Avec le temps

Avec le temps les souvenirs sont toujours bons

Elizabethtown - Substitute

Claire Colburn: Do you want to hear my theory?

Drew Baylor: Of course.

Claire Colburn: You and I have a special talent, and I saw it immediately.

Drew Baylor: Tell me.

Claire Colburn: We're the substitute people.

Drew Baylor: The substitute people.

Claire Colburn: I've been the substitute person my whole life.

(Adapted from http://www.script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/e/elizabethtown-script-transcript-cameron-crowe.html)

There are too many great things in life to enjoy...

Carpe Diem,

Dreamgirls - Have it all

Marty Madison: You can't have it all, James!!!

(From: Dreamgirls)

It's common to choose x and then want to keep both x and y. Sometimes you can, but usually you can't. Be aware of the trade-offs.

Carpe Diem,

5S Theory

1. Sort

2. Set in Order

3. Shine

4. Standardize

5. Sustain (Self-discipline)

See Teoria dos 5S.

Before Sunrise - Another Type of Fight

Celine: But you know what? I don't think it really matters what generation your are born into. Look at my parents. They were these angry, young May'68 people revolting against everything. The government, their conservative Catholic background. Then I was born not long after and then my father went on to became this successful architect and we begin to travel all around the world were he build bridges and towers and stuff. I mean, I really can't complain about anything. They loved me more than anything in the world and I've been raised with all the freedom they fought for. And yet for me now, it's another type of fight. We still have to deal with the same old shit, but we can't really know who, or what, the enemy is.

Jesse: I don't know if there really is an enemy. Everybody's parents fucked them up. Rich kid's parents gave them too much. Pour kid's, not enough. Too much attention, not enough attention. They either left them or stuck around and taught them the wrong things.

(Extracted from the movie: Before Sunrise at 00:32:52 hh:mm:ss)

Before Sunrise - Everything We Do

Celine: Isn't everything we do in life a way to be loved a little more?

(Extracted from Memorable quotes for Before Sunrise (1995) at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112471/quotes)

Before Sunrise - Being with You

Jesse: I know what you mean about wishing somebody wasn't there. It's just, usually, it's myself that I wish I could get away from. Seriously, think about this. I have never been anywhere that I haven't been. I've never had a kiss when I wasn't one of the kissers. You know, I've never gone to the movies when I wasn't in the audience. I've never been out bowling if I wasn't there making some stupid jocking. That's why so many people hate themselves. Seriously. It's just they are sick of being around themselves. Let's say that you and I were together all the time. You'd start to hate a lot of my mannerism. The way every time that we would have people over I'd be insecure and I'd get a little too drunk. Or the way I tell the same stupid pseudo-intellectual story again and again. You see, I've heard all those stories so, of course, I'm sick of myself. But being with you it's made me feel like I was somebody else. I mean, the only way to lose yourself like that is dancing or alcohol or drugs, or stuff like that.

Celine: Fucking?

Jesse: That's one way.

(Extracted from the movie: Before Sunrise at 01:22:00 hh:mm:ss)

Heron - Picture

For further uses.

Think Positive - Temptations - Martin Luther

"You can't keep birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair." (By Martin Luther)

Temptations (bad thoughts) can strike, and it's up to you to immediately strike back.

See Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP).

Carpe Diem,

Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)

Suggestions for changes in the use of language:

No (do not do -1) => (do 1)
But (1 but 2) => And (1 and 2)
But (1 but -2) => (-2 but 1)
Try (will try to do) => (will do)
Must, have to, need => want, choose, decide to
I can't => I couldn't
I will (change) => I am (changing)
If I do => When I do

Be aware of our limitations and think positive.

(Extracted and based on Como Passar em Provas de Concursos by William Douglas - in Portugues, p. 172)

Intelligence

Intelligence is the capacity of reasoning and abstracting.

Intelligence is the capacity of adaptation.

Intelligence is the capacity to search for happiness.


(Extracted and based on Como Passar em Provas de Concursos by William Douglas - in Portugues, p. 118)

Trust

There are times when the best action is one's own decision, despite all opinions in contrary.

After all, there is a personal feeling in every choice impossible to be entirely captured by any advice.

Carpe Diem,

Sentiments - Desjardins

It's possible to judge a civilization by the level of the emotions that feed its members. Today, as the noble emotion disappears, it is replaced by sensations - a way to feel as being alive. Sensations are related to lights, colors, smells, sounds, noises, fireworks... Through sensations, the evolution is merely quantitative rather than qualitative. It's like a drug. Instead of driving at 140 km/h, you want to drive at 180 km/h to feel something.

Sensations are always limited. And, without the proper caution, can ruin the nervous system. Whereas sentiments are boundless and Infinite.

Through noble emotions you reach sentiments and the superior states of conscience.

(Adapted from: Premiers Pas Vers La Sagesse by Arnaud Desjardins, Portuguese version, chap. 3 [~p. 100]- see http://www.amis-hauteville.fr/)

See Appreciation - Desjardins and Saint Augustine - On Magnitude of the Soul.

Carpe Diem,

The Contender - Respond & Bridget Jones - Dignify

Laine Hanson: I just can't respond to the accusations because it's not OK for them to be made.

(From: The Contender at http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0102/13/i_ins.00.html)

Mark Darcy: I won't dignify that question with an answer.

(From: Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason at http://www.script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/b/bridget-jones-the-edge-of-reason-script.html)

Sometimes, just by replying, we validate the question been posed. There are times when keeping it silent might be the best response of all. Whether or not we have the right answer.

And, as always, not to answer is an answer.

Carpe Diem,

The Contender - Principles

Laine Hanson: Principles only mean something when you stick to them when its inconvenient.

(From: The Contender at http://imdb.com/title/tt0208874/quotes)

Providence and Us

Rady: Let me tell you a story. A rabbi and a priest attend a boxing match. They watch as the boxers come into the ring. The rabbi sees one of the boxers cross himself. So the rabbi turns to the priest and asks, ?What does that mean? The priest says, ?Not a damn thing if the man can't fight.?

(From: Flight of the Phoenix at http://imdb.com/title/tt0377062/quotes)

Christopher: Hey dad, you wanna hear something funny? There was a man who was drowning, and a boat came, and the man on the boat said "Do you need help?" and the man said "God will save me". Then another boat came and he tried to help him, but he said "God will save me", then he drowned and went to Heaven. Then the man told God, "God, why didn't you save me?" and God said "I sent you two boats, you dummy!"

(From: The Pursuit of Happyness at http://imdb.com/title/tt0454921/quotes)

Flight of the Phoenix - Need

Liddle: I think a man only needs one thing in life. He just needs someone to love. If you can't give him that, then give him something to hope for. And if you can't give him that, just give him something to do.

(From: Flight of the Phoenix at http://imdb.com/title/tt0377062/quotes)

Meet Joe Black - Old

William Parrish: Would you like to dance with me, Susan?
Susan: Yeah.
William Parrish: If you don't mind dancing with an old fogey like me.
Susan: Oh, Dad, you're not old. You'll never be old.

(Adapted from: Meet Joe Black Script - Dialogue Transcript at http://www.script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/m/meet-joe-black-script-transcript.html)

Response - Desjardins

The perfect free action is always a response never a reaction.

(Freely translated from: Premiers Pas Vers La Sagesse by Arnaud Desjardins, Portuguese version, p. 77 / see http://www.amis-hauteville.fr/)

Man - Desjardins

Man as Man. The word Man sacred as the word God. Man with a capital M. Man with all its possibilities. Man as a potential. Man destined to greatness. Man as the answer to all questions. The dignity as to love all Man.

To Be versus To Have? Being a Man. A Human Being.

(Adapted from: Premiers Pas Vers La Sagesse by Arnaud Desjardins, Portuguese version, p. 53-81 / see http://www.amis-hauteville.fr/)

See Appreciation - Desjardins and Ecce Homo.

Carpe Diem,

Appreciation - Desjardins

Criteria for appreciation: 'to give a high opinion of what man is'.

(Freely translated and adapted from: Premiers Pas Vers La Sagesse by Arnaud Desjardins, Portuguese version, p. 55 - see http://www.amis-hauteville.fr/)

See Liberty - Desjardins.

Carpe Diem,

Imaginary Heroes - Secret

Penny Travis: The secret to the success of life is to find something that you love. Is there something that you love?
Tim Travis: Yes
Penny Travis: Good. And you have to do that for the rest of your life. And you better hope to hell that you're good at it because if you're not, you'll probably fail.
Tim Travis: How do you know if you're good at it?
Penny Travis: How do you know if you're good at it... Often people tell you.

(Adapted from: Imaginary Heroes at http://blog.myspace.com/beatkronic)

Quite simple, and yet effective!

Carpe Diem,

Imaginary Heroes - Hero

Tim Travis: He asked me for help. And I said, no.
Kyle Dwyer: Not everyone can be a hero.

(From: Imaginary Heroes)

Sex and the City - Halfway

Samantha: Normal is the halfway point between what you want and what you can get.

(http://quotations.about.com/cs/tvquotes/a/sex_city_quotes.htm)

Yellow Spot - Pablo Picasso

"Some painters transform the sun into a yellow spot, others transform a yellow spot into the sun". By Pablo Picasso

(From: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/p/pablo_picasso.html and in Portuguese: "Há pessoas que transformam o sol numa simples mancha amarela, mas há também aquelas que fazem de uma simples mancha amarela o próprio sol" at http://palavras1.blogspot.com/2007/04/h-pessoas-que-transformam-o-sol-numa.html)

Dave Matthews Band - Crush

It's crazy I'm thinking
Just knowing that the world is round
And here I'm dancing on the ground
Am I right side up or upside down
And is this real or am I dreaming

Experiences

Most experiences in life are mutually exclusive. You got to take the most of the ones you have and understand the ones you don't. Especial attention must be paid to the unpleasant ones, since they are typically not our choice of experiences and they yield a significant opportunity for growth.

Carpe Diem,

Gladiator - Eternity

Maximus: What we do in life echoes in eternity.

(From: Memorable quotes for Gladiator (2000) at http://imdb.com/title/tt0172495/quotes)

Meet Joe Black - Let Go

[Watching the fireworks above the party before they depart]
William Parrish: It's hard to let go, isn't it?
Joe Black: Yes it is, Bill. Yes it is.
William Parrish: Well, that's life... what can I tell you.

(Adapted from: Memorable quotes for Meet Joe Black (1998) at http://imdb.com/title/tt0119643/quotes)

Meet Joe Black - Find

Joe Black: ... I'm talking about taking care of each other the best you can. What's wrong with taking care of a woman? She takes care of you.
Susan: You'll have a hard time finding a woman like that these days.
Joe Black: Shoot, you think so?
Susan: Mm-hmm.
Joe Black: I don't know. Lightning could strike.

(From: Meet Joe Black Script - Dialogue Transcript at http://www.script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/m/meet-joe-black-script-transcript.html)

Instrument of Your Peace

Sir, make me instrument of your peace.
Where it shall have hatred, that I bring love;
Where it shall have offense, that I bring pardon;
Where it shall have discord, that I bring union;
Where it shall have doubt, that I bring faith;
Where it shall have error, that I bring truth;
Where it shall have desperation, bring I take hope;
Where it shall have sadness, that I bring joy;
Where it shall have darknesses, that I bring light.

Master, make that I seek more:
To console than to be consoled;
To understand than to be understood;
To love than to be loved.
Thus it is in giving that it's received;
It is in pardoning that one is pardoned;
And it is in dying that one lives for the Eternal Life.

(From: a Portuguese original of the San Francis' Prayer - Oracao de Sao Francisco - at http://esoterico.terra.com.br/vidainterior/interna/0,,OI1079339-EI5930,00.html)

On Links (*)

I will always try and add links in the URL form, like:

http://www.heronsilva.com/

Whereas, for readability, when referring to an entry in my own blog, I may add a link as a text. For instance, On Links (*) is a link to this post.

The main reason for that pattern is that you can copy & paste the whole blog as text only and you'll still get it all.

Carpe Diem,

The Devil Wears Prada - Choose

Miranda Priestly: I never thought I would say this, Andrea... but I really see a great deal of myself in you. You can see beyond what people want and what they need... and you can choose for yourself.
Andy Sachs: I don't think I'm like that.

(From: The Devil Wears Prada at http://cantinhodapipoca.blogspot.com/ and http://imdb.com/title/tt0458352/)

See Ocean's Eleven - To Know and Coldplay - Fix You.

Carpe Diem,

Jerry Maguire - Hello

Dorothy: ... You had me at "hello".

(From: Memorable quotes for Jerry Maguire (1996) at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116695/quotes)

Up Close & Personal - Listen

Warren Justice: ... twenty million people are gonna be depending on you ... Before they trust you they've to know you're listening to them! To do that, you must Know who you are!

(Extracte from Up Close And Personal Script - Dialogue Transcript at http://www.script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/u/up-close-and-personal-script.html)

Ocean's Eleven - To Know

Tess: Do you remember what I said when we met?
Danny: You said I'd better know what I'm doing.
Tess: And do you? Because you should walk out that door if you don't.
Danny: I know what I'm doing.

(From: Memorable quotes for Ocean's Eleven (2001) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0240772/quotes)

It's all about consciousness and choice (see Education and Coldplay (Fix You)).

Carpe Diem,

Key to Marriage

"The key to succeeding in marriage is not finding the right person; it's learning to love the person you found."

(Extracted from http://pintokoratri.blogs.friendster.com/my_blog/2007/03/did_i_marry_the.html)

See Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Love.

Carpe Diem,

The Last Kiss - Love

Michael: I love her... I know I love her more than everything in the world...
Stephen: Stop talking about love. Every asshole in the world say he loves somebody. It still doesn't mean anything. What you feel only matters to you! It's what you do to the people you say you love that what matters. It's the only thing that counts ... ... Just do whatever it takes, to love is that simple: You'll never fail if you don't give up.

(From: The Last Kiss (2206), adapted from: http://pintokoratri.blogs.friendster.com/my_blog/2007/01/dont_give_up.html)

"Love is what love does". (From: The Servant by James C. Hunter)

Carpe Diem,

One Fine Day - Complex

Melanie: You know, I really can't stand those people who blame their worst traits on everyone but themselves. It's so 90s.
Jack: Oh, God, what are you talking about?
Melanie: You're blaming your Peter Pan complex on your mother?
Jack: What Peter Pan complex?
Melanie: The one you're so proud of.
Jack: You got any friends?
Melanie: I don't have time for friends.
Jack: That's because of your Captain Hook complex.
Melanie: My what?
Jack: Captain Hook complex.
Melanie: There's no such thing.
Jack: Yes, there is and you have it.

(From: One Fine Day (1996) at http://www.script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/o/one-fine-day-script-transcript.html)

Ecce Homo

'Good Friday'

Liberty - Desjardins

"The freedom is not a state where all questions will get an answer, it is a state where the questions will no longer be made."

(Freely translated from: Premiers Pas Vers La Sagesse by Arnaud Desjardins, Portuguese version, p. 35 - see http://www.amis-hauteville.fr/)

Nationalism and Democracy

"At all events, from the point of view of ruling classes the important thing was not what 'the masses' believed, but that their beliefs now counted on politics."

Nationalism and Democracy came to scene during that period from 1848-1875. When tradition was overthrown by equality (the word-of-order brought by the bourgeoisie to justify its new theories), democracy appeared as a natural consequence. Folklore and Language were used or adjusted to create the concept of nations, thus providing the stage for the new (economic) ruling class to perform. Our civilization has been born.

What will come next? A return to tradition? A new nationalism of virtual tribes?

See Feudalism.

(Based on "The Age of Capital: 1848-1875" by Eric Hobsbawm, chap. 5 and 6)

Carpe Diem,

City of Angels - Free Will

Nathaniel: Listen, kid... He gave these bozos the greatest gift in the universe - you think He didn't give it to us, too?
Seth: Which gift?
Nathaniel: Free will, brother. Free will.

(From: City of Angels at hh:mm:ss 00:52:54)

City of Angels - Where

Seth: Let's go somewhere.
Maggie: Where?
Seth: I don't care.
Maggie: What do you want to do?
Seth: Anything.

(From: City of Angels at hh:mm:ss 00:39:15)

Being alike

Our being alike only comes to really exist in the long term,
which is the glue that ties people together.

Hoy Ten Miedo De Mi (Song)

"Hoy procura que aquella ventana que mira a la calle en tu cuarto
se tenga cerrada porque no vaya a ser yo el viento de la noche
y te mida y recorra la piel con mi aliento
y hasta te acaricie y te deje dormir
y me meta en tu pecho y me vuelva a salir
y respires de mí..."

Up Close & Personal - Feels good

Warren Justice: ... you still got a nice ass.
Joanna Kennelly: But it's not this year's ass, is it? Not even last year's. I am seven years and three dozen asses back. The next time I see you... it'll be four dozen. Unless you're gonna tell me
this one's different. Wait a minute. Has somebody finally got to you?
Warren Justice: This is not what you think.
Joanna Kennelly: Just good friends. That is novel. What's it feel like?
Warren Justice: It feels ... good.

(Extracte from Up Close And Personal Script - Dialogue Transcript at http://www.script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/u/up-close-and-personal-script.html)

Pretty Woman - Want

Vivian: I want the fairy tale.

(From Memorable quotes for Pretty Woman (1990) at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100405/quotes)

Parole, parole (Song)

"Tu es d'hier et de demain
De toujours ma seule vérité. (...)
Tu es pour moi la seule musique...
qui fit danser les étoiles sur les dunes (...)
et emporte au loin le parfum des roses."

Belle (Song for Notre Dame de Paris)

"Belle… c'est un mot qu'on dirait inventé pour elle"

I Can't Make You Love Me (song)

"Cause I can't make you love me If you don't
You can't make your heart feel something it won't"

The Story of Us - Driver

Katie: I'm sick and tired of being the designated driver of this marriage!"
Ben: Nobody designated you! It's a role you gave yourself!"

(From the movie The Story of Us at http://www.cswap.com/1999/The_Story_of_Us/cap/tr/25fps/a/01_12)

Anna and the King - One Woman

King Mongkut: Until now, Madam Leonowens, I did not understand the supposition man could be satisfied with only one woman.

(from the movie Anna and the King (1999) at hh:mm:ss 02:19:00)

Love, relationships, marriage and traditions, "somethings change, and somethings never do" (Matrix). See Marriage (Veja Interview).

Carpe Diem,

On Dates (*)

I've been adding the dates when I last accessed the links I refer to. For now on, though, I will assume that the date of last access is the same as the date of the post itself, unless otherwise stated.

Carpe Diem,

Beyond Borders - Purpouse

I wonder, do we know where we belong? And if we do, in our hearts, why do we so often do nothing about it? There must be more to this life, a purpose for us all, a place to belong. You were my home. I knew from the moment I met you...

(From Beyond Borders (2003) at http://blog.yam.com/chiumei/article/7441298) [on 2007-03-28]

Anna and the King - Path

Anna Leonowens: I find myself traveling from place to place wondering where it is that I belong exactly. And I find myself here.
King Mongkut: Your path is as it should be.
Anna Leonowens: My mind has taken me down many roads of late. All of which lead absolutely nowhere. What would Buddha say of that?
King Mongkut: That roads are for journeys, not destinations.

(from the movie Anna and the King (1999) at hh:mm:ss 01:27:54)

Enjoy the path, not the arrival.

Carpe Diem,

Meet Joe Black - Favorites

Allison: So, never mind favorites. You're allowed to have one. The point is, you've been mine.

(From: Meet Joe Black Script - Dialogue Transcript at http://www.script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/m/meet-joe-black-script-transcript.html) [on 2007-03-23]

Society of self-knowledge

We used to live in a society of knowledge. We now live in a society of self-knowledge (and mutual-knowledge). Thus, once you find yourself peaceful, it all comes to live, one day at a time, the best you possibly can. You find pleasure in yourself (see Saint Augustine - On Magnitude of the Soul), trying to increase the world's wealth and participating on it, not only monetarily but in ever sense possible.

Carpe Diem,

Dia Branco (song)

If you will come to whatever it takes with me
I promise you the sun... If the sun shall rise
Or the rain... If the the rain shall fall

Freely translated from the Portuguese original:

Se você vier pro que der e vier comigo
Eu te prometo o sol... se hoje o sol sair
Ou a chuva... se a chuva cair

(From the song Dia Branco by Geraldo Azevedo/RenatoRocha at http://daniela-mercury.letras.terra.com.br/letras/865142/) [on 2007-03-26]

The Confessions of Saint Augustine - Weight

In Thy Gift we rest; there we enjoy Thee. Our rest is our place. Love lifts us up thither, and Thy good Spirit lifts up our lowliness from the gates of death. In Thy good pleasure is our peace. The body by its own weight strives towards its own place. Weight makes not downward only, but to his own place. Fire tends upward, a stone downward. They are urged by their own weight, they seek their own places. Oil poured below water, is raised above the water; water poured upon oil, sinks below the oil. They are urged by their own weights to seek their own places. When out of their order, they are restless; restored to order, they are at rest. My weight, is my love; thereby am I borne, whithersoever I am borne. We are inflamed, by Thy Gift we are kindled; and are carried upwards; we glow inwardly, and go forwards. We ascend Thy ways that be in our heart, and sing a song of degrees; we glow inwardly with Thy fire, with Thy good fire, and we go; because we go upwards to the peace of Jerusalem: for gladdened was I in those who said unto me, We will go up to the house of the Lord. There hath Thy good pleasure placed us, that we may desire nothing else, but to abide there for ever.

(From: The Confessions of Saint Augustine at http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext02/tcosa10.txt) [on 2007-03-26]

Finding Neverland - Grown-up

J.M. Barrie: "Look at that. How magnificent. The boy is gone. Somewhere during the last 30 seconds you've become a grown-up."

(Finding Neverland - hh:mm:ss 01:01:40)

That's a great scene. Brilliant performance. Just like that and the innocence is gone.

Carpe Diem,

Finding Neverland - Happiness

J.M. Barrie: "You find a glimmer of happiness in this world and there's always someone who wants to destroy it."
(...)
Friend: "Once you get a bit of notoriety, James, people watch you. And they will look for ways to drag you down."

(Finding Neverland - hh:mm:ss 00:35:43)

Quite true and quite sad. Indeed. But we have no choice but to keep on searching for that happiness and living it entirely!

Carpe Diem,

Up Close & Personal - All about

Tally Atwater: "Panama turned out to be a big story for I.B.S. It didn't start that way. It started with one reporter... who had a hunch. He had a hunch. And he went alone. And he did all the leg-work. And, at the end of the day, he got it. Which is what [doing] this is all about. I didn't always think that. I thought if I ever stood up at something like... that, it would be about glory or, showing people. It's different. I know that now. I'm only here for one reason. To tell the story. My husband told me that, not so long ago."

(Extracte from Up Close And Personal Script - Dialogue Transcript at http://www.script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/u/up-close-and-personal-script.html) [on 2007-03-13]

Autumn in New York - Rewards

"Life rewards the courageous few." (to be checked)

Carpe Diem,

Up Close & Personal - So much

Tally Atwater: Do you [even] want to be with me?
Warren Justice: So much [that] it hurts.

(Extracted from Memorable quotes for Up Close & Personal (1996) at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118055/quotes) [last visited on March 14th 2007]

(I've just noticed that it had already been posted in Up Close & Personal - Wanna be)

Marriage (Veja Interview)

"When the marriage was invented, its role was to decide on matters of patrimony and inheritance. Only after the 20th century people started to marry for love, with the free choice of partners. Today, we get married to be happy. Shame that the expectation be disturbed by myths as the perfect partner, the permanent dialog, the absolute transparency."

(Freely translated from: Veja Magazine - Interview with Lidia Aratangy - 2007-03-21)

Since the new kind of wedding is that recent, it might still be overestimated. We should keep it simple. As it is. It is simply an attempt to diminish our solitude in this world and to be happy.

"and from the nature of two she [the soul] makes one, in love and sociability"
(From: Saint Augustine - On Magnitude of the Soul [posted on 2007-03-19])

Carpe Diem,

Blame (Veja Interview)

"Does anyone need to be blamed? There's nobody's fault. ... Blame is for omnipotent, who has the power to do what is right and doesn't do it. For us, mere mortals, this does not exist."

(Freely translated from: Veja Magazine - Interview with Lidia Aratangy - 2007-03-21)

When replying to "who is to be blamed when a marriage ends?".

Take a look at Choices [posted on 2007-03-15].

Carpe Diem,

Marisa Monte - Eu Não Sou da Sua Rua

"I am here passing by
This world is not mine
This world is not yours"

Freely translated from the Portuguese original:

"Estou aqui de passagem.
Esse mundo não é meu
Esse mundo não é seu"

(From the song: Eu Não Sou da Sua Rua by Marisa Monte at
http://marisa-monte.letras.terra.com.br/letras/88315/)

Dave Matthews Band - Cry Freedom

The future is no place
To place your better days

(From: Dave Matthews Band - Cry Freedom at http://www.lyricsfreak.com/d/dave+matthews+band/cry+freedom_20036558.html)

Up Close & Personal - Wanna be

Tally Atwater: Do you want to be with me?
Warren Justice: So much it hurts.

(Extracte from Up Close And Personal Script - Dialogue Transcript at http://www.script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/u/up-close-and-personal-script.html)[on 2007-03-13]

On Stars (*)

When the title of a post has a star (*) it indicates that the entry is about the Blog as a whole.

Carpe Diem,

On Frequency (*)

I once thought that one post per week would be a good average for this blog. It turned out that I have exceeded my own expectation.

This last days I have enjoyed quite an unusual productivity. And since five posts a day is quite an absurd, this period tends to be regarded as an anomaly. Let's see.

Also, most quotes added were collected by me throughout the years. And I believe that I ran out of them.

Anyway, one post per week seems like a viable target. Especially since this blog is not about myself (as a diary would be), so that each entry demands a certain degree of inspiration.

Do not be fooled, though. The blog is not about be, but it does pretty much say who I am.

Carpe Diem,

Meet Joe Black - Secrets

Joe Black: But Allison loves you. How do you know?
Quince: Because she knows the worst thing about me, and it's okay.
Joe Black: What is it?
Quince: No, it's not one thing. It's just an idea, Joe.
Joe Black: It's just, um, um...
Quince: It's like you know each other's secrets, your deepest, darkest secrets.
Joe Black: Deepest, darkest secrets?
Quince: Yeah, and then you... you're free.
Joe Black: Free?
Quince: You're free! You're free to I... love each other completely, totally. Just no fear. So there's nothing you don't know about each other, and it's okay.
Joe Black: Hmm.

(From: Meet Joe Black Script - Dialogue Transcript at http://www.script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/m/meet-joe-black-script-transcript.html) [on 2007-03-23]

Sweet November - Around you

"If ever I've learned anything is that you should have the people who love you around you as long as you possibly can". (hh:mm:ss 01:40:20)

Matrix - Hope

"Hope, it is the quintessential human delusion, simultaneously the source of your greatest strength, and your greatest weakness."

(From: Memorable quotes for The Matrix Reloaded (2003) at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0234215/quotes) [on 2007-03-23]

Matrix - Path

"sooner or later you're going to realize just as I did that there's a difference between knowing the path and walking the path."

(From: Memorable quotes for The Matrix (1999) at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0133093/quotes) [on 2007-03-23]

Titanic - Promise

Jack: Winning that ticket, Rose, was the best thing that ever happened to me... it brought me to you. And I'm thankful for that, Rose. I'm thankful. You must do me this honor, Rose. Promise me you'll survive. That you won't give up, no matter what happens, no matter how hopeless. Promise me now, Rose, and never let go of that promise.
Rose: I promise.
Jack: Never let go.
Rose: I'll never let go. I'll never let go, Jack.

(...)

Old Rose: ... And I've never spoken of him until now... Not to anyone... Not even your grandfather... A woman's heart is a deep ocean of secrets. But now you know there was a man named Jack Dawson and that he saved me... in every way that a person can be saved. I don't even have a picture of him. He exists now... only in my memory.


(From: Memorable quotes for Titanic (1997) at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120338/quotes) [on 2007-03-23]

On Comments (*)

I do appreciate all the emails and comments received or to be received through this blog. Nevertheless, to avoid misunderstandings, I do not guarantee to reply all of them. I do apologize in advance.

Carpe Diem,

Meet Joe Black - Pictures

Jamaican Woman: [talking about life itself and death] It nice it happen to you. Like you come to the island and had a holiday. Sun didn't burn you red-red, just brown. You sleep and no mosquito eat you. But the truth is, it bound to happen if you stay long enough. So take that nice picture you got in your head home with you, but don't be fooled. We lonely here mostly too. If we lucky, maybe, we got some nice pictures to take with us.

Joe Black: You got enough nice pictures?

(From: Memorable quotes for Meet Joe Black (1998) at http://imdb.com/title/tt0119643/quotes) [on 2007-03-23]

Meet Joe Black - What now

Susan: ... We know so little about each other.
Joe Black: But we've got time.
(...)
Susan: ... What do we do now?
Joe Black: It will come to us.

(From: Meet Joe Black Screenplay at http://meetjoeblackscript.blogspot.com/) [on 2007-03-23]

Kingdom of Heaven - Religion

"Their prophet says 'submit'. Jesus says 'decide'."

(From: Reviews - Kingdom of Heaven at http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/reviews/kingdomofheaven.html) [on 2007-03-22]

I honestly do not know whether that difference is true or not. But it made me think about what I once read (from Nilton Bonder, I believe) that Hebrews regard the word Justice as Catholics regard the word Love. Again, I am not sure if this is correct.

But anyway, all religions might be attempting to express the very same thing using different words. If I remember it correctly, it was the Dalai Lama who said that people should follow the religion of their countries. Perhaps it states that it would be easier for anyone to understand the true meaning behind a phrase when they are familiarized with the words+meaning being used.

Be as it may, as we nowadays live in a world without borders or boundaries, where tribes exist uniting people from anywhere, it might make sense that any of us should choose the religion that best speaks to us. It's a trade-off between tradition and sympathy. And, as always, not to have a religion, is a religion.

For more on tradition, take a look at Feudalism (posted on 2007-03-09) .

Carpe Diem,

Kingdom of Heaven - Oath

Godfrey of Ibelin: Be without fear in the face of your enemies. Be brave and upright that God may love thee. Speak the truth always, even if it leads to your death. Safeguard the helpless and do no wrong. That is your oath.

(From: Memorable quotes for Kingdom of Heaven (2005) at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0320661/quotes) [on 2007-03-22]

Kingdom of Heaven - Soul

King Baldwin IV: A King may move a man, a father may claim a son, but remember that even when those who move you be Kings, or men of power, your soul is in your keeping alone. When you stand before God, you cannot say, "But I was told by others to do thus." Or that, "Virtue was not convenient at the time." This will not suffice. Remember that.

(From: Memorable quotes for Kingdom of Heaven (2005) at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0320661/quotes) [on 2007-03-22]

Balian of Ibelin: "A king may move a man, you said. But the soul belongs to the man."

Kingdom of Heaven - World

Sybilla: What becomes of us?
Balian of Ibelin: The world will decide. The world always decides.

(From: Memorable quotes for Kingdom of Heaven (2005) at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0320661/quotes) [on 2007-03-22]

Braveheart - Martyr

Hamish: I don't want to be a martyr.
William: Nor I. I want to live. I want a home, and children, and peace.
Hamish: Do you?
William: Aye, I do. I've asked God for these things. It's all for nothing if you don't have freedom.

(From: Braveheart at http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Braveheart) [on 2007-03-22]

Don Juan DeMarco - Soul

"There are those that do not believe that a single soul born in heaven can split into twin spirits and shoot like falling stars to earth where over oceans and continents their magnetic forces will finally unite them back into one. How else do you explain love at first sight. We were convinced that there was no other life beneath the sky but ours. We believed that we would never die."

(From: Memorable quotes for Don Juan DeMarco (1995) at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112883/quotes) [on 2007-03-22]

Does the word twin implies two? If so, I would only change the phrase to include the possibility for more than two, as in: "a single soul born in heaven can split into sibling spirits". And by that, any two of the sibling spirits could be made one. It sounds better, doesn't it?

See Nature of Two.

Carpe Diem,

The Matrix - Understand

Neo: But if you already know, how can I make a choice?
The Oracle: Because you didn't come here to make a choice, you've already made it. You're here to try to understand why you made it.

(From: The Matrix Quotes - the oracle quotes at http://www.neoandtrinity.net/oracle.html) [on 2007-03-22]

Nature of Two

"When possible, she [the soul] looks for the union of sexes, and from the nature of two she makes one, in love and sociability."

From: Saint Augustine - On Magnitude of the Soul [posted on 2007-03-19]

Legends of the Fall - Forever

Susannah: "I will wait for you, however long it takes. I will wait for you forever."

(...)

Susannah: "Forever turned out to be too long."
Tristan: "[I know...]"

(From: Memorable quotes for Legends of the Fall (1994) at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110322/quotes and http://www.moviequotes.com/repository.cgi?pg=3&tt=98822) [on 2007-03-22]

Perhaps it "turned out to be too long" cause she was too dependent on him to live her life (see Autumn in New York - Love Story and Blame (Veja Interview)). Had she chosen to keep on living instead of just waiting, the outcome could have been different. Important it is to state that she would have a hard time living a life without a husband, specially at that time. But wouldn't it be great had she done it? Wouldn't the reward be proportional to the risk? Few people are lucky enough to have it easily. And even those who find love in that way have a great challenge ahead of them: to realize that they got it easily and live accordingly and with no (or few) doubts.


Carpe Diem,

Legends of the Fall - Inner Voices

"Some people hear their own inner voices with great clearness and they live by what they hear. Such people become crazy, or they become legends."

(From: Memorable quotes for Legends of the Fall (1994) at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110322/quotes) [on 2007-03-22]

You might want to take a look at Saint Augustine - On Magnitude of the Soul [posted on 2007-03-19].

Carpe Diem,

Patch Adams - Love

"I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. I love you straightforwardly without complexities or pride. I love you because I know no other way then this. So close that your hand, on my chest, is my hand. So close, that when you close your eyes, I fall asleep."

(From: Memorable quotes for Patch Adams (1998) at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0129290/quotes) [2007-03-22]

Coach Carter - Deepest Fear

- "What's your deepest fear?"

(...)

- "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

(From: Memorable quotes for Coach Carter (2005) at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0393162/quotes) [2007-03-22]

You might want to take a look at Saint Augustine - On Magnitude of the Soul [posted on 2007-03-19].

Carpe Diem,

Life is...

I've just change the Life post [2007-03-18] from "Life is too short for you to waste it" to "Life is too awesome for you to waste it". I realized it has nothing to do with time. It's about Greatness. Space and time are merely human inventions intended to overcome our limited perception of reality.

Carpe Diem,

Up Close & Personal - Sun

"But she was tougher than me.
She was already something.
She was already the sun and the moon, all by herself."

(Extracte from Up Close And Personal Script - Dialogue Transcript at http://www.script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/u/up-close-and-personal-script.html)[on 2007-03-13]

Saint Augustine - On Magnitude of the Soul

[Freely translated from a Portuguese original at http://espaco-de-paz.awardspace.com/sta_poder_da_alma.html]

(For a somewhat different approach perhaps intended towards a similar meaning, take a look at:
- Coach Carter [posted on 2007-03-22] and
- Legends of the Fall [posted on 2007-03-22])

On Magnitude of the Soul

Saint Augustine - the power of the soul over the body, over herself, and on the seven degrees of her magnitude (extracted from the book "On Magnitude of the Soul")

What if we were able to ask those things to a very wise man, and that he was also eloquent, and perfect in the virtue. I imagine what he could teach us, explaining about the power of the soul over the body, over herself and in facing God, with whom she, while remaining in virtue, is very close, and in he she has all the good and the highest well being.

However, lacking someone here that could teach us, I dare not to disappoint your will to know, and it is in some way an example of what the soul can be, when I experiment it up to where I am able to know.

Initially, limit your expectation, and do not assume that I will state everything about the soul (or that it includes the vital vegetative and sensitive principles) rather I will only talk about the soul of a rational human being, the only one worthy of reference, if we happen to worry about ourselves.


First degree

The soul, as we can see it in all human beings, vivifies with her presence the terrestrial and mortal body, she unifies it, and she keeps it organized as an alive body, and she does not allow it to be dissolved in the elements of its organic composition. She makes the foods be equally distributed in the conservation of all the organism, preserves the harmony and the ratio of the members, not only in its appearance, but also in its growth and reproduction.

But these things can be understood as common to men and plants (= vegetative life), because we know that the vegetative species conserve its structures, feed and reproduce according to its species.


Second degree

Go up a little more and contemplate the power of the soul over sensible life, where life is manifested in a more evident form. And we should not have to pay attention to an unknown type of impiety, entirely rude, and more of woods than the plants, whose defenders say that the grapevine suffers when its grapes are harvested, or that plants feels when their branches are cut, and that they also listen and see. It is not time to speak of such a sacrilegious error.

As I had considered, we will observe the power of the human soul over the corporal senses and over the movement of the body, in that the body is livened up, and under such aspects we have nothing to do with the species that fix its roots in the ground.

The soul concentrate in touch, and by its means she identifies hot and cold, rough and smooth, hard and soft, light and heavy. And sampling, smelling, hearing and seeing, she distinguishes innumerable different tastes, smells, sounds and forms. She desires what pleases its corporal nature, repelling what she dislikes. For some time she retires from the senses, recouping her forces by resting, where the images of things acquired by the senses are left to run freely, doing it in sleeping and dreaming. Through exercise, she moves pleasantly, composing the harmony of the members. When possible, she looks for the union of sexes, and from the nature of two she makes one, in love and sociability. Not only does she generate children, as she shelters, protects and feeds them. She gets used to the environment, and to the things that support her body, the ones she hardly want to move away, as if they were one of her parts. And to the force of custom, which doesn't even hinder the separation of things, we call memory (sensible).

Still, no one can deny that the irrationals also make all these sensible things (sensitive life).


Third degree

Go up one more degree, arriving at the third, which is proper to man. Think about the souvenir of myriad, not as consequences of only the custom, or repeated habits, but of the intention applied to the things deliberately intended, and the conservation of many gotten things. There are a large variety of arts and techniques, in the culture of the fields, the construction of cities, and accomplishments of all types of produced largenesses. Invention of many representative signs, in the writing, the gestures and the pronounced word. In all the creative sounds, as in the painting and the sculpture, the variety of languages, the social institutions, in new things that always appear, as in the recovery of others. In the variety of books, and all the raised monuments delivered to the care of future generations. In the variety of occupations, in the constituted forces, in honors and dignities, either in family or in society. In the profane and sacred ceremonies, in peace and war, and everything produced by the human power of reasoning and imagination. Think about the loaded oratory production, the poetical art, and many other creations destined to diversion, to the sports, to music practice, to the precision of the art of calculus, and the conjectures of the future based on the accomplishments of the present.

Great are those things proper only to the human being. Still then, they will be common to the scholars and the ignorants, the good ones and the bad ones.


Forth degree

Pass on to the forth degree, where it starts the truly goodness and laudation. Here the soul dares not only to superpose itself over the body - that is an integrant part of the universe - but over that same universe. She does not consider as hers the things of this world, learns to esteem its power and beauty above these things, because she distinguishes the values, and despises mundane things. The more she uses these things to her advantage, the more she steps away from them, becoming free of all imperfection, becoming purer and more perfect, strenghtening herself against everything that can deter her from her intention and decision. She appreciates the social conviviality, does not desire to somebody else what she does not want for herself, obeys the legitimate authority and the rules of wisest, recognizing that God speaks by means of them.

In this noble activity of the soul it still exists a large effort and much fight against the impediments and seductions of the world. In the same effort for its purification, a certain fear of death still exists, small sometimes, and very great in certain cases. But she must believe surely that all things are under the guard and just providence of God, and that no death occurs without justice, even when caused by the badness of the human being (and only to the entirely purified souls it is given to see how much this is true). But if she fears death up to this point, when already in the forth degree, either she still have a weak faith in the just providence, or due to a lesser interior tranquility - necessary to understand what seems to be difficult - or because the tranquility is disturbed by fear.

By progressing in this degree, she knows always more the differences between the purified and sinful soul, and in such a way she is even more afraid that, leaving this body, less could God bear she stained, than she would bear herself in that same state. And there is nothing more difficult than to fear death and to move away from the ambushes of the world, as demanded by the decurrent dangerous situations.

But the soul is so great, that she can make it all with the protection of the supreme and true God, whose justice conserves and governs the universe. And such justice of conservation makes not only all things to exist, but also to exist in a form that cannot have any other better.

Pray for it to God, merciful and confident, so that He helps the perfectioning in the difficult work of purification.


Fifth degree

Once here, that is, being the soul free from all imperfection, and purified from her sins, she finds pleasure in herself, fears nothing more, nor feels restless for anything, even the smallest, in the inner subjects.

That is the fifth degree. It is one thing to look for heart pureness, another thing is to have already reached this state. Distinct is the action by which she purifies herself from evil, another thing is to assent no more on sin.

In this state she can fully understand her greatness, and, being convinced, tends really towards God, with immense and inaudible trust, that is, to tend toward the very contemplation of the truth, and to the highest and secretest rewards for which she has so much striven.


Sixth degree

But the trend to understand what the soul really is, and she is in the mot sublime way, also comes to be the highest expression of the soul, and nothing exists that is more perfect, better and more correct. This is the sixth degree of its activity. It is one thing to purify the look of the mind, not to look uselessly and frightfully at the wrong vision. Another thing is to conserve and to reaffirm its moral integrity. And yet another one is to direct the look of the mind in a calm and adjusted way towards what must be seen.

The ones that tries to undertake this without being completely purified and upright, are dimmed by the same light of truth, up to the point of refusing to believe in anything that is good, and in the same truth. And censuring the medicine of purification, they take refuge in some miserable passion or pleasure, in the darknesses that this disease compels them to be. And for that says the prophet truthfully and by divine inspiration: "Create in me, dear God, a pure heart, and renew in my viscera the spirit of rectitude" (Sb 50,12).

I understand that the spirit of rectitude is what hinders the soul from deviating and falsifying in the search for the truth. And the spirit does not renew itself if the soul has not yet pureness, that is, if the thought does not turn away before all passion, purifying herself from the rancid mortal things.


Seventh degree

Certainly it is the same vision and contemplation of the truth what constitutes the seventh degree, the most higher degree of the soul, and it is not even a degree, it is a certain mansion or dwelling where one arrives through the degrees.

And I do not know which words to say about the joys of the supreme and true good, or which inspiration will have the soul in its serene eternity. Great souls of insuperable sanctity had spoken about this, when they judged opportune. We believe that they have also seen all that, and continue seeing eternally.

I dare to say this in a clear way. And if we keep ourselves in the route that God orders us to follow, and there we keep the constancy, we will arrive by the divine power in the Wisdom of God, Virtue of God, supreme cause and supreme author, supreme principle of all things, be as it may the way that we use to speak of something so high.

We will understand then how the things are true in which they had ordered us to believe in, and how the Church has fed us healthily as our mother did, and what is the advantage of the doctrine's milk that Saint Paul says to be given to the small ones (1Cor 3,2). When somebody still needs maternal milk, it is useful to receive such a food. Shameful would it be as a grown-up. To disdain it when it is needed is lamentable. To criticize the food or to detest it is criminal and impious. However, to conserve and to distribute the food conveniently is a praiseworthy proof of love.

We will also see that the corporal nature suffers changes and difficulties, obeying in this world the divine law, but we believe in the resurrection of the flesh, which some believe very little, and others deny, but we have it as absolutely certain, more than the certainty that the sun of the setting will be born again in the other day.

But there exist those who dare to mock the humanity of Christ, assumed by the powerful, the perpetual and incommutable Son of God. And those we disdain, as the children who, seeing an artist who reproduces recorded images, imagine that one can only paint a human figure by copying it from another one.

The joy to contemplate the truth is so great, either being the aspect under which we contemplate it; it is so great the perfection, the steadiness in the faith in the true things, that nobody will assume to have really known something before, when assuming to know something, without having contemplated the truth itself.

And so that the soul is not hindered from joining completely with the truth, she would then desire - as her supreme reward - the death that was before feared, that is, to disconnect herself totally from this body.

-- End of Translation --

From: http://pachacamacmonastery.yolasite.com/history-of-western-monasticism.php
In the treatise, De quantitate animae, St. Augustine lists seven stages through which the soul normally passes as it advances to contemplation. The first three stages refer to the vegetative, sensitive and rational levels of human life. But the Christian does not begin to make true progress toward perfection until the fourth stage, which is that of virtue, accompanied by purification. The fifth stage is called tranquillity, to denote the peace that follows from control of the passions. The sixth stage is called the entrance into the divine light (ingressio in lucem), in which the soul seeks to penetrate the divinity; there, if it succeeds, it passes on to the seventh and final stage which is that of habitual union and indwelling (mansio).(20)

...

20. De quantitate animae, 33, 70-76. In his commentary on the beatitudes and on Isa. I I:2, St. Augustine divides the stages according to the gifts of the Holy Spirit, beginning with fear of the Lord and terminating with wisdom.

Autumn in New York - Love Story

"I hate to tell you this, but there's only two kinds of love stories in this world: boy loses girl, girl loses boy. That's it! Somebody always gets left behind." [hh:mm:ss 01:00:55]

... one way or another.

Which reminds me of that old couple dying together - in each others arms; laying on a cozy bed - when Titanic (1997) is sinking. Quite an exception...

Also, it tells us that true love should be about a desire to live together, rather than a necessity to live together (see Legends of the Fall - Forever).

Carpe Diem,

Coldplay - Fix You

"When you get what you want but not what you need". (by Coldplay - Fix You)

	you are getting it	you are not getting it
what you want is what you need	( )	( )
what you want is not what you need	( )	( )

Where do you want to be in the table above?

It's all about consciousness and choice (see Education - posted on 2007-03-13 and George Bernard Shaw posted on 2007-01-17).


Carpe Diem,

Meet Joe Black - Infinity

Joe Black: I don't care Bill. I love her.
William Parrish: How perfect for you - to take whatever you want because it pleases you. That's not love.
Joe Black: Then what is it?
William Parrish: Some aimless infatuation which, for the moment, you feel like indulging - it's missing everything that matters.
Joe Black: Which is what?
William Parrish: Trust, responsibility, taking the weight for your choices and feelings, and spending the rest of your life living up to them. And above all, not hurting the object of your love.
Joe Black: So that's what love is according to William Parrish?
William Parrish: Multiply it by infinity, and take it to the depth of forever, and you will still have barely a glimpse of what I'm talking about.
Joe Black: Those were my words.
William Parrish: They're mine now.

(Extracted from Memorable quotes for Meet Joe Black (1998) at http://imdb.com/title/tt0119643/quotes) [last visited on March 19th 2007]

Meet Joe Black - Love (complete)

"Love is passion, obsession, someone you can't live without. If you don't start with that, what are you going to end up with? Fall head over heels. I say find someone you can love like crazy and who'll love you the same way back. And how do you find him? Forget your head and listen to your heart. I'm not hearing any heart. Run the risk, if you get hurt, you'll come back. Because, the truth is there is no sense living your life without this. To make the journey and not fall deeply in love - well, you haven't lived a life at all. You have to try. Because if you haven't tried, you haven't lived."

(Extracted from Memorable quotes for Meet Joe Black (1998) at http://imdb.com/title/tt0119643/quotes) [last visited on March 19th 2007]

Life

Life is too awesome for you to waste it on less than great stuff. And anything can be great, from working hard to taking some time off to rest to figuring out your next move to waiting for something to happen to being in love. It's a matter of acting honestly towards yourself.

If you are really committed to greatness, you will get it even if you don't.

Carpe Diem,

Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Love

"When you fall in love, it is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake, and then it subsides. And when it subsides, you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the desire to mate every second of the day... For that is just being in love; which any of us can convince ourselves we are. Love itself is what is left over, when being in love has burned away. Doesn't sound very exciting, does it? ... ... But it is!"


(Adapted from Memorable quotes for Captain Corelli's Mandolin (2001) at http://imdb.com/title/tt0238112/quotes) [last visited on March 17th 2007]

Choices

... "since the real test for any choice is having to make the same choice again, knowing full well what it might cost - I guess I feel pretty good about that choice" ...
(Extracted from Matrix Revolutions - Scripts at http://www.thematrixfr.com/m3_script_vo.shtml) [last visited on March 15th 2007]

William Parrish: ... I have no regrets ... And I want you to feel that way, too ... No regrets?
Susan Parrish: 'No regrets'.
William Parrish: It's a good feeling, isn't it?
(Extracted from Meet Joe Black Script at http://www.awesomefilm.com/script/meetjoeblack.txt) [last visited on March 15th 2007]

To regret your choices is to wish someone else were living your life. To be able to make a different choice in the future is (or should be) a human right - the Right to "exert a different opinion".

Carpe Diem,

Up Close & Personal - Day

"Every day we have is one more than we deserve."

(Extracted from Memorable quotes for Up Close & Personal (1996) at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118055/quotes) [last visited on March 14th 2007]

Education (Consciousness and Choice)

Argyle Wallace: Did the priest give a poetic benediction? "The Lord bless thee and keep thee..."
Young William: It was in Latin.
Argyle Wallace: You don't speak Latin? Well that is something we shall have to remedy, then, isn't it?
(Extracted from Memorable quotes for Braveheart (1995) at http://imdb.com/title/tt0112573/quotes) [last visited on March 13th 2007]

Worldwide education (in the broadest sense possible) is something we all shall have to remedy, isn't it?

Decker: What good is her education?
Col. William Ludlow: She'll live a richer, fuller life, of course.
(Extracted from Legends Of The Fall Script - Dialogue Transcript at http://www.script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/l/legends-of-the-fall-script.html and http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110322/) [last visited on March 13th 2007]

Perhaps she will live a more complex and distressed life, as well. It's all about consciousness and choice.

Balian of Ibelin: It is a kingdom of conscience, or nothing.
(Extracted from Memorable quotes for Kingdom of Heaven (2005) at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0320661/quotes) [last visited on March 13th 2007]

The Architect: ... As you adequately put, the problem is choice...
(Extracted from Memorable quotes for The Matrix Reloaded (2003) at http://imdb.com/title/tt0234215/quotes) [last visited on March 13th 2007]

See The Devil Wears Prada - Choose and Coldplay - Fix You.

Carpe Diem,

Utopia Unarmed

"The compromise between limited political will to impose reforms from above, and limited capacity to fight for reform from below, was Latin American populism."

(Extracted from "Utopia Unarmed: The Latin American Left After the Cold War" by Jorge Castaneda, p. 46)

Although the nuances exhibited by Latin American countries, their histories are amazingly similar.

Carpe Diem,

Revolution

"Eighteen forty-eighty failed because it turned out that the decisive confrontation was not that between the old regimes and the united 'forces of progress', but between 'order' and 'social revolution' ".

(Extracted from "The Age of Capital: 1848-1875" by Eric Hobsbawm, p. 17)

When hardly anyone can vouch for the day after a revolution, it loses most of its supporters and enthusiasts. Most men prefer security over a soft possibility of a better life. Those intransigently on the barricades are (most likely) in a nothing to loose situation - which can be quite dangerous and unsafe. "Who should benefit from" chaos?

"In 1848-9 moderate liberals therefore made two important discoveries in western Europe: that revolution was dangerous and that some of their substantial demands (especially in economic matters) could be met without it. The bourgeoisie ceased to be a revolutionary force." (idem, p. 20)

Carpe Diem,

Feudalism

"For the old traditional system, inefficient and oppressive as it had been, was also a system of considerable social certainty and, at a most miserable level, of some economic security; not to mention that it was hallowed by custom and tradition."

(Extracted from "The Age of Revolution: 1789-1848" by Eric Hobsbawm, p. 158)

Perhaps the peasantry were better off before the Revolutions of the 18th and 19th centuries. Capitalism tends to break-down traditions while generating a need for constant change at an ever-faster pace. Who should benefit from that?

Carpe Diem,

Meet Joe Black - Love

"Love is passion, obsession, someone you can't live without... the truth is there is no sense living your life without this. To make the journey and not fall deeply in love - well, you haven't lived a life at all. You have to try. Because if you haven't tried, you haven't lived."

(Complete dialog at http://imdb.com/title/tt0119643/quotes) [last visited on March 5th 2007]

Carnival 2007

It's really amazing how all the standard values are "inversed" during that brief period of time called Carnaval in Brazil.

It's fun to be (or dress up as) outcasts and prostitutes. It's cool to sleep during the day and stay up all night long. (Actually, it's a nonstop party, starting early in the morning with the Street Parades and moving on to the Samba School Parades which goes on till sunrise.)

It's ok to close down otherwise crowded business streets to give room to the Parades. It's nice to talk nonsense all the time and to keep on laughing for 4 days in a row.

It's Carnival!

Carpe Diem,

Brazilian Roots

"O que entre elas [as nações ibéricas] predomina é a concepção antiga de que o ócio importa mais que o negócio e de que a atividade produtora é, em si, menos valiosa que a contemplação e o amor".

Which freely translates to:

"What predominates among them [the Iberian nations] is the old conception that leisure is more import than business and that production is, in itself, less valuable than contemplation and love".

(Extracted from "Raízes do Brasil" by Sérgio Buarque de Holanda, 12th ed., p. 10)

In the book, that line of thought is further expressed by a metaphor involving "farmers" (who worship the work itself) and "hunters" (to whom it is all about getting the reward). Therfore, Iberian people are considered hunters rather than farmers.

The nature of Brazil - our roots, our issues and our virtues - may be understood in the eyes of that metaphor. It may be the very reason why tourists feel at home when here and why everyone (from different origins and from various religious beliefs) lives "in relative peace and harmony" in this blessed land.


Carpe Diem,

Favorite Icon (how to)

A Favorite Icon is that small image (logo or picture) that appears next to the page name (URL field / webpage) on a browser's tab (such as Firefox).

To add it to your pages, create a 16 pixel wide by 16 pixel high image file and set its color depth to 16. Save it in Windows Icon Format (favicon.ico) and upload the saved file to the web server. Finally, add the following code to the HEAD section of your HTML pages:

<link REL="SHORTCUT ICON" HREF="/favicon.ico">

(based on http://www.coffeecup.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=3507) [last visited on February 8th 2007]

For some tips on how to design a logo of letters, visit: http://www.bamagazine.com/7ecHEsLand.asp

For creating a transparent icon image file (.ico), try the following freeware: http://www.gimp.org/

Carpe Diem,

Family & Friends

Here I am listening to some original music+lyrics composed and recorded by a friend of mine...

Why is that sometimes we consider our friends and family to have great artistic talent? Do they really have?

From composing to playing music to acting to designing clothing to writing to painting to playing sports, I have seen them doing it all. And doing it superbly!

Nevertheless, to my surprise, they usually follow another track in life - a less artistic and more traditional one. Is it our cultural/economic system crippling-off young talents? Or is it an all-knowing darwinian filter in action?

Carpe Diem,

Global Warming and the Quest for Survival

... "Every man dies, not every man really lives" ... (Braveheart)

With global warming and the present space-race, it makes one think if we are not, at the end, a sort of a "virus" (The Matrix) for this earth.

Will we behave properly with the inhabitants of the other planets we conquer? Will it be different from the E.T.s in "War of the Worlds" or "Independence Day"? Are we following the right track in this very moment? Perhaps...

"Lock: If it were up to me, Councillor, I'd take every man, woman, and child, put a gun in their hands and march them straight into that dock.
Councillor Dillard: Perhaps it is best that it is not up to you. " (The Matrix)

(Extracted from http://www.matrix-explained.com/php/about-the-matrix-movies-1368.html) [on February 5th 2007]

Should everything be tolerated in our quest for survival?

Carpe Diem,

Politics

Justice is the pathway. Love are the steps. Peace is a measure of alignment with the path.

Carpe Diem,

The Matrix - Take Time

... "Yes, of course. Who has time? Who has time? But then if we never take time, how can we ever have time?" ...

(Complete dialog at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0234215/quotes) [last visited on February 2nd 2007]


We tend to start our lives with plenty of time and health and a lack of money. We go through our adult life getting more wealthy and enjoying less leisure-time. At the end, we have both time and money, but a fragile health.

Hardly anything is certain in life, but it's primary to make our choices knowing full well the trade-offs involved.

Carpe Diem,

Politics

... "virtue is the condition of liberty" ...

(Extracted from "Politics - A very short introduction" by Kenneth Minogue p. 34 - Portuguese version)

Once we begin to miss judge our values, we enter a path of no return to absolutism.

Carpe Diem,

Test on International Relations (In Portuguese)

Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro - PUC-Rio
Instituto de Relações Internacionais – IRI
Formação do Sistema Internacional Contemporâneo
Prof. João P. Nogueira
Primeira Verificação

Primeira Questão

A Guerra dos Trinta Anos mudou radicalmente a forma como se davam as relações internacionais de poder na Europa do século XVII. Tentativas como a da dinastia Habsburgo de obter o domínio hegemônico sobre a Europa Católica já não seriam possíveis. Durante toda a história européia vemos uma alternância entre as potências de estabelecer um império no continente, porém a Guerra dos Trinta Anos se diferencia de tantas outras por ter sido travada ainda em uma época em que os estadistas tinham pretensões Universais e não aceitavam outro resultado senão a imposição de suas vontades sem preservação da liberdade dos derrotados. Os Habsburgo tiveram a chance de acabar com esta guerra obtendo o controle político sobre a Europa Central mas não aceitaram a condição desejada pelos protestantes desta região de escolherem suas crenças – ele queriam impor o catolicismo romano de qualquer maneira. Tal forma de governar se mostraria no mínimo ultrapassada em uma época em que Richelieu se encontrava liderando a política francesa. Richelieu inventou o que seria chamado de Razão do Estado, política que dominaria a Europa após a Paz de Westphalia. Mesmo a frente de uma França católica, Richelieu abdicou de seguir o comportamento moral padrão para colocar os interesses da França em primeiro lugar, mesmo que isso significasse financiar os adversários dos povos católicos liderados pelos Habsburgo. O Cardeal francês conseguiu eliminar a fragilidade da França cercada por um império Habsburgo em expansão justamente enfraquecendo a esta única potência Européia capaz de reivindicar o controle hegemônico sobre o continente. A Razão de Estado abriria caminho para outro conceito conhecido como equilíbrio de poder. Esta nova forma de pensar a política internacional pode ser entendida como um sistema anti-hegemônico. A Razão de Estado impunha aos governantes considerar os interesses dos estados em primeiro lugar, o que levou a uma política internacional mais objetiva e precisa por parte dos estados que já não mais estariam interessados em impor sua ideologia sobre outros povos ou tomar atitudes Universalistas do gênero pois o exemplo Habsburgo deixava claro que isso só enfraqueceria o estado. A busca pelo interesse nacional abria caminho também para alianças entre estados sem levar-se em conta as similaridades étnicas mas sim a validade estratégica – essa política de alianças flexíveis sem dúvida favoreciam o equilíbrio. A própria busca por parte de cada estado pela sua segurança impedia que qualquer outro estado se tornasse hegemônico na Europa. “Richelieu foi o pai do sistema moderno de Estado”, e os governantes (atores desse novo sistema) teriam que adaptar-se a nova forma de política internacional que transformava a Europa em um tabuleiro de xadrez onde se deveria calcular o poder relativo de cada potência, a necessidade ou não de alianças, a viabilidade ou não de ocupações e expansão territorial, enfim, ou custo benefício para o estado de cada atitude por parte de seus estadistas.


Segunda Questão

Novamente vemos a França influenciar decididamente a história européia e mundial. A Revolução Francesa trouxe ao mundo os ideais de Liberdade, Fraternidade e Igualdade, porém mais do isso, foi a precursora do primeiro estado-nação. Talvez pela primeira vez na história o povo inteiro de um país pegou em armas para defender um ideal e uma nação em que acreditavam. Aí estava a origem de um futuro estado democrático. A França se tornou tamanha ameaça na Europa principalmente por esse idealismo de sua população que estava disposta a tudo para defender a Revolução e levar o ideal libertador para todo o mundo. Pode-se considerar que a postura Francesa era uma nova versão do sentimento universalista e hegemônico que dois séculos antes era a justificativa para o expansionismo Habsburgo. Como conseqüência da Revolução um acordo entre a França Liberal e as demais potências absolutistas européias seria tão ideologicamente incompatível como um acordo entre os Católicos e Protestantes durante a Guerra dos Trinta. A solução viável era impor a nova ideologia na Europa assim como o seria impor o catolicismo. (Tal incompatibilidade ocorreria também na Rússia pós-17 já que a posição Russa de estimular Revoluções de tomada de poder em todo mundo era visivelmente uma barreira nas suas relações diplomáticas com o mundo capitalista). O Concerto Europeu veio então como forma de controlar esta França Revolucionaria com pretensões hegemônicas e restaurar a antiga ordem absolutista, ordem essa totalmente anacrônica como a história haveria de mostrar. A forma encontrada pelo Concerto para garantir a paz foi a super valorização da balança de poder como única política capaz de impedir novas guerras continentais. A balança de poder funcionou perfeitamente na Europa por um certo período de tempo e uma época de paz foi certamente conquistada pela simples inviabilidade prática de se seguir uma política expansionista visto que uma aliança anti-hegemônica era sempre uma realidade. Porém a grande estabilidade criada pelo concerto acabou por determinar que somente uma gigantesca força desestabilizadora poderia abalar suas estruturas. Esta força seria justamente o anacronismo dos estados autocráticos. A redivisão dos territórios conquistados pela França foi um exemplo disso. Esta divisão não observou de forma alguma a origem étnicas dos territórios que foram concedidos, por exemplo, a Áustria. Esta, aliás, já era um império em clara decadência e somente sua tradição possibilitou seu fortalecimento. Este fortalecimento de uma Áustria fraca se mostraria como uma das causas das Guerras Mundiais do séc. XX justamente pela contestação por partes de povos de origens diversas sobre a legitimidade do poder Austríaco. (Deve-se levar em conta, em favor do Concerto, que a fragmentação destes territórios seria causador de disputas entre as potências pelo controle dos mesmos – exatamente o que aconteceu com os territórios da Europa Central pós guerra dos trinta anos.) Em suma, o Concerto gerou uma grande estabilidade e decisivamente conteve o expansionismo da França. Porém a ainda existência de conflitos, o declínio da Áustria, a possibilidade do crescimento da Prússia visto o enfraquecimento da França e Áustria, o surgimento de novas potências mundiais, entre outros, acabaria por fazer do Concerto Europeu um simples controle supra-estrutural garantidor da paz enquanto a infra-estrutura estava cada vez mais gerando desequilíbrios que, pela simples natureza do Concerto, só aflorariam quando fossem demasiadamente fortes para serem contidos.


Quinta Questão

Dois séculos depois a política de Richelieu de prolongar a Guerra dos Trinta Anos para fortalecimento da França ainda marcava a estrutura do continente europeu. A fragmentação dos estados germânicos adiou, em muito, a unificação alemã que só ocorreu nas mãos de Bismark no século XIX. O intervalo decorrido até que a Prússia conseguisse estabelecer seu domínio sobre a Europa central foi o suficiente para gerar uma instabilidade que se prolongaria por décadas. A unificação tardia apesar de garantir à Alemanha se tornar uma potência européia, não possibilitou que ela participasse da fase inicial do imperialismo europeu e da divisão do mundo em colônias. Como conseqüência lá estava a Alemanha industrialmente uma potência, mas sem status de potência pela visível falta de um império colonial. Além disso, o surgimento de uma nova potência em uma época de Concerto Europeu foi uma tarefa complicada conseguida por Bismark devido a sua grande habilidade no jogo diplomático. Bismark conseguiu equilibrar-se em uma série de alianças aparentemente incompatíveis que garantiram a unidade alemã conquistada basicamente por uma seqüência de guerras. Esta realidade era por si só profundamente instável. Em primeiro lugar a unificação baseada em um nacionalismo alemão que só se mostrava (em princípio) em tempos de guerra é sem dúvida instável. Em segundo lugar um malabarismo diplomático também é impossível de ser mantido a longo prazo. Esta instabilidade foi ampliada quando Bismark foi afastado do poder por Guilherme II que claramente não queria ficar à sombra de Bismark, mas que não possuía objetivos claros que fossem governar suas decisões. Guilherme segundo sabia que governava a talvez maior potência européia da época mas não sabia como adquirir o status de grande potência. Assim talvez estava o povo alemão, que unido por guerras queria agora ter a certeza de que fazia parte de uma grande “nação”. Tudo isso gerou a seqüência desetabilizadora da política externa alemã. Inicialmente a própria não renovação de acordos com a Rússia demostrava uma menor habilidade política alemã do que nos tempos de Bismark. As intervenções em assuntos geo-políticos (como no caso de Marrocos) mostrava também uma falta de objetivos claros da política externa da Alemanha. Esta potência desestabilizadora e possívelmente imprevisível acabou por transformar a Europa em uma bomba relógio. O interesse de ser respeitada acabou se materializando na busca constante pelo crescimento do poderio militar. Sem saber como agir contra a nova potência continental, acabou unindo outras potências contra a Alemanha. Este foi o caso da França e Rússia, que possuíam problemas distintos com a Alemanha, mas que viram a necessidade de unir-se para conter tamanha força. A falta de visão por parte do governo alemão acabou também por possibilitar à França atrair para seu lado uma antiga rival: a Inglaterra. Esta última que, por seus conflitos com a Rússia e França, se esperava que entrasse em acordo com a Alemanha, acabou contra ela. Isto pode ser explicado pela falta de habilidade de Guilherme II em manter a Inglaterra como aliada, mas respeitando a política inglesa de mantedora da Balança de Poder. Ou seja, faltou à Alemanha um comportamento com objetivos claros e definidos que acabariam por gerar a Primeira Guerra. Deve-se mencionar, entretanto, que a vontade alemã de se tornar uma super-potência a qualquer custo, é, em parte, entendida pelo fato de grande parte da últimas guerras européias terem sido travadas em solo alemão, o que gerava necessariamente o medo de que isso voltasse a ocorrer. Também a busca por um maior nacionalismo alemão é fruto da falta de nacionalismo causada pela fragmentação da Alemanha pós guerra dos trinta anos (fragmentação esta que era interessante para a França, que buscava uma posição mais confortável através do enfraquecimento de seus adversários). Tudo indica a ausência de uma única causa para as Grandes Guerras do século XX.

(First published: December 2001)

Carpe Diem,

Criação (In Portuguese)

Criar como criação
Replicar idéias dando-lhes nova significação
Sistemas que não são em si, mas parte de um sistema maior

Variações sobre o mesmo tema
Reutilização como parte da criação
Ver, vir, ouvir … testar, criar

Engenharia, medicina da tecnologia
Razão que tenta fugir da razão
Criatividade, criação

Universidade, casa do conhecimento
Professor como aluno, aluno como professor
Reutilização como parte da criação

Novo no velho, velho no novo
Novidade
Recriar o já criado, o novo, nossas vidas

Como não ver a beleza
Das variações sobre o mesmo tema
Do novo, do velho, do TUDO

A beleza da criação

(First published: August 22nd, 2000)

Carpe Diem,