Fight for your life

It's the only one you have Don't let it go to waste Don't let it go down the drain Don't just stand there Do something Create something There's no merit in consumption There's no merit in cheering from the stands (unless someone from your family is in the field) Create or go stale There are no in-betweens ...
Read post

Not Feeling It Today

I'm in transition. I'm neither here nor there. It's the Bardo. It's painful. Hunger drove me here. The movie Moana made me realize how courageous explorers are. Imagine the time before we had maps, just venturing into the unknown, fearlessly. Will there be food? We don't know. I'm trying to muster one tenth of that courage. My fight is against my own demons, my fears. Today, I'm not feeling it. Neither here no there. Tomorrow will be another day. ...
Read post

Intuition

We are all able to speak to God. Art is one of the laguages we use to communicate with God. Art is one of the ways in which God communicates with us. It's a two way street. Oh, and by God I don't mean a old, white dude in a white robe. It's a side effect of the widespread acceptance of the Eurocentric version of Christianity that I need to clarify what God I'm talking about. This is a God with no face and a million faces. This is the God that lives inside each of us, a God with no church, a God...
Read post

Artificial Intelligence Is Not Coming For Your Job

Capitalism is coming for your job. Debates about where AI is going and where our society is going are framed as if we were spectators and not creators. Not a coincidence, since we've been socialized and brain-washed as consumers since we were kids. Where our society is going is not inevitable. Our job is not to find mitigation mechanisms, but to decide collectively where we want to go. The steering wheel will not be handed to us, we'll have to fight for it. So, where do we want to go? Now, u...
Read post

The Road to Self Actualization

I'm committed to self-actualization. Some people realized early in their lives that they wanted to be pianists or engineers. It took me decades to recognize it, but my call has been self-actualization since an early age. I grew up in a dysfunctional family (haven't we all?). I was miserable sometimes, but I always knew that there was a better way. I wouldn't put it that way at the time, but I had an intuitive understanding and belief in what Buddha identified as the Four Noble Truths, namely, ...
Read post

Evolution, Random Process or Not?

The "scientific" perspective today is that evolution happened randomly. This means that all the biological mutations that culminated in humans appearing on Earth happened by pure chance. Humans believe that their buildings and technologies are the products of chance. Just kidding. We see our creations as the result of the most exquisite intelligence: ours. However, we don't see ourselves as the creation of an intelligence, but pure chance. Is there a contradiction here? Our creations pale in c...
Read post

Science, Materialism and Capitalism

Capitalism requires materialistic individuals whose validation and sense of meaning come from the outside. The powerful forces within us can and will destroy capitalism. Meanwhile, we are helpful workers and consumers desperately trying to fill the void within us with stuff. For every one of our spiritual, mental and physical needs there's a response from the market. Middle-age male insecurity? We have testosterone replacement therapy and all sorts of bullshit to regrow your hair. Teenage angst?...
Read post

El Sermón de Pocajuntas

El Tlacayo Sintaleca subió al Monte Congéneres a compartir su Sermón del Siervo Ambiestalista frente al Hermano Sol y la Hermana Armadilla. Debido a que el Sol no habla y las armadillas no escuchan bien en general (la más conocida de las especies de armadilla endémicas al continente Terrestre, la armadilla Fileta, tiene uno de los oídos más exquisitos del reino animal, el cual puede compararse con el oído de los murciélagos avispos de la Selva Negra, lo cual ha popularizado la especie de que las...
Read post

Myths the Amateaur Lives By

The amateur wants to stay an amateur. Becoming a pro is a decision. Like cutting your hair, you either do it or you don't. If you're asked "did you cut your hair," saying "I'm working on it" is not a reasonable response. The amateur has good excuses: Originality is paramount. Mediocrity is shame. The amateur lets perfection paralyze him. The amateur is either a great genius or nothing, and so the amateur choses to be nothing. Amateurs let fear destroy them. Every day, their choice is the same. ...
Read post

The Appeal of Conspiracy Theories

Facts are hard. Going to college is hard. Consider a high-school dropout, full of himself. The last thing he tells his classmates is "you'll see!" But life is tough. Life does not give a shit about your dreams, only your hard work. This guy is all talk and no action. His dreams accumulate but he's still an "associate" at Walmart at age 39. The chance to go back to school is still there but he's not going to take it. If he didn't push forward when it was easier, he won't do it now. And he's ...
Read post

Don't Dream Don't Dare

Don't dream don't dare Stay where you are. Don't think your own thoughts use the ones we provide Don't let dissatisfaction with your life take over buy purchase consume stockpile be afraid Afraid of the future Afraid of your neighbor And whoever is not your neighbor Go to the right school, say the right things, get the right job Believe in safety Being unnoticeable will keep you safe Fear death, don't think about it Keep your mouth shut Don't distract Don't get distracted Above all, igno...
Read post

Liberated from Eden II

God created woman and man and gave them everything. They didn't want to listen to the snake. God killed them, they were too weak. God created woman and man and gave them everything. They killed the snake. God killed them, they were too reckless. God created woman and man and gave them everything. They said yes to the snake, even if only by a whisker. God recognized art and ingenuity in them and opened the gates of Eden--They could handle freedom. ...
Read post

Liberated from Eden

I was gifted with the curse of writing Condemned to creative thirst, like the rest of my brothers and sisters I was cursed with the gift of art Privileged by creative thirst, like the rest of my sisters and brothers I was expelled from Eden To build my own house To plow God's land Thank you, Eve For being the first human with the guts to say yes to the snake ...
Read post

El Teniente McNamara

El teniente McNamara gritó una arenga llena de imprecaciones que movilizó al batallón entero. Los soldados cavaron en las trincheras hasta el descanso de la tarde (durante el que pudieron por primera vez en el maldito día ocultarse de la lluvia) y continuaron después del descanso hasta la noche. A la mañana siguiente la lluvia había inundado las trincheras. El lodo acumulado ocasionó los gritos del teniente. Los soldados regresaron con sus palas a las trincheras. La situación llevaba así mese...
Read post

El Hombre

Jacinto Colombiano le dijo a Úrsula Matamalleres al notar que sacaba unas monedas de su monedero mientras pasaban frente a un mendigo: "Este wei no merece tu dinero. Dale, si quieres, pero él, como todos nosotros, está eligiendo su vida." Y siguió sin detenerse mientras Úrsula donaba su cambio. Esa noche el sudor corrió sin parar por la frente de Jacinto. Se despertó continuamente durante la noche tratando de correr más rápido que sus pesadillas. "El viento no te detiene", escuchaba en la voz d...
Read post

Blessed Immigrant

My first few years as an immigrant were tough, even though I had way many more advantages that many immigrants. That gives me a lot of empathy for all immigrants, anywhere, regardless of their status, but particularly for undocumented immigrants and refugees who have it tougher than any other immigrant. My life and mental wellbeing have improved significantly, to the point where I take the things I'm blessed with for granted: I have a lovely family, I own my house, and I have a great job and a...
Read post