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.