well in school so I could become a self-sufficient, honest, and a good contributing citizen, but above all; for myself and for my own happiness. Education will help anyone to enjoy the financial and principled benefits a more educated and responsible professional could aspire to, and to be an essential mechanism of the direct cause of improving future generations and the society your children will construct.
We need to get back to basics. Respected and honest citizens do not build their careers in a jail path. Some of our kids need to become less slothful and get a hold of responsibility, they need to become less lazy and embrace their duties and obligations as well; they need to acquire a sense of reality, and we parents, have a fiduciary duty and an obligated responsibility to their future and education. Exercise it! What are you waiting for? Who is in charge in your household?
At our school, we have a great and solid educational base, a caring and prepared scholastic team, a responsible and responsive administration, and a few preoccupied and contributing parents. We need to do more for our kids, however, not all the responsibility of your children's education rests on the shoulders of the school. The school is an important, but a mere instrument to aid you with your children’s education. It is not the responsibility, nor the obligation of the school to raise and educate your children. Education is 100% parent’s obligation... for those responsible parents that is.
A change in the governance of your responsibilities will provide accountability and progress. What that has to do with the performance of your children in school? Well, accountability is about everything, and about each and every single aspect in life. If you are not accountable, you will not have a good outcome at the end of the journey. If we parents do not provide accountability for the education of our children, their lives will not come out right, or they will not be competent in our gung ho society.
The administrative and docent team at our school along with providing accountability, they try really hard to engage parents and the community to support the educational system, and your children's education. We parents ought to be more responsive. We have to be.
How can I help to put the challenge of the education of our children back into the parent’s conscience? Well I am trying this way now! I hear and see a lot of debate about teachers, principals, resources, tests, evaluations, and efforts of the school on behalf of our children, but I really think that it is time to put an equal or greater amount of debate around the parent’s responsibility, involvement, and accountability in their children's education.
Parents have to play a major and a more responsible role in here, and be the unconditional advocates of their children! The Principal and the team of our school are always looking at ways to maximize parental involvement because this is important in order to engage progressively our children in a more meaningful way; but unfortunately the parents don't care, they do not want to be involved.
You do not have to be always there, you do not have to attend all the meetings, you do not have to volunteer all the time, and you do not have to contribute permanently. You just need to try a little harder than you are doing now.
Ask yourselves, how many times have I sat with my children to do homework? How many times I have reviewed their homework? How many times I have talked to my children’s teacher about their performance? How many times I have offered to my children help with the school work? How many times I have attended to an important meeting at school? How many times I have volunteered time to help with their school activities? How many times I have questioned their performance? How many times I have offered help instead complaints? How many times I have questioned my contribution to their education? How many times I have been too unconcern and lazy to do something responsible about my children education? How many times I have offered advise instead of empty whining? How many times I have failed them? I hope you are counting… This is why I am in such wrath.
What education really is? Education encompasses both the teaching and learning of knowledge, proper conduct, and technical competency. It thus focuses on the cultivation of skills, trades or professions, as well as mental, moral, and aesthetic development. Formal education consists of systematic instruction, teaching, and training by professional teachers. This consists of the application of pedagogy and the development of curricula. In a liberal education tradition, teachers draw on many different disciplines for their lessons, including psychology, philosophy, linguistics, biology, and sociology. Teachers in specialized professions such as astrophysics, law, or zoology may teach only in a narrow area, usually as professors at institutions of higher learning. There is much specialist instruction in fields of trade for those who want specific skills, such as required to be a pilot, for example. Finally, there is an array of educational opportunities in the informal sphere; and for this reason society subsidizes institutions such as museums and libraries. Informal education also includes knowledge and skills learned and refined during the course of life, including education that comes from experience in practicing a profession.
The right to education has been described as a fundamental human right: since 1952, Article 2 of the first Protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights obliges all signatory parties to guarantee the right to education. At world level, the United Nations' International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of 1966 guarantees this right under its Article 13, and blah, blah, blah, and more blah!…. And if you do not believe me, look it up in Wikipedia! You don't need this crap to understand that education is of nuclear importance to your children!
What your children’s education it really comes down to is all of the above, and to parent’s responsibility, involvement, and accountability.
Parent’s responsibility, involvement and accountability in their children’s education it is not an easy task, and as a matter of fact, it is so difficult, that many of our children are failing today in school, and the saddest fact it is that failure will affect only them, and in a more direct way than you think it could. Education is “our” job, parents with the support of the school. Most children are not guilty of failing; we are a great quota in the cause of their collapse.
I also acknowledge that people has complicated and busy lives. There are plenty of reasons and excuses: single parents, too many jobs to make ends meet, too many obligations, too many activities, too many responsibilities, to many worries, too many family members, too many problems, too many distressed homes, too many sicknesses, too many demanding jobs, too many economic blues, too many tears, too many tired people, too many preoccupations, too many endless days, and too many of everything all of the time, and there is just so much you can take in.
If you are already making an effort to participate, and you are doing what you can to aid your children’s education by getting involved in it, I thank you sincerely from the bottom of my heart which is deep, solid, and tremendously wide. Believe me, I am with you on this, however, we are talking about our kids here. They trust us and love us, and they blindly believe in their young hearts and pristine souls that we are doing the absolute best we can for them. Let’s not deceive them. Although deception is an intrinsic part of our lives, been deceived by an enemy can never compare to been deceived by someone who is supposed to loved us. That, dear parents, is high treason.
I promise you that the journey will be long, strenuous, and bitter many times. It will be full of impossible moments, with plenty of sacrifices, plagued with frustrating interludes, and paved with disenchantments, but at the sweet end, the rewards will be infinite! In the future (which is coming real fast at you!) you will be able to feel and say that you were part master crafter of those bright and successful lives of your children, or you not have other remedy that to concede that you contributed largely to their demise, and you have perpetuated mediocrity within mediocrity in their lives due to your parental inertia. It is your responsibility and duty to choose the outcome of this simple riddle.
As for my wife and I, we will continue to support and do whatever we can to help with our children’s education in all levels, in the schools, at home, and within the family and the community. I could talk to you for at least three days uninterruptedly about parent’s responsibility, involvement, and accountability in their children’s education, but I wanted to give you just a glance of what is in my scorching mind today.
If you got enraged and mad at me because of what you have read in my letter, perhaps is just because you have inadvertently, but consciously admitted guiltiness, otherwise you will agree with me. I hope you think about this and join in helping the school, the administration, the teachers, and most important of all, your beloved children. If you don't do it now, you will never have another chance.
And one more thing... I certainly did take the time to write this to you, and to pour my frustration in this pamphlet because I do care about my children and I do care about yours too; after all, they are all citizens under the same flag. As for my children, they are doing wonderful in spite of their surroundings, because education is nothing but what you make of it. I am not worried at all for my children, and I beg you pardon for my impudent and perhaps insolent nosiness, but I am tremendously worried about yours.
Thank you.
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