Feliz fevereiro a todos!

Novo try-out

During the last couple of days, as I've been trying to make my way thru that article by M. Sahlins (which I'm sure you're all completely fed up with by now... ), I've come to notice that that Dictionary.com might not be so nice after all.... For during the few days that I have been finding words on their site, I've also had to struggle with a recurrent Trojan on my Pc. And of course I can't be sure, but I'm guessing it might actually have something to do with the commercial pop-up you get each time you first go to the site (not every time you search a new word, though). But I'll have to see... Cos the site is so easy to use I'm not ready to give it up (or to start looking for a new one) just yet! I might've just been a coincidence...

Anyways, will go and run a virus-check now, just in case ... So see you again later!

Eu não tô conseguindo compreender o texto que estou lendo!  Ontem estava entendendo legal.... Será que é por ter mudado um pouco de assunto, ou será só a dorzinha de cabeça??

De volta ao artigo....

Remember when I praised Dictionary.com before? (And if you don't, just read back and you'll get there.) Well, I'm not so sure I should've... See the great and fully explanatory (nooot...) account of

"bee·hive
n.

A hive for bees."...

Du-uh!!

'All the same, when Foucault speaks of an incessant war of each against all and in the next breath alludes to a Christian divided self—"and there is always within each of us something that fights something else" (Foucault 1980:208)—one is too tempted to believe that he and Hobbes have more in common than the fact that, with the exception of Hobbes, both were bald.' (Sahlins 1996:407.)

[Color Added. (:]

"In the forest one knows the animals by the sounds they make. Sounds are the salient percepts of "reality" rather than sight. "Day" begins when the first birds sign, not when the sun appears." (Sahlins 1996:403.)

Again, ... But it is sooo different from our way it's kinda hard to truly understand the way Kaluli perceive the world around them (or us... we are all members of the same world)... 

"This is how Kaluli of the Southern Highlands of New Guinea speak about the beginning of things: There were no trees, animals, streams, or food when then land was first formed. The land was entirely and only covered with people. Having no shelter or food, the people soon began to suffer. But a man arose and commanded the other to gather round him. To one group of people he said, "You be trees," to another "You be fish"; another became bananas, and so on, until all the animals, plants, and natural features of the world were differentiated and established. The few people left over became the human beings." (Sahlins 1996:403.)

Cute  (I just realized that sounds a little patronizing... but I didn't mean it like that) and just so very different from what we are taught! (:

Throughout the millions of years of human evolution, the whole emotional economy of survival and selection has been displaced onto a world of meaningful signs, as distinct from the direct reaction to sensory stimuli. Amity and enmity, pleasure and pain, desire and repulsion, security and fear: all these are experienced by humans according to the meaning of things, not simply by their perceptible properties. Otherwise, how could you know that fat is beautiful or that a cross-cousin is marriageable but a parallel cousin is not or tell the difference between holy water and distilled water — — ? In the event, the generic determinations of "human nature", the drives and needs, are subject to the specific determinations of local culture.

Marshall Sahlins: The Sadness of Sweetness. The Native Anthropology of Western Cosmology in Current Anthropology, vol. 37, Number 3, June 1996

 

 ...

Now back to studying...

Sahlins on Durkheim...  Or in the next sentence anyway. As a whole, I think the essay speaks of the Western way of seeing 'man' as dependent on and driven by bodily needs and desire... 'Pain and Pleasure'. Oh well (:

Just so that they don't sue me for quoting, I decided to advertize them just a little, too.... I reeeally love Dictionary.com (and the fact that you can use it for free (;). It's just so easy, compared to an actual dictionary with a zillion pages... And you can get synonyms, too, if you switch to Thesaurus.com (related site). Oh, and if you're looking for a easy way of making yourself more educated, without a lot of trouble, just sign up for the Word of the Day newsletter (which is also free!), and you'll receive a daily email with a fancy word and all the different uses and explanations each time (:

It's really great

But you guys know what else would be great? (Let me know if there is one!) An Encyclopedia.com, with a free 'Entry of the Day' newsletter... So that every day you'd learn something new which wasn't just words!

My friend Atee was asking I post his picture. So I go and look for one on the CD where, supposedly, I have a copy of all the files saved on another computer (the one at my parents')... And what do I find?? No pictures sent by my friends, that's for sure.....

So while I can't post Atee, I thought I'd at least post you guys a potato....:

(Psst: As for copyrights and stuff, I have no idea who took this picture... But if it was YOU, let me know by clicking where it says 'Comente... Or leave a comment (:'. (; )

'3 entries found for cultural anthropology.

cultural anthropology
n.

The scientific study of the development of human cultures based on ethnologic, ethnographic, linguistic, social, and psychological data and methods of analysis.

Source:
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Main Entry: cultural anthropology
Function: noun
: anthropology that deals with human culture especially with respect to social structure, language, law, politics, religion, magic, art, and technology —compare physical anthropology —cultural anthropologist noun

Source:
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

cultural anthropology
n : the branch of anthropology that deals with human culture and society [syn: ['also'] social anthropology]

Source:
WordNet ® 2.0, © 2003 Princeton University
-------------------------------------------------------'

[Color added.] 

Agora sim....

28/01/2005 - 20h04

Muçulmanos apelam na TV por libertação de seqüestrado

da BBC, em Londres

Os líderes da comunidade de muçulmanos brasileiros gravaram um novo apelo em vídeo pela libertação do engenheiro João José Vasconcelos Júnior, seqüestrado no Iraque.

De acordo com Mohamad Chedid, presidente da Liga da Juventude Islâmica do Brasil, desta vez o apelo foi direcionado aos líderes religiosos iraquianos para que eles interfiram junto aos seqüestradores na tentativa de convencê-los a libertar o brasileiro.

"Nós decidimos fazer um segundo apelo, com mais líderes e xeques", afirmou o presidente da entidade. A iniciativa conta ainda com a participação de outras 14 organizações islâmicas brasileiras.

Na última quarta-feira, o grupo já havia gravado um outro apelo em que pedia a libertação do brasileiro diretamente aos seqüestradores.

Na mensagem, os líderes da comunidade islâmica brasileira diziam que o Brasil nunca agrediu o Iraque e, portanto, não havia motivos para seqüestrar um cidadão nascido no país.

Al-Jazeera

Os dois apelos das entidades islâmicas brasileiras foram gravados pela TV Cultura e repassados à emissora de televisão árabe Al-Jazeera, com sede no Catar.

De acordo com Chedid, o primeiro vídeo já foi ao ar na TV árabe, e o segundo seria transmitido nesta sexta.

O presidente da Liga da Juventude Islâmica do Brasil disse que a mensagem das entidades brasileiras tem mais chance de sucesso do que o apelo gravado pelo jogador Ronaldo.

"Ele (Ronaldo) é um ídolo no Brasil e também no Oriente Médio, mas a gente não pode esquecer que esse grupo (de seqüestradores) é religioso, tem doutrinas, pensamento, princípios", afirmou Chedid. "Eles não têm muito a ver com a coisa do futebol."

O novo apelo das entidades brasileiras foi gravado na noite de quinta-feira. No vídeo, presidentes das organizações que apóiam a iniciativa e líderes religiosos da comunidade islâmica brasileira aparecem atrás de um clérigo, que, em árabe, transmite a mensagem.

Enviado a Amã

Mohamad Chedid disse ainda que, em reunião realizada na quinta-feira, os grupos islâmicos brasileiros decidiram enviar um representante a Amã, na Jordânia, para tentar abrir um canal de negociação com os líderes religiosos iraquianos.

"Nós temos facilidades para chegar até os xeques no Iraque", afirma Chedid.

De acordo com o líder da Liga da Juventude Islâmica do Brasil, o nome do enviado ao Oriente Médio já foi definido e ele já estaria em Beirute, pronto para se deslocar em direção à capital jordaniana.

Em Amã, o representante dos grupos islâmicos se juntaria aos diplomatas brasileiros que já estão na região para tratar do assunto.

Chedid diz que, antes de tomar a decisão, as entidades envolvidas pediram a autorização do Ministério das Relações Exteriores e da família do engenheiro seqüestrado. Tanto o Itamaraty como os parentes de Vasconcelos teriam sido receptivos à idéia.

"O Itamaraty representa o governo, então o canal deles é muito oficial, muito burocrático", afirma Mohamad Chedid. "Talvez esse tipo de guerrilha que age por lá não tenha esse entendimento com os governos."

"A gente acha que o canal tem que ser mais paralelo", acrescenta o líder islâmico brasileiro. "Daí surge a idéia de a gente tentar contatar de uma forma religiosa, não de uma forma governamental."

[Fonte: Uol Últimas Notícias — BBC Brasil; http://noticias.uol.com.br/bbc/2005/01/28/ult2363u1962.jhtm]

(Loose translation and summary: Brazilian Muslims have recorded two video messages, the latest with the intention of getting local (Iraqi) religious leaders involved in trying to make the Iraqi kidnappers of the Brazilian construction worker João José Vasconcelos Júnior [whose unfortunate case I mentioned in a post on Jan 27] let him go.... Makes much more sense than some soccer player in the middle of all this, don't it? )

Anyways... This good luck charm is for you, João  — estamos torcendo por você!!

You can actually find something interesting in a French school book:

"Qui vit sans folie n'est pas si sage qu'il croit."

— La Rochefaucault ()

(Loose translation: That who lives without crazy fun is not as wise as he thinks.... )

Have you guys heard that song with Linkin Park and Jay-Z, the one titled Numb/Encore? Seriously, that's the best song I've heard in a while... I mean Usher did have some amazing  songs last year that I'm still not over, but this one seriously rocks, too....

And while I'm at it... That new J-Lo song! The first time I heard it on MTV, I told my boyfriend I didn't like it... To which he, smart...  as always, replied, 'It's always like that the first time you hear a song like this, just wait till you've heard it a few more times...', and, oh well, the next day, isn't the song all over my head....  'Ri-i-i-ight, ri-i-ight...' And now I happen to think it's actually quite a good song for getting yourself going in the morning! (;

Gente, eu consegui ler tudo que eu queria pra aula de hoje!! ((((: E acredite quem quiser, mas depois da aula, ainda me sobrou energia pra ir almoçar com minhas amigas (e um amigo de uma dessas amigas, mas sinceramente, ele é mais pra amiga mesmo... (;)

Depois de ter voltado aqui em casa, tomei banho, arrumei alguns papéis (lá no meu curso nós lemos xerox e não livros...) e um pouquinho o quarto, passei uma roupa pra vestir amanhã, lavei a louça (bem que não tinha tanta, só alguns copos e xícaras) e comi alguma coisa... E não sei o que diabos mais, mas deve ter sido alguma coisa, pois já fazem três horas que eu voltei!

Odeio quando o tempo some assim... Não que eu seja daquelas pessoas que precisam gastar todo santo minuto da sua vida fazendo algo de útil, mas às vezes simplesmente não entendo como levei tanto tempo pra fazer tão pouca coisa....

Acontece com vocês também?

Guys... Ronaldo (yes, the soccer player) has allegedly recorded a message for a group of Iraqi rebels holding a Brazilian construction worker hostage. In his (well-intentioned, I'm sure) 'voice mail', Ronaldo allegedly asks the kidnappers to set their hostage free. And here comes the even more absurd part: this was, allegedly, all asked for by the Brazilian president Luís Inácio 'Lula' da Silva!  Sincerely, what does he think these Iraqi wackos are, big fans of Real Madrid or something?!? If i may repeat myself...: !!

This one's gotta be invented by the press.....

Me dizem uma coisa: um livro de filosofia, escrito no século XVII, ainda em inglês — eu tenho chance de entender alguma coisa?? Ainda menos às 04h30 da manhã né.... Mas vou tentando.

(P.S. Viram: dessa vez não citei o SPC e sim os Racionais MC's...?? )

...ou melhor, não! Eu jamais entendi os filósofos e a sua estranha vontade de discutir coisas como se existimos de verdade ou não, ou no caso de Locke (que eu deveria estar estudando), se podemos realmente saber algo ou não... Pra mim, sei que existo e isso me basta; também, sei que sei de algumas coisas, pronto!!! Pois "sou de fazer, não sou de falar"... (; E vocês, o que acham? A filosofia é útil ou não? E mesmo que não a achem útil, gostam de ficar "filosofisando"? Pois eu não agüento; preciso fazer alguma coisa, ou, se for pra conversar, falar sobre coisas que tenham resposta ou que ao menos me interessam.... (Tipo limpeza, comida ou homens.... )

(Obs.: Porque diabos será que eu sempre acabo citando o Só Pra Contrariar?? [Veja a citação lá em cima.] Só espero que não seja por eu me identificar muito com as letras, especialmente essa do mineiro, creeedo....  O que vocês acham??  Se for o caso, socorro.....)

Mas faz tempo que não ouço o CD deles que tenho, acho que devia botar pra ouvir.... Bom, talvez amanhã porque agora é muito tarde pra colocar música nenhuma, e as minhas vizinhas já não devem estar gostando tanto de mim, porque sempre fico acordada até tarde, e faço o maior barulho indo e voltando dentro do apê no meio da noite....

Por isso, hoje vou ficar a mais quietinha possível e ler um pouco de Locke.... Vou ver se entendo a razão com que ele diz que a mente não pode ter "princípios internos"  (Bem que concordo com ele que não tem mesmo, mas mais uma vez, me basta acreditar nisso — não preciso de provas "científicas"...)

E vocês, o que acham? A filosofia é útil ou não? E mesmo que não seja útil, vocês gostam de ficar "filosofisando", nesses papos de "penso, logo existo"?

05h30 da manhã — ou seja, hora de a sarinha dormir.... ??!  

É que eu estive (estava??  buaaaah, estou me esquecendo do português... ) estudando... Gente, eu preciso, tenho que, "necessito" (; parar de deixar tudo pra última hora!! Só que, me conhecendo, infelizmente não acho que seja uma coisa que eu vá conseguir logo.... )):

Bem, agora preciso dormir mesmo.... Boa noite, durmam com os anjos que são da Luz — e não se esqueçam de sonhar com a sua amigona aqui de longe...

Beijos sonolentos  (se é que beijos podem ser sonolentos.... )

I was reading pages of this book for a class last week.... And even though the book was not about it, it had an excellent line or two that I thought expressed perfectly what cultural/social anthropology is all about. Check it out. (Psst... Dumont is an anthropologist himself.)

To see our culture in its unity and specificity we must set it in perspective by contrasting it with other cultures. Only so can we gain an awareness of what otherwise goes without saying: the familiar and implicit basis of our common discourse.

Louis Dumont, in Essays on Individualism

Oh, I forgot to tell you guys... My parents got a new dog!!! He's soooo cute....  (But sleeps too much ) We deciced to name him Leevi... Here he is (:

I was just thinking I might try and, instead of having all the links I recommend here, post them on my site because there I could put them under different categories and all.... But that "shall be seen"

(Como as do post anterior, as linhas deste post também não são minhas.)

Um sujeito está colocando flores no túmulo de um parente quando vê um chinês deixando um prato de arroz na lápide ao lado. Ele se vira para o chinês e pergunta: 
— Desculpe, mas o senhor acha mesmo que o defunto virá comer o arroz?
E o chinês responde:
— Sim, assim que o seu vier cheirar as flores!

... Até mais, meus queridos!

(Xii, terça-feira é volta às aulas.... )

(As much as I'd like to take credit, these hilarious lines are not mine; I received them in an email.... [Kiitti Sini! (:])

THINGS TO NEVER SAY TO A COP

1. I can't reach my license unless you hold my beer. (OK in Texas, though)
2. Sorry, officer, I didn't realize my radar detector wasn't plugged in.
3. Aren't you the guy from the Village People?
4. Hey, you must've been doin' about 125 mph to keep up with me. Good job!
5. Are You Andy or Barney?
6. I thought you had to be in relatively good physical condition to be a police officer.
7. You're not gonna check the trunk, are you?
8. I pay your salary!
9. Gee, Officer! That's terrific. The last officer only gave me a warning, too!
10. Do you know why you pulled me over? Okay, just so one of us does.
11. I was trying to keep up with traffic. Yes, I know there are no other cars around. That's how far ahead of me they are.
12. When the Officer says, 'Gee Son....Your eyes look red, have you been drinking?', you probably shouldn't respond with, 'Gee Officer your eyes look glazed, have you been eating doughnuts?'

My classes are starting next week....  Buaah. Not that I'm not fortunate, and happy, too, in some (... (;) ways... But I'm also afraid : what if I can't do it... Well, we'll see (: in a few months.....  Wish me luck!

But as for this week, and the time I got left before I gotta go back to school, I'm trying to get rid of a lot of piled up things: I'm answering old e-mail messages and so on.... But unfortunately, I do already know I won't be able to get everything done by the time (......) school starts, and that sucks...  But at least I'll have taken care of some of the stuff! (:

Tomorrow it'll be a few more emails.... (: And maybe a visit to my Grandma  Well, we'll see! (:

Time for Saarinha to sleep now... See you guys later!

"Um jovem matou sua irmã neste domingo em Batman, uma cidade do sudeste da Turquia, porque ela havia vestido uma calça para assistir à cerimônia de casamento de um próximo"
(http://noticias.uol.com.br/ultnot/entretenimento/2005/01/09/ult32u10097.jhtm, 09/01/2005). (Shortly in English, 'young Turkish man kills sister for wearing trousers'.)

I just don't know where these people get off.... And by these people, I don't mean Turkish, but all and only people supporting these 'honor killings'... I can see where they come from, but seriously, what are these people thinking??! How can any family's 'honor' be more important than the life of member of the very same??! I just don't get it....

But if you wanna try and find something positive in this.... I mean, of course we'd all wanna go back in time and prevent it from happening, but while we can't, I'm 'happy' that the Turkish authorities have done something about it, and caught that man (because as we all unfortunately know, it's not like they always do that...). But I hope that they will also follow through with it, and actually put this guy in prison, for yeeeeears, instead if releasing him after a few days — which, again, is all too common, too....

May she rest in peace.... And may he rotten in jail!!!

To finish off with a sweeter touch... The cake (read yesterday's post (:) was actually real good — even with the almonds and all  We ate it all yesterday, though, just the 2 of us.... (; (Well, it was small.... We had devided the recipe by two even. (;) So today I made some more cake, only this time with the almonds replaced by pieces of apple... And it was yummie (; The only thing is... There's no more of it left!! (And this time, I didn't even devide the amounts... But there were more people sharing in it this time, too, because some of my 'brothers-in-law'  stopped by.... :)

... Oh, and seriously: a town called Batman???!

Wuuhuu, Christmas is officially over!!  (Has been for a few days, actually.) And I'm happy (about that :).

This time, for the first time in the history of this blog , I'm writing to you guys from Turku... I'm here to see someone important  

Have cooked some things today: this good, old tona sauce, this other sauce, rice, pasta.... And last, a cake — not my idea  It's in the oven as I type this, so don't know how it'll be... (Because it's also a recipe I've never tried before.) But it has almonds  in it, so I don't have high hopes (; (My 'someone important' on the other hand.... Likes almonds, so oooobviously he's going to choose a cake that has them. Buuhuu.)

Anyways.... Still feel like I haven't done enough today.... And my text isn't flowing either. (I bet you could also feel that, na? ) So I'm going.... Take care of yourselves.... And of each other, too

O mundo é grande e cabe
nesta janela sobre o mar.
O mar é grande e cabe
na cama e no colchão de amar.
O amor é grande e cabe
no breve espaço de beijar.

Carlos Drummond de Andrade