TECHNOLOGY: HERE AND THERE.

In these times, at the earliest years of the 21^st century, it is truly remarkable the way that technology has surrounded our lives. Since the dawn of human kind, our society has been always intrigued in how we develop our skills to cope with various difficulties and what tools facilitates this process as we continually keep discovering the mysteries of the world. We have seen the progression in our daily living: from telegraphs to mobile phones; from phonographs to digital audio players; from cameras obscura to digital cameras and so on.

According to this, it should not seem strange to find this kind of technological devices as we walk through the university halls. It could be said that technologies made our lives too much comfortable until the point that we use it merely as means to amuse ourselves and relax. But, for many in here, this is not exactly the case.

We, as future professionals, require some of the best equipment that can ease our learning and comprehension of different topics that are imparted in this career. Teachers’ lessons are highly important when we want to improve our pronunciation (Phonetics and Phonology). Nevertheless, the educator’s assistance is not always present, which means that a personal plus is needed in order to have and effective improvement. It is here when options like song or movies can be useful, however we can also find web pages on the Internet with the same purpose, like “Text to Speech” websites. And, of course, if we talk about English pronunciation in the cyberspace, we cannot forget the translation process: there is a great variety of these virtual dictionaries that surely have assisted more than one student in this class.

Yet Internet has not entirely overpassed some of the earliest methods that we use as learners. We keep photocopying texts form the library that could not been easily found while navigating, which seems that some of the old technologies are still useful and that are not ready to go.

Therefore, I would say that technology itself, in the end, is exactly what it is supposed to be: they help us, no matter how old or new they are. It is the purpose that has to be fulfilled. University works that way. Life as well.

WHAT'S IN MY POCKET? HEART OF SOMETHING GREEN?

Some say that I’m not very sensitive with other people’s feelings. I can’t imagine how hard would be living with mental, physical or motor impairment. But that doesn’t mean that I dislike people with such problems. When people had asked me why I don’t give some money to help these disable kids at the bank I have told them: “To who?” Give money to who? Who do I give money?”

That’s one of the reasons for I don’t exactly react too much to the Teletón in every year. Teletón is supposed to be a non-profit organization that specializes in found raise in order to the help children with some kind of disability, which means that you gave your money to enterprises to stand up and acclaim to have concern about the children. Most of this companies, besides of contributing financially, sell its advertising services for the cause. The core of this matter, for me, it’s that there is not enough transparency about the quantity of money that it is spent in the event. What we know it is that sales rise more than ever and they will surely avoid us if we tell them the word “taxes”.

Maybe this could be better illustrated in an example: I’m pretty sure that you remember the case of Las Condes’ mayor Fernando de la Maza. He didn’t gave permission for placing Teletón-related advertisement of the enterprises in the street, but instead he gave the offer of paid work, which money was supposedly going to be leaded to the foundation. After Don Francisco refused to do such a thing, De la Maza practically pointed Kreutzberger as a “mobster”.

And of course let us not forget what happened with Los Prisioneros in the 2002 Teletón edition: lyrics in Quieren dinero, where Augusto Pinochet, George W. Bush, the UDI, Joaquín Lavín, among others, are some of the names that appeared in. I am sure we pretty much remember the face of Don Mario while he was listening Jorge González’s opinion about the event, which I think that represented the reaction of the Teletón’s organizers. The leader of the band said this in reply:

“How nice! Isn’t? How nice is that one thing can be transformed into another. That of the entire giant ego, that of all the anxieties for figuring that we as artists have, it all can be transformed in support to the children. That from every greed and sense of good business that companies have, that can raise prices, pay less taxes, make propaganda for themselves and, from what people consume, or “help”, it can really serves as support for the children. (...) It is the crowd who put their hands in their pockets anyway, and the goal is always fulfilled.”

So, eventually, I end up being an outcast in these days. I can not afford to risk things on purposes which I do not fully trust. Therefore, I prefer small things like giving my seat in the transportation.

-add solution here-

To begin, I would like to remember a phrase that someone told me long time ago: “Never talk about something you don’t know”. I’m pretty lame when it comes to being a “walking Wikipedia” about issues like environment. Therefore, right now I reduce the expectations about this article.

But let’s cut this crap and start to work here. I don’t recognize myself as a “garbage contributor”, like most of Chileans right now, but neither a Greenpeace guy. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not at all against what Greenpeace does to improve common habits in the lives of many people that aren’t likely the indicated ones, but I just can’t imagine myself telling other people what is right and what is wrong with environment, like some preacher or “Messiah” that shocks people in order to get attention and transmit his point of view —considering that I don’t know very much about Greenpeace, I couldn’t say this is likely the truth about them. It’s just what it seems to me—. What I do agree that has to be done it’s trying to convince people by chats and examples of how you can use easy daily methods for having more awareness about environment, rather than forcing someone to do something about it.

Many of these simple tasks are used by my, like throwing garbage to cans instead of streets, taking shorter showers, riding on bike or walking (God knows when I’ll get a car driving license). So, it seems to me that I do have some certain awareness on environment stuff, and I guess that I’ll welcome any suggestion to improve these habits (one that seems logical to me). But in the end I guess that the first and most important advices in this topic are the ones that are learned in the family. Like many things in life, this is the starting point for all of us that pretty much will determine our actions and its consequences in the tomorrow that you and I will spend the rest of our lives, so we have to give some credit to the relatives, don’t you think?

I’m not interested in hearing opinions from guys like Bono to help making a world a better place. I would like instead to hear opinions from people that walk in daily streets or ride on buses and wonder: what can I possibly do with this ice cream bundle? Throw it on the street? Or put in my pocket?, which it seems like the most exaggerated way to care about you planet. I mean, come on. Seriously?

PLAY IT. LIVE IT. KILL FOR IT.

I remember that when I was child I used to go very often to the malls and persas, and I saw a lot of kids playing videogames. Most of them were fighting and racing games, and I used to play them too. Back in those days, the new Nintendo 64 was on the market and I really wanted one, but because we didn't had much money I had to get used to an old NES (the first Nintendo console). Although I'm not complaining about that. That console show me some of the first videogames that were popular on the market like Super Mario Bros., Duck Hunt, Tetris, Donkey-Kong and so many others. Several years later, on my first years as a teen, I discovered the real-time strategy games (Age of Empires, Age of Mythology, Empire Earth, etc...) that were more complex for my taste and called my attention on History.

Having said that, I stop there to emphasize about the impact that videogames have on our culture. We make them, we play them, and eventually enjoy them. But sometimes I wonder, how much control do we have upon them? I mean, now on these days I limit myself to play on-line games when I have free time on Internet, and yet try to not spend so much time on it for not to become an addiction, which happens to many people nowadays. Sometimes that addiction becomes something else that it's really dangerous. Take for instance the Grand Theft Auto Saga: this very known series has the reputation of being highly controversial with most of its titles that comes out. I know cases of people who after playing the games had tried to do the same things from it on real life. Near where I used to live, there were these guys who played GTA a lot, and recently I knew that one of them is in jail for trying to rob an old man.

As for me, GTA is one of the greatest sagas ever created (maybe I'm exaggerating). I mean, I like its gameplay consisting of freedom of actions and the plot that are presented on the titles (great script and many references to the action and crime/drama films and TV series). But we are talking about games and, no matter how much of realism has on its graphics or whatsoever, nothing will likely change that.

IF YOU WANT TO BE UNDERSTOOD... LISTEN

For those who study in this career; when it comes to pronounce words that we don’t know it’s likely possible that we make a few mistakes (or more, depending on different cases). For improving our pronunciation, we use various methods to do it: reading, more practicing and, of course, using websites (specifically the “Text to Speech” pages). 

But, in my opinion, you have to be a bit selective at finding useful webpages. You might be wondering why. Well, there are websites that do not truly fulfill all the requirements that are needed for a good study. For instance, when you tip certain text sometimes the digital speaker that interprets them is not from a good quality and you can’t always understand a sort of robotic voice. Sometimes texts, according to the site, are very big to be interpreted, which results on just a portion of the spoken text.

But many of these problems might be over when you use the ImTranslator Voice website. Maybe the most interesting feature that you first recognize it’s its voice: Speakers, not only have lack of any machine-like pronunciation, but the audio it’s so realistic that sounds like hearing a real person. Besides of English, you have other languages like Spanish, French, German, Italian, Russian, Japanese and many others. Although, clearly the site system doesn’t work entirely as it should be: there’s still problems with the capacity of interpretation like having enounced just the first 100 words, but I guess if you order a complete version of it this couldn’t happen.

So, if you are interested in checking and improving your skills in English, or any other language you might want to learn, let me tell you that there’s even a link on the Google Toolbar for easier access, or you can access here on text-to-speech.imtranslator.net

SCALLOPS

It’s hard for me to imagine what dish it’s my favorite, in particular. Nevertheless, in the last days I had the privilege to eat a very exquisite food.

Scallops (not to be mistaken with the seafood) or called in some countries Scaloppine consists of beef loin cuts (chicken is used to), eggs, a cup of wheat flour (breadcrumbs are more common), salt and/ or pepper, oil, and sometimes sauces of tomato, wine or lemon are used, but it is a matter of choice. Condiment is used first at applying it to the meat. Eggs are beaten on a bowl until you have froth. The meat is submerged on the shake and then put on flour for at least a minute. Later on, oil it is heated on a pan where the meat goes to get brown. After a few flippings it gets solid and it has to be put on absorbent paper and finally we got some tasty scallops.

This is a meal usually prepared on lunches and special occasions. You can use salad, French fries or even cheese for company. As I said before, it is a very delicious food. I am not sure about its particular origin. I mean, now I know but I have never occurred that it has an Italian origin (I also discovered that it’s a very common dish in Italian-American cuisine). Oh, and about the use of lemon, it has a different name when you use it: Piccata. I’ve never eaten scallops with lemon, but now that I think it well, it is a good idea. I might try it sometime. But I’m not very good at cooking. I don’t have the habit, and if I want to learn it I do not know if I would be able to make such delicious meals.

AL PACINO

Since people started to look professionalism in actors, there has been one that really stands out as, for me, one of the most talented and experienced performers in our times.

Alfredo James Pacino was born on April, 25^th in 1940 at New York City, USA. He grew up in places like East Harlem and the South Bronx. Pacino had a long distance to walk before he could get known by his passion. He had difficulties to be a good student and dropped out school at the age of seventeen. In the late sixties, he was arrested for carrying an unlicensed gun. Before dreaming about being an actor, he had several other jobs such as projectionist in a film theater or even as a stand-up comedian. Nevertheless, he got interest in Shakespeare’s plays as Richard III, The Merchant of Venice, King Lear and many others. This would be eventually an important reason for Pacino’s passion for acting. I guess we all know pretty much what followed after that: roles in films like Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon, Scarface and The Godfather Trilogy leaded him as one of the top performers in cinema today, to such a point that he turned down parts in films like Star Wars, Kramer vs. Kramer, Apocalypse Now, Born on the 4^th of July, Pretty Woman and Crimson Tide. But a good project that he chose was Scent of a Woman, which gave him an Oscar.

It’s known that he had chronic insomnia, he was a smoker, and he has never been married. But he’s truly and incredible actor. He portrays characters like no one else, and I’m sure he will do it for a long time.