Azi noapte am visat toate prostiile din lume. Cea mai mare: am visat ca Brad Pitt era aradean, si o venit acasa pentru cateva zile (de notat ca nici nu-mi prea place de Brad Pitt, si nu inteleg de ce e asa de admirat). Cata si cu mine am iesit cu el in oras, si el nu prea vorbea, decat cand il intrebam ceva despre el. Si parca era o oarecare tensiune erotico-sexuala intre mine si Brad, dar nu s-a materializat. Pana la urma am obosit sa-l mai intreb despre el, asa ca m-am dus la culcare.
In viata reala insa, pregatirile sunt in toi. Cadourile sunt cumparate, bradul este impodobit, ciorba fierbe pe argaz, oaspetii isi fac bagajele. Imi vine chiar sa cand o melodie antrenanta de Craciun.
***
ce fain ar fi sa gasesc ca cineva a ajuns la mine pe blog cautand "Brad Pitt aradean"
Later Edit: Multumesc ptr. cautare :)
joi, decembrie 21, 2006
marţi, decembrie 19, 2006
JOX
Michael mi-a marturisit ca pe parcursul vizitelor repetate la Arad si Timisoara intre 2001 si 2003 a tot auzit vorbindu-se de JOX* si tot nu intelegea despre ce e vorba.
Prima data a crezut ca e vorba de o persoana. Asa ca a tot asteptat sa ne intalnim cu Jox. Dar Jox tot nu venea.
Dupa aia si-a dat seama ca e un obiect. L-a cautat in dictionar sub toate ortografierile posibile. Nimic.
Dupa care s-a gandit ca poate e un neologism, un cuvant adaptat din engleza: jokes. Si totusi, noi nu radeam deloc cand vorbeam despre JOX.
Dupa un an jumate de relatie, in 2004, si-a luat inimioara in dinti si m-a intrebat. Ieri mi-a adus aminte si am murit de ras... cum a tacut si a cautat el ani de zile.
* JOX erau literele de pe placuta de inmatriculare a Daciei rosii a familiei mele.
Prima data a crezut ca e vorba de o persoana. Asa ca a tot asteptat sa ne intalnim cu Jox. Dar Jox tot nu venea.
Dupa aia si-a dat seama ca e un obiect. L-a cautat in dictionar sub toate ortografierile posibile. Nimic.
Dupa care s-a gandit ca poate e un neologism, un cuvant adaptat din engleza: jokes. Si totusi, noi nu radeam deloc cand vorbeam despre JOX.
Dupa un an jumate de relatie, in 2004, si-a luat inimioara in dinti si m-a intrebat. Ieri mi-a adus aminte si am murit de ras... cum a tacut si a cautat el ani de zile.
* JOX erau literele de pe placuta de inmatriculare a Daciei rosii a familiei mele.
luni, decembrie 18, 2006
miercuri, decembrie 13, 2006
marţi, decembrie 12, 2006
Open letter
Dear hummus and cilantro,
I want to appologize for not liking you all this time. More than that, I talked behind your back (and to your face), telling everybody how nasty you were. And I want you to know that I recently discovered that I really like you both.
Hummus, you should thank Michael for his determination in making you and feeding me. Cilantro, you should thank Mexican food, especially tasty salsa.
Droolingly yours,
Ionuka
P.s. Cilantro, don't tell parsley, but I like you more.
I want to appologize for not liking you all this time. More than that, I talked behind your back (and to your face), telling everybody how nasty you were. And I want you to know that I recently discovered that I really like you both.
Hummus, you should thank Michael for his determination in making you and feeding me. Cilantro, you should thank Mexican food, especially tasty salsa.
Droolingly yours,
Ionuka
P.s. Cilantro, don't tell parsley, but I like you more.
luni, decembrie 11, 2006
Al 20-lea an
Zilele trecute am avut mult de invatat pentru un examen pe care l-am dat astazi (si probabil imi va aduce primul B din istoria personala... asta in cazul cel mai bun). Iar in timp ce invatam imi venea sa zbier, sa urlu, sa ma revolt. Cum am putut invata atatia ani? Cum am putut sa invat pentru zecile de teze, intrarea in liceu, bacalaureat, sesiuni. Ani de zile. Cea mai stupefianta runda de invatat mi se pare vara cu admiterea la facultate. Zi dupa zi, o vara intreaga, fara iesit, doar cu amaratele alea de carti: Biologie clasa XI-a, Psihologie clasa X-a. Si cand ma gandesc cate prostii a trebuit sa invata dupa gloriosul examen, timp de patru ani de facultate. Istoria psihologiei: doua semestre, trei carti de cacat, cu paragrafe imense copiate din alte carti si puse unul langa altul fara nici o noima. Psihologie generala: doua semestre, n-am invatat nici o teorie. Ce am invatat doua semestre?
Daca ar fi sa o iau de la capat, nu cred ca as mai avea energia sa invat nici alfabetul in clasa intai.
Daca ar fi sa o iau de la capat, nu cred ca as mai avea energia sa invat nici alfabetul in clasa intai.
sâmbătă, decembrie 09, 2006
vineri, decembrie 08, 2006
Franny and Zooey
I changed my mind about the book I want to recommend. Take the Blank Slate away, here comes J.D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey. Like our friend Michii was describing in a comment to my sister's entry about THE book, you can sometimes tell how much a book means to you by how much you remember about the times you were reading it. Important books mark the days you're around them. They're like relationships.
I read Franny and Zooey three times and I remember all three. One time in high-school, right after The Catcher in the Rye. It was the second book I read in English, and I remeber struggling more than enjoying it. The second time was in college, when I read it mainly because it was the favorite book of a boy I kind of liked (Arpad S., if you ever google your name, know that the operative words are "kind of":)). The third time was right after I came to the US. It was one of the only books I'd brought with me. It was my first long, Louisiana-type autumn, everything was new, the smells, the never-ending heat, the people. I was living alone in Hammond, and spent most of my waking moments obsesively studying. Except for when I read Franny & Zooey and when I went to see Michael for the weekend.
One of the things I often think about is how Zooey told sweet, loving Franny that it's not ok to love an animal more than you love ANY human being, because humans are divine creations. I keep thinking about that. I know many would disagree, but I understand it more and more as I get older.
PS. I googled Arpad myself, and the result is somewhat disturbing. I am still in school and have pimples, while he turned into a handsome Hungarian rock star with facial hair.
I read Franny and Zooey three times and I remember all three. One time in high-school, right after The Catcher in the Rye. It was the second book I read in English, and I remeber struggling more than enjoying it. The second time was in college, when I read it mainly because it was the favorite book of a boy I kind of liked (Arpad S., if you ever google your name, know that the operative words are "kind of":)). The third time was right after I came to the US. It was one of the only books I'd brought with me. It was my first long, Louisiana-type autumn, everything was new, the smells, the never-ending heat, the people. I was living alone in Hammond, and spent most of my waking moments obsesively studying. Except for when I read Franny & Zooey and when I went to see Michael for the weekend.
One of the things I often think about is how Zooey told sweet, loving Franny that it's not ok to love an animal more than you love ANY human being, because humans are divine creations. I keep thinking about that. I know many would disagree, but I understand it more and more as I get older.
PS. I googled Arpad myself, and the result is somewhat disturbing. I am still in school and have pimples, while he turned into a handsome Hungarian rock star with facial hair.
joi, decembrie 07, 2006
marţi, decembrie 05, 2006
Gimme sounds, gimme love
I wish there was a website which could, somehow, have a mirror in which I could look into occasionally while I work. Something in my teeth? Let's consult mirror.com!
I keep looking at pictures of people I don't know. I just think they surround themselves with beautiful things.
For some reason, during this fall semester, I learned how to analyze sounds. I learnt things I thought I'd never know, such as fundamental frequency and formants and stuff. I will probably never use this skill.
In my sound class we have to bring our laptops, so we can analyze sounds, haha. Four out of the seven people in the class have Macs, three have PCs. All that those Mac people can talk about (outside sound stuff) is HOW GOOD THEIR MACs ARE, and how much better they are than PCs. Whatever, I don't care. I can't afford either, anyway. I just think they should shut up and enjoy their Mac, and not talk about it all the time.
What do you moisturize? I moisturize my face, my legs, my lips, my hair, my hands. And lately, my ears. Yes, they're dry.
Exactly a week from today I will be done with boring school stuff (except analyzing sounds, that's exciting). I will take Michael out for dinner, I will drink red wine, and I will fall asleep on the couch. A week and one day from today I will wake up and be lazy. By 1pm I will be bored, and I will realize I have almost a month to do whatever. And I will finally realize that, again, I am not going home for the holidays. It always comes at me like that, by surprise.
I keep looking at pictures of people I don't know. I just think they surround themselves with beautiful things.
For some reason, during this fall semester, I learned how to analyze sounds. I learnt things I thought I'd never know, such as fundamental frequency and formants and stuff. I will probably never use this skill.
In my sound class we have to bring our laptops, so we can analyze sounds, haha. Four out of the seven people in the class have Macs, three have PCs. All that those Mac people can talk about (outside sound stuff) is HOW GOOD THEIR MACs ARE, and how much better they are than PCs. Whatever, I don't care. I can't afford either, anyway. I just think they should shut up and enjoy their Mac, and not talk about it all the time.
What do you moisturize? I moisturize my face, my legs, my lips, my hair, my hands. And lately, my ears. Yes, they're dry.
Exactly a week from today I will be done with boring school stuff (except analyzing sounds, that's exciting). I will take Michael out for dinner, I will drink red wine, and I will fall asleep on the couch. A week and one day from today I will wake up and be lazy. By 1pm I will be bored, and I will realize I have almost a month to do whatever. And I will finally realize that, again, I am not going home for the holidays. It always comes at me like that, by surprise.
duminică, decembrie 03, 2006
The Blank Slate
Both my sister and Raluca tagged me into recommending a book. This is what I read: a. social psychology research articles; b. fiction recommend by my sister and sometimes Michael. Other than that, I've read very few non-fiction books and a great part of those are autobiographies. Other than autobiographic non-fiction books, I've read very little. But one of them has marked my thinking: Steven Pinker's The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature. Pinker has curly hair and is an experimental psychologist at Harvard.
I had to read The Blank Slate for one of my classes in gradschool and I would have probably never read it otherwise. Pinker's book is about our views on human nature. Early in the book he goes through and challenges three doctrines that currently dominate modern thinking. The first is the Blank Slate doctrine, originated from Locke’s empiricism. This dogma argues that we come into the world without any innate qualities; we're born blank, without any predetermined traits and abilities. Our psyche is ultimately a construction of the environment. In other words, we're all born the same. A second doctrine is that of the romantic Noble Savage, which basically posits that what is natural is good, be it people, food, education, or childbirth. The third doctrine is the Descartian dualist belief in a Ghost in the Machine, according to which the human body (“the Machine”) is accompanied by a soul (“the Ghost”) which continues to live after the body dies.
The Blank Slate has its ridiculous moments and exaggerations. It's courageous and controversial. Why would I recommend it? Because it makes the following argument against the Blank Slate. Claiming that we're all blank slates is claiming that we're all equal. Claiming that we're all equal may hinder valuable psychological research about innate differences in human abilities. However, if we were to abandon the blank slate doctrine, social inequality may seem entitled. For example, if women were not born equal to men in terms of abilities, this may mean that gender inequality has a natural, undeniable basis. Pinker argues that this is the wrong way to look at it. He claims that we should separate science from morality. Just because there are innate differences between groups, it doesn't mean that social groups should be unequal in terms of rights and opportunities. Social equality should be a value in and of itself, regardless of any research findings that may show differences in innate abilities. If you find this idea interesting, it may be worthwhile to read the book.
I have no idea who would also answer this. So I tag... whoever wants to recommend a book.
I had to read The Blank Slate for one of my classes in gradschool and I would have probably never read it otherwise. Pinker's book is about our views on human nature. Early in the book he goes through and challenges three doctrines that currently dominate modern thinking. The first is the Blank Slate doctrine, originated from Locke’s empiricism. This dogma argues that we come into the world without any innate qualities; we're born blank, without any predetermined traits and abilities. Our psyche is ultimately a construction of the environment. In other words, we're all born the same. A second doctrine is that of the romantic Noble Savage, which basically posits that what is natural is good, be it people, food, education, or childbirth. The third doctrine is the Descartian dualist belief in a Ghost in the Machine, according to which the human body (“the Machine”) is accompanied by a soul (“the Ghost”) which continues to live after the body dies.
The Blank Slate has its ridiculous moments and exaggerations. It's courageous and controversial. Why would I recommend it? Because it makes the following argument against the Blank Slate. Claiming that we're all blank slates is claiming that we're all equal. Claiming that we're all equal may hinder valuable psychological research about innate differences in human abilities. However, if we were to abandon the blank slate doctrine, social inequality may seem entitled. For example, if women were not born equal to men in terms of abilities, this may mean that gender inequality has a natural, undeniable basis. Pinker argues that this is the wrong way to look at it. He claims that we should separate science from morality. Just because there are innate differences between groups, it doesn't mean that social groups should be unequal in terms of rights and opportunities. Social equality should be a value in and of itself, regardless of any research findings that may show differences in innate abilities. If you find this idea interesting, it may be worthwhile to read the book.
I have no idea who would also answer this. So I tag... whoever wants to recommend a book.
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