What's wrong in Nacirema? AC matters

Even though I suffer the coldness more than other people, either because of my genetic nature, my lack of fat in the body or my Reynaud condition, many people agree that AC in Texas is exageratedly cold (freezing). During the hot weather, business, schools, stores, work places, hospitals, etc. set their thermostats near 58º F.

I hear teachers say that it's a good way to keep students awake. I thought that bears slept through the winter because of the cold; they avoid moving to be able to protect themselves from the cold by using their energy to maintain the body heat.



I hear that hospitals use the cold to maintain the germs numb. I thought that the common cold, allergies, cough and other respiratory conditions have their origin in virus that strive with lower temperatures, exactly because the cold kills other germs and those are able to take over!



I hear store owners say that the cold keep shoppers comfortable. What shoppers? At least for me the cold is not "comfortable", I suffer it and avoid the stores that are too cold. When I can't avoid it, I enter, buy what I NEED strictly as quickly as possible and leave as fast as I can.



I hear people say that they don't want to sweat, and the cold keep their glandular system asleep. Common sense says that sweat is GOOD, it cleans and detoxifies the skin and helps the body get rid of poisons. The body is meant to sweat, and avoiding it is against the nature. It could get people very sick the same way that not urinating can get people sick. People who have ever run or exercise in any way, know how well it feels after sweating. Especially when they took a subsequent good shower! Fresh and renewed, clarity of mind, calm, and energized. Most of a good life is made of chemical balance. Sweating can help.

Then, winter comes and the same people who where happy @ 58ºF, cannot get comfortable if the thermostat is lower than 75 or 80ºF. ¿? Of course they have a whole new battery of reasoning and justifying factors they will give to explain the unexplainable behaviour. Because some people go out of their minds to make themselves feel better!

Redefining peace

listening skills by telesales magic

Announcing the Peace Nobel Price award to President Barack Obama, the committee stated that: "Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future". Given the short time in office, President Barack Obama has not had the chance to show much results from his intentions, efforts and projects for peace. Most people agree to this fact. Some people would even say that he has not done ANYTHING, which could be considered a relatively true statement also if only speaking of results.
However, there are two factors to take into consideration. One, that peace is achieved when both or several parties reach an agreement for peace. It is not enough to obtain peace with just one side lifting a white flag. Am I right? The opposite party needs to accept the lowering of arms. In this case, there is no much Obama can do, but provide the opening and the offering for peace. Not does Obama nor anybody have the power to change others' attitudes.
Two: at least peace has a start when there is one party that lift the white flag, offers the possibility for communication and opens the door for peace. Doesn't this offer 50% of the relief? Doesn't this humble attitude start a process for peace? Peace starts with absence of enmity, absence of pride, and an attitude of humility and receptiveness, a new way of communicating, listening to others' viewpoints and taking others' opinions into consideration. Peace is being able to state who I am and what I want without thinking that I am the only one right in this world and everybody needs to do things as I want them. Peace is acknowledging other peoples' statements, recognizing that there are more than one solution to a problem and sometimes applying many different approaches may be more effective in solving some problems.
I believe that Obama has DONE much for peace with his ATTITUDE of openness to discussion, will to seat down and listen, humility to give in to better ideas.
He has actually changed the perception the world have now of the USA. Whenever someone tries to impose his or her opinion on others, others shut down, when you ask them their opinion with the intention of listening and maybe taking it into account, others change their attitude, they may even open and share what they think. However, they have to decide if they also want to share, listen and lower arms.
Obama has reached out, asking "what do you have to say?", at home as well as in the world. He is a door opener. But it takes time and a long process of building trust, forgetting the past and forgiving shortcomings, wrongdoings and offenses until people would be willing to walk through those open doors. He inspires the hope for goodwill. Hope is the seed of an attitude that calls for transformation. Peace is an ATTITUDE that generates the transformation PROCESS. That is what Obama has done for peace.

Nacirema

For my readers who may not know what Nacirema is, make sure to read the original essay by Horace Miner, called "Body Rituals Among the Nacirema Tribe".

What's wrong in Nacirema?

Public restrooms


I enter the ladies room and there is a woman bent over looking thru the hole under the door to find out which stall is free. None; all of them are taken and she’s looked under each door. “Terrible!” I think. And I wonder if other people feel like me, how wrong are the public restrooms, how bad are those big gaps under the doors and walls of those cubicles, how bad are those cracks between the door and the wall, almost an inch at the place where the lock is. By the way, what’s that lock for? Really?!!




Is it just that I’m a woman and we have our own special privacy concept? I know, men share their peeing with no apparent problem… or else? Am I right? Any man on this? I haven’t traveled a lot, but in every country where I’ve been, come on! They have real rooms (closed top to bottom) for the restrooms. Civilized countries from the First World (like France and Switzerland) as well as Third World countries like mine, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile or Brazil.

Whereas in Nacirema, where people have their privacy rights written in the Constitution, they go to the restroom in public! Is something wrong?

more roundabouts in Haute Savoie & Provence

Please read first the post after this.

Near Faucigny in Haute Savoie

Rond point à Saint Julien, Haute Savoie.

Rond point Cousteau.

la porte d'harmonie, Annemasse, Haute Savoie.

What's wrong in Nacirema?

thanks to this grandma's blog for this pic

STOP signs and roundabouts
Have you ever wonder whose turn is it at a STOP sign, especially when there is an ALL WAY STOP and there is one car at each of the 4 corners? Sweet moment… While you figure it out, you make figures of how much gas is spent (wasted I mean to say) if all the STOPs in this country are counted and multiplied by the amount of cars that stop at each. Although very popular and easy to install, you consider them a great pain in the b… without even talking about the time of the day (usually dark) when there are no other car but yours in the whole neighborhood and you just brake and wait there like a Martian just arrived on the surface of the earth, or you just decide it’s too stupid to brake and don’t. From the bottom of your heart, don’t you really hate STOP signs?
Let me tell you that there is much to be learned from other peoples in this world, believe it or not, especially from the French. Don’t you think so? You know: vaccines, antibiotics, precursors of the Internet, TGV, baguette, super good cheeses, and … eureka! Roundabouts! I’m not sure if they invented the roundabouts but they have found out that they are the best way to save gas and time, and avoid accidents.
I accept that for us in Nacirema, it’s really weird the way the French have installed their stop lights at the corner of the streets actually.

Yes, you stop right next to the red light, it’s not across the street from where you stop, it’s right next to your car, if you can imagine what I’m saying. When French people come to the USA, they need to pay close attention where they stop at the red light!!! Very dangerous situation! Please stay out of their way if you can!
Not only did the French popularize the roundabouts but they take advantage of the opportunity to do something with them, beautiful gardens, sculptures, flour or pebble designs, jokes, science and more. I visited the south of France this year and took some awesome pics of really creative roundabouts. Take a peak.

Le chat botté à Annemasse, Haute Savoie

Rond Point à Saint Tropez, Provence.

There are roundabouts everywhere, and French people get tired about them. Austin has some peculiar roundabouts like the one next to the Long Center and two on South 3d street at the corners of W Mary and W Annie streets. I don't have pics but you can see them neatly in maps.google.