Showing posts with label activistas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label activistas. Show all posts

Monday, 9 January 2017

The January Post

♥ Streep (Why? - because of the Art that lives within her, her Humanity, her obvious talent, and for every single word also - that she says here, with her faltering voice. Love her. It's impossible not to)






- ♥ Bowie (Why? - well, he's Bowie, I don't really feel a need to give any other particular reason...)






and now - ♥ ♥ ♥ a beautiful friend whom I cherish,
Christian.
(Why? Well, besides the friendship, the talent, the extraordinary heart, and will, it's similar to the two above, for his Humanity.      Love him, and he knows it)

- So, I'll repeat two videos with him playing (two samples) - One where we can see another, so fabulously playing along side his beloved friend - (my goodness, speaking of talent, and art and so forth..) Richie Beirach. It's so pleasing (among other things) to see this quartet perform.
The other is a ''trio'', one I love to hear - so very much.


(well, I do of course have the Record, but I'll leave the demo of it, firstly)










(ok ok ok - I said I'd place two, but I'm incorrigible, so here's a third)





These five things I place above, other than exemplifying what I personally wish to dedicate this year on our tiny blue dot (as Sagan used to call it): Friendship, Love, Talent, Art, Humanity, and so much more than what I say (for not everything I know how to say, in words), they show great spirit - the kind that not only shine's through one's own talent, but even more when said talents are made stronger and even larger - through the bond of friendship shared therein.


___________________________________________________________________________

As the country where I was born prepares its farewell to one of it's towering figures of the XX'th century, an unstoppable Human Right's lawyer - one that up to his age of 50 - amidst the known oppression of the prior regime, defending even others who were (attorneys for Human Rights), and great minds such as Salgado Zenha (to mention one, but there were more such lawyers and activists defended, and those from other fields as well), whom after 74 set the ground work for our latest ''democratic'' rule (the one occurring in the xx century still, born through the hands of other great minds and men as well - Alvaro Cunhal, instantly coming to mind, and of course others such as Sá Carneiro, not to mention who actually changed the regime in 1974 (among others), - in the nation's armed forces, the only ones who actually could ... but I shall not linger on the subject at this time) - and as a statesman, internationally, his working alongside other European heads of state, leaving at the time he had done so his ''footprint'' (so to speak)  upon the EU during the timespan of his influence -
(I was saying)
- as the country prepares its farewell, I write this post.


Yes, the arts make us more Human, mirror us, are food for the soul (et cetera, yes, and indeed they are). The sciences take us further on our journey (within our Humanity - as a collective), and are somewhat similar (also so important) for such things (especially as the tool that it is, and depending on how and by whom it's wielded), just as contemplation / meditation and so forth, through our spirituality (be it though any ''organized'' religion or not) does, as well.

So now I leave three or four links - that concern the activity that seems to epitomize (mirror, make us more Human (in the noble sense of the word, as always when I use it), and yes - are also ''food for the soul'' (for so many reasons), and never any less than the afore mentioned ones (of the previous paragraph).




LINK



LINK



LINK


OOoops, I was searching for a LINK, in one of two blogs (pertaining to this one, that is) and since Gandhi is rather stretched ou in - and throughout either, I'll just simplify with an image I'd made some years back on the occasion of his birthday and place it here (also) as a symbol of the Civil Rights (Human Rights) Lawyer.













______________________________________________________________________



So this is my first post for the year (because the previous one, made two days ago, would have been made any time of year that a statesman such as he leaves...). 



______________________________________________________________________











Blessings, hope, and love, to all. (to whomsoever reads this post, and to others who might not spot it even).











Thursday, 24 November 2016

Thanksgiving (and - A Tale Of Two Leonards)





Hello New Zealand









____________________________________________________________________________


Well I do believe this is my first Thanksgiving post ever, on this blog.




Ah yes - freezing temperatures and a water cannon - on to whom?
(let me rub my eyes, and shake my brain to fathom this for a minute..)


I know he's leaving but, the man did veto the thing on February, 2015. The attempt to override his veto failed, and now it seems Presidents in that country are absolutely meaningless.
Conservatives (really? Conservatives? - I'd like to see that definition of ''conservatives'' as it is hard to see what such people are ''conserving'')
Some (I suspect many) self-proclaimed  ''conservatives'' seem to be confounded as they actually fight for what by any standard of historic record would be ''progressive'' (even if that notion of being ''progressive'' be foolish to say the least) . 
I mean really, can such people think they can be more ''conservative'' than a native American citizen?
Really?
(ok - I'll try not to laugh, especially since the malignancy of what has been happening is so tragic, to the point of murderous intent. Shooting a water canon at people in freezing temperature is ''murderous intent'', not to mention through means of torture.)


Funny isn't it? That Mr. Lincoln's political party is backed by (among others), the ummmmm... (now what's their name? ...) Ah, yes, the KKK. Cute isn't it? Mr. Lincoln, his party, now backed by whom?
(oh yes, some of them prefer a new name - the ''Alt Right'') .
Ok, no irony there (of course not).


Now what was this post about?
Oh I remember - Thanksgiving (yes, that's it).





___________________________________________________________________________










I know it could have been an October post (a Monday post), but, November is just as fine a time (a Thursday greeting).

Why? First of all, as two Leonards come to mind (one thankfully still gracing the earth with his presence), among other things, the idea of what is going on in Standing Rock as we come to this time of year seems so incredibly ironic, that it curdles the blood. 




Despite any actual historic distortions,  perpetrated by sociopolitical agendas along the ages, including the typical  ''old school - Hollywood'' backdrops depicting (its) their versions of what happened to warrant such a celebration, the underlying message (beyond and even despite any actual and historic ''truths'') is one of
► «Giving thanks: to the creator, to the harmony and respect between peoples, et cetera».


This is allegedly what is taught and held in mind as families and close friends come together in North America. In one Leonard's land it happens in October, in the other Leonard's land it occurs in November.
I'm pretty sure that it is not an easy thing to deal with if you're a native American, but they too as a people have been ''taught'' to think of it as such,  (as Bob Dylan says in - All Along The Watchtower) so *let us not talk falsely now, the hour is getting late.

October Thanksgiving LINK                                          November Thanksgiving LINK




So really? Standing Rock, I'm supposed to believe this to be a normal thing? Acceptable? Ah yes, I almost forgot, it must be a Thankgiving type of thing.

Honor the Treaties, for Pete's sake!

Honour the Treaties !!!!!!!!!!!

(further North, from 2014)

















So, am I (or anyone) supposed to believe that in those lands Thanksgiving has ''a meaning''?
Really?







Ok- Peace and goodness be with you.













___________________________________
Oh, I almost forgot.

P.S. - Will somebody remember to free Leonard?
Please?
(Hasn't that temper tantrum lasted long enough?)




 Silence, they say, is the voice of complicity.
  But silence is impossible.
  Silence screams,
  Silence is a message,
  Just as doing nothing is an act. 

 Let who you are ring out and resonate
  in every word and every deed.
  Yes, become who you are.
  There’s no sidestepping your own being
  or your own responsibility. 

 What you do is who you are.
  You are your own comeuppance.
  You become your own message. 

 You are the message. 
 May the Great Spirit Make Sunrise in Your Heart . . . 
 Hoka Hey!  
    (Poem: ''My Life Is My Sundance" by Mr. Leonard Peltier ) 










***



  
We are not separate beings, you and I
We are different strands of the same being
You are me and I am you
and we are they and they are us
This is how we’re meant to be,
each of us one
each of us all
You reach out across the void of Otherness to me
and you touch your own soul! 


 (Poem: ''We are Not Separate'' by L. Peltier 






LINK 


________________________________________________________________

















Sunday, 24 April 2016

Prince ♥







(or view the video-clip on social media - LINK )



 What's wrong with the world today? 
Things just got to get better 
Show me what the leader's say 
Maybe we should write a letter

Said dear Mr. Man, we don't understand 
Why poor people keep struggling 
But you don't lend a helping hand 
Matthew 5:5 say, "The meek shall inherit the Earth" 
We gonna be down that way 
But you been trippin' since a day of your birth

Who said that to kill is a sin 
Then started every single war that your people been in? 
Who said that water is a precious commodity 
Then dropped a big, old, black oil slick in the deep blue sea?

Who told me, Mr. Man, that working round the clock 
Would buy me a big house in the hood, cigarette ads on every block? 
Who told me, Mr. Man, that I got a right to moan? 
How about this big old hole in the ozone? 

What's wrong with the world today? 
Things just got to get better 
Dear Mr. Man, we don't understand 
Maybe we should write a letter, yeah, so look

Listen, ain't no sense in voting, same song with a different name
Might not be in the back of the bus but it sure feel just the same
Ain't nothing fair about welfare, ain't no assistance in aids 
We ain't that affirmative about your actions till the people get paid

Your thousand years are up, now you gotta share the land 
Section 1, the 14th Amendment says 
"No state shall deprive any person of life 
Liberty or property, without due process of law" 
Mr. Man, we want to end this letter with three words 
We tired a-y'all

Tired, tired 
Said we're tired, we're tired 
Dear Mr. Man 
Hey, what's wrong, wrong with the present day? 
Man, just gotta get better 
Dear Mr. Man 



(Source: Prince - Dear Mr. Man Lyrics | MetroLyrics)
 





I think the happiness on Dani's face during the solo on his father's piece, says it all..
(the solo starts, roughly at 3'20'' of this clip) 




Nelson, Prince Rogers












 ( ♥ - with Miles Davis)



















Some of these clips I saw posted by friends on social media, as they too start to react...

















   


Yes, as many say - a soldier of Love
                                                        (and many other things, but they can all add up to ♥ Love)























Saturday, 5 September 2015

September and three blogs to post - ok - I might as well start with a beauty pageant. Why not? ('Heavens to Murgatroyd' - i'm writing about a beauty pageant!!)


I admit that ever since I can remember beauty pageants repel me, something about measuring human worth in contests where the superficial values of one's physique are weighed always made me turn away and not care for them in any way whatsoever, not even enough to take them seriously so as to merit criticism.

I suppose it is related to the reasons the Oddessy and its "world" always appealed more to me than that of the Illiad, although obviously one without the other would have a fraction of its worth, one relating the "journey to" (a destination), the other back, and what each reveals about those particular worlds and changes, or differences, therein.

I won't be a hypocrite and say that (in my case) a man's physical attribute's doesn't affect me, or catch my attention, but attraction and appeal (in my case) need way much more than that.


This said and eventhough exceptions always seem to reinforce a rule, as in this case. I feel an exception such as this is stronger still due to an ironic situation.
One sees where what is usually deemed as a path par excellence for conformity and entertainment for the masses, moreover a model for it, in our present times of mass consumerism, labels, where the contents of a package are downsized and of residual relevance (in this case "package" being an individual, anyone of us), in value never more than a second place at best,
in favour of the package's appearance
(the wrapping - so to speak), here
one is taken by surprise by receiving a request for people to think "outside the box", presented with a  light for non-conformity right in the heart of the realm of conformity.


Competitions of this nature, be they to crown a Mr/Miss/Mrs Universe, or others, where a panel of "judges" for the most part are requested to value one's physical attributes, far too similar to the judging of cattle for my taste, may have brought us the likes of a Sarah Palin (a female version of Donald Trump, but without the bad hair) but also people such as this young lady.
It commands my respect that someone like her should subject herself to a pageant, but after becoming aware of the competition's theme I understood a little more how, in this case, it could be possible.

I believe it is the first time (I doubt it will happen again, but who knows?)  that I do not look upon such a competition as a joke, and am thankful for being thus contradicted.

I leave you now with this year's Mrs. Universe.




(taken from this article - LINK , found on a friend's Social Network account's wall)






















________________________________________________________________________________________

Wishing all a good day

image from - here




Tuesday, 17 March 2015

Leonard Peltier - (clemensy request) time is truly of the essence

I leave a link to Amnesty International's recent article regarding the case for whomsoever may wish to read it.

LINK

I also leave a link to a past article from this blog regarding Leonard Peltier also hoping whomsoever does not recall the case or for some reason does not know of it may read more on the topic and thus become enlightened.

LINK


Dear Mr. Barack Obama
Please Mr. President, please Sir, grant the man his wish.

If you are not the one dear Sir, to set things straight and give the man his freedom, I can not imagine who will. (.........and it has been so long, give the man his freedom (please)...)
Time is indeed, as I'm sure you're aware, running so short.
You and he are in my prayers.  


I shall leave a video-clip with a request for your mercy, for clemensy.

Please Sir ...........
(please set a wrong thing you had no power to stop when it happened, aright.)









(I also leave another, the "first part" in case anyone should wish to view it as it has some extra details, though it's similar for the most part)













This photograph can be found HERE









This photograph can be found  HERE
















“Freedom is indivisible; the chains on any one of my people were the chains on all of them, the chains on all of my people were the chains on me.” 
― Nelson MandelaLong Walk to Freedom: The Autobiograpy of Nelson Mandela with Connections










A man who was completely innocent, offered himself as a sacrifice for the good of others, including his enemies, and became
the ransom of the world.
 

― Mahatma Gandhi
















 what is the difference 
 between the light and the darkness 
 that seems to surface through my eyes' 
 apertures, from my seat of rust 
 I can't tell if it's the glint of chains 
 in the cell, or the god of nature 
 behind the wall 

― Liu Xiaobo, 
"Daybreak" June 30, 1997











 Even one voice can be heard loudly all over the world in this day and age 
― Aung San Suu Kyi 












As we have been living in a world full of "quotes" and "quick to read" messages, I leave one more image:
a visual deconstucted poem : based on the words of Dr. Martin Luther King (MLK) 
 «Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. 
This is the interrelated structure of reality.»






































 To quote someone from Portugal:
"I may not be able to straighten out the entire world but I can certainly help by not making it more crooked"
João(..) de Sande Freire
(the only grandparent alive 

when I was born - the only one I actually knew.
Please let Leonard's grandchildren and the rest of his family 

have the pleasure of his company for whatever time, 
be it short as it may be, is left of his life.)














good night.
(signing this post and on behalf of this blog - Margarida Costa)









___________________________________________________________________________________
Boa Noite






This photograph can be found  HERE








(I do hope that this post is helpful in getting the message across)

Thursday, 5 February 2015

Ricardo:


Ricardo:




(imagem retirada daqui / photo from -  link  &   LINK)







Ora Ricarduxo, o que é que eu posso dizer?

Que sempre soube que eras especial, desde 1789 ou 90 ou lá o que era o ano em que te conheci?
Todos o sabiam, e 'todos' eram (éramos) muitos, pois afectaste a vida de tanta gente, dentro e fora deste país.
És prova que os "mass-mixórdia" no teu caso era escusado, tal é a dimensão da quantidade de gente que tocaste com essa tua maneira de estar, de lutar, de sentir e agir, de se Ser.

Que posso eu dizer mais que outros que, de forma eloquente, já disseram de ti, antes e depois desse teu estômago de uma figa nos ter fintado de forma tão cruel?


Que eras realmente uma ave rara, muito rara, num mundo hostil de feras?
Eras, mas isso sempre se soube e verificou.., sentia-se com cada gesto teu, meu querido amigo.

Que eras mesmo completamente destemido, e não paravas?
Sempre o soubemos e via-se no dia a dia, neste assim como noutros locais do globo.

Que eras tão feroz quão cuidadoso, e de uma doce ternura, em todas as acções, lutas, e na vida?
Aqui também não há novidade para ninguém meu lindo amigo,  não há.

Que mesmo as tuas fragilidades (todos temos) tinham uma graça imensurável?
Tinham pois, e quem te conhecia de perto bem o sabia.

Que o teu humanismo desarmava?

Que salvaste muitos?

Que tinhas uma inteligência múltipla que de forma rápida agia, num ápice (para ti podia parecer que hesitavas, com a velocidade que esse pensamento seguia.., mas para quem visse..), ante situações que sabias serem de perigo mas onde a tua alma, que sempre lutou para cuidar, proteger e salvaguardar, mesmo que antevisses que quem vias ia ser encurralado, e em que lá ias tu, e.... ?

(sim, sempre, como sempre, assim foste feito e assim sempre foste. é como constatar que o oxigénio em estado líquido é azul e que ao mesmo tempo é precisamente o oxigénio que torna o sangue vermelho.......,)

Pois, como dizias, eras alto, estavas preparado, nem que fosse apenas para denunciar, e que antes que pudessem chegar a "x" estavas lá tu, acontecesse o que acontecesse.





Homem de letras, de grande sensibilidade, com uma cultura geral vastíssima como não podia deixar de ser
(..pois é, acabei por nunca chegar a ver o "desembrulhar" como dizias, nesta casa final onde viveste, essa tua biblioteca.., como tanto me falaste e me atiçavas para ver, e que recentemente com infelicidade viste aumentar com os livros da casa de teus pais.. (ah, esse estômago'.., se o apanho.., vai ouvir das boas, ah, vai, vai)....) ,
e de uma grande ternura, viste e viveste situações levados da breca, e viveste coisas de uma beleza deslumbrante..

Viveste muito, sempre muito, e sempre intensamente (e tinhas acabado de fazer os teus 49 aninhos..... apenas).


Não, não vou escrever mais.
Para mais acabo de ver que hoje já é dia 5 de Fevereiro e, só agora dei conta disso (e apesar de não ligar assim tanto a efemeridades, contrario-me, meu querido Ricardimininimini. É que faz exactamente 20 anos que meu Pai partiu, após meses de uma luta semelhante, uma altura complicada, onde na tentativa de não sobrar para outros, me fechei para o mundo.. Deixei de ver queridos amigos, como tu, assim como o homem que na altura tinha acabado de entrar na minha vida de forma intensa.. Não podia, não conseguia dizer, tal como a vós, os caminhos que tinha pela frente.  O meu pai, principalmente, para além de alguns outros que me eram e são queridos, tinha-me amparado num luto complicado (na década anterior) como sabias, de meu primeiro marido.  Nesse mesmo ano em que ele foi, perdia um que também me era chegado, amigo e mentor..
Só me contaram depois.. pensando que me poupavam.. (não foi por mal, mas isto das despedidas......, enfim, como muitos não tenho mesmo jeitinho nenhum, mas temos de aceitar as coisas e celebrar a vida, celebrar a partilha dos momentos que temos uns com outros).  Voltei-te a ver com mais regularidade, o que por si só é/era motivo de grande alegria (e foi), numa altura complicada de sarar, novamente, ..pois tinha acabado de perder quem nunca imaginei perder.   ..precisamente quem tinha entrado na minha vida de forma intensa, há tantos anos, que sempre no coração um do outro se esteve, que antes de partir me transformou novamente numa miúda apaixonada, sem sentir o chão debaixo dos pés, sem saber onde se meter como uma adolescente.., sempre a corar..  As nossas vidas sempre se pareciam cruzar assim, em momentos de intensa emoção de uma forma ou outra, e sempre foste um querido, muito querido irmão escolhido, que qualquer um se orgulharia. )


Só te digo uma coisa mais, estou zangada com esse 'mafarriquento' estômago, de uma figa, que durante três anos ou lá o que foi parecia engolir toda a malignidade que vias pela frente e enfrentavas, e que em vez de a purgar, guardou-a toda..
Bandido estômago, que tanta lágrima agora nos faz verter.

Até já meu querido.

A tua vida é uma celebração. É um hino à vida, e pela parte que me toca, aquece-me a alma alguém como tu ter por cá andado.  Fizeste e continuas a fazer diferença no mundo (inspiravas e creio que continuarás a inspirar sempre muitos na vida).


O que te deixo é isto Ricardo, não é com o 'deveras', com a 'tromboníssima canalização' que te dava gozo, ou com o que mais recentemente tive de me ajeitar a "fazer", e que te fez romper em sorrisos (aquela coisa de quatro cordas, pfffff, logo eu.. cordas.. pfffffff, o que uma pessoa faz por.., para dar pica a terceiros para se espevitarem e porem mãos à obra..),
no entanto é como me sei exprimir há mais tempo.. e é do coração.
- encontrei-o e era para to dar pelo teu aniversário mas..



Um beijo.













(Podia trazer para aqui um de inúmeros poemas traduzidos por ti mas.., mas desta vez não)



Todos os dias, da janela da sala, ao entardecer,quando os primeiros farrapos de noite se insinuam pela cidade,quando os bandos de estorninhos transformam a longa palmeira em árvore canora,da janela da sala me chega o buliçoso vozear dos excluídos.Acorrem à distribuição de alimentos.No sagrado de Arroios se atropelam, insultam, namoram, comem;cada dia são mais. Alguns andrajosos,outros loucos,emigrantes do sonho etéreo de um Portugal de alcatrão e cimento,gentes que pela farpela se vê que já conheceram melhores dias,marginais,e idosos, tantos e tantos idosos.Uns chegam receosos, outros tímidos,há-os bêbedos, drogados, institucionalizados, fugidos, resignados,só há que escolher a cor, o modelo, o feitio, o consumo.Só sei que o supermercado da miséria me despertaum já não tão absurdo desejo de sofrer.
(da tua autoria) Publicado no teu Blogue há 4 anos, AQUI

____________________________________________.



Resta-me deixar algumas das coisas escritas, por alguns outros que te traziam no coração.., e que de forma muito mais eloquente falam-te.


(e peço desculpa pois só vi alguns.  Como sabes, sou um pouco "feicebuquó-naba". Por isso só consigo colocar os que me apareceram e que saiba como apanhar a ligação, nem todos consigo, e queria, e, para além destes há mais, muitos mais)


- LINK


LINK



LINK


- LINK


- LINK


Quis colocar aqui uma ligação (embora não os coloque por nenhuma ordem especifica, mas queria colocá-lo logo de início, é lindíssimo.  É algo que escreveu uma tua querida amiga, uma grande mulher, a Sandra Duarte Moço), mas não consigo..
Por isso trago para aqui o que lá está:

«Para mim o Ricardo era assim. Tal e qual assim. Destemido, imponente, um verdadeiro Capitão.Somos almas gémeas na emotividade, no acreditar que na Luta está a nossa forma de estar. Digo que somos porque ele continua bem vivo para mim e serve-me de exemplo para as minhas lutas.O Ricardo nunca me conheceu em pé. Nunca, por nunca ser, vi no seu olhar um sentimento de pena. Sempre me tratou como alguém capaz de enfrentar tudo e todos. Sempre me deu força para que me levantasse contra todas as contrariedades da vida.
Um dos momentos que mais me marcaram até hoje foi vivido com o Ricardo.
Numa manifestação, já com uma prótese, encontrei o Ricardo. Levantei-me, abraçamo-nos e emocionámos-nos. Foi o melhor abraço de sempre. E ver lágrimas de felicidade a correr na face de um grande amigo por algo que conseguimos é, sem dúvida, a melhor recompensa do nosso esforço.
Nunca, por nunca ser, vou esquecer-te. És um dos meus faróis em dias de tempestade e de mar sereno. Capitão, para sempre meu Capitão!» 
 









_____________________________________________________________.












Deixaste de navegar neste mar de Humanidade para aportar noutros.. que nem sei se há ou se são outros.    (não sei a configuração do Eterno e de seu Mar Emaculado, mas sei que nos acolhe, pois nunca nos perde)




Não, não tenho jeito para despedidas e, confesso que não gosto mesmo nada de ter escrito este post, nadinha..

Até já, meu lindo.



(abraço grande, e muito solidário, aos outros que estão agora como eu (des)Ricardados)





__________________________________________________________.


P.S. nem dei conta de se ter passado o dia de ter nascido a tua amada (tua, minha, e de muitos) Rosa Parks

Fica aqui, também, pois sei que fica mesmo bem.
Sei como gostavas dela.
- LINK