Saturday 20 February 2016

Harper Lee / Umberto Eco

Two authors so important to my past, present and - since they've been thus so far - most likely my future thoughts and dreams, leave me at a lack of words..

  


What can I possibly say about To Kill A Mocking Bird that hasn't been said?

I took the book in my youth, before being in the year where it would be mandatory reading in English class, and it coloured my world in such a way that it still affects me.


A ''school'' where I had gone to study at later on, that I'm so very fond of ►

(for personal reasons, they kept my enrolment open -  for five years when I lost someone, during the commencement of exams. The compassion, and subsequent camaraderie at a time of grief, from faculty members and the ''school'' - (when a school of such excellence acts this way, it touches one's soul even more) - uplifted me when I was down..)
► posted the following, on social media. 




Harper Lee, who won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction for "To Kill a Mockingbird," has died at the age of 89 - just a few...
Publicado por McMaster University em Sexta-feira, 19 de Fevereiro de 2016




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Where do I begin with respect to Umberto Eco?


Perhaps with the first book of his that I read (actually the term ''read'' is inadequate, ''devoured'' is more in keeping with what happened) - Foucault's Pendulum, is somewhere to start.
After that, my ''romance'' with his writing, began.

He, in so many fields, opened up my world and kept it's doors gaping - more and more each time I visited his written or spoken thoughts.




In the above youtube video, among other things, :) he uses a word I love :) - ''flabbergasted'' .









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How does one thank people, such as these, for what they gave us?







I feel that sudden unshakable, inextricable need to soothe my heart with extremely beautiful things:
Monet's sunrises and sunsets, images from Pessoa's and Hesse's worlds - of others as well - as the two that have gone, baby elephants playing in pools, children giggling, a number of musicians and composers that I love and cherish as they play (or have their things played).., more painters and their imageries, the warm gaze of those dear to us, the soft touch of my dog's nose upon mine - whilst he stares into my soul, measuring all my aches and pains, like a parent (inverting the relationship somewhat).., the hue and temperature of light as it falls upon things and myself.




I imagine them taking (Harper Lee and Eco) a seat at a table with two other recent arrivals (Boulez and Motian) to have some fun playing ''Bluff'' (''Liar's Dice'') while Mr. Jones (Bowie) taunt's them on -  ''à la Miles''
to make things juicier;  Botticelli-like faces,  
the table lit by a Carravagio type of light, on a balcony designed by Gaudi, drinks served by Marx (Groucho Marx), and the music...... (goodness gracious, don't get me started..).





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All I have more to say (in a prayer) is -  may our beloved ones live a long and healthy life, with joy, and heart to help them endure the troubles of the world, the same for our cherished authors - those that are not already included in the first group  (be they in whatever field they may be).


Thank you, Nelle Harper Lee.
Thank you, Umberto  Eco.
Bless you.















''Galinhola'' - ink on paper, (1930s), by José Maria Ribeiro da Costa

Thursday 11 February 2016

Slave labour - the only positive way I can write about this disgusting subject

No need to beat around the bush, for some time now we know companies in the textile, food and cosmetic industry have kept alive that horror to Mankind known as "Slavery" (in the full sense of the word).

It's easy to recall too many incidents, too many "brands" and too much horror.
These corporations are no better than ISIS, or the clan (KKK), or any other promoters of human horror. 

For this to be a "positive article" - (where one tries to help find solutions)
I will leave a link where one can find a list of companies that do not use slave labour, to manufacture chocolates, for example. In the case of chocolate manufacturing it is helpful for those of us who wish to stay away from those that do.







The list they use I'll also leave for those that don't check out the site.
 
"Find out how you can tell if the chocolate you are eating is connected to child slavery.


(Another site that is useful is - http://theartofsimple.net/chocolate/ ))



Also, helpful in aiding how to know if there is slave labour anywhere along the line in the manufacturing of chocolate or ''chocolate candy'' (containing therein a reference list + sources to back their reasons) ►  http://www.foodispower.org/slavery-chocolate/ 





Ethical Chocolate Companies: 

 

Aldi
Alma Chocolate
Alter Eco Chocolate

Askinoise Chocolate

Chocolate Cartel

Chocolat Celeste

Choconat

Compartes Chocolates

Chuao

Dandelion Chocolate

Denman Island Chocolate

Divine Chocolate Co.

El Ceibo

The Endangered Species

Equal Exchange

Fresco Chocolate

Fruition Chocolate

Gayleen's Decadence

Giddy Yo Yo

Grenada Chocolate Company

Green and Black's

Grocer's Daughter Chocolate


Health by Chocolate

Honest Artisan Chocolate

Ithaca Fine Chocolates


L.A. Burdick Chocolates

La Siembra Cooperative


Lillie Belle Farms

Madecasse


Malagasy

Max Havelaar

Mayordomo

Montezuma's Chocolates

Newman's Own Organics

Purdy's Chocolate

Omanahene Cocoa Bean Company

Original Hawaiian Chocolate

Patric Chocolate

Plamil Organic Chocolate

Pure Lovin' Chocolate

Rain Republic

Rapunzel Pure Organics

Ritual Chocolate

Seed & Bean Chocolate

Shaman Chocolates

Sibú Chocolate

Sweet Earth Chocolates
Sweet Riot

Taza Chocolate

Terra Nostra Organic

Terror Chocolate
TCHO

Theo Chocolate

The Original Chocolate Bar (Houston, TX)

TONY'S CHOCOLONELY

Vosges

Wei of Chocolate

Zotter"








Thankfully I have an Aldi close by (though I know not if indeed the brand with the same name is their's, I shall try to find out),  and some other stores that have some of the other brands as well.


Some say the "West" is weak, but all just love to suck up and hone in on that juicy consumer , (or tune into its monies - to) - the so called "West",  be they from, within, or outside the - so called "West".



So, if I can admit the existence of Evil, then yes, ok - i can be convinced of the existence of God, but like anyone on this tiny beautiful blue dot that travels around the universe, circling a star, that circles around in a galaxy, that circles around other galaxies, all circling around in one giant clump of curls......... i can define both by my own standards. 
I'm not so self-obsessed, as some, to think I "own" God (or the Devil now that I think of it).



No, this has only one source, this evil, for we are all given a choice in our conduct, it is a Human choice.
God or the Devil will simply like or dislike our choice, but if in first hand (deep down in our own soul) we do not know something is "right" or "wrong" than we are truly cursed - for that means we have no soul.
This is one thing I believe (though i'm not absolutely sure) other animals have no problem with.
Their soul is not compromised (though there is the occasional psycho-dolphin, for example, that rapes and/or kills other dolphins.. We should know our own place as other top predators without all that hogwash containing paternalistic, condescending view points regarding other species, respect them, and others that may not be so high in that chain - fully).

I've always had a hard time trusting people who say they love animals but hate people... We are animals too.  If one doesn't respect one's fellow Human being, one is definitely on the path of others that shared such feelings (Pinochet, Leopold ii of Belgium, Mussolini, Salazar, Hitler, Pol-Pot, Franco, Idi Amin, Tojo, Hirota, Chairman Mao, Cromwell, Papa Doc, Baby Doc....to mention some, as well as others that are on the rise even this day and age).  Whether one is aware of it or not is beside the point.


Slavery...


It is
truly
an abomination.

half of a diptych, third work of a series of four,
mixed media on canvass - G. Almeida 2011

















(Thank you for reading this post - ♥ hope it is of use)