Nicolas Martin
26 November 2009
Hello! Once again my fellow readers after a break, I’m back…(hip hip...hurray!...).
I don’t know about you, but I’ve been having the feeling that in the last years someone or something has been modelling us to become the perfect robots. I mean, it’s like no one wants to look beyond, but if you dare, please try to do so within their boundaries (in other words, you can pick whichever colour you want as long as it is black).
Now, now, aren’t you being a little drastic you may say…well, nope, I don’t think so. Honestly, I am sick of phrases such as ‘keep it simple’, ‘don’t bother’, ‘why complicating the issue’… Why can’t I do things the way I like and want (speaking about the true concept of ‘freedom’)…why can’t I excel from others? I mean, if everyone performs the same task in a simple way, you may shine among so much simplicity (I’m sure your parents are going to be proud of you).
Just go to any bookstore and you’ll find hundreds (or maybe thousands) of books of behavioural conduct and ways to approach different scenarios. The famous key to success, which apparently so many authors posses…one for each person who stood out among his/her peers. One technique is the total opposite of another and in conclusion you end up being confused, empty and ripped off.
The funniest ones are the books made (modelled) especially for the two players of any situation (his/hers; employees/employer; etc.). The ‘I have all the right answers for you’ writers elaborate on the best possible ways to approach the other side of any relationship; on the other hand, there’s another ‘actually, I have the revealed truth’ author who explains how to avoid that annoying human being! (huh! and you wonder why you may end up at the psychiatrist).
Finally, here comes the best: everything has been psychologically proven. Sorry, but I do not buy it…I ask those people who voluntarily accept being part of a study, and be locked in a rat-lab: do you actually behave like these specialists want us to believe you do or are you induced (moulded…) to act in such way…I leave it to you to decide.
Ok, that’s all for today (Thank God!). Hope to see you again soon. Good Luck!
8 October 2009
Ahoy everyone! As you can see, I’m back. No tornado, no earthquake nor any other disaster will take me away.
Speaking about natural disasters, and considering all that has been going on in the last couple of weeks, I’m sensing that all the ‘end of the world’s nonsense’ is coming back. And, truly, it couldn’t come at a better moment, especially that the new ‘how the world is going to end’ movie, ‘2012’, is being advertised.
Now, let’s get serious, in my 29 years of life, I must have lived at least five ends of the world…and guess what?...I’m still alive, and so are you, and I’m hoping to live for another 29 years…hopefully more! But you get my point. Another thing, apparently I don’t know who (I don’t like to point fingers) is saying that where others have failed, the Mayans have succeed. It happens that the 2012 end of the world is based on the Mayan calendar.
So, let me put it straight to you, my dear readers, a civilisation that is extinct, has arbitrarily determined that Earth will face its annihilation in 2012…clearly, they weren’t able to foresee their own end.
So, what would you be doing by that time? Trying to live life as crazy as possible (I would advice against such a licentious way of living), getting as much money as possible (what’s the point if you’re going to be dead anyway?), finding a safe place to be (it’s the end of the world, there isn’t such a thing as a safe place!). Believe when I say that if that happens, I will be enjoying life as I have always done. If it’s during a week day - I might be working, if it happens during the weekend - I may be at home enjoying a nice barbeque with friends and a nice cold beer!...but be aware of those who may want to take advantage of the situation…could be even your neighbour!
That’s it for today. See you next time, and in 2012 and after that as well. God Bless you all! Have a nice time!
2 September 2009
Ahoy!!! Welcome to my all fellow readers, hope you had a great week. Today, I would like to discuss a peculiar topic that has been bothering me somehow: that children can sue their parents!
Apparently, education being taken away from the parents’ orbit was not enough. Leviathan (who??? Does it come with potatoes?) needed to go a little bit further. Just imagine: ‘Sir, you’re under arrest for having tried to correct and educate your son’…WHAT??? Has the world gone mad? Unfortunately, yes!
Now, let’s stop for a minute to think about it…a State, Nation or Society is made of people whose simple form of organisation is known as family. Following the modern way of ruling, people do not govern but only through their representatives. Thus, our rulers ‘represent’ our ‘voluntas’ (ok, honestly I might have missed that class on civic instruction!). So, in a way, we (read ‘representatives’) have established, that we are not capable of educating our children, someone else will do it (again, I must have been ill during that week). But the problem is determining or deciding who on earth is that ‘someone’ (I swear it’s not me!).
If we look back in time (where’s my Delorean?...hope you’ve seen Back to the Future) and we take a look at all the marvels we have accomplished so far: pro-abortion laws, birth-control regulations, education in charge of the state, not the parents, to name a few. Was that not enough? I mean, how greedy have we become in the name of Human Rights, Liberty and blah, blah, blah, as to completely destroy the sacred bounds of family...’Cool, not only my mum can get a divorce from my dad, I can get one as well!’
I believe that the consequences of our new mystery of faith, ‘the revolution’s trinity’, are easily palpable. Nowadays you will encounter a bunch of Neanderthals behaving with no respect to any authority, rules, or normal and moral way of behaving.
The funniest thing of all is that we are constantly reminded that whatever we do is for the benefit of the future generations. And I ask: Of what generations are you talking about, if you’re not even letting them be born. But if he/she is a lucky one, he/she is alone.
Again, I live the choice to you. God bless you all! See you next time!
20 August 2009
Ahoy! Long time no see, my fellow readers, Captain Nick is back! During this last period, I had the chance to meditate upon some questionable issues which are circulating and I’m going to share my thoughts with you.
To begin, just turn on the TV to see all the abominations that are being broadcast. Honestly, all those so-called ‘reality shows’ have trespassed, in my opinion, the confines of good taste and moral practice (you’re not the only one feeling that way!).
Just by watching them one begins to feel disgusting: wives swapping; undisciplined children who are sent to some kind of foster family in the countryside or Mennonite village to be educated in the 'hard-way'; couples that are having their relationship on trial or their fidelity tested; couples sharing their secret of how to have a perfect relationship or marriage…yes indeed! Apparently there’s a secret only possessed by a small group of ‘Illuminate’ of the perfect marriage (that’s giving me an idea for a movie: ‘Indiana Jones 5: the search for a healthy marriage’). The shows speak for themselves, there’s nothing I can add.
And the cherry on top of the cake are TV news and paparazzi throwing words of approbation and appreciation for such shows. Not to mention some programs whose hosts appear horrified and outraged blaming the actual financial crisis (you knew it was going to be mentioned sooner or later!) for the poor kids who have to return back home to their families, or cannot even leave their nest in the first place. Wow! It is actually shocking what is going on! Come on, these poor young people are having their ‘liberty’ held down by not being able to cut their bounds of that wicked disease called ‘family’. How far we are from the Eternal Wisdom of the prodigal child whose father, when he was aware of his son’s return, got him dressed up in the best clothes and got the best lamb sacrificed to celebrate his son’s homecoming!...no economic crisis or social insurrection to blame.
Anyhow, perhaps it’s me who is getting old and doesn’t fully understand the ‘modern way of living’ (that I’m getting old it’s certain!). Oh well, once again I live the judgment and decision to you my dear readers. See you next time, God Bless you all!, 'Amare est velle bonum'.
27 May 2009
Attention, Captain Nico on the deck!!!...I always wanted to say that…anyhow, living frivolities aside, let’s get into today’s discussion topic (no worries, warp five sir…). Recently I talked to a friend about Catholic matrimony and the possibility of getting an annulment from the Church; I am not going to elaborate on that, but it made me want to understand what it means to be with someone (so we’re not actually going to talk about Star Trek…have I dressed as Spock for nothing?).
I was wondering why people are sceptical about having a long-term partner. I’m not saying that they don’t want to or are incapable of doing so; nonetheless I keep hearing phrases such as: 'You never know what’s going to happen in the future', 'You may, one day, stop loving that person', or 'You might find someone else', and the like.
Let’s stop for a minute: we worry so much about what could occur, a future that actually does not exist, that we forget to enjoy what we have now. I’ve been there, I’ve lived all that paranoia, anxiety and crisis (at this point you are meant to start believing everything I say because it’s all from experience.)
Also, in a world where the idea or concept of ‘absolute’ has been lost and replaced for a more convenient and relative one, fed by a materialistic consumption desire, the partner stops being a person and becomes an object of short-lasting pleasure. Not to mention the modern 'logographois' (mass-media) and sophists who look amazed every time they find a couple who lasted together for more than ten years. Present studies based on ‘infallible’ scientific techniques show that separations and divorces have existed in the history of humanity as if they were the usual rather than the exception. The values are inverted: what we should take as good and common becomes the abnormal or even a pathology!
Lastly, no matter how much one promises to love his/her partner, unfortunately love has been extirpated from its sacred, eternal, absolute essence, which comprises a spirit of self-discipline and sacrifice, to a more conformist, nihilistic and relativistic one: 'I'll love you till I find someone better…if not I guess I’m stuck with you..'
I haven’t been able to develop the topic in full for obvious constrain reasons; but I hope I have given you, my fellow reader, some ideas to think about in. See you next time.
13 May 2009
Hello my good fellows, Captain Nick is back on the scene! Following the style of our last encounter, we shall continue to discuss some topics which might help us understand a little bit more about the world we are living in.
Going back to our ‘current’ financial crisis, people are still smashing their heads against the wall trying to find out what went wrong; giving conferences of the technicalities and complexities of the matter and how the ‘domino’ effect was triggered. But I haven’t heard anyone talking about the actual ‘causes’ that have lead to such financial engineering. Perhaps, human greed or the fact that we are standing on a monstrous perverted system (Did you think this edition was going to be boring?).
But one thing is for sure: it is not ‘by chance’ or by an ‘invisible hand’, to quote the sophist Hobbes, that we have been going through crisis after crisis in the last 100 years. Patches will only buy us time; possibly another 100 years or more, but sooner or later it will blow out again. When the very foundations/roots are wrong, don’t expect the tree to hold (Always have been good with metaphors).
My intention here is for you to go out and start asking questions and find some answers. I’m not gonna tell you the whole movie, neither the end. I mean, I’m still trying to find my own answers.
That’s it for today; hope this unorthodox discussion will open your inquisitive minds. See you next time!
2 April 2009
Hello mates!!! Captain Nick is back once again! I hope you are having a good time, enjoying uni life, assignments, mid-terms. Anyway, let's get down to business.
Haven't you noticed how paranoid everyone has become? Honestly, everywhere you go the only thing you hear about is the world crisis: the markets have crashed, the world is collapsing, a war is inevitable, the apocalypse is upon us.
In my opinion people have become too pessimistic. I think that we should be concerned about the news. But at the same time, it's not like our life is in jeopardy or at risk. I mean, shouldn't we take this opportunity (as any other kind of crisis) to start changing the way we do things, we think, we plan or even act?
It would be very naive from my part not to admit that we're facing hard times, nevertheless, do not desperate; let's be strong and smart enough to begin changing the world we're living in (too philosophical, but an optimistic message).
Ok folks, time to go and remember, live long and prosper!
6 March 2009
Hello folks! Once again I find myself writing about what has been going on at the start of this year.
Another Welcome Festival has passed and it's so interesting to observe all the new and old faces. When I look back at my Welcome Festival, it's amazing how things turned up - all the acquaintances and relationships I have made during that time...
Just the other night I was enjoying a peaceful night with my friends, sharing a drink, having a chat, I couldn't help noticing that we all came from such different cultures: and Argetinian, an Iranian and a Russian sharing an 'historic moment' (ok, maybe I'm exaggerating, but you know what I mean).
Even at this Welcome Festival or previous ones, you can encounter the most unthinkable combinations: Germans, Brazilians and Americans; Colombians and Norwegians; Japanese, Mexicans and Italians and so on. I think what I am trying to say is that there are more things in common than differences among cultures and people.
Anyway, to avoid boring you even further, I'll leave you with a phrase to think about: 'It doesn't matter where you come from as long as you're here.'
Ok, this is all for today my fellows, see you next time at the same time, same place.
29 January 2009
Cheers folks, Happy New Year! Hope that your holidays have been as good as expected, or even better. Anyhow, it's time to get our feet back on the ground and face 2009 with enthusiasm.
A new year has started and the heat is back (well, considering that we're in summer I wasn't expecting anything different). Unfortunately, I haven't been able to enjoy the weather as much as I would have liked to and the only time I can actually benefit from it is during the weekend, precisely when the weather decides to change from nice to cloudy.
I know, I was telling you all to be enthusiastic, but where has my enthusiam gone? Don't you worry, it's there somewhere, asleep, waiting for its time to wake up.
Have a good start of the year, try to keep yourself out of trouble and be safe till my next blog!
27 October 2008
Wow! I can't believe it's done. Two years have passed and, like many of you guys, I have finished my course and it's time to face the big question: "so, now what? what's next?"
The answer seems to be pretty much straightforward: get your papers done, find a job, move into a nice place...get married and have children if you can, and in that order if possible (and you thought it was gonna be scary). I don't know about you my good fellows, but I'm actually feeling a little bit lost. I mean, I'm still trying to get my feet on the ground that it's really over, and that another journey is about to begin.
Times of great changes are about to come to us all, and our simple task is to find out how we are going to deal with them. Yeah, yeah, let's not get melancholic or stressed for what hasn't happened yet, and let's enjoy what we have: the here and the now!
So, my advice for the coming moments and events is not to despair, let everything follow its natural course, I am sure things will start making sense or will fix into the right track (and someone please remind me to begin following my own suggestions!!!.. for once I would like to see how it feels not to be worried about anything, at least for a while...).
Anyway, we can call this the end of an era, or to be less dramatic, the end of a stage and the beginning of a better new one. Alright my friends, hope to see you around, good luck with your life, take care and...live long and prosper.
30 October 2008
Hello Folks! Once again Captain Nick reporting to all of you in these desperate and hazardous time (wow!!!! calm down, it’s not that there’s someone’s funeral…it’s just FINAL EXAMS!!!).
Anyway, and assuming that nobody wants to be reminded about the finals period, let’s move into more philosophical and profound issues (by the way, if anyone needs a pillow I know a good place where you can get one for cheap!).
Have you ever had the feeling that no matter how much effort and determination you put in, things don’t come out as expected, and to make it even worse, those surrounding you seem to be living in the golden ages (don’t tell me that wasn’t thoughtful). There you stand, in the middle of nowhere (figuratively speaking…I mean you have to stand somewhere, otherwise you are falling and….ok that is not the deep issue), asking yourself what went wrong? Haven’t I done practically what others have done before or told me to do (at this point, feel free to imagine any example you want).
After serious thinking (so to speak!) you realize that you have just done it the way you feel is correct, but this doesn’t give you the expected outcome. Thus, you decide to change your habits and do as others did…until bam!, you smash your head against the wall again. What happened? Again, I did things the way I thought were right, not like I said I was going to…so on and so on.
Then the “big question” arises: has the world gone crazy or do I simply not belong to it? The answer is neither of them. In that case, why do I keep doing it a certain way if apparently I’m not getting the outcome I want? The reason is: because we still believe, we keep having faith; there’s still hope, no matter how small it looks, we strongly grab at it. But why? (I invite you to come up with any reason you may consider suitable…I’ll give my point of view next).
Truly it’s hard to respond, but I do sense that this is because we try to make a difference, we believe that there is a better way to do things; and we keep doing it the way we think is right, otherwise we would just be part of the crowd. People will call you: dreamer, idealist, loser, pathetic, hopeless…I prefer to be called romantic since it’s our dreams which keep us trying and getting up stronger than ever when the rest have given up or simply don’t care. That sounds nice, but what about the results? To make a difference, you don’t need a big or pharaoh-like opus. Trust me, if you manage to influence at least one person or if you are able to slightly change the course of an action, YOU MAY HAVE MADE A COLOSSAL DIFFERENCE AND MAY HAVE TAKEN THE FIRST STEP TO A BETTER WAY OF LIVING!
Well, I hope I have made my point…if only one person feels touched by it, then my job is done. So remember, never give up, there’s still light at the end of the path (if you cannot see the light, perhaps you need to change the light bulb)…Seriously, hang in there, being a dreamy person is better than being an ordinary one. See you next time, good luck with exams and catch you up soon!
16 October 2008
Oh boy! The break is over; classes have started again, though it is only for a couple of weeks…still it could have lasted a little bit longer! Geez, time really flies, we are almost at the end of the semester, the end of the year…and by the way, wasn’t it supposed to be spring by now? Because I don’t feel it. Yes, there are some blossoms, yes the birds are singing, and yes it is still cold!!!!
Anyhow, I hope most of you had a nice holiday-break or spring-break. I’m just imagining all the things that may have happened: parties, trips, camps, more parties. Well, at least some of you should have done some of those things. Myself however - I spent my whole holiday surrounded by…keep guessing!!!…BOOKS!!!!!....books (talk about having a heck of a break!). I was practically living in the library….why you may ask? (I wonder who cares, I mean, after coming from the golden beaches of Cairns or the Gold Coast, this guy is talking about libraries!!!). The truth be told, I’ve been asking myself the same question.
Nonetheless, and despite any adversity, I managed to have a good time after all. I think I even discovered some new areas inside the library which I didn’t know even existed (“honestly! take that guy away from the computer…I’m still recovering from the sunburn I got on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland…”). Seriously, this guy urgently needs some rest!!!
Hoping that I did not ruin your submersion back into the “final path to the end of the semester, welcome to classes again” process, after you may have had an amazing time lazing on a golden and sunny beach with a cool drink. I will say goodbye to all of you and see you next time. Either, in the library, in the agora, in this life or…ok, ok, that’s enough…See you and take care!!!
24 September 2008
Spring is practically here, though winter wants to make a heck of an ending by taking down the last victims. Nonetheless, one can already sense the warmness in the air, the first colourful blossoms, the birds singing...
Another good thing is that the mid-break is just there, right around the corner …finally! We can use the time to rest, relax, or do whatever drives us away from school. Of course, many might spent their leisure-time by deeply thinking on life, the future, and…nah! I really doubt that…but, if your idea of having serious thoughts involves a beach or swimming pool, and a chilli drink, please make space for two, cause I’m definitely joining you.
Anyway, it was about time for us to have a break…the student’s life can be a sacrifice. I mean, let’s face it, having to submit a couple of reports, assignments, just a few mid-terms, parties, bbqs, and more parties…! We truly need two weeks to be able to recover from all those…parties.
Alright, I’ll leave you folks for the time being. I wish you all well and be safe! See you next time.
September 2008
Olympics are over and there isn’t much to see on TV nowadays (There are still some footy matches going on, but it’s not the same! Though I do enjoy watching it sometimes). Trying to find something to do with life or finding something interesting to talk about…geez! I’ve never thought it was going to be this hard…to come up with some idea of course!
The only thing that comes to my mind is the desire of winter to end or, at least, not to have cold days any more…I rather have sunny and warm days, lay on the grass, relax a little a bit…not doing anything, just enjoying life for a while.
Anyhow, not that I like complaining, however I do believe that most of us are sick (not literally speaking…although it may be the case for so me…my regrets by the way) of catching a cold, cough, flu or God only knows what other type of winter-related disease that is wandering around and for sale (you have to admit that it’s kind of funny the idea of getting two colds for the price of one or buy one flu and get the second for free!).
Yeah yeah yeah!, I know this is not precisely the most happy and funny blog ever…though I would like to check the history just to compare…there has to be something worse…hopefully, otherwise, I may get the gold medal for the worst blog…(hehehe, apparently Olympics have not gone away after all).
If you have reached this far (gold medal for patience or perseverance) and you’re wondering: “Wow! How can this guy write so much (figuratively saying) about nothing?”- well, let me tell you my friend that, definitely, you’ve never seen a political debate or never been to one of those student protests or rallies. Or you may have, but it happens that you weren’t paying any attention (and let me congratulate you for that! Another gold medal...believe me, those are the moments I wish I have a cold, cough, flu or whatever is in the air).
Ok! I let you go and, in hope of something better to appear soon (spring is practically around the corner so…no worries!), I’m looking forward to see you next time…be safe and avoid getting into trouble…or watching any boring debate!
August 2008
Back to school! and so soon…what happened? It seems like yesterday I finished my exams and now I’m back doing assignments! Time really flies. I still feel that I’m on holiday (until days for exams come and I smash my head against the wall…of course, it is less drastic than I make it sound).
For most of us, this is our last semester, and again, who would have thought that Uni was gonna finish in no time!…(as you can see my dear reader, time is the key factor…and yes, it is relative as well). Anyhow, the best we can do is to enjoy as much as we can before going into the “big world” or “professional world”.
Though most people will miss the campus life, we should also focus on the good side or exciting side as I like to call it. Just think for a moment the challenges you will face, the new opportunities you will get, and the new world you will find (if someone is feeling stressed, is probably the coffee you drank this morning…).
Another semester has begun: the very first for some and the last for others. Whichever category you fit in, just remember, enjoy and be happy…and have some good fun!
Well, I better start following my own advice. Good luck to everyone and hope to see you around…in no time!
